mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tribute to Richard C. Shelby (Executive Calendar)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-12-14

as we near the end of the 117th Congress, we are also preparing to say farewell to some of the body's most dedicated public servants. prgtoken Among those is Alabama's own Richard Craig Shelby. prgtoken I have known Senator Shelby for many years, but I have most enjoyed getting to know him as a colleague and a friend in Congress. prgtoken You know, his help and guidance have been invaluable to me since I came to the Senate 2 years ago. It was quite the transition from college football to politics, but I jumped into the ring because I care deeply about the future of our Nation, and I realized very quickly so does Richard Shelby. prgtoken My transition to public office was supported by some great advisers who shared my belief in America. Chief among those allies is Senator Shelby. prgtoken Even though he is a lifelong Alabama fan and pulled against me for 10 years, we still became friends. prgtoken Congress is like a football team. It has a lot of great players in different positions, but to come together, form a game plan, and get some wins for our country, those players need good coaches. prgtoken Senator Shelby has been one of the best. prgtoken Born in Birmingham, Senator Shelby graduated from the University of Alabama and the Birmingham School of Law, becoming a city prosecutor in Tuscaloosa. For all my Auburn folks back home, at least we can all agree that Senator Shelby is one of the finer things to come out of Tuscaloosa. prgtoken Senator Shelby has represented Alabamians in Congress since 1979 and has served in the Senate since 1987--always keeping an eye on the future and the other eye on the people he has been serving. prgtoken To say Senator Shelby committed his career to the betterment of his State and the Nation would be a huge understatement. prgtoken His retirement is well-earned, and his work should be celebrated. prgtoken So, today, I want to honor the countless hours--countless hours--he has spent fighting for Alabama and the many achievements he has championed for the betterment of all Americans. prgtoken Senator Shelby's work has hit almost every corner of Alabama. prgtoken No. 1, his focus on national defense, manufacturing, infrastructure, and education will be the hallmarks of his legacy. prgtoken First, Senator Shelby's commitment to our State's defense industry is second--and I mean second--to none. prgtoken His support for America's military and his belief in the abilities of Alabamians cemented our State's role as a leader in America's national defense infrastructure. In nearly every position he has held in the Senate, he has used the tools available to bolster our armed services and utilize resources Alabama offers. prgtoken More recently, as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee on Defense, Senator Shelby delivered billions in crucial defense funding. His efforts helped significantly expand the capabilities of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. Redstone
Tribute to Richard Burr (Executive Calendar)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-12-14

I am here on the floor to congratulate my friend from North Carolina, the Tar Heel State. prgtoken We go back a few years. He is from Winston-Salem, where my wife is from. Our spouses actually waitressed together back in Winston-Salem during high school, and they are still buddies. Brooke and Richard are dear friends. prgtoken More importantly for today, Richard has been a terrific representative of the State of North Carolina--first, in the House of Representatives, where I served with him when I was a Member there from Ohio; and then he snuck over to the Senate, a little bit ahead of me, and kind of laid the groundwork. prgtoken We have had the opportunity to work on so much together, Richard. prgtoken I think of every major bipartisan achievement in this place, and you will see Richard's fingerprints on it. prgtoken So to his staff who are here, I know those are your fingerprints as much as his; so congratulations. prgtoken They haven't always been easy issues. Sometimes they have put Richard in a difficult political position, but he did what he thought was right for his beloved State of North Carolina and for the country. prgtoken Today, I have heard a lot about healthcare. I like healthcare. That is great to talk about it, but I want to talk about something else. But first, on healthcare, I must say, on Operation Warp Speed, it was remarkably successful. I think everyone has to acknowledge that now. No one in this Chamber was more responsible for laying the groundwork for that than Richard Burr. I am not sure people understand that. But on all the discussion about Richard's innovation and your work on healthcare, I think that is one that perhaps needs to be emphasized. prgtoken You have also done a good job in other areas, as we talked about today, and the Intelligence Committee, in particular. I will tell you that Richard and I have traveled the world a little bit together. We will go to some hot spot, and I will be dutifully going to the meetings, you know, with the political leadership of the country, and Richard will disappear, and he will show up a few days--no, a few hours--later. We will have a good conversation about things he is not allowed to tell me about. So he doesn't tell me everything. But the bottom line is, he is in touch with intelligence people not just here in Washington but around the world and expressing our support for them and our encouragement for them for the difficult jobs that they do on behalf of our country and, really, you know, keeping the world a less dangerous and less volatile place. prgtoken Richard, I have seen you in action on that, but I want to talk about something else, which is his love of the outdoors and his work on conservation. prgtoken We are cochairs of what is called the International Conservation Caucus. This is a group of Members, two and two s-- Senator Whitehouse and Senator Coons for the , Senator Burr and I for t
Tribute to Richard Burr (Executive Calendar)
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2022-12-14

how heartwarming it has been today to witness Richard Burr's farewell speech to his colleagues, his staff, the Members of the Senate, his constituents, and, indeed, all Americans, and equally heartwarming it has been to listen to the heartfelt tributes that he is receiving from those of us who have been privileged to share with him. prgtoken During his 28 years in Congress as both a Member of the House and of the Senate, Richard has been a strong voice for responsible government and bipartisanship. prgtoken I join my colleagues in thanking him for his truly extraordinary service not just to the people of his beloved North Carolina but to all of our country. Throughout his service, Richard has consistently reached across the aisle to meet challenges and to move our Nation forward. prgtoken As the leader of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, he has supported innovations in our healthcare system that have made a real difference for his fellow Americans. These advancements include enhancing the ability of cutting-edge treatments and medications to reach patients as well as advocating for historic funding increases for biomedical research. prgtoken Richard has also left a lasting mark on education policy for Americans of all ages. He has worked to ensure that the very youngest learners have the best possible opportunities in life by supporting early education through Head Start and quality childcare and by supporting afterschool programs through the child care and development block grant. prgtoken He has sought to increase the affordability of higher education by authoring the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, and he has helped Americans obtain good-paying jobs by strengthening workforce development programs. prgtoken Richard was also a member of the bipartisan group that shepherded the Great American Outdoors Act through Congress. Two years ago, I was proud to join him when that bipartisan bill was signed into law. This historic legislation fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund that supports access to the great outdoors for all Americans. It is preserving and creating recreational opportunities from the Outer Banks to the Pacific coast. prgtoken Perhaps less well-known but also important is the fact that Richard has been a champion of civil rights. He spearheaded the passage of the ABLE Act--one of the most important laws for individuals with disabilities since the Americans with Disabilities Act. prgtoken He partnered with Congressman John Lewis, the late civil rights icon, to reauthorize the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act to right the wrongs committed against African Americans that were never investigated. prgtoken When in 2010 former Senator Joe Lieberman and I led the fight to repeal the discriminatory don't ask, don't tell law that prohibited patriotic Americans from serving in the military due to their sexual orientation, Richard steppe
RECOGNIZING KENNETH CHARLES (K.C.) STOCK
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-12-14

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a remarkable man, Kenneth Charles (K.C.) Stock. prgtoken Born in 1938 in Oconto, WI, K.C. was the oldest of three children. He graduated from Oconto High School in 1956, and at the age of 19, K.C. began building houses and running a farm with Holstein cows which he raised for beef. Following two years at St. Norbert College in De Pere, K.C. left to begin working at Scanlan and Stock, after which he started his own pallet business in Oconto. K.C. was the bookkeeper, truck driver, purchasing agent, and had two employees at his small business. In the midst of starting his own company, K.C. met and married the love of his life, Ms. Georgia Soulek. prgtoken While K.C.'s family expanded, so did his business. K.C. continued to grow his business operations and in 1971 he bought his first contractor yard, ScanIan and Stock, the same yard where he started his career years earlier. K.C. renamed the company Stock Lumber and would grow the company across the Midwest, opening locations in Green Bay, Appleton, Princeton, Fond Du Lac, Stevens Point, Sussex, Delavan, Windsor, La Crosse, Eagan, and Rochester. K.C.'s entrepreneurial spirit was evident in all that he did from Stock Lumber to his ownership of Cruiser Yachts in Oconto, Wisconsin. He built lasting businesses that granted many members of Northeast Wisconsin stable, family-supporting jobs. prgtoken As his business grew, so did his efforts to give back to his community. In 1991, he founded the K.C. Stock Foundation which played an instrumental role in funding the Children's Hospital in Northeast Wisconsin at St. Vincent Hospital to ensure that many families would not need to travel across the state for treatment. In recognition of his leadership in the community, K.C. was awarded the 1999 Free Enterprise Award presented by the Rotary Club of Green Bay. It is evident through his numerous accolades that KC left a lasting impact and influence on his family, friends, employees, and our entire community. I wish to thank K.C. for his lifelong dedication to our community and I offer my sincere condolences to his family and friends during this time. prgtoken Madam , the people of Northeast Wisconsin thank K.C. Stock for his immeasurable dedication and commitment to his community. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Georgia, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and to all of the lives he touched throughout our country.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION--Continued
Tim Scott (Republican, SC) \u2014 2022-12-14

. This issue is an issue of America's future and America's now. Today, our kids desperately need quality education from sea to shining sea. This CRA provides us more momentum in the direction of making sure the poorest kids in the poorest ZIP Codes have quality education. That is all this is about. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote yes. prgtoken The joint resolution was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read the third time. Vote on S.J. Res. 60
Tribute to Richard C. Shelby (Executive Calendar)
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2022-12-14

I just wanted to add my congratulatory remarks and thanks to Senator Shelby, the senior Senator from Alabama. For me, he will always be the chairman. He has certainly been my mentor, and I think the Senator from Missouri and others would say the same thing. He has been our mentor on appropriations--in my case, for 12 years--and I would have to say, to me, it is amazing how well he understands the process--of course, he has been at it for a while--how well he understands the process, how well he works it. prgtoken The people he hires are so good. That is something we have to work with as chairmen of the subcommittees, is our staff administrators as well, and in working with Chairman Shelby, we are always going to get just absolutely the very, very best people. So it wasn't just his staff director for the full committee but the staff directors we had on the subcommittee. I think the Senator from Missouri would back me up on that. We were able to have such good people who really understood the process very well also, and that is incredibly important in appropriations because you have all these things that are authorized, and then we have to figure out what to fund and how to fund, and not only that but how to get those bills passed at the committee level and ultimately passed across the floor. Of course, everybody has a tremendous interest in what is in those appropriations bills. So it is not just the process he understood so well and worked so well but his understanding of people. prgtoken He wasn't the person who always talked, and he certainly wasn't always the person, when he talked, who talked the longest. But I have always believed that sometimes a person who can express a thought in the most cogent way--in other words, express a full, complete thought that is appropriate at the time and that actually makes the point in the fewest number of words--actually shows the keenest intellect. Try it sometime. Try saying as much as you can in terms of something important and making a point in the fewest possible words. It truly does take a keen mind. prgtoken The chairman not only had a keen mind for the policy in what needed to be done but in also working with people. I think, maybe, that that is something I appreciate even more. It is that, when you worked with Chairman Shelby, he took the time to understand what was important to you. Then, to the best of his ability, he would try to help you accomplish that. prgtoken Now, if you kind of thought, Well, that is pretty good. I think I will go back and try to get a few more things, sometimes he would have to remind you that you have got to prioritize. He might remind you with, boy, you are kind of pushing for a lot there. In that respect, it gave you perspective. That is important too. That is important too. prgtoken Yet, for the things that really mattered and for the things that you needed to get done, he really took the time to work and make i
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF RONALD W. LASCH
Fred Upton (Republican, MI) \u2014 2022-12-14

. Madam , I rise today to note the passing of Ron Lasch. prgtoken Ron was a friend and advisor to me and hundreds of other Members of both parties during his 42-year career as a Floor Assistant in this body. prgtoken Ron came to the House as a 16 year old Page in 1958 when Joe Martin was the Leader. He graduated from the Capitol Page School in 1960 alongside other men with long careers in the House, such as former Representative Jim Kolbe, who also passed away just days ago, and the late Donnald K. Anderson, former Clerk of the House. prgtoken As a Floor Assistant, Ron monitored the proceedings on the floor and advised Members on scheduling and procedure. He valued the rules and traditions of the House, and more than once, privately talked a Member out of heated words that, spoken in anger, would likely be ruled out of order. prgtoken Ron retired in 2000, so there is a dwindling number of current Members who knew him, but at the time of his retirement, many of my prgtoken colleagues paid tribute to his judgement and dedication. His impact, behind the scenes, was immense. He was a mentor not only to Members, but to other people who staffed the floor, particularly the many Pages who have come and gone over the years. prgtoken Ron was born a year after Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1942, and died on November 14, 2022. His classmate, Congressman Jim Kolbe, died days later on December 3rd. Donn Anderson died July 30, 2020. I am personally grateful for the service of these three men of the House. prgtoken Madam , I include in the Record a statement from the Honorable Robert E. Bauman, one of Ron's colleagues on the staff here who later represented the First District of Maryland in the House. In Memoriam--Ronald W. Lasch prgtoken The Honorable Robert E. Bauman, First District, Maryland (1973-1981) Owen Lovejoy, a member of the House from Illinois (1857- 1864), was close to President Abraham Lincoln, who called him ``my most generous friend.'' On an obelisk in Princeton, Illinois, in his honor are the words of Lincoln: ``Let him have his marble monument along with the well assured and more enduring one in the hearts of all those who love Liberty unselfishly and for all.'' Indeed, Lincoln was correct; true friendship is a matter of the heart. Ron Lasch was my friend, and a respected friend to many on Capitol Hill during the 37 years he served on the House floor staff. He started his 42-year House career as a Page in 1958, sponsored by Representative William B. Widnall of New Jersey. In 1963, he was named as telephone clerk in the House Cloakroom. Ron joined me there where I was also a phone clerk. On November 22, 1963, a Friday, the House had adjourned when news of President Kennedy's death in Dallas came over the news tickers in the House Lobby. Ron and I were floo
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ON CAMPUS
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-12-14

freedom of speech and thought on college campuses is essential to one of the most important missions of the university: the search for truth. prgtoken While censorship can come from the right or left, many colleges and universities are now zealously devoted to advancing leftwing ideas and are willing to disregard evidence and logic to do it. prgtoken Universities should be a marketplace of ideas, not temples to a single political dogma. When students or faculty speak out against established norms, they are canceled, fired, or otherwise stigmatized by peers and university administrators. prgtoken This is not what our Founding Fathers intended for our country or for our universities. Thomas Jefferson, who founded the University of Virginia, once wrote: ``I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.'' prgtoken Universities used to promote this sentiment, but things have changed--and not for the better. Universities should be centers of education, not indoctrination. Yet university leaders either brazenly push their own agenda or walk on eggshells in fear of their own student body. prgtoken Research and development suffer when debate and discussion are openly rejected on college campuses. Quashing intellectual curiosity hinders every field of study. prgtoken The freedom to speak and think freely comes from God. Students should not have to sign away their First Amendment rights after enrolling in college, especially if those institutions accept taxpayer funds. It is time for colleges and universities to be held accountable when they refuse to protect the free speech of students and faculty. prgtoken Members of the Education and Workforce Committee have submitted multiple bills to promote and protect the freedom of speech on college campuses. prgtoken In the next Congress, we look forward to examining closely these bills and other ways to preserve the First Amendment on campuses. Independent Contractors
Farewell to the Senate (Executive Calendar)
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-12-14

today I come to the Senate floor for what will probably be one of my last times--perhaps not my last time but close. I want to start off by thanking the people of Alabama, my home State. They have put their trust in me for more than 50 years. It is more than I could ever wish for, and this has been truly been an experience of a lifetime--something I could have never dreamed. prgtoken I came to the House 44 years ago and served 8 years as a coming from the State of Alabama. I had a good run in the U.S. House, and I appreciate that. I am grateful for that. However, I always wanted to come over here to the U.S. Senate. prgtoken In 1986, I ran for the Senate against the incumbent, Jeremiah Denton--a prominent war hero, a great man--and I won that race by 6,854 votes. It was razor, razor thin, as you can imagine. prgtoken In 1994, after years of being told to join the Party and that I should be there, from President Reagan and all the way down, I decided to switch parties. I joined the Party. Some people would say that I was in the vanguard of the realignment of the Party in the South. That is for history to decide. prgtoken During my time in the Senate, I have been given the great opportunity of chairing four committees--four committees--something I couldn't have believed. In these positions of leadership, I have tried to influence legislation that will have a lasting impact, creating conditions to improve our country. prgtoken On the Select Committee on Intelligence, I served there for 8 years and was chairman of the full committee. prgtoken On the Banking Committee, where I am grateful to still serve after 36 years, I was chairman for three Congresses and was ranking member for three Congresses. On that committee, I worked with various Senators. prgtoken I had the opportunity, as some of you have had, to chair the Rules Committee, which is important to the running of the Senate. We worked together and instituted some very serious legislation. prgtoken But, finally, after many years of work, I chaired the Appropriations Committee. Working across the aisle in a bipartisan way, we passed and enacted the most on-time spending bills in 2018 for the first time in 22 years. We did that, I believe, by working together. prgtoken As I look back on the Senate, I think of some of the people who were here who are not with us anymore, but they have had a lasting impact on this body--the Senate. prgtoken I think of Senator Bob Dole--Presidential candidate, Vice Presidential candidate, majority leader, minority leader, friend, mentor--I thought had a lasting impact. prgtoken I think of Senator Byrd-- of West Virginia, former majority leader, later chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He had strong views and was a man of the Senate. prgtoken We also had Senator Mark Hatfield--a , former Governor of Oregon, distinguished chairman of the Appropriations Committe