mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING ANTHONY BOETTCHER
Brittany Pettersen (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2023-5-23

I rise today to honor the late Anthony Boettcher. Mr. Boettcher was a lifelong Coloradan and impacted the lives of hundreds of children and their families through his service as a swim coach. He started the Wheat Ridge swimming team, coaching the Wheat Ridge Piranhas for 8 years, and then went on to coach the boys and girls high school swim teams at Evergreen High School. His teams won multiple meets, state titles, and competitions--setting new state records along the way. When he left the position in 2005, he held the record as the boy's swim coach with the most wins in Jefferson County history. Mr. Boettcher later coached Falfins Swimming for 5 years, before moving on to serve as a swim coach at the Air Force Academy for 13 years. Under his leadership, they won three Western Athletic Conference championships. prgtoken His colleague, Air Force Head Men's Swimming Coach Rob Clayton, said Anthony ``always reminded me why we do what we do, how we take our love for a sport and use it to love and serve people. Anthony loved well, and he was loved by so many.'' As Mr. Boettcher's sister Teresa recounts, his colleagues would always say that he ``could teach swimming to anyone.'' prgtoken During his final days in the hospital, hundreds of former students and their families visited Mr. Boettcher--a true testament to the deep impact he had on those he taught. Today, we honor and recognize the countless hours he dedicated to students in Jefferson County and in Colorado, his selfless spirit, and his steadfast dedication to the children he served.
TRIBUTE TO MRS. VERNETTA JORDAN GLASS AS SHE CELEBRATES HER 100TH BIRTHDAY
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-5-23

I rise to congratulate and pay tribute to an outstanding citizen of the U.S. and, I might indicate, is a member of my family, the Glass Family. Before my mother married my father, her maiden name was Glass. The lady that we celebrate today as she celebrates her 100th birthday is Mrs. Vernetta Jordan Glass. I am proud to wish her a happy birthday and to wish all of my Glass relatives well. prgtoken Vernetta Jordan Glass was born on May 27, 1923, in the historic town of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. Of course, Mound Bayou traces its origin to the 1820s to a white planter, Joseph Davis, the older brother of Jefferson Davis who was President of the Confederate States who left the Union and formed the Confederacy which led to the Civil War. After the war, Joseph Davis sold his land to a former slave, Benjamin Montgomery, and it was Isiah T. Montgomery who led the foundation of Mound Bayou in 1887. prgtoken Vernetta was born on May 27, 1923, in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, and grew up in this all-Black town. She went to school, church, and was taught values by her parents that have guided her life to this day. She married Winston L. Glass, and she and her late husband migrated from Mississippi to Detroit, Michigan, in 1947, where they created for themselves very productive lives and raised seven highly-educated and accomplished children. prgtoken After retiring from her nursing career, Vernetta increased her volunteer activities at her church, the community center, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, and senior citizen centers. Understanding the value of electoral politics and the Civil Rights Movement, for many years Vernetta worked elections as a judge. prgtoken She is grandmother to more than 50 grand and great grandchildren and enjoys visits from friends and family. She also loves music and gardening and is a superb scrabble player. prgtoken As she reaches the ripe age of 100, I am pleased to wish this dynamic lady who has accomplished so much a happy birthday, and, by the way, I am pleased to know that she is my cousin.
DEFAULT WOULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC CONSEQUENCES
Wiley Nickel (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2023-5-23

June 1, that is when the Treasury estimates that we will no longer be able to fulfill our financial obligations if Congress has not acted. prgtoken Defaulting would have catastrophic consequences on our economy. It would shake financial markets, send interest rates skyrocketing, risk millions of jobs, and create higher costs for working families. prgtoken We can't allow the full faith and credit of the United States Government to be called into question by defaulting. prgtoken I am encouraged by ongoing conversations and discussions that are moving us in the right direction, but we need to get this done. prgtoken I am committed to being at the table and being ready to work in a bipartisan way to find short-term and long-term solutions to avert a crisis and get our fiscal house in order.
THE DANGERS OF FENTANYL
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-5-23

I rise today to discuss the dangers of fentanyl. prgtoken Fentanyl is a powerful opioid that is 50 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams, or the size of five grains of salt, can cause a possible overdose. Fentanyl is so dangerous that illegal drug makers must wear hazmat suits to avoid contact with the drug. It needs to be stopped, but H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act, is not the bill to stop it. prgtoken The bill would make it easier to arrest and imprison users of the drug, and that would be a major problem in Black communities nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control said Black Americans died from fentanyl overdoses at much higher rates than any other community. prgtoken We do not need another bill to put more Black Americans in prison; we need a bill that criminalizes the drug without criminalizing the drug user.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RELATING TO "CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION FROM NEW MOTOR VEHICLES: HEAVY-DUTY ENGINE AND VEHICLE...
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-5-23

I thank Ranking Member Pallone for his incredibly important leadership on this issue. prgtoken , every American, every single child and every single family, has the right to breathe clean air. prgtoken I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 11, the latest effort from colleagues to put American lives in danger to boost the profits of their corporate, polluter donors. prgtoken Heavy-duty vehicles make up just about 6 percent of trucks on the road but generate 59 percent of all nitrogen oxide pollution in our country. prgtoken , I grew up in southwest Detroit thinking those heavy trucks rumbling through our neighborhood, near my school, near where I lived, near the park I played in, was normal. It isn't normal. prgtoken In my district and surrounding areas, we see heavy trucks go through our neighborhoods up to 20 more times a day than any other community in Michigan. This is not the kind of life for any family or any resident of our country. It is no surprise that the rates of asthma, lung cancer, and COPD are dramatically higher in my region, in my district, than any other parts of the State. prgtoken We see heavy-duty trucks drive outside of our elementary schools, local health centers, and nursing homes every single day. We see premature deaths, heart attacks, asthma, strokes, and maternal complications. These are just some of the effects from pollution that these vehicles spew into our neighborhoods. prgtoken , we have a right to breathe clean air. prgtoken Part 1 of President 's Clean Trucks Plan is just a small step toward environmental justice for communities that have been left behind for far too long. Our communities, , cannot afford a setback like this that is being proposed today. They cannot afford to continue to have their health, safety, and futures put at risk for corporate profits. They don't have another day, another year, another month to live like this. prgtoken President will rightfully veto this ridiculous attempt to make our communities even more unhealthy and more dangerous, but I call on the EPA to go even further to make progress in cleaning up our air and water in order to give our residents a real opportunity for a better quality of life. prgtoken I invite any of my colleagues to spend a day with me in my district to see for themselves what rampant, unchecked pollution does to a community, to a neighborhood. Talk to any of my seniors who grew up with it, who are literally on breathing machines before they go to bed. This is not the life we want for any American. prgtoken I invite you to meet the children born prematurely to parents with asthma and COPD who go to work every day with headaches and chronic respiratory problems. Maybe then you would understand not only the need for this rule to remain intact but to go even further to protect the health of those we are sent here to represent. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote against the CRA.
HONORING REPRESENTATIVE DAVID N. CICILLINE
Mark Pocan (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2023-5-23

I thank the gentleman from Rhode Island, David Cicilline, for his great work in Congress. He has been an LGBTQ+ leader, he has been a progressive champion, he has been a Judiciary Committee leader, and he has been a mentor to many of us in Congress, including myself. I am going to really miss having him and his wisdom in Congress. prgtoken I think a lot of people are going to miss him across the country. If you care about gun violence, you are going prgtoken to miss David Cicilline. He was the author of the assault weapon ban, so important as we have shooting after shooting after shooting with an AR-15. His bill would help address that in this country. He always goes above and beyond. Every time in this Chamber when there is a moment of silence and no moment of action around gun violence, it is so disheartening for everyone around the country, but that day that has been talked about when he was one of the organizers sitting down and taking over this Chamber to have a moment of action is one of the few times, in fact, the only time that I saw that in my 10\1/2\ years in Congress. prgtoken If you care about progressive values, you are going to miss David Cicilline. He was a progressive caucus leader. As chair of the DPCC, he led in articulating our values for , and he did an amazing job in doing that. prgtoken If you care about democracy, you are going to miss David Cicilline. Being an impeachment manager is a huge undertaking. You have, trust me, all kinds of people around the country who disagree with you saying all sorts of interesting things. David did an amazing job in standing up for this country and for everyone who cares about our democracy in that role. prgtoken If you care about consumer issues, you are going to miss David Cicilline. As the chair of that subcommittee on the Judiciary Committee dealing with antitrust and tech issues, he was fighting on behalf of consumers so that we could have more affordable cost of goods, so you didn't just have a few monopolies running everything. prgtoken If you care about equality and LGBTQI+ rights, I guarantee you are going to miss David Cicilline. He was the chair of our Equality Caucus for a very long time, and he was the lead author of the equality bill. prgtoken Most importantly, David has been a role model for LGBTQ youth across the country. It is not easy still, even in 2023, to be out and gay, especially in this body with people who still are attacking trans kids as a last gasp against equality. David has been our leader and a senior member of the Equality Caucus, and we so respect all of the work that he has done. prgtoken I am going to miss his positive leadership style, I am going to miss his commonsense vision, but, most importantly, I am going to miss his friendship. David Cicilline has been a great mentor to many of us. We know he is going to do great back in Rhode Island, and I, too, am going to get to Clementine's.
HONORING REPRESENTATIVE DAVID N. CICILLINE
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2023-5-23

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , it is a great privilege to be able to be here today to salute my friend, a fine man, a good man, and someone who has served our country so admirably over the course of these last 12 years in David Cicilline. prgtoken There is a quote from President John Adams that I want to share, our second President who once said: ``But I fear that in every assembly, members will obtain an influence, by noise not sense; by meanness, not greatness; by ignorance, not learning; by contracted hearts, not large souls.'' prgtoken There are many places in our country in which his fears ring true today, but one of the places where it does not is in Rhode Island where, for the better part of the last decade, the people of Rhode Island could rest easy knowing they had elected a leader who would serve them admirably. A leader whose common sense was on full display as a Member of the House leadership team. prgtoken I can remember very early in my tenure in Congress 5 years ago learning from and being mentored by David Cicilline as he chaired the House ic Policy and Communications Committee, always willing to help a new Member navigate the experience of serving in Congress. prgtoken His greatness was on full display during the course of the investigation that he led as chairman of the Antitrust Subcommittee. As his vice chair during that subcommittee investigation, I can tell you, , firsthand just how hard he worked day in, day out. prgtoken The entrenched interests and the concentrated power that he fought against day after day to ensure that that investigation would be done and that ultimately the American public would benefit from it. Of course, his learning was on full display during the course of both Presidential impeachments over the course of the last 4 years, but, in particular, during the second impeachment when Mr. Cicilline and I stood together on the floor of the United States Senate when his fidelity to the Constitution and his role in defending our democracy was on full display to millions of Americans. prgtoken He has been an effective Representative for the people of Rhode Island. He has been a tireless leader here in the United States Congress. He has done his country and his State a great service. He has been a dear friend, a dear, dear friend to so many of us in Congress. prgtoken In the last 5 years I have been here on the floor for quite a few departing speeches from Members, people I considered friends. I have yet to come to one in which the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, the Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, the Chairman of the Equality Caucus, the of the House, the former chairman of our caucus have all gathered, except for today. It is a reflection of just how special David Cicilline is, the reach and breadth of the support and friendships that he developed within the House ic Caucus, which I believe will last long aft
ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE CARE
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2023-5-23

. Madam , our Supreme Court is a symbol of corrupt and cruel judicial politics. prgtoken Clarence Thomas is the poster child for the Supreme Court, the only Federal court with no ethical standards at all, let alone, enforce them. prgtoken They empower extremists who would deny vital lifesaving care in their zeal to enforce their vision on the limits of women's health. prgtoken It is not just about their opposition to abortion. They are forcing women to be pregnant, regardless of the consequences to real people. prgtoken The harms are not theoretical as illustrated in today's Washington Post editorial. Real women and their families suffer serious injury being denied care they need. prgtoken I am proud I come from one of the few States that has no limitations on families' access to reproductive healthcare, the most personal of decisions. prgtoken Change is coming, make no mistake, as more and more recognize the impact of this cruel interference in the most personal of decisions. prgtoken Despite hopelessly gerrymandered State legislatures, the people ultimately will win.
HONORING THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-5-23

I rise today to honor the Los Angeles Times newspaper, based in the 36th Congressional District of California, which won two Pulitzer Prizes this year for excellence in photography and investigative journalism. prgtoken A strong Fourth Estate is essential to our democracy. Good journalism shines light on injustice, holds power accountable, and informs the public. Since 1881, the Los Angeles Times has been a critical source of news for our community, and I want to congratulate them on these two recent honors. The staff of the Los Angeles Times, as well as our community in general, should be extremely proud of the Times' exceptional journalism. prgtoken We have seen a tumultuous decade for the journalism industry in general--from a changing business landscape to growing hostilities directed at journalists. Despite these challenges, the Los Angeles Times and its reporters have worked diligently to provide Southern California and the rest of the country with impactful journalism. I commend Los Angeles Times photographer Christina House for her Pulitzer for Feature Photography this year. I also congratulate the entire staff of the Times for their Pulitzer for Breaking News Reporting. prgtoken I often quote Abraham Lincoln, who once said: ``In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed.'' No pillar of democracy is more important in providing information to the public than a free press. I want to thank the Los Angeles Times for its consistent dedication to the necessary and difficult work of informing the public. I am proud to honor Los Angeles Times leadership, reporters, and staff as they celebrate their Pulitzer Prizes.
WORK REQUIREMENTS
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-5-23

. Madam , I keep hearing from my friends about work requirements, work requirements, work requirements. prgtoken McCarthy said--get this--people are getting paid to sit at home on the couch. Okay. Let's talk about work requirements. prgtoken I have good news for my GOP friends. In 1996, you all demanded the work requirements that are still in place today. prgtoken Now, maybe if McCarthy weren't so busy auctioning off his used Chapstick for $100,000, he would know working families in this country are struggling and need help. prgtoken Maybe if he weren't so busy giving speeches to Wall Street bankers, he would know most people on food assistance are children, seniors, and people with disabilities. prgtoken Maybe if he spoke to an able-bodied adult on food assistance, he would know they aren't sitting on the couch. They are out working. They just make so little, they qualify for a measly $6-a-day benefit they use to buy food. prgtoken s are going after food assistance so they can give another tax break to billionaires. It is a disgrace. It is a shame. prgtoken McCarthy should try living on SNAP for a week before screwing over poor people.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RELATING TO "CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION FROM NEW MOTOR VEHICLES: HEAVY-DUTY ENGINE AND VEHICLE...
Tony Cárdenas (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-5-23

I rise today in opposition to S.J. Res. 11. prgtoken Last year, more than 137 million people in the United States were living in areas with unhealthy levels of pollution, and we need to do better for them. It is currently estimated that 72 million Americans are exposed to high levels of air pollution due to their proximity to high-traffic trucking routes. These figures have real consequences, and they cost lives. prgtoken With three of California's largest trucking routes cutting through my district, the district that I represent in the San Fernando Valley, these figures are a community reality for us. prgtoken After decades of heavy-duty vehicles generating pollution in their backyards, my constituents experienced the injustice of disproportionately high rates of respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular complications, and cancer. prgtoken The EPA's heavy-duty NOX rule is a long-overdue step in the right direction to protect the health and well-being of communities across the United States, including my own. prgtoken With this rule, the EPA could prevent up to 2,900 premature deaths per year, 6,700 fewer hospital admissions and emergency department visits, and 18,000 fewer cases of childhood asthma. These are the things that we need to work on in the House of Representatives. These are the lives of our children, grandchildren, parents, and grandparents. prgtoken Last Congress, worked and secured historic investments through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate our progress in developing cleaner zero-emission technologies that will improve public health. prgtoken That includes $5 billion for clean schoolbuses, an effort that I championed alongside Congresswoman Hayes, Senator Padilla, and Senator Warnock. prgtoken The -backed S.J. Res. 11 unravels the progress that we have made, and we must do more. It attacks necessary Clean Air Act protections and would repeal the meaningful actions that the EPA has taken. prgtoken Today's CRA abandons the American people. It abandons our children. It abandons our grandchildren and future generations. It forces our communities to continue to breathe polluted air and puts them on a path to an unlivable future. prgtoken It is important for us to understand that in this great Nation we have technology like no other, and we have capacity like no other. Therefore, all it takes is the political will of us on both sides of the aisle to do the right thing--to make the improvements that I just outlined here. prgtoken , I grew up in Los Angeles where we had first-stage smog alerts. Today, my children don't know what they are. Today, my grandchildren are being raised in Los Angeles. If we move the clock back, my grandchildren, unfortunately, will be able to speak of these smog alerts, just like I unfortunately had to be subjected to it as a child. We can do better, and we must do better. prgtoken Growing up in the neighborhood that I