mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE MORNINGSIDE ASSOCIATION
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-4-21

. Madam , it gives me great pleasure to rise today to join the families of the Morningside community and the City of Milford in marking the 100th Anniversary of the establishment of the Morningside Association--a very special milestone for this unique organization. Chartered by the Connecticut state legislature in 1921, the Morningside Association created a tight-knit, welcoming community where families have flourished for generations. prgtoken Nestled along the shores of Long Island Sound, the Morningside property has had a rich history. The parcel was included in the original land purchase from the Paugusset Tribe and for the first several hundred years was known as ``Merwin's Farm'' at Pond Point and was both a working farm and home to sixteen generations of the Merwin family. In the mid-1860's, the land was purchased by New England industrialist Henry G. Thompson. Mr. Thompson built a manor house of twenty-two rooms, surrounded by wide expanses of lawn, rare, beautiful trees and elaborate flower gardens. The ``Morningside'' moniker was quickly given to his new home by Mr. Thompson because it faced the rising sun. In 1912 the property was offered for sale. Specialists in developing small residential communities, the owners of the Yale Land Company, Milton T. Yale and two sons, Fred and Will, recognized an ideal opportunity for a shorefront development. After dividing the land into building lots, they laid out and constructed Morningside Drive on the shore front and Ridgewood Drive bordering the woodland, with nine roads running due west to connect these drives and provide settings for homes. prgtoken By 1921 the majority of the lots had been sold and the Yale Land Company had gradually withdrawn its policy of active maintenance. It was then that the Morningside property owners decided to form an association and seek a charter from the state which would enable them to preserve the unique character of the Morningside neighborhood. They successfully lobbied the state legislature for the charter, designating the community as an improvement district. Over the course of the last century the Morningside Association has guided the community through a multitude of challenges including the transition from a summer to year- round residential community, the installation of a private storm drain and sewer line system, and the expansion of the community's borders. The Association has also worked closely with the City of Milford, particularly with the installation and maintenance of the Morningside revetment--a granite wall made necessary due to the damage and erosion caused by hurricanes that hit the area in the early half of the 20th century. prgtoken Beyond the physical maintenance of the property, the Association is also responsible for the special sense of community that is Morningside. From the annual July 4th celebration to the shared enjoyment of the water and nature, the Association makes every effort to ens
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS CELEBRATES THE LIFE OF THE HONORABLE ALCEE L. HASTINGS
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2021-4-21

. Madam , I appreciate the gentlewoman allowing me to talk about my friend, Alcee Hastings. prgtoken Madam , Alcee Hastings to a lot of us, is what we call a Renaissance man. When you knew Alcee, you knew somebody who knew exactly what he was talking about at all times. I carried Alcee Hastings to the Second District of Mississippi a number of times. You know, for a Florida boy, he could have been a Mississippi boy. He knew Bobby Rush, the blues singer. He knew how to go to catfish fries. He could just about adapt to any situation. But Alcee Hastings, more importantly, provided significant direction and guidance to a number of us who came to this body. prgtoken Madam , so today I rise to pay a special tribute to a close and dear friend that I shared many memories with: The Honorable Congressman Alcee Hastings. prgtoken Alcee was a champion civil rights legend, who served the people of Florida and this country for over 28 years as a Member of Congress. He dedicated his life to uplifting and empowering his constituents, colleagues, and our Nation. All of us have at least one Alcee Hastings story. Some of us have two or three or more Alcee Hastings stories, and they all are memorable. prgtoken All through my district, he was one of those individuals who people wanted to know what was Alcee Hastings like. And the only thing I can tell you is you have to meet him because you really can't describe him. The dictionary doesn't provide enough adjectives to give you who he is, but that is the kind of person Alcee Hastings was. prgtoken To Patricia and the kids: We all miss him. Absolutely, I know that all of you will miss him, too. prgtoken You know, I wonder what Alcee would be saying to us right now. I have a good idea. And he probably would say: ``Look, I don't have time for all that noise. Get on with the business of helping our people.''
NATIONAL ORIGIN-BASED ANTIDISCRIMINATION FOR NONIMMIGRANTS ACT
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-4-21

. Madam , I rise in strong support of H.R. 1333, the NO BAN Act. prgtoken This legislation would prevent future abuses of power committed by the previous administration through its xenophobic Muslim ban, a despicable policy which undermined one of our Nation's founding principles, freedom of religion. prgtoken My home State of Rhode Island was established by Roger Williams on the principle of religious liberty and separation of church and state, and his leadership inspired the Framers of our Constitution to incorporate these principles into our founding documents. This legislation will help to preserve that principle. prgtoken From the very beginning, former President was clear about exactly what his policy was, an explicit attempt to keep out as many people from Muslim-majority countries as possible, regardless of whether they were seeking refuge or asylum. It was never designed to make us safer. It was simply a way to spark fear and hatred among our citizens. prgtoken On his first day in office, thankfully, President rescinded this policy. prgtoken Yet the impact of the Muslim ban remains. After 4 years of having this policy in place, the time it takes to reimplement normal immigration and travel policies brings delays in otherwise routine procedures, such as obtaining visas, thus delaying the reunion of families. prgtoken Thankfully, however, with the Muslim ban rescinded, those families can take comfort in knowing they are a step closer to once again being with their loved ones. prgtoken Despite this, it remains necessary to pass this NO BAN Act. Without making the necessary reforms to prevent the abuses of power of the previous administration, they could simply be put back in place by a future President. prgtoken The NO BAN Act makes it unequivocally clear that we stand by the American ideal of freedom of religion. It will provide the necessary limitations on the President's ability to use overly broad terms to inappropriately and indiscriminately target and label entire groups of racial, ethnic, or religious minorities because of who they choose to worship. prgtoken We must not tolerate discriminatory actions that undermine our core values and threaten our Nation's health and safety. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support passage of the NO BAN Act. I thank the chairman of the committee for his leadership, and I thank Congresswoman Judy Chu for her extraordinary leadership in this regard.
ACCESS TO COUNSEL ACT OF 2021
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-4-21

I thank the chairman so much for his tremendous leadership on helping to bring this bill to the floor. prgtoken , I rise in support of my bill, the Access to Counsel Act. prgtoken It is the Access to Counsel Act. I don't know if my friends on the other side have heard that. I am not sure how access to counsel helps empower cartels. I am not sure if my colleagues on the other side have read the bill. This does not fund counsel, and it actually doesn't give a right to counsel. We could debate that in another bill. This gives access to counsel. prgtoken It brings us one step closer to upholding our country's principles of due process and fairness by ensuring that individuals with lawful status have the right to call a lawyer and receive assistance if they are detained at ports of entry or in airports. prgtoken So why did this bill come about? prgtoken The Access to Counsel Act was the very first bill I introduced as a Member of Congress in 2017 in response to President 's Muslim ban. On the day that announced that ban, I rushed to my local airport in Seattle. What I encountered and what we saw at airports across the Nation was a sham of our democracy. prgtoken People from seven Muslim-majority countries--all with legal access to be in the United States--suddenly found themselves held for upwards of 30 hours, deported, and in some cases pressured to sign papers giving up their legal status without even the ability to call an attorney or a family member. prgtoken I then reintroduced, again, the Access to Counsel Act in my second term, in January of 2020, after Customs and Border Protection targeted Iranian Americans at ports of entry. As many as 200 Iranian Americans were held in secondary screening in Blaine, Washington. prgtoken Negah Hekmati and her two children were detained for nearly 6 hours despite being U.S. citizens and despite having preclearance for expedited processing at the border that is specifically for approved, low-risk travelers. prgtoken She recalls her small children begging her not to speak Farsi in fear of being detained. At such a young age, her children, U.S. citizens, already recognized that they were being profiled and unjustly held because of their heritage. prgtoken Of course, when we raised this in the moment, Border Patrol said: That is not happening. We can't do that. We wouldn't do that. We are not doing that. prgtoken Well, it took over a year and suing the government in order to access documents from Customs and Border Protection for us to find out that the total number of people held was 227 people. Half of those people were U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, half of the 227. The rest of them had legal paperwork to come into the country. prgtoken So, why were they held? They were held because of their Iranian heritage or ties to the Middle East. Later, we also found out that there was no attempt from Border Patrol to figure out why they were there,
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-4-21

I rise to speak in support of the ``Clean Commute for Kids Act,'' which I introduced today. prgtoken I know firsthand how outdated diesel school buses expose our children to harmful and unnecessary pollution. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley and for many years, I rode a bus to school. I can still smell the diesel exhaust that my classmates and I would breathe in on our way to and from school. prgtoken Before the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 25 million American children were exposed to this same diesel exhaust when they ride over 500,000 predominantly diesel buses to school nationwide. This pollution not only harms our children's health, but it also impacts student achievement. Studies show that transitioning to cleaner bus fleets can spur both health and academic improvements. prgtoken As we work to build back better and combat climate change, we must help school districts accelerate the deployment of zero-emission buses to reduce the exposure of our children to pollutants and cut greenhouse gas emissions. prgtoken That is why I am proud to introduce this bill together with Senator Warnock to authorize $25 billion for a new grant program to help school districts replace existing buses with clean, zero-emission buses. prgtoken This funding represents an essential aspect of building more equitable, sustainable transportation infrastructure, and it represents an investment in our children, our environment, and our future. prgtoken This legislation recognizes the disproportionate impact this pollution has on underserved populations by setting aside 40 percent of the grant funding for replacing school buses serving environmental justice communities. prgtoken Some of California's school districts have already begun the transition to zero-emission buses. The California Air Resources Board has leveraged federal funding to assist school districts and local air boards with the costs of school bus replacements. This bill will accelerate this transition and provide funding to reach more schools in California and across the nation. prgtoken I want to thank Senator Warnock for co-leading this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this bill that would transform our nation's school bus fleet, protect air quality, and improve the health and wellbeing of our children. prgtoken Thank you, . .
THE CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER
Scott Franklin (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-4-22

. Madam , I also rise to address the self-inflicted disaster occurring at our southern border. I, along with nine other s in the House Oversight and Reform Committee, visited the border last week to see for ourselves the national security and humanitarian disaster that is wreaking havoc on our Nation. prgtoken When our Border Patrol agents are pulled from their posts to deal with the swarms of children at processing facilities, the remote border is left wide-open for the really bad folks to stroll right in. These aren't people whom we see on television wearing T-shirts, looking for the nearest Border Patrol agent so they can surrender to them. These are folks in full camouflage, ski masks, and usually armed, often with automatic weapons. prgtoken These intruders who breach the remote parts of the border illegally are referred to as get-aways. Because our agents are outnumbered, usually all they can do is simply document these groups as they pass on by. The notation for the records is simply 20 plus, even though there are often 40, 60, or even 80 or more people. prgtoken In January and February alone, there were over 61,000 reported get- aways. That is a staggering amount, but because the 20-plus documentation grossly underestimates the actual figures, agents told us the real number for the first 2 months of this year was probably closer to 120,000. prgtoken Left unchecked, we are looking at 750,000 get-aways breaking into our country this year alone. Again, these are not asylum seekers surrendering at the border. They are dangerous criminals, drug smugglers, human traffickers, and terrorists who are willing to do anything to get into America and not be caught. Once they make it to Interstate 10, just a few miles north of the border, they can have easy access to any place in the country. prgtoken This isn't a border State problem. It is an unfolding national disaster of unprecedented scope that must be addressed for the security of our country. Yet the administration and my colleagues across the aisle refuse to even acknowledge the problem. So far, neither the President nor Vice President have bothered to visit the border. prgtoken We can stop this manufactured crisis. prgtoken First, we need to complete the border wall. We have construction materials laying idle in the desert. President used to think the border wall was a good idea. It is time he stops cowing to the radical elements within his own party and do what he knows is right. The materials are there and the contracts to complete the work are in place, just sitting there. Just finish the job. prgtoken Second, end the practice of catch and release and re-implement the Migrant Protection Protocols that proved so successful in reducing the number of border incursions. Officers shared with us that only 10 to 12 percent of people who come here seeking asylum have legitimate cases. The rest are sent back. By requiring them to remain in
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-4-22

D.C. statehood is unconstitutional. Both and administrations of the past have long interpreted the Constitution in that fashion. prgtoken One of the problems with D.C. statehood is that two States, Maryland and my home State of Virginia, gave land for the cede of government, and they did not do so with the intent to create a new State. prgtoken When Virginia's land wasn't used for the cede of government, Congress ceded it back to Virginia. It did not create a new State. prgtoken As it was then, retrocession is our best course of action today. Shrinking the seat of government, which is permitted by Article I, and returning the rest to Maryland for the purposes of representation, offers D.C. residents a voice in the Federal legislative branch and keeps faith with Maryland's original cession of land for D.C. It also prgtoken works within the bounds of the Constitution. prgtoken , I have introduced a bill, and it is later going to be a motion to recommit. And I have also taken great care, as a part of that, making sure that retrocession and the transfer of administrative functions from D.C. to Maryland runs as smoothly as possible. prgtoken If you are worried about the details of D.C. government, this bill, this motion to recommit, takes care of them. prgtoken As the old Prego commercials said: It's in there. prgtoken Congressional representation, it's in there. prgtoken The courts, it's in there. prgtoken The National Guard, it's in there. prgtoken Commitments to retirees, it's in there. prgtoken Tuition assistance, it's in there. prgtoken Preventing the remaining Federal District from casting the three electoral votes meant for D.C it is in there. prgtoken My motion to recommit, which I will offer in a bit, is the most practical solution to giving D.C. residents a voice in Congress, to give them a right to vote. prgtoken , if we adopt a motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Oversight and Reform to consider my amendment to H.R. 51, to provide for the retrocession of land to the State of Maryland, rather than to create a new State. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the text of the amendment immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.
IN RECOGNITION OF ANDREW SMITH'S SERVICE TO THE GREEN BAY POLICE DEPARTMENT
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-4-22

. Madam , today I rise in honor of the career and service of retiring Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith. prgtoken Chief Andrew Smith's career as a Police Officer began 33 years ago when he arrived in Green Bay from Los Angeles after having served 27 \1/2\ years with the Los Angeles Police Department. Throughout his career, he held countless command level assignments in Media Relations and Community Affairs groups, Operations, and Criminal Gang Homicide Division. For those who are unfamiliar with Chief Smith's extensive career with the LAPD, you may recognize him from the popular true crime docuseries on Netflix: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel. prgtoken During Chief Smith's time with the Green Bay Police Department, transparency was one of his top priorities. He gave regular updates to the public through the department's community update videos where he would address current events taking place throughout the Green Bay Area. During Chief Smith's tenure the Green Bay Police Department successfully grew, hiring 65 new police officers and swearing in approximately 190 officers. prgtoken When the attacks against our men and women in uniform sparked national attention last summer, Chief Smith continued to protect and defend the Green Bay area. I commend his selfless service and dedication to the Green Bay Police Department and surrounding communities. prgtoken Chief Smith is leaving behind a notable legacy that will be admired by generations of police officers for years to come. After retirement, Chief Smith and his family plan to stay in Green Bay and I am confident that he will continue to be a value add to Northeast Wisconsin. Chief Smith's dedication and selfless service to his community is deserving of the highest degree of recognition and honor. I wish Chief Smith and his family all the best in his retirement.
WASHINGTON, D.C. ADMISSION ACT
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-4-22

my friend from Maryland makes an excellent closing case in court, because he knows that this is going to be in court, because he knows that this is constitutionally infirm. He is trying to make the case that is going to have to be made in court on the losing side of the argument, because it is very clearly unconstitutional to add D.C. as a State by statute. prgtoken And what we have here today is a simple question: Does anybody in this room believe that if Lubbock, Texas, had been set up as the Capital seat of the United States of America, that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would be arguing to give it the position of statehood? prgtoken No, of course not. prgtoken This city was set up by the Founders to be the Capital seat of the United States of America. It was not set up to be a State. And when my friend said that every other State has been added by statute, none of those have been specifically set up as the Capital seat of the United States of America. prgtoken This should be rejected. It is unconstitutional. D.C. has never been a State. It shouldn't be a State, and it is not going to be a State.