mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Israel (Executive Calendar)
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2024-5-22

to kind of continue on the theme of my good friend from North Carolina, apparently today or yesterday, the countries of Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognized a Palestinian State. prgtoken Here is my question: Who is in charge of the state? Who is running the place? What are its boundaries? Did you recognize Hamas being in charge of Gaza? Do you want to keep the PA as we know it now in the West Bank, as old and corrupt? What did you recognize? prgtoken These are allies, but they need to hear from a friend that what you did is reprehensible. You are rewarding terrorists. prgtoken On October 7, Hamas attacked the State of Israel and murdered 1,200 innocent people, put babies in ovens, raped women, set people on fire, and recorded it all. And your response is to create a Palestinian State? You are rewarding terrorists. The way a Palestinian State will be created, if ever, is through direct negotiations between the State of Israel and Palestinians, not a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State after the largest terrorist attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. prgtoken To my friends in Ireland, Spain, and Norway, what you did was reward Hamas. Here is the message you are sending: Kill Jews, and you will get a reward. prgtoken Again, tell me about the state you just recognized. Who is in charge, and what are the boundaries? You can't answer those questions, but you went ahead and recognized the Palestinian State for political reasons. prgtoken The world has turned upside down. prgtoken , you have been a stalwart defender of Israel, and we appreciate it. prgtoken Here is what I would say: After October 7, Hamas is engaged in using the Palestinian people as human shields at a level I haven't seen in warfare. The response is to punish Israel, who is in a no-win situation. The battalions have to be destroyed. The tunnels are underground. Why do you need a 2,000-pound bomb? Because there are underground tunnels that only a major bomb will be able to destroy. prgtoken When it comes to civilian infrastructure, the destruction of it has been in large part because Hamas has used schools, mosques, and hospitals as military sites, putting all that infrastructure in jeopardy by militarizing it. prgtoken On top of all of that, the International Criminal Court has decided to issue an arrest warrant for the Prime Minister of Israel and the Defense Minister of Israel as well as Hamas leaders. Boy, has the world turned upside down. prgtoken To consider Israel like Russia--Putin had an arrest warrant issued because there is no rule of law in Russia. People fall out of windows who are opposition leaders. People get poisoned. There is no rule of law in Russia. prgtoken There is a robust legal system in Israel. It is probably the pride of the world. The most independent judiciary maybe on the planet lives and resides in Israel. prgtoken So Israel is not Russia, and the Prime Minister and the D
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Frank D. Lucas (Republican, OK) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, the United States has no meaningful Federal regulation of the digital asset markets. The attempts by regulators to apply existing laws are arbitrary and unclear. prgtoken The fact is, the status quo does not work. Without a clear Federal framework, we fail to provide adequate consumer protections and forfeit our international competitiveness. This hurts U.S. consumers, investors, and the entire economy. prgtoken This is why this bill is so important. The legislation establishes a market structure framework that accounts for the unique characteristics of digital assets, adhering to the core principles of the Commodity Exchange Act. prgtoken U.S. consumers are actively participating in the digital asset market, and we should ensure they are protected from fraud and scams. This bill does that. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman McHenry and Chairman Thompson for prgtoken all of their work on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
Introductory Statement on S. 4391
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today to introduce the Investing in Digital Skills Act, a bill that would help strengthen computer skills in the American workforce. This bill, which I am introducing today with my colleague Senator Tim Kaine, would make important updates to the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, known as WIOA, to help workers meet the digital skills demands of today's jobs. prgtoken A key goal of WIOA is to help Americans overcome barriers to obtaining high-quality jobs and careers. The law requires State and local service providers to offer adult education and skills development programs that accelerate achievement of diplomas and credentials among American workers. This Investing in Digital Skills Act would allow information literacy and digital skills to be included among the skills development programs within these adult education programs. prgtoken Our legislation would help prepare individuals for the evolving demands of the digital economy, enhancing their employability and skill sets in a technologically advanced job market. Recent research conducted in partnership between National Skills Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta found that 92 percent of jobs require digital skills, yet more than 30 percent of workers lack even foundational digital abilities. The research also found huge financial incentives for this upskilling: Jobs that require at least one digital skill earn 23 percent more than a job requiring none. prgtoken This issue is important to Mainers. Lisa Robertson, the director of York Adult Education, wrote to me, saying, ``Your bill would address a significant gap in current workforce development initiatives by recognizing the importance of digital skills training for adult learners. In today's rapidly evolving job market, proficiency in digital literacy is no longer just a valuable asset; it is essential for individuals to succeed. . . .'' I appreciate Lisa's insights about today's workforce needs. By modernizing WIOA with new tools to teach digital skills, the Investing in Digital Skills Act would help Americans maintain their competitive edge in workforce. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support our legislation.
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, today we have an opportunity to determine whether the next iteration of the internet will be designed by Americans or if it will, instead, reflect the values of some other nation. FIT21 gives us that opportunity and unlocks a larger conversation beyond innovation. prgtoken This bill is about national security. It is about consumer protection. It is about global competitiveness. It is about shaping what the future global digital economy looks like and how it functions. prgtoken Currently, all online transactions are intermediated, but as we move deeper into the digital age, digital assets are key to decentralizing the internet so Americans can transact directly with each other, no intermediary needed. prgtoken Without crypto, we don't have this ability, and I think giving Americans the choice to do business through an intermediary or directly with each other is important. Having that choice will fundamentally alter the digital economy, unlocking new opportunities for Americans and individuals across the world in ways we haven't even begun to contemplate. prgtoken However, this Congress can no longer stand by as regulators squander this opportunity right within our grasp. This administration has demonstrated they simply are not willing to allow the digital asset industry to innovate in the United States. For every legal inconsistency or regulatory hurdle they produce, instead of coherent and informed guidance, they drive American digital asset users into less safe jurisdictions. prgtoken Mr. Chair, this is why FIT21 is significant. It sets clear and consistent rules for American innovators. Among the many important provisions in this bill is my Securities Clarity Act, bipartisan language tailored specifically to digital assets that provides the legal flexibility for a digital asset project to transition from centralization to decentralization. prgtoken This transition is critical to the future of the peer-to-peer digital economy. I thank the chairmen and my friends on the other side of the aisle for working with me to incorporate this section into the bill today. Their work on this extensive framework will allow Americans to, once again, lead the way.
RUSSIA
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-5-22

last week, just days after President Orban rolled out the red carpet in Budapest for President Xi, the Chinese dictator rolled out a red carpet in Beijing for Vladimir Putin. The ``friendship without limits'' struck between America's greatest strategic adversaries will now endure ``for generations to come.'' And it appears to be rooted in a shared myth about the nature of world conflicts and a victim complex that would be laughable if it didn't carry such grave consequences for Western peace and security. prgtoken At last week's summit, Russia and China together accused the United States of threatening the world's strategic balance, as if it is Washington rather than Beijing or Moscow trying to redraw borders by force or to disrupt global order. prgtoken Well, if you are looking for the government that has doubled its nuclear arsenal in 3 years, you will find it in Beijing, not Washington. In fact, Americans' own strategic deterrent continues to suffer from chronic neglect. And the administration continues to submit defense budgets that fail to keep up with inflation, much less with the growing threat posed by the PRC. prgtoken And if you are looking for the regime recklessly developing an insanely provocative and destabilizing nuclear weapon to deploy in space, you will find that one in Moscow. prgtoken The world's leading authoritarians never seem to let the facts get in the way. But economic and military realities matter enormously to the future of fledgling democracies and developing nations who are vulnerable to their economic coercion and thuggish political intimidation. prgtoken The challenge to Western peace and security is not confined to the Taiwan Straits and the trenches of Ukraine. Chinese debt traps and Russian security forces are expanding malign influence from Central America to Central Asia to Africa and to our own Western Hemisphere. prgtoken Russia's efforts to strangle democracy and wrestle free societies back under its control are perhaps most glaring along the borders of Europe. prgtoken After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the unshackled nations have largely chosen freedom and worked to build democratic governments and societies oriented squarely to the West. And the neo-Soviet imperialists in the Kremlin see that as a threat. prgtoken Leaders in Washington are prone to forget how fragile our own experiment in democracy was during its earliest days and how precious are the safeguards our Founders enshrined in our government to protect the minority from the excesses of authoritarianism of majority rule. prgtoken Sometimes, of course, politicians in Washington even flirt with the idea of tearing down these safeguards of democracies to deny the minority any meaningful power. prgtoken Fortunately, there is still a bipartisan firewall in the Senate against this sort of shortsighted radicalism. But for nascent, vulnerable democracies, such safeguards face even graver threats.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 696 (Executive Calendar)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Well, there you have it. The American people have their answer. don't care about securing the border. They never have, and they never will. They pretend to. They continue to choose open borders--more crime, more fentanyl overdoses, more human trafficking, and more American deaths. prgtoken will say s tanked the bill that would have secured the border. You just heard that. prgtoken This is a blatant lie. This bill, crafted by , would have done absolutely nothing to strengthen the border--not one thing. In fact, it would have made things worse. It would codify the problems that we have had the last 3\1/2\ years. prgtoken My colleagues have offered real solutions for the last month to fix the problem. We have a huge problem. Somebody needs to recognize that. But my ic colleagues have voted against and objected to every single thing that we have brought up. prgtoken Don't buy into this lie. prgtoken .
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Patrick T. McHenry (Republican, NC) \u2014 2024-5-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Today, Congress will establish a new high-water mark for digital asset policy. To be clear, this joint effort between the Financial Services Committee and the Agriculture Committee did not come together overnight. Far from it. We formed subcommittees, convened working groups, heard from countless stakeholders, and received input from Members across the ideological spectrum in the House of Representatives. prgtoken Last July, we passed the bipartisan Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, FIT21, out of our respective committees. Each step in this process has created a new high-water mark. prgtoken The next step will be a broad bipartisan vote today to finally provide the robust consumer protections and clear regulatory framework established by this bill. FIT21 will cement the United States' global leadership in technological innovation, invention, and adoption. prgtoken Unfortunately, our current regulatory framework is preventing digital assets innovation from reaching its full potential. The SEC and the CFTC are currently in a food fight for control of these asset classes. They have created an impossible situation where the same firms are subject to competing and contradictory enforcement actions by the two different agencies, leaving consumers behind, leaving innovators behind. prgtoken FIT21 fixes this by creating a regulatory framework that will provide clear rules of the road and strong guardrails for Americans engaging with the digital asset ecosystem. prgtoken At its core, FIT21 applies time-tested consumer protections to ensure that the 20 percent of Americans who engage in the digital asset ecosystem can do so safely and so more Americans can engage, as well. prgtoken Today, we have the opportunity to answer the calls of consumers, digital asset innovators, and the administration. We can establish the next prgtoken high-water mark for digital assets here in the United States. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support consumer protection, innovation, and American leadership by voting for FIT21, and .
REMOVAL OF KLAMATH DAMS
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-5-22

in my district in northern California there is this catastrophic removal and destruction of the Klamath dams. These are hydroelectric dams that provide clean, CO2-free power for about 70,000 homes. It is reducing the renewable grid that everybody seems to want, eliminating recreational assets, hurting property values, damaging the local economy, and making it tougher on agriculture in the Klamath Basin. prgtoken , many of these products right here that are grown in California, 90 to 99 percent of what America relies upon. Even 100 percent of some of those same crops are grown in the Klamath Basin. They won't be able to do that much longer if they keep tearing down our infrastructure and taking water away. prgtoken The removal of these dams currently has released many millions of cubic yards of accumulated silt which has ruined the water quality and killed hundreds of thousands of fish and their spawning beds that they have laid new smelts in. prgtoken We have seen even full-sized deer getting stuck and dying in the mud. The Governors of California and Oregon seem willing to ignore these because they think it is a win to tear out the dams. prgtoken Local farmers, again, are suffering. The project borrowed water from the dams to extend irrigation systems. We won't have that flexibility anymore with that out. We won't be able to grow some of these crops that Americans enjoy and rely upon. prgtoken We have this devastation going on all in the name of the environment and all in the name of saving some fish, and in the meantime they have destroyed and killed hundreds of thousands of fish and will continue to do so with this reckless dam removal that won't end here. It will keep going. We will have less hydroelectric power, less stored water, and less recreation with this crazy type of thinking.
Israel (Executive Calendar)
Pete Ricketts (Republican, NE) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today to join my colleagues in expressing my complete support for the State of Israel and the war against Hamas terrorists. prgtoken There was a cease-fire in place prior to October 7. Hamas broke that cease-fire. Hamas attacked Israel and murdered over 1,200 Israelis and Americans. They also took hundreds of hostages, including Americans as well. prgtoken Hamas is responsible for every death on October 7 and every death since that day. They need to surrender. Hamas must surrender. prgtoken If Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages, aid can freely flow into Gaza to support the Gazans. Instead, Hamas continues to prosecute this war. In fact, after October 7, they said they would continue to do atrocities like October 7, if given the chance. They will continue to try to destroy Israel. They will continue to murder Israeli citizens. prgtoken They just don't chant ``Death to Israel.'' They chant ``Death to America'' as well. prgtoken Terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah represent an existential threat to Israel. They have repeatedly declared their intention to wipe Israel off the map. prgtoken Israel has the right and the obligation to destroy the terrorist group Hamas. They must have the ability to defend themselves. And they will be doing the world a favor by destroying Hamas. prgtoken We need to support Israel and their efforts to do just that. Part of that support means pushing back on anti-Semitic organizations, like the United prgtoken Nations or the International Criminal Court, that attack Israel's legitimacy and their sovereignty. prgtoken The International Criminal Court's ludicrous decision to apply for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Israel's defense chief is the most recent example of their anti- Semitism. This outrageous decision not only emboldens terrorists around the world but creates problems for us here in the United States as well. prgtoken In the statement, the ICC prosecutor describes crimes that have been committed on ``the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine.'' That is exactly backward. He should have said ``the State of Israel and the territories of Palestine.'' But that was intentional. prgtoken It is a continuation of the rampant anti-Semitism in these organizations, like the ICC and the U.N. It is designed to delegitimize the State of Israel. prgtoken And the crazy thing is, the ICC's action, in itself, is illegitimate. It lacks legal basis. Under its own charter, the ICC is banned from moving forward with prosecutions unless the relevant government is unwilling or unable to police themselves. prgtoken The ICC knows Israel has a robust and independent judiciary. The ICC knows and has admitted that Israel has trained lawyers who advise commanders and a robust system intended to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. By moving forward with these arrest warrants, the ICC is calling Israel's laws, government, an
RECOGNIZING THE MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MANKATO MAVERICKS
Brad Finstad (Republican, MN) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today to recognize this year's NCAA Division Two Men's and Women's Basketball Champions: the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks. prgtoken Both Mankato's men's team and women's team took home this year's championship trophy--making the Mavericks the first school in forty years to win a double national championship. In fact, it's only the third time in history that any school won both the men's and women's championships in the same season. prgtoken Under the leadership of Coach Matt Mergenthaler, Mankato's men's team earned their first national title by defeating Nova Southeastern 88 to 85, finishing with a 35 and 2 record, while Coach Emilee Thiesse's women's team defeated Texas Woman's University 89 to 73, securing their second-ever national title and ending the season with a record of 32 to 5. prgtoken Thanks to the tireless leadership and encouragement from the teams' coaches, staff, families, classmates, and community--these talented young men and women earned a state championship title and all of us across southern Minnesota are incredibly proud to call them our own. prgtoken Congratulations to the Mavericks on an unbelievable season.
RECOGNIZING DARREN CORSON'S RETIREMENT AFTER 40 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH THE IRS
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today to recognize a notable constituent from my district, Mr. Darren Corson of Newtown, Pennsylvania who is retiring after over 40 years of dedicated service as a Public Servant. prgtoken Darren graduated from Temple University with a bachelor's degree in accounting. After graduation, Darren made the decision to devote his career to public service and joined the Department of Treasury's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where he remained for over 40 years. prgtoken During his career, Darren spent time working in many parts of the IRS, including Criminal Investigations Division, Exam, and Problem Resolution. In 2000, Darren joined the Taxpayer Advocate Service after Congress ordered the creation of a Taxpayer Advocate as an independent organization within the IRS. prgtoken Since then, he has worked tirelessly to advocate for the rights of taxpayers facing individual and systemic issues. However, after forty years of dedicated government service and leadership, Darren is retiring. prgtoken Today, I am proud to recognize Darren Corson as an individual who has devoted his career to public service in an organization that impacts all Americans across the country. We are incredibly grateful for the impact Darren Corson has made throughout his long career at the Internal Revenue Service. As an avid sports fan, he will enjoy spending more time rooting for the Phillies. prgtoken We are all incredibly grateful for the positive impact Darren has had through his long career, and we wish him countless blessings during his retirement.
RECOGNIZING 100 YEARS OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY BASEBALL LEAGUE
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise to recognize the Rockingham County Baseball League as they celebrate 100 years of America's favorite pastime. prgtoken Founded in 1924, the Rockingham County Baseball League is the second oldest continuously operating league in the United States. J.R. ``Polly'' Lineweaver, a sportswriter for the Daily News-Record, helped organize the league. This effort brought players together from seven communities across Rockingham County in both spirit and game, with a consistent schedule and designated rules. From there, the league would go to include teams up and down the Shenandoah Valley. prgtoken The league has a rich history. It survived the Great Depression, World War II, and integrated with African-American players in the 1950s. RCBL boasts players who went on to play in Major League Baseball and even the National Basketball Association. Today its fields remain a welcoming place that brings athletes together. prgtoken Recently, the league's storied history and many accomplishments were highlighted in a new exhibit at the Rocktown History Museum in Dayton. It calls attention to the hard work of players, coaches, fans, and other community members who have shown care toward each other through the common love of baseball. prgtoken I congratulate RCBL on the many wonderful seasons they have enjoyed over the last century, and I wish them many more to come.