mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Cory Mills (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Mr. Chair, today I stand before you to emphasize the critical need for the Department of Defense's involvement in fentanyl research. prgtoken My amendment would include the Department of Defense in the list of eligible agencies that qualify for the expedited procedures on fentanyl research. prgtoken The Department of Defense has several existing research programs involving fentanyl, and considering that today's servicemembers are tomorrow's veterans, there is no reason why the DOD should be ineligible for these expedited processes. prgtoken Not only should this bill be directed at our veterans but the brave men and women who serve on Active Duty and are also susceptible to injuries that are routinely prescribed opioids as the treatment. As we all know, this can lead to serious addictions. prgtoken My amendment would ensure that the DOD is included in the research and reporting process of fentanyl and its effects. prgtoken As someone who was blown up twice overseas and was a combat medic, I know firsthand the pain and the injuries that the brave men and women in uniform can sustain. prgtoken Common combat injuries can include second and third degree burns, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, limb loss, paralysis, and sharpened wounds. prgtoken As we face this ever-growing crisis, it is imperative that our military actively participate in fentanyl research for several compelling reasons. prgtoken By actively participating in fentanyl research, the DOD can make significant strides in addressing the opioid crisis within the ranks and improving the quality of healthcare provided through TRICARE to our brave servicemembers. prgtoken Allow me to share some of these alarming statistics concerning the use of opioids among our Active Duty personnel. prgtoken According to a study conducted by the Defense Health Agency, between the years of 2012 and 2017, the rate of opioid prescriptions within the military healthcare system has increased by a staggering 56 percent. prgtoken This trend is deeply concerning as it highlights the potential risks and challenges faced by our servicemembers when it comes to opioid misuse and addiction. prgtoken It is crucial to recognize that the DOD has a responsibility to ensure the physical and mental well-being of our military personnel. prgtoken Engaging in fundamental research will allow the DOD to gain a deeper understanding of the specific challenges faced by Active Duty servicemembers regarding opioid usage. prgtoken By providing the necessary support and resources to combat opioid addiction, the Department of Defense can empower our servicemembers to overcome this critical challenge and continue to fulfill their duties with resilience and strength. prgtoken This research can lead to the development of new and innovative therapies, improved access to treatment resources, and more comprehensive addiction prevention programs for servicemembers abroad. prgtoken It is essential to note that by prioriti
RECOGNIZING MR. EARL D. McMILLAN, SR.
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-5-25

I rise today to recognize a constituent of mine and Vietnam Veteran, Earl D. McMillan, Sr. prgtoken Today, Mr. McMillan will be rightfully celebrated when he receives an honorary diploma at Citrus County High School. Earl had previously earned his diploma at seventeen, before continuing his education and ultimately earning a master's degree in business administration and serving as a college professor for 28 years. However, Earl deployed for Vietnam before his high school graduation ceremony, beginning a military career spanning over 20 years, resulting in his inability to walk across the high school stage to pick up his physical diploma. Today, Earl will be able to walk across the stage and receive his diploma, and we will all be able to celebrate his life of service and accomplishment. prgtoken I thank Mr. McMillan for his many years of service to our country and am humbled to be able to help honor him for his accomplishments.
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Max L. Miller (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Mr. Chair, the HALT Fentanyl Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation this body could possibly address. prgtoken We all understand something must be done to stop this deadly drug from killing more of our loved ones. I do not believe our communities that are being ravaged by fentanyl can wait long while this important legislation is implemented. prgtoken That is why I am offering this simple amendment to speed up the process of rulemaking by the Attorney General. prgtoken My amendment will cut the timeline for interim final rulemaking by the Attorney General in half. I repeat, in half. prgtoken Law enforcement needs these tools to keep our community safe, and my amendment seeks to save lives across our country by requiring the Attorney General to expedite the rulemaking process while allowing enough time for sound policymaking. prgtoken Fentanyl is killing far too many people year after year in Ohio. In March alone, 130 people died from fentanyl overdoses just in Cuyahoga County. prgtoken We must come together here in Congress to address this with the urgency that it needs. Focusing on substance use disorder treatments and harm reduction techniques alone will not address the unique threat posed by fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances that can kill a person instantly when laced with other substances or pills. We must keep Americans safe. prgtoken I urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support my amendment. prgtoken Mr. Chair, from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).
HOUSE REPUBLICANS DID OUR JOB
Kevin Kiley (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Madam , I rise today to address the situation surrounding the senior Senator from California, Dianne Feinstein. prgtoken The latest news is that our Governor, Gavin Newsom, is now talking about appointing Oprah to the U.S. Senate as a replacement. prgtoken Now, Gavin Newsom has been talking about replacing Senator Feinstein for over 2 years. He started publicly speculating in 2021 about who he would replace, and at that point, Senator Feinstein was barely a third of the way through her term. prgtoken California's other senator, Alex Padilla, himself first got his office through appointment by Governor Newsom, so if there was, in fact, an appointment for Senator Feinstein, then both of our U.S. Senators would have been handpicked not by millions of voters but by a single person to initially get their jobs. prgtoken At this moment, pressure is coming from all directions when it comes to this situation and with a race for 2024 already underway. A number of sitting Members of the House have actually overtly called on Senator Feinstein to resign. prgtoken Ro Khanna said: ``It is time for Senator Feinstein to resign. We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. Not speaking out undermines our credibility as elected representatives of the people.'' That is what he said. prgtoken We also had Congresswoman Tlaib, as well as Congresswoman Kamlager- Dove, make similar comments, urging the Senator to vacate her office. prgtoken The individual who is being supported by Congressman Khanna, Barbara Lee, told KQED that she would accept an appointment to the job if Governor Gavin Newsom offered it to her. prgtoken Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi, who, of course, herself is from California, is supporting another candidate, Congressman Schiff, and there have been a number of recent headlines related to this. prgtoken This comes from Politico, which says that Feinstein's primary caregiver is Pelosi's daughter. The subheading says: ``A quiet caretaking arrangement has raised questions about whether Nancy Pelosi has the ailing Senator's personal interests at heart.'' prgtoken Another headline from Washington Examiner: ``Pelosi's secret campaign to aid Feinstein and get Schiff into the Senate.'' prgtoken From FOX News: ``Pelosi's office denies her daughter is aiding Feinstein to help Adam Schiff win a Senate seat.'' prgtoken This is just a mess. None of it right now is about what is in the interest of Senator Feinstein, the interest of our State, or the interest of our country. It is all about politics. prgtoken I believe the solution is to do away with the possibility of a gubernatorial appointment altogether. That way, Senator Feinstein can make a decision on her own terms. She will know that whether she finishes her term or whether she steps down before the end of her term, it is California voters who will decide who her successor will be. T
HONORING THE LIFE OF USMC MAJOR MEGAN McCLUNG
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-25

I rise to honor the life of U.S. Marine Corps Major Megan McClung from Mission Viejo in my district. She was the first female Marine Corps officer to be killed in the Iraq war. She was also the first woman graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy to be killed in action. prgtoken Major McClung's headstone reads: ``Be brief. Be bold. Be gone.'' prgtoken While she left us too soon, she had a life well lived and made a lasting impact. prgtoken If marines didn't know her, they knew of her. She was an avid marathon runner and triathlete. Her contagious personality, tenacity, and fiery red hair are remembered by all. prgtoken This week, I introduced a bipartisan bill to rename the Mission Viejo Post Office in her honor. prgtoken We can never fully repay our fallen heroes and their families, but I hope this will help preserve her story for future generations.
THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Jennifer Kiggans (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-5-25

I include in the Record remarks submitted at the request of a Virginia Beach constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman of Temple Lev Tikvah, and are a reflection of his views: The war in Ukraine hits close to home. I was a refugee the first four years of my life following my birth in Kazakhstan (USSR) in 1945, and my late father was a Russian soldier defending Leningrad and Moscow. My 102-year-old Israeli mom who died recently in Israel was a Ukrainian Holocaust survivor. My wife and I travelled in Ukraine with its vast Jewish past in 1991, where we lost so many family members during the Holocaust, including at Babi Yar. It is hard to fathom that the historic and beautiful landscape with a population yearning to be Western is being obliterated before our eyes. These searing events--an invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces who obey the absolute authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin--are beyond shocking. Who would have imagined that once more, following WWII and the Holocaust, we would witness an eruption of such magnitude in the heart of Europe, with the evil design to seize a newly democratic nation of 40 million people in an ill-begotten scheme to restore the collapsed Soviet Union and/or revive the preceding Russian Imperial Empire? What is the impetus behind Putin's plot to charge forward with uncontrolled rage and reckless impunity despite a dire outcome for all? Perhaps it is a case of over-confidence that he could literally get away with mass murder with little opposition from a world community, acceding to his past mischief in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria (Remember Aleppo!), Crimea and Donbas. He's gambled that his saber rattling with a nuclear arsenal would result in finger pointing while avoiding detrimental consequences to his megalomaniacal dream of reordering the world order through disorder with total disregard for human life and immense suffering for millions of young and old, who are now homeless refugees. He, whose family was personally impacted by the inhumane siege of Leningrad (St. Petersburg) in WWII, shows no mercy for a vast civilian population with close cultural and fraternal bonds that already had experienced Adolf Hitler's similar approach. Putin shows uncontrolled impulses of divine grandeur and sick grandiosity. The global community hopefully apprehensively watches, with the notable exception of the Russians who are deprived of the truth, fed by their government's fake news. Let us contemplate that Hitler could have been stopped early on if democratic nations had the common sense and necessary guts to confront him early. Jewish leaders appealed to Franklin D. Roosevelt, their sainted New Deal president, only to be turned away dism
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Scott Fitzgerald (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act. prgtoken This critical legislation accomplishes a top legislative priority I have been advocating since coming to Congress, which would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs. prgtoken I'd like to share two moving stories of constituents from my district taken from their families too soon. Archie Badura, of Oconomowoc, tragically passed away at the age of 19, due to an accidental overdose in 2014. Since then, his mother, Lauri Badura has dedicated herself to advocate on behalf of those struggling with mental health and substance abuse and started a grassroots organization called, ``Saving Others For Archie'' to help fight the opioid epidemic. Logan Rachwal (Rockwall), of Pewaukee, who was also 19 and a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, passed away in 2021 from an overdose of three different forms of fentanyl, His parents, Erin and Rick Rachwal, also started an organization, the Love, Logan Foundation, to work to end the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse disorder and raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit substances. prgtoken As a father and grandfather, this issue hits close to home. No parent should have to experience the pain the Badura and Rachwal families have had to endure. We need strong congressional action on fentanyl, and we need the permanent designation of fentanyl-related substances to Schedule I. I want to thank Congressman Griffith for leading this effort alongside Congressman Latta. prgtoken I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
DEBT CEILING CRISIS
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Madam , we are 1 week away from Secretary Yellen's hard default date, the June 1 deadline. prgtoken House s have been calling on our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the President to be negotiating on this debt since January. It is now May 25. In the past 140 days, we have been hearing a lot of name-calling and little bipartisan negotiation. prgtoken While this impasse has dragged on, House s passed legislation, the Limit, Save, Grow Act, that averts a default and reduces wasteful spending. Let's negotiate from that point. prgtoken We have a plan to avert default and are eager to work with the President to work out a suitable compromise, but we would rather hear a lot of stuff and name-calling, and keep on printing and spending more money. Indeed, it was pointed out that if our plan goes prgtoken through, it would mean a 20 percent cut in discretionary spending over just 5 months, so that must mean we increase spending by 20 percent in 1 fiscal year of discretionary spending. prgtoken Madam , how many years can you keep increasing spending by 20 percent? Not 1, 2, 3, or 5, but a 20 percent increase. How do we afford that going forward? prgtoken It is incredibly amazing we think that should be the route we should go and keep adding to our debt.
RECOGNIZING GRACE PAUL FOR HER SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-5-25

it is my great pleasure to recognize one of my Legislative Assistants, Grace Paul, for her service to Wisconsin's Eighth Congressional District. prgtoken Following her graduation from UW-Madison with a degree in International and Global Studies in 2020, Grace began her career in my Washington, D.C. office. She has served in more positions than anyone else on my staff. She has been a Staff Assistant, Press Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, and Legislative Assistant. Through her long tenure, Grace has become an expert on Northeast Wisconsin. She has visited every county in my district, captured photos of Luxemburg farm fields, Big Smokey Falls, and Door County Forgeworks, and most importantly, despite her Chicago ties, Grace has cheered on the Packers at Lambeau Field. prgtoken Through her many roles, she exemplified the true meaning of hard work while overseeing interns, corresponding with constituents, supporting my communications team, prgtoken and drafting legislation. As a Press Assistant, she was integral in producing my podcast, the NEW Look, and helped grow my audience far beyond the tens of listeners we had when the podcast first started. And she helped create the NEWsflash, our monthly newsletter that's become a staple of my constituent correspondence. As a Legislative Assistant, Grace handled my committee work on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as Postal, Trade, Immigration, Small Business, and Law Enforcement issues. In this role, Grace built relationships with hundreds of constituents across the district and served them all incredibly well. Using her experience, Grace has helped move along legislation that will make a lasting impact on Northeast Wisconsin. For example, just this week the Motor Carrier Safety Selection Standard Act moved through committee markup for the first time with her help. Grace has been a valuable member of my team and an asset to Northeast Wisconsin. prgtoken I wish Grace the best of luck as she pursues her law degree. I am sure she will continue to excel in her future endeavors, and I thank her for her years of hard work and dedication.
PROTECTING INNOCENT LIVES FROM FENTANYL
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-5-25

the communities throughout the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia and, in fact, every community across our Nation are now border communities because of the deadly fentanyl pouring through our open borders under the failed leadership of President and Secretary Mayorkas. prgtoken Since October, Customs and Border Patrol agents have seized over 14,000 pounds of fentanyl, enough to kill over 3.1 billion people. Even in western Virginia, drug cartels have been caught smuggling rainbow- colored fentanyl with the intent of targeting our children. prgtoken Just last year, roughly 75,000 people died of drug overdoses from synthetic opioids, largely illicit fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances. prgtoken That is why, today, the House will be voting for the HALT Fentanyl Act because enough is enough. prgtoken This legislation would raise penalties for fentanyl traffickers under the Controlled Substances Act, support research to understand the devastating mental health effects of fentanyl-related substances, and supply law enforcement with the resources needed to keep this drug off our streets. prgtoken While our President has no plans to fix open borders or stop deadly fentanyl from being smuggled into our interior, the House will take action today to protect innocent lives by passing this important legislation.
RECOGNIZING ROLAND CHRISTENSEN
Burgess Owens (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Madam , in the latest edition of the U.S. News & World Report's ``Best States'' rankings, Utah was ranked the top in the Nation. prgtoken Utah has one of the strongest economies in America because of our State's pro-market policies, family values, and entrepreneurial spirit. At the forefront of Utah's thriving economy is the booming technology industry in my district and across our State. prgtoken Today, I recognize Roland Christensen, an entrepreneur, a businessowner, and an engineer who has made an invaluable contribution to the Gunnison community and the entire State of Utah. prgtoken Raised in the rural town of Gunnison, Roland utilized his expertise in mechanical engineering to build one of the most successful aerospace companies in the Nation from the ground up in his hometown. prgtoken ACT Aerospace is a defense technology manufacturing leader supporting our troops with the latest technology to win on the battleground because of the visionary leadership of Roland Christensen and the highly skilled workforce of Utah. prgtoken Madam , I thank Roland for all he does to keep Utah the best place to live, raise a family, and start a business.
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Larry Bucshon (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-5-25

. Mr. Chair, I support Mr. Miller's amendment, which would require the Attorney General to issue interim final rules to implement this act 6 months after the date of enactment. prgtoken Fentanyl-related substances will still be permanently placed in schedule I immediately. They should be placed there. prgtoken This amendment would accelerate the timeline for which the Attorney General would be required to issue the interim final rule and, therefore, speed up the implementation process. prgtoken I believe this amendment improves the bill and is necessary, especially at a time when fentanyl has become the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds. prgtoken I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.
HONORING THE LIFE OF JOHN JORDAN ``JOHNNY'' MORGAN
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-5-26

I rise today to celebrate the life of John Jordan ``Johnny'' Morgan, who passed away on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 76 years old. prgtoken Johnny was born on February 20, 1947, in Jackson, Mississippi, to the late Eddie Mack and Beryl Jordan Morgan. A lifelong resident of Oxford and Lafayette County, he graduated from Oxford High School in 1965, followed by his graduation from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Business Administration. prgtoken Active in local, regional, and state civic roles, Johnny's passion for Mississippi and its residents was evident to all who knew him. Johnny worked tirelessly for the betterment of not just his own community, but all of Mississippi. He served as a state senator from 1984 to 1992, representing Lafayette, Yalobusha, and Calhoun counties. He was later elected to serve on the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors for District 2, serving as president of the board for several years. Johnny co-founded the Good Ole Boys and Gals, a gathering of friends, candidates, and political enthusiasts across the state. Throughout his political career, Johnny garnered a reputation as not only an experienced politician but also a loyal friend and confidant to many. prgtoken Johnny served as President of the Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce, as well as serving the Oxford University United Methodist Church Board, the Mississippi Action for Progress Board, the local Powerhouse Board, and the Mississippi Blood Services Board. He was an owner and founder of Morgan White Insurance Group, CEO of Johnny Morgan & Associates Realty Firm, and vice president of Binswanger National. prgtoken Johnny is survived by his brother, Chip Morgan (Connie); a niece and nephew, Trey Sandifer (Camille) and Lindsey Sheffield (Jason); four great-nieces and nephews; his dear friend Allyson Duckworth; and numerous cousins and loved ones.