mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STOP ATTACKS ON RURAL AMERICA
Randy Feenstra (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , I rise today to urge President and his administration to back off on the attacks on rural America and rural Iowa. prgtoken The administration has proposed changes to the stepped-up basis tax policy, which is, effectively, the death tax with a new coat of paint. prgtoken I have heard from farmers all across the Fourth District who are concerned about these changes, and they would be financially devastating, especially when it comes to passing on that family farm to the next generation. prgtoken This was confirmed in a recent study by Texas A&M and the Agriculture and Food Policy Center. It noted that the stepped-up basis changes would impact 98 percent of family farms and impose an additional $1 million tax on farms in the Midwest. prgtoken It is simple. The hardworking men and women of the Fourth District and those who feed the world should not have to foot the bill for the ' reckless spending agenda. prgtoken The administration isn't just looking at penalizing rural Americans with higher taxes. They are also looking at implementing burdensome regulations that will crush rural Main Streets and our agricultural community in the Midwest. prgtoken Administrator Regan of the EPA recently announced that the EPA would look into undoing the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule, which replaced waters of the U.S. as a smarter, more efficient, and more straightforward approach to defining what waters warrant Federal regulation. prgtoken A return to WOTUS, which allowed the Federal Government to regulate water on 97 percent of the land in Iowa, would force unnecessary and costly government regulations on the backs of Iowa farmers. There are many places the Federal Government bureaucrats just don't belong, and specifically, they don't belong on our family farms. prgtoken When the executive branch's power exploded under the administration, we saw ridiculous rules implemented and enforced, leading to rising costs in the ag industry and snuffing out economic growth on our rural Main Streets and in our rural communities. prgtoken This attempted power grab ultimately proved why water regulation is best left to States and localities. prgtoken Put simply, the administration's Big Government agenda for rural America includes higher taxes and more regulation, but this administration isn't stopping at this one-two gut punch. President is also looking to undermine the RFS and lowering biofuel blending requirements. This will hurt both crop growers and biofuel producers, two industries that are so critical to our economic activity in rural Iowa. prgtoken At the same time, the administration is laughing as they propose spending $174 billion on electric vehicles and charging stations. A study by 's own Department of Energy found that four out of every five vehicles will still require liquid fuels by 2050. Think about that. Four out of every five cars in 2050 will still need liquid fuels. <
DEFENDING RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Georgia, and I appreciate his unwavering support for the Second Amendment. prgtoken Madam , I rise today because, just last week, our President of this country spoke about using the nuclear option. He wasn't talking about getting rid of the 60-vote rule in the Senate. He was actually contemplating a nuclear conflagration with the citizens of this country, with the patriots of this country. He said they should get F- 15s and nuclear weapons if they wanted to keep this government in check. prgtoken Those aren't the words of George Washington. Those would be the words of King George. prgtoken Imagine if a dictator--just imagine the dictator of North Korea or the despot who runs Iran had muttered or stuttered or uttered these words like our President would and did. There would be an international outcry today to have that dictator removed. prgtoken We need to hold our chief executive accountable for these words. And our chief executive of this country would do well to understand what the Second Amendment is really about. It is about keeping an overzealous executive in check. It is about securing all of the other liberties in this constitution. It is about the patriots who are willing to tell the government: We are in charge.
DEFENDING RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense and to ensure we remain a free people is a God-given right, not a government-bestowed privilege. prgtoken We are, however, privileged to live in a country whose Founders correctly and appropriately recognized this God-given right and codified it in the highest law of the land, the Constitution. prgtoken The wording of the Second Amendment is assumptive in nature. The right to keep and bear arms is assumed to already exist, and our Founders merely provided legal clarity and protection that it not be infringed. prgtoken Government officials who do right and follow the Constitution have nothing to fear from an armed citizenry. However, government officials who oppress their people and violate their Constitutional oath and the rights guaranteed by that Constitution for prgtoken the people should rightly fear those people. prgtoken As has been said: ``When people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.'' prgtoken But this administration believes that the greatest threat to our country is its own people, its own citizens. This is what oppressive regimes say. prgtoken This administration never misses an opportunity to attack the Second Amendment by seeking to tax and regulate away our constitutional rights. prgtoken They have blamed law-abiding citizens and licensed firearms dealers for the recent surge in violent crime in -run cities. prgtoken They have nominated a gun-grabbing radical named David Chipman to lead the ATF. prgtoken President has himself repeatedly belittled gun owners and their belief that the right to bear arms is essential to freedom. But President 's opinion does not change the Constitution or the Second Amendment. prgtoken In fact, with 's crime surge, 's border surge, and efforts to weaken and undermine law enforcement, it is no wonder someone recently said to me: ``I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop.'' prgtoken Thomas Jefferson once wrote: ``What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.'' prgtoken The Second Amendment protects all other rights and freedoms. prgtoken As my friend Chip Roy from Texas said last week at an event we were at together: ``We will live free.'' prgtoken The Second Amendment is critical to ensuring that we live free.
DEFENDING RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
Andrew S. Clyde (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , I am proud to rise today in hosting a Special Order on the Second Amendment, which is both near and dear to my heart and which is also near and dear to the many millions of Americans who cherish their rights and freedoms. prgtoken The Second Amendment says: ``A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.'' prgtoken Though it brings me great joy to talk at length about the Second Amendment and the foresight our Founding Fathers had to enshrine this God-given right into the U.S. Constitution, I regret that lawmakers today must still rise to defend it, a matter that was settled 230 years ago. prgtoken We must still do this because the Second Amendment is, again, under direct and constant attack from not just gun control activist groups and the left, but now from our very own government within the executive branch. prgtoken The Founding Fathers enumerated our right to keep and bear arms in the Bill of Rights to ensure the people had the ability to protect themselves from a treacherous government that sought tyranny over democracy. prgtoken We know, Madam , and our Founding Fathers knew as well, that the first step toward tyranny is to disarm the citizenry. prgtoken The irony is not lost on me that the in control today are trying to do everything they can to gain power and keep power through rule changes and enacting sweeping laws that will forever tilt the scales of that power in their favor. prgtoken It was announced just this past week that s and were able to strike a deal on an infrastructure plan which was heralded as great news and no easy feat in this partisan body. But then the news broke that the wanted to add to the bipartisan agreement a vast human infrastructure proposal. What is human infrastructure? prgtoken So now infrastructure becomes redefined to be anything they want it to be. So if you cannot get something done legitimately via legislation because you don't have the votes, then the new tactic is to accomplish it by redefinition. Just redefine the meaning of the word. So when does this act of redefining everything as we know it stop? prgtoken Madam , I fear that it won't, and I see that to be true when it comes to attacks on the Second Amendment, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms' newly proposed rules on the definition of a frame or receiver and on pistol stabilizing braces makes that abundantly clear. Through these proposed regulations, the administration is attempting to unilaterally redefine what constitutes a firearm under Federal law and in doing so, restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners. prgtoken In some cases, the courts have not ruled in ATF's way, so ATF wants to change the rules, so the courts have to prgtoken abide by new regulations more favorable to them. The ATF wants to increase their influence and authority and do i
GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY ACT OF 2021
Michael T. McCaul (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-6-28

the balance of my time for closing. prgtoken , this is a very timely bill. We have seen utter devastation, in terms of human lives, and the economy being impacted by this. prgtoken We need to ensure, , this never happens again. There will be another COVID-like virus that will be a variant. We need to work with the global community to ensure this never happens again. prgtoken We also need to find out the origins of COVID-19, how this happened in the first place. Not for revenge, but to find out how it happened so we can stop it from ever happening again. prgtoken I give my strong support to this important legislation. The timing couldn't be more relevant and appropriate. I thank Mr. Connolly for his leadership and the chairman for bringing this bill to the floor. prgtoken , .
IN HONOR OF DOCTOR EDMUND W. ROBB III
Kevin Brady (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , today I rise to honor the career and community service of Doctor Edmund W. Robb III, Senior Pastor of The Woodlands United Methodist Church. prgtoken Dr. Robb will be retiring as Senior Pastor of The Woodlands United Methodist Church after 43 years of honorable service. Before beginning his career with the church, Dr. Robb earned his Master of Theology from The Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. In 1978, Dr. Robb was appointed to start a new Methodist church in his growing community and began knocking on doors in the neighborhood to recruit members. The church was born when The Woodlands was just a budding community of young families, but under Dr. Robb's leadership, it has grown to over 14,000 members. prgtoken Dr. Robb is not only recognized today for his 43 years as an impactful pastor, but also for his dedicated service to The Woodlands community. He spent 20 years serving as an elected official of The Woodlands Township and its predecessor, Town Center Improvement District (TCID). Alongside State Senator Tommy Williams, he led the way in negotiating the agreement that would allow The Woodlands to become a Township. He was an instrumental guide in leading the TCID in partnering with private developers to build the Convention Center, develop Town Green Park and expand The Woodlands Waterway. Dr. Robb has also authored several published books, including ``The Wonder of Christmas,'' ``Under Wraps,'' ``Mountaintop Moments'' and ``Making Room: Sharing the Love of Christmas.'' His commitment to our community has left a positive impact that will continue to influence The Woodlands area for generations. prgtoken Today, Dr. Robb continues to serve the community on the board of the Houston Methodist Hospital and as board Chairman of ``A Foundation for Theological Education.'' He and his wife, Bev, are parents to three married children and grandparents to eight grandchildren. Though he is retiring, he will remain actively engaged as a leader in his community and a calming voice of reason to those around him. prgtoken After 43 years of exceptional work and service to our community, I am proud to join Dr. Robb's colleagues, family and friends in congratulating him on his retirement and thanking him for all that he has done for our community.
REQUEST TO CONSIDER H.R. 18, NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , I rise today with an opportunity for this body and the United States Congress to save lives. prgtoken The Hyde amendment has been an essential safeguard that has defended the unborn and protected millions of lives for more than 40 years. A recent estimate credits the Hyde amendment with saving more than 2.4 million precious and innocent lives. prgtoken Historically, measures which prevent taxpayer dollars from being used to perform abortions have garnered strong bipartisan support. In fact, President was a vocal supporter of the Hyde amendment during his decades of service in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken However, it is clear that in Washington have changed their mind, as they have recently made it their mission to eliminate these longstanding protections and force families in west Michigan and across the Nation to violate their deeply held beliefs by funding abortions on demand with their hard-earned tax dollars. prgtoken I believe, as millions of Michiganders and those across America believe, we must embrace a culture that protects the values of life. Using taxpayer dollars to end the lives of innocent children is wrong. prgtoken Madam , I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
DEFENDING RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS
Lauren Boebert (Republican, CO) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , I thank my friend, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Clyde), for putting this together. prgtoken Madam , I want to begin this evening by thanking my colleagues for their outstanding work in encouraging millions of Americans to celebrate their Second Amendment rights by purchasing their first, second, or even 100th firearm. prgtoken From the last riots in cities across America, to 's threat to strip away our basic constitutional rights, are singlehandedly responsible for the sale of tens of millions of firearms. prgtoken Bravo. Well done. I hear that the interest has begun to peak when it comes to the sale of F-15s. prgtoken Now, I have some questions for these freedom-haters. When are you going to call on the Chief Executive, the basement dweller, to hold his own son accountable for his gun crimes? Hunter lied on a Federal firearms application, which is punishable by up to 10 years and a $250,000 fine, of which 10 percent will not be going to the big guy. prgtoken Rules for thee but not for my crackhead, parmesan-smoking, gun criminal son? prgtoken What about the disposal of Hunter 's gun in a back-ally dumpster? Why was the Secret Service involved in locating this firearm? Can you just imagine, for half a second, if , Jr was involved in firearms crimes, and his dad ordered the Secret Service to cover it up? prgtoken That is just the start of the hypocrisy. will call widely purchased firearms ``weapons of war,'' but then he will tell you that you need an F-15 or a nuke to keep the Federal Government in check. He will target so-called ``merchants of death'' but celebrate the 600 abortion clinics across America. This regime will encourage riots, defund the police, and try to take away Americans' rights to self- defense. prgtoken Madam , the American people are not on board with the regime's hypocritical gun-grabbing. Instead, they are buying guns at a record rate. So my colleagues from the other side, they can keep running their mouths, and we will keep adding to our arsenals.
FOUNDING DOCUMENTS IN NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , recently, the National Archives released a report in which they concluded a structural nature of racism permeates all aspects of work and workplace culture at the National Archives. Unbelievable. prgtoken Among other things, they claim that the rotunda where our founding documents--the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights--are housed are displayed as an example of structural racism. Also, they called out the praise of our Founders that constructed those documents as being somehow triggering of people. prgtoken The report recommends that we reimagine--a buzzword, these days--the rotunda at the National Archives, including staging dance and performance art in the space that invites dialogue about the ways the United States has mythologized the Founding era. prgtoken So rather than celebrating our independence, like we will in a few days, we will be focused on the U.S. failures or flaws. It seems we have enough bashing of our country, our flag, even our National Anthem, as we saw at a track and field event of a would-be Olympian who turned away from our anthem. prgtoken The report also calls for putting in place trigger warnings for those who would view and see the display there. prgtoken We are losing our minds, folks. These are our founding documents.
RECOGNIZING BRAD SAWATZKE
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2021-6-28

I rise today to recognize Brad Sawatzke, who is retiring as CEO of Energy Northwest. prgtoken A leader to his core, Brad has been an invaluable member of the Tri- Cities community and has led Energy Northwest into the future with vision, enthusiasm, and determination. prgtoken I had the pleasure to know Brad, and his impressive resume merits recognition. prgtoken To earn money during college, Brad began his nuclear career as a janitor, and over four decades his hard work resulted in numerous leadership positions. Brad now retires at the pinnacle of his industry. What could better embody the American Dream than a career where grit and merit are so rightly rewarded? prgtoken During his tenure, Columbia Generating Station became one of the top- performing nuclear plants in the country, and the company is leading in clean energy innovation by spearheading the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. prgtoken I thank Brad and his wife, Kim, for their many contributions to Washington State, and I wish them the best in this new, well-earned chapter of their lives.
CBC SUPPORTS INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE
Jamaal Bowman (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-6-28

. Madam , I thank Congressman Torres for that introduction and for yielding, and I thank him for his overall leadership and vision, not just for our country, but for the Boogie Down Bronx. prgtoken I thank Madam Chairwoman for her incomparable leadership, and wisdom, and vision for the CBC and for our country. prgtoken It is my honor to stand here with both of you to call for a big, bold, visionary infrastructure package that finally addresses the disparities in our economy. We like to think of America as the land of opportunity where anyone can achieve success and shape their prgtoken own future with little more than hard work and determination. For many people, that is exactly the reality that they exist within, thanks to a little luck, determination, opportunity, and one-sided historical Federal investment. prgtoken Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would like to us believe that this accurately represents our history, but, unfortunately, most Black Americans have been written out of this narrative. Consider the world as it exists today in our history of the redlining of Black and Brown communities, as well as other racially biased policies of the New Deal. These divisions have always been rooted in Federal policy. prgtoken President has said he considers this infrastructure package to constitute a generational investment in the American public and in communities like mine in the Bronx, Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Yonkers. And now is the time for us to right the wrongs of that history. prgtoken The infrastructure package of 2021 must be rooted in racial and economic justice. We must uplift the care economy, fix our public housing, rebuild our crumbling schools, expand access to Medicare, and end our dependency on fossil fuels, among many other things. No American with this infrastructure package should be left behind. prgtoken As the White House considers this infrastructure package, let's take a deeper trip into our history. In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act, redistributing 10 percent of the land in the country, arguably constituting the single greatest wealth transfer in our history. African Americans never received their 40 acres of land after slavery, while White Americans received millions of acres of land which gave them the opportunity to self-actualize. prgtoken Housing now accounts for over 40 percent of household wealth, with much of this housing-related wealth stemming from Federal investments in homeownership during the New Deal. Because of redlining--one of the largest drivers of the wealth gap--of the over $1 trillion invested between 1934 and 1962, in 2021 dollars, less than 2 percent went to non-White families. prgtoken We can no longer attempt to build out the middle class on the backs of marginalized communities. We must make sure that the next round of generational investment incorporates everyone, beginning with those most marginalized. prgtoken If we mak