mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FEDERAL DISASTER TAX RELIEF ACT OF 2023
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-5-21

I thank Chairman Smith for helping us with our legislation all this time here, and I am very grateful also to Mr. Steube for allowing our bill to be piggybacked with his in this effort here, as well as H.R. 7024, Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which is still waiting over in the Senate. I hope we can get that one passed, but I am grateful for everybody to join this effort here today in a strong, bipartisan effort to move this narrower, very important disaster relief package to help people all across the country, as has been said. prgtoken , , Mr. Thompson of California, so much for our partnership on this. It has taken some time, but we are getting there. I am glad to see it. prgtoken With the losses we have suffered along with our constituents-- especially our constituents, of course--it is very painful to see and not be able to go back to them and say we have gotten a result. prgtoken My own constituents, I commend them. I am grateful for them. They have been very patient, the victims of the Camp fire where 85 lives were lost, the victims of the Zogg fire, my neighbors down there in the Santa Rosa area, and of course, my good friend, Ms. Tokuda. Lahaina suffered an even greater loss of life than what we had in Paradise, which was a record. We don't want to set records. We want to get results. prgtoken It has been a great partnership on top of disaster and heartache. prgtoken Just picture this, though, as I talk about Paradise: You wake up in the morning, and you hear there is a fire. All of a sudden, there is an evacuation. People are crowding the narrow roadways, trying to get up the hill or down the hill out of town, barely making it in some cases, scorched vehicles, tires on fire, all of that. prgtoken They are seeing in their rearview mirrors their neighborhood engulfed in flames and their houses burning down with all their mementos, as was mentioned, in them. prgtoken They are wondering: Did their neighbor get out? Did the elderly lady up the street get out? Thank goodness there was a firefighter or neighbor that maybe helped that lady get out just in time, so there was not even a bigger loss of life. prgtoken The resilience of these folks in the fires that I have had in my district and my neighbors in our neighboring States is just amazing as they have stuck with us on this. prgtoken A settlement happened with the utility to somehow partly compensate them, and indeed, they will never be made whole. prgtoken My colleagues have pointed that out well. They can never be made whole, even with a lot of money. That settlement should not be a taxable event. prgtoken Think about it. Just break that down for a minute. You are in your home, and you have been paying off your mortgage. Maybe it is already paid off. You have your equity in your home. This disaster happens, and you lose your home. All of a sudden, you have to rearrange your life. You have to rebuild your lif
HONORING COLONEL RICHARD JULIAN
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-5-21

I rise to honor my dear friend Colonel Richard Julian. Colonel Julian enlisted in the Tennessee Air National Guard in 1965 and attended basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, before moving to Keesler Air Force Base to complete technical training. prgtoken Once he completed his initial training, he returned to the 134th Air Refueling Unit. He served as a traditional guardsman and was offered a chance to become full time. He eventually moved up the enlisted ranks to become a senior master sergeant, and in 1981, he was offered the chance for direct appointment as a captain in the Tennessee Air National Guard. prgtoken He was named director of personnel for the 134th Air Refueling Wing. Later, he was promoted to the rank of colonel and was assigned as the Support Group Commander when he retired in 2004. He served over 38 years in the Air National Guard and deployed in prgtoken support of countless operations and exercises. prgtoken After he retired from the Air National Guard, Colonel Julian worked for Knox County as director of human resources and then the Blount County Highway Department until the day he passed away on May 1, 2024. prgtoken Our country's heroes are the men and women of our armed services and Armed Forces, . It is my honor to recognize my dear friend, who I miss very much, Colonel Richard Clapp Julian, as Tennessee's Second Congressional District's May 2024 Veteran of the Month. prgtoken We will miss him dearly, and I thank him for always being my friend.
BORDER ACT
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2024-5-21

so far this year, 1,624,790 people have illegally crossed our southwest border--1,624,790 so far. We have at least 1.6 prgtoken million people who have also been designated ``got-aways'' in the last 3 years; that is, they crossed our southwest border, and the Border Patrol could see them, but they couldn't get to them. prgtoken Let me give you some context on that. As this body knows well, because we have talked about it over and over and over again, in the first 3 years of this administration, we have had more illegal crossings on our southwest border than in the previous 12 years combined--more in the last 3 years than we had in the previous 12 years combined. prgtoken If you want to just drill down, 1 year under President has as many illegal crossings as we had under 4 years of President . Yesterday, we had more than 5,000 people illegally cross our southwest border--yesterday. That has been true every day, I believe, but 3, in the last 3 months, that we have had more than 5,000 people a day. prgtoken Now, the national news media has looked away from the southwest border, but those who live on the southwest border can't look away. They are still facing it every single day. And in cities and communities across the entire country, it is still happening every single day, day after day, as this President has looked away from what is happening on our southern border. prgtoken As I have said to this Department of Homeland Security multiple times, if they would enforce the border the same as President enforced the border, we would be in a very different place. But they don't enforce the border like President did, and they don't enforce it like President did. They just fail to enforce it. prgtoken The same law--the same law--existed under President , when we had less than half a million people cross illegally in a year, that exists under President , where we have had 1.6 million people so far this year, with still quite a few months to go--the same law, the same capacity to be able to enforce the border. But this President has said over and over again that he has nothing that he can do until something is passed. prgtoken I have been very clear with this body, and I have been very honest with my own party and with my friends on the other side of the aisle: Congress has a job to do. We need to clarify what asylum means. We need to add the funds that are needed. We need to speed up the process. We need to take away the forever appeals that are built into it that incentivize people coming and gaming the system. That is Congress's job. We should do that. prgtoken And I have worked with everyone who is willing to work on that to get us to a place where we can get to 60 votes in this body to pass something to do our job. One party cannot resolve this issue. This has to be both parties sitting down and working on it together. That is the rule of 60 in this body. prgtoken B
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 8369 (Executive Session)
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2024-5-22

. I regret that the will not allow this bill to come up for a vote, which, again, would simply ensure that aid that Congress has approved is delivered promptly to Israel in the middle of a shooting war of survival--a bill that, I would remind everyone, passed the House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority. prgtoken The time is now to reverse 's de facto arms embargo on Israel. prgtoken .
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Zachary Nunn (Republican, IA) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Madam , due to a natural disaster event in my district, I made an emergency trip back to Iowa to provide assistance to my constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 223, Casar Amendment No. 1 to H.R. 4763, YEA on Roll Call No. 224, Norman Amendment No. 3 to H.R. 4763, YEA on Roll Call No. 225, Perry Amendment No. 4 to H.R. 4763, and YEA on Roll Call No. 226, H.R. 4763.
Israel (Executive Calendar)
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2024-5-22

I am pleased to join my colleague from West Virginia and others who you will be hearing from--next, our colleague from Nebraska--in regard to our absolutely ironclad support for Israel and why it is so important that we stand and we stand strongly with our friend and ally Israel. prgtoken On October 7, Hamas committed appalling atrocities against Jews in Southern Israel. I went to Israel one month later to show my support for our close ally during this very dark hour, and I am still today very proud to stand with Israel. prgtoken But I am very concerned about the administration holding up weapons that need to be delivered to Israel. That is why I have cosponsored two important pieces of legislation requiring the President to expedite delivery of defensive aid to Israel: first, Senator Cotton's Israel Security Assistance Support Act and then the assistance support act that Senator Cruz put forward as well; that is the Assuring Resupply of Munitions Act, or ARM Act. prgtoken Congress has moved decisively to support Israel, and these bills make crystal clear--there is no doubt about it--our desire that Israel receive our support without hesitation. We said that October 7 can never happen again, but if we say ``never again,'' we should mean it. If we truly mean ``never again,'' then the only path forward is for Israel to win the war--to win the war. prgtoken And that is why it is so important that we give Israel the tools it needs to win the war as soon as possible. Destroying Hamas means allowing Israel to reestablish security for its people. Destroying Hamas also means it can no longer terrorize and repress the people of Gaza. If we are concerned about the lives of Jews and Gazans, the sooner Hamas is defeated the better. The sooner Hamas is completely defeated, the better. prgtoken Putting limits on military assistance only means prolonging a conflict that Israel must win, and it means greater loss of life among both Israelis and Gazans. prgtoken Delaying or halting military aid also sends the wrong message to both our allies and our adversaries. Our allies, like Israel, rightly wonder whether U.S. promises will be kept when times get tough. Our adversaries, like Hamas and Iran, wonder if they can manipulate us into failure. When we hesitate to keep our promises and give our enemies the chance to regroup, we incentivize the very behavior that we must oppose. prgtoken We have to wipe out terrorism. We have to work with our allies--not just Israel but all of our allies--to wipe out terrorism. prgtoken If Hamas survives, it will certainly seize more hostages in the future. That is what Hamas does. If Hamas survives, it will keep using innocent civilians as shields. Think about that: using innocent citizens as their shields. If Hamas survives, it will see October 7 as a triumph rather than a disaster. prgtoken The administration may believe that pausing military assistance will save lives or lim
THE BENEFITS OF MORALITY AND REALLY GOOD MATH
Andy Harris (Republican, MD) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Sure. I chair the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, and we are in charge of funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the SNAP program. prgtoken If you were paying attention about an hour ago, an hour and a half ago, to the folks from the other side of the aisle, all they wanted to do was push more money into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. prgtoken The second word there, by the way, is ``nutrition.'' If you go back to the original founding, the program was founded to provide nutrition. In the early days of the program, there was a significant number of people in the country who actually did not receive enough calories. Literally, they didn't receive enough calories. At that time, the emphasis was to get food of all kinds to these folks so that they are not calorie starved. prgtoken Again, I talked about the trend in obesity, and what we see is that something is happening. We have programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program where the last time they looked at it was in 2016--it might have been earlier than that--where 10 percent of the funds went to sugary soda. Remember, this is a $122 billion a year program of taxpayer dollars. We ask taxpayers to pony up or to borrow $122 billion to put into the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Ten percent is on sugary soda, $12 billion, our best estimate, is spent on something that we now know--maybe 40 or 50 years ago when the obesity rate was 6 percent or 3-plus percent, we didn't know that. prgtoken We do know now what contributes to obesity. We do know that insulin resistance, the presence of sugars and processed foods in the diet, directly cause obesity. Of course, diabetes, which again we will get to in the future, and probably also hypertension to some extent, are all interrelated diseases. We actually know that that is bad. prgtoken I have proposed taking out nonnutritious--it is about 20 percent. It is 10 percent sugary soda beverages and another 10 percent salty snacks, ultra-processed food. Again, it raises your insulin levels. It does all the bad things that ultimately lead to an increased amount of fatty tissue and obesity. prgtoken Let's just say that we will allow States to restrict that in a program and take that money and spend it on fruits and vegetables or something. That sounds like a pretty novel idea. That sounds like a pretty good idea based on the scientific evidence. prgtoken The pushback has been tremendous, mainly from the other side of the aisle, which is: No, all we need to do is spend more money on this program. prgtoken I would suggest to the gentleman from Arizona that we have enough proof that what we have been doing hasn't been working. In fact, it has been making the problem worse because the data on people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shows they are more obese and more
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF LEE COVINO
Nicole Malliotakis (Republican, NY) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise to recognize the life of Lee Covino, a friend, a U.S. Army veteran, and a Staten Islander who dedicated his life to making our country and community a better place for those who served. prgtoken Lee served our country in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. After his service, he attended the College of Staten Island on scholarship from the GI Bill. It was here that his passion for veterans' affairs flourished. He became a peer counselor for local veterans and, almost a decade later, began working as an intervention counselor for the VA's Vietnam Veterans Outreach Center, assisting nearly 1,000 Vietnam-era and combat veterans across Staten Island and Brooklyn. prgtoken In July 1990, Lee was appointed to the cabinet of Staten Island Borough President Guy Molinari, where he served as the veteran affairs adviser and director of contracts and procurement. His service to our borough continued for another two decades, extending his tenure at Staten Island Borough Hall through the administrations of James Molinaro and James Oddo until his retirement in March 2014. prgtoken In 2002, Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed him to the city's Veterans Advisory Board, where he served until April 2015, retiring as the board's vice chairman. prgtoken During his time at the borough and city halls, Lee played a major role in bringing the vet center and the Veterans Affairs clinic to Staten Island and obtaining a Staten Island bus link to Brooklyn's VA Medical Center. prgtoken This week, New York City also will celebrate its 36th annual Fleet Week, a show of appreciation for our Nation's Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard teams. Lee was instrumental in helping coordinate local activities and events for this grand recognition of our Armed Forces. He also worked tirelessly to expand veteran services to minority-based areas and assist veterans with resume development and learning computer skills so that they could find employment and readjust to civilian life. prgtoken Lee's dedication to New York City veterans did not end with his official duties. After his retirement, he continued to serve as an invaluable resource for many elected officials, including myself, where he helped our office organize our veterans' roundtables and became reliable counsel for veteran-focused legislation and ideas. prgtoken Because of the profound impact he has had on our community, Lee was installed into the College of Staten Island Alumni Hall of Fame in 1989 and was set to be inducted into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame later this year. prgtoken He was a member of the VFW, The American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, Catholic War Veterans, AMVETS, New York City Veterans Alliance, the 369th Veterans Association, and he served as treasurer of the United Staten Island Veterans Organization, which sponsored our borough's annual Memorial Day parade. prgtoken Here we are at the Staten Island Memorial Day parade in 2021, which Mayor de Bla
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4763, FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5403, CBDC ANTI-SURVEILLANCE STATE ACT; AND PROVIDING FOR...
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise in support of H.R. 5403, the CBDC Anti- Surveillance State Act, a bill I was proud to cosponsor. I thank Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Chairman McHenry of the House Financial Services Committee for their work on this legislation to protect Americans' privacy and financial data. prgtoken A central bank digital currency, or CBDC, would have devastating consequences for the Fourth Amendment rights of all freedom-loving Americans. Just as we have seen the Federal Government weaponized against conservatives, whether it is the IRS, the DOJ, the FBI, or even the Fed, no three-letter government agency should be able to trample on our Constitution. prgtoken In 21st century America, the freedom to purchase goods and services necessary to care for and protect our families shouldn't be left up to the government. A CBDC is a slippery slope toward ceding that liberty. prgtoken , I urge all Members to support this bill.
HONORING THE LIFE OF TIFFANY FERDON
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2024-5-22

today, I rise to honor the life of a dedicated first responder from Okanogan, Washington, Tiffany Ferdon, who we tragically lost last month. prgtoken Tiffany was a volunteer firefighter, an EMT for the Tonasket Fire Department and Aeneas Valley Fire Department, as well as a member of the Samaritan Riders, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who serve the medically challenged and socially disadvantaged children throughout our region. Her passion was making the world a better place, a quality which was clear in the work that she did. prgtoken Tiffany's death is a loss for the whole community, but her legacy will never be forgotten. May her family and community continue to be blessed with her memory, and may she rest in peace.
HONORING THE SERVICE OF BILL REYNOLDS
Mike Garcia (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend, a war veteran, and a real hero of California's 27th Congressional District who was taken from us way too soon. Mr. Bill Reynolds crossed into Heaven and joined the Lord on January 11, 2021, a couple of years ago. prgtoken As a young man, Bill crossed oceans and fought for this Nation in the jungles of Vietnam. He fought in some of the war's fiercest battles while in Vietnam, including the Mekong Delta, where he was wounded but continued fighting alongside his brothers, the famous and heroic Boys of `67. prgtoken Bill earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his extraordinary bravery, but he never forgot his brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who didn't come home, and he never stopped serving our Nation when he returned home. prgtoken Bill Reynolds dedicated himself to fellow veterans in California's 27th Congressional District and around the country. His work led to the establishment of the Veterans Memorial Wall in Newhall, California, and he personally documented the stories of countless veterans to ensure their service and sacrifices will be remembered for future generations. prgtoken I am proud to say the endless service and sacrifice of Bill will now forever be etched in the heart of Santa Clarita, as well. Right in the middle of my district, today we celebrate the official renaming of the Valencia post office to the William L. Reynolds Post Office Building, an honor that has been signed into law by the President of the United States. prgtoken This commemoration is a fitting tribute to a man who dedicated so much of his life to this beautiful Nation, both on the battlefield and in our communities. It should be noted, and frankly a fitting tribute, that about 63,000 postal workers themselves are veterans, so this is very apropos. prgtoken Bill was a devoted husband to his beloved wife, Meg, who lives in Santa Clarita, a loving father and grandfather, and a friend to thousands. His legacy not only lives on in the medals he won and the landmarks that bear his name, but in the lives he touched and the community that he strengthened. prgtoken Bill left an indelible mark on me personally, and he continues to inspire me prgtoken to serve this beautiful country in this capacity. prgtoken In a time marked by stark political division, it was inspiring to witness both and s unite in support of honoring this great man who epitomized the pinnacle of American valor and empathy. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Bill Reynolds, a true American hero, by supporting this special tribute. prgtoken May God bless Bill Reynolds and his family, and may God continue to bless this beautiful country, the United States of America.
FINANCIAL FREEDOM IN AMERICA
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2024-5-22

small businesses are the heart of each of our communities. prgtoken I rise today to recognize the efforts of a good friend, a great entrepreneur, and one of my constituents, Julie Goodnight, and her bakery, Julie's Sweet Shoppe in Conway, Arkansas. prgtoken Julie began her career in the bakery industry at the age of 17 as she worked for her father's bakery, Ed's. prgtoken As the granddaughter of two World War II veterans, Julie loved how her father's shop provided a place for local veterans to meet and share their stories over a cup of coffee and a doughnut. prgtoken Beginning at Ed's in the 1990s, Julie worked to honor these local heroes by celebrating them with an annual Veterans Day event, and when Julie finally got that amazing opportunity that every American entrepreneur dreams of, opening her own shop on Veterans Day in 2013, she continued this amazing family tradition. prgtoken Since its founding, Julie's Sweet Shoppe has honored over 1,000 local veterans at its annual Veterans Day celebration. prgtoken I have had the honor of attending every Veterans Day event at Julie's, and I have seen firsthand the impact she makes on our community. prgtoken I thank Julie's Sweet Shoppe for their outstanding service to our veterans in central Arkansas and to wish them continued success in all of their endeavors. prgtoken Syrian Emergency Task Force, 2024 Community Partner of the Year Award