mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STOP THE FRENZY OF MOTIONS OF CENSURE
James A. Himes (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-11-7

it was in this Chamber on January 6, 2021, that I came to realize relatively late in life how fragile our democracy is. I realize that the words of the Constitution, to which we all pledge an oath, are important, and so are the concepts underlying those words, the concepts of a peaceful transition of power, the concept of the separation of church and state, and the concept of freedom of expression. prgtoken These are concepts that are hundreds of years older than the Constitution, but they are critical to our democracy, which I think we would all agree is currently a bit fragile. prgtoken For this reason, I am profoundly disturbed that this House has gotten into a frenzy of censure resolutions to censure the speech of Members of Congress. prgtoken , it is the second clause of the First Amendment to our Constitution that says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech. Our Founders protected us, in particular, with another clause in the Constitution, the Speech and Debate Clause. Article I, Section 6, says that we will be protected: ``For any speech or debate in either House, they shall not be questioned.'' prgtoken Our Founders decided that we would not be sanctioned for the things that we say, yet there are at least four resolutions before this House--one from Ms. Jacobs, one from Ms. Greene, one from Ms. Balint, one from Mr. McCormick--seeking an official censure of Members of Congress for the things that they have said. prgtoken , this is what I mean by the erosion of the foundational principles on which our democracy exists. prgtoken I don't much like any of the speech that the Members who are accused of foul speech have engaged in, but the test of our commitment to freedom of expression is not how hard we fight in a moment for the rights of those that we agree with. The test is whether we are willing to stand up for freedom of expression for somebody with whom we don't agree. prgtoken To my friends, I would say they have quite rightly, in many instances, objected to the cancel culture, which is too rampant in our universities and elsewhere. Why now? Why in this institution? prgtoken To my ic friends, I would remind them that every progressive, going back to Galileo right up through Cesar Chavez to Martin Luther King, has been tolled and tortured and sanctioned for their expression. prgtoken It is time for this to stop in this Chamber. It is time for us to stop trying to punish each other for the things that we say, no matter how abhorrent. prgtoken , I believe that we are more than just Representatives. If we were just Representatives, we would go back to our constituents and bring their ideas here. We are stewards of this institution, which is why we take an oath to the Constitution. prgtoken If you take seriously your role as a steward of this institution, vote to table every one of these obnoxious motions to censure. If they do come up and aren't tabled, vote agai
HONORING THE LIFE OF BISHOP EMERITUS TOD BROWN
J. Luis Correa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-11-7

I rise today to honor Orange High School's Marine Corps Junior ROTC program. prgtoken The JROTC program at Orange High School began in 1995 under the leadership of Master Gunnery Sergeant James Fearns, but not without a fight. After having his request denied over and over again, Master Gunnery Sergeant Fearns flew to Washington, D.C himself to demand a meeting with the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and he got it done. prgtoken Today, Orange High School has one of the largest Marine Corps ROTC units in the Western United States, and it teaches over 160 cadets the values of citizenship, service, discipline, and responsibility. I must say these cadets are the leaders of tomorrow. prgtoken , I congratulate them, and I wish the Marine Corps a happy birthday. They are 248 years old this year.
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 6126 (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-11-7

reserving my right to object, I, too, believe, with my colleague from Washington State, that we must move forward with emergency funding for our allies--all of our allies, not just the State of Israel but also Ukraine. I also think we have to move quickly to head off a closure or shutdown of our government next week, and we have to address the pressing needs of the American people in this process. prgtoken But it is very clear that this proposal before us--this unanimous consent to pass the bill including only funds for Israel--is just an attempt to deny assistance to Ukraine. It is not really about helping Israel. It is about making sure we don't continue to keep our commitments to Ukraine. prgtoken And we have had a debate about Ukraine. We have talked over 2 years about Ukraine, how dangerous Russian aggression can be, not just with respect to the people of Ukraine but to the rest of the world. prgtoken As my colleague said, China is watching. In fact, I think they are paying more attention to Ukraine than the current issue in Israel because Putin's imperialistic dreams of restoring the prgtoken Russian Empire resonate more closely to the Xi Jinping's imperialist dreams to reunite Taiwan to China. prgtoken So if we fail in Ukraine, I think that will send a very strong and unfortunate message to China that you can attack, wait the West out, and, eventually, they will concede. That is not good strategy or policy. prgtoken My colleagues argue that this will deny Israel getting the means to defend itself. Well, we have already been supporting the State of Israel. We have moved two aircraft carrier strike groups into the region. We are moving marines into the region. We are sending signals that we are strongly protecting them. Indeed, we have already engaged and shot down missiles from our naval forces. We have also suffered more than 40 injuries of American military personnel because of actions against the United States' positions in the Middle East because of our protection of Israel. prgtoken We cannot abandon Ukraine. They have lost hundreds of thousands of civilians and military personnel. prgtoken If you want to talk about horrors, October 7 was a horrible day. I was in Israel. I saw photographs--some that have not yet been released--of the tragedy. It was traumatic for the entire State of Israel. prgtoken But go to Ukraine. Go to Bucha. Dig up the graves of people shot in the back of the head while their hands were tied. prgtoken You want to talk about atrocities? Those were atrocities. prgtoken So we are fighting forces that are dark and evil, and we have to support all of those democratic nations--Israel and Ukraine--that are struggling against that darkness. prgtoken Now, this is not my opinion alone. Last week, Mike Pompeo, the former Secretary of State for and a former Congressman from Senator Marshall's home State of Kansas wrote: Make no mistake: the outcome of this war w
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-11-7

. Madam Chair, this amendment would increase and decrease the Section 8 housing program to call for a U.S. Government Accountability Office study on: first, the marital demographics of HUD- administered housing program beneficiaries; prgtoken Second, the existence and effects of any marriage penalties for means-tested housing benefits administered by HUD--in here, we are getting not only the Section 8 but also the 42 credits and that sort of housing-- Third, any recommendations and policy solutions for reducing marriage penalties within the HUD-administered programs. prgtoken In the last 80 years in this country, we have had what I believe are means-tested programs. The practical effect is to discourage marriage and, in particular, discourage men from getting involved in their children's families. prgtoken I remember touring a low-income housing project about 5 years ago, and the woman who was administering it, who was a crackerjack girl, really tremendous job, but she pointed out one of her major goals is to make sure she had no men in any of the housing units. prgtoken I can believe that a lot of those men, since they weren't husbands, were maybe causing trouble, maybe doing drugs. It brought home the fact that right now an effect, and sometimes goal, of low-income housing projects is to keep men away from their families. This is, of course, only one. prgtoken I am highlighting the housing programs because we are dealing with HUD right now. It is, of course, true of all sorts of other income- transfer programs as well. Food stamps, medical programs, and Pell grants all come with their marriage penalties. prgtoken We want to focus on this. We want to see if this is a program that largely benefits people who are not married, largely benefits families without men in them. We know that there was a powerful group in this country, whose prescribed purpose, they said, was to get rid of the Western-prescribed nuclear family. We know under Marxism, one of the goals is to get rid of the family. prgtoken The purpose here is we want to have hard statistics, a GAO study, on the degree to which we are penalizing families with both parents there. prgtoken Madam Chair, we have all sorts of statistics here. My only comment is that, A, it is a little bit more difficult for a child, a little bit more of a tough row to hoe in life if they don't have a man at home. prgtoken I think one of the problems we have in some of our inner cities today that not only affects the children, but it affects the parents, because I think for a lot of people the most important thing they do in their life and their motivation for life is getting involved in their children's families, and right now the low-income housing program as well as other income-transfer programs are designed to deny men a role in their children's lives. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
HONORING THE LIFE OF LARRY COX
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-11-7

I rise to honor the life of former Knoxville City Council Member Larry Cox who passed away on October 18 at the age of 81. prgtoken Larry grew up in North Knoxville where he attended Fulton High School and went on to serve for five terms on the city council. prgtoken Larry cared deeply about his community, the young and the old alike. He led the Knoxville Falcons Youth Sports Organization and ended up having the Larry Cox Senior Center named after him for his contributions to our great community and to our senior citizens. prgtoken He was a dear friend to me and my predecessor, Representative Jimmy Duncan. While I was in the Tennessee State Legislature and when I was county mayor, Larry would always call on behalf of the constituents or folks that he no longer represented, and they just needed some help. prgtoken He never called about anything for himself. He was always advocating for those around him and his community. He gave back to his community in every way he could, and he made such a positive impact on those around him. prgtoken Larry is survived by his beautiful wife, Brenda; his daughter, Brooke; his son, Shane; and his three grandchildren. prgtoken He will be deeply missed by his family and friends and missed by me, as well, . Our community loved him very much, and he will be very missed.
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Garret Graves (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-11-7

. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Texas for offering this amendment. prgtoken Let's be clear: The only entity that has not done its job is NHTSA. prgtoken They were directed by Congress to do a study to establish standards and failed to do that. Rather than them being punished, they are now taking it out on manufacturers and dealers. prgtoken As Mr. Gooden said, this is not a safety issue. States have already studied this. We should not be coming in and imposing penalties and restrictions on manufacturers and dealers whenever it is NHTSA that has failed to do its job. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment.
HONORING THE SERVICE OF KELLIE RUETSCH
Mike Carey (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-11-7

I rise today to honor the service of Kellie Ruetsch, a constituent from Plain City, Ohio. prgtoken Kellie is a regional operations manager for Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service of Ohio Inc. She was recently recognized as one of Superior Ambulance's ``Stars of Life.'' Every year, Superior Ambulance recognizes a handful of its EMTs for their exceptional leadership skills. An EMT since 1997, Kellie has devoted her life to helping others. prgtoken Apart from being an EMT, Kellie is also a paramedic and a firefighter. Despite volunteering countless hours to her community and raising two children, Kellie has also found time to advance her skills and professional growth. prgtoken In 2016, Kellie was offered a leadership position in which she immediately excelled. In 2017, Kellie obtained her EMS instructor license and completed Ambulance Service Manager training in 2022. Kellie's colleagues and superiors say, that she's someone who leads by example, never seeing a task as below her station. prgtoken Plain City and central Ohio are better places to live because of people like Kellie Ruetsch. I salute her service to our community.
American Leadership (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-11-7

we have had no shortage of reminders in the last couple of years that we continue to live in a dangerous world. prgtoken Vladimir Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine, increased Chinese belligerence, and Hamas's October 7 attack, enabled by Iran, are all powerful reminders of the fact that there will always be malign actors in this world who must be confronted. These events are also a powerful reminder of something else, and that is the need for American leadership on the global stage. prgtoken Nature abhors a vacuum, and if the United States and other free countries don't lead, other countries will fill the void--countries like Iran, Russia, and China. prgtoken I don't need to tell anyone that all three of these countries have been flexing their power in recent years and seeking to expand their footprint. Iran, as Hamas's recent attack so pointedly reminded us, is supporting terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East: Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis in Yemen, Shia militias that are attacking U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. And the list goes on. Nor is Iran confining its sphere of activities to the Middle Eastern countries. prgtoken Iran has provided Russia with weapons to use in its war on Ukraine, and it is helping Russia to build its own drone-manufacturing facility to dramatically increase Russia's drone supply. prgtoken Russia, of course, is currently providing the world with a clear illustration of its imperial aspirations in its war of aggression in Ukraine. And Putin has made it clear that his ambitions don't end there. He is also occupying territory in Georgia and seemingly working on asserting Russian influence in Moldova and the Balkans. prgtoken And as for China, whether it is increasingly aggressive threats against Taiwan, efforts to expand its military and economic hold over the Indo-Pacific, menacing U.S. military aircraft, or sending a spy balloon across the United States in an attempt to gather information on sensitive military sites, China has made it very clear that it is set on expanding its power--and woe to anyone who gets in its way. prgtoken And it is backing up its determination with an aggressive military buildup that has seen the Chinese military outpace the U.S. military in modern capabilities like hypersonic missiles. prgtoken So it is abundantly clear that bad actors are flexing their power. And, as I said, our response to that must be a renewed commitment to American leadership internationally. prgtoken Now, American leadership doesn't mean attempting to fix every country's problems or to get militarily involved in every conflict around the globe. We neither can nor should attempt to become the world's policeman. But that doesn't mean that we should retreat from the global stage or confine our focus to one or two areas. prgtoken There is a lot that we can do while not attempting to play global policeman or to solve every conflict. In the fi
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 6126 (Executive Session)
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-11-7

this has certainly been one of the most substantive debates we have had up here--very meaningful and very important to myself--because it exposes what our priorities are as Senators to everybody across the Nation. prgtoken Today, I heard lots of arguments on why we should combine funding. People essentially want to leverage support for Israel for their own priorities. Again, there were lots of arguments on why we should combine the funding, but I didn't hear one meaningful argument that describes why we should not fund Israel singularly. Why shouldn't we just do it by itself? There is near unanimous agreement up here. This is a great opportunity to say, indeed, this is the time to support Israel. No one is abandoning Ukraine today. We are not abandoning Taiwan today. prgtoken But it is interesting to me that no one talked about the concern of the corruption in Ukraine, talked about their federal government nationalizing communications companies, the fact that Poland and Hungary and other countries are leaving them and saying that they don't support the war anymore. prgtoken No one is talking about peace. No one is talking about the 200,000 people who have already died in Ukraine. Are those bodies--are those people not important as well? Why isn't America leading a peace agreement? prgtoken Time is of the essence. Time is of the essence. But, as we can tell today, we can debate each and every one of these topics until the Sun sets here, until the Sun rises in Israel, but there is not unanimous-- not near unanimous support for Ukraine without some certain questions being answered. Lots of questions need to be answered. Is there a plan? prgtoken Look at the schedules this week. Why are we talking about some type of supplemental bill on the floor? Why don't we have it on the floor yet? If we were serious up here, if my leaders across the aisle and at the White House were serious, they would have had something on the floor last week. This is the administration that takes a week to decide to send an aircraft carrier when our allies are in need. The schedule this week is embarrassing, what we are spending time on up here. prgtoken I want to go back to priorities. I think so often all these causes are important, and we all agree that we need to address each and every one of them, but if I listen to my friends across the aisle, they would describe Ukraine as the priority. prgtoken I don't think anyone back home can really take the President's supplemental bill as serious when he actually makes the border more open. Ten million people have crossed the border illegally under his watch, and what he throws into this supplemental package is actually going to increase the number of people crossing the border illegally. The priority should be to fix a broken immigration system and to secure the border; that at the end of the day, there are less people crossing the border illegally, not more; that we need a policy
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Lance Gooden (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-11-7

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to urge passage of my amendment regarding certain enforcement actions with regard to center high-mounted stop lamps. prgtoken I know my colleagues probably don't know what that is, but we refer to those commonly as center brake lights. This amendment is intended to prevent the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration from advancing on its misguided effort to overregulate and further confuse the collision avoidance industry that manufactures pulsating brake lights. prgtoken These devices, with over 4 million operating effectively today, have a demonstrated track record of improving safety. Studies have shown a reduction in rear-end collisions in excess of 30 percent with the vehicles that have utilized this technology. prgtoken These safety devices are simple, aftermarket products installed by dealerships when a vehicle is purchased. They allow the top brake light on a vehicle to pulse rapidly, which provides a heightened visual alert to trailing drivers who may be distracted and don't notice that the vehicle in front of them is braking. prgtoken This reduces the likelihood of rear-end collisions and creates a safer environment on our roads, especially in stop-and-go traffic. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to safeguard drivers across the Nation, and .
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 6126 (Executive Session)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-11-7

the terror and devastation unleashed on Israelis by Iran-backed Hamas terrorists have rightly horrified the world. Innocent families were murdered in their homes. Children were beheaded. Girls were raped. Whole families were burned alive. An elderly, wheelchair-bound woman, later identified as a Holocaust survivor, was brutally dragged through the streets of prgtoken Gaza. Children who witnessed the murders of their parents have been kidnapped and are being held hostage by Hamas. Hundreds were mowed down at a music festival. Thousands are dead. At least 33 Americans are dead, and reportedly 10 are held hostage. The atrocities are too numerous to fully recount, but the images we have seen will never leave our memories. prgtoken In 2019, my wife Ann and I had the opportunity to visit Kfar Aza, one of the kibbutzes that was the site of a complete massacre. As the early reports were coming out, I was really worried about the kibbutz because of its proximity to Gaza. It is about half a mile away. When I heard the news that it was the site of some of the most horrific and barbaric activities, my heart just sank. We had spent an afternoon there, and it was the most peaceful place. I keep thinking about the moms and kids who were playing outside, enjoying the warm summer weather. It is gut- wrenching to think of the fate of the families we met that day. prgtoken I spoke with Chen, the lady who led our tour of the kibbutz, who was traveling outside of Israel that day and survived. I was able to speak to her right after it happened, and she has not been able to go back home. She said it was unclear if she will ever be allowed to go back home. Can you ever imagine? prgtoken So many of us in this Chamber are so deeply connected to Israel, and I bet almost everyone here as a story like mine. We know people in the IDF who have been called to serve. We have friends all over Israel who have spent days in bomb shelters as rockets have been launched by terrorists intent on wiping Israel and Jews off the face of the Earth. prgtoken I have met with survivors and hostage families. I have placed a poster outside my office that features the faces of the hostages being held by Hamas. I am not going to take it down until they get home. prgtoken Not since the Holocaust has the world witnessed such a brutal attack on the Jewish people. We have to really let that sink in. It is 2023, and it sure feels like history is repeating itself. We also have a President who can barely even talk about the Americans who are held hostage right now in Gaza. prgtoken The first step to freeing these hostages and helping Israel destroy these terrorists is passing aid for Israel. We must send the world a clear message: Attacking the United States and our allies and partners is a bad idea, and it will only end with us winning. prgtoken In the days and weeks ahead, Israel is going to once and for all destroy Hamas and its ability to exist as a terr