mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-5-26

today, I would like to congratulate the Benedictine Ravens on a wonderful 2022 season and their NAIA National Championship victory. prgtoken Winning a national championship is no easy feat. It takes years of dedication, and this championship is the result of that dedication. You have made your school, as well as our entire State, proud. This national championship is particularly special as it is the first ever for the Benedictine Women's Lacrosse team and the first for the college since 1967. prgtoken I know many of you came here to play lacrosse, but along the way, I hope you have made lifelong friends, learned valuable lessons about hard work and determination, and given back to this community. prgtoken What makes this victory even more special is the adversity these women had to overcome. Senior Natalie Wechter, the reigning NAIA National Player of the Year, injured her knee in the semifinals. Despite this setback, through persistence and grit, the Ravens edged out their opponents by a score of 9-8. prgtoken Winning a national championship is also a full team effort. I would like to recognize a few outstanding members of the team: Ms. Wechter, as well as Clare Ryan, Aiden McEnerney, Erica Odell, and Rianna England, who received All-American honors. Additionally, Ms. Odell was named the tournament MVP. prgtoken It is also worth mentioning that this was head coach Clare Hanson's first year in the position. I congratulate all on these accomplishments. prgtoken Winning this tournament is one of those things small colleges remember and discuss for decades. It is a shared win that the whole Benedictine and Atchison community gets to appreciate and take pride in. prgtoken I commend you and the entire team for your hard work and dedication. Congratulations to the 2022 NAIA women's lacrosse champion Ravens.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-5-26

later on today, we are going to be voting on a Congressional Review Act dealing with the title 42-- actually, more specifically, the asylum rule dealing with what is happening at our southwest border right now. prgtoken Let me first say something I don't normally say on this floor. I am pleased the administration is trying to address this. It is a step that--someone in the administration has noticed there is a problem with the asylum rule, and they are trying to address it. This solution will not fix the problem, but at least we are working on the problem. prgtoken I can say this to the administration and to this body: If we do not legislatively fix the asylum rule, what is happening on our southern border will never get better. We have to address what is the problem there. It is not that there are root causes in Central America. We are the United States of America; everyone in the world wants to be here. If all you have to do is cross the border and say the magic words ``I have credible fear'' and the administration hands you a piece of paper and you are in the country for the next 8 years--8 years-- until your hearing, the whole world is going to keep coming here. prgtoken Now, right now, literally right now, we have 8,000 people a day who are illegally crossing our border--8,000. prgtoken Last summer, in the midst of all the chaos, when all the cameras were focused on our southern border, there were 6,000 people a day who were illegally crossing our border. It is literally worse now than it was a year ago, but the cameras have all moved on and said ``nothing to see here'' when it continues to be able to get worse literally every month. Last month, a quarter-million people illegally crossed the border--a quarter-million. Half of those were turned away with title 42 authority, which the administration is trying to end to allow everyone to be able to come across the border. prgtoken But this asylum rule gives me some sense of hope that they are at least identifying what the problem is and trying to start working on it. Here is the problem, though: The way that this rule is actually set up, almost every negative determination made under this expedited asylum process gets appealed under the normal process anyway. So while they are creating an expedited process, all they have to do is say ``I disagree with the expedited process,'' and they get through the long, protracted, 8-year process anyway. It doesn't solve the problem. prgtoken So while the executive branch is trying to do something, their ``something'' that they are doing doesn't actually fix the issue. We have to change this issue in law. prgtoken Secretary Mayorkas was on the Hill 2 weeks ago. He came and presented the new plan in place for what they are going to do on the border. Part of that plan was this new asylum rule. But when you read the summary, at the very end of it--they go through all their details, these h
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-5-26

. In America, inflation has topped 5 percent every month for the past year. The consumer price index continues to hover at levels our economy hasn't seen in four decades. As we head into Memorial Day weekend, the American people have become reluctant experts in its painful, real-life effects. prgtoken The average working family is now spending the equivalent of $5,000 a year on gas money. A year ago, the number was $2,800. Nationwide, gas prices have risen 46.9 cents just in the last month, and in Kentucky, they have risen actually even faster. Here's a quote from one of my constituents: ``I'm getting taken full advantage of,'' said one driver in Lexington. prgtoken Another said: ``It costs so much to fill up I have to do it half a tank at a time now.'' prgtoken But according to President , it is all part of what he calls an ``incredible transition.'' Well, that is a heck of a way to describe his administration's war on the most affordable, reliable, and abundant forms of energy in our country, forcing fuel prices so high that it requires Americans to transition to more expensive cars with supply chains controlled primarily by China and other hostile regimes with lower labor and environmental standards is not my idea of incredible. prgtoken But pain at the pump is only one of the tangled consequences of Washington ' radical policies and reckless spending. Depending on where you are trying to go, higher fuel costs are hurting Americans' ability to enjoy major summer traditions. Rental car costs have jumped to 10.4 percent in the past year. Hotel rooms are going for 22.6 percent more, and plane tickets are up 33.3 percent. prgtoken Of course, millions of Americans are having a hard enough time paying for basic expenses, let alone planning summer vacations. Grocery stores now stock painful surprises on every aisle. Ground coffee is 14.7 percent more expensive than it was a year ago; eggs, up 22.6 percent. Anyone wanting to grill a bacon cheeseburger over Memorial Day weekend will find ground beef up 15 percent and bacon up 18 percent compared to only 1 year ago. prgtoken And utility bills now arrive with gut punches. For ratepayers in New England, electricity rates are projected to cost 16.4 percent more this summer than last summer. Everywhere they turn, American families are having to pare back expectations, put dreams on hold, and make bitter sacrifices. prgtoken It is no longer a shocking scandal; it is just normal life in ' version of America: harder to fuel the tank, harder to feed the family, harder to get by. Tribute to Jennifer M. Kuskowski prgtoken , on an entirely different matter, 9 years and a couple of months ago, an impressive young woman interviewed for a position in my office over in the Russell Building. She had worked for her home State senator out of college. At that point, she sharpened her chops on the House side. I knew 5 minutes into
TRIBUTE TO GENERAL GENTRY W. BOSWELL
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-5-26

today, I am honored to recognize the extraordinary service of Brig. Gen. Gentry W. Boswell on the occasion of his retirement. His 31 years of service to our Nation is the reflection of a true and devoted public servant. prgtoken General Boswell received his commission in 1991 as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at Delta State University, and he also earned a master of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition, General Boswell studied at the Squadron Officer School, the Air Command and Staff College, the Joint Forces Command Advanced Warfighting School, the Air War College, the Keenan-Flagler Enterprise Leadership School, and the Naval War College. General Boswell's distinguished military career encompassed operational tours flying the B-1B, B-52, RC-135, and E-6B aircraft, and he accumulated more than 4,900 flight hours, including over 500 combat hours in Southwest Asia, the Balkans, and the Horn of Africa. prgtoken South Dakotans were fortunate to have General Boswell fulfill five separate military assignments at Ellsworth Air Force Base, serving as assistant director of operations for the 77th Bomb Squadron from 1999 to 2002, director of operations for the 37th Bomb Squadron from 2007 to 2008, commander of the 28th Operations Support Squadron from 2008 to 2010, vice commander of the 28th Bomb Wing from 2012 to 2014, and commander of the 28th Bomb Wing from 2015 to 2017. prgtoken During his assignments at Ellsworth AFB, General Boswell developed a culture of putting the airmen first, and he engaged actively in partnerships with civilian leadership in Rapid City and other Black Hills communities to improve the quality of life for those in uniform and their families. In addition, as commander of the 28th Operations Support Squadron, General Boswell was instrumental in advancing the expansion of the Powder River Training Complex. The expanded air space represents the largest military operations area in the lower 48 States, spanning the skies over North Dakota and South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. This expansive training airspace allows Air Force pilots and crews to perform the critical training they need in conditions that closely resemble combat missions. prgtoken General Boswell's final assignment for the Air Force was serving as the director of manpower, organization, and resources. He led the management and oversight of the Air Force's manpower enterprise, which encompasses more than 694,000 total force personnel and the programming of more than $47 billion in annual funding. prgtoken General Boswell has received several prestigious awards for his outstanding military service, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oakleaf clusters, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oakleaf clusters, and the Air Medal with two oakleaf clusters. prgtoken We are thrille
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-5-26

most of my people in Louisiana, I think, are probably much like your people in Maine. Most of my people--most of our people--they just get up every day and go to work. They obey the law. They pay their taxes. They try to do the right thing by their kids, try to teach their kids morals. And they try to save a little money for retirement as they enjoy living in what they believe is the greatest country in all of human history. But many of my people, , are struggling. prgtoken President took office on January 20 of last year. So--what are we?--we are in day 490 of Build Back Better. From where many of my people sit, nothing has been built and nothing is back and nothing is better. There is not a more appropriate example of that than the cost of living, inflation. prgtoken When President took office, the cost of gasoline in my State was $2--$2 a gallon. It is between $4.15 and $4.25 right now. And it is not just gasoline, . I mean, I don't need to tell you. A dozen eggs now costs $2.52. Ground beef is $5.41. A pound of chicken is $4.10. prgtoken The price of oil, the price of gasoline affects so much in terms of our economy. I mean, most of our food and our clothes and our plastics, the things we use every day, are delivered by air, by van, by tanker, all of which use gasoline. Pharmaceuticals are affected by the price of oil. prgtoken I don't think it is any secret that the administration is trying to disrupt the production of oil in America. I think that is just a fact. We see it in the President canceling leases on Federal lands in the Gulf of Mexico, in ANWR. We see it from the difficult regulatory environment for oil and gas producers. prgtoken The President has just promulgated new rules for the National Environmental Policy Act. If those new rules come to fruition, it will be impossible to open a new pipeline in America, and I think we have to be honest about that. prgtoken Now, to be fair, the administration is trying to disrupt the production of oil and gas, especially oil, for environmental reasons, of which we are both aware. But, instead, the administration-- this seems curious to me--wants us to buy oil from foreign countries. And those foreign countries deliver their oil in tankers that use 2,000 gallons of fuel an hour and emit 8 tons of carbon dioxide into the environment per hour. The irony of this is rich. prgtoken Inflation and oil--once again, I think so much of our inflation in all of the products that we need to maintain our standard of living today starts with the price of oil. Now, President has said he has no control over the price of oil and, therefore, the price of gasoline. But, , you can't have regulatory control over the drilling, the transporting, the storage, the refining, the trading, and the taxation of oil as the President does and say you have no control over the price of the commodity. I me
TRIBUTE TO SCOTT ROBINSON
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-5-26

today, I want to recognize and offer my sincere congratulations to Scott Robinson, director of the Port of Muskogee, on his retirement after 31 years of service. I have had the pleasure of working with Scott for a number of years, and we have done a lot of good work together. prgtoken When I came to Congress, I set out with the notion to let the world know that Oklahoma is navigable, and with Scott's help, we have been able to do that. He has been a long-time advocate for Oklahoma's inland waterways, serving on various waterways boards and commissions and testifying before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. prgtoken Through his advocacy and leadership, Scott and I worked quickly to help the Port of Muskogee recover after the historic 2019 floods that decimated the Arkansas River Basin, including working to deliver millions of dollars to ensure the port could rebuild for the future. Under Scott's tenure, the port has grown tremendously as he oversaw the port's expansion of property that has allowed industries to invest over $2 billion into the port's facilities and create more than 2,500 jobs. Because of Scott, the port is a true multimodal transportation hub for the region. prgtoken As port director, Scott never missed an opportunity to highlight the importance of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System-- MKARNS--and its contribution to the long-term strength and security of the U.S. economy, including supporting thousands of jobs, and providing billions of dollars in sales impacts and transportation costs savings. His tireless work throughout the years has ensured that the Port of Muskogee and MKARNS system will continue to serve Oklahoma and our Nation for decades to come. Oklahoma and the entire Nation have benefited greatly from his leadership, and his legacy will not be soon forgotten. prgtoken Congratulations again, Scott, on your well-deserved retirement.
RECOGNIZING DADS ON DUTY
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-5-26

I rise today to recognize a group of committed Louisiana fathers making a difference in their community and the lives of their children. prgtoken Violence within the halls of Southwood High School in Shreveport reached a concerning peak in the fall of 2021, when 23 students were arrested in just 3 days. prgtoken Mr. Michael LaFitte gathered 40 fellow concerned fathers, including David Telsee, III, Michael Morgan, Zachery Johnson, and Kenneth Henry, Jr and established a wholesome presence in the halls of Southwood High. They were able to quell conflict and violence. They are promoting peace, order, and dropping dad jokes with a profound impact. They have prevented fights and arrests since forming their group, Dads on Duty. By fostering a safer environment in Southwood High, Dads on Duty has allowed the youth to focus on learning and growing. prgtoken Dads on Duty is demonstrating a strategy they believe can benefit students in other schools. They have plans to introduce this program of engaged parents in each Caddo Parish school campus moving forward. prgtoken Dads on Duty has garnered attention at the city, parish, State, and national levels--and rightfully so. I applaud their efforts and look forward to seeing how they can continue to better our communities.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-5-26

I rise to support this Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval of the rule recently published by the Department of Homeland Security and the Executive Office for Immigration Review entitled ``Procedures for Credible Fear Screening and Consideration of Asylum, Withholding of Removal, and CAT Protection Claims by Asylum Officers.'' prgtoken , we are currently experiencing an unprecedented crisis on our southern border. As of April of this year, 4 months into 2022, over 1 million illegal crossings have been encountered at our southern border. And with the administration fighting the migrant protection protocols and willing to remove the title 42 restrictions on entry, this crisis is about to get much, much worse. prgtoken We have heard estimates of unauthorized border encounters this summer ranging close to 20,000 daily. We don't know how to handle these numbers, and nothing has been done by the administration to deter these immigrants. Despite knowing of the coming influx and despite understanding the statutory mandates which would require immigrants to be detained, this administration is closing detention centers. It appears we now have fewer than 20,000 detention beds available. prgtoken This seems to suggest that DHS has no intention of detaining these immigrants, even though it is plainly required by statute. In the midst of this unprecedented crisis at our southern border, the Department of Homeland Security, under Secretary Mayorkas, has, by regulation, bypassed duly enacted laws to make the asylum process a mere rubberstamp for basically anyone who can make it to our border. Because of the internet and the sophistication of coyotes and cartels, every alien encountered knows to express fear of returning to their home country, thus triggering the asylum process. prgtoken This rule would change that adversarial process--whereby one actually has to produce some shred of evidence that they qualify for asylum to a nonadversarial process--whereby the alien merely has to assert their claim. Additionally, this rule would take the asylum decisions out of the hands of immigration judges and put them into the hands of frontline screeners who often have no legal skills at all. prgtoken This rule violates current immigration laws--laws passed by this body, laws enacted by Congress. It violates the separation of powers by usurping congressional authority to enact the laws of the Nation. Currently, under the law, until an immigration judge has ruled on an asylum claim, the claimant is required to be detained. Under the proposed rule, there would be no need for detention because no time would be required to rubberstamp that asylum application. It just happens. prgtoken It is very interesting that this rule is about to go into effect right before this already unprecedented crisis exponentially increases. I don't think this is by accident. It is by design. This rule demonstrates
TRIBUTE TO MIKE LIVINGSTON AND GERTRUDE SVARNY
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-5-26

it is Thursday, and it is the time of the week that I like to celebrate an amazing person or people in my State who are doing something great for Alaska, great for America, great for the world. It is someone I like to refer to as our Alaskan of the Week--or Alaskans of the Week, plural. prgtoken So we are doubling up this week because we have two Alaskans that we are going to be commemorating. And I want to acknowledge it has been a couple of rough weeks for America--we all know that--for reasons that are quite obvious. Some tempers here in the Senate have been flaring a little bit. So I wanted to end the week on what is really an incredible, uplifting story, an epic story. It is a bit complicated, so you have to pay attention if you are wanting to hear about just a remarkable course of events in Alaska. prgtoken And it is a particularly poignant story as we head into Memorial Day weekend, a time when we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. And I am going to tell, as I mentioned, a very special Memorial Day story--a prgtoken complicated one, but one for the history books. prgtoken This story has twists and turns, dark spots, highlights, and literally a Hollywood ending, one that involves a hero who gave his life for America, what we are celebrating on Monday, but whose heroism and service was only recently acknowledged and even only recently remembered. prgtoken So, first, I am going to begin the story about a young man who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation, an Alaskan native, an indigenous man from Unalaska--Private George Fox. prgtoken Now, Private George Fox is not our Alaskan of the Week, but the whole story that I am going to tell revolves around Private George Fox, who was killed in action fighting Nazis in World War II in Italy in 1944 and, since 1949, was buried on the island of Unalaska--that is out on the Aleutian island chain in Alaska, the islands way out that go out towards Japan. But he was buried in an unmarked grave and essentially forgotten--no record of military service, no awards for heroism, nothing, forgotten by literally almost everybody but one person, for nearly 80 years. prgtoken I am also going to talk about two very special people who are our Alaskans of the Week; that is Mike Livingston and Gertrude Svarny, who worked over the years to make sure that Private George Fox's exceptional service is finally going to be officially recognized. And that will happen Monday, on Memorial Day on the island of Unalaska in the Aleutian Island chains back home in Alaska in a ceremony that will take place on Monday. prgtoken So, as you can tell, this is actually a story of three people: one of them a young soldier killed in action for our country in World War II; one of them a still-living 90-year-old woman, a childhood friend of the young soldier, one of our Alaskans of the Week, Gertrude; another, a man on a mission, a detective with a public servant's heart. <
MEMORIAL DAY
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2022-5-26

I will speak for about 5 minutes or so, if that is OK. prgtoken As we depart for our Memorial Day recess and the unofficial beginning of summer, many of us in political life will go to events honoring America's fallen heroes who have died in service of our Nation. prgtoken Memorial Day is different from Veterans Day. On Veterans Day, we celebrate all those who serve. On Memorial Day, we have somber remembrance for those who failed to make it home. prgtoken Hundreds of thousands of Americans, men and women from all different backgrounds, have died on foreign battlefields in the name of freedom and protecting our homeland. This is the one day that we set aside each year to remember them. prgtoken I will do my best to rededicate myself to being a better American, appreciating the freedoms I have, and trying to find a way forward for our Nation as a whole. So that is what this holiday week is about.