mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF GREGGORY JACKSON HUGHEY
David Kustoff (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-2-14

. Madam , I rise today with a heavy heart but also with pride, to pay tribute to Greggory Jackson Hughey from Tipton County, Tennessee. prgtoken Jackson Hughey is a former Covington High School football player who recently lost his 7-year battle with cancer. prgtoken Jackson had bravely fought neuroblastoma cancer since 2017. That cancer should not define Jackson, but it is certainly part of his story. prgtoken Jackson was a brave young man. In fact, Jason Hughey, Jackson's father, said that Jackson defined his cancer and defined his life. prgtoken Jackson never ever discussed his cancer diagnosis unless he was receiving treatment or getting a checkup at St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis. Jason and Deanne Hughey are so appreciative of all the care and support they received from the healthcare providers at St. Jude Children's Hospital. prgtoken Jackson found comfort through his faith. His family said that Jackson did not allow the cancer to control him or bother him because, in their words, he knew where he was going. prgtoken Jackson is remembered for his passion for all sports, specifically football. It was through football that I first met Jackson a number of years ago. Jackson's love for life and for sports truly shined through, and I think this photo here clearly shows that. prgtoken Along with his childhood friends, Jackson started H+H Podcast, a weekly show to discuss the latest news and sports and to preview upcoming games. Now whether the topic was football, basketball, baseball, or any other sport, Jackson and his friend, Tanner, covered the bases over their 70 episodes. prgtoken Jackson was a big fan of the University of Memphis Tigers. One morning just before Christmas, a couple of months ago, Jackson and his father headed to St. Jude Children's Hospital for a transfusion of platelets. When it was clear that they were not going to be ready for the treatment before they needed to leave for the Memphis Tigers basketball game versus Vanderbilt, Jackson told his St. Jude nurse that he had to wait to get his platelets until after the basketball game, and that is what he did. prgtoken Jackson went to the game and then he returned to the hospital for his transfusion. Jackson simply was not going to allow his sickness to stop him from doing the things that he loved. prgtoken In the years following his diagnosis, it was moving to see the entire Tipton County community rally in support of him. Even the rival fans started wearing Covington High School colors in honor of Jackson. prgtoken Jackson taught all of us that life is precious, and he showed us what it is like to be brave and to fight hard. Jackson showed us how to fully embrace life and how to overcome fear. prgtoken As a testament to his courage and to his life, Jackson was awarded the Commercial Appeal's Courage Award in 2021. Jackson passed away on January 28, just a couple of weeks ago. prgtoken Yesterday would have been Jackson's 21st birthday. Jackson
MOUNTAIN GATEWAY OFFICIALS WRONGLY IMPRISONED
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2024-2-14

. Madam , I rise to recognize February 17 through 24 as National FFA Week. President George Washington once said: ``Agriculture is the most healthy, the most useful, and the most noble employment of man.'' prgtoken FFA members and alumni nationwide continue to look up to President Washington as a model of leadership and a champion for agriculture. For the past 76 years, we have celebrated National FFA Week during the week of Washington's birthday, February 22. prgtoken My roots in FFA run deep. The organization played a role in shaping me into the man I am today. I was a member of the Fountain Lake FFA chapter in high school and went on to serve as the Arkansas FFA State president. I now have the opportunity to serve on the bipartisan Congressional FFA Caucus, and many of my staff members are previous FFA members, State officers, and even a national officer. prgtoken At a time when the average age of a U.S. farmer is nearly 60 years old, agriculturists are looking to the next generation to fill their shoes. It has never been more important to give youth a seat at the table and enhance the agricultural talent pipeline, and that is where FFA excels. prgtoken I am proud to recognize National FFA Week to celebrate this incredible organization. May it be a reminder of the great strides FFA makes in contributing to the future of agriculture. Honoring the Life of Bob R. Brooks, Jr.
CELEBRATING THE CBYX 40TH EXCHANGE COHORT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-2-14

I rise today to talk about the CBYX program and to thank Linus Wullner, a current participant and intern in my office. prgtoken As the chair of the bipartisan German-American Caucus and a Congressman for the 15th District for Pennsylvania, a State with a history of German heritage, I have supported the CBYX program for many years. prgtoken Established in 1983, the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange program celebrates its 40th exchange cohort this year and is jointly funded by the U.S. Congress and the German Congress. prgtoken Every year, this unique program offers 75 young Germans and 75 young Americans the opportunity to study, work, and volunteer in Germany and the United States. prgtoken Participants fully immerse themselves into the other culture, attending university, interning, and living with host families all across the USA and Germany. prgtoken Linus was first placed with the welcoming host family of Patricia Vazquez in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked in the hospitality industry while studying political science at Southern Nevada University. prgtoken Now he is living with a host family in Burke, Virginia, and experiences everyday working life within my office. prgtoken , I emphasize the importance of cultural exchange programs. The American-German friendships don't stop after participants like Linus return to Germany and his hometown of Hinnenkamp. prgtoken The cultural exchange continues. American friends will visit Germany, Linus will visit the United States, and he will continue to share his experiences in the United States with his family, neighbors, and coworkers in Germany. prgtoken It is through citizen diplomacy that we expand cultural knowledge across the globe.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7160, SALT MARRIAGE PENALTY ELIMINATION ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 987, DENOUNCING THE HARMFUL, ANTI-AMERICAN ENERGY POLICIES OF THE BIDEN...
Andy Harris (Republican, MD) \u2014 2024-2-14

this bill is about fairness. I do want to mention, though, the memory is a little short on the other side of the aisle. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act where this was implemented was passed on reconciliation. It only required a simple majority. prgtoken Moreover, the when they passed the Inflation Reduction Act depended on only a simple majority. They could easily have put their recommended SALT cures into that bill. It absolutely fits in with reconciliation which are budgetary items. That is what this is. Nonetheless, they chose not to. prgtoken So one has to ask: Why did they choose to spend $1 trillion on expensive green energy projects and not yield tax relief to their own constituents? prgtoken I can't answer that, only they can. Nevertheless, let's set the record prgtoken straight. The had the opportunity to do whatever they wanted to on SALT. They complained about it for years. They could have fixed it. They choose not to. They deliberately chose not to in a vehicle that only required a simple majority. prgtoken So this is about fairness. prgtoken , when we passed that in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act--one of the greatest stimuli to the American economy ever--we, interestingly, chose not to inflation index that $10,000. Now, thanks to flation, it should be around $15,000. prgtoken So our decision is that even just to make it fair for inflation caused by President and his policies, we could have chosen to just raise it $15,000, but, no, we did, I think, what was the right thing to do, which is to say that there is no penalty to a family, because on this side of the aisle we actually think the idea of family is pretty good for this country. We don't want to disincentivize it. prgtoken We decided we would take and just remove what I would call the marriage penalty from this. I think it is the right decision. prgtoken One of the gentlemen who supports this mentioned that this goes far beyond blue States. This goes into States where, because of flation, housing prices have gone up, and, , I guarantee you, those property taxes are going to go up for a variety of reasons. prgtoken The time to do this is now, it is appropriate, and I fully support the rule.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7176, UNLOCKING OUR DOMESTIC LNG POTENTIAL ACT OF 2024
Mark Alford (Republican, MO) \u2014 2024-2-14

I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for yielding me the time. prgtoken , I rise today to support the rule and to address a pressing issue affecting each and every American--our energy security. prgtoken You see, , energy is not a luxury. It is the bedrock of our Nation's strength. It heats our homes, it cooks our food, and it fuels our travels. prgtoken Yet, our energy independence is threatened as domestic energy producers face unprecedented challenges. The pause on LNG export permits empowers countries like Russia and Iran and hurts our allies who depend on U.S. energy. prgtoken This is precisely why we need this legislation, Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act. We have witnessed a regulatory assault that has stifled investment. It has spiked energy prices. It has hit families where it hurts the most, in their pocketbooks and purses. prgtoken Remember, American-produced LNG is cleaner with 41 percent lower life-cycle emissions than Russian gas, but now, because of a political stunt by the President of the United States, our Strategic Petroleum Reserve is at its lowest level since the 1980s. prgtoken This is just not an environmental issue. It is an economic and security crisis. The energy sector supports millions of American jobs and has been the engine of our economy, but the current policies risk these jobs and our growth. prgtoken This is not about politics. This is about our very survival as a Nation. We must act, and we must act now. We must support policies that bolster American energy, support our American allies, and ensure our American security. By doing so, we uphold the American legacy of resilience and ensure a prosperous future for all American citizens.
PROBLEM AT OUR BORDERS
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-2-14

. Madam , I rise today to talk about an issue. In my lifetime, I always heard the saying: There are no problems in our family. There are just a lot of things we don't talk about. prgtoken What I am talking about today is the fact that we have an incredible problem at our borders, and not just the southwestern border, by the way, but also our northern border. prgtoken Now, if these people coming into our country were wearing the uniform of a foreign country, we would swear we had been invaded and overrun. The other part of that is: It is okay, though, because we will do everything we can to accommodate them while they are here. It doesn't matter if they came here legally or illegally. We are America and those are the things that we do. prgtoken Madam , I bring this thing up because I listen to telecast after telecast from the current administration that says: Well, if Congress would just do something to help us, we would jump on it. We would do everything we can. prgtoken I would like to remind the executive branch that we legislate. We make laws, we debate laws, we pass laws, and then it is the executive branch who is responsible for enforcing those laws. prgtoken We have an administration that continues to say: There is no problem at our borders; this is imaginary; we don't have a problem; but if it were up to me, I would do something about it. prgtoken These are the eight authorities that the President could put into effect: End catch and release, reinstate remain in Mexico, enter into asylum cooperation agreements, end parole abuses, detain inadmissible aliens, use expedited removal, rein in taxpayer-funded benefits for all illegal aliens, and issue a proclamation to suspend or restrict entry. prgtoken Madam , you and I know because we face this every single day. The issues that face America today are America's issues. They do not simply rest in this body. We will do things according to what the laws are and what we structure. The executive branch must be held accountable for enforcing those laws. prgtoken We wonder what in the world happened at our southern border. My goodness, the numbers are in the millions of people who have come in. One of the things we don't pay attention to is our northern border. prgtoken I brought a picture of this--I know it is very hard to see, but in the whole world, the longest continuous border is our northern border. It is 5,500 miles long and virtually unprotected because we don't have enough people to do it. In one stretch, over 500 miles, there are two Border Patrol agents responsible. That would be like driving from Philadelphia to Columbus, Ohio, and back again and saying: I didn't see one State policeman. I didn't see one law enforcement officer. I wonder where they are. prgtoken Well, the truth of the matter is, we have people pouring in from all over the world; some of them for the right reasons, others for the wrong reasons, and for reasons that in the future will harm o
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7160, SALT MARRIAGE PENALTY ELIMINATION ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 987, DENOUNCING THE HARMFUL, ANTI-AMERICAN ENERGY POLICIES OF THE BIDEN...
Marcus J. Molinaro (Republican, NY) \u2014 2024-2-14

imagine spending so much time and so much energy and so much air opposing that which one actually supports. I have sat here for a few moments, and I have listened to my colleague across the aisle suggest they didn't break it and therefore they should be under no obligation to fix it; that for years they have been trying to remedy this problem, but it is the other side of the aisle's fault and therefore we won't take this next step forward. Imagine that is your argument. prgtoken I wasn't here when the SALT cap was established. I opposed it in local government, mostly because I know that middle-class families in upstate New York are being--I will use the language; pardon me--screwed by decisions of State government, decisions out of their control. prgtoken Let's talk about what this bill does. This is a very simple effort to ensure tax fairness for working families. Last week, the House came together and recognized commonsense tax relief is a shared priority between both parties. I was proud to support the bipartisan bill that helped parents and small businesses weather rising costs, but we left low-hanging fruit on the table, a simple incremental success. Right now, married couples are unfairly and arbitrarily punished with the SALT deduction in a way that matches almost no other facet of the tax code. prgtoken Let's make one thing clear. We are not talking about the wealthiest of New Yorkers that are being impacted here. I am talking about families and parents in towns and communities like Vestal, Dryden, and Hudson, upstate communities that most don't know, but they struggle every day, they are barely getting by because they are being slammed by property taxes and State taxes. These are not individuals who choose to be overtaxed. They were forced to by and one-party rule in the State of New York. prgtoken These folks are struggling every day to make ends meet, and they are having many difficult choices to make between childcare, groceries, and their mortgage all because they get taxed twice on their incomes. This bill doesn't solve the entire problem, and my colleague knows it. This bill doesn't undo the damage that we both agree existed. prgtoken Nonetheless, my colleague is faced with one important question: Will they support an effort to undo this one piece of unfairness? prgtoken Double the SALT cap for married couples, eliminate the arbitrary marriage penalty, and free up working families' budgets to invest in their kids and their local economies. This isn't about what happened then, and it is not about who broke it. It is whether or not we can find, as we did last week, the commonality to begin to fix it.
HOUSE REPUBLICANS' LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS THIS WEEK
Blake D. Moore (Republican, UT) \u2014 2024-2-14

I agree with the gentleman from California. Horrible energy policy, horrible immigration and border policy, mental incompetency--these are all great Valentine's messages today. prgtoken Thank you to many of my colleagues for their willingness to come and share their thoughts and talk about these important issues. prgtoken , from Arkansas (Mr. Hill), a distinguished gentleman and very good friend and colleague. It is hard to pick your favorite member of the Arkansas delegation, so I won't do that now, but he would be in my top four.
STRENGTHENING THE QUAD ACT
Keith Self (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-2-14

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 5375. prgtoken The Chinese Communist Party is a generational threat and is becoming increasingly coercive toward its neighbors and other nations around the world. prgtoken The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue--commonly known as the Quad-- brings together the United States, Australia, Japan, and India, four nations that share democratic principles, respect for the rule of law, and a vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific. prgtoken In the face of growing CCP aggression, it is more important than ever to foster strong, resilient ties with our Quad partners to combat malign CCP influence and protect democracy in the Indo-Pacific. prgtoken That is why I support the Strengthening the Quad Act, introduced by my colleague from New York (Mr. Meeks). prgtoken This legislation will enhance Quad ties by ensuring regular engagement between the United States Congress and the legislatures of the Quad countries. prgtoken It also requires the administration to provide Congress with a strategy for bolstering engagement and cooperation with the Quad. prgtoken I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. Together, we can more effectively counter coercion from any nation looking to dismantle democratic values and the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. prgtoken , .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7160, SALT MARRIAGE PENALTY ELIMINATION ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 987, DENOUNCING THE HARMFUL, ANTI-AMERICAN ENERGY POLICIES OF THE BIDEN...
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-2-14

I rise in strong support of the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 7160, the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, to allow families to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. prgtoken , Representative Lawler, for his leadership to introduce this bill and push for its consideration. prgtoken H.R. 7160 would eliminate the so-called marriage penalty on the State and local tax deduction for families who file their taxes jointly. Under the current tax code, married couples filing jointly are penalized and have the same SALT cap of $10,000 as single filers. prgtoken H.R. 7160 doubles the SALT deduction cap for married couples to $20,000 and does right by them. prgtoken Limited housing supply, high mortgage rates not seen in decades, and high housing costs are making it impossible for many first-time homebuyers to purchase a home and reach the American Dream. prgtoken The SALT cap is not and should not be a blue versus red issue. We are simply advocating for our constituents who want us to consider progrowth, profamily values and policies. prgtoken In my district, the median price of a home is over $1 million. However, we can pass this rule today to allow us to provide much-needed tax relief and stop discriminating against families through the tax code. prgtoken H.R. 7160 will not mark the end of our fight to provide full SALT tax relief for our constituents. This is only the first step to get us there. I will always fight to make life more affordable for my constituents. prgtoken I also encourage my colleagues to consider the underlying resolution to condemn the administration's disastrous energy policies and promote affordable sources of energy. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill and resolution. I urge my colleagues to support all of these measures.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7176, UNLOCKING OUR DOMESTIC LNG POTENTIAL ACT OF 2024
Guy Reschenthaler (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-2-14

I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying legislation. prgtoken House Resolution 1009 provides for consideration of H.R. 7176, which is the Unlocking our Domestic LNG Potential Act of 2024, under a closed rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce or their respective designees. It provides one motion to recommit. prgtoken , since President took office, he has waged a war on American energy independence while supporting policies that have emboldened Vladimir Putin, the Ayatollah of Iran, and the dictator in Communist China, Chairman Xi. prgtoken , if you don't believe me, then let's go through some of the facts. prgtoken President green-lit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to provide Russian gas to Europe at the same time that he blocked the Keystone XL pipeline here at home. He has proposed and enacted rules that have devastated clean, coal-fired power plants while China approves two coal power plants a week. prgtoken He has deleted the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest levels since 1983 and sent millions of barrels of oil to where? Communist China. prgtoken , on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, almost as if he was trolling patriotic Americans and the families of victims of 9/11, on that same day, he turned around and unfroze $6 billion in oil sanctions to Iran. Just days later, the Iranians turned around and helped fund a horrific, medieval, barbaric attack on our number one ally, the State of Israel. prgtoken The administration's policies have truly embodied the slogan, America last. That is not all. You might be thinking there can't be more that he has done to devastate energy production and harm ourselves and our allies, but wait, there is more. We are going to talk about it right now. prgtoken Last month, this administration announced an indefinite pause in new approvals of liquefied natural gas exports. This deeply concerning decision puts American family-sustaining jobs and the security of not only ourselves but our allies and other partners around the globe at risk. prgtoken In the wake of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, our European allies have nearly tripled their import of U.S. LNG while significantly reducing their reliance on Russian natural gas. prgtoken Studies have shown that LNG exports can provide upward of $73 billion to the U.S. economy by 2040, create an additional 450,000 jobs, and help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, and his administration have tried to put a stop to all that. prgtoken This administration's actions will undoubtedly cause significant disruptions to the United States and global economies. prgtoken Let me be clear about one thing. The only people who stand to benefit from this decision are people based in Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow, and maybe White, affluent suburbs that vote for and want to feel good abo