mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH'S CENTENNIAL
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2024-7-24

I rise to highlight a significant milestone in the history of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the heart of Covington, Virginia, as they celebrate their 100th anniversary. prgtoken Originally a mission of St. Joseph's Church in Clifton Forge, Sacred Heart became a full parish in 1924, and Reverend William Payne served as its first parish priest. prgtoken Reverend Joseph Jurgens served as Sacred Heart's longest tenured pastor from 1939 to 1968, and it was during this time that the church grew immensely. The many expansions and renovations the parish hall and church have seen over the years are a testament to Sacred Heart's vibrant life and giving spirit. prgtoken Sacred Heart's service to the community includes a preschool that has served hundreds of children in the region, as well as the Allegheny Highlands Christmas Mother Program, which has been assisting families in need during the Christmas season for over 70 years. prgtoken Sacred Heart's centennial was celebrated beginning with Mass and the ceremonial participation of the Knights of Columbus Honor Guard, followed by a catered luncheon in the parish hall. Sacred Heart is a solid rock on which Covington's faithful parishioners stand. I congratulate them on reaching this special moment in their history.
Israel (Executive Calendar)
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2024-7-24

I rise to join my colleague from Alabama and other colleagues and outline the importance of maintaining and continuing to strengthen our Nation's support for our essential ally in the Middle East, Israel. prgtoken The U.S.-Israel partnership is vital for Israel. It is vital for the United States. It is vital for security in the world. It is vital in this global fight against terror. prgtoken Israel needs our help. It needs our help to fend off numerous attacks from Iran and its proxies, and I am proud of the contributions our Armed Forces have made in helping defend Israel from a wide variety of drone and missile attacks. The skill of our committed airmen, airwomen, soldiers, sailors, marines, special forces--their skill, unbelievable; their bravery, courage under fire; the technology that we have utilized, it is just incredible. The things that they have been able to do in terms of helping Israel, it is just beyond belief. And so we commend all of them. prgtoken But we need to continue. We need to continue. We need to help Israel defeat Hamas. They need our help to completely destroy Hamas's military capability, and we can't relent until that is done. This is not a one- way partnership. This is not just the United States supporting our ally Israel. Israel is really the tip of the spear. prgtoken Israel plays a vital role in standing against terror and deterring Iranian aggression across the Middle East. When you look at Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and other groups, these are terrorists that are financed, trained, sponsored, and directed by Iran. We need to recognize that. We need to take a tough stance on sanctions and other measures against Iran and recognize that these proxies for Iran are conducting its missives, its directions. prgtoken We are deeply appreciative of Israel's efforts to push back on Iran, on the Houthis, on terrorists, and all those who seek to destabilize not only the Middle East region, but across the world. prgtoken And as we have heard Prime Minister Netanyahu say many times of these extremists: If they are not stopped in the Middle East, they will set their sights on America. They will, and they have, and they will continue to do so. prgtoken Our partnership with Israel is based on our shared values and our shared commitment to freedom. Without that partnership, terrorists, extremists, and authoritarians would run rampant across the Middle East and other parts of the world, threatening the global economy and positioning themselves to threaten the United States directly. prgtoken And so the peace and stability we seek in the Middle East will come as the result of a strong U.S.-Israel partnership, and that is emblematic of the type of relationships that we must have with our allies. We must stand with our allies and stand up against our adversaries. And standing with our allies means not second-guessing them; for example, when Israel is conducting this war, they know how to
RECOGNIZING THE SMITHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' SOCCER TEAM
Jennifer Kiggans (Republican, VA) \u2014 2024-7-24

I rise today to honor and congratulate the Smithfield High School Boys' Soccer team on winning the Class 4 Region A Championship. prgtoken As their Congresswoman, I am proud of these young athletes and their recent achievement. Located in Smithfield, Virginia, the Smithfield High School Packers were able to bring the Class 4 Region A Championship back home to their fellow students, faculty, families, and friends through their hard work and dedication to their team. The Smithfield Boys' Soccer team won the game two to zero and advanced to the state tournament. prgtoken As a former athlete myself, I want each of these young men to know Virginia's 2nd District is extremely proud of their accomplishment and applauds them on their well-earned victory. Again, congratulations to the Smithfield High School Boys' Soccer team on winning the Class 4 Region A Championship.
Trump Rally Shooting (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2024-7-24

the attempted assassination of President 11 days ago at a peaceful rally in Pennsylvania shook the Nation. I am very thankful that he was not seriously harmed. I am grateful also for the law enforcement personnel who rushed in to cover the President when the shooting started. But, as every American knows by now, the events of July 13 should never have happened. prgtoken There was not just one but a number of apparent security breakdowns-- notably, a failure to secure the roof before the rally. While we are grateful for the fact that President was not killed, the security failures resulted in the death of one innocent American and serious injury to two others. prgtoken It is appropriate that the Secret Service Director resigned yesterday in the wake of this tragedy, but there is more work to be done. Multiple investigations are currently being conducted--several of them here in Congress--to identify everything that went wrong that Saturday and to explore ways to ensure that it never happens again. prgtoken Among other things, we obviously need to take a hard look at what needs to be done at the Secret Service. I have no doubt that there are many dedicated agents serving there, including those who heroically dived to cover President when the shooting started, but the fact is that the Secret Service has been beset by problems for a number of years now, including staffing issues and a number of previous security failures. It is time to fix these problems once and for all and ensure that the Secret Service is fully prepared to fulfill its mission. We also need a new Secret Service Director committed to making reform of the Agency a priority. prgtoken Events like the ones of July 13 always horrify because they demonstrate the worst of which human beings are capable, but they also often give us a glimpse of the very best, and that was certainly true in Pennsylvania. There was Corey Comperatore, the volunteer firefighter who died protecting his family; the emergency room physician and others who attempted to render medical assistance; the everyday Americans who stepped in to help their fellow rally-goers. prgtoken If there is one thing we can take from the events of July 13 other than the immediate practical need of addressing security failures, it is a renewed determination to live our lives in such a way that we, too, at the time of our testing, would be among those whose responses were to help and protect their fellow man. prgtoken Soon after surviving the attempt on his life, President said: In this moment, it is more important than ever that we stand United and show our True Character as Americans. prgtoken That is a call that we should all heed. That doesn't mean, of course, that our disagreements suddenly disappear, but it does mean that we recognize and remember that most Americans, regardless of where they land politically, want what is best for the country's f
Israel (Executive Calendar)
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2024-7-24

we stand here today having had the opportunity in a joint session of Congress to hear one of the most powerful and profound and significant addresses that has ever been made to a joint session of Congress. prgtoken We have a few people listening in right now. I notice we have a number of our pages on the floor. I am glad that our young people--our rising seniors in high school who work for us--were able to be there and to be here in Washington, in this Capitol, and see and listen to this magnificent speech today by Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel--our steadfast ally, the only democracy in that section of the world. And, I will say, I doubt if we will very often see remarks that were as powerful and as important. prgtoken Israel has been our steadfast ally for over seven decades. It was a ic President, Harry Truman, postwar, who put his administration behind the recognition of the Jewish State in Palestine as Israel, and we became one of the earliest countries to recognize Israel. That has stood for over seven decades. prgtoken The recognition by the United States, on a bipartisan basis, has recognized an important fact: that the Jewish people are certainly not colonialists in the Holy Land. The place where Israel exists now is the place where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Esau were born and lived in the era of 5,000 years ago. prgtoken To say that the Jewish people are colonialists in Israel is the Big Lie. The Big Lie is something that our enemies have used down through the years. You say something so unbelievable and so unimaginable; if you say it long enough, people will start to believe it. prgtoken The Jewish people are no colonialists in the Holy Land. The Holy Land is their ancestral home, and they deserve--the world's Jewish people deserve--a Jewish State so they can avoid the centuries of discrimination and anti-Semitism that they have endured over time. prgtoken The Jewish people, as I say--the Israeli people--which includes, of course, people who are not Jewish by heritage, have had the only democracy in the area for the longest time. And they have been surrounded by people who want nothing less than the destruction of Israel, and they don't make any bones about it. prgtoken Support in this Congress--support in the United States--for Israel has for these seven decades always been bipartisan. And it breaks my heart--and I think it should come as a shock to all Americans--that bipartisan support seems to be fracturing on the other side of the aisle among my ic colleagues. prgtoken It is a shame that the Vice President of this country--the Vice President of the United States, --declined to fulfill her duties to preside over the session. She found an excuse in another State to be at a meeting that could easily have been rescheduled. It is a shame that our Vice President--that the future nominee of her party for President of the
Israel (Executive Calendar)
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2024-7-24

earlier today, Members of Congress had the distinct honor of hearing from Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel. He is a leader of one of our most steadfast allies in an unprecedented time of strife for his country. prgtoken Prime Minister Netanyahu's message to Congress today was a snapshot into the reality that his nation is facing and what they have experienced since the morning of October 7. He spoke to the urgency of bringing our hostages home and received a standing ovation for that; the courage and bravery of his Israeli forces and citizens and received a standing ovation for that; and his vision to bring peace, prosperity, and security to the Middle East--again, standing room only. prgtoken Israel is a country at war, and, as the only democracy in the Middle East and a friend of freedom, Israel deserves the unwavering support of these United States. That is why it is incredibly disheartening to see that many of our ic colleagues were absolutely absent from the address--especially the Vice President. Her absence unleashed a completely unnecessary discussion about who would join the to preside over the joint address. For a time, her seat behind the podium was just simply up for grabs. prgtoken I extend my thanks to my colleague from Maryland, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu on behalf of the Senate, and that was Senator Ben Cardin. prgtoken But unfortunately public debate over the Vice President's absence is not the message that we should be sending to the world. prgtoken It seems some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have forgotten that 291 days ago, on October 7, 2023, Israel was the victim of an unprovoked terrorist attack. The attacking force, Hamas, killed 1,200 innocent Israelis, committed unspeakable acts of sexual violence, and took men and women and children as hostages. They also took Holocaust survivors. They even took an infant under 1 year old. Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned that infant earlier today. That poor child, that poor baby, has now spent more of his life in Hamas captivity than in freedom. prgtoken To this day, nearly 10 months later, hostages still remain in captivity, including American citizens, and they are being used as human shields at the same time. I was incredibly moved to see some of the hostages and their families represented in the House Chamber today. prgtoken Hamas has proven itself to be a violent terrorist organization that continues to hide underneath schools and hospitals, intentionally putting civilians in harm's way. They have publicly called for the attacks of October 7 to be repeated again and again and again. prgtoken The bottom line is this: Hamas has made it clear it has no interest in seriously negotiating a cease-fire, and they would rather engage in barbaric and, honestly, cowardly acts of terror, joining forces with terrorist o
HONORING DRU RIDDLE
Kay Granger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-7-24

today I pay tribute to Dru Riddle, PhD, DNP, CRNA, FAAN. Dr. Riddle will soon complete his year as national president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). I am proud that Dr. Riddle was elected as the 2023-2024 president of this prestigious healthcare organization. prgtoken Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice registered nurses who administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients each year. They work in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered including hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, and the offices of dentists, podiatrists, and specialty surgeons. They also provide acute and chronic pain management services to patients in need of such care. CRNAs provide anesthesia for all types of surgical cases and are the sole anesthesia providers in many rural hospitals. CRNAs have full practice authority in the Army, Navy, and Air Force and are the predominant provider of anesthesia on forward surgical teams and in combat support hospitals. prgtoken As an AANA member for 14 years, Dr. Riddle has contributed greatly to the healthcare community in the Fort Worth area and nationwide. Dr. Riddle is an associate professor of Professional Practice and director of Clinical Education at Texas Christian University School of Nurse Anesthesia. prgtoken He also serves as the Director of the Center for Translational Research. A JBI Center of Excellence and Co-Chair of the Cochrane U.S. Network. Dr. Riddle's research interest included evidence-based healthcare, pharmacogenomics, and genetic implications for anesthesia care. Additionally, Dr. Riddle has spoken nationally and internationally on evidence-based healthcare, systematic review strategies, and various clinical anesthesia topics. prgtoken In addition to his research and teaching roles, Dr. Riddle maintains an active clinical anesthesia practice through NorthStar Anesthesia. He was inducted as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing in 2018. prgtoken Dr. Riddle earned his PhD from Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. prgtoken During his AANA presidency, Dr. Riddle has been a prominent advocate for the patients and practice of nurse anesthesia before federal agencies and members of Congress. He has worked tirelessly to promote anesthesia patient safety and the value of CRNAs to our healthcare system. Dr. Riddle has advocated to eliminate burdensome regulations for CRNAs, to have CRNAs recognized as full practice providers in the Veterans Health Administration, and to address underlying causes of surprise billing such as provider discrimination. prgtoken I extend my sincere congratulation
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Claudia Tenney (Republican, NY) \u2014 2024-7-24

. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer my amendment No. 92 to the Interior appropriations bill to prohibit funding for President 's Executive Order No. 14019, titled: ``Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting.'' prgtoken This order requires Federal agencies to use their power, influence, resources, and Federal funding to enter into agreements with nongovernmental organizations to conduct voter registration and other mobilization activities. prgtoken Mr. Chair, this executive order is nothing but a blatant attempt to transform the Federal Government into a partisan get-out-the-vote machine for . The Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency should be completely nonpartisan and should not be using taxpayer funds and resources to actively engage in get-out-the-vote operations that have nothing to do with the departments' core missions, not to mention the obvious mission creep and Hatch Act violations that this activity triggers. prgtoken Mr. Chair, President should not be weaponizing Federal agencies prgtoken and the Federal Government, using American taxpayer dollars to manipulate and steer our elections in a partisan manner. prgtoken Let me be clear. The Department of the Interior is actively carrying out Executive Order No. 14019. The Heritage Foundation has subpoenaed numerous documents and emails related to the Department of the Interior's implementation of this radical executive order, including this interim plan, which, for the record, is fully redacted. Mr. Chair, I wonder why the Department would fully redact this plan if it had nothing to hide. prgtoken As the cofounder and chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, it is my privilege to introduce this amendment to restore transparency and confidence in our democratic process while keeping partisan Federal bureaucrats and the swamp, literally, from deliberately tipping the balance at the ballot box. prgtoken I stand firmly behind the concept of one citizen, one vote, as enshrined in our Constitution. However, I do not support this blatantly partisan mobilization of the Federal Government for political purposes. prgtoken The funds appropriated in this bill should be used as intended, such as to protect public lands for hunting and fishing, not implementing a partisan get-out-the-vote initiative using Federal dollars and Federal employees. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, which will preserve election integrity and stop the administration from transforming the Department of the Interior into a get-out-the-vote, partisan machine for the . prgtoken Let's make voting great again. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Andrew Ogles (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-7-24

this is, again, a commonsense policy at a time where the - administration has failed our country. Our southern border is wide open. We have little girls being raped by illegals. I have a family in critical condition because a drunk illegal hit them head-on. Fentanyl is killing 300,000 people. We have a crisis, and they want to talk about the climate. prgtoken Our inner cities are desperate. Mayors in Dallas, Chicago, and New York are crying for help, and the - administration is silent. They are too busy pushing their alarmist, progressive, woke agenda on the middle class. prgtoken The - policies have failed our country, they failed hardworking Americans, and this is a commonsense policy to inject common sense into the Federal Government. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge adoption, and .
Israel (Executive Calendar)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2024-7-24

this afternoon Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in his remarks to a joint session of Congress, reiterated to Congress; to us, the Senate; to the American people; and, really, to the world his determination to defend his country from terrorists supported by Iran who seek the elimination of the Jewish State of Israel. prgtoken The United States must continue to provide Israel with crucial military and diplomatic support to make certain the dangers Israel faces can be deterred; and that, if possible, they are defeated, defeated those efforts to terrorize Israel. prgtoken The horrific attack by Hamas 9 months ago remains vivid in our thoughts. A few weeks after that attack, I was in Israel to visit with the Prime Minister, to hear firsthand the circumstances that Israel and its citizens faced. prgtoken In addition to those killed, the widespread instances of sexual assault and taking hostage of elderly and infants--under these circumstances, no person, no person of conscience, can fail to understand the desire to eliminate Hamas as a threat to the people of Israel. prgtoken Our continued assistance to Israel is in our own national interest because the threats our friends face are also threats faced by the United States. This conflict may seem distant from our shores, but make no mistake that those who seek Israel's destruction, aspire to harm American citizens wherever they may be, including here at home. prgtoken , 12 Americans were taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, and 8 still remain held in captivity. Many hostages have died in captivity these last 9 months, making it imperative that Hamas immediately free our citizens. prgtoken Hezbollah continues to menace Israel on the northern border with fire being exchanged daily, forcing the evacuation of thousands of Israelis. With more than 100,000 rockets aimed at Israel, Hezbollah, like Hamas, is a direct threat to American citizens living there. It is true there; it is true beyond Israel. prgtoken The intelligence community's worldwide threat assessment released this year found that Hezbollah ``maintains the capability to target U.S. persons and interests in the region, worldwide, and, to a lesser extent, in the United States.'' That assessment warns that that group will ``continue to develop its global terrorist capabilities.'' prgtoken Our government--the United States of America--must commit, alongside our allies and our partners, to degrading Hezbollah's capabilities as a matter of international security. prgtoken As we saw, as recently as last Friday's drone strike on a Tel Aviv apartment building, the Houthis in Yemen also pose a significant regional threat. Their slogan, of course, includes ``Death to America, Death to Israel.'' prgtoken Their capabilities are expanding and have disrupted shipping through the Red Sea by launching attacks on cargo vessels. In response, the U.S. Navy has worked the last 8 months to reestablish th