mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING UNT POLICE CHIEF ED REYNOLDS
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to recognize the exemplary leadership and public service of Chief Ed Reynolds, as he retires as Police Chief of the University of North Texas (UNT) Police Department. Chief Reynolds has served as Police Chief since November 2015, and since joining the UNT Police Department in 1994 as an officer, he has accumulated almost three decades of faithful service to the 45,000 students, faculty and staff members on UNT's Denton campus. prgtoken Chief Reynolds earned an associate degree in criminal justice from North Central Texas College and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from UNT. He attended the UNT police academy and graduated as valedictorian. He holds a master peace officer, firearms, and instructor license issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. prgtoken During his career at UNT, Chief Reynolds has served the department as a police officer, corporal, sergeant, lieutenant and deputy chief. In doing so, he has supervised every division within the department including operations, investigations, and administration. prgtoken He led the department's successful effort to become nationally accredited in 2006 by The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, a distinction that fewer than 7 percent of law enforcement agencies nationwide achieve. He received a UNT Presidential Award, the Bob Rogers Service and Community Engagement Award, in 2023, for outstanding service to the university and collaboration with the surrounding community. In 2018 he was also recognized nationally by Campus Safety Magazine as their Higher Education Director of the Year, honoring him for outstanding achievement and leadership in security, public safety and emergency management. prgtoken The UNT community is indebted to Chief Reynolds as he steps down from leading the 65 full-time employees and the department he has directed for almost 8 years. He has put the safety of others above his own and has honorably carried the burden of law enforcement leadership during one of the most challenging periods our country has witnessed. I am proud and grateful to have had someone with the character and servant heart of Chief Reynolds serving my alma mater, and I wish him and his family the best in retirement.
VETERANS' COMPENSATION COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2023
Morgan Luttrell (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today in support of S. 777. prgtoken , I thank Senator Tester and Senator Moran for leading this bill through the Senate. I also thank the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee's ranking member, Mr. Pappas, for joining me and co-leading the House companion to S. 777. prgtoken As Chairman Bost said, this legislation is necessary to ensure that veterans' and survivors' compensation benefits keep pace with rising inflation. prgtoken There are veterans in my district who are struggling to make ends meet. Without their disability compensation benefits, they may not be able to do just that. prgtoken Finances and the ability to pay bills can be a major source of stress and anxiety for so many veterans, survivors, and their families. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in just 1 year, the consumer price index has risen 4.9 percent, with housing and gas prices at the front of the charge. This bill is crucial to ensure that veterans can keep pace with this widespread inflation. prgtoken , I know many of my colleagues are committed to helping their veteran constituents, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
PAYING TRIBUTE ON MEMORIAL DAY
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-5-22

next Monday, we will pause and pay tribute to the men and women who have died in service to our Nation. prgtoken It is a solemn time: one for deep reflection, patriotism, and gratitude. This upcoming Saturday, members of the High Country chapter of the Military Officers Association of America will be honoring deceased military veterans for Memorial Day by placing 600 flags on their gravesites. prgtoken Joining them will be members of The American Legion, ASU military staff, as well as local Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts seeing members of the High Country come together in this fashion is heartwarming. prgtoken Let us never forget that we are blessed to live in the freest, greatest country in the world and that the selfless sacrifices made by those who have served should always be revered and recognized.
STOPPING THE INFLUX OF FENTANYL
Michael Lawler (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to call attention to the scourge of fentanyl and opioids that have made their way into New York's Hudson Valley, a region I proudly represent. prgtoken It is critical that we all work together to find solutions to the devastating impacts these illegal substances can have. prgtoken I am fully committed to doing everything I can to stop the inflow of fentanyl at our southern border and points of entry and hold the cartels and those trafficking fentanyl-laced drugs accountable. prgtoken I am also dedicated to doing everything I can to assist organizations that play a critical role in the treatment, recovery, and education of those in the Hudson Valley struggling with substance use disorders, which is why I am supporting H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act. prgtoken This bill will categorize fentanyl as a schedule I drug as it has no currently accepted medical value and a high potential for abuse. Additionally, this bill establishes a new alternative registration process for schedule I research. prgtoken As someone who has seen firsthand the incredible positive impacts that recovery can have on families, I am in this fight for the long haul and know the importance of it. prgtoken , together, we can make a real impact, and I encourage my colleagues to pass H.R. 467.
RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF SERGEANT MAJOR JOHN A. THOMAS, THE DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES FOR CAMP SHELBY JOINT FORCES TRAINING CENTER
Michael Guest (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to recognize the service of Sergeant Major John A. Thomas. Sergeant Major Thomas began his career in 1985 after completing both his basic and individual trainings. Over a 38-year career, Sergeant Major Thomas has served this great Nation to ensure the safety of American citizens and to provide support for military personnel. prgtoken Sergeant Major Thomas's decorated career includes being deployed to Egypt in support of the Multi-national Forces and Observers, to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and his emergency rapid response participation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ida. Sergeant Major Thomas has received accolades for his service in overseas campaigns fighting terrorism and for his decisive actions in the line of duty. prgtoken On behalf of Mississippi's Third Congressional District and the United States House of Representatives, I thank Sergeant Major John A. Thomas for his service to our country.
2023 SPECIES WEEK
Harriet M. Hageman (Republican, WY) \u2014 2023-5-22

this week the Endangered Species Act turns 50. It is an act that was initially created to ensure the health of fish, wildlife, and vegetation and to protect species that are either threatened or endangered as defined by the act. prgtoken The fact is that the Endangered Species Act would and could work if it were implemented as intended--to recover actually threatened or endangered species. It has instead become a business in and of itself, with an entire economy built around endless studies, monitoring, fieldwork, and lawsuits. Bureaucrats spend their entire careers trying to prevent species from being delisted--as to keep them on the list ensures job security. prgtoken The Endangered Species Act has had profound impacts on my State of Wyoming by limiting economic development and restricting the implementation of reasonable and effective land, water, and resource management and use. prgtoken It doesn't have to be that way. Under the ESA, once the recovery goals for a species have been met, the species should be delisted. That, however, is not what happens. Instead, and regardless of the actual status of the species, it can take decades to delist a recovered species. prgtoken The Canadian gray wolves are a classic example. They were introduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995 with a recovery goal for the greater Yellowstone area being 100 wolves. We met that goal in 2002. prgtoken It then took multiple lawsuits and 15 years to have them actually delisted, which finally happened in 2017, as ordered by the circuit court of appeals. The environmental groups fought against delisting, despite the fact that Wyoming's wolf management plan was approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service and has since proven successful in maintaining the wolf population well in excess of recovery goals. prgtoken The Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear is another example. The State of Wyoming has spent over $59 million on recovery and has an excellent management plan in place to ensure a recovered population will continue to be protected. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that the grizzly population has exceeded recovery goals for the past 20 years. prgtoken Yet, again, environmental groups have been able to keep the grizzly bear listed through petitioning activist judges to intervene. The proliferation of bears in Wyoming is so great that they now pose a serious and deadly threat to people, livestock, and other wildlife in my State. prgtoken I am thankful to my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee for their support on H.R. 1245, my legislation to delist the Greater Yellowstone population of grizzly bears, and I look forward to passing it out of the House soon. prgtoken By continuing to spend limited resources on recovered populations of species, we are deflecting resources from where they should be focused. We are robbing Peter to pay Paul. prgtoken In short, as implemented by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and
RECOGNIZING CLINT JOHNSTON
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to salute an extraordinary educator. Clint Johnston has spent 31 years in public education. He retires at the end of this school year as Superintendent of the Jefferson R-VII district. Clint began his career in Scott County Missouri, teaching science, coaching baseball, and driving buses. He ends it in Jefferson County Missouri overseeing four schools, 160 faculty and staff, and 1,123 students in Pre-K through 12th grade. prgtoken Mr. Johnston takes an interest in his students, celebrating their achievements and helping them overcome their challenges. He encourages and inspires his faculty and staff to provide an exemplary education to the students in their care. He is, most certainly, the prgtoken biggest cheerleader for his Jefferson County Blue Jays. prgtoken It has been my great privilege to nominate students from Jefferson R- VII who have achieved their dreams of attending U.S. Service academies. No one is prouder of their accomplishments than Superintendent Johnston. prgtoken As he retires from education, he begins a new chapter that his wife Joy says will include some travel and some time at his family farm. To paraphrase a line from his favorite movie, ``Forrest Gump,'' ``retirement is like a box of chocolates--you never know what you're gonna get.'' prgtoken On behalf of the thousands of children and their families whose lives he touched, I am proud to congratulate retiring Jefferson R-VII Superintendent Clint Johnston of Festus, Missouri today before the United States House of Representatives.
2023 SPECIES WEEK
James R. Baird (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-5-22

from the great State of Washington for giving me this opportunity and giving the people back home this opportunity. prgtoken , today I rise on behalf of the communities and the residents of west central Indiana to share our experience with the Endangered Species Act. prgtoken As an animal scientist and a farmer, I am a lifelong conservationist. I value the well-intended effort of the ESA to protect and conserve our Nation's most iconic species that really define our landscapes and have shaped our heritage. prgtoken Unfortunately, I believe the ESA has failed to achieve the underlying mission, and many of my constituents have been forced to experience the consequences firsthand. prgtoken Lakes Freeman and Shafer near Monticello, Indiana, have been a proper and appropriate tourist destination--home to many small businesses and attractions, and a vibrant local economy. A series of droughts and a tangle of bureaucratic red tape involving ESA devastated our once- thriving community. prgtoken Following a listing more than a decade ago of mussels on the endangered species list found in the Tippecanoe River, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service subsequently ordered a new higher volume of water to flow out of the Oakdale Dam that forms Lake Freeman, in an effort to preserve these now protected mussels. prgtoken This executive action by unelected bureaucrats became a death knell to the community and surrounding area. Businesses like the Tall Timbers Marina or The Madam Carroll cruise boat reported catastrophic losses of revenue. Homeowners along the lake reported ruined seawalls, dried up wells, and poor resale values. prgtoken The ESA not only failed to save the endangered population of mussels that sparked this misguided intervention--the mussels likely died from bacterial overload created by reducing a 1500-acre lake to a puddle-- but also claimed the lives of other wildlife in the area that died from the inhospitable conditions created by this rulemaking. prgtoken What happened in my district was an unmitigated disaster with antiquated Federal policies providing little resources for the community nearly leveled by its outstanding and outdated regulations. prgtoken After 50 years, it is time to modernize the law--to fix the broken parts, to make it better serve its intended purpose, and to allow for responsible solutions to disasters like Lake Freeman.
RECOGNIZING THE 58TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to recognize the 58th anniversary of the Head Start program and the invaluable services it makes available to children and families in need. The Head Start Project was launched in 1965 as a comprehensive child development program. President Lyndon Johnson commissioned Sargent Shriver with the establishment of a comprehensive program that would assist underserved communities in meeting the needs of preschool aged children. With the help of education, psychology. and child experts, the U.S. government initially launched ``Project Head Start'' as an eight-week summer program that reached 561,000 children. Finding early success, the program was expanded in the fall of 1965 to provide services throughout the entire school year. In the subsequent decades, Head Start has further grown to include bilingual and bicultural programs, as well as services for disadvantaged infants, toddlers, and pregnant women through Early Head Start grants. prgtoken Over the last six decades, the Head Start Program has provided a window of opportunity to more than 37 million vulnerable children and their families. Now serving nearly 1 million children and their families annually in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories. Head Start's exceptional dedication to our children is truly remarkable, and this year, as it celebrates its 58th anniversary, we express our appreciation for the impact that Head Start has had on communities across the country and especially in Bucks and Montgomery counties.
KOREAN AMERICAN VIETNAM ALLIES LONG OVERDUE FOR RELIEF ACT
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-22

I thank Chairman Bost for yielding. prgtoken I rise in strong support of H.R. 366, the Korean American VALOR Act. I thank Ranking Member Takano for his leadership on this very important issue. prgtoken During his joint address to Congress, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol highlighted that during the Korean war, ``Korean and American soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder and fought bravely.'' prgtoken However, the Korean war was not the last time Korean soldiers fought alongside American troops. They fought side by side in the Vietnam war, sharing the same physical and mental scars from that conflict. prgtoken Many of these Korean troops eventually immigrated to the United States and became proud naturalized American citizens. I personally know several of these individuals, and I am eternally grateful for their service. prgtoken Unfortunately, because the United States does not currently have a reciprocal veterans' healthcare agreement with the Republic of Korea, these Korean Americans cannot access veterans' healthcare benefits. The Korean American VALOR Act will create a pathway for an agreement to be reached and for these veterans to receive access to VA healthcare. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
MOMENT OF SILENCE HONORING FORMER CONGRESSMAN MARION BERRY
Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to remember a former Member of this body who served the people of the First District of Arkansas, Mr. Marion Berry, who passed away over the weekend following a long illness. prgtoken Congressman Berry was born in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and he grew up in the small Arkansas County town of Bayou Meto. The son of a rice farmer, Congressman Berry would work as a pharmacist and eventually in agriculture, which led to a career in public service caring for and advocating on behalf of those he worked around in the Arkansas Delta. prgtoken Congressman Berry worked alongside President Clinton in the White House and would eventually run for office, serving seven terms in Washington representing the First District of Arkansas where he was a member of the Appropriations Committee. prgtoken While his work in Washington was important to him, he worked tirelessly to draw attention to the people of the First District, especially those who lived in the delta. prgtoken Congressman Berry will always be known for his political wit and wisdom but will be remembered and respected for the service he provided to his community, constituents, and country in the House of Representatives. prgtoken Our delegation, our families, and so many across the State of Arkansas offer our condolences and prayers as we remember Congressman Berry and his family during this time of mourning and remembrance. prgtoken , I ask for a moment of silence.
2023 SPECIES WEEK
Pete Stauber (Republican, MN) \u2014 2023-5-22

I appreciate the chairman's leadership not only in the Western Caucus but his leadership on very important issues such as the Endangered Species Act. I appreciate his giving me the opportunity this evening. prgtoken , I rise today in celebration of the gray wolf being fully recovered. prgtoken Gray wolves have never been extinct in Minnesota. We currently estimate our population at over 2,700 gray wolves, while the ESA recovery plan goal for our State is 1,400. In fact, Minnesota has more wolves than the rest of the lower 48 States combined. prgtoken The Clinton, , , , and administrations, along with our very own Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, have all agreed: It is a scientific fact that the gray wolf has recovered. prgtoken On my chart here, , you can see clearly the gray wolf has recovered. The blue dotted line is the Federal recovery plan, and the green dotted line is the minimum in Minnesota to reinstitute a wolf hunt. The wolf population is way up at the top, well above each threshold, as you can see. prgtoken Unfortunately, radical activist groups have weaponized the Endangered Species Act to keep the gray wolf listed. This misguided effort is a clear danger to our deer herds, livestock, and beloved family pets across Minnesota. prgtoken We have the scientists, the know-how, and the experience to responsibly manage the gray wolf, including implementing a hunting and trapping season. prgtoken When wolves are above their ESA targets, which they clearly are, Federal bureaucrats--unelected Federal bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.--or judges in California should not be able to take away our management powers just because of their ideological views or because they want to give favors to radical activist groups. They should follow the science. prgtoken That is why I helped introduce the Trust the Science Act with my friend and colleague Representative Boebert to delist the wolf and exempt its delisting from judicial review. prgtoken It is well past time to, once and for all, delist the gray wolf and reinstitute a hunt in Minnesota as part of our local management. Let's get the Federal Government out of the way and properly allow our State managers to manage the gray wolf population. prgtoken Our way of life in northern Minnesota depends on it. prgtoken It is simply ``sumbumcheous'' to keep the gray wolf on the endangered species list. It has recovered. Let's trust the science.
RECOGNIZING NICOLE MORADZADEH
John S. Duarte (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-22

today I rise to recognize Nicole Moradzadeh of Merced for her outstanding submission to the congressional art contest. prgtoken A junior at El Capitan High School, Nicole's artwork titled, ``Give Thanks,'' highlights the hardworking families who are the foundation of California's Central Valley. prgtoken Nicole has beautifully expressed a unique perspective through her captivating work. The piece resonates deeply, inspiring appreciation for our working families. It serves as a reminder of the power of art to transcend boundaries and unite us all. prgtoken I chose this piece because it pays such excellent homage to the hardworking families that come to the Central Valley today to pursue the American Dream as so many generations have before from all over the world. prgtoken I am here in recognition of Nicole to express my commitment to make sure that the American Dream stays alive today for future generations as it has for all of those generations that have come before.
CHINA FINANCIAL THREAT MITIGATION ACT OF 2023
Roger Williams (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-5-22

I thank the chairman for that great introduction. prgtoken , China is attempting to weaken our country in any way possible. The interference and aggression coming from the Chinese Communist Party pose a significant threat to our families, businesses, and country. The CCP's track record of abusing our financial system is jeopardizing our national and economic security. prgtoken H.R. 1156, the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act, requires the Department of the Treasury to report on the risks coming from the Chinese financial sector, along with recommendations on strengthening international cooperation to monitor and mitigate these risks. prgtoken Our top priority should always be to protect our Western values and promote the greatest country in the world and the interests of the United States. prgtoken My bill is a critical step in holding the CCP accountable for their continued abuse of the financial sector. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation. In God We Trust.