mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REQUEST TO CONSIDER H.R. 18, NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT
Blake D. Moore (Republican, UT) \u2014 2021-7-1

I stand in support of H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. prgtoken For nearly half a century, s and shared a bipartisan position that we should not use taxpayer dollars to fund abortions. Unfortunately, have now changed their mind. prgtoken , it is imperative that we codify the Hyde amendment, which protects the conscience rights of all Americans. We must also continue working across the aisle on solutions for low-income mothers and children, including housing, childcare, and healthcare to ensure every child is given equal opportunities, no matter the circumstances of their conception or birth. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
HONORING THE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE OF BISHOP MICHAEL SHERIDAN
Doug Lamborn (Republican, CO) \u2014 2021-7-1

. Madam , I rise to honor the leadership and service of Bishop Michael Sheridan in the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colorado. prgtoken When Bishop Sheridan arrived in Colorado Springs from Saint Louis in 2002, the diocese was still considered mission territory. Over the past two decades, Bishop Sheridan has worked tirelessly to ensure that, no matter where they live in the diocese, Catholics are served by a parish and a pastor. Under his leadership, several new parishes were established, and where existing churches were inadequate to serve the growing Catholic population, new ones were built. prgtoken More importantly, Bishop Sheridan has overseen a robust vocations program that has attracted many seminarians, resulting in the ordination of new priests nearly every year since 2010. prgtoken Bishop Sheridan is also known as an incredibly effective communicator and teacher of the Catholic faith. For over 10 years, he hosted a weekly radio show in which he interviewed a wide variety of Church leaders, theologians, authors, and other experts. This outreach provided an invaluable opportunity for Catholics in Colorado to gain deeper knowledge of the issues facing the church locally and around the world. prgtoken Bishop Sheridan is passionate about Catholic education, and he did everything in his power to support and strengthen Catholic schools in the diocese. Notably, he made sure that tuition assistance was available for families who had limited financial resources but wanted a Catholic education for their children. He also worked with local leaders of all faiths to support school choice so that all parents could have access to the best educational options for their children. prgtoken Bishop Sheridan has been a strong advocate for the poor and marginalized, and he has never flinched in the face of pressure to abandon or hide our brothers and sisters in need. In one of his most important accomplishments, Bishop Sheridan played an enormous role in the construction of Marian House soup kitchen in 2008, and the adjacent Hanifen Center in 2009. Those two facilities have served hundreds of thousands of people since their opening with meals, emergency aid, employment assistance, and many other services. prgtoken Under Bishop Sheridan's leadership, the diocese has also expanded its Respect Life Apostolate, which works to protect life from conception to natural death. This includes supporting mothers in crisis pregnancies with baby items and adoption services, advocating for pro-life legislation on the local and national levels, and working to expand outreach to those who are imprisoned or homebound. prgtoken Leaders are also judged by how they manage during difficult times. During his tenure, Bishop Sheridan led the faithful of a church that has been shaken by revelations of past mistakes. He has led during a time when the church is criticized both for defending itself and for advocating for its beliefs. He also helped navig
REJECT PARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE PROPOSAL
Fred Keller (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-7-1

every 5 years, this body deliberates a surface transportation reauthorization, which is traditionally a bipartisan effort to deliver improvements to America's infrastructure, like roads, bridges, highways, and transit. prgtoken Unfortunately, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are stripping this bill of its bipartisan roots in favor of their my-way- or-the-highway plan that is riddled with Green New Deal priorities, wasteful spending, and a clear prioritization of urban America over rural America. prgtoken The ' bill provides an estimated $307 billion for Green New Deal-related mandates, ties the hands of States to address their unique projects, fails to streamline the project delivery process, and pulls resources away from programs upon which rural communities rely. prgtoken That is a losing deal for every American waiting for real improvement to prgtoken infrastructure they use every day, and it is a losing deal for our kids and grandkids who will be forced to foot the bill. prgtoken We must reject this harmful proposal and work together on a bipartisan surface transportation bill that meets the mark for every American who relies on our Nation's transportation systems.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MR. DALE EDWARD WHITEHEAD
Diana Harshbarger (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-7-1

. Madam , I rise to recognize Mr. Dale Edward Whitehead, prgtoken who recently lost his battle with lung cancer after spending his life serving his community and his country. Dale graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences before going on to graduate from the University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business with a Master's Degree in Business Administration. He also attended the United States Defense Language Institute, where he was awarded an Associate of Arts Degree in Arabic. prgtoken Dale served as a Cryptologic Arabic Linguist, Sergeant E-5 in the United States Marine Corps from 1999 to 2004. Dale not only honorably served his country in Iraq, he was at the forefront of the search for weapons of mass destruction in Operation Iraqi Freedom. For his brave service, Dale was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (with Combat ``V''), the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal, the Presidential Unit Citation-Navy, and the Marine Corps Rifle Badge (Sharpshooter). After his return from Iraq, Dale worked as a program manager for 6 years for Poole & Associates as well as SAIC. In 2010, Dale joined General Dynamics where he became a Senior Program Manager and ultimately rose to the level of Director. prgtoken In 2014, Dale played an important role in Range Generation Next (RGNext) (a joint venture of General Dynamics IT and Raytheon) in bidding and winning the United States Airforce's Launch and Test Range Integrated Services Contract valued at $2 billion. The contract provided a sole prime contractor responsible for operations, organizational and depot-level maintenance as well as sustainment at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Vandenberg Air Force Base. This was a significant and transformational contract which included the engineering support to all Space launch activities. RGNext was awarded this contract in April of 2015, and Dale was subsequently appointed as Deputy Program Manager of the contract. In this role he focused on mission and program leadership, organizational development, new business change proposals, and day to day management activities of the broad contract. Dale excelled in working with people and enjoyed the comradery of building successful teams in the workplace. His RGNext co- workers have shared with me that his constant mentorship helped them professionally and personally and they will forever be better for it. prgtoken As a non-smoker and fitness advocate with no family cancer history, it is strongly suspected by his doctors that Dale's terminal lung cancer was most likely due to his exposure to Yellow Cake Uranium and Burn Pit toxicities during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dale's life underscores the need for the U.S. government to support veterans like him, who have been exposed to dangerous agen
IN HONOR OF CAPTAIN ROBERT ``BUZZ'' BUSWELL AS TENNESSEE'S SECOND DISTRICT VETERAN OF THE MONTH
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2021-7-1

. Madam , I rise to honor Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam War veteran Captain Robert ``Buzz'' Buswell as Tennessee's Second District Veteran of the Month. prgtoken Captain Buswell enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968 as a first lieutenant. In 1970, his platoon was attacked in Cambodia by enemy forces and he sustained extensive injuries. He was hospitalized for 19 months and received 27 surgeries. He fought for his recovery and even had to relearn how to walk. He retired from the military as a captain in 1972. prgtoken Buswell, whose father was a career officer in the U.S. Air Force, met his wife Donna in their high school glee club in New Hampshire. They have a son and a daughter. prgtoken Captain Buswell received numerous medals and commendations for his service, including the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with ``V'' Device, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Just this year, Buswell was chosen as one of the nation's 2021 Purple Heart Patriot Project honorees. prgtoken After his military service, he earned his Master's Degree in education and spent many years serving East Tennessee communities. He worked for the Boys & Girls Club, the Knox County Fire Prevention Bureau, and served as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Hurricane Katrina ombudsman for Knoxville and Knox County. In 2012, when I was mayor, I had the honor of working alongside Buswell when he took the position of Knox County's veteran service officer. He continues that work today as the county's Director of Veteran and Senior Services. prgtoken If there's a veteran issue, program or event taking place in East Tennessee, it's almost certain that Buswell is involved. He is an active member in numerous veteran organizations. These include being a Life Member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion. He helped charter the Vietnam Veterans of America Captain Bill Robinson Chapter 1078. His service to fellow veterans also includes involvement with the Veterans Regional Mental Health Council, Honor Air Knoxville, and Wreaths Across America. Through the United Veterans Council of East Tennessee he established a program serving hundreds of veterans free breakfast on Saturdays. prgtoken Captain Buzz Buswell is a true American hero. He sacrificed to protect our country and fight for our freedoms. And he's spent countless hours taking care of fellow veterans, making sure they have the support they need and the recognition they deserve. prgtoken I thank him for his service. It's an honor to call him my friend.
ENDING CRISIS OF CRIME ON CITY STREETS
Troy E. Nehls (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-1

there is a crisis of crime on our city streets. Violent crime is up double digits in Seattle, Portland, Austin, Oakland, and major cities across our great country. prgtoken The increase in violent crime is the predictable result of liberal cities defunding and undermining their law enforcement, like in Austin, Texas, where the far-left city council cut $150 million from their police budget. What did we see weeks later? A doubling in the number of murders. prgtoken Just this week, the police chief of Oakland, California, begged publicly for the city council not to cut the police department budget because it would result in more crime. prgtoken When you cut law enforcement budgets, you reduce the number of law enforcement officers. When you reduce the number of law enforcement officers, more criminals will be on the streets. prgtoken This is not rocket science. Stop attacking, undermining, and defunding law enforcement, and the crisis of crime will stop being a crisis.
RECOGNIZING THE RAILROAD COMMISSION OF TEXAS' 130TH ANNIVERSARY
Van Taylor (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-1

. Madam , today, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Railroad Commission of Texas on its 130th anniversary. prgtoken Established in 1891 by the Texas Constitution, the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) was created for the purpose preventing discrimination in railroad charges and establishing reasonable tariffs. As the first regulatory agency created in the State of Texas, their primary responsibility included covering rates and operations of railroads, terminals, wharves and express companies. prgtoken In 1917, the Texas Legislature expanded the Commission's authority after declaring pipelines to be common carriers, thereby providing the agency the ability to administer conservation laws related to oil and gas. In March 1919, their jurisdiction would once again increase to include pipeline safety as well as the safety of alternative fuels, natural gas utilities, and the surface mining of coal and uranium. prgtoken In the decades which would follow, the RRC's authority evolved to meet the needs of our rapidly growing state. While its rail functions have since been transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation, the Commission's oversight has extended to include not only oil and gas exploration and production, but also pipeline transporters, the natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations. prgtoken In recent years, the Commission has modernized technology for increased efficiency and has expanded transparency by providing the public with needed tools to access agency information. Further, the dedicated efforts of its professionals have contributed to the streamlining of operations while promoting increased innovation and energy independence. prgtoken For over 130 years the Railroad Commission of Texas has maintained a unified and focused mission of protecting the public, environment, and economy of Texas. As the oil and gas industry continues to be an essential component of Texas' success story, I congratulate the Railroad Commission of Texas and its employees on this milestone anniversary and wish them continued success as they continue to protect the state's natural resources, environment, and public safety.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-7-1

I rise to express my support for the INVEST Act which finally, at long last, includes robust funding for roads, bridges, rail, and new incentives to address climate change equity and most importantly job creation. However, I want to clearly state my deep concerns for an amendment adopted by the House, which creates a so-called North Atlantic Rail Interstate Compact to control the development of high-speed rail. prgtoken I share the intent of the authors of the amendment to support high- speed rail throughout the Northeast. Connecticut and the Northeast region are home to some of the most densely-populated areas of the country, which are served well by mass transit, and high-speed rail would have significant positive impacts for our region and our nation as a whole. That is why I am proud to support the underlying bill, which triples funding to Amtrak and provides a 500 percent increase in the funding dedicated to improving high speed and passenger rail. The resources provided in the INVEST Act signal an unprecedented opportunity for the New England region, at the state and federal levels, to work together with common purpose to build on the work already being done to expand rail service in the northeast. prgtoken I remain concerned, however, about an amendment added to En Bloc No. 1 to establish a North Atlantic Rail compact. While I appreciate the goals of this proposal, I believe that it is duplicative of existing interstate regional rail efforts and short-circuits established cooperative long term rail planning in the region. The North Atlantic Rail compact has as a goal a multi-phase rail development vision for the northeast that includes initial ``early action'' projects, many of which are already under development, and longer term goals of a cross- Long Island Sound tunnel and a new right of away across the rural communities of eastern Connecticut. Notably, many of these longer term goals reflect previously considered plans for rail expansion in the northeast and contradicts already-completed environmental assessments for existing high-speed rail plans and could cause significant negative environmental impacts in our region. prgtoken The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has already done extensive study on many of the concepts listed in the North Atlantic Rail plan which have been ruled out as part of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) FUTURE comprehensive plan for the route from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts. The existing NEC FUTURE plan has taken years of work with stakeholders with thousands of public comments and has met crucial environmental milestones to move forward. As noted by Amtrak in a June 28, 2021 letter to the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee opposing the underlying compact proposal in the amendment, ``Amtrak, state DOTs, the NEC Commission and FRA already have the institutional capabilities, the collaborative framework and the requisite rights to advance hi
HONORING REVEREND CURTIS WEST HARRIS
A. Donald McEachin (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-7-1

. Madam , I rise today to honor the Reverend Curtis West , for whom a post office in my district is being named next week following enactment of H.R. 3847 last year. He was an influential and well-respected member of our community, who fought for social justice all his life. prgtoken Reverend was a trailblazer. Born in Dendron, Virginia, on July 1, 1924, Reverend attended Virginia Union University in Richmond and then began work at Allied Chemical in Hopewell. During his time there, Reverend served as a union shop steward and worked to promote diversity by advocating for the employment of African Americans in positions beyond janitors. When met with opposition, Reverend sued Allied Chemical for violating regulations prohibiting discrimination. prgtoken Ordained as a Baptist minister in 1959, Reverend continued his fight for social justice. In 1960, he was sentenced to sixty days in jail for staging a sit-in at a segregated drugstore in Hopewell. Reverend was arrested over a dozen times for peaceful protest and civil disobedience. prgtoken Reverend joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's (SCLC) national board and would eventually become the leader of the SCLC's Virginia Chapter for over thirty years. During his time with the SCLC, Reverend became one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s top lieutenants, marching with Dr. King from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. In 1966, Reverend organized a march to fight plans for a landfill in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Hopewell, ultimately coming face to face with the Ku Klux Klan at the steps of the Hopewell City Hall. prgtoken In addition to his service with the SCLC, he served in leadership roles for the Hopewell Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, at the Virginia Council on Human Relations, and with numerous organizations. prgtoken Reverend was highly respected within his community. He was active in local politics, serving as an elected member of the Hopewell City Council for over 25 years, and eventually as Hopewell's first Black mayor. prgtoken Throughout his time in public service, Reverend fought tirelessly for civil rights and educational and environmental justice. prgtoken On December 10, 2017, Reverend Curtis died at the age of 93. He was buried in Appomattox Cemetery, which he fought to integrate in 1960. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life and accomplishments of Reverend Curtis West and in celebrating the renaming of the post office in Hopewell in his honor.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-7-1

as the senior Texas Member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I strongly support House passage of H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act. I inserted numerous provisions into the bill, including one to establish a grants program in the Department of Transportation to develop transportation workforce training programs for workers adversely affected by industry automation, and another to assist communities to retrofit transportation infrastructure that creates obstacles to their mobility and employment opportunities to provide greater transportation equity. prgtoken The INVEST in America Act authorizes a tremendous funding boost to our nation's surface transportation and infrastructure system, providing just under $550 billion over five years and bringing over $27 billion to my state of Texas. In addition to highways, roads and bridges, the bill makes a substantive investment in our nation's transit system as well as our passenger and freight rail system, and makes great strides to improve environmentally friendly policies by encouraging and funding alternative modes of transportation and decreasing traffic congestion to reduce carbon emissions and the harmful effects of climate change. Moreover, according to the Council of Economic Advisors, for every $1 billion in Federal highway and transit investment, approximately 13,000 well-paying domestic jobs are supported for one year. prgtoken With respect to funding for passenger and freight rail, the bill provides a total of $95 billion in authorized funding, while specifically: prgtoken Tripling funding for Amtrak to $32 billion. prgtoken Providing funding for corridor planning and development of high-speed rail projects such as the Texas Central project, a proposed high-speed rail line between Dallas and Houston. prgtoken Improving rail safety by addressing highway-rail grade crossings needs, requiring additional rail safety inspectors, addressing trespasser and suicide fatalities, and eliminating gaps in railroad safety. prgtoken My congressional district, Texas' 30th, includes the International Inland Port of Dallas (IIPOD), an intermodal and logistics district that encompasses 7,500 acres and five municipalities while supporting over 17,000 jobs. The Dallas Inland Port is also supported by Union Pacific, who added an intermodal terminal nearly 20 years ago to increase Class I's Dallas/Ft. Worth container capacity. The Union Pacific Dallas Intermodal Terminal also provides intermodal access to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. prgtoken The freight railroads invest $25 billion per year of their own private money into their networks and are critical partners in efforts to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Given the importance of freight rail, not only to the Inland Port of Dallas but to ports nationwide, I encourage the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to continue to work with the freight railroad industr