mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-6-15

on Monday, these Chambers will be empty, but our hearts will be full because we will be joining the American people in commemorating a historic moment in our Nation's story-- Juneteenth, the formal end of slavery in the United States. prgtoken One year ago today, we stood together, across party lines, to pass this legislation to memorialize this important day as a Federal holiday. Though we celebrate this anniversary today, on prgtoken Monday, communities across our Nation have been marking Juneteenth for more than 150 years. prgtoken The celebration of Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger traveled to Galveston, TX, with the announcement that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. prgtoken This was 2\1/2\ years after the date of President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. Either the news of Lincoln's order had not reached many, including those in Texas, or local officials refused to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. prgtoken Decades later, I introduced, along with my partners in service, Senators Cory Booker and Tina Smith and Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act to honor the day that these Americans took their first steps into freedom and finally made Juneteenth a Federal holiday. prgtoken On June 17, 2021, I was honored to stand with Vice President , Senator Smith, Representative Jackson Lee, Senator Cornyn, Senator Warnock, and Ms. Opal Lee, while President signed the National Juneteenth Independence Day Act into law. prgtoken And why do I mention Ms. Opal Lee? Well, because she is the grandmother of the Juneteenth movement, who fought for years to make Juneteenth a Federal holiday, from Fort Worth, TX, an activist, an educator, who walked 2\1/2\ miles every day, fighting for the United States to finally have Juneteenth a Federal holiday. And at the age of 94, she saw that become a reality in the White House. prgtoken And in doing so, Juneteenth finally took its rightful place amongst other Federal holidays so that all Americans in all States can celebrate Juneteenth just like they celebrate Memorial Day. The same way they celebrate Martin Luther King Day, they now celebrate Juneteenth. prgtoken Juneteenth is a holiday that requires us to remember, reflect, and recommit to the principles that undergird our Nation, liberty and justice for all, but that we have never fully embodied. prgtoken We continue to strive to live up to these principles today. Systemic discrimination and mistreatment of Black and Brown Americans still permeates our society--from our criminal justice system to our schools, to our healthcare systems, that is why it is so important that we can learn from our past and honor the heroes in our history who have bent the moral arc of our Nation toward justice. prgtoken We face a long road toward justice and equality in the United States,
FEDERAL RESERVE RACIAL AND ECONOMIC EQUITY ACT
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2022-6-15

this Pride Month we need to both celebrate the LGBTQI+ community and take action to further LGBTQI+ equality. A vote for today's bill is a vote to do just that. prgtoken The Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act includes a portion of my bill--the Equality Act--to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in credit. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bill and my amendment to explicitly clarify that all forms of sex discrimination are prohibited by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Importantly, my amendment makes clear that discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits, are all forms of unlawful sex discrimination under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. prgtoken No one should be denied access to credit because of who they are or who they love. Yet, 7.7 million LGBT adults 18 and older live in states without statutes explicitly prohibiting LGBT discrimination in credit. prgtoken A vote for today's bill and my amendment will ensure long-lasting explicit nondiscrimination protections for the LGBTQI+ community and others in credit. prgtoken I thank Chairwoman Waters for introducing this bill and ensuring it is inclusive of the LGBTQI+ community. I urge my colleagues to prgtoken stand with the LGBTQI+ community this Pride Month and vote for my amendment and the underlying bill.
FEDERAL RESERVE RACIAL AND ECONOMIC EQUITY ACT
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-6-15

such time as I may consume. prgtoken People of color are constituents. People of color are Americans. People of color deserve the opportunity to have equality of opportunity. prgtoken Hundreds of years have gone by, and this is what we are getting as a result of those who would ignore the concerns of Americans of color. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Auchincloss), a member of the Financial Services Committee.
RECOGNIZING CHILDREN'S WEEK
Bill Foster (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-6-15

. Madam , I rise today to speak as a father and a new and excited grandfather to advocate for a country that is dedicated to helping all of its children thrive. prgtoken As a scientist, I recognize that one of the most important issues our children face is the fragility of children's brain development. Early brain development in children lays the foundation for their success in adulthood. During the first few years of life, millions of new neural connections are formed every second. It is during this time that the brain is the most flexible but also the most vulnerable to the environment around it. prgtoken Polluted environments, chronic stress, extreme poverty, or repeated abuse are toxic for brain development, and this has a lasting negative impact on a child's success in life. prgtoken It is important to continue research on the impact of children's environment on early brain development and then to take action to provide early intervention services for children whose brain development is at risk. prgtoken In fact, as Representative Jacobs mentioned, early childhood intervention has one of the highest returns on investment of any investment that our country can make. prgtoken Although my grandson is growing up in a supportive, loving, and hopefully chemically nontoxic environment, I recognize that many children in the United States are not. But I remain hopeful that we will continue to combat the challenges that all of our children face and continue to provide them with the best future possible.
SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS AND CARIBBEAN TRADE
Stacey E. Plaskett (Democrat, VI) \u2014 2022-6-15

. Madam , I have just returned from the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, which gathered the heads of state and senior government officials from nearly every country in the Western Hemisphere, as well as hundreds of businesses, civil society, and youth leaders from across the region. prgtoken Members of a 20-person congressional delegation met with leaders from many of our neighboring countries, Chile, Jamaica, Canada, Haiti. prgtoken I had the opportunity to speak with the heads of state of many of our Caribbean neighbors. From these conversations, one thing was clear: Now more than ever, it is necessary for the United States to deepen its relationship with Latin America, Central America, and the Caribbean. prgtoken With threats of the COVID-19 pandemic, democratic erosion, and climate change, my constituents in the Virgin Islands know all too well the collective challenges facing the hemisphere. prgtoken I thank the administration for its commitment to productive engagement with Latin and Central America and the Caribbean. In Los Angeles, the administration announced the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, which calls for sustainable and inclusive trade; the U.S.-Caribbean Partnership to Address the Climate Crisis 2030; and the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration. prgtoken I strongly urge this administration to follow up on these commitments and promises with concrete actions that will deliver tangible results, particularly in the Caribbean because the Caribbean is facing an economic crisis. The pandemic has exacted a harsh toll on the region, with regional economic activity falling by 9.9 percent in 2020, significantly worse than the rest of the region. prgtoken Climate change poses a particularly dire threat to the lives, livelihood, and businesses in the Caribbean. For years, the harmful trend of financial de-risking by banks has economically strangled the Caribbean islands. prgtoken The Caribbean, which is our third border, is essential to U.S. national and economic security. From the early days of the American Revolution to the Cold War, the Caribbean has played a vital role in U.S. defense. It, alone, is the United States' sixth largest trade partner, with $35.3 billion of trade in 2018. And 13 million people in the U.S. share Caribbean ancestry. prgtoken Despite these common interests between the U.S. and the Caribbean, China is making significant inroads in this area. Indeed, total Chinese trade with Latin America and the Caribbean rose from $18 billion in 2002 to $449 billion in 2021, and China is now South America's largest trade partner. prgtoken Therefore, improving the U.S.-Caribbean relationship and strengthening the U.S.-Caribbean trade and economic partnership must be a priority for the administration and this Congress. prgtoken First, we must follow up on our commitments made at the summit with tangible results and concrete investments that correspond to the Caribbean's
SOCIAL SECURITY
John B. Larson (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-6-15

. Madam , it is an honor to be here this evening with you and to talk about--during this time of the COVID pandemic--something that is near and dear to the hearts of the people impacted the most by this pandemic. prgtoken Madam , as you know, more than a million people now have perished because of the COVID pandemic, and 750,000 of them are American citizens over the age of 65. In addition, because of the war in Ukraine, because of this pandemic, and because of this inflation, who is the group in America that is most impacted by the pandemic and the ensuing inflation? It is the senior citizens of our country, and it is people over the age of 65. They are people who are on fixed income. prgtoken These individuals need the help of the United States Congress. I commend Chairman Rich Neal, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and a Social Security recipient himself, who knows and understands the necessity and the absolute dependence that so many of our fellow Americans have on the Nation's number one insurance program. prgtoken The insurance program that keeps our seniors off of poverty. It also happens to be the number one insurance plan for children. Madam , it is the number one plan for veterans who rely more on Social Security Disability than they do the VA. prgtoken For more than half of our fellow citizens who are on Social Security, it is the only benefit that they have. That benefit, on average, is $16,000 per individual. Nobody gets wealthy on Social Security. Yet, it is our number one anti-poverty program for the elderly. It is the number one anti-poverty program for children. It has incredible benefits for people on disability, like our veterans. prgtoken Yet, here today, and just last Thursday, and before that, we learn of new plans from the Study Committee and from Senator Scott-- these are plans that will end Social Security. These are plans that say in 5 years these benefits will disappear. prgtoken The Ways and Means Committee has a bill to say: No, this is not the time to end Social Security, this is the time to enhance the benefits in Social Security. This is the time when our fellow seniors, who need this money to sustain themselves at base levels, are crying out for help from their country. prgtoken This is not the time, Senator Scott, for us to kill Social Security. It is not the time, I say to the Study Committee, for us to end Social Security, cutting its benefits. For every year you call upon someone to raise the age of Social Security, that is a 7 percent cut. prgtoken How in God's name, in the face of this pandemic and with people living longer, do they need lesser benefits? prgtoken Madam , if you listen to the logic that people are living longer so we have to hike the age, how does that possibly benefit someone struggling to make ends meet? Those are the same people who are putting food back on the shelves or can't afford their prescription drugs. prgtoken How do
HONORING PRESIDENT PAUL TRIBLE ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT UNIVERSITY
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2022-6-16

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to the Honorable Paul Trible for his 26 years of extraordinary service as the president of Christopher Newport University located in Newport News, Virginia. prgtoken Prior to his service at Christopher Newport University, President Trible served as a Commonwealth's Attorney for Essex County, Virginia before being elected to represent Virginia's First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. After serving three terms in this chamber, President Trible was then elected to the United States Senate, where he served one term. After working as a teaching fellow at Harvard University, he returned to the Virginia Peninsula to serve as president of Christopher Newport University. prgtoken Over the course of his tenure, President Trible has ensured that Christopher Newport University has remained focused on both the academic achievement and personal development of its students, a focus which is exemplified by the establishment of the President's Leadership Program. Through a combination of academic study and community service, the program prepares students for a life of leadership, service and civic responsibility. prgtoken Under Mr. Trible's presidency, enrollment at Christopher Newport grew from 2,920 to over 4,700, with a graduation rate of 74 percent. Full- time faculty also increased from 166 to 282, and the university library's holdings increased to 1.2 million volumes. In 1996, President Trible worked with then-Delegate Alan Diamonstein to secure a $5 million appropriation for the university's Ferguson Center for the Arts and a 21 percent increase in the university's operating funds. Since then, President Trible has overseen $1 billion in construction projects, including the recent $60 million, 83,00-square-foot Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center. The university's endowment, prgtoken which stood at $330,000 when President Trible took office, has grown exponentially under his tenure and now exceeds $60 million, securing a bright future for the university for generations to come. prgtoken Madam , as the Christopher Newport University community gathers to celebrate a truly remarkable leader, I want to congratulate Paul Trible on 26 years of legendary service to Christopher Newport University, and over 50 years of service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation. I also want to thank Rosemary Trible, his wife and partner for over 40 years, for her countless contributions, and their two children--Mary Katherine and Paul. I thank President Trible for his decades of service and congratulations on a well-deserved retirement.
COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF MIKE SMITH
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-6-16

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate the life of Mike Smith, who was truly a pillar in the Fort Worth community. At 78 years old, Mike was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and was known as the unofficial mayor of Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth. prgtoken Throughout his 55-year tenure, Mike baked over half a million pies, which put his restaurant, the Paris Coffee Shop, on the map. His pies were listed in USA Today, Bon Appetit magazine, and really known all around the world, but what really made Mike so special was the warmth and love that he showed everyone that walked into his coffee shop. prgtoken It didn't matter if you were from Rivercrest or Riverside. It didn't matter if you were from Whitehall Street in Eastwood in Fort Worth or if you were from Westover Hills, Mike made everyone feel welcome any time you came into the Paris Coffee Shop. His firm handshake, his hugs, his conversations were just absolutely unforgettable, and he will be deeply missed. prgtoken Just in addition to everything that he has done for the food community, the restaurant community in Fort Worth, we send prayers out to his entire network of friends and family.
MEAT AND POULTRY SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ACT OF 2022
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-6-16

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor. I commend him and the members of the committee, as we just heard from Congresswoman Spanberger, for their very important work recognizing the needs of America's working families with their kitchen table issues, recognizing the needs in rural America for us to have legislation that strengthens rural America's hand in the decisions that we make as we go forward. prgtoken , as we gather here, the war continues in Ukraine. It is an unprovoked, outrageous act of aggression on the part of Putin and Russia invading the territorial borders of Ukraine. prgtoken At the same time, doing that has driven up prices here at home, driven up prices at the pump; it is a Putin price at the pump. That is the main reason, in the short period of time following the invasion of Ukraine, the price at the pump went up its highest amount in a very long time. prgtoken Russia is also a source of fertilizer, a big source of fertilizer to our country, and of course, diminishing the supply coming in raises the cost of fertilizer and contributes to the cost for our farmers, and of course, then contributes to the price of food at the grocery store. It is an important kitchen table issue. prgtoken Putin's price at the pump is exacerbating the skyrocketing costs weighing heavily on our families. Again, since Russia began its saber- rattling against Ukraine, gas prices in many places went up $2 per gallon. prgtoken Meanwhile, the World Bank reports that global food prices in March and April spiked 16 percent over the 2 months prior, and while Putin works to fuel inflation today, the ic House--hopefully, in a bipartisan way--takes a strong step to bring down crucial kitchen table costs at the pump and grocery store and across the board. prgtoken Our Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act does precisely what the name suggests in three major areas. prgtoken First, the bill brings down the costs for farmers in the field. As we know, oil, gasoline is an important factor of production for farmers in order for them to produce. The war in Ukraine has restricted the supply of fertilizer, as I mentioned, and sent the costs through the roof. By taking action to lower the costs on the farm, we lower the costs on the shelf in the grocery store and on the kitchen table. prgtoken Second, this bill bolsters competition in the meatpacking industry, and I thank Mr. Scott for his leadership. Cracking down on the market power of big conglomerates and increasing competition will ensure ranchers get a fair deal for their livestock while families get a good price for meat and poultry. prgtoken Third, this bill will help make cheaper, cleaner homegrown biofuels more widely available. This summer drivers who choose to fill up with Unleaded 88 could save an average of 40 cents a gallon, and by making this fuel more widely available it will unleash the power of Amer
MEAT AND POULTRY SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ACT OF 2022
Kim Schrier (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-6-16

I thank the chairman for the opportunity to speak on this important bill, the Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act. prgtoken American families are struggling. They are continuing to see rising gas prices even as oil and gas companies are making record profits. prgtoken Higher prices at the grocery store are making it harder to put food on the table, and a lot of this is because farmers are struggling with increasing fuel prices. Costs and availability of transportation to both domestic and export markets continue to be a challenge for the wheat, cherry, apple, and pear growers in my district. prgtoken This is a global problem, but it is a problem that we can take steps to ease right here at home. This bill provides the resources to do just that. prgtoken It addresses the cost of fuel by allowing year-round sales of higher ethanol blends, which are consistently less expensive than higher octane gas. prgtoken It addresses high food prices by helping farmers and helping our supply chain. prgtoken Fertilizer costs are at record highs since most of our fertilizer is typically sourced from Russia. This bill helps farmers spend less on inputs without lowering crop yields. prgtoken We are paying skyrocketing prices for meat at the grocery store, but farmers and ranchers don't see any of that additional profit because four companies control 80 percent of U.S. meat processing. That is unfair. prgtoken This bill expands the availability and capacity of meat processing and will create new jobs, provide more options for small- and medium- sized ranching operations, and help lower the cost of meat at the grocery store. prgtoken Finally, addressing the cost of trucking and transportation will help farmers get their crops to market. prgtoken The whole goal here is to make life a little easier for the people we represent, to help you fill up your tank and feed your family. As the only member on the House Agriculture Committee from the Northwest, I will continue to do all that I can to support farmers and lower costs for American families.
MEAT AND POULTRY SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR ACT OF 2022
David Scott (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2022-6-16

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Let me clarify something the ranking member said. Yes, I was able to bring in all four CEOs of our meatpacking companies, and we were very grateful that they accepted our invitation. But our ranking member made a mistake. It wasn't all four that said in answer to my question about whether or not they agreed or had any agreement on pricing in our meat industry. Three said no; one said, ``Not to my knowledge.'' prgtoken Now, you must understand what we are dealing with here and why just that reply from them requires an investigation. That is what we are here for. That is why we did the hearing, to bring those parties in. prgtoken We must act, . As I said before, we cannot continue to lose 17,000 ranchers and farmers. Also, so many of them, thousands of them, have not made a profit in 5 years. We have a problem. prgtoken In a report, the GAO noted that the USDA's investigations were planned and conducted primarily by economists, without the formal involvement of attorneys from USDA's Office of General Counsel, or the OGC. As a result, a legal perspective that focused on assessing potential violations was generally absent when investigations were initiated and conducted. This is precisely why the special investigator bill is so important, because it alleviates an issue that has not had enough scrutiny and ensures that attorneys will be responsible for looking into possible violations. prgtoken The GAO also found that the USDA's Packers and Stockyards Act, PSA, investigations had not modernized to keep up with today's complex, competition-related concerns, with consolidation at the heart of this issue, nor had it implemented previous recommendations. It also recommended that GIPSA and USDA's Office of General Counsel work more closely together. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the distinguished chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.