mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT-- Continued
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2024-5-8

I rise today, certain that, by now, some of the desk staff have memorized the speech I am about to give because it is the third time that I will have given it in the last few weeks on a topic that is really important to Virginia--the FAA reauthorization bill that is now pending before the body. prgtoken I want to thank Chairwoman Cantwell, Ranking Member Cruz, and the members of the Commerce Committee because, as a general matter, this is a necessary bill with a lot of good provisions in it--in particular, the work on air traffic control recruitment and training and pilot training hours. prgtoken I feel very, very good about that work that has been done. But the gist of this bill is to promote air safety, and there is one provision in the bill that is dramatically contrary to the thrust of this bill. It will not increase air safety. It will reduce air safety, and it will reduce air safety in the Capital of the United States--at Reagan National Airport, otherwise known as DCA. prgtoken I am going to summarize quickly the arguments I made in the last couple of weeks, but then I want to respond to at least three questions that folks who take a position opposite to me have raised and use some data to demonstrate that those questions, though honestly raised, have answers, and the answers actually verify and uphold the position that I and my Maryland and Virginia colleagues take: that we should not be jamming more flights onto the busiest runway in the United States. prgtoken Reagan National Airport, DCA, was built a long time ago. It is a postage stamp; it is 860 acres. By order of comparison, Dulles Airport is about 12,000 acres; Dallas-Fort Worth is about 19,000 acres; and Denver is 32,000 acres. prgtoken When Reagan National was built, it was a little bit the trend to build these smaller airports near downtowns because the airplanes were smaller, they were props with fewer passengers, they were lighter, and they didn't need as much runway space to take off or land. prgtoken When Reagan National was built on these 860 acres--and if you have been there, you know that it is 860 that can't be expanded because it is surrounded on three sides by water and on the other side by the George Washington Parkway; there is no way to expand this--it was built with three runways: a primary runway and two commuter runways. prgtoken The estimate was, in the 1960s, that Reagan National, with these three runways, could accommodate 15 million passengers a year--15 million passengers a year. Well, where are we today, circa 2024? Reagan National has now 25\1/2\ million passengers a year--25\1/2\ million passengers--an additional two-thirds over what it was built for on a landlocked footprint, with three runways. prgtoken There have been a couple other important changes at Reagan National. The idea was to spread the 15 million passengers over three runways, but that was when the planes were smaller and they were props. Now
CELEBRATING OPAL LEE
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2024-5-8

I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of some of our young people in Fort Worth. prgtoken In 2024, at the Texas Relays, we had three State champions. You may have heard these names before, and it is because they were also State champions in previous meets. prgtoken First, I want to highlight Kalani Lawson from Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, who defended her State championship in the girls 4A 100- meter hurdles. She is only a junior. Not only that, she broke last year's record that had been on the books since the 1990s, and she broke her own record again this year in taking home the gold running the 100- meter hurdles in 13.89 seconds. prgtoken I also want to take the time to highlight another back-to-back champion, Fort Worth's O.D. Wyatt's Malik Franklin, who won the State championship in the class 5A boys' 400-meter, with a winning time of 47.23. Again, Malik won back-to-back championships. He is also a great student and star of the football team. You should check out some of his videos on MaxPreps. Malik is going to take his talents and continue his track career at Arizona State University. Again, we are very proud of his accomplishments. prgtoken I also want to give a shout-out to A.P. Ranch and Greg Sholars, and the coaches out there that are just bringing home those championships for north Texas and working with so many of our kids, really making north Texas one of the great areas for sprinters and distance runners. prgtoken Last but not least, I want to recognize Angel Sanchez of Diamond Hill-Jarvis High School. He had an injury last year, but he won the State championship his sophomore year. He claimed the boys 4A 3200- meter and also the mile championship. prgtoken During the 3200 meters, he posted a time of 9:14.44, which was nearly five seconds faster than the second-place finisher. In the 1600, he posted a 4:13.08, which is a new class 4A record. Angel has literally raced all around the country. He has been highlighted running in Oregon and running in many other high school meets. Upon his graduation here in a couple weeks, he is going to be headed to Oklahoma State to continue to run. Go Pokes. prgtoken We will continue to watch Angel run while he is at Oklahoma State. I really want to congratulate him for everything that he has done for Diamond Hill-Jarvis. That entire community on the north side of Diamond Hill is just extremely proud of Mr. Sanchez and what he is doing and can't wait to continue to see him run.
EQUAL REPRESENTATION ACT
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-5-8

as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I rise today to oppose H.R. 7109. It is a bill that threatens equal and fair representation of immigrant communities. prgtoken This bill requires a citizenship question on the U.S. Census, which directly undermines the Constitution's mandate for a fair and accurate count of all residents. prgtoken This requirement would deprive tens of millions of immigrants their rightful access to representation and resources, even though they pay taxes and contribute to our economy. prgtoken A citizenship question would have a chilling effect on participation in the Census. Its accuracy would be destroyed. prgtoken The Census count affects where the Federal Government appropriates funds and resources to our communities. prgtoken s are effectively saying: If you are not a citizen in this country, you don't count. Even legal permanent residents, you don't count. This is absurd. prgtoken Let me be clear. Immigrants are the backbone of this economy. They work the fields, they build our cities, and they contribute tirelessly to the fabric of our society. prgtoken They pay over half a trillion dollars in taxes, including taxes for Social Security and Medicare, even though undocumented immigrants can't receive benefits. prgtoken Despite their invaluable contributions, s want to deny immigrant communities access to even more vital services and resources that they help fund through their hard-earned tax dollars. prgtoken As Representatives of the people, it is our duty to ensure that all members of our communities are treated with dignity and respect. prgtoken Every individual, regardless of their immigration status, should have the opportunity to thrive, but H.R. 7109 does the opposite. prgtoken A citizenship question on the Census threatens to further marginalize immigrant communities. An undercount of the immigrant population would not only result in an unfair distribution of resources, but it will also undermine the very foundation of our democracy--that is fair representation from our government. prgtoken I urge our colleagues to reject this extreme bill and instead focus on policies that uplift and empower all members of our society.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION RELATING TO "STAFF ACCOUNTING BULLETIN NO. 121"
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-5-8

the crypto industry comes before our committee almost every week saying: We want clarity. Then the SEC provides the clarity. Now, the friends of crypto are here to abolish the clarity, to not only take away release 121, which requires that the custodians of crypto indicate that on the balance sheet, but to prevent the SEC from issuing a revised version of 121 that could call for that same disclosure to be made in footnotes. prgtoken It is very clear to me, as co-chair of the bipartisan CPA Caucus, that the financial statements must reflect the incredible risk that banks take when they become custodians of billions and hundreds of billions of dollars, supposedly, worth of crypto. prgtoken Now, why the uniqueness of crypto? We have seen Sam Bankman-Fried. He was the face of crypto. He is now facing only a quarter century in jail, which seems rather light. The crypto industry would tell us that Sam Bankman-Fried was just a single snake in the crypto Garden of Eden. The fact is, we have learned since Sam Bankman-Fried's indictments that crypto is a garden of snakes. It is uniquely problematic. Why is that? Because crypto's whole purpose is to facilitate evading American law and to help criminals. Who does it attract? It attracts criminals. prgtoken What is the comparative advantage that crypto has as it attempts to become a currency and partially displace the dollar and the euro? Is it more stable? Certainly not. Is it more useful to buy something? You can go to Rayburn and buy a sandwich for $1--well, okay, $8, but you can't buy a sandwich anywhere in this complex for a bitcoin. It is not a better medium of exchange. It is not a better measure of value. What advantage does it have? It is secret. prgtoken Now, the best way to have their secrecy is to have the iceberg above the water be available and visible and then to have under the water seven-eighths of the crypto subject to being hidden from the know-your- customer and anti-money-laundering laws. prgtoken So how can the crypto compete with the dollar, aspire to become a currency, and compete with the best currency in the world? By tapping into the markets that don't want to be surveilled by the U.S. Government. What are those? Obviously, the sanctions evaders, the drug dealers, and the human traffickers, but that is not a big enough market for crypto. They want the tax evasion market. prgtoken The IRS Commissioner under testified that we are losing a trillion dollars in revenue. That means that those who are cheating on taxes, almost all at the high end of the spectrum, have to hide $3 trillion of income each and every year. That is $30 trillion of hidden income every decade. They can't do it with U.S. dollars, so crypto is designed to fill that need. prgtoken Now, if you think it will be successful in doing that and you want to bet against America and facilitate the undermining of American laws while perhaps making a profit, you can buy crypto, b
MINING REGULATORY CLARITY ACT OF 2024
Sydney Kamlager-Dove (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-5-8

. Madam , yes, California is a great State. prgtoken Madam , six s joined in voting to stop this bill and send it back to committee, something that hasn't happened in 32 years. Of the s who voted to send the bill back to committee, one had an amendment to say that if a company is guilty of human rights abuses, including slave labor in other countries, than they are not welcome to our land and minerals for free. prgtoken By the time the bill came to the House floor last week, leaders had stripped the amendment right out. I guess s want to take the win on supporting drug cartels and child sex traffickers, groups that benefit from human rights violations. prgtoken In addition, the chair of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party also filed an amendment to close the loophole. That one was blocked twice by leaders. prgtoken s have voted to keep foreign adversaries from accessing our oil and gas. How are our minerals different? Insert side eye here because it doesn't add up. prgtoken Pardon my skepticism that there is not bipartisan concern here. This bill is a toxic national security giveaway to our foreign adversaries. It undercuts our competitiveness, and it is unconscionable on human rights. That is why we are seeing some s buck their party on it, and I hope they will stand strong.
TRIBUTE TO DR. MATTHEW B. RETTIG
Adam B. Schiff (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-5-8

I rise today to extend my congratulations to Dr. Matthew B. Rettig, Medical Director of the Prostate Cancer Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles and Chief of Hematology-Oncology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Greater Los Angeles, on receiving the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Clinical Science Research and Development John B. Barnwell Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. prgtoken Dr. Rettig began his Veterans Affairs (VA) career as a staff physician in the Division of Hematology-Oncology at the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System in 1996. He became a leader within the department, and his unwavering commitment to improving health outcomes for veterans diagnosed with prostate cancer led to the development of the VA Precision Oncology Program Cancer of the Prostate (POPCaP) network. Dr. Rettig is credited for fostering the partnership between the VA and Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF), which has resulted in the PCF committing $50M to support this program and expanding services to over 20 centers across the nation to meet the critical care needs of American veterans with prostate cancer. prgtoken Along with his leadership of the Prostate Cancer Program, Dr. Rettig is also a Professor of Medicine and Urology at UCLA where he is training the next generation of clinicians and researchers. Dr. Rettig has dedicated himself to the future of the field, having generously mentored and trained over 31 residents, fellows, post-doctoral scholars, and junior faculty in veteran-centered clinical research, a majority of whom continue to serve the VA to meet the healthcare needs of veterans while also conducting their own independent cutting-edge research in various disciplines. The impact of his work is far-reaching and truly immeasurable. prgtoken Dr. Rettig is ranked among the top ten clinical investigators nationally both within and outside of the VA and is a major asset for the VA and the veterans they serve. His expertise and achievements in genitourinary oncology and research are evidenced by invitations to serve on local and national committees and boards including the VA National GU Cancer Working Group Steering Committee, Brentwood Biomedical Research Institute, Greater LA Research & Education Foundation, Department of Defense, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, among many others. Additionally, he serves on an editorial capacity for 13 scientific and medical journals. prgtoken It is with great honor that I congratulate Dr. Rettig upon receiving the Barnwell Award, the highest honor conferred by the VA Clinical Science Research and Development Service, in recognition of outstanding scientific achievements in clinical research. I ask that all Members join me in congratulating Dr. Rettig on his award and his service to our Nation's veterans.
MORNING BUSINESS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-5-8

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act prgtoken requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT-- Continued
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2024-5-8

disaster survivors are running out of time; disaster survivors are running out of money; and they are running out of patience. These people have been to hell and back, enduring the worst horrors of Mother Nature: wildfires, hurricanes, floods, tornadoes. They have lost loved ones. They have lost their homes. They have lost livelihoods. And after all that, after having their lives totally upended overnight, many have been stuck in limbo for months or even years waiting for help to arrive. prgtoken It hasn't always been this way. Over the years, Congress, on a bipartisan basis, has consistently stepped up to help hundreds of communities decimated by disasters, no matter the political color of the State or the size of the town or the pricetag of the cleanup. Why? Because we have recognized--correctly--that disasters do not discriminate and that helping communities recover is one of our most fundamental responsibilities in the Federal Government. prgtoken What is the Federal Government for if not to help our fellow Americans in their hour of need? What are we doing here if we can't agree that disaster relief is urgent and important and necessary for the well-being of our country? prgtoken It is not acceptable to keep survivors waiting. Congress must act. We need to pass disaster relief funding with the urgency that it demands and get survivors the assistance that they need to fully recover. prgtoken Nine months ago today, fires, fueled by 70-mile-an-hour winds, stormed the town of Lahaina on West Maui, incinerating everything in their path and leaving behind little more than ash, rubble, and smoke: 101 people died; 2,200 structures were leveled; and almost 12,000 people were immediately displaced. Just about everyone in that tight- knit community lost someone or something that day. prgtoken A few weeks after the fires, when President came to Lahaina, he promised the survivors that his administration and the Federal Government would be there to help as they recovered--not just in those early weeks and months but throughout--for as long as it took; for as long as it took. prgtoken Nine months later, cleanup is still ongoing, not a single home has been rebuilt. And the infrastructure that was destroyed--the harbors, the roads, the water and sewer systems--all of it has yet to be restored. prgtoken The recovery was never going to be quick. The damage was so vast, the destruction so total and so toxic that bringing Lahaina back to anything close to normal was always going to be a multiyear endeavor. And that is the case for so many communities across the country that have been devastated by disasters. prgtoken When the President declares disaster in a community, it means a very specific thing. It not just like it is the President's whim or whether they like the place that has been hurt. It means that the community's recovery needs are so great that the State and local governments can't handle them a
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT-- Continued
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2024-5-8

I am here today to honor the life of Kurt Englehart, my senior adviser, a beloved Nevadan, friend, and family member who touched so many lives. prgtoken We lost Kurt very suddenly in April, and his loss is felt deeply by everyone in our office, some of whom are in the Galleries today, in the communities he impacted, and individuals he met throughout the State of Nevada, including--and I so appreciate my colleague Senator Rosen being here and her staff as well. You could tell how beloved he was by the sheer volume of people who came to his funeral in Reno. Last month, there were Tribal leaders, law enforcement, farmers, ranchers, labor leaders, former coworkers, and Senate staffers, childhood friends and Nevadans from across the State who showed up to pay their respects. prgtoken Kurt touched so many lives, and he was able to make even strangers feel as though he was a close friend. Here is a picture of him, a photo of him, right here. There was always a smile on his face. prgtoken For the past 8 years, Kurt was an essential part of my team. He liked to call it Team CCM, not only because of his intimate knowledge of every community in northern Nevada, but because he had this contagious warmth that drew everyone in. You couldn't dislike Kurt if you tried. He had this way of attacking life that brought so much positivity and joy to both my campaign and my Senate offices. prgtoken I got to personally experience Kurt's zest for life on our many tours around rural Nevada. Every August, I travel through the rural counties in my State, and every August, Kurt was with me. That was when I got to know him the best. On the road, in the middle of the desert, I learned so much about Kurt's passions--about what inspired him to be so active in the community to the things that he enjoyed doing when he wasn't at the office. prgtoken One of the favorite things to talk about for Kurt was his deep enthusiasm for video games. Kurt loved his gaming community, and they all loved him. One of his friends who played World of Warcraft with him reminisced about how Kurt, in the game, played a healer, which meant he took care of the other players. prgtoken His friend said: I would later learn that this was how he was in the real world. prgtoken And that is exactly true. That is exactly how Kurt was in the real world, always making people feel at ease and extending a helping hand to those who needed it. prgtoken In my Senate office, Kurt was a casework champion, addressing constituents' needs head on and working closely with Nevadans whose issues required special care and attention. Throughout his time in my office, Kurt worked on 638 cases. He was known by the Nevadans he worked with as a fierce advocate who knew how to get the job done for them. prgtoken One casework story Kurt was particularly proud of--and I was as well--happened in 2019. Kurt reached out to a veteran named John, who was considering ending his o
UNANIMOUS CONSENT OBJECTION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2024-5-8

I rise today to give notice of my intent to object to any unanimous consent agreement regarding Executive Calendar No. 630, the promotion of Col. David M. Church to be Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. prgtoken While serving as the senior intelligence officer at the National Guard Bureau, Colonel Church was involved in retaliation against an Army officer who had turned information over to the Department of Defense Inspector General. prgtoken The Continental Congress, on July 30, 1778, unanimously enacted the first whistleblower legislation, stating: ``It is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge.'' prgtoken Unfortunately, to this day, there are still people in government who retaliate against those brave individuals who are the fail-safe for our government. Such people have no place in public service.