mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROTECTING AMERICA'S STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FROM CHINA ACT
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican, WA) \u2014 2023-1-12

the balance of my time. prgtoken Leadership matters. American leadership matters. You can't be a diplomatic power without being a military power. You can't be a military power without being an economic power. You cannot be an economic power without energy. prgtoken In order to reverse the damage to our energy security and our global leadership, we must flip the switch and unleash American energy production. prgtoken We need to stop the administration from wasting our strategic reserves. prgtoken It is time to cut the red tape and expand energy production here at home, modernize our infrastructure, and create new opportunities for jobs and economic development. prgtoken The suggested if the bill included Iran, Russia, and North Korea that they would support it. The fact of the matter is those are the countries this administration has gone to. prgtoken They have gone to OPEC, Iran, and Russia and actually asked them to produce more oil. prgtoken , I look forward to the passage of this bill today, and I am eager--I am eager--to work with my colleagues on additional solutions to make energy more affordable, more reliable. prgtoken It is America that is leading in clean, reliable, renewable, affordable energy, and it is so important to energy dominance. prgtoken It is important to American leadership. It is important to our economy. It is important to every person in this country that has been living with record-high energy prices. prgtoken Every time they go to the gas station to fill up over the last couple of years, they have been experiencing record-high energy prices. prgtoken , we are prepared to lead. We want to unleash American energy, unleash clean American energy jobs. This is important to our national security. It is important to our economic security. prgtoken I urge everyone to vote ``yes.'' Pass H.R. 22. It is just the beginning. There is more to come. prgtoken , .
PROTECTING AMERICA'S STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FROM CHINA ACT
Bill Johnson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-1-12

today I rise in support of H.R. 22 led by our Energy and Commerce Committee chairwoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers. prgtoken Earlier this week it was reported that after President drained over 200 million barrels out of America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, his Department of Energy is now rejecting multiple bids to refill it, saying that oil is too expensive. prgtoken , this is hard to believe. prgtoken This administration--who has put a stranglehold on domestic production by canceling pipelines, reducing drilling, halting leases, and proposing burdensome regulations--is now telling the American taxpayer: Sorry, we depleted your national reserves, sold some of it to China, and now we won't refill it because it is too expensive. prgtoken Aren't they the ones making oil more expensive? prgtoken It is as if President thinks the SPR is his strategic political reserve to be used as a Band-Aid for his failed energy policies. prgtoken , this legislation is a needed course correction in our national energy strategy, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
HONORING THE LIFE OF PETTY OFFICER THIRD CLASS WILL MARTIN, JR.
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-1-12

Petty Officer Third Class Will Martin, Jr. passed away on January 6, 2023, at the age of 74. prgtoken A veteran of the Vietnam War, Petty Officer Third Class Will Martin Jr. served his country with dignity as a Seabee in the United States Navy from 1965 to 1969. Will exemplified the Seabee motto of ``Can Do,'' and following his service, he integrated this into his daily life as he worked tirelessly for decades to build ``Communities of Honor and Excellence,'' not only in Victoria County but across the state of Texas. prgtoken Along the way, Will's journey saw him serve as the American Legion Commander, the American Legion Legislative Representative for the Department of Texas, an officer with both the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Disabled American Veterans, and as the founder and Commander of the U.S. Navy Seabees Association, Victoria Chapter. He dedicated his spare time to the Warrior's Weekend Field of Honor and was a great friend and supporter of the wounded servicemen and women who came in from all over the nation. prgtoken For nearly a decade, Will was the President of the Conservative Texans for Charitable Bingo that helped hundreds of charities all over the state of Texas receive tens of millions of dollars for their activities. As a legislative liaison, he worked with State Senators and Representatives to ensure ongoing access to funding that allowed service organizations to focus on their missions of helping thousands of Texans. prgtoken Furthermore, Will was a friend to first responders, in particular law enforcement. He led the effort to craft a county ordinance banning illegal game rooms and the drug and human trafficking crime that accompanied them. This ordinance, which gave Law Enforcement greater opportunity to stop this illegal activity, was adopted first in Victoria County and soon spread throughout the Golden Crescent and Coastal Bend. This initiative likely prevented the trafficking of hundreds of at-risk youth and kept millions of dollars out of the hands of organized crime. prgtoken Most importantly, Will was a faithful Christian man who lived his life as a disciple of God's word and as a passionate servant. Throughout his commendable life--up until the very end--Will Martin's love of God and Country and service to others never faded.
PROTECTING AMERICA'S STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FROM CHINA ACT
Cory Mills (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-1-12

I had prepared a speech today to talk about my support for H.R. 22 and the protection of our Strategic Petroleum Reserves. prgtoken But after hearing my colleagues on the left, it is very simple. They don't care about unleashing American energy, us getting to energy dominance, to ensuring that we have the global currency. prgtoken They care about defending the Chinese and the CCP. That is why they have continued to try and prevent us from being able to sell our strategic petroleum reserves from China. prgtoken That is why they tried to stop us from putting together a subcommittee that would have been a select subcommittee to go after the CCP and their malign activities. prgtoken , it is very clear. They do not want to go to an America- first agenda. They do not want to protect America. They do not want to unleash American energy for the American people to get our costs under control. prgtoken They want to continue to protect the communist China party and the Chinese themselves. prgtoken I rise in protection, not just in support of H.R. 22, but of the American people and the American workers.
PROTECTING AMERICA'S STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FROM CHINA ACT
Jeff Duncan (Republican, SC) \u2014 2023-1-12

I congratulate the gentlewoman from Washington on her chairmanship. prgtoken Before the administration's war on American energy, America was increasingly dominant in energy production producing a surplus--a surplus. prgtoken Exceeding demand usually means that you can have lower prices because you are providing supply that exceeds demand, and then when we have more supply, we can export. We can export to our allies at prices that actually compete with the OPEC cartel on the open market. That is what American energy dominance can do. prgtoken My colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to keep pushing green energy initiatives such as wind and solar. I think those are groovy technologies. prgtoken Guess what, ? prgtoken You cannot export renewable energy. You can export oil and gas in order to lower prices and increase stability for our friends in Europe who are more reliant on Vladimir Putin for their energy. prgtoken Do you know what, ? prgtoken For political purposes, President sold off a strategic asset of this Nation. He started dumping oil out of the SPR, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and put it out there so that China could buy it, and China did buy it. prgtoken This is an American asset. prgtoken Do you know what, ? prgtoken This bill that prohibits that oil from being sold to China and other adversaries makes sense, but the talking points make none.
SECOND BATCH OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS FOUND
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-1-12

. Madam , on Monday, classified documents were discovered at President 's think tank in Washington, D.C. These documents were at least 6 years old, meaning the President had them and took them while he was Vice President, and lacked the authority at the time to declassify them. prgtoken Yesterday, a second batch of documents has been found. The timing of these discoveries right after the November midterm elections is, I am sure, coincidental. prgtoken Knowing the history of the family's shady dealings with China and others, this raises serious national security concerns. prgtoken Mishandling classified information is a serious offense, yet the , from Hillary Clinton to , seem to get a pass. prgtoken When s are accused of doing far less, we get special prosecutions and political witch hunts for a long time. prgtoken This breach of national security should be immediately investigated by Congress and the DOJ to determine the magnitude of this offense. If the DOJ wants to claim to be non-partisan, it must start enforcing with equity across party lines. prgtoken Who has seen these documents? prgtoken Who has had access to them with the sloppy storage that we saw in Pennsylvania or wherever else they are? prgtoken This is a very dangerous precedent, and the Vice President or the President need to be held accountable.
UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-1-12

. Madam , I rise today to recognize three welding students from St. Joseph's High School in Conway, Arkansas. prgtoken Last month, Nicholas Covington, Logan Simon, and Wade Simon were selected out of 150 welding students to represent the Conway Area Career Center in SkillsUSA, a State competition held in Hot Springs. prgtoken SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry leaders working together across the country to make sure that we have a fully skilled workforce. prgtoken The winning team at the statewide competition will receive full scholarships to the welding program at the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and could have the opportunity to participate in both national and world welding competitions. prgtoken I congratulate these students for their accomplishment, and I look forward to seeing the results from the SkillsUSA competition. Congratulating Mary Smith
CELEBRATING KOREAN AMERICAN DAY
Michelle Steel (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-1-12

today, I rise to celebrate Korean American Day marking the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States in 1903. prgtoken Those brave pioneers paved the way for generations of Korean Americans to make countless contributions to our great country. prgtoken Like so many before me, I came to this country with my family from prgtoken Korea. Now, I am living my American dream. prgtoken Today, we celebrate the strength of Korean-American communities like those in southern California. We recognize the power and impact of our achievements, and we honor the shared heritage of Korean Americans across our Nation. prgtoken As one of the first Korean-American woman to serve in Congress, I am proud to recognize this important day and to honor the millions of Korean Americans who have contributed so much to the success of the United States of America.
HONORING THE SERVICE OF JEREMY CATOB
Marilyn Strickland (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-1-13

I rise today to honor an exceptional member of the Army National Guard. I would like to recognize Major Jeremy Catob's distinguished service and dedication to enhancing the relationship between the National Guard and Congress as a Legislative Liaison. prgtoken MAJ Catob enlisted into the Florida Army National Guard on 4 June 2008 where he served in the Simultaneous Membership Program and trained with the 20th Special Forces Group as an attachment. He earned his commission as an Infantry Officer and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from the University of Florida on 29 April 2011. He has served 14 years in both the Georgia, and the Washington National Guard in a broad range of drill status and active duty assignments, including attending numerous technical schools, eXportable Combat Training Capability rotations, and led a joint US-Canadian Platoon in Operation Stalwart Guardian. While serving in the Washington Army National Guard, MAJ Catob supported the 81st Brigade Combat Team transforming from an Armor Brigade to a Stryker Brigade, and supported the initial COVID-19/Civil Unrest response teams in 2019. It was this experience that made MAJ Jeremy Catob the perfect fit to serve as a legislative liaison officer for the National Guard Bureau for the past 18 months on Capitol Hill. prgtoken Jeremy served as a legislative liaison officer from August 2021 through January 2023, skillfully performing his duties throughout. MAJ Catob shaped numerous engagements between Congress and National Guard senior leaders. He served as the primary handler for all Congressional Engagements related to Military Construction (MILCON) issues, resulting in millions of dollars earmarked for National Guard project's planning and design, construction, and the successful reprogramming of over $400 million from Fiscal Year 2018 supplemental funding. Jeremy was also able to facilitate a Congressional education series for the Military Construction process with both chambers' subcommittees on MILCON appropriations. His legislative knowledge and relationships established within Congress aided in the development of several Congressional Objectives and legislative proposals that gained prgtoken favor from Congressional staff. MAJ Catob worked to impact Incentive Pay Parity in the NDAA 2022, the improvement to the Federal Recognition process for National Guard Officers in NDAA 2023, and the proposal for State Active Duty reimbursements for the use of federal equipment. prgtoken After concluding this challenging assignment, MAJ Catob will deploy to CENTCOM/Asia for a 6 month tour supporting the J3. In closing, I express my gratitude and appreciation to MAJ Jeremy Catob for his excellent support in furtherance of National Guard missions and my appreciation to his supportive wife, Mrs. Erin Catob and children Kennedy and Carter. His presence will leave a lasting impression within the NGB-LL community and Capitol Hill for years t
HONORING DR. TONY UBALDE ON HIS 12 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-1-13

I rise today to congratulate Dr. Tony Ubalde upon his retirement from the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education. Throughout Dr. Ubalde's 12 years of service, he advocated for Vallejo students and worked tirelessly to improve his community's education system. prgtoken Dr. Ubalde first joined the Board of Education in 2011 and has since served 3 terms, during which he was instrumental in successfully raising the high school graduation rate and fostering a safer environment in Vallejo schools. Dr. Ubalde's dedication to the youth of Vallejo is evident through his efforts to ensure all students in his community can achieve their full potential. prgtoken Throughout his twelve-year tenure on the Board of Education, Dr. Ubalde ushered the Vallejo City Unified School District into a new era of financial stability. In addition to collaborating with his fellow Trustees, superintendents, and community members to establish a strong financial foundation for Vallejo's education system, Dr. Ubalde was also vital in instituting an independent Citizens Fiscal Audit Committee. Focused on promoting transparency and financial accountability, this committee directly ensures that taxpayer dollars are used efficiently, prioritizing Vallejo residents. prgtoken In addition to his crucial contributions on the Board of Education, Dr. Ubalde also exemplifies the spirit of leadership in all areas of his life. Not only has he previously been on the Board of Trustees at Solano Community College, but he is also a prominent member of the California Board Association, having served on their Board of Directors since 2014. Dr. Ubalde's indispensable leadership has played a vital role in modernizing Vallejo's education system. prgtoken Dr. Ubalde's advocacy as a board member of the Filipino Community of Solano County, his selfless service in the U.S. Air Force Reserves, and his compassionate guidance as a former pastor clearly demonstrate that his work to improve the Vallejo community expands beyond his position on the Board of Education. Dr. Ubalde's devotion to Vallejo has undeniably improved his community. prgtoken While his presence on the Board of Education will surely be missed, Dr. Ubalde's 12 years of service to the residents of Vallejo have left a lasting legacy and significantly enhanced the lives of the students and teachers in his community. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Dr. Ubalde for his public service and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
HONORING STEVE FOSHEE ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM TOMBIGBEE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE
Robert B. Aderholt (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-1-17

I would like to congratulate Mr. Steve Foshee on his retirement from Tombigbee Electric Cooperative and to acknowledge the great contribution he has made to improving the lives of people not only in northwest Alabama, but across the State as well. prgtoken Mr. Steve Foshee is retiring after spending the past 25 years as president and CEO of the Tombigbee Electric Cooperative in Hamilton, Alabama. Tombigbee Electric Cooperative provides electricity to thousands of homes in Marion, Lamar, and Fayette Counties. prgtoken Steve was born in the 4th Congressional District in Marshall County and graduated from Douglas High School in Douglas, Alabama. He then went on to Auburn University where he received both a bachelor's and master's degree. He then began work for the Farm Credit System in Northwest Alabama in 1981 where prgtoken he served as regional vice president until 1987. prgtoken In 1987, Steve began his long career serving in the electric utility sector as he took the helm of Cullman Electric Cooperative in Cullman, Alabama. He served as the general manager there for over a decade. prgtoken In 1998, he began his long and highly successful career as president and CEO of Tombigbee Electric. In 2017, under his leadership and foresight, Steve led the effort in Tombigbee offering high speed internet services and created Tombigbee Communications. It was there that Steve took on double duty, also serving as its president and CEO. prgtoken Under Steve's guidance, Tombigbee Communications has truly become a regional and national leader in providing reliable, high-speed internet to thousands of rural homes under the name of Freedom Fiber. One of their slogans is, ``speeds so fast, even big cities are jealous.'' This is all because of the great leadership and vision Steve Foshee had for providing this service to people, who for decades, have been cut off from service. prgtoken Steve has been married to his wife, Libby, for more than 40 years. They have two adult children, Josh and Caleb Foshee and two grandsons, Luke and Jack Foshee. prgtoken Again, I congratulate, as well as honor, Steve Foshee on his career and his leadership in the State of Alabama that has had such a positive impact on so many people. I wish him and his family all the best in his retirement.
HONORING THE HEROISM OF CAPTAIN E. ROYCE WILLIAMS, USN (RET.) OF ESCONDIDO
Darrell Issa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-1-17

on January 20, 2023, the Secretary of the U.S. Navy will present Escondido, California resident and retired Navy Captain E. Royce Williams the Navy Cross--an appropriate recognition and award upgrade that was more than 70 years in the making. On November 18, 1952, Williams engaged and won the greatest overwater aerial dogfight ever--although for decades, it was officially declared by the Pentagon as having never happened. prgtoken Fortunately, the incredible story of Royce Williams is now being told--and the Forgotten Hero of the Forgotten War is forgotten no longer. This is history every American should know. prgtoken On that day in 1952, Captain Williams and 3 additional American pilots--flying the F9F-5 Panther--engaged 7 Soviet MiGs in a fierce dogfight over the Sea of Japan and the coast of North Korea. During the combat, 2 of the American planes were forced to disengage due to mechanical failures while the other pursued Williams' first downed enemy plane. Opting not to turn away and inevitably endanger his fellow pilots and the entire crew of his carrier, Williams instead turned and faced the remaining 6 Soviet aircraft alone. prgtoken Against all but impossible odds, and because of his skill, daring, and indomitable courage, only 2 MiGs returned to base. Williams shot down the others. prgtoken The stakes could not have been higher. If Williams had not prevailed, his fellow pilots and the sailors aboard his carrier could have been lost and the history of the Korean War and even the Cold War would be very different. prgtoken His plane sustained 263 holes and a foot-long gash--but the only injury Williams sustained was a bloody neck chafed by his gear. prgtoken He piloted his heavily damaged plane and returned to the carrier USS Oriskany, where, unable to slow his descent, he landed dead center of the runway but at 170 knots and miraculously engaged the number 3 wire. prgtoken Because of the implications of a ``hot'' engagement in 1952 between the United States and the Soviet Union, official records credited Williams with only a single kill, 1 damaged enemy, and he was awarded the Silver Star. The true account of his actions was classified, and Williams was asked--and agreed--to alter his story for the public and keep the true account secret. prgtoken Convinced this was a story that needed to be told, Operation Just Reward was formed by Royce Williams' determined friends and fellow pilots: Doniphan B. Shelton, RADM, USN (Ret.), Greg ``Chaser'' Keithley, Peter Rolf Ohnstad, Tammy Sande, Ed ``Dragon'' Riley, Kim A. Merrill, Chuck Sweeney, Steve Lewandowski, Chris Yates, and Howard Darter. I am honored to have been invited to join this campaign on behalf of history's true account of America's true Top Gun--and for Royce Williams to gain this recognition that he has not sought, but so richly deserves.
HOMETOWN HERO--ANNA SALTON EISEN
Beth Van Duyne (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-1-17

I rise to recognize Anna Salton Eisen, a founding member of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville. After the hostage situation at the synagogue, Anna became a champion for speaking out against antisemitism. prgtoken Anna has spoken across Texas to educate communities about the history of antisemitism. She is the daughter of 2 Holocaust survivors and has continually researched the Holocaust and its legacies. The attack at Congregation Beth Israel gave her the opportunity to use her knowledge of antisemitism and its historical context to make a difference in our community and communities across the nation. Anna will attend this year's White House Hanukkah Ceremony to be an advocate and representative of the Jewish Community in North Texas. prgtoken I commend Anna, for helping lead our community to recovery following the attack and for all she does to speak out against antisemitism.