mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE OF BOBBY ALLEN
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2024-4-18

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Bobby Allen. Bobby was one of Jersey's best, a hero who put others first as a firefighter and an advocate for his brothers and sisters of labor. He recently passed away after a valiant fight with cancer. prgtoken Bobby started his career with the Paterson Fire Department in 1992. He was among the brave first responders on September 11. prgtoken In recent years, he became a labor leader, serving as president of FMBA Local 2 and chairman of NJFMBA's legislative committee for more than a decade. prgtoken Bobby will live on through his beloved relationships and big personality and those who loved him in the firefighter community, his family, of course, all of his friends, and the legislation he championed, which improved the lives of thousands of career firefighters and retirees. Because of his advocacy for the FIRE Act, firefighters nationwide are safer and better equipped to protect our communities. prgtoken As we mourn the loss of Bobby Allen, we think of his wife, Marianne; his parents, retired Paterson Battalion Chief Edward Allen and Peggy; and his many other friends and family members. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Bobby Allen.
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED-- Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-4-18

I would like to thank my colleague from Texas and say to those who have witnessed this: This came dangerously close to an actual debate on the Senate floor--a bipartisan debate-- that happens so seldom that those who witness it should probably call their friends. prgtoken Seriously, I respect the Senator from Texas. Though we may disagree on some aspects of this, I respect his presentation and thank him for answering the questions. prgtoken . prgtoken .
CALLING FOR RENEWED INVESTMENT IN THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM
Greg Landsman (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2024-4-18

I rise today to call for a renewed investment in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is set to expire this month. prgtoken The ACP has helped over 23 million households that have received affordable broadband internet. prgtoken In my district alone, that is one in four people who depend on the ACP for internet access. This access is so important. It allows people to work from home, children to do their homework, people to get healthcare online, and everyone to participate in our digital economy, all without prohibitive costs. prgtoken This investment is about more than just internet access. It is about opportunity and equality and strengthening our economy. prgtoken Continuing to fund the ACP would have bipartisan and overwhelming support when brought to the floor. Millions will be left without internet access if we don't, so I urge the to bring this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to sign the discharge petition, which will be here today.
PROHIBITING THE USE OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER, OR ENFORCE CERTAIN RULES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2024-4-18

I am delighted to join my colleagues here to support the EPA's new tailpipe emissions standards. Rhode Island has long ridden along with California on its emissions standards, and we are delighted to see the EPA following along with strong anti-pollution emissions standards. prgtoken Among the many benefits of this is that we will start to head off the climate dangers that we are facing. There are enumerable reports about the economic threats that America faces as a result of unconstrained climate change. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that both articles from the recent ``The Economist'' magazine that open with a lead, sort of editorial-type article, and then have the solid full article, be printed in the Record at the end of my remarks. prgtoken In talking about climate change--to use the article's words--it is shaking the foundations of the world's biggest asset class, and it is looking at, potentially, 25 trillion dollars' worth of global economic damage as homes become uninsurable because climate change makes them uninsurable. prgtoken But the real thing is that this will come home for American consumers. The quicker we can get off fossil fuel, the safer Americans will be in their pocketbooks as well. prgtoken This is the way gasoline prices have looked back since 1978. They have bounced all over the place. Why do they go all over the place? They go all over the place because the prices are not set by a market. The prices are set by an individual cartel--a cartel of international entities, most of whom are not friends of the United States--that can simply decide to stop production and juice prices, and you can see over and over again where prices have juiced. The last time was immediately after Putin went into Ukraine. On cue, the fossil fuel industry raised prices dramatically. American companies that were not directly affected rode along with the price increase. They just took the international price, and they made the biggest profits, I think, any company has ever seen. So consumers get gouged by an international cartel that manipulates our gasoline prices. prgtoken We can get off of that with American-made renewable energy--from the Sun, from the wind, from batteries, from geothermal, from nuclear--you name it. We get off of the international cartel's fossil fuel roller coaster, which we do not control. We will never ever ever, as a country, have energy independence while our prices for a product depend on how an international cartel behaves. So this is a really, really important step. prgtoken As Senator Stabenow said representing Michigan: The car companies support this; labor unions support this; consumers support this. It is expected to provide $99 billion in net benefits to consumers through 2025, and that includes $46 billion in reduced annual fuel costs. So, if you want to know who this benefits and who is on the other side, it is the people who are going to lose $46 billion i
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED-- Continued
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2024-4-18

this Saturday marks a solemn anniversary in Colorado--the solemn anniversary of a moment that shattered our children's sense of safety and has forever scarred our Nation's memory. prgtoken It has been 25 years this week since the Columbine High School shooting, where 12 students and a teacher were murdered and many others were left with life-altering injuries. None of us left without the impact of that day. prgtoken Columbine changed our State forever. I think it changed the country forever. We all remember where we were the day it happened. I certainly do. We remember the lives that were lost on April 20, 1999. Twelve young Coloradans never had the chance to graduate from high school, go to college, get married, start a family. prgtoken Rachel Scott was killed when she was eating lunch outside with a friend. She was planning on going on a mission trip to Botswana and dreamed of becoming an actress. She was 17 years old. prgtoken Danny Rohrbough was 15. Every year, Danny saved the money he earned from working at his family's wheat farm in the summer to buy Christmas presents for his friends and family--just another American kid gunned down on his way to lunch, still holding the Dr. Pepper he had bought from the vending machine. prgtoken Kyle Velasquez, age 16, was a new student at Columbine. He had developmental disabilities, and he had just started attending school for a full day. He would have been on his way home from school if the shooting had happened just a week earlier than it did. prgtoken The youngest victim, Steven Curnow, was only 14 years old. He dreamt at that young age of becoming a Navy pilot. prgtoken Cassie Bernall, 17, was a new student at Columbine. After a few tough years of high school, she was finally thriving and excited for what was next. prgtoken Isaiah Shoels, 18 years old, was a senior about ready to graduate. He had overcome a heart defect to play football and wrestle in high school. prgtoken Matthew Kechter, a straight-A student and also a football player, was remembered by his parents as a wonderful role model for his younger siblings. He was just 16. prgtoken Lauren Townsend was 18 and was the captain of the volleyball team. She loved to volunteer at the local animal shelter. prgtoken John Tomlin was killed. He was 17. He was in the library at Columbine, where he was trying to comfort other students. prgtoken Kelly Fleming was 16. She was also a new student at Columbine. She loved to write poetry. prgtoken Daniel Mauser was 15 years old. He was a Boy Scout and a piano player who had just mustered the courage to join the school's debate team. prgtoken Corey DePooter, 17, was described as an all-American kid who worked hard in school and was someone his classmates loved to be around. prgtoken Those were the students who died that day. And we can't ever forget Dave Sanders and the contribution he made--a teacher, a father, and a grandfather. He was a hero that day. He saved 100 stu
REFORMING INTELLIGENCE AND SECURING AMERICA ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED-- Continued
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2024-4-18

from Alaska and really appreciate her remarks. Affordable Connectivity Program prgtoken , one of the rays of hope we have in this Congress is the bipartisan accomplishment of the past several years to build out broadband high-speed internet across the country, from Vermont to Alaska and everywhere in prgtoken between. And that was because this Congress, on a bipartisan basis, made a decision--a decision that is similar to what was made by this Congress in the 1930s, when electricity was becoming widely available. prgtoken We decided that it was absolutely essential for the well-being of our country and all of the citizens in urban and rural America that they have access to high-speed internet. And we built out that broadband network that made it within reach. prgtoken We also committed ourselves to a program called the Affordable Connectivity Program, which is really modest but incredibly important. And what it understands is that you may be a person with really low income in Pennsylvania or in Vermont or in Alaska, where the internet that has been constructed is right out in front of your mobile home or your home, wherever it is you live, but you can't afford to connect. So having the internet cable go by but you can't connect your home means you don't have internet. prgtoken And the Affordable Connectivity Program--a bipartisan program--is used by 23 million households, by 4 million veterans. And it is the difference between them being able to connect and get the benefit of high-speed internet or not. prgtoken And it makes such a difference because that internet is used by all of us. It might be to do your job. It might be to apply for a job. It might be for kids to do homework. It might be to get an appointment with a doctor through telehealth, something that is really important in rural America. That is the good news. prgtoken The dangerous news is that the Affordable Connectivity Program that is that lifeline for our veterans, for our seniors, and for our low- income folks is going to expire in a matter of weeks. And we have the opportunity and, I believe, the responsibility to extend the Affordability Connectivity Program so that people will be able to maintain access. prgtoken As I mentioned, more than 23.3 million American households have subscribed in the ACP, about 26,000 households in my State of Vermont. About 10.6 million subscribers are over the age of 50. And half the households that benefit are considered military families. prgtoken I mentioned 4 million veterans. A December 2023 survey of ACP subscribers reported that 77 percent said they used the program to schedule or attend healthcare appointments, and nearly 330,000 ACP subscribers live on Tribal lands. prgtoken You know, one of the keys to the bipartisan support is that this helps the citizens that all of us represent, whether you are in a red district or a blue district, a
IN MEMORY OF SAKAYE ARATANI
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-4-18

. Madam , today I rise to recognize a profound loss in the Japanese-American community, the passing of Sakaye Aratani. prgtoken Her death coincides with an ever-dwindling number of adult Japanese- Americans, who endured the injustice of being forcibly removed from their homes and imprisoned in World War II internment camps here in the United States. prgtoken She and her late husband, George Aratani, made a remarkable, successful post-war journey in business and became important philanthropic figures within the Japanese-American community and beyond. prgtoken Every year, I would see her at community gatherings for various Japanese-American organizations that she and her husband supported, and, every year, I was struck by her grace, elegance, and intelligence. prgtoken My heart goes out to the Aratani family, and I join with the rest of the Japanese-American community in mourning her passing.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2024-4-18

yesterday, the Senate set a very important precedent that impeachment should be reserved only for high crimes and misdemeanors and not for settling policy disagreements. prgtoken That is what is the impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas was from the start: a policy dispute, frankly, to help on the campaign trail. It did not meet the high standard required by the Constitution to remove someone from office. I am very glad the Senate worked its will to set these charges aside. The prudence and cool judgment the Senate showed yesterday is what the Framers would have wanted. They didn't want impeachment to be used for every policy dispute--when you don't agree with a Cabinet minister or Cabinet secretary, you impeach them. That would have created chaos in the executive branch and here in the Senate, because the House could just throw over impeachment after impeachment; and if you have to have a whole big trial on every one of them, the Senate could be ground to a halt. prgtoken So let me repeat what I said yesterday. We felt it was very important to set a precedent that impeachment should never--never be used to settle policy disagreements. We are supposed to have debates on the issues, not impeachments on the issues. prgtoken Let me repeat that; it is such an important concept, and I am so glad we stood firm yesterday: We are supposed to have debates on the issues, not impeachments on the issues. We are not supposed to say that whenever you disagree with someone on policy, that that is a high crime and misdemeanor. Can you imagine the kind of chaos and damage that would create? As I said, the House could paralyze the Senate with frivolous trials, particularly when one party had the House and the other had the Senate. It would degrade Government, and it, frankly, degrades impeachment which is reserved--rarely--for high crimes and misdemeanors. prgtoken To show how unprecedented what the House did was, no Cabinet Secretary has been impeached for over--since--I think it was 1867. And even in that case, he resigned before the trial. It was never intended to happen. But, unfortunately, the hard, radical right in the House is just so intent on paralyzing government, creating chaos in government, even destroying government, that they don't care. But we in prgtoken the Senate on our side of the aisle did care. My guess is a lot of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle cared too. prgtoken If my colleagues on the other side want to talk about immigration, welcome that debate--welcome it. We should debate border bills, like the ones s blocked here on the floor. That is how you fix the border--with bipartisan legislation. Impeachment would have accomplished nothing.
TRIBUTE TO DIANNE RENNACK
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-4-18

I rise today to honor Dianne E. Rennack, specialist in foreign policy at the Congressional Research Service-- CRS--for her distinguished career in service to Congress. Ms. Rennack retired on March 29 after more than 39 years with CRS, during which time she has made exceptional contributions to Congress as an expert on sanctions policy and foreign affairs legislation. Ms. Rennack has called Maryland home for many decades, making it a home for her family. She has dedicated her time to Maryland through volunteer work at Shephard's Table and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, once being named Volunteer of the Year. prgtoken Since 1985, Ms. Rennack has informed Congress on some of the most important foreign policy issues of our time. Congressional committees have relied on her nonpartisan sanctions policy expertise to shape legislation and inform their oversight activities. Her knowledge of executive-legislative branch relations and general foreign policy authorities has been a critical resource for Congress and long made her a pillar of the institutional memory of Congress prgtoken For years, Ms. Rennack was the driving force behind updates to the Legislation on Foreign Relations compendium, a resource used across the foreign policy community. She provided leadership at crucial times in CRS history, serving 3 years as head of FDT's foreign policy management and global issues section. Ms. Rennack is also known among her colleagues for her commitment to substantive collaboration and mentoring. Her dedication to sharing with junior colleagues the expertise she has earned over nearly four decades of service will have a lasting impact on the work of Congress. prgtoken Throughout her career, Ms. Rennack has personified CRS's mission of providing authoritative, objective, nonpartisan, and timely service to Congress. In recognition of her wide-ranging achievements on behalf of the Congress, she received the CRS Directors Award in 2019 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2024. prgtoken In conclusion, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Dianne Rennack for her outstanding contributions to the Senate community and the country and offer her best wishes in her retirement.
PROHIBITING THE USE OF FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT, ADMINISTER, OR ENFORCE CERTAIN RULES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2024-4-18

I am here today to defend the Environmental Protection Agency's vehicle emissions standards-- standards that will cut air pollution to tackle the climate crisis, protect public health, and save drivers money at the pump. These standards for passenger vehicles, cars, SUVs and light trucks will help us accelerate toward our climate targets and put the brakes on our dependence on fossil fuels. prgtoken Last year, we imported 8.5 million barrels of oil every single day, of petroleum products, including gasoline, while simultaneously exporting more than 10 million barrels a day. prgtoken But do you want to hear something? Do you know who we were importing oil from? Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman. And what does this proposal do that the s want to propound here? It is to say: No, we are not going to move to an electric vehicle future. No, we don't want to, in any way, send a signal that we are a technological giant, as the United States, and we are going to back out that imported oil so that we are not contributing those petrodollars to those nations which are ultimately intent on undermining stability. prgtoken So this dependence on fossil fuels, traded on the global market and imported into our country, puts drivers at the whim of OPEC. It puts them at the whim of those who are driven by profiteering. It allows Big Oil CEOs to turn drivers upside down at the pump and shake money out of their pockets. prgtoken Why do we continue this? We are technological giants. We have an all- electric vehicle future, a hybrid future for our Nation and for the world. Are we going to lead on that or retreat, because that is what is being proposed here? prgtoken Gas guzzling cars aren't just bad for drivers; they are bad for all of us. According to the EPA, the transportation sector accounts for 29 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming--actually, the largest single source of climate warming emissions in the United States. And the EPA has a legal, statutory responsibility to set strong clean power standards to help us put this crisis in the rearview mirror. prgtoken The final clean car rules are estimated to avoid more than 7 billion metric tons of carbon pollution, equivalent to four times the emissions from the entire transportation sector. This is the single most significant rule we have ever seen in our fight to tackle the climate crisis--more than any other rule in the history of the United States. That is a big deal. That is something to be proud of, and that is something that is worth protecting from political attacks. prgtoken In addition to building a livable future, this rule will also save lives right now, providing $13 billion in annual health benefits as a result of reduced air pollution. The clean cars rule isn't banning gas cars, but it is expected to help supercharge our already booming sales of hybrid and all-electric vehicles. These final rules are technically fe
RECOGNIZING THE BICENTENNIAL OF WILLIAMS COUNTY, OHIO
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2024-4-18

I rise to recognize a very historic occasion for the people of Williams County, ``nestled in the extreme Northwest corner of Ohio.'' The community will begin a weekend of celebration to commemorate the milestone. prgtoken Williams County was named for David Williams, a Revolutionary War hero involved in the capture of British officer Major John Andre. Originally encompassing a larger area of Northwest Ohio, Williams County was part of territory set aside for Native American people in the Treaty of Greenville. Part of the territory was also disputed between Ohio and Michigan, a dispute settled in 1836 which placed the county in Ohio. prgtoken The land was part of the ``Great Black Swamp'' and was the last in Ohio to be settled. Because it was swampland, the earliest settlers faced severe hardship with travel, farming, and insects. Towering native trees blocked sunlight, and conditions were harsh. Yet these hardy Ohioans persevered, turning this corner of Northwest Ohio into an abundant fertile watershed. prgtoken The Williams County Courthouse, today on the National Registry of Historic places, was completed in 1891. It replaced an original log structure and one completed in 1845. The latter was considered the best such structure in Northwest Ohio at that time. prgtoken With rail and telegraph came opportunities for trade and development, leading to ``vibrant economic growth of the 1800's and 1900's, through to the diversified local economy of today,'' according to the history. Today, Williams County is home to 2,399 businesses including 111 manufacturing companies offering solid employment and good wages for a diverse and skilled workforce. Famously, Williams County is home to Ohio Art--and Etch-A-Sketch--and Spangler Candy which originated and produces Dum Dum lollipops and other nostalgic treats. prgtoken Williams County, Ohio is made up of hardy farmers and pleasant towns including Alvordton, Blakeslee, Bryan, Edgerton, Edon, Holiday City, Kunkle, Lake Seneca, Melbern, Montpelier, Nettle Lake, Pioneer, Pulaski, and Williams Center: lovely communities all. prgtoken Well known to most Ohioans is the late Ohio State University football coach Woody Hayes. Coach Hayes said, ``I speak at a lot of banquets in small towns, because small towns have so many great people.'' I couldn't agree with him more. I have been privileged to represent Williams County and can attest to the character and kindness of its people. As they take a peek at yesteryear during a weekend of ceremonial and enjoyable events, I know they also look to the future with hope and celebration. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and we build the community forward together. prgtoken Onward.