mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

I was listening to the colloquy earlier. I have listened to comments here during debate. I have seen comments made in the media by some of the folks here in the House over the vote that was taken, basically, on an anti-hate resolution that was originally intended to address anti-Semitic remarks that were made by a Member of the House. prgtoken Yet, instead of addressing the anti-Semitic remarks, it was made a global, general: Oh, we are against almost all hate--well, not all hate. Apparently, not the kind of hate for s that would cause our minority whip, Steve Scalise, to be shot and almost killed; not the violence being perpetrated on supporters of President , including on college campuses. But even they, as horrendous as they were, have no moral equivalence to the Holocaust. prgtoken Expanding the resolution from a simple condemnation of anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic remarks to a panoply of other items--actually attempted to give everything ever done to anyone, except a few hate-filled actions, of course--attempting to give them the moral equivalence of the Holocaust where none exists, that is tragic. prgtoken And then to compound that regrettable action by the majority in trying to please everyone, instead of standing up and calling out anti- Jewish, hate-filled remarks, biased, bigoted remarks, then came here and condemned those of us who call them out for not standing up against anti-Semitic remarks and accuse us of being hate-filled because we took a principled stand against anti-Semitic remarks that needed to be singularized, needed to be addressed, needed to be condemned. prgtoken And not only that, to come in and also take the occasion to slander Steve King, saying: Well, he should have been called out 10 years ago. prgtoken No allegations, no specifics. Let's just generally slap somebody down because we don't like them; we don't like what they have said. prgtoken This is outrageous. This was no place for any of those actions, any of those comments, and I deeply regret people for whom I have had respect who would come in here and try to draw moral equivalence to every little action. prgtoken Look, I bet most of us--I know a lot of us have had plenty of death threats. We have had plenty of nasty comments made. But we don't go running to the media every time somebody threatens to kill us or somebody makes these outrageous threats or allegations. prgtoken The Holocaust was different. The suffering caused during the years of slavery in the United States really were unforgivable. It was a horrible thing to inflict on anybody. prgtoken I was shocked to find out here in February that there are more slaves in the world today--40 million--than there have ever been in the world's existence. That is horrendous. prgtoken We ought to take actions to stamp out slavery wherever it is, against whatever race or nationality, whatever. It has no place in the world. prgtoken But we know what leads to a Holocaust
FUND THE POLITICIANS ACT
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , today I raise my objection to H.R. 1, the so-called For the People Act. This act should really be called the Fund the Politicians Act. It is a Federal takeover of our election system. It opens up our precious election system to fraud, and it violates free speech rights. prgtoken This bill would allow for the funding of politicians' campaigns. They would be given a 6-to-1 match with government money for their campaigns. I don't believe Americans want their money going to help pay for more robocalls from politicians that they don't even support. prgtoken It also will give $25 to citizens to give to a campaign of their choice. What a terrible use of our tax dollars. prgtoken It also opens up our system to fraud by requiring that they have to allow for online registration, same-day registration, and it nullifies all the State protections. No Secretary of State was even consulted about this bill. prgtoken And finally, it violates our free speech rights by requiring the publishing of the names and addresses of donors to organizations who may speak about a candidate. prgtoken This bill is terrible. Every vote should count, and no government money should go to line politicians' campaigns.
RECOGNIZING COACH MIKE GUZZO
Pete Stauber (Republican, MN) \u2014 2019-3-8

I rise today in recognition of Coach Mike Guzzo of Silver Bay, Minnesota, for impacting the lives of countless young athletes across the great State of northern Minnesota. prgtoken When Mike and his wife moved back to his hometown of Silver Bay in 1984, they thought the move might be temporary. However, not long after his return, Mike began to coach youth hockey. Arguably it was his most important role as a coach and mentor that caused him to stay in Silver Bay for the long term. prgtoken Mike spent over 30 years coaching the great game of hockey in the great prgtoken State of hockey. At the end of this season, Mike hung up his skates and whistle and retired. When asked what he would miss most, Mike said it would be his players. prgtoken Growing up playing the sport of ice hockey myself, I will always remember the coaches for whom I played. I have carried the lessons that they taught me throughout my adult life. prgtoken Coach Guzzo, I thank you for serving as a role model to these athletes both on and off the ice. I know from my experience as a player that they will always appreciate everything that you have given to the hockey community. prgtoken I also want to thank Coach Guzzo for his dedication to the Silver Bay community and rural Minnesota. This community of Silver Bay matters, and Coach Guzzo, your life made it better. prgtoken Coach Guzzo, to you and your wife, I wish you a happy, healthy, and long retirement.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. I thank the gentleman for walking through the schedule, and I would like to ask the gentleman from Maryland about the process that we have had so far this Congress in terms of amendments that have been submitted on the House floor on legislation and the way that it has been incredibly closed, especially in a partisan way to amendments. prgtoken If you look just at the bill we debated a few minutes ago, H.R. 1, only 11 percent of amendments were made in order. More than 60 amendments of amendments were made in order. And if you look at the entire Congress so far this year, there were only 16 percent of amendments made in order while 73 percent of amendments were made in order, which does reflect poorly on the promise that this would be a more open process. prgtoken I would ask the gentleman from Maryland, can you address at least in the future to make this a more fair and open process so that you are not closing out opportunities over and over again for amendments to be made in order? prgtoken And .
MOURNING THE LOSS OF KYLE FORTI
Jim Banks (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-3-8

it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to mourn the loss of my friend, Kyle Forti. A native of DeKalb County, Kyle was the epitome of what it means to be a Hoosier. A strong man of faith, he held deep love for his God, his family, and his country. prgtoken , as a young man, Kyle was one of the first to believe in me as I began running for public office. He worked tirelessly to help me advance the conservative values that we hold dear. On Sunday, though, Kyle's life was tragically cut short after his helicopter crashed in northern Kenya. prgtoken No amount of words can describe my pride as I watched Kyle grow and develop into a husband to Hope, a father to Max, and a successful businessman. prgtoken As his mother correctly stated, he had a passion for humanity and the human soul. Although he left us too soon, his love for people and passion for liberty will serve as an inspiration for me for the rest of my life.
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
Ross Spano (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate a tradition that has come to define a small town in rural Florida. prgtoken Every winter, Plant City transforms for the Strawberry Festival, an event to celebrate the annual strawberry harvest. prgtoken When the festival was founded in 1930, it was a way for the residents of Plant City to not only mark a new crop of strawberries, but also was one of the few times a year locals could eat strawberries, due to their short shelf life. prgtoken Today, the 11-day event attracts guests far beyond Plant City, and the strawberry growers in the community now supply virtually all winter strawberries grown in the United States. This success comes at the hard work of growers in Plant City. prgtoken These entrepreneurial men and women work tirelessly to bring us the strawberries many of us enjoy, and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for all that they do for us. Strawberries have become the lifeblood of Plant City, and our community wouldn't be what it is today without them. prgtoken I also want to take this time to congratulate Kendall Gaudens, who was crowned this year's Strawberry Festival Queen. Kendall joins the illustrious ranks of many great women before her, including Florida's current attorney general, my friend Ashley Moody. prgtoken I also want to congratulate Madilyn Conrad, who was named first maid, and Kennedy Cullins, Jada Brown, and Olivia Frazier, who were selected for the court.
MOURNING THE LOSS OF GREENE COUNTY SHERIFF BRIAN TENNANT
Guy Reschenthaler (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-3-8

I rise to express my condolences on the recent passing of a true public servant from my district, Greene County Sheriff, Brian Tennant. All who knew Brian will remember his devotion to our community. He served as a police officer, emergency medical technician, and volunteer firefighter. In 2010, Brian risked his own life to save several others during a terrible house fire in Waynesburg. prgtoken Shortly after this heroic act, Brian learned that he had an inoperable tumor. Despite this diagnosis and during medical treatment, Brian continued to serve. In 2014, he started his service as Greene County Sheriff. prgtoken Brian fought his illness for years, all while serving his community. He was a devoted husband and father of four sons. I am proud to have met Brian, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones during this difficult time.
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I thank the ranking member for his work and his love of music. prgtoken This new socialist majority wants the Federal Government to interfere in our free and fair elections. This bill today, the majority's most important bill, is a massive Federal Government takeover that would undermine the integrity of our elections. But before I explain why, I want to highlight how the majority has gone to great steps to actually hide their prize legislation from the American people. prgtoken Madam , the American public need to understand, when you become the majority, you reserve 1 through 10 of the numbering of bills, and you want to make your number one bill the most important thing you do for America today. prgtoken Two years ago we were in the majority, Madam Chair, and we made the most important bill to make sure the people's money went back to them. We wanted to cut your taxes. prgtoken The most important bill that the socialist majority has is to take more of your money and give it to the politicians who want to vote for this bill. How ironic. prgtoken Now, because H.R. 1 has had such a broad spectrum of where to go, it was referred to 10 committees. Imagine that, 10 committees. prgtoken But 40 percent of this bill has not even been marked up because, what did they do? They only went to one committee. prgtoken What committee did they go to? They went to the very special committee, House Administration. prgtoken This House Administration, the Members who sit on House Administration, I am sure they are probably selected from the conference committee that goes forward to select individuals for it. prgtoken Oh, no, no, no. That is not the committee we went to. House Administration is selected just by two people: the and the leader. The and the leader. prgtoken And do you know what? It is one of the smallest committees we have. Because if H.R. 1 is so important to the American public, I am sure we would want everybody to see it. But, no, it is just nine people of this House. prgtoken And in their jurisdiction, they didn't get to mark up the whole bill. They only had about 60 percent of the bill to mark up. prgtoken But I want to thank our colleagues on this committee: first of all, Ranking Member Rodney Davis, Mark Walker, and Barry Loudermilk. They were very thoughtful. prgtoken They realized, even though the chair of the House Administration, when asked during the markup, would the other committees mark up this bill, she promised--she promised--that the other nine committees would see it, that the other nine committees could mark up that other 40 percent that House Administration didn't get to mark up. prgtoken But lo and behold, that is not true. Just as this new socialist majority said there will be 72 hours before things come to the floor, no. Yesterday we learned that can mean an hour; those other 71 don't matter. prgtoken But what the s on the other side of the aisl
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam Chair, as my home State President Ronald Reagan once said: The most terrifying words in the English language are: ``I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'' prgtoken I am for the American voter. I support every eligible voter having easier ways to register to vote and easier access to the polls. What I am not for is Washington, D.C. taking over our elections. prgtoken I have said it before: I agree with my colleagues across the aisle that there is a role for the Federal Government to play in election infrastructure, campaign finance disclosure, ballot access, transparency, and, most importantly, election security. However, H.R. 1, misuses taxpayer dollars, takes power away from the States to administer their own elections, and threatens to limit Americans' constitutional rights. I cannot support this legislation. prgtoken This bill, a 700-page mammoth bill, takes power away from States given to them by the U.S. Constitution to designate the time, place, and the manner of their elections. I know the author of this legislation said yesterday that H.R. 1 is simply implementing the best practices of States, but that is federalizing our election system, no matter how nicely you phrase it. prgtoken Congress should partner with the States who understand the unique needs of their own residents and provide support to increase voter registration and improve election security instead of federally mandating, what this bill does, which is a one-size-fits-all approach. prgtoken There is a limited role for the Federal Government to play in elections when patterns of discrimination have occurred, and when we will continue to address those patterns, we can do it in a bipartisan way through the Voting Rights Act. prgtoken I cannot stress enough that Congress should absolutely be in favor of increasing access to the polls, but we cannot do that without adding the necessary checks and balances to ensure that these accesses are protected. prgtoken We should allow States to maintain their own voter rolls to help them process voters in a timely manner, avoid unfunded mandates, and manage voter lists to avoid registration and voting irregularities. A few voting irregularities can change the outcome of a single election. prgtoken Just look at what happened recently in North Carolina. A political operative working for a candidate illegally harvested ballots which led to the North Carolina State Board of Elections calling for a new special election. Ballot harvesting is the practice when a political operative or volunteer can come to your home, pick up your ballot, and deliver it to the polling precinct. This process, while illegal in most States like North Carolina, is a perfectly legal practice in places like California. prgtoken s, both at the House Administration Committee markup and at Rules Committee, offered amendments to prohibit ballot harvesting, and both attempts were rejected by . We can
FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2019
Dan Crenshaw (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , this is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken Much has been made of election security as of late, much of it for good reason. In the end, these concerns, the concerns that many Americans rightfully share, are built around the fundamental notion that our vote should count, our vote should mean something; and we should know that, when we cast it, it is sacred and unchanging. prgtoken Our vote is a signal of what direction we want our country to move toward, and that vote is an element of trust that we place in the men or women elected to take it in that direction. prgtoken We vote because this country is governed by the people, by the citizens of this country. We in this body humbly serve at their pleasure. prgtoken The quickest way to erode a democracy, erode faith in our institutions, is to erode that trust, erode the notion that your vote truly counts. prgtoken The truth is this is already happening. In places like San Francisco, have fought hard to ensure that U.S. citizens must share their civic duty, their vote, with illegal immigrants. The city of San Francisco has effectively canceled out the votes of its citizens and replaced it with illegals. prgtoken When I say it out loud, it sounds like I am making it up, because what kind of government would cancel out the votes of its own citizens and replace them with noncitizens--but not just any noncitizens, ones who entered our country illegally. prgtoken It is with this in mind, this sacred duty to protect our citizens, protect their vote, protect their voice, that I propose this motion to recommit. prgtoken This motion to recommit would show the American people that, despite the deep and growing differences between us, we can at least agree that the people who vote for us are citizens of this country. prgtoken Madam , this is a simple affirmation. It is an affirmation of the fact that the elected representatives of this body answer to the citizens of this country who voted for us. We will not stand by and let their voices be muted. We will not let their trust be eroded. We will not let our democracy be questioned. prgtoken Last year, Congress voted on this very idea. Forty-nine crossed the aisle to vote with us. prgtoken It should not be a partisan idea that the people who do not legally live in our country cannot legally vote in our elections. If you are not legally here, if you entered our country against the laws and wishes of our citizens, then you should not vote for representation in our government, diluting the voices of Americans. prgtoken I am proposing this MTR not because it feels good, not because we want to attack anyone, but because it is clear to all of us that voter integrity actually needs to be defended. prgtoken It has become clear because San Francisco is not the only municipality that has fallen into this radical
PROMOTING AMERICAN VALUES THROUGH PEACE CORPS
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , 58 years ago this week, President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the United States Peace Corps. Since then, more than 200,000 Americans have participated in international service opportunities through the Peace Corps. prgtoken International service organizations like the Peace Corps and student exchange programs operated by the Department of State play an important role in promoting the image of America around the world. These programs provide American volunteers with a chance to learn about their host country's society and values, and, in turn, volunteers share American culture and values with the people of their host country. This fosters a great understanding of and strong friendship between our country and those around the world. prgtoken The Peace Corps was created with the strong belief that Americans are willing to contribute part of their life to the country. President Kennedy said that we must not merely aim to have an economic advantage in life, but we must strive for a greater purpose. Madam , for 58 years, the United States Peace Corps has provided thousands of Americans with that greater purpose.
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF RICHARD CHISOLM
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2019-3-8

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the life of Richard Chisolm, who passed away on Monday, March 4th. prgtoken Richard, originally from Meridian, Mississippi, joined the Marine Corps as soon as he graduated high school. He served our country for four years before retiring. It was during this time he married his high school sweetheart, Diane Chisolm. prgtoken Upon retiring from the Marine Corps, Richard was employed by Mississippi Power and moved to my home town Union, Mississippi. This is where Richard planted his roots and became involved in the community around him. He became a Boy Scout leader, helping many young men including myself, become an Eagle Scout. Richard was an avid outdoorsman, spending as much time as he could bass fishing and playing softball. It was through Richard's example, so many young men knew how to be devoted to their country, family, work and community. prgtoken Richard was a great community leader and very formative in the lives of many young men through being a scoutmaster of Troop 29 in Union. He was a great mentor and taught us as Scouts, the value of God, community, and country. He lived the core values of the Boy Scouts and Marine Corps and developed all his Scouts to observe the same values and to learn leadership skills to be community leaders of the future. I have no doubt that I am a sitting Member of Congress because of the values instilled in me by my beloved Scoutmaster Richard Chisolm. There is no way to quantify the countless lives Richard impacted through his leadership. prgtoken Richard was preceded in death by his wife, Diane Chisolm and son, my friend and Scout, Robby Chisolm. Richard leaves behind his two daughters, Tammy Livingston and Melissa Dienheart, along with four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Richard was loved by all that knew him. Semper Fi my friend, you will be missed.