mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-5-24

I rise today to recognize an organization near and dear to my heart, Special Olympics. prgtoken In April, I attended the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run in State College, Centre County. The 5K run/walk raises money for the Pennsylvania chapter of the Special Olympics organization. prgtoken I fueled up at a pre-race breakfast and kicked off the opening ceremonies before cheering on the participants and meeting with the Centre County Special Olympics chapter. prgtoken , Special Olympics is a global organization that unleashes the human spirit and human potential through the transformative power and joy of sport every day around the world. prgtoken Through programming in sports, health, education, and community building, they change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. prgtoken Special Olympics began in 1962 as a day camp in the back yard of Eunice and Sargent Shriver with the first international games taking place in 1968. Today, the movement thrives in more than 172 countries throughout the world. prgtoken Pennsylvania formed their own State chapter in May of 1970 when 135 brave athletes participated in a small track and field competition at West Chester University. prgtoken Today, our State chapter has nearly 13,000 athletes competing across nine local regions in more than 300 annual competitions in 22 different Olympic-type sports. prgtoken Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills, and friendships with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community. prgtoken , the Special Olympics program is more than an athletic competition. The program, when offered in schools known as Unified Champion Schools, reduces bullying, teasing, and the use of offensive language to those with intellectual disabilities. prgtoken Graduation rates of high schools that implemented USC increased 1.1 percent for students without disabilities and increased 1.4 percent for students living with disabilities. prgtoken The work Special Olympics is doing results in an average of four and a half more inclusive experiences for each student who participates. prgtoken In Pennsylvania alone, there are more than 720 USC partnered schools in more than 50 counties. In fact, at St. Mary's Area High School in Elk County, Pennsylvania, PA-15, the Flying Dutchmen unified sports teams completed an undefeated inaugural season and became the 2023 Interscholastic Unified Bocce PIAA State champs at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. prgtoken The unified program truly changes lives. One of the families participating summed up the program best in saying, ``Unified sports really does unify a school, a community, and most of all, gives families like m
AMERICAN FAMILIES AT RISK
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2023-5-24

the irresponsible policies of have caused the most threatening border crisis in American history. prgtoken This illegal alien invasion exposes families to potential terrorists, human trafficking, and dangerous drugs. prgtoken Since took office in January 2021, there have been over 5.2 million illegal crossings 10,300 illegal aliens came over the border on May 9 this year, the highest ever. prgtoken Gruesomely, another 1.5 million illegal aliens have crossed without being detained. That includes over 200 on the terrorist watch list, putting every American family everywhere at risk of mass murder. prgtoken Drug cartels are destabilizing Mexico and killing over 107,000 Americans annually, mostly due to fentanyl. prgtoken I am grateful House s, led by Kevin McCarthy, have passed the Secure the Border Act, stopping illegal aliens. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops who successfully protected America for 20 years as the global war on terrorism continues, moving from the safe haven of Afghanistan to America with open borders.
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Anthony D’Esposito (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-5-24

. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act of which I am proud to cosponsor. I also find it baffling, Madam Chair, that speakers from the other side say that this does nothing when, in fact, we are working to correct the wrongs of the procriminal, open-border agenda that have passed throughout this country. prgtoken There is not one community across this Nation that has been immune to the devastating effects of fentanyl. As an NYPD detective, I have witnessed far too many Americans destroyed due to opioid addictions stemming from this horrific narcotic, and Congress must act swiftly to combat the fentanyl epidemic. prgtoken Madam Chair, I urge all my colleagues to support the HALT Act in order to make permanent classwide scheduling order for fentanyl-related substances, which is the key to preventing unneeded deaths related to fentanyl.
HONORING THE LIFE OF CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER CHRISTOPHER ERAMO
Marcus J. Molinaro (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-5-24

I rise today to honor the life and service of Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Eramo, an Army officer from Oneonta, New York, who tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash in Alaska. prgtoken Chief Eramo exemplified the bravery and selflessness that is required of our men and women in uniform. He knew the dangers that came with his service, and he dedicated his life to protecting our country and safeguarding our freedoms. prgtoken As we mourn his passing, we also recognize the sacrifices all of our servicemembers make every day. They put their lives on the line every day to protect us, and we are forever grateful for their service. prgtoken May we always honor the bravery and sacrifice of Chief Eramo and all those who have given their last full measure of devotion to a grateful Nation.
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-5-24

. Madam Chair, I thank the chairman of the Health Subcommittee for his leadership and for yielding me time. prgtoken Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the HALT Fentanyl Act. The American people are in the midst of a staggering illicit fentanyl crisis. Our kids are dying, Madam Chair. We need to do everything we possibly can to help these kids. prgtoken Sadly, we read daily headlines, Madam Chair, of adults, teens, and even toddlers who have died from fentanyl poisoning. prgtoken My colleagues across the aisle, they kicked the can down the road. They have kicked it down the road too long, Madam Chair, and look at the consequences as fentanyl-related substances still remain only temporarily scheduled. The time is now to make it permanent. prgtoken Today, we take an overdue step in the right direction, and as a proud advocate for individuals suffering with substance use disorder, I know this is just one step. Much more needs to be done, and I am thankful the gentleman has brought this bill to the floor. prgtoken Sadly, we continue to see a huge influx of fentanyl-related substances into the country from across the Mexican border, from cartels using chemicals imported from China and India. prgtoken I am disheartened to see communities across my State of Florida and across the Nation bearing the ramifications of these criminal actors and our open-border policies. We must secure the border. prgtoken This is a nonpartisan issue, in my opinion, and we must come together to address the opioid crisis. We are at war with these cartels, Madam Chair. prgtoken I would like to see my ic colleagues heed the administration's public support of these critical measures. Just this Monday, they issued their support for the policies in this bill, urging Congress to pass these measures to address public safety and save lives. prgtoken I say to my colleagues across the aisle: Work with us on this and on other meaningful policy solutions to combat fentanyl in our Nation.
HALT ALL LETHAL TRAFFICKING OF FENTANYL ACT
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-5-24

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam Chair, for over 2 years, I have worked with my colleague from Virginia's Ninth District to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. During this time, our country has reeled from a record-breaking number of poisonings. In both 2021 and 2022, over 100,000 Americans died of an overdose. prgtoken What was the main culprit? Fentanyl-related substances. prgtoken In 2021, 77 percent of teen overdose deaths were attributed to an illicit prgtoken fentanyl poisoning, and it is now the number one cause of deaths among adults 18 to 49. prgtoken This crisis has simply spiraled out of control, and action must be taken immediately. That is why our bill, the HALT Fentanyl Act, comes into play. prgtoken Right now, these fentanyl substances are temporarily set as a schedule I narcotic. If this class-wide scheduling were to expire, drug traffickers will be given the green light to push deadlier drugs; law enforcement will lose authority to seize these deadly narcotics; and Americans will continue to die. prgtoken I am pleased the House is taking up this bill to permanently place fentanyl-related substances as a schedule I narcotic. prgtoken Let me take a moment to clear up a misconception about this bill. This isn't about criminal justice reform. This is about justice for the victims of fentanyl poisoning. Cartels are killing our citizens for 10 cents. Let me repeat that: Cartels are killing our citizens for 10 cents. That is how much it costs to make a pill in Mexico that is fentanyl-laced. prgtoken This is the DEA's number one priority. We owe it to our constituents to fix this permanently. prgtoken Currently, to trigger a 10-year mandatory minimum, an offense must involve 100 grams or more of a mixture containing a fentanyl analogue. Because the average lethal dose of fentanyl is just 2 milligrams, the offense would need to contain roughly 50,000 lethal doses. Again, that is 50,000 human beings that would be murdered from fentanyl poisoning. prgtoken Madam Chair, I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the HALT Fentanyl Act to help end this crisis and save innocent lives.
HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
George Santos (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-5-24

I rise today to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the protection of freedom. prgtoken While the circumstances that brought our heroes to combat vary, their sacrifice is the same. They died protecting their fellow soldiers in the foxhole, the skies, and the seas. We can never fully grasp the unique story of each of our fallen, but let us never forget the patriotic lesson that our Nation's bravest remind us. prgtoken Among them, we do not pursue freedom in support of the United States, we pursue the United States in support of freedom. prgtoken On this Memorial Day as the Nation collectively pauses to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, let us also contemplate what their sacrifice teaches us. The United States and its Constitution are more than a mutually beneficial agreement between the States. The final cause of our union is the universal principle of freedom. prgtoken Many of our heroes lost their lives protecting the freedom of their friends, family, and neighbors. Others died in defense of freedom belonging to those they had never met. The sacrifice of our fallen servicemen and -women, including thousands from the Third District of New York, reminds us of this. prgtoken Today and every day, , let us honor the lives of our fallen military personnel and let their lessons guide our every decision as we move toward a free world. Let that be what we talk about on this Memorial Day.
PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Richard McCormick (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-5-24

I appreciate the legislation efforts that we have had recently to define fentanyl as poison and to address a very serious problem in the United States where we had 110,000 people die last year alone. prgtoken As an emergency medicine physician, to see anywhere from one to five overdoses per night, to see four patients come in that I could not revive and that are no longer with us is a serious problem. prgtoken I caution everybody in Congress--from my conservative roots and the conservative values that made this Nation what it is--not to turn to legislation to solve this problem. We need to understand that this is a people problem. prgtoken Ultimately, you can spend a trillion dollars overseas, you can fight wars, you can secure your border, but until we get our hearts straight, we will not solve this very real problem. prgtoken Until we understand that when our children are taught that they are supporting murderers and rapists and child traffickers, people who would do harm to all of us, then they will stop the incentive of creating the demand, and the problem will go away. prgtoken This is a problem of our house but not this House, the house of our family.
BIDEN'S DEBT DEFAULT
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-5-24

House s are the only ones that have done their job to pass legislation that raises the debt ceiling in a reasonable, responsible, and sensible way. prgtoken Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells us that the United States may run out of funds to pay our bills in just 8 days. Yet, the ic- controlled Senate has yet to put forward a proposal or even hold a single vote. prgtoken Unfortunately, the President has wasted valuable time refusing to negotiate. In fact, it has taken more than 100 days for him to even come to the negotiating table, despite McCarthy's repeated calls to the White House to just have a meeting--President declined at each and every turn until recently--inching our Nation toward a -induced default. prgtoken With only 8 days left until our Nation potentially drives off the fiscal cliff, thanks to ' wasteful and out-of-control spending, you would expect the President would be at the negotiating table each and every day, around the clock, until we get a deal done to avoid the disastrous default. Instead, he spent the weekend traveling overseas. prgtoken To me and many of the Tennesseans I represent, the President seems to be neglecting his duties during these most critical moments. s have done everything we can to avoid this scenario. Like I mentioned, the House is the only body to pass legislation that responsibly raises the debt ceiling and does so while also saving American taxpayers trillions of dollars. prgtoken President 's actions remind me of a child who doesn't get their way. Unfortunately, the President's temper tantrum will have much more dire consequences than that of a toddler. prgtoken There is an easy solution to this problem. If the President were serious about avoiding default, he could instruct his counterparts in the Senate to pass our bill, the House-passed Limit, Save, Grow Act, which raises the debt ceiling in a reasonable, responsible, and sensible manner. prgtoken Sure, maybe the President and Senate didn't get their homework done by the due date, but they are more than welcome to copy ours and turn it in for full credit. prgtoken , if a President delays negotiations, and if a -controlled Senate doesn't pass anything, what do you get? You get the United States' first-ever default that will lie squarely on ' shoulders--a default. prgtoken It is a shame that after all of these years the President spent in the Senate, a body known for its bipartisanship and ability to compromise, the President has brought us this close to default. prgtoken , make no mistake, the ' default will have catastrophic impacts on the U.S. economy. Let's hope it doesn't come to that and that we can come together to save our country from fiscal insanity by limiting Washington's out-of-control spending.
FENTANYL EPIDEMIC WREAKS HAVOC
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-5-24

I thank the gentleman from Alabama for putting this Special Order hour together and for the great work he is doing to represent Alabama. prgtoken , everyone knows that our government spending is completely out of control and that Congress has too often prioritized wants over needs while American families continue to struggle. It needs to stop now. prgtoken House s are prioritizing good governance and are actively working to put this country back on the path of fiscal responsibility. prgtoken We did our job when we passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act weeks ago to responsibly raise the debt ceiling and, far more importantly, to cut out-of-control spending and burdensome regulations on American workers, industries, and the creative industry that this Nation has. prgtoken We are fighting for policies that put more money back in the pockets of hardworking Americans. We want to save the American people money by cutting funding for woke, weaponized spending and cutting inflationary spending by $1 trillion in the first year and almost $5 trillion over the next 10 years. prgtoken We want to protect the American people from being the target of 87,000 new agents hired by the IRS. prgtoken We want to ensure that the American people have reliable energy. prgtoken Just a couple of years ago, we were energy dominant. We do not want to enter the world where because of the green new delusion that benefits China, the leftist elite, and big corporations--we do not want to live in that world where the American people have to wonder if they have a reliable source of energy. prgtoken We want to guarantee that the American people who either choose not to attend college--they go into a field of their choosing--and people who responsibly have paid off their student loans won't be footing the bill for those who go to elite universities and often take career paths that don't lead to good jobs or a sustainable future. prgtoken What do and the left want? More government, more spending, more inflation, more corporate subsidies, and less freedom. prgtoken We have made it clear that cutting woke, weaponized spending is a must to govern our Nation responsibly. Our Nation cannot afford it. prgtoken There are so many examples. We want to strengthen our border. We want safe communities. We want to solve the fentanyl crisis. prgtoken We just heard a lot of talking from the left that the sky will fall if we get back to fiscal responsibility. Just today, the U.S. Embassy in Brazil put out this tweet of a video of our Embassy teaching people how to say their proper pronouns. That is not the role of the State Department. prgtoken The State Department helps to ensure that we have strong national security and that we have strong allies, and in the words of one of the people who responded to it: I identify as a U.S. taxpayer, and I would like you to stop funding this craziness. prgtoken , we are focused on getting back to good governance. We are
FENTANYL EPIDEMIC WREAKS HAVOC
Burgess Owens (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-5-24

I am proud to join my friend, Representative Dale Strong, and many of my colleagues today in full support of the HALT Fentanyl Act. prgtoken Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl. This week 30,000 fentanyl pills, enough to kill 1.8 million people, were recovered in Utah during a routine traffic stop. prgtoken This deadly drug is pouring across our southern border and wreaking havoc in communities across the country. prgtoken Fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for young people aged 18 to 45 and poses more danger to young Americans than COVID, car accidents, and suicide combined. prgtoken The administration and open-border have for 2 years ignored the border security crisis and the surge in drug trafficking. America's misery has become the ' political strategy. prgtoken The HALT Fentanyl Act delivers on one of the House s' pledges under our Commitment to America, a Nation that is safe. prgtoken The HALT Fentanyl Act will permanently classify fentanyl-related substances into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act and close the criminal code loophole to apply the current minimum sentencing for illicit drugs to fentanyl. prgtoken It also empowers law enforcement with the tools needed to keep these dangerous drugs off our streets. prgtoken It will support research efforts to understand the effects of fentanyl-related substances on the health of Americans. prgtoken The House GOP recently passed Secure the Border Act--the strongest border security legislative package in America's history--to address the border security crisis, increase Border Patrol agents, and to end the flow of deadly fentanyl. prgtoken These two landmark pieces of legislation will finally tackle the ever-worsening catastrophe at the border, save American lives from deadly drugs, and support our law enforcement officers who risk their lives to protect and serve our communities. prgtoken I urge the administration and my colleagues across the aisle to support these commonsense, innovative solutions to our Nation's most pressing challenges.
DISAPPROVING THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE RELATING TO ``PROCEDURES COVERING SUSPENSION OF LIQUIDATION, DUTIES AND ESTIMATED DUTIES IN ACCORD WITH PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 10414''
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-5-24

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , this veto override supports American workers and manufacturers in the solar sector, but it also helps protect American workers in every sector that face unfair competition from China or any other country. prgtoken Our trade laws are designed to level the playing field so that American workers can compete and win. We have hundreds of trade remedy orders in place to do exactly that for many American industries. prgtoken These laws aren't worth the paper they are written on unless they are enforced. Overriding this veto is an important way for Congress to show that we will insist on strong trade enforcement for American workers, farmers, and manufacturers of any product that faces unfair competition from China or any other country. prgtoken , I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Malliotakis).
FENTANYL CRISIS DEEPENS
Guy Reschenthaler (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-5-24

I rise today in support of H.R. 467, the HALT Fentanyl Act. Every day an average of 14 Pennsylvanians die as a result of drug overdose. prgtoken In 2021, Pennsylvania recorded 5,449 overdose deaths, which is the fourth prgtoken largest amount in the Nation. Preliminary data shows that in 2022, roughly 110,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the U.S which is a new record, as the fentanyl crisis deepens across this country. prgtoken Just for perspective, fentanyl kills more Americans under age 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, and suicide. prgtoken We must ensure law enforcement has all the tools necessary to prosecute and seize all dangerous addictive and deadly forms of fentanyl substances. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation.