mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UNIONIZATION
Andy Levin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise in support of the Protecting the Right to Organize, or PRO, Act. prgtoken In 1987, I was arrested for standing on a public sidewalk. prgtoken My crime? prgtoken I was seeking to help hospital workers organize with SEIU. That was one of many experiences I had demonstrating how American elections for workers to form a union are more like political elections in a dictatorship than in a democracy. prgtoken The recent union election at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama shows just how stacked the deck is against workers. It shows the power wielded by companies large and small and the lengths they will go to keep owners and executives reaping the benefits of growing productivity, even at the expense of their workers' very dignity. prgtoken It shows the urgent need for change. The Senate must send the PRO Act to the President's desk.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE PLEASANT HILL HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the Pleasant Hill High School wrestling team on winning the State Championship at the Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 2 wrestling tournament. prgtoken On March 11, the Pleasant Hill Roosters wrestling team won their first state championship in 25 years, finishing 37 points ahead of the second-place team. prgtoken The Roosters had nine individuals receive medals at the tournament: Sam Ewing, who won his 2nd state title, and Garret Lyons, Ryan Volland, Lane Snyder, Brayden , Zach Redwine, Lane Brattin, Jacob Hanes, and Dalton Cole, who also placed. Each of these young men have made their school and their state proud. prgtoken I congratulate these hard-working athletes and the Pleasant Hill High School wrestling team on their impressive accomplishment. I am honored to represent them, and I wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Claudia Tenney (Republican, NY) \u2014 2021-4-16

. And we have many safeguards in place to reserve that right to vote, but also to encourage people to go out and realize that their vote does count. And wouldn't it be great if every legal citizen voted in every election? That would be a true self-governing Republic that we all aspire to maintain and preserve. prgtoken Once again, I cannot emphasize enough, we urge everyone to join the caucus, including our ic friends. I think they would like what we are going to be standing for. We are going to be preserving and protecting the votes in all districts across the entire Nation, and I think it is going to be an exciting initiative. prgtoken I thank the gentleman for being willing to join. I know my time is limited today, but I wanted to take advantage of this. And I want to also thank the gentleman for taking this opportunity to be in this amazing place. prgtoken It is an honor to be elected to this great body, with so many good Members on both sides of the aisle, and to be able to do the business here for the people of our country in such a tough time, in so many ways, as we are emerging, hopefully, from the pandemic. prgtoken I am grateful that you take this time and talk about the news and events of the day that may sometimes get missed in the mainstream media. I am grateful to you, and I want to wish you the best and everyone a great weekend. prgtoken Let's talk about election integrity.
RECOGNIZING BAYLOR UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Baylor University's men's basketball team as the 2021 NCAA National Champions. Eighteen years ago, Coach Scott Drew talked about coming to Baylor ``for a chance to win a national championship,'' A dream vocalized by one man turned reality by a team of men with great faith. A team that played as one. Oh yes, they had individuals and they were outstanding. But it was their teamwork mindset that achieved this victory. prgtoken This season, Baylor defeated more top-25 teams than the three other Final Four teams combined. These results prove that hard work, a determined mind, and a willing spirit can conquer any challenge. To say I am proud is an understatement. My hometown Baylor Bears have proved their abilities and I believe this is just the beginning of much more greatness to come. I wish these men as much success in future endeavors as they earned this season. prgtoken Congratulations men. prgtoken Sic `em.
IN HONOR OF EDITH BETTIS ON HER 100TH BIRTHDAY
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , today, I recognize longtime East Tennessee resident Edith Bettis as she celebrates her 100th birthday. prgtoken Edith was born in Oconaluftee, North Carolina to Arthur and Ellen Chambers on April 16, 1921. She lived in Smokemont, North Carolina until age 11 when her family's land was made part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She then moved to Sweetwater, Tennessee where she attended high school. prgtoken After briefly attending school in Oak Ridge, she moved to Detroit, Michigan to help with the war effort. During World War II, Edith worked on airplanes as a riveter, and after the war, she returned to East Tennessee to work in a Lenoir City hosiery mill. prgtoken Edith married her late husband, Clarence, in May of 1947, and they had 4 children: Janis, Charles, Nancy and Rickey. They were later blessed with 6 grandchildren and 4 greatgrandchildren. prgtoken It's my honor to wish Edith a happy 100th birthday and, on behalf of Tennessee's Second Congressional District, congratulate her on becoming a centenarian.
REMEMBERING BILL DOWNEY III
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today with a heavy heart to remember and honor Mr. Bill Downey III of St. Simons Island, Georgia, who passed away on February 28 at the age of 87. prgtoken Bill was a gentleman in every sense of the word, and he dedicated his life to serving others. After proudly serving his country in the United States Army, Bill met his wife of 58 years, Beth Newton. prgtoken Service to his community was an integral part of Bill's character. His kindness and selflessness extended to every area of his life, including his time as president of the Golden Isles Board of Realtors, chairman of the St. Simons Island Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Airport Commission, and chairman of the Board of Frederica Academy. prgtoken He was also a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, where he served as senior warden. Everyone who knew Bill recognized his giving heart and love for the outdoors. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all who knew him during this most difficult time.
IN RECOGNITION OF CHARLES H. COOLIDGE
Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to honor Technical Sergeant Charles H. Coolidge of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and recognize a lifetime of service to our Nation. prgtoken Sergeant Coolidge passed away on April 6, 2022. Sergeant Coolidge was the second-to-last surviving Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from World War II and was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the European theater. prgtoken Born on August 4, 1921, Sergeant Coolidge is a national hero. During the period of October 24 through October 27, 1944, Sergeant Coolidge led a valiant repulsion of German infantry and tank units near the French town of Belmont-sur-Buttant. Prior to that, he had received the Silver Star for valiant combat in Italy. prgtoken Sergeant Coolidge's place in American history deserves the great acclaim bestowed on him then with the Medal of Honor, and now. He is truly an American hero and will be greatly missed.
HONORING THE LIFE OF LINDSAY OVERBAY
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to remember and honor the life of Lindsay Overbay. prgtoken Lindsay lost her life, and several of her coworkers were injured, in a tragic and senseless attack on the Allina Health Clinic in Buffalo, Minnesota, on February 9. prgtoken We continue to pray for Lindsay and her family and for the full and speedy recovery of her coworkers. prgtoken Lindsay was the best Minnesota has to offer. She devoted her life to family and her community, and her career to caring for people. She was only 37 years old. She leaves behind her husband, Donnie, and two young children, Gavin and Ava. prgtoken Special thanks to Wright County Sheriff Sean Deringer and his deputies and the city of Buffalo Police Department for their immediate and professional response that ended the threat and prevented further loss of life. prgtoken Our community must heal, and we will heal from this sad event, but we will always remember Lindsay, Donnie, Gavin, Ava, and the entire Allina family.
FAREWELL TO AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF ROMANIA, GEORGE CRISTIAN MAIOR
Devin Nunes (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to bid farewell to Ambassador George C. Maior, who will be ending his posting as Romania's Ambassador to the United States at the end of May. After serving as Ambassador to the United States since 2015, he will be greatly missed by all who have had the pleasure of working with him. He has consistently devoted his impressive reserves of energy, prgtoken enthusiasm, and wisdom in representing Romania, while working to develop the bilateral relationship between Romania and the United States. prgtoken Ambassador Maior's diplomatic career spans three decades. He joined the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992 and served in the Department of Treaties and later the Department of Strategic Affairs. From 1997 to 1999, he served as the Charge D'affaires at the Romanian Embassy in Dublin, Ireland and in 2004, he was conferred the rank of Ambassador. prgtoken Throughout his career, he has served in top positions dedicated to public service, including as State Secretary and head of the Department for Euro-Atlantic Integration and Defense Policy within the Romanian Ministry of National Defense. prgtoken In November 2004, Ambassador Maior was elected as Senator in the Romanian Parliament, where he served as Chairman of the Committee for Defense, Public Order and National Security; member of the Joint Committee for the Parliamentary Oversight on the Foreign Intelligence Service Activity; and member of the Senate Committee for Human Rights, Cults and Minorities. prgtoken In 2006, he was nominated to serve as the Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI). During his eight years as Director, the SRI bolstered its bilateral and multilateral partnerships with intelligence services around the world. Ambassador Maior was consistently recognized by the United States Government for his outstanding partnership and exceptional leadership in that position. prgtoken I wish Ambassador Maior and his wife Anamaria the greatest success and happiness as he moves to his next assignment as Romania's Ambassador to Jordan. While he will be missed in the United States, I am confident he will continue to emphasize the strategic importance of the bilateral relationship between our two nations.
HONORING THE SERVICE OF LA HABRA CHIEF OF POLICE JERRY PRICE
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to offer some words of appreciation to someone in my 39th Congressional District in California who deserves special Congressional recognition. prgtoken For 30 years, La Habra Chief of Police Jerry Price has unselfishly served and protected our community in the La Habra Police Department. prgtoken Chief Price joined the La Habra Police Department in 1991 and quickly rose through the ranks across multiple bureaus, most recently serving as chief of police for the past 8 years. prgtoken Chief Price always set an example for other officers and the community, always having a positive attitude and serving with pride. He also has actively mentored and prepared others for success in law enforcement. prgtoken It is because of these admirable qualities that Chief Price has earned many awards and accolades, not only from the La Habra community, but also from other outside law enforcement agencies. prgtoken I thank Chief Jerry Price for his 30 years of service and the past 8 years as chief of police, and I offer my sincere congratulations on his retirement.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-4-16

. I think we ought to obey America's laws on immigration across the board. If you look at the asylum laws, there is a process to seek asylum. prgtoken In fact, every year, people are granted that asylum if they prove their case. That is where the law comes into play, which is being ignored right here. prgtoken What President did when there was a surge in 2019, he confronted it, as a leader should do. He talked to people on the ground. He talked to our Border Patrol agents, who are the ones who have to deal with this crisis on a daily basis. prgtoken In fact, 40 percent of our Border Patrol agents tonight at midnight, like Thursday night at midnight last week, when I was with those Border Patrol agents, 40 percent of them were pulled off of guarding our border, where their primary mission is to stop drug cartels from smuggling fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin into our country, which they are doing now at much higher levels, killing Americans all across the country. prgtoken Forty percent of them pulled away because they are going to be changing diapers in the Donna detention facility tonight because that is what they are being tasked to do by the administration. That is not their job. It is not why they signed up. Their morale is incredibly low. prgtoken Well over roughly 90 percent of people who say they are coming here to seek asylum, those cases are rejected by the courts. Rejected. In fact, it is kind of hard to make an asylum claim here when the parents of many of these kids you are seeing here paid thousands of dollars to the drug cartels to smuggle their kids and themselves into the United States. It is hard to claim economic asylum, which is the case many of them plead, when you paid $4,000 to try to come here illegally when there is a legal process to come here, not just the normal legal process where you can wait to come into America legally, where we let a million people into our country every year, the most generous nation in the world, America. But when they go around that system, that is where it overwhelms our system. That is what is going on right now. prgtoken President confronted it, not by saying no one can come in, but by saying you have to follow our laws if you want to come here. If you want to seek asylum, you have to request it like everyone else. They allowed them to even come through South and Central American countries but stay in Mexico. Mexico agreed with this, and there was an orderly system. You got to hear your claim in a very expedient way. prgtoken Today, they are given a piece of paper when they come across the border illegally, saying: Come show up maybe 5 years from now. prgtoken Good luck with that. Then, they are given a free plane ticket, without an ID, to just be sent off to some other State. I saw manila envelopes, and once you got below the ``I do not speak English,'' Dallas was on one, Philadelphia was on one, New Jersey was on one. prgtoken I don't know wha
AMERICAN STEEL FOR AMERICAN INFRASTRUCTURE
Jeff Fortenberry (Republican, NE) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , a long time ago, I made the decision to stand by the people who grow our food, protect our country, and make our stuff. Now, for a moment, if we could put aside the ever-expanding definition of infrastructure, I think we could agree on a basic principle: if we are going to ask American taxpayers to fund new American infrastructure, then we need to use American companies, American steel, and American labor. prgtoken It is especially important that American-made steel not be outsourced for fabrication to nations with lax environmental standards and lax labor prgtoken standards. As this pandemic has so forcefully and painfully shown us, an overreliance on a foreign supply chain makes us vulnerable. prgtoken Madam , how about this: a ``Made in America'' label on all products used in American public works across the country. On that, perhaps, we can agree.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FAILURES CREATING BORDER CRISIS
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , just prior to coming to Washington this week, I spent a couple of days down at the Mexican border to see for myself exactly what was going on down there. prgtoken I visited the El Paso sector. I would like to thank the Border Patrol, ICE, the ranchers, and local law enforcement for being so helpful and informative to the nine Congressmen who were in the El Paso sector over the weekend. prgtoken Our goal was to see over the last few months how things have changed, and in the last 5 months, things have changed dramatically at the border. prgtoken For one thing, illegal apprehensions are way up. In March, we had 172,000 illegal apprehensions, and that doesn't include, of course, the people who snuck across without being apprehended. This time last year, in March, there were 34,000 illegal apprehensions. What could cause an increase from 34,000 to 172,000? prgtoken It was painful not only to hear about the numbers but to see row after row of young children on mats just waiting for something to happen. prgtoken Now, what has happened? What happened at the border to get a fivefold increase in 1 year, as well as seeing all these children in almost inhumane conditions waiting to be taken away to somebody who they hope will take care of them? prgtoken First of all, this administration got rid of the migrant protection protocol I am sure in very difficult negotiations, had Mexico agree to hold people south of the border pending hearings for asylum. That was a huge benefit. prgtoken Secondly, we had agreements with Central American countries so that when people came here from other Central American countries or South America, they would be held south of the Mexican border. prgtoken Third, we changed things to the old-fashioned catch and release, where we touched people, but then when we are dealing with families, we let them in the United States pending a hearing on immigration. We changed title 42 to allow more people to come into this country, whether or not they have COVID. prgtoken Finally, we have a President who, during the campaign, made many different statements indicating that illegal immigration was not going to be a problem during his administration, whether he was promising free medical care, supporting sanctuary cities, ending the public charge rule. And President had said: Immigrants coming here, we don't want you here if you are going to wind up on welfare. prgtoken It is no wonder they were wearing T-shirts. We make stimulus payments to people who are here illegally. prgtoken Given all these changes, is it a surprise that so many people want to come here? In addition to the fact that the changes in the laws themselves cause people to get to the Mexican border to come here, it is advertising to the world that the United States does not care about immigration laws. prgtoken Now, we have to do something. We have dug ourselves a deeper hole in our relations with both El Salvador a
CELEBRATING LEADERSHIP ARKANSAS' XV GRADUATING CLASS
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , I rise today to extend my sincere congratulations to a new crop of emerging leaders from the Natural State. prgtoken Leadership Arkansas is a unique program grounded in the belief that real progress is achieved by bringing a diverse set of interests and backgrounds together. First introduced in 2005 by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and Associated Industries of Arkansas, Leadership Arkansas recruits highly motivated individuals to experience first-hand the dynamic interactions between cities, industries, governmental units and the people they serve. prgtoken This year's graduating class includes: Allison Bermudez, Jill Bobo, Kent Bridger, Danna Caldwell, Nate Caldwell, John Cantabery, Jennifer Christman Cia, Sammie Cribbs, Jake Fair, Jill Floyd, Jay Geaney, Jeremiah Gentry, Maggie Jo Hansen, Nathan , Jeff Hatley, Allison Hestand, Aaron Huntley, Chad Kinsley, Courtney Little, Rusty Meeks, Jennifer Morales, Joey Msall, David Orr, Ryan Pettigrew, Grace Rains, Brandon Resecker, Karen Shaw, Hunter Stuckey, Ventrell Thompson, Amy Williams, and Drew Williams. prgtoken More than 800 Leadership Arkansas alumni have gone on to accept roles of great responsibility in both the public and private sectors. I rise today to congratulate these graduates on this high honor and to thank them for their commitment to serving our home. I am encouraged by the example of leadership, excellence, and professionalism demonstrated by this year's class, and I look forward to seeing how these exceptional individuals will shape the future growth of the State of Arkansas and our Nation.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-4-16

. Madam , it brings to mind being in Iraq back in 2005. Iraq had just had its first true fair election, and people stood in line for hours and hours. prgtoken In talking to a police chief, he pointed out one place where there was a very long line. We knew that radical Islamists were going to try to disrupt the election. There was a suicide bomber who was found in the line, and a policeman grabbed him, threw himself on top of the suicide bomber. The bomb was set off, and the policeman and the radical Islamist were both killed. prgtoken I said: Wow. Did the voters come back? prgtoken He looked a little surprised and said: They never left the line. They knew if they got out of the line and did not vote, that the policeman would have given his life for nothing. They wanted the policeman's life to count, and they were not going to be intimidated by a suicide bomber trying to prevent them from voting, so they stayed in line to vote. prgtoken Too many Americans have come to think of voting as too onerous, that they don't really have time to do it, that it doesn't really matter, when, actually, as we hear and find over and over, elections do have consequences. prgtoken It is important that if you are legally allowed to vote, you should vote. It is unfortunate that there is a push to have people who don't understand--they are not citizens. They haven't been educated yet to understand what it takes to preserve a republic, which has allowed us to drift toward a more Orwellian-style government, a totalitarian, more socialist government. prgtoken Yes, you have to have a totalitarian government in order for socialism to succeed. Khrushchev finally came to grips with that. True communism is where everybody shares and shares alike, and there is no government. prgtoken I remember doing a report in college about a commission that Khrushchev set up to figure out a plan to move to where there was no government and just pure communism, pure sharing. Ultimately, they disbanded the commission because they realized there is no way to have no totalitarian government. prgtoken If you are going to have communism or socialism, the government has to be big, powerful, and totalitarian enough to take from those who earn and give to those who don't. prgtoken Anyway, elections are important. The next national election, of course, will be in 2022. That is something we need to be working toward making sure is fair. But it is difficult when you have entities like CNN that are more interested in ratings, scaring people, and supporting the ic Party than they are in reporting the news. It really makes it difficult to have free and fair elections when people are being deceived. prgtoken It was also interesting that since James O'Keefe, who founded Project Veritas, getting the truth out, he had the video of a leader at CNN exposing exactly what CNN was about: helping the ic Party and scaring Americans. prgtoken Twitter, being part of the h