mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING THE 246TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-6-14

I come to the floor today to honor distinguished Washington State senator, Tribal leader, and my friend John Richard McCoy. prgtoken State Senator McCoy dedicated his life and career to public service. John served in the Air Force for two decades. He was a steadfast and fearless leader for the Tulalip Tribes in the State of Washington. And he was one of the longest serving Native legislators in Washington State history. prgtoken His story is an inspiration and testament. He overcame unbelievable odds. And most importantly, he showed what one person can achieve in the service of others. John led a life and career that will be remembered for generations. prgtoken He was born in 1943 in Washington. He was born in the middle of World War II and started his career as a commercial fisherman in Puget Sound before he joined the Air Force. He served in the Air Force for 20 years, retiring as a technical sergeant at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, near here. prgtoken He was then recruited as a computer programmer before computer programming was really hip and was assigned to staff the Reagan White House situation room. His skills as a computer programmer and technical expertise led the late Stan Jones--one of our other Tribal legends who was then Chair of the Tulalip Tribes--to recruit him back to Washington to help transform the Tribe's communications system. At the time, the Tribe was struggling to build the infrastructure that was needed to take advantage of economic development and continue to move forward with their plans. prgtoken But John took this project and telecommunications infrastructure and helped the Tribe build one of its greatest economic successes. The Quil Ceda Village is about a 500-acre unique business park that was approved in 2001. It was so successful that in 2005, the Puget Sound Business Journal named him Executive of the Year for his contributions to the successful project. He not only brought computers and high-speed internet access to the village, he made the whole thing a reality for the Tribe. prgtoken John McCoy never lost his ideas about public service. In 2003, he was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives, and he served our State legislature for 17 years. Senator McCoy served the 38th Legislative District in Northwest Washington covering Tulalip, Everett, and Marysville. During that time, he became a standout legislator for the State of Washington. He was a tireless advocate for K-12 education, healthcare, the environmental policies, and, most importantly, he was outspoken on Tribal issues. prgtoken One important piece of legislation John championed and created was the ``Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State'' curriculum which is now taught in all Washington State public schools. ``Since Time Immemorial,'' endorsed by all of Washington State's 29 federally recognized Tribes, is a curriculum that focuses on their history in t
LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS
Steven Horsford (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2023-6-14

. Madam , Go Knights Go. This is a great morning in Las Vegas as we celebrate the first-ever Stanley Cup in Nevada. prgtoken Our champions, the Las Vegas Golden Knights have truly entered their golden age. prgtoken Madam , our Knights played 82 games this season and won 51-- their best season in franchise history. In their 6 years, they have blazed into NHL history and energized their fans in Nevada and across the Nation. prgtoken I would especially recognize Team Captain Mark Stone and Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who celebrates 1 year on the job today. prgtoken Of course, congratulations go to the MVP and winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, an original Golden Knight, Jonathan Marchessault. prgtoken Madam , Nevadans are beaming with pride over our Stanley Cup champions today. I know that glow will be with us for the weeks and months and years to come. prgtoken I look forward to getting back to the district and celebrating our NHL champions. Go Knights Go.
FLIGHT SAFETY STANDARDS
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-6-14

. Madam , in 2009, Flight 3047 crashed in Clarence, New York, killing everyone on board and one person on the ground. prgtoken The 2010 FAA reauthorization bill took bold, bipartisan action to address the flight safety issues that caused this tragic crash. This included the 1,500-hour pilot training rule, which significantly increased the number of required flight training hours from just 250 to 1,500 hours. prgtoken Since then, commercial aviation fatalities have decreased by 99.8 percent. The new FAA reauthorization legislation introduced last week includes a provision allowing an additional 150 hours of the 1,500-hour standard to be completed in a simulator. prgtoken Madam , we oppose this change. It veers off the course from the reforms we fought so hard for. We cannot falter on the safety standards that this body of Congress has fought alongside the Flight 3407 families to achieve. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in calling for this provision to be removed from the bill in its entirety.
prayer
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-6-14

. I now ask if you all might stand for a moment of silence for these people and the service that they provided. prgtoken Thank you very much. prgtoken This concludes our report. Let me remind you that, today, we have a full and exciting program, including tours of the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, followed by a luncheon with the Ambassador and the people of Ukraine. Tonight, we have the Congressional Baseball Game, and tomorrow is our excursion to Gettysburg. prgtoken I want to highlight, too, that all Members and former Members by now should have received a survey. I would really appreciate it if you would take the time to complete this. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes, but it is going to give us a lot of information, not only about your insights into today's politics, but as we are embarking on a strategic planning process, this will be very helpful information about what you think is important for us to be doing over the next 5 years. prgtoken With that, I conclude my remarks, and I thank the for giving our association the opportunity to return to this place, which we cherish very much. Thank you all.
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2023
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2023-6-14

. I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 15; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Choudhury nomination postcloture and that all time be considered expired at 11:15 a.m.; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture vote on the Rikelman nomination occur at 1:45 p.m. and that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
REGULATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE IN NEED OF SCRUTINY ACT OF 2023
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-6-14

I thank the chair and ranking member of the full committee that has jurisdiction of these issues. prgtoken I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on this amendment. This amendment delays the implementation of the legislation by 1 year and requires that a study be conducted in time by GAO on the effects of implementation. prgtoken We are making drastic changes, and drastic changes ought not be made rapidly. We ought to give ourselves time to study these things so that we can make prudent and judicious decisions. prgtoken A GAO study would provide us with the rigorous, unbiased analysis of the likely impacts of the bill. It would examine the economic, regulatory, and administrative implications of this new approval process. prgtoken This amendment would help us to better understand how the shift might affect industries, consumers especially, the economy, and the government. prgtoken While the intent to improve regulatory oversight is laudable, we must not rush into this. There should not be this rush to judgment as to the implications without at least giving ourselves an opportunity to examine them. We shouldn't do this without fully appreciating the potential consequences. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I believe that this amendment, while simple, is something that can be of great benefit, and .
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-6-15

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
CONGRATULATING MY DISTRICT'S YOUNG LEADERS AS THEY GRADUATE
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2023-6-15

. Madam , each year I am lucky to work with smart, dedicated students in my district through our student advisory panel. I am amazed and motivated by their passion, civic engagement, and thoughtfulness. They give me hope. prgtoken Throughout this month, our communities smile, as some of these young leaders graduate from high school. prgtoken To celebrate this milestone, I congratulate each of my graduates by name: prgtoken Will Bond, Sreekara Dandibhotla, Emma Eby, Mark Ellison, Michael Gribbin, Frances Holcomb, Chloe Jeon, Elisabeth Kokorin, Phoebe Lee, Aditi Mangal, Noah Pletcher, Jayleen Santana, Caden Schaeffer, Charlie Sywulak-Herry, and Gabriella Thomas. prgtoken In addition, our task force would not be possible without the care and organization of teachers Alan Malachowski and Jenn Statler of the Pennsylvania State Education Association. I thank them both. prgtoken I wish each of our students the brightest future. I thank them for being leaders in our community, and I know they will continue to be leaders wherever life takes them.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-6-15

I rise today as both chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety but, more importantly, as a pilot who is only alive because of the swift actions of an experienced flight crew. prgtoken I have lived the experience of piloting a Blackhawk that was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in flight and entered into flight conditions immediately that flight simulators taught me would be catastrophic. But having the experience of flying in the toughest conditions had shown me that that was not the case. prgtoken I have probably spent more hours in the most sophisticated flight simulators than any other Senator of this body, short of, of course, Senator Kelly, our astronaut. In my over a decade of training as a military pilot, every time--every single time--that we simulated a total loss of all aircraft avionics that would follow with a total loss of hydraulic power, we died in that simulator. We did this every year, and we simulated it over and over. It was not survivable. prgtoken We never simulated an RPG explosion in the lap of one of the pilots wherein any of the crew could survive. Why did we never simulate that condition? Nobody ever imagined that it would ever happen and have the crew survive or that the aircraft would not break apart in flight. prgtoken Yet, on that day in Iraq--on that day when that rocket-propelled grenade landed in my lap and exploded--we did. The aircraft held together, and we survived it. We were 10 feet above the trees, and we looked, and we had no avionics, and we could tell that the hydraulics were next. If we had relied on that simulator training, we would have done what dark pilot humor had always said, which was: You are going to die anyway. Let's change spots and leave a mystery for the acting investigators to figure out what the heck happened. prgtoken But we didn't. We fought to fly that aircraft because our training in the cockpit, in real-world flight conditions, taught us that we could do it. Led by the expertise of my pilot in command, we landed that aircraft and saved our entire flight crew. prgtoken I would not be alive today but for the in-cockpit experience gained through many hard-earned flight hours over a decade of training. It was actual, real-world experience, not a flight simulation, that made us prepared and ready to respond to a life-threatening emergency, with level heads and swift action--with instinct. prgtoken Of course, my experience is not unique. When the hero of the Hudson, Captain ``Sully'' Sullenberger, implores Congress to understand that the combined 40,000-plus flight hours between him and his first officer were critical in saving 155 lives on that January 15, 2009, day, we should listen. prgtoken Do you think that, prior to that day, there were any flight simulations of a dual-engine failure from a bird strike, followed by ditching in the Hudson River, by any airline? by any flight school? No. In fact, when that very simulation was done
OPPOSING H.R. 1615, THE "GAS STOVE PROTECTION OF FREEDOM ACT" AND H.R. 1640, THE "SAVE OUR GAS STOVES ACT"
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-6-15

I am here today to speak in opposition to the proposed legislation, H.R. 1615, the Gas Stove Protection Freedom Act and H.R. 1640, the Save our Gas Stoves Act. prgtoken The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is responsible for protecting children and other consumers from unreasonable risk of injury or death from consumer products. prgtoken The CPSC carries out its mission by investigating allegations that consumer products pose an unreasonable safety risk, working with industry to develop voluntary product safety standards, issuing, and enforcing mandatory standards on hazardous consumer products, and recalling unsafe consumer products or arranging for their repair. prgtoken The CPSC has a history of protecting children and adults from safety risks across a wide range of products, including removing hazardous infant sleep products from the market, adopting corded window coverings standards to prevent strangulation of children, and working with industry to reduce the risk of fires from micro mobility devices like hoverboards and e-scooters. prgtoken s are deliberately misleading the American public with this legislation, which is designed to scare consumers and, unfortunately, s are ignoring the reasonable steps the CPSC has taken to study and address the hazards posed to our children by gas stove emissions. prgtoken Legitimate concerns have been raised about the health impact, particularly on children, of the nitrogen dioxide emitted by gas stoves. prgtoken Observational studies have found that children living in households that use gas stoves are 42 percent more likely to have asthma. prgtoken In December 2022, CPSC issued a recall on a specific gas stove product that was found to be a serious risk of injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning. prgtoken H.R. 1615 would prohibit CPSC from using its rulemaking authority to ban all such hazardous products to protect to Americans. prgtoken As the Chairman of the CPSC explained earlier this year, the Commission does not have a proceeding to ban gas stoves but is researching gas stoves and exploring ways to address health risks. prgtoken The s' bill peddles the lie that the Administration is attempting to ban gas stoves, but the facts simply are not on their side. prgtoken H.R. 1615 will stifle scientific investigation into health hazards and create bad precedent when it comes to protecting our children from health and safety hazards. prgtoken Protecting and improving the health and well-being of our children should not be a partisan issue. prgtoken On a bipartisan basis, we should be encouraging the CPSC to explore all allegations that appliances or other consumer products put our children's health at risk and give the CPSC more, not fewer, tools for eliminating or mitigating safety risks they uncover. prgtoken It is unconscionable to limit the CPSC's options for addressing the potential risks of gas stoves--a product found in
CONFIRMATION OF DILAWAR SYED
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-6-15

last week, the Senate confirmed Dilawar Syed to be the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration with a bipartisan vote. Mr. Syed was the longest pending nomination in the administration, waiting 827 days to be confirmed. prgtoken The Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration should not have been a controversial nomination. Mr. Syed has served our Nation admirably as Special Representative for Commercial Diplomacy at the State Department, where he has helped American companies compete in international markets throughout the world. He has extensive background as an entrepreneur and business leader with an inspiring immigrant success story that is only possible in America. Now that he has been confirmed, he is the highest ranking Muslim American in the administration. prgtoken Mr. Syed should have been confirmed unanimously years ago. But regrettably, Senate s chose to play politics with changing excuses designed to obstruct the nomination. Obstruction and delay resulted in the position being vacant for over 5 years. With record numbers of entrepreneurs starting new small businesses, we need a fully staffed SBA. prgtoken Senate s criticized pandemic loans that were taken out by Mr. Syed's company, Lumiata, and accused Mr. Syed of being slow to disclose the loans. Mr. Syed testified before the committee that the board of his company had taken out Paycheck Protection Program--PPP-- loans from SBA, funds that they were legally eligible to receive. And to his credit, Mr. Syed and his company repaid those PPP loans when they secured an additional round of venture funding. All of this funding was disclosed to the White House during the vetting process, and Mr. Syed was transparent about his financials, even beyond the information asked by the Senate committee questionnaire. Critics tried to claim that he had misled Congress or outright lied. That is simply not true. prgtoken Despite his unfair treatment, justice ultimately prevailed, and his nomination passed with bipartisan support from five Senators who were able to judge Mr. Syed on his character and business acumen rather than false attacks. prgtoken Many nominees would have given up and decided the attacks were not worth it. With his background, Mr. Syed could have taken a lucrative positions in the private sector. But our Nation is fortunate that Mr. Syed did not let this long process deter him from serving the public interest. I join Mr. Syed's family, friends, and colleagues in congratulating him on his perseverance throughout this process and look forward to working with him, Administrator Guzman, and the leadership team at the Small Business Administration.
SEPARATION OF POWERS RESTORATION ACT OF 2023
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-6-15

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken This legislation would allow judges to undermine and second-guess the carefully crafted and scientifically based regulations issued by our expert administrative agencies. It would upset decades of Supreme Court precedent just to further the extreme antiregulatory agenda of the majority, which puts the health and safety of all Americans at risk. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to oppose this dangerous legislation, and .
Tribute to Tricia Engle (Executive Calendar)
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2023-6-15

I want to share the perspective of individual Senators who, at various moments, are extremely stressed over getting their amendment considered or how to deal with a particular issue that is coming up. There have been moments, for example, not too far back into last year, when I really wanted an amendment up and was asking Trish, how do I do this? How do I position this to get this done? And I know that many of us, when we are trying to do something we consider important or are concerned about something happening that is detrimental, our emotions are high. Every time that I have been in that position, you have been a calm and steady presence facilitating our efforts--maybe raising an eyebrow now and then about whether this was the right moment or the right process but giving sound guidance and taking our levels of anxiety and stress down a few notches and helping us get the job done. prgtoken So all of us who, in moments--critical moments--have come to you and asked for your help and your insight on how to proceed, thank you for being a wise and sober and calming counsel to us. And I wish you all the best in your next chapter.
TAX REFORM
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-6-15

6 months into the 118th Congress, the tale of two parties continues. prgtoken This week, House s advanced a massive tax package, showing precisely where their loyalties lie--in helping large, multibillion- dollar corporations, Big Oil polluters, and those at the very, very top. prgtoken Today, the President is reminding the American people where ' loyalties lie--with ordinary families who want to lower costs and who have had it with junk fees that nickel and dime people every single day. prgtoken President used his State of the Union Address to call out companies that exploit consumers through surprise fees on everything from credit cards, bank overdrafts, hotel resort purchases, and air travel. Today, he is holding a roundtable discussion with companies at the White House on the progress they have made in eliminating surprise fees. prgtoken I cannot tell you how many times people have come up to me in New York, exasperated by junk fees, oftentimes at the last minute. Many times, they know nothing about them until they are asked to pay them. It is precisely the kind of abuse that frustrates Americans to no end and which the Federal Government can address. prgtoken It is why, in the House, I authored legislation to protect Americans from surprise expenses on their credit card bills by requiring credit card companies to clearly break down all fees and interest rates. They call it the ``Schumer Box''--a nickname I am proud has stuck. prgtoken And junk fees are everywhere. You want to switch your cell phone company? A termination fee can cost you $250 or something exorbitant like that. Many people think the phone companies ask for it so you don't switch even if you are dissatisfied with their service. prgtoken You want to book a hotel room listed at $300? Good luck. You will get the bill and discover the real price is much higher. More than a third of hotel guests have reported paying some kind of hidden fee. prgtoken The kind of abusive behavior from some large companies is exactly what Americans want to focus on, and it is the major difference between the two parties. prgtoken s think it is best to spend time on cutting taxes for the very largest, billion-dollar corporations--that often don't pay their fair share--and on stoking the fires of the culture wars. prgtoken But want to focus on things ordinary families have to deal with every single day. We can all relate to the frustration of hidden fees. We can all relate to driving to work on dilapidated roads and crumbling bridges. We can all look out the window and see that wildfires, flooding, and extreme weather events are getting worse and harming our communities. These are the issues have legislated on over the past few years, and we are going to keep going.