mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-11-8

I rise today in support of Mr. Ogle's amendment, which will prohibit prgtoken the funds from being used to institute mask mandates. prgtoken , when President admitted that there is no Federal solution to COVID-19, he admitted that the mask and vaccine mandates were never about public health, they were about control. prgtoken Placing mask mandates on the American people and dictating that they must comply, or else, runs contrary to our commitment to America. Let's not forget that throughout the entire pandemic ignored their own masking rules while forcing children to wear them at school, and even outside on extremely hot days. prgtoken Liberal elites were spotted without their masks at hair salons, fancy restaurants, and more. Those same hypocritical leaders shamed others who did not comply with the mask mandates that they ignored. prgtoken The American people see right through ' masking political theater and will never forget how they played politics with our children by shuttering their schools and masking their faces, even as doctors were noting the harm those mandates were causing our children. prgtoken As a pharmacist, I trust patients to work with medical professionals and their families to make healthcare decisions that work best for them. prgtoken A decision to receive a vaccine or wear a mask is a personal one and should only be done in consultation with a trusted healthcare professional. prgtoken That is why we need policies that empower workers to work, allows children and families to thrive, and encourages patients to foster relationships with their healthcare providers. One-size-fits-all mandates are nothing short of government overreach in its most tyrannical form. prgtoken , I thank Representative Ogles for working on this amendment. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and oppose President 's unconstitutional mask mandates.
REMEMBERING VIC FISCHER
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2023-11-8

I rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary Alaskan, Victor Fischer, who passed away on October 22, 2023, after an incredible 99-year life where he made an indelible mark on the State of Alaska. Vic's legacy of dedicated public service continues to touch the lives of all Alaskans, and we will miss his kindness, compassion, and mentorship. prgtoken In his early life, Vic Fischer witnessed firsthand the regimes of Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. He came to the United States at 15 years old and quickly immersed himself in his new country, first through education and later through military service. His service in the Army during World War II took him to France, Germany, and the Philippines. This experience, along with his early years in Berlin and Moscow, helped shape his lifelong belief in the intrinsic value of democracy and human life, values which influenced his many contributions to the State of Alaska. After the war, Vic obtained a graduate degree at MIT and then came to Alaska in 1950 as Anchorage's first city planner, drawn by the promise of adventure and the freedom of opportunity. prgtoken Vic's many contributions were invaluable to the formation of Alaska as we know it today. He served in the last territorial legislature and was an active participant in Operation Statehood from its inception, believing strongly that Alaskans should be able to make decisions for their own communities as full members of the Union. As a member of this legislature, Vic cosponsored the repeal of Alaska's death penalty, work he remained proud of throughout his life as someone who witnessed the power of an authoritarian state to kill its citizens. He played an important role as a delegate to the Alaska Constitutional Convention, helping draft the Alaska Constitution for our new State. Several decades later, as a State senator, Vic worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve Alaskan education, promote women's rights, social infrastructure, fishing rights, and much more. He remained politically active until his final months, educating Alaskans about our constitution, governance structures, and advocacy at all levels. As the author and journalist Charles Wohlforth wrote shortly after Vic's passing, ``Time on Earth is only an opportunity. Fischer had a large share, and made use of it all. He remained optimistically engaged deep into his 90s, always making friends, always committed, always connecting.'' prgtoken Generations of Alaskans will remember Vic Fischer as a kind man with strong, clear values who committed his life to serving Alaska. Vic had a fundamental belief in the value of democracy, encouraging people to participate in their local communities, their State, and their government and to stand up against authoritarianism. He opposed discrimination in any form and emphasized the need to dedicate time and effort to those without power. Above all, he encouraged Alaskans to exercise the
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Andy Barr (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-11-8

. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the sentiment, and I am with Mr. Hoyer on providing support for Ukraine, but the 8H license is actually the loophole. It is the exception to the sanctions. prgtoken I give President credit and Secretary Yellen credit and Wally Adeyemo credit for the sanctions on Russian banks and the Central Bank. The problem is the huge loophole they have created with the general license. prgtoken What my amendment proposes to do--and I just came from a meeting with Deputy Treasury Secretary Adeyemo, a great patriot--but what we are trying to say is the price cap is not working; close the loophole, sanction Russian energy exports. I offer that as a bipartisan amendment.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-11-8

the bill before us to ban TikTok is clearly infringement of the First Amendment. It would ban 150 million people who regularly post on TikTok from expressing themselves. prgtoken It is without question speech. These folks, the 150 million users of TikTok, would have standing in court to sue over infringement of their speech. prgtoken This isn't about who was advocating for this or that in the Middle East or in Israel or in the Hamas situation. The Supreme Court has looked at speech over time, and there is some speech that is not protected. prgtoken But in Europe, they have gone one step further, in the sense that they ban all kinds of speech in Europe. You have certain opinions that can't be expressed. We have never done that in our country. You can have a foul, despicable opinion in our country, and we counter it with better ideas. We counter it with better speech. It is very, very dangerous to the primary principles of our founding, of our government, of our Bill of Rights, of the Bill of Right that is listed first, and that is freedom of speech. And my hope is that this will not be seen as a serious proposal and will be rejected.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-11-8

the administration promised us that they would be the most transparent administration in our Nation's history. prgtoken Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, they have not followed through on that promise. In fact, the White House visitor log policy provides the American people the ability to see who is lobbying this administration. prgtoken However, the administration has made significant efforts to ensure this policy is nearly impossible to take prgtoken effect as intended. Despite s sending correspondence to the administration requesting the disclosure of this information, the White House has not followed through and remains highly secretive. While they released some portions of visitor logs, the American people deserve full transparency. prgtoken Here are just a few examples of the administration's secrecy. The White House has deliberately omitted Hunter 's visitor logs from the database. prgtoken They have made it apparent that no records of visitors to the Delaware residence exists. When asked to disclose the details, they denied any intent to publish visitor access logs at the President's Delaware home. prgtoken Mind you, the President has spent well over 200 days of his Presidency at that location, which was also investigated when confidential classified documents were found. prgtoken Their failure to disclose all visitor logs between the White House and the President's Delaware property have directly contradicted this administration's claims of being the most transparent administration. prgtoken These failures prove the administration's commitment to restore integrity, transparency, and trust in government is merely lip service. We have seen this across all levels of the administration, whether it is the press secretary selectively allowing only cherry- picked questions, or the White House hiding the visitor logs to his retreat in Delaware where he was keeping classified documents. prgtoken This amendment will require the White House to be transparent and prohibit them from failing to disclose visitor logs in a timely and accurate manner in any way. prgtoken We can no longer allow the administration to use a lack of transparency as a shield to mask their actions from public accountability. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment, and .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2023-11-8

I rise today to speak on the resolution submitted by Senator Rubio of Florida. I wanted to also start with sort of an explanation of where we find ourselves. prgtoken You hear the expression ``Made in America'' and ``Buy America'' policies. What are those? That is the simple proposition that when we are spending Federal tax dollars, your tax dollars, we want to see those ultimately benefit U.S. workers and U.S. small businesses and medium-size businesses. That is what ``Make it in America'' or ``Buy America'' policies accomplish. prgtoken But I want to start also with what this Congressional Review Act resolution would do. This resolution would prohibit the Federal Highway Administration's February 2023 rule, which, as you heard from Senator Stabenow, removes electric vehicle chargers from the Agency's blanket ``Buy America'' waiver from taking effect. prgtoken The Federal Highway Administration's rule implements what we would call a phase-in policy or an onramp policy that increases ``Buy America'' requirements for electric vehicle chargers. By July 2024, all EV chargers purchased with Federal Highway Administration dollars, your taxpayer dollars, must be in full compliance with the ``Build America,'' ``Buy America'' rules. prgtoken If you eliminate this rule, as the Rubio resolution would do, it would remove all ``Buy America'' restrictions for EV charger purchases, allowing Federal taxpayer dollars, your dollars, to buy chargers from China, which is rapidly scaling up their charger manufacturing in order to offer the lowest cost product. prgtoken Because of this FHA rule, manufacturers are locating their facilities in the United States. For example, Ingeteam, the European market leader, has built a facility in Milwaukee, WI, where hundreds of union workers will make half a million EV chargers. This is because this rule requires EV chargers to be assembled in the United States when they are funded with Federal taxpayer dollars. prgtoken Under the Rubio resolution, those requirements go away. They vanish. The requirements go away because chargers will once again become subject to the Federal Highway Administration's blanket waiver for manufactured products, which has been in place since 1983. prgtoken I am no fan of this blanket waiver. Since I got to the Senate, I have been pushing to get rid of it. Frustration with this waiver is one of the reasons I worked with my colleagues--Senators Brown, Portman, Stabenow, Braun, and Peters--to get ``Buy America'' requirements into the infrastructure law. Because of our work, that law requires the Federal Highway Administration to request public notice and comment on its blanket waiver--something it did in May of this year. prgtoken If you are a Senator who opposes the Federal Highway Administration's blanket waiver, like me, you might, say, submit a comment during the open comment period--something I did--or ask the Secretary of Transportation to commit
Anti-Semitism (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-11-8

today the Senate will vote to confirm Ramon Reyes to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. prgtoken Judge Reyes received his B.S. from Cornell University, his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and his LL.M. from NYU Law School. prgtoken Judge Reyes began his legal career with the New York City Council as a legislative attorney. After taking a year to clerk for Judge David Trager on the Eastern District, he spent 3 years in private practice before joining the U.S. attorney's office in the Southern District of New York as an assistant U.S. attorney. While in the U.S. attorney's office, Judge Reyes handled a wide range of civil and criminal matters, including cases involving civil rights violations, healthcare fraud, false claims, and environmental issues. In 2004, he was appointed deputy chief of appeals. prgtoken In recognition of his broad experience and legal acumen, including three jury trials and three bench trials as an AUSA, Judge Reyes was appointed in 2006 to serve as a Federal magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York. Since taking the bench, he has presided over 33 trials that cover a range of issues including criminal matters, employment suits, and civil rights cases. prgtoken The American Bar Association unanimously rated Judge Reyes as ``well qualified,'' and he has the strong support of Senators Schumer and Gillibrand. prgtoken I will be supporting his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do so, as well.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-11-8

first, I will speak more tomorrow about Brandy McMillion, whom we just forwarded to a final confirmation vote tomorrow. She is an extraordinary nominee for the district court in Michigan, and I so appreciate the bipartisan support today. S.J. Res. 38 prgtoken At this moment, , I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 38. prgtoken The result of passing this resolution is actually the opposite of what the sponsor is going to say. It reminds me a lot of last week when we were debating school meals and when what was argued was exactly the opposite of what it would do. This is one of those similar kinds of situations. So let me just explain this. prgtoken Last Congress, we worked hard to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act despite the opposition from the senior Senator from Florida, who is authoring this resolution, by the way. From fixing our roads and bridges and airports and railways to expanding high-speed internet and creating jobs, this was a great bill with a great bipartisan effort. We are now seeing the profound effects of this historic law in every corner of the country. prgtoken The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act included my Make It in America Act, which created, for the first time, a Made in America Office. This office is charged with reviewing waivers that have been around for a long time, toughening them up, requiring more transparency, in that any waiver be put on a website for businesses and workers and taxpayers to be able to see, and it ensured complying with other ``Buy America'' laws. prgtoken So, as we are going forward on electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging, we have the administration now looking at waivers. We have a longstanding waiver called the Manufactured Products General Waiver. This prgtoken blanket waiver has been in effect since 1983, and it has allowed foreign manufactured products to be used by the Federal Highway Administration. prgtoken Our administration, the administration, doesn't want to see that continue. So it put in place a short-term waiver. It took EV chargers out of that and put in place a short-term waiver until next July and said: We will give you a little bit of time, but then you are going to have to have American companies that are making EV chargers if we are going to buy them with Federal taxpayer dollars. prgtoken So it was very significant in expanding ``Buy America'' policies. Now, you will somehow hear the opposite. This is expanding ``Buy America'' policies by basically saying: Instead of a permanent waiver, we will give you until July 1, 2024, to ensure that new chargers can meet ``Buy America'' requirements, and we can move forward with American-made products. So the key is temporary. This is temporary. prgtoken Therefore, this resolution would actually weaken ``Buy America'' requirements. The resolution would result in EV chargers not needing to meet any U.S. manuf
PROPOSED CUTS ON AMTRAK
Mike Levin (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-11-8

this week, President announced more than $16 billion in Federal funding for the Northeast Corridor, the busiest in the United States, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. prgtoken While that is a very admirable and needed effort, I would like to call attention to the LOSSAN Corridor, the second busiest rail corridor, which runs right through my district. It is the only rail link between San Diego and Los Angeles. prgtoken The integrity of the LOSSAN Corridor is arguably at greater risk than any other corridor in the country. It runs along the Pacific Ocean and has repeatedly closed due to climate change-induced sea level rise, collapsing bluffs, and eroding beaches. That has cost our economy millions of dollars per year and impacts my constituents' ability to get where they need to go. prgtoken The LOSSAN Corridor is the busiest State-supported route for Amtrak, which is currently facing 64 percent funding cuts in the T- HUD appropriations bill. prgtoken This is the wrong approach. We must invest in Amtrak and associated infrastructure. I will continue to advocate for the administration to invest in the LOSSAN Corridor so California can get its fair share of resources. prgtoken , I thank my partners in California, and especially Governor Newsom, for continuing to fight for this historic investment.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Mark Pocan (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2023-11-8

. To my distinguished colleague from Arkansas (Mr. Womack): I so appreciate your promptness that we run on your subcommittee, I was just giving you the promptness through this process. So that is why I was allowing you to use the time you had. I just want to explain that so you realize why I was sitting back. prgtoken , I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The White House Gender Policy Council is vital in advancing gender equity and equality. It helps ensure that all individuals, regardless of their gender, have equal opportunities and rights. The council takes a holistic approach to addressing gender issues and looking at areas such as economic security, healthcare, education, and violence prevention. prgtoken This comprehensive strategy allows for a more effective response to gender-related challenges leading to better outcomes for individuals and communities. prgtoken By establishing a dedicated council at the highest levels of government, the White House sends a clear message about the importance of gender equity and inclusion. The White House Gender Policy Council is important for advancing gender, equity, and equality. prgtoken , I strongly oppose this amendment, I urge a ``no'' vote, and .
HONORING MARY ANN GOSSETT MOORE'S LIFE AND LEGACY
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-11-8

I rise today to commemorate the life of Mary Ann Gossett Moore of Tyler, Texas. Mary Ann was born on March 26, 1926, in Troup, Texas and was later baptized and joined Big Springs Baptist Church in Blackjack, Texas. From an early age, Mary Ann had a quest for education and graduated from Troup High School, in Troup, Texas, and later was the second of her ten siblings to pursue a higher education degree. prgtoken Mary Ann would go on to spend two years at Texas College in Tyler, Texas, where she majored in Home Economics. Prior to college, Mary Ann worked alongside her siblings and parents in the cotton fields, where her grandfather owned several hundred acres of farmland. prgtoken Mary Ann would go on to marry Robert Moore Jr. for 50 years and have two children, Edward Don, and Della Marie. Mary Ann and her husband lived in North Tyler and were active members of True Light Missionary Baptist Church, Tyler, Texas, where she served as president of the senior choir and the deaconess auxiliary, and was a trusted member of the Pastor's Aide Committee for over 35 years. She also dutifully worked for Trane Technologies (formerly General Electric) for 26 years, where she later retired. prgtoken As the Matriarch of the Moore family, Mary Ann, was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. She served her family with a steadfast commitment to her deep-rooted values of respect, hard work, and kindness. Mary Ann was also an avid baker and had a deep love for her church, serving as Church Mother until she departed this life. prgtoken I extend my prayers to all Mary Ann's loved ones during this time. May her memory be a blessing.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Stephen F. Lynch (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-11-8

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I do want to point out that 130 countries right now, 90 percent of the world's central banks, are studying and doing research on digital currencies, and, in particular, government-backed digital currencies. prgtoken This amendment would prevent the United States from researching an area that 130 countries are right now researching. It would put us very far back at the end of the pack. prgtoken , as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4664, the Financial Services appropriations bill and the misguided amendment that would essentially prevent our government from exploring and researching a government-issued central bank digital currency. prgtoken This year witnessed the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and other U.S. midsize banks holding a combined $500 billion in assets, an institutional banking crisis requiring decisive action by the FDIC, Treasury, and the Federal Reserve to protect American investors and the U.S. economy. prgtoken We are also in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic demise of the crypto market following the abrupt implosion of FTX, Celsius, BlockFi, and other crypto companies. prgtoken Just this week, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted of seven counts of financial fraud and conspiracy after he stole up to $14 billion from FTX customers and investors. prgtoken Yet, in this climate that demands regulatory oversight and thorough understanding of this market, this appropriations bill actually guts funding for critical agencies that serve to protect American investors, including the Securities and Exchange Commission. prgtoken Moreover, to the great detriment of U.S. global economic leadership, the amendment under consideration would prevent the Treasury from even examining a government-backed central bank digital currency.