mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF MR. GEORGE CRABTREE
Bill Foster (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-3-28

I rise today to honor Mr. George Crabtree, an energy trailblazer and fellow scientist whose over five-decade career at Argonne National Laboratory advanced a number of scientific disciplines and inspired colleagues and friends, here and around the world. prgtoken Born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, George eventually moved to Illinois where he graduated from Proviso West High School. He ultimately joined Argonne National Laboratory as a lab technician in 1964 and received his Ph.D. prgtoken George was widely recognized and admired as a brilliant materials scientist and champion of superconducting materials and better batteries. As director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Joint Center for Energy Storage Research, George bolstered the national agenda to tackle the climate crisis and build a clean and equitable energy economy. He helped pioneer early research into high-temperature superconductors and in them, he discovered new phases of superconducting vortex matter. George's research on superconductors gained him recognition as a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Physical Society, and the National Academy of Sciences. prgtoken In addition to his work at Argonne, George was a professor of physics at Northern Illinois University for 13 years and a Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois at Chicago for 12 years. prgtoken George was a luminary in every sense of the word, and his work and dedication to the global scientific community will not be forgotten please join me as I celebrate the life and legacy of Mr. George Crabtree.
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Madam Chair, I ask that people really stop and think about what we are asking here. This is not unreasonable where power lines interface with forested areas. Precautions like we are talking about would have directly, in these two cases, saved three towns, over 1.1 million acres, and at least 85 lives had they had the ability to thin properly around power lines. It is that basic. prgtoken As long as we are going to have electricity come from rural areas, we are going to have these needs to be able to have safety around our power lines by doing commonsense management around them. prgtoken Madam Chair, I ask Members to vote ``aye'' on amendment No. 24, and .
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Keith Self (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer support for Representative Jackson's amendment. prgtoken In Texas, across America, and deep in the waters off of our coastline rests an abundance of untapped energy. Through American ingenuity and technical innovations, we now have the ability to explore these natural resources and return the United States to its status as a net exporter of oil and natural gas. prgtoken Frankly, Mr. Chair, there are so many excessive regulations, we may need to limit the number of pages in this report we are asking for. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 13, 2020
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-3-29

I am here to stand in support of my friend and colleague from Alabama, Senator Tuberville, as he stands in opposition and raises his legitimate objections, which I share, to the Department of Defense's plan to use Federal funds to facilitate the performance of abortions. prgtoken Look, there has long been among the American people a pretty widespread supermajority of Americans--s and making up that supermajority--who say, regardless of how they as individuals feel about abortions, they don't want U.S. taxpayer dollars going to fund or facilitate abortions. That overwhelming supermajority preference for that is reflected in legislation that Congress has enacted, codified in 10 U.S.C section 1093. prgtoken So what has happened here is the Department of Defense has very cleverly disguised and very cleverly meandered around that so to technically comply with that statute. Instead of funding abortions and performing them on Federal facilities with Federal resources, they are facilitating, paying for the travel expenses--air, land travel, ground travel, meals--giving 3 weeks of leave in order to perform these. So they are still using Federal dollars to facilitate abortion, just in a way that is carefully gerrymandered around the text of 10 U.S.C section 1093. prgtoken Now, I want to echo what Senator Tuberville said a moment ago about Senator Jack Reed. I have profound respect for him. I admire him as a Senate friend and colleague, as the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, as himself, somebody who has given enormously to his country with his service through the military and otherwise. prgtoken I do want to respond to a couple of points that he made because I don't think they lead where Senator Reed intended them to lead. He repeatedly described this as a civilian policy decision. Yes, this does embody a civilian policy decision, and it is a policy decision that is fundamentally legislative in nature. prgtoken Now, if he wanted this made, he could have easily come to Congress. The Congress, including the U.S. Senate, has long been deferential to the Department of Defense when they come to us and say: We need this or that. This will help us perform our mission to keep our Nation safe and protected from threats to our national security. We are a pretty generous bunch, especially when it comes to the DOD. prgtoken So why didn't they do that? prgtoken Well, I think they didn't do that--I know they didn't do that--for one simple reason: They knew that the answer would be no. prgtoken So, yes, the civilian policy decision--the last I checked, the organ, the branch, of the Federal Government that makes civilian policy decisions that affect the country--that bind the country with law--is this branch. We are the ones who get to set that. Now, sure. They are authorized to make a number of their own internal operating decisions; but whereas here, a policy is so blatantly at odds with
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-3-29

I thank my good friend from South Carolina for yielding. Go Gators. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 1, which would unleash American energy, lower energy prices, and restore the United States as energy independent and as an energy leader in the world. prgtoken I thank my good friends, Leader Scalise and Chair Rodgers, and my good friend here from South Carolina--he is a good man even though he roots for the wrong team--for being such strong leaders on the issue and bringing this legislation to the floor. prgtoken Since the administration came into office, Americans have been faced with a persisting energy crisis. We are in the midst of unprecedented increases in the costs of living, and I continue to hear from my constituents regarding how difficult it is to make ends meet. prgtoken I have heard from numerous constituents who are facing the prospect prgtoken of losing their livelihood due to increased energy costs driving up their business' operational costs. prgtoken Tragically, other constituents are now facing severe financial hardship and facing increased energy costs while on fixed incomes. Our seniors are having a very hard time, . prgtoken My constituents deserve energy policies that make energy more affordable for Americans, not more expensive. prgtoken Not only will H.R. 1 unleash American energy to decrease costs, but it will also spur the mining and processing of critical minerals domestically. It is essential that we do this. We are too dependent on our adversaries, particularly China, for these minerals that we use in nearly every aspect of our economy. H.R. 1 will allow us to produce innovative technologies and critical resources here at home and not in China. prgtoken This bill will return the United States as a global energy leader and secure America's future from dependencies on our adversaries. prgtoken , I thank the Member for yielding. He is a great man, and he is a leader on these issues.
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Byron Donalds (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Mr. Chair, as is often said in this Chamber, I didn't anticipate debating, but as I sit on the floor listening to some of the things coming from the about this bill, a lot of it is just simply not true. prgtoken The are accusing us of providing funds and slush funds to Big Oil, but in the very Inflation Reduction Act that they passed last Congress--on a partisan basis, mind you--there is $20 billion in that bill that goes to the green energy--I don't know--environment slush fund. The EPA is already saying, Mr. Chair, that that $20 billion is being basically earmarked for a handful of special interests that the American people have no idea about. prgtoken The want to lecture us about making sure that we stop the polluters, but their own energy plan actually empowers the biggest polluter on the planet, and that is China. It is China that mines all the minerals for electric batteries, and China does not care about emission standards. prgtoken The have no problem empowering China when it comes to mineral production. They have no problem empowering China when it comes to oil production. They just want to limit it here in the United States. prgtoken This is the same backward thinking that the Europeans have realized in the face of Putin's aggression in Ukraine. It was all good to let Russia drill as long as Europe didn't drill. prgtoken Mr. Chair, that does not work when it comes to energy production. H.R. 1 brings common sense back to America's energy matrix. It is an all-of-the-above strategy. prgtoken Listen, I am a Member who has some issues, but I am voting for the legislation because it is far more important to put America in first position when it comes to energy exploration on the globe, as opposed to funding these Green New Deal think tanks and these Green New Deal energy consortiums that haven't proven that they can deliver baseload power to address the needs of the American people. prgtoken We have an energy problem. That is true. Our energy problem starts first with having cheap and readily available energy for poor Americans, middle-income Americans, small business owners, medium-sized business owners, and, yes, even the people who are wealthy among us. prgtoken Our economy thrives with a robust energy matrix, not one divided up based upon special interests from the left. That does not work. What works is actually using tried and true energy production standards. prgtoken By the way, when we drill for natural gas and explore for natural gas and oil here in America, we do it cleaner than anywhere else on the globe. We do it better than anywhere else on the globe, so much so that people want to import it from us. prgtoken That sounds like a quality plan for America, not the dogma from the . prgtoken I have been hearing the talking points all week. Polluters over people? That is a joke. The only people who are putting interests over people are the with
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act because lowering energy costs is a top priority of Tennesseans. prgtoken Since President took office, energy costs have skyrocketed. To make matters worse, congressional poured gasoline on the fire by passing a $370 billion Green New Deal giveaway that has done nothing to address the root cause of record-high energy costs and inflation. prgtoken My neighbors often ask, Why have energy costs gone up so much, so quickly? Why is the President not doing anything about it? Unfortunately, the administration prioritizes the demands of woke, leftwing activists that would rather hold our economy hostage than promote the cleanest, most affordable energy produced right here in the United States. prgtoken Madam Chair, because of the reckless policies of the administration, s have many priorities this Congress, but our number one priority is to lower energy costs on behalf of the American people.
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Neal P. Dunn (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Madam Chair, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 1. prgtoken With this bill, the days of America's dependence on imported energy are beginning to come to a close. prgtoken Under President , gas prices have skyrocketed, leases for oil and gas have been canceled, and electricity prices have soared. prgtoken Thankfully, multiple committees have come together to provide a multilateral solution to these problems. prgtoken When H.R. 1 becomes law, it will lower energy costs and unleash American energy, providing clarity for critical infrastructure investors. prgtoken It will streamline energy permitting and exports and repeal the new natural gas tax imposed by the administration. prgtoken House s are delivering on our promise to reestablish the days of American energy independence. prgtoken Importantly, H.R. 1 slashes burdensome regulations that make it difficult and unappealing to build in America. prgtoken Eliminating these barriers in conjunction with comprehensive permitting reform will reverse the administration's radical energy policies that destroyed American dominance in the energy space and compromised our national security. prgtoken Simply put, H.R. 1 will unleash American innovation and unlock American resources for future generations. prgtoken I look forward to voting ``yea'' on H.R. 1, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 13, 2020
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-3-29

there are just a couple of points I want to address. I have been watching in the office; I am not here to make a motion or anything, but this is an important topic. We don't do this enough, which is this back-and-forth, so I will be brief. prgtoken The first is, this is not a First Amendment issue, because we are not trying to ban ``booty'' videos. I don't know if there is a better term for it, but that is not what we are trying to ban. It is not about the content of the videos that are online, it is about the dangers to the national security that are presented by the way that this company functions. And that is what people don't understand and what we owe people an explanation on. prgtoken The reason why TikTok--and all the social media companies, for that matter--are addictive is two. They collect a tremendous amount of data on the individual user, not just what you are doing but what you are doing across the platform, your pictures, everything. They want to learn from it, but not just because some guy is sitting and reading all this stuff. They feed it into an algorithm that is powered by artificial intelligence. It knows you better than you know yourself. That is why the more you use it, the more attractive the videos become to you, because they know exactly how your mind works better than you know how your mind works--at least the algorithm does. prgtoken So who owns the algorithm? The algorithm is owned by a company named ByteDance that is in China. Now, listen, I don't care who owns ByteDance. I don't care if it is owned 100 percent by Americans. ByteDance operates out of China. And this is what we need to understand: There are no such things as private companies in China; they do not exist. prgtoken Under Chinese law, their national security law, their national intelligence law, every company in China has to do whatever the Communist Party tells them. So if the Communist Party goes to ByteDance and says: We want you to use that algorithm to push these videos on Americans to convince them of whatever, they have to do it. They don't have an option. They may not want to do it. But ask Jack Ma what happens, no matter how rich you are, when you don't want to do what the Communist Party tells you to do. You move to Singapore for a year and disappear. That is what happens. prgtoken OK, so all these people have to respond, and ByteDance has to answer to whatever they are told. Now this thing about Oracle and the cloud, it sounds really good, but here's the problem with it: It doesn't matter where you store the data. You could store the data in my backyard in a locked safe. No matter what, for TikTok to work, you have to give the engineers in China access to it because they control the algorithm. prgtoken So it honestly doesn't matter where the data is stored. They still have to open it up for the engineers at ByteDance in China to look at it or the algorithm doesn't work; and without the algo
TRIBUTE TO ROBERT JOSEPH NUELLE
Eric Schmitt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-3-29

today I rise in celebration of Robert Joseph Nuelle's 95th birthday, who has and continues to live a life defined by service. prgtoken Born on April 7, 1928, in Jennings, MO, to Eugene and Sophie Nuelle alongside 11 siblings, Robert attended McBride High School in St. Louis. Following World War II, he chose to serve his Nation and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, the same path of his older brother Kenny. Both served as SeaBees. While serving, Robert was stationed in Pensacola, FL, and later served on a destroyer in the Korean war. prgtoken He played baseball for the Navy's team, and in a very unforgettable moment, he had the opportunity to play with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams. And following his honorable discharge from the Navy, Robert played for the minor league affiliate of the Milwaukee Braves and played semi-pro baseball for another team. While an accident at work unfortunately ended his baseball playing career, Robert found success in other arenas. prgtoken Robert worked at Telegraphic Services, later renamed to TSI Graphics, a company that specialized in ``Lino-Type,'' which entailed printing books using hot lead. While at TSI Graphics, Robert transformed the company by expanding their business to major publishers in New York and ensuring that the company operated as good corporate citizens. He retired in 1993. prgtoken Following his retirement, Robert became heavily involved in philanthropic efforts. He volunteered at Wings of Hope, a humanitarian aviation organization, serving as the charity's chairman for their golf tournament alongside helping in the charity's other efforts. Robert also became involved with Friends of Kids with Cancer, where he still volunteers to this day. He has been the chairman of their golf tournament, delivered food to kids going through chemotherapy, and aided in the charity's mission, which is to support children going through cancer and their families. He still remains a cherished member of their organization. Robert also volunteers at a food pantry every Monday, undeterred by the pandemic. prgtoken Robert and his first wife, JoAnn, married in 1955 and moved to Creve Coeur, MO. They had two children, Robert, Jr and Mark. JoAnn passed away in 2005 after 50 loving years of marriage. Robert was remarried to Peggy Hummert in 2009. Outside of public service, Robert plays golf every week, weather permitting, and enjoys spending time with his children and grandchildren. prgtoken Robert truly embodies sacrifice and service. Having served proudly in the military, spent his entire career at a single company, raised a loving family, and dedicated his retirement to philanthropy, he is a shining example of a great Missourian.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 13, 2020
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-3-29

I want to thank our friends from North Dakota, from West Virginia, and from Nebraska for being here today to talk about producing low-cost energy, which would reduce emissions. prgtoken I am from an energy-producing State. In Texas, we are an ``all of the above'' State. We actually generate more electricity from wind than any other State in the Nation. prgtoken While I know many people think of the Lone Star State as being primarily an oil and gas producer, which we are, we really are an ``all of the above'' State because we found that, for example, when the wind doesn't blow and the Sun doesn't shine, then you need a baseload from some source, whether it is nuclear, whether it is natural gas. We have even had instances where, because of very, very cold weather, 100-year cold snaps, even natural gas does not supply that baseload. But here again, it is a reminder of how vulnerable we all are to a secure and affordable energy supply. prgtoken If we needed a recent historical reminder, when Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine and threatened to cut off the sole source of energy for essentially all of Europe, they had to scramble for alternative sources and diversify their energy supply. That ought to be a lesson to us that we should not put all of our eggs in one basket, but we should pursue an ``all of the above'' energy strategy. prgtoken One of the biggest hurdles to energy development in America today, whether it is fossil fuels or green energy, is the permitting process. Any project with a Federal nexus, whether it touches Federal land, crosses State lines, or uses Federal funding, has to wade through a swamp of redtape. This process is not just cumbersome, it is also time- consuming and expensive. On average, it takes 4\1/2\ years to complete the environmental review for potential projects. Again, that is just the average--4\1/2\ years. Many projects take longer. In fact, it takes more than 6 years to complete the environmental review for a quarter of the projects. prgtoken Whether we are talking about drilling for oil and gas, building wind farms, mining critical minerals, building pipelines, or any other energy project, the permitting process is a major impediment. It puts the boot on prgtoken the neck of America's energy producers; it raises costs for consumers, who need more, not less, energy; and it delays the jobs and investment that these projects would create. prgtoken Earlier this week, a coalition of more than 340 organizations sent a letter to Congress advocating for commonsense permitting reform. This group includes organizations that represent traditional energy producers, like the American Petroleum Institute and the American Gas Association, but it also notably includes renewable energy groups, such as the American Clean Power Association and the American Council on Renewable Energy. It includes industries that are supported by American energy production, like pipeline contractors, builders