mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROHIBITING THE USE OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER, OR ENFORCE CERTAIN RULES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Pete Ricketts (Republican, NE) \u2014 2024-4-18

I am joining my colleagues today in resisting the EV mandate and commend them for attempting to defund this EV mandate. prgtoken This mandate would require two-thirds of all new vehicles being sold in the United States in 2032 to be electric vehicles. It is going to be incredibly harmful to our American families, especially low-income families. prgtoken The cost to consumers is going to be great. The average low-income family spends about $12,000 on a used vehicle to be able to get around. Frankly, for many families, especially families in States like mine of Nebraska, this is the pathway out of poverty: getting that vehicle, spending that $12,000, being able to get to a job, being able to increase your income. That is how American families get to work in States like mine. We are going to be robbing those families of that opportunity with this EV mandate, harming those low-income families. prgtoken It is also going to be harmful for families in rural areas. In States like Nebraska, people drive long distances in rural areas to get to work. Right now, for example, you see that 99 of our 147 cities don't have a charger. If you are in some of our cities like Bloomfield or Alliance or Valentine, you are 45 minutes from the nearest charging station. That is not practical. prgtoken Oh, and by the way, guess what. It gets cold in Nebraska. When the temperature drops below 20 degrees, you lose 40 percent of your charge on an EV. So not only will you not be able to find a charging station, you won't have very much charge to be able to get there. prgtoken It is harmful for agriculture because you are not going to be able just to pull over on the side of the road if you have got a truck that is hauling cattle and stopped in 95-degree heat for 2 or 3 hours. prgtoken This EV mandate makes no sense. It does not work for vast stretch of this country. prgtoken Again, I think EVs are cool. They have fast acceleration, and they work in urban areas, like perhaps here on the east coast. But in States like mine, they are impractical. prgtoken My esteemed colleague from West Virginia was talking about how the administration has not thought this through. I sit on the Environment and Public Works Committee. I have had the chance to question officials who support this, and let me tell you, they have no plan for the power generation. They have no plan for the transmission. And by the way, just so the American public knows, they are assuming that every EV is charged with 100 percent renewable energy. Folks, that is a lie. That does not exist anywhere in this country where you can find a State that 100 percent of their energy comes from renewable energy. prgtoken The highest State for it is South Dakota at 50 percent. States on the East Coast are generally single digits as far as the percent of their electricity generated from renewable energy. So they are also selling you a lie. It is not true. prgtoken So for those re
HONORING LANCE CORPORAL GARY KOONTZ
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-4-18

I rise to honor Lance Corporal Gary Koontz. prgtoken Gary enlisted in the Marines on October 26, 1967, and attended basic training at Parris Island, South Carolina. After basic training, Gary was shipped to Vietnam, where he drove a truck that carried supplies. After a short time, he was transferred and was then a door gunner with the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. prgtoken His unit played a crucial role in Operation Dewey Canyon, and their legacy remains tied to the challenges and triumphs of the Vietnam war. prgtoken During his service, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with device, the Vietnam Service Medal with device, the Combat Aircrew Insignia, the Good Conduct Medal, and the Air Medal Award with strike/flight 4. prgtoken When Corporal Koontz returned home, he was transferred to the Marine Reserve to complete his obligation. prgtoken Once returning to Knoxville, he became a super successful Realtor and developer, and he is an active member of the Vietnam Veterans of America. prgtoken He recently worked with the VA and a local assisted living facility to help a veteran get transferred closer to his wife. He is always calling me about veterans and the problems they are having, and he is trying to work to resolve them. prgtoken It is my honor to recognize Corporal Koontz as the Tennessee Second District's April 2024 Veteran of the Month. He is an incredibly good friend, and dadgum, he is just a great American.
RECOGNIZING JACK MILLER, A PATRIOT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2024-4-18

. Madam , I rise to recognize Jack Miller, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and champion of civic education. prgtoken He founded the Jack Miller Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit dedicated to reinvigorating education in America's founding principles and history, an education vital to thoughtful and engaged citizenship. prgtoken He recognized that the future leaders of our Nation lack a fundamental understanding of the founding principles of our Republic as well as our history. prgtoken Madam , we can agree that Mr. Miller's endeavor is of paramount importance, and it underscores a serious demand that we prepare future generations of Americans to become both informed and engaged citizens. prgtoken Thank you, Mr. Miller, for your continued work in ensuring that America's bedrock principles remain alive and revered.
HONORING THE LIFE OF MAYOR DAVID HELMS
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2024-4-18

I rise today to honor the life of Mayor David Helms, who passed away on March 20th, at the age of 83. prgtoken Mayor Helms was born on October 11, 1940, in Glade Spring, Virginia. Upon his graduation from Glade Spring High School, he studied elementary education at Emory & Henry College. Later, he received his master's degree in education from Radford University. prgtoken His first education jobs included teaching stints at Meadowview Elementary School and Glade Spring Elementary School. Later, Mr. Helms served as Assistant Principal and Principal of Marion Primary School. He served in his role as Principal until his retirement from education in 2000. prgtoken From 1990-2000, Mr. Helms served on the Marion Town Council. He became Marion's Mayor in 2000. In public office, Mayor Helms pursued projects to revitalize downtown Marion and improve his community. prgtoken Mayor Helms was a fierce advocate in recognizing veterans for their contributions and sacrifices. He worked closely with the Marion VFW chapter and the East Tennessee Chapter of Rolling Thunder. Mayor Helms also played an instrumental role in promoting Marion's Memorial Day activities. Marion's Memorial Day parade is one of the most patriotic festivities in the Ninth District of Virginia. I have loved being in the parade with Mayor Helms. It receives widespread praise across the Commonwealth and the region every year. prgtoken Also, Mayor Helms was an active member of the Glade Spring Volunteer Fire Department. He admitted that firefighting and rescue services were in his blood. prgtoken Mayor Helms is survived by his wife Sue Winsett Helms; brother-in- law, Clyde Hoots; many cousins, nieces, nephews, and their families. prgtoken I had the pleasure of working with Mayor Helms over the years. His love for Marion and Smyth County was evident. As a public-school teacher, principal, and town council member, Mayor Helms exhibited some of the finest qualities of a public servant.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2024-4-18

I would like to look at three major issues. Sometimes with the minor day-to-day issues one forgets to analyze the major issues that I think are going to determine the fate of our country. prgtoken In the last week, one more time, we got the results on the number of people crossing the southern border. While the results keep pouring in month after month, it is, in my opinion, and I think in most people's opinion, the most significant issue that Congress has to address. prgtoken In March of 2024, and these, of course, all are estimates, we believe 220,000 people crossed the southern border and stayed in the United States. This has something in common with every other month this year, and it goes up and down depending on the time of year; one more time, we hit an all-time record of the number of people coming into this country by that month. prgtoken In March of 2024, it was 220,000. In March of 2023, it was 130,000. In March of 2022, it was 166,000. In the final year of the prior administration, it was 11,000. One more time, we see the increase from 11,000 people coming here in a month to 220,000 people coming here in a month. prgtoken We recently had a hearing on the border in a subcommittee related to the Oversight and Accountability Committee, and on that committee, the sheriff, Sheriff Waybourn, pointed out that right now about 25 percent of the Venezuelan prison population dropped by 25 percent. prgtoken This is consistent with concerns raised by the Border Patrol that in addition to just plain taking people we can't afford to take, other countries are dumping their undesirables into this country. prgtoken Does President care that the number of people in Venezuelan prisons has dropped by 25 percent? prgtoken That by itself should be a banner headline. prgtoken The next thing to look at in addition to that drop is an anecdote from Sheriff Waybourn from Texas. He points out that someone asked a member of the cartels: Do they care about the fentanyl coming into this country and all the people who are dying? prgtoken His quote was that they were okay as long as the fentanyl was killing Americans. prgtoken Now, think about that, . This is consistent with what we think the worst possible motive for bringing fentanyl into this country is. They want to destroy the United States. China itself is playing a role in the amount of fentanyl coming in this country. prgtoken The young people of this country may feel they are not involved in a war. They never enlisted in the Army, and they never enlisted in the Navy. prgtoken Be that as it may, like it or not, you are involved in a war. As a matter of fact, more people are dying in the war that you have signed up for than in any of the wars that our armed services have fought in, about 108,000 people a year. prgtoken They are dying in a war because the Mexican drug cartels and foreign countries that produce the fentanyl do not wish the U.S. well. They apparently like to see
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2024-4-18

Americans across the country, led by Concerned Women for America, CWA--the Nation's largest public policy organization for women--and other faith-based organizations will again celebrate April as Faith Month. I commend this noble effort calling on all people of faith to join in prayer, to give thanks, and to celebrate their faith. prgtoken Faith is at the very core of who we are as Americans. Every nation before us was based on either a shared ethnicity, a common language, or a unifying monarch. But the United States of America was the first nation in history founded on the belief that every human being has inherent value and natural rights granted to them not by any earthly government, but by an all-powerful God. In the words of our Declaration, we are ``endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights,'' based on ``the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God,'' acknowledging our ``reliance on the protection of divine Providence.'' prgtoken Many of our Nation's earliest settlers were people of faith, seeking a land in which they could freely practice their beliefs. The Puritans of New England, the Pennsylvania Quakers, and the Catholic founders of the Maryland Colony were all men and women who came to these shores in search of a haven for religious freedom. The Founding Fathers after them carried on that faithful torch by enshrining that freedom of religion in the very First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as ``the free exercise thereof.'' They knew that a nation founded on the belief in a higher power must encourage a faithful population. prgtoken When religious freedom is protected, communities thrive. Ample research shows that faith strengthens the family unit, promotes stable marriages, and discourages drug abuse and violence. Regular church attendance is linked to lifting young people in inner cities out of poverty, and faithful people tend to be happier and more satisfied in life. prgtoken The role of religious organizations in America is invaluable. An estimated 350,000 religious congregations operate schools, pregnancy resource centers, soup kitchens, drug addiction programs, homeless shelters, and adoption agencies throughout the Nation, with more than 2,600 of them in my state of Mississippi alone. These organizations selflessly care for their communities and deserve to be celebrated and uplifted for the work that they do. prgtoken Today, it is distressing that attacks against particular faith communities have become all too common. Individuals and charities alike have been forced to compromise their sincerely held beliefs to keep their jobs or participate in certain government programs. Worse, some Federal Agencies are promoting policies and regulations that make it harder for faith-based charities and social service organizations to care for the need. prgtoken It is a sad fact that, today, too many people of faith feel unsafe on their college campuses, in their work
RECOGNIZING THE COURAGE AND BRAVERY OF CAPTAIN RILEY COON
Jill N. Tokuda (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2024-4-18

. Madam , on August 8, 2023, there were many heroes who exhibited courage and bravery as wildfires ravaged Maui and Hawaii Island. prgtoken Today, it is my honor to recognize one of those heroes, Captain Riley Coon, a third-generation mariner and co-owner of one of Maui's oldest family boating companies, Trilogy Excursions. prgtoken When the Coast Guard called for help, Riley and six other Trilogy captain and crewmembers answered the call, rescuing countless people who had jumped into the ocean to escape the flames, and transporting them to safety. prgtoken Battling 80-mile-per-hour winds, intense heat, and smoke, Riley saved lives as they conducted emergency rescues throughout the night and into the next morning. prgtoken For his courageous efforts, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society selected Riley from over 200 nominees nationwide as the 2024 Single Act of Heroism Honoree. prgtoken It is an award that is much deserved, and it serves as a reminder of the many everyday people who stepped forward and became heroes on those fateful days. prgtoken So, today, in addition to recognizing Riley, let us lift up and celebrate all of our heroes who risked life and limb and ran toward the flames to save the people and places they love.
PROHIBITING THE USE OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER, OR ENFORCE CERTAIN RULES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2024-4-18

I rise today because I truly want to depoliticize this. prgtoken I want to give you the facts because I was the one who negotiated the bill with the President. I negotiated the bill with the of the House. I negotiated this bill with the majority leader. So let me give you the facts and depoliticize it, take the - equation out of this. prgtoken This rule should have never happened. It wasn't our intent, and it wasn't what we agreed upon. We shouldn't even be voting down or up on this rule today because it should have never been here. I will tell you the reason why. prgtoken The IRA was designed truly--and we all agreed--on energy security and manufacturing in America. That was it: energy security and manufacturing. prgtoken We are producing more energy today than ever in the history of the world. We produce more energy today than anybody else in the world, and they are having a hard time grabbing that. But that was the way we designed the bill, to be an all-in. We are going to do fossil cleaner and better than anywhere in the world and more of it, and we are going to do investments in clean technology energy for the future. And we have done that. prgtoken When we put this bill out, the administration knew exactly the timetables. I am giving you the timetables here, and I can show you how they have accelerated everything because it did not meet their timetable. prgtoken The deadlines are 2024, 2023. They are going with the temporary rules, 2026 and 2027. The reason they are going to temporary rules is you can't sue on temporary rules. You can sue on permanent rules if you have been damaged--absolutely negating everything that we had an agreement on. prgtoken So I said this: We tried to basically persuade or bribe the American public to buy an EV. They are a great vehicle. I don't contest that. Only 1.1 percent of West Virginians want them. We are a market-driven society. We are capitalists. You can't force with government regulations to do things that we have always been trained not to do. Buy what you want. Buy how you want. That is what they are trying to do. prgtoken What happened on top of that, then they changed how we basically--the regulations we all agreed on--the President, the , and the majority leader. We said the first year in 2023, at least 40 percent-- 40 percent--of extracted minerals that we need for critical minerals to build these batteries had to come from the United States or our allies, our trading partners. prgtoken Our whole goal was basically to eliminate being dependent upon China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This is the first time--and the lady spoke from Michigan. I love Michigan. I love the vehicles that Michigan has produced. I can't tell you that every Michigander is enthralled with what they are trying to do because they are saying by 2032, basically, 70 percent of the vehicles have to be electric. You can't do it. prgtoken There are two reason
A SMART AGREEMENT
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2024-4-18

later today on April 18, three Australian submariners are slated to graduate from the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton. They are the first three submariners from Australia under the AUKUS security agreement who are gaining proficiency to operate a nuclear-powered submarine--again, a first for both countries. prgtoken After graduating from this course, they will be headed to Naval Station Pearl Harbor for assignment to United States Virginia-class submarines, and this, again, marks another first where they will be the first-ever Australian naval personnel assigned a U.S. Navy vessel. prgtoken Over the next 12 months, 100 more Australian Navy personnel will continue in this pipeline to implement the AUKUS agreement, which is one of the smartest collaborations between the U.S the U.K and Australia to uplift their submarine capacity to work together for the three nations and rebalance the deteriorating security environment in the Indo-Pacific. I congratulate them all, or as they would say in Australian, good on ya.
CONDEMNING IRAN'S UNPRECEDENTED DRONE AND MISSILE ATTACK ON ISRAEL
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2024-4-18

. Madam , the balance of my time to close. prgtoken I stand by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemn in the strongest of terms Iran's direct attack on our ally. It is my hope that Israel listens to what many of its allies are saying and not take steps that lead us into a greater regional war. prgtoken As President has said, our defense against Iranian threats to Israel is ironclad. We have Israel's back, and we will not yield to Iranian threats. prgtoken Madam , I support this resolution, and .
PROHIBITING THE USE OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER, OR ENFORCE CERTAIN RULES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2024-4-18

I want to associate myself with the gentleman from California, and I thank him for his comments. prgtoken I rise today in strong opposition to the measure before us. If enacted, this measure would block Federal funding for the EPA's new plan to limit tailpipe emissions from light- and medium-duty vehicles, such as cars and pickup trucks. prgtoken Nearly every day, we see signs of a planet in crisis--wildfires ravaging our lands, polluted air filling our lungs, extreme heat gripping our communities, and much, much more. Scientists have repeatedly sounded the alarm. We are running out of time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change for the health of our planet--and there is no planet B. Instead of coming together to tackle this challenge head on and create jobs at the same time, some of our colleagues want to stop a rule to limit greenhouse gas emissions, which we know to have a substantial warming effect on our planet. prgtoken So why is it important to tackle emissions from the transportation sector? prgtoken To explain that, let's start with the age-old story about a guy named Willie Sutton--a notorious bank robber during the Great Depression. At his trial--he got arrested, and they dragged him before the court. At his trial, the judge famously asked him: Mr. Sutton, why do you rob banks? And he replied famously: Your Honor, that is where the money is. prgtoken Colleagues, we need to continue reining in emissions from the transportation sector because that happens to be where the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. economy is--at 28 percent. Let me say that again. The cars, trucks, and vans we drive each day make up the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in our country. After that, 25 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States comes from our powerplants, and another 23 percent comes from our manufacturing operations--think asphalt plants, think steel mills and so forth. prgtoken Combating the climate crisis requires us to use every tool in our toolbox. It is simply not possible to meet the climate goals we set without addressing emissions from the transportation sector, and this rule helps us do just that. In fact, this rule is expected to avoid over 7 billion tons of CO2 emissions. That is the equivalent of taking every coal plant in America offline for over 6 years. prgtoken In addition to planet-warming CO2, vehicle emissions also contain what is known as particulate matter. What is that? Well, particulate matter is commonly known as soot. We know this type of pollution is greatly threatening to human health. In fact, according to the EPA, this rule alone will provide $13 billion--billion with a B--in annual health benefits by preventing heart attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, decreased lung function, and premature deaths. It will help 400,000 people with asthma to breathe easier. That is almost hal
REFLECTING ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Linda T. Sánchez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-4-18

I am honored to represent a large and vibrant Armenian community in my congressional district. prgtoken On behalf of those constituents, I rise today to recognize the 109th commemoration of the Armenian genocide. prgtoken From 1915 to 1916, the Ottoman Empire systematically massacred the Armenian people. According to the U.S. Holocaust Museum, up to as many as 1.2 million Armenians were killed. prgtoken This genocide is one of the most painful moments in the world's history, yet, sadly, it is not spoken about much. We can never deny or forget the systemic and individual killing and mistreatment of Armenians. prgtoken We must learn from that terrible history and never lose focus on protecting oppressed and vulnerable people. We owe that to the victims and their descendants, who are still reeling and suffering from this cruel and unjust atrocity. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with the Armenian prgtoken community. We should all make time to reflect on this solemn day of remembrance.