mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2023-6-22

I rise today to introduce the Clean Cooking Support Act. I am pleased to be joined in this effort by my friend and colleague Senator Durbin. Our bill aims to address a serious global public health and environmental issue where leadership by the United States can make a real difference. prgtoken Today, more than 2 billion people, or 30 percent of the global population, rely on ``dirty cooking,'' such as open fires or inefficient, polluting, and unsafe cookstoves that use agricultural waste, coal, dung, or other solid fuels, to cook their meals. The majority of people using these types of cookstoves and fuels are in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. prgtoken Exposure to smoke from these traditional cooking methods and open fires, referred to as household air pollution, can cause chronic and acute diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Alarmingly, the household air pollution caused by traditional cookstoves and open fires leads to 3.2 million premature deaths annually, including 450,000 children younger than 5 prgtoken years of age, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Women and girls are disproportionately affected, as they spend hours cooking, inhaling toxic smoke, and collecting fuels. prgtoken These cookstoves also create serious environmental problems. Household air pollution does not remain in the home; it contributes to global ambient air pollution. Specifically, more than half of manmade black carbon emissions come from household fuel combustion. Black carbon is a powerful short-lived climate pollutant with warming impact on the climate that is 460 to 1,500 times stronger than carbon dioxide. prgtoken These cookstoves should be replaced with modern alternatives to reverse these alarming health and environmental trends. Since 2010, the Clean Cooking Alliance, an innovative public-private partnership hosted by the United Nations Foundation, has supported the adoption of clean cooking worldwide. Recognizing the serious health and environmental issues posed by traditional cookstoves, the alliance aims to save lives, improve livelihoods, empower women, and combat pollution by creating a thriving global market for clean and efficient household cooking solutions. prgtoken Our legislation reinforces our country's policy on promoting clean cookstoves and seeks to take a whole-of-government approach to address household air pollution. Specifically, the Clean Cooking Support Act would create an interagency working group, with representatives from at least six different Federal Agencies, committed to increasing access to clean cooking fuels and technologies worldwide. Our legislation explicitly spells out the role of each Federal Agency in the advancement of clean cooking as well. The Department of Energy, for instance, is tasked with research and development to spur the production of low-cost, low-emission, and high-efficiency cookstoves, while
TAX CONVENTION WITH CHILE
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2023-6-22

I thank Ranking Member Risch for his leadership in completing the resolution approving the ratification of this tax convention with Chile. And specifically, I am grateful for the opportunity to work together to include the following declaration in this resolution: ``In light of substantial changes made to the international provisions of Internal Revenue Code in 2017, the Senate declares that future tax treaties need to reflect such changes appropriately, including in Article 23. Therefore, based on discussions with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, additional work is required to evaluate the policy of Article 23 in addressing relief of double taxation and to agree on whether further changes to the terms of the Article are necessary for future income tax treaties.'' prgtoken In light of the reservation amending article 23, I yield to the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to elaborate on the importance of this declaration.
CONDEMNING THE USE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL FACILITIES TO PROVIDE SHELTER FOR ALIENS WHO ARE NOT ADMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES
Nicole Malliotakis (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-6-22

. Madam , I thank the chairwoman for yielding me some time. prgtoken Madam , as a Representative in New York City, I am all too familiar, unfortunately, with this situation. Quite frankly, this is a problem that was created by two people. First, our President decided it was a good idea to open our borders and allow millions of individuals to come in without the proper vetting, without knowing exactly what their intentions are. prgtoken Some, yes, are applying for asylum, but they should still be doing so through the proper channels. They should be doing so from the next safe country, not coming to the southern border. prgtoken With that said, we look at court documents and we see that roughly 60 percent of those individuals are having those court cases denied under this administration, which tells you that the majority of people coming over our southern border are not legitimate asylum seekers. prgtoken Secondly, I blame the problem in New York City on my mayor, Mayor Eric Adams, because he is misinterpreting New York City's right-to- shelter law. That was a court decree under Mayor Ed Koch that was agreed to to address the issue of homeless New Yorkers. prgtoken It was always intended to provide support and housing for homeless New Yorkers, citizens of New York, not individuals who just strolled over the border last week. prgtoken Think about this: By the mayor's logic, everyone in New York City is entitled to shelter whether they are a citizen or not. If all 6 million people who came over our border came to New York City, they would be entitled to free shelter. prgtoken If 8 billion on the planet came to New York City, they would be entitled to free shelter. Clearly, the mayor's interpretation is nonsensical. prgtoken The mayor has now resorted to using all sorts of facilities meant for our citizens, including our children, to be used to house these migrants. prgtoken Now, first of all, I think it is clear--and I see that there is bipartisan opposition to schools and their gymnasiums being taken away from children who suffered under COVID. They lacked physical education. They lacked socialization. Now, to take away their gym for this housing is absolutely ridiculous. prgtoken The mayor has reversed course on that after there was so much opposition from the people in the city of New York, but he is still using old schools. Facilities that were previously Catholic schools that have closed that were perhaps going to to be utilized as public schools, that has now stopped because the mayor is choosing instead to house migrants in those old schools. prgtoken Now, the greatest plan or, I should say, the most ridiculous plan we have heard to date is now he is going to use taxpayer money to pay New Yorkers to house individuals in their homes. We are talking about billions and billions of dollars a year. Hardworking taxpayers are getting pummeled in New York City, because property taxes are increasing year after year. People
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-6-22

I rise today to recognize Joe Fox for his years of service and dedication to the State of Arkansas. For the past 11 years, Mr. Fox has served as the Arkansas State Forester, directing the good work of the forestry division within the Arkansas Department of Agriculture to promote and steward the State's forestry community. prgtoken His leadership, dedication, and passion for forestry is worthy of celebration as his service as State forester comes to a well-deserved retirement. Joe boasts a long and rich history advocating for our natural resources. Prior to this role, he worked as the director of conservation forestry for the Arkansas branch of the Nature Conservancy. He is also the former president of the Arkansas Forestry Association and served on the Arkansas Forestry Commission from 1987 to 1997, serving as chairman in 1995 and 1996. prgtoken A native Arkansan, Joe is a third-generation lumber industry professional and the first in his family to receive a forestry degree from a university. His vast experience in conservation forestry has been instrumental in promoting forest health, stewardship, and conservation. Joe has been the guiding voice for the division of forestry and I, as well as the State of Arkansas, have been blessed to benefit from his advice and knowledge throughout his tenure. His testimony and expertise have been essential in informing forestry- related policy through our work on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. I am pleased to consider Joe a friend and am grateful for his service to our State. prgtoken I commend Joe for a job well done and wish him the best in this next chapter of his life.
RESCINDING THE UNILATERAL STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS EXECUTIVE ACTION
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-6-22

time and again, President and congressional have made the choice to blatantly disregard the dire state of our country's finances. prgtoken Even when a few Members of his own party joined s and voted in favor of H.J. Res. 45, which would have rescinded his unilateral student loan forgiveness executive action, the President vetoed it. Now, when given the chance to override the President's veto, radical House doubled down on their decision to force this taxpayer- funded bailout of student loan borrowers down the throats of hardworking, blue-collar workers who will never see a penny of the $400 billion in forgiveness. prgtoken , it is truly a shame, and I express my regret for the millions of Americans who never went to college or responsibly chose to pay off their loans. I stand with them in calling out this ridiculous, unconstitutional taxpayer-funded bailout.
JOYS AND CONCERNS
Jake Ellzey (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-6-22

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , as you know, from time to time I address the House floor with my version of a speech that my prgtoken childhood pastor would give every Sunday called ``Joys and Concerns.'' prgtoken During his remarks, he would highlight some of the remarkable things that members of the church were doing and some of their many accomplishments. prgtoken He would also take this time to bring up prayer requests. It served as an opportunity to unite as a congregation and pray for our community and those in need. prgtoken Today, the community that instilled this tradition in me needs our prayers as last Thursday, my childhood home, Perryton, Texas, was hit by a deadly tornado. prgtoken In the 11 minutes the tornado was on the ground, it left three dead, hundreds injured, and hundreds of homes destroyed. prgtoken My office obviously has received an outpouring of prayer requests, both over the phone and through my website for the people of Perryton. prgtoken While it may be different from my usual order, I start this ``Joys and Concerns'' speech with asking everybody to keep Perryton and their people in your hearts and minds and prayers going forward. prgtoken I also ask that as weeks go on that you continue to keep them, along with the first responders, community leaders, and volunteers, in your prayers. prgtoken Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to Hillsboro, Texas, a city in my new district. I learned a lot about Hillsboro while I was there. prgtoken It is a very welcoming community, full of people who love their country, so much so that the local community college, Hill College, has on its campus the Texas Heritage Museum. prgtoken Out front is a small memorial, and during my visit, I spent some time there. On that memorial, they honor every Medal of Honor recipient from Texas. prgtoken The Medal of Honor is the Nation's highest military award, and only U.S. servicemembers who distinguish themselves through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty can receive the medal. prgtoken There I learned that the Sixth Congressional District of Texas in its current form has nine Medal of Honor recipients. prgtoken Due to time constraints, I will only address one today, but we have nine of them--nine Medal of Honor recipients from the Sixth District of Texas. On my next occasion, I will reach the other eight. prgtoken The first I bring up is First Lieutenant Jack Lummus. He was born on October 22, 1915, and served our Nation during World War II. prgtoken A little known fact is he couldn't graduate from high school because the cost was too high. He played some semi-pro ball. He finally went to Baylor and was an all-star baseball player and football player there. prgtoken He was playing professional football when December 7 happened, and he signed up to join our Nation's military. Ironically, he was attempting to be a pilot and in
RELATING TO THE CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 503, IMPEACHING JOSEPH R.
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-6-22

it is refreshing to hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to be so sober about the issue of impeachment coming after being in the majority for 2 years when, for the first time in the history of the country, there were two impeachment charges brought in this very House. prgtoken Impeachment should not be political. It should not be cavalier. It should not be flippant. That would be bringing impeachment charges based on a phone call, where there was questionable content to a phone call, something that this current President is actually being investigated for by the House Oversight Committee as we speak. prgtoken It would be a cavalier, flippant impeachment investigation with just 1 week left in someone's term just to tarnish or attack their personal legacy with no opportunity for that to move forward other than just the charges. prgtoken It would be cavalier to announce right after an election that: We are going to impeach the MFer. prgtoken That is what happened with our friends on the other side of the aisle. prgtoken There does need to be more consideration about whether or not impeachment is justified for depleting our Strategic Petroleum Reserve on the eve of an election for political reasons. prgtoken There should be more consideration as to whether or not a President should be impeached for taking authority that he says he doesn't constitutionally have the power to do, such as the eviction moratorium or the student loan transfer scheme. prgtoken More consideration might be warranted for the very things that are being investigated by the current Committee on Oversight relative to bribery allegations and influence peddling allegations. prgtoken What more investigation is needed for the border invasion? What more investigation is needed for the violation of Article IV, Section 4, responsibility to protect the States from invasion? prgtoken How long will we let this border invasion continue? Are we to let it go on for another year and a half? How many is too many after 7 million illegals have invaded this country? prgtoken There are 1.5 million got-aways. Of those criminal got-aways, if only 1 percent are dangerous individuals, that is 15,000 reckless, dangerous individuals intending harm on this country. Would anyone take those odds that only 1 percent of those 1.5 million got-aways are, indeed, bad actors?
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Ron Estes (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-6-22

I was not present for the following Roll Call vote. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: on Roll Call vote No. 278 On Agreeing to the Amendment, the Hayes of Connecticut Part D Amendment No. 1, I would have voted NAY; on Roll Call vote No. 279 On Agreeing to the Amendment, the Molinaro of New York Part D Amendment No. 2, Had I been present I would have voted YEA; and on Roll Call vote No. 280 On Agreeing to the Amendment, the Roy of Texas Part D Amendment No. 3. Had I been present I would have voted YEA.
RELATING TO THE CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 503, IMPEACHING JOSEPH R.
Elijah Crane (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2023-6-22

I come to the floor today in support of the rule to consider Representative Boebert's Articles of Impeachment against the President of the United States before the House Homeland Security Committee. prgtoken Under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution--the document swore an oath to defend--the President of the United States is charged with serving as the Commander in Chief, defending the Nation against threats, and ensuring the safety and security of all American citizens. prgtoken has utterly failed to fulfill his responsibility to we the people. prgtoken Our southern border faces a daily barrage of illegal aliens, human trafficking, and deadly fentanyl. It is an outright invasion, and is not only letting it happen, he is encouraging it. prgtoken Back in 2019, during his Presidential campaign said this: ``We are a nation that says: `If you want to flee, and you are fleeing oppression, you should come.' '' prgtoken He invited this invasion by sending up a flare signaling that anyone from anywhere could come exploit and abuse the American homeland. prgtoken Now, 2\1/2\ years into the regime, we are seeing the effects of his complete dereliction of duty. Since he took office, more than 1.5 million illegal aliens have evaded apprehension. In fiscal year 2022 alone, 150,000 unaccompanied children crossed by themselves. This fiscal year nearly 100 members of the terrorist watch list have been incentivized to cross so far, and I remind the people in this House that it only took 19 individuals to commit the attacks on 9/11. prgtoken Tons of fentanyl have poured across the border with more than 17,000 pounds coming across since just October 2022.
RELATING TO THE CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 503, IMPEACHING JOSEPH R.
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-6-22

I am moved by the references to solemnity after the chanting on the floor of the House yesterday for 5 minutes disrupting the of the House from carrying out his duties. I find it extremely moving. prgtoken I am also moved by the references to how we have not passed legislation, despite the fact that we passed H.R. 2, the most impactful border security legislation that has been moved off the floor of the House, without a single vote because they are ignoring what the administration is doing to the State of Texas, to migrants, and to the security of our country. prgtoken I am moved by the concerns for climate change which I am sure will assuage the angel moms and the fentanyl moms who have lost loved ones and the 72,000 Americans dead from fentanyl because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the President of the United States refuse to secure the border. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Crane).
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION MADE AMERICA POORER
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2023-6-22

. All right. I am going to go a little faster then. No one cares about percentages of debt to GDP. prgtoken One of the reasons we do debt to GDP is when we talk trillions, often that is a distorted number because trillions in a time of high inflation--the most elegant way to do math like that is it is a percentage of the economy because that is stable, because lots of inflation, low inflation, lots of economic growth, low economic growth. That actually gives you an idea what the real impact is on our borrowing on the economy. prgtoken So what is the primary driver of U.S. sovereign debt? Come on. Come on. It is we got old. prgtoken This board is now 2 years out of date. New calculation--and we haven't gotten the update on it, and it is going to be even higher than this. Our new calculation is about $128 trillion to $130 trillion of borrowing over the next 30 years; 75 percent of that being Medicare, 25 percent being if we backfill Social Security. Remember, the Social Security Trust Fund is gone in 8\1/2\ years, meaning we are going to double senior poverty in 8\1/2\ years if we don't fix it. prgtoken The average Social Security recipients across the board, at least as it looks right now, will take a 25 percent cut. prgtoken If you are on Social Security, what is your life like if we cut your benefit by 25 percent? prgtoken That is where we are heading. Because we had a President get behind that podium right over there and tell us we weren't allowed to talk about it. That is a great campaign tactic. It is horrible morality. It is unethical. And its crappy economics. prgtoken The fact of the matter is healthcare is the primary driver of borrowing. prgtoken Here is a bit of trivia: Diabetes is what percentage of the total spend on healthcare? Madam , 33 percent, but it is 31 percent of Medicare. prgtoken If you were to add to Medicare and Alzheimer's--though, we are really close to major revolution in being able to take on diabetes. Alzheimer's is much more difficult--put those together, it is like 60 percent of all Medicare spending. prgtoken It turns out that fixating on disruption of prediabetics--of those who have it--of obesity, which I know we are not allowed to talk about. Play with kerosene and matches. prgtoken Here is one of the concepts we have got to sell. We can take on the debt and deficits or, at least, stabilize it, but we have got to be willing to fixate on things that we don't talk about. Madam , 5 percent of the population is over half of all healthcare in America. Five percent of our brothers and sisters, who have chronic conditions, multiple chronic conditions, are over half of our healthcare spending. prgtoken What happens in a world when you go to our brothers and sisters and say: You have diabetes. You are also now having kidney failure. What happens if we actually took an approach where we start to cure diseases and not do what the left often does, which is build more diabetic clinics so Ame
HONORING BILL FRIBERG
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2023-6-22

I rise today to honor and recognize Bill Friberg, a World War II veteran from Big Lake, Minnesota, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday. prgtoken Bill joined the Marine Corps just days before the start of World War II. After basic training, Bill was deployed to Hawaii and then the Pacific theater, where he helped construct an airfield that was used by pilots during the Battle of Guadalcanal. He also helped with the B-17 Bombers while doing reconnaissance missions in the area. prgtoken After his commanding officer was shot down during an aerial dogfight, Bill began working on airplanes, performing maintenance jobs such as fixing hydraulic leaks. Eventually, Bill began servicing Hellcat fighter planes which often needed to be started by igniting a shotgun shell. Later in his military career, Bill was stationed aboard the USS Block Island where he continued aircraft maintenance, including on the famous Vought Corsair. prgtoken Bill was not the only Friberg to serve our country during World War II. Bill's brother, Roland, served as an underwater demolition expert who saw action during the Battle of Iwo Jima. While Bill was stationed at Manila Bay, his brother surprised him aboard his ship and the brothers were able to have lunch together. After the war ended, Bill was among a group of soldiers that was sent to Japan to liberate American Prisoners of War, a dangerous yet important mission that Bill and his fellow Marines accomplished without fault. prgtoken Following his honorable service, Bill worked at the VA before embarking on a 35-year career with Northern States Power. During his retirement, he pursued his passion for golf and remained an avid player until the age of 95, remarkably achieving four holes-in-one throughout his lifetime. prgtoken I thank Bill for his service and congratulate him on reaching this impressive milestone.