mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Doris L. Pryor (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-12-5

at the outset, I want to join the majority leader in his kind words related to Judge Doris Pryor, who is seeking a seat on the Seventh Circuit of Appeals. prgtoken Today, the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Doris Pryor to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Pryor is an outstanding nominee to the appellate bench. She is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Following law school, she clerked for Judge Lavenski R. Smith on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and for Judge J. Leon Holmes on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. prgtoken Judge Pryor then served for a short period of time as a deputy public defender in Texarkana, AR. In 2006, she joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. During her time as a Federal prosecutor, Judge Pryor handled all types of criminal matters and argued several Federal appeals. She also served as national security chief and as the office's reentry prgtoken and prevention coordinator. In 2018, she was selected by the district judges of the Southern District of Indiana to serve as a magistrate judge, a position she holds to this day. In this role, Judge Pryor oversees a wide range of judicial proceedings in both civil and criminal matters. prgtoken She was unanimously rated ``qualified'' by the American Bar Association, and she has received blue slips from Senators Young and Braun, her two home State Senators. She also received a bipartisan vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee. prgtoken Judge Pryor has significant Federal experience and a proven track record of neutral decision making on the bench. I strongly support her nomination, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
STEP IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2022
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-12-5

I rise in support of my bill, the State Trade Expansion Program Improvement Act. prgtoken This bill would reauthorize STEP for 4 more years and improve it in several ways, including creating a standardized application process and collecting performance metrics. prgtoken As a member of both the Small Business Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, I see trade as a tool in the economic toolbox to help small businesses expand and grow. prgtoken Since 2011, STEP has been assisting small businesses with export development through the use of grants and introduction into the international marketplace. prgtoken Trade helps to create and support jobs, which is good for the economy, community, and families in Pennsylvania. Over 1.5 million jobs were supported by international trade in 2019, which accounted for 20 percent of all jobs in the State. prgtoken Further, in 2020, nearly 15,000 companies exported goods from Pennsylvania of which 88 percent were small-and medium-sized enterprises. prgtoken Coming from the city of Philadelphia, where nearly half of the population is African American, I am especially interested in finding ways to improve minority entrepreneurship. prgtoken Many minority businesses and small businesses have a competitive advantage in conducting international business due to their cultural connections. It is important, and I thank the chair for showing the leadership to at least have this discussion. prgtoken STEP has helped minority entrepreneurs gain access to the international marketplace, which allows their businesses to grow and thrive. prgtoken I was excited to see that STEP awarded my home State of Pennsylvania a $400,000 grant in 2022. This will go a long way to supporting small businesses across the State. prgtoken STEP needs to be reauthorized and improved. I am asking my colleagues to support it. I thank the chairperson and my colleagues on the other side for making this a bipartisan effort and a collective interest.
CONGRESS MUST PASS THE MOMNIBUS IMMEDIATELY
Lauren Underwood (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-12-5

. In October, new data showed how maternal health outcomes worsened during the pandemic. The number of maternal deaths in 2021 was nearly 80 percent higher than in 2018, with Black and Hispanic Americans experiencing the largest increases. prgtoken This is a crisis--and the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act is the solution to that crisis. prgtoken The evidence-based investments in the momnibus will comprehensively address the drivers of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities. prgtoken Recently, 140 Members of Congress signed on to a letter calling for key momnibus provisions to be included in an end-of-year package, and a new poll found that passing the momnibus is the number one legislative priority for voters for the end of the year, with a majority of support from , Independents, and s. prgtoken We must get this done. Congress must pass the momnibus immediately. Moms and families don't have any more time to wait.
RECOGNIZING STEPHEN P. DAILEY, P.E., GENERAL MANAGER OF THE FAIRFAX DRAINAGE DISTRICT OF WYANDOTTE COUNTY
Sharice Davids (Democrat, KS) \u2014 2022-12-5

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Stephen P. Dailey, Professional Engineer and General Manager of the Fairfax Drainage District of Wyandotte County for his exemplary professional accomplishments. prgtoken Mr. Dailey's career in public service began after graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and becoming licensed as a professional engineer. He spent 14 years in the municipal well drilling industry prior to his time at Fairfax Drainage District. prgtoken Throughout Mr. Dailey's 30-year tenure as General Manager, he was responsible for protecting investments amounting to nearly $6 billion in a 2,000-acre industrial park. He oversaw preparations and guided flood control operations for multiple record-breaking high-water events, a highlight that only begins to scratch the surface of 3 decades working in honorable service to Kansas. prgtoken Beyond supervising operation and maintenance of complex flood projection system comprised of 5 miles of levee, over 100 relief wells, 12 pump stations and a computerized communications network, Mr. Dailey spent 27 years serving on the Fairfax Industrial Association Board of Directors and over fifteen years as an active board member and committee chair of the Missouri and Associated Rivers Coalition, promoting water resource management for effective flood control and navigation works. prgtoken I've also had the pleasure of working with Mr. Dailey while in Congress. Last year, I had the pleasure of sponsoring community project funding to perform maintenance of the Fairfax Jersey Creek Upper Levee. I commend Mr. Dailey for his dedication to our state and to our country, and the 120-plus businesses in the Kansas City, Kansas community he has tirelessly worked to support and protect.
TRIBUTE TO DR. THOMAS ZACHARIA
Bill Hagerty (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-12-5

on behalf of myself and Mrs. Blackburn, I ask unanimous consent that the following remarks be placed in the Congressional Record in recognition of Dr. Thomas Zacharia, Director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory--ORNL. prgtoken For 35 years, Dr. Zacharia has provided transformative scientific leadership that has established ORNL as one of the world's premier research institutions, fulfilling national missions in diverse fields, including advanced materials, nuclear science and engineering, neutron science, and high-performance computing. prgtoken Dr. Zacharia's vision guided the creation of the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility and established ORNL as the Nation's leading supercomputing institute with the deployment of 10 supercomputers, including prgtoken the launch of Frontier in 2022, the first machine to break the exascale barrier. prgtoken Under Dr. Zacharia's leadership, ORNL has operated a research reactor with the highest neutron flux in the United States, the most powerful accelerator source of pulsed neutrons for materials research, the largest and most advanced additive manufacturing equipment, and facilities that produce, purify, and ship the most isotopes. He has positioned the laboratory to play a central role in our Nation's pursuit of breakthrough technologies for energy, cybersecurity, quantum, and other diverse fields. prgtoken Dr. Zacharia has also expanded the Laboratory's impact in the Oak Ridge Corridor by leading new ventures to attract technology startups and create a pipeline for the next generation of scientists and engineers. prgtoken I hope our colleagues join us in recognizing Dr. Zacharia for his tremendous contributions to the Nation, and on behalf of the U.S. Senate, we wish him the best in his future endeavors.
House Calendar (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-12-5

throughout this Congress, I have been more than a little puzzled about the House's refusal to advance commonsense bills that pass the Senate with unanimous support. I know my Senate colleagues have shared their concerns as we have watched bipartisan bills sit in House purgatory with no explanation as to what the reasons for the holdup are. prgtoken We are talking about bills that help prevent child sexual abuse, support disaster relief, cut redtape, and increase payments to the child support program. These are hardly controversial matters. All 100 Members of the Senate supported these bipartisan bills and countless others, but they are still collecting dust on the House calendar. prgtoken With the end of the 117th Congress less than a month away, it looks like the logjam may finally begin to break. Last week, the House finally passed the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act that I authored with Senator Klobuchar. This bill will continue critical grants for mental health courts, crisis intervention teams, and other programs to promote public safety, improve mental health outcomes, and reduce recidivism. The bill passed the Senate unanimously in June, and while I am disappointed that it took so long for the House to act, I am glad it finally did with overwhelming bipartisan support. prgtoken Last week, the House also passed legislation to rename the post office in Arlington, TX, not exactly a monumental piece of legislation. But the important part of it was that it honored our friend and former colleague Congressman Ron Wright. This legislation passed the Senate with unanimous support back in May, and over the last 6 months, it has gotten caught up in partisan jockeying in the House. I am glad the House finally advanced this bill so that we can honor the incredible life and legacy of Congressman Wright. prgtoken As I said, the logjam looks like it is beginning to break, but we still have a way to go. prgtoken Despite advancing these two overwhelmingly bipartisan bills, the House still refuses to pass another incredible bill, the Residential Substance Use Disorder Treatment Act. Senator Whitehouse and I introduced this bipartisan bill to help incarcerated individuals struggling with drug abuse. prgtoken There is a well-established link between drug abuse and crime. And in order for individuals who have been incarcerated to have the best shot at leading healthy and productive lives, they need to break the cycle of addiction. prgtoken The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program--or RSAT, as it is sometimes called--provides incarcerated individuals with access to treatment for substance use disorders. The treatment is coupled with programs to prepare these men and women for reentry and to provide community-based treatment once they are released. prgtoken Our bill updates the program and expands access to treatment in jails and prisons around the country so that we can redu
TRIBUTE TO SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT RYAN E. BYRNE
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-12-5

it is my great privilege to recognize Senior Master Sergeant Ryan E. Byrne--senior enlisted leader of the 389th Fighter Generation Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, ID--for his distinguished military service. prgtoken Senior Master Sergeant Ryan E. Byrne has dedicated two decades of service to the U.S. Air Force, ensuring that our Nation's frontline of air defense and precision strike is properly trained and equipped to deter or destroy our adversaries. He exemplifies the best qualities of an airman, consistently demonstrating a calm and dependable demeanor in high stakes, no-fail situations. prgtoken Throughout his various deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom, Inherent Resolve, Spartan Shield, Pacific Iron, Noble Eagle, he masterfully utilized his team's combat capabilities to deliver on call, around the clock airpower. His actions ensured the safe, reliable maintenance of the U.S. Air Force premier strike fighter, the F-15E, which led to the decimation of foreign terror threats including the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. prgtoken Senior Master Sergeant Ryan E. Byrne was instrumental in sustaining combat readiness of the revered 389th Thunderbolts from Mountain Home Air Force Base, ID, which propelled the 389th T-Bolts in surpassing several of Air Force Central Command's longstanding records. He is a recipient of the Air Force Meritorious Service award, which is a true testament to his forthright leadership and commitment to the mission and our great Nation. prgtoken I join all grateful Americans in extending a sincere thank you and heartfelt congratulations to Senior Master Sergeant Ryan E. Byrne for his decorated service in protecting the United States of America.
Border Security (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-12-5

2 years into the administration, the ' approach to illegal immigration and our Nation's borders has failed the American people. prgtoken Last week, one news organization reported that daily crossings along our southern border have remained near record highs. Last fiscal year alone, more than 2.76 million illegal immigrants came across our southern border, absolutely smashing the previous record-high by more than a million. That is almost the equivalent of a full 1 percent of our total national population encountered on our southern border in just 1 year. The problem actually keeps getting worse. Reported estimates say that more than 73,000 new ``got-aways'' dodged Border Patrol and escaped into our country in just this past November alone. prgtoken Absurdly, the response to this crisis from President 's team is that everything is fine--everything is fine--and going according to plan. Secretary Mayorkas said last month, ``What we are doing is precisely what we announced we would do in April of this year, and we have indeed been executing on the plan.'' prgtoken Now, everybody else in the country calls our functionally open borders an emergency and a crisis, but apparently the administration calls it mission accomplished. And bear in mind, the terrible and unacceptable status quo has come with some emergency COVID measures still in place. All the crisis-level numbers I just ran through have come with these extra border controls--called title 42-- actually still in effect. prgtoken Now, one Federal judge is trying to force the administration to do what the far left has wanted for months and actually repeal the policy. So the unacceptable crisis-level status quo may only be the warmup act compared to coming attractions. One immigration expert told a reporter, ``It is definitely, at least in the short run, going to result in many, many more people being released into the United States.'' Congressman Gonzales, who represents Texas's 23rd District, says it would be a ``hurricane'' for border communities. prgtoken Of course, the administration officials who claim they have a plan to cope with the removal of title 42 are the same people who brought us recordbreaking illegal immigration even with it in place. So make no mistake, a choice between the current border situation with title 42 and an even worse situation without title 42 is a choice between a disaster and a catastrophe. prgtoken need to stop shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic and start looking to the tough, proven, successful policies that allowed the preceding administration to get a handle on the issue, and they need to drop the forgiving attitude to illegal immigration that draws more and more men, women, and children on the dangerous journey to our border every single day. It is inexcusable that the administration cares more about getting protested by far-left activists than they do abo
CONGRATULATING JUNIATA COLLEGE EAGLES WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM
John Joyce (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-12-5

today, I rise to congratulate the Juniata College Eagles women's volleyball team on winning the NCAA Division III national championship. prgtoken Playing with such grit, technical skill, and power, these young women were instrumental in creating 34 victories during the season. prgtoken Coach Pavlik believed that there are no shortcuts to success. Practice and hard work combined with respect for your opponent are the hallmark of what makes a team great. It was those values and a refusal to quit that allowed this team to come back to defeat Trinity College to win the national championship. prgtoken It is the Eagles' third national title, as they become one of just five women's volleyball programs to have won three national championships. prgtoken Equally as important as the team's success in volleyball is their success in the academic classroom. Juniata's commitment to academic excellence is a shining example of how student athletes can be supported both on and off the court. prgtoken On behalf of all the people of Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District, I congratulate Juniata College Eagles and wish them every continued success in the years to come. Secure Our Borders
Open App Markets Act (Executive Session)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-12-5

this past February, the Senate Judiciary Committee agreed 20 to 2 to pass the Open App Markets Act. This is a piece of legislation I put together with Senator Blumenthal to stop tech giants from stifling competition in the app store marketplace. prgtoken Through their control of the app stores on consumer devices as well as the device operating systems themselves, Apple and Google have become the gatekeepers of information. They do this by physically locking down the devices they control, making it near impossible to access competing content. prgtoken Apple fully prevents consumers from accessing third-party apps and app stores on their mobile devices. Google allows more access to outside apps but makes the process so difficult that they might as well lock down their devices the way Apple is locking down the iPhone. prgtoken These companies claim that these restrictions make your devices more secure, but they don't apply the same policies to their laptops and other similar consumer devices; it is only on the iPhone and on the Android. Why would that be? Now, I don't know for sure, but I do know this: By locking down their mobile devices, Apple and Google can force app developers to abide by their terms no matter how harsh those terms may be. prgtoken Recently, Daniel Eck, who is the founder and CEO of Spotify, said: ``Over and over again, Apple gives itself every advantage while at the same time stifling innovation and hurting consumers.'' Elon Musk, now the CEO of Twitter, has criticized the 30-percent ``tax'' that Apple and Google take from developers. prgtoken What is more, app creators can't go to consumers themselves to offer them a better deal because that kind of contact is forbidden by Apple and Google in their terms of service. Think about it. You can't even reach out to the people who have your app because Apple and Google forbid you, the developer, from contacting the consumer who is using your app. prgtoken Consider the positions startup developers are placed in. Imagine trying to get your business off the ground in a market where two major players control access to your potential customers. There is no other market, and you can't negotiate with them, so you are forced to play by the rules the gatekeepers are forcing on you. Under those rules, the gatekeepers control your access to your customers. They use your confidential business information against you and block you from using the features on your customers' device to give them a better experience. prgtoken I heard just this story from a Tennessean named Karen Thomas, who is the CEO of Agrin Health in Nashville. Listen to the way she describes how Apple held her company's app hostage. I am quoting her story. They demanded changes that would eliminate Agrin's paid functions in its web app and stopped Karen from updating her mobile app--which was free--until she began charging consumers through Apple's in-a
RECOGNIZING OLEH SHTEFANCHUK
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-12-5

I rise today to recognize Oleh, or ``Odee,'' Shtefanchuk from Chernivtsi, Ukraine. prgtoken Odee is currently a foreign exchange student who is studying at WACO Community High School in Wayland, Iowa. prgtoken Growing up, Odee heard of American football, and when he enrolled at WACO Community High School, his friends convinced him to try out for the football team. prgtoken Even though Odee is still learning the rules and procedures, he has been instrumental in leading the Warriors in an undefeated season and an appearance in the State title game. prgtoken I thank the coaches, the faculty, and the students of WACO Community High School for showing Odee why Iowa is the best place to work, live, play, and raise a family. prgtoken I would also acknowledge December 7 as Pearl Harbor Day, a day that we should long remember as it cements to us the importance of our rights under our Constitution.
ANNIVERSARY OF TORNADOES IN WESTERN KENTUCKY
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-12-5

almost 1 year ago, on December 10, 2021, multiple tornadoes touched down all throughout western Kentucky, including one historic supercell tornado that affected multiple States and ended in Kentucky. Lives were upended as homes, businesses, and towns were completely destroyed. In many places, the destruction was total and absolute. At a time when families were to be preparing for a joyous holiday season, they were instead greeted by sorrow and loss, while being surrounded by an uneasy reality of wreckage and despair. prgtoken Immediately, local citizens, Kentuckians around the Commonwealth, and people from across the country converged on western Kentucky to help in any way they could. Disaster relief teams sprang into action to meet the needs of those who were impacted and who had lost everything. I am grateful that Kentuckians rose up in the face of this crisis to do whatever was necessary to help and to provide care for our neighbors. prgtoken While outside organizations and ministries provided essential services, the real heroes of the story are the communities themselves that were destroyed by the tornado. Through this historic crisis, the men and women of western Kentucky have demonstrated resilience and compassion as they care for the communities they call home. From prgtoken the first responders to the local officials to each man, woman, and child involved, there was remarkable strength demonstrated in the face of adversity. Communities have grieved together, served together, hoped together, and rebuilt together. Today, almost 1 year later, we look back on what has been lost, but also resolve to look forward to what can be achieved together. prgtoken As we pause to reflect on the destruction of December 10, 2021, we can see the hope that now shines through as towns are rebuilt and communities regain shape. Even in tragedy, Kentucky has shown itself to be resilient and unified. We will continue to press forward and care for our communities.