mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORTS ACT OF 2023
Greg Landsman (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2023-4-19

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to this bill. prgtoken I hate bullies. This bill is about bullying children. prgtoken Children struggle with identity, gender, and otherwise. As a parent, I need all the other adults, teachers, coaches, and lawmakers to help me and my wife to protect our children, support them, give them a sense of purpose and belonging. prgtoken This is the opposite of that. You are picking on children. prgtoken Your government has become so intrusive in our lives. You are in our doctors' offices banning reproductive freedom. You are in our classrooms banning books and what teachers can and can't say. prgtoken Now, you are in my daughter's locker room requiring physical exams of children? It is so profoundly disgusting and inappropriate. prgtoken It is un-American. Don't tread on us. Let us be. prgtoken We have an economy to fix, a public safety crisis to address, a border to secure, a budget to balance, roads to pave, and bridges to build. prgtoken Focus. Stop bullying children.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RELATING TO "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES...
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-4-19

I rise today in strong opposition to the resolution before us today. This resolution would overturn the VA's rule protecting veterans' access to abortion counseling and care in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of a woman or her health is in danger; and, unfortunately, it is just the latest attack on women's freedom to make their own healthcare decisions without interference from politicians. prgtoken Today, veterans, their spouses, and dependents are protected and have the freedom to receive essential healthcare in the most devastating of circumstances. prgtoken By voting yes today, the Senate would take that freedom away. So let's be clear about what this means. A ``yes'' vote means you would be saying to women who are entrusted to protect our national security that they can't be trusted to make their own medical decisions. You would be saying that the person who has been raped or the victim of incest should not have the freedom to get an abortion. You are saying, in effect, sitting in this Chamber that those of you sitting in this Chamber should have the power to decide what healthcare a veteran can receive if she faces a serious or even life-threatening health threat if she continues a pregnancy. prgtoken So if you are considering a ``yes'' vote, I ask you, what makes you think that you know better? What makes you think that you should have the power over another person and their body? prgtoken This is an insult to the dignity of people, to veterans, and to their families. These are people who have given so much; and yet this body would deprive them of their right to freedom and self-determination, the very rights that they sacrificed and fought to defend. prgtoken Colleagues, I understand that people have differing views on abortion. And I prgtoken respect that. But I cannot understand why anyone would think that they should have the power to impose their own views on others in such extreme ways, because this resolution is extreme. And everyone who votes for it is saying that when it comes to our Nation's veterans who get their healthcare through the VA, that there should be no exceptions for abortion, even if that veteran has been the victim of rape or incest, even when continuing the pregnancy would endanger the veteran's life or health. That is not just extreme; that is cruel. prgtoken Here in this Chamber, some are also going after current servicemembers. There is currently an unprecedented and reckless campaign in this Chamber to hold up the promotions of career military personnel in order to force the Department of Defense to deprive servicemembers of their legal right to seek abortion care. prgtoken Let that sink in. They are willing to compromise our national security and leave 187 important military leadership posts vacant in order to enact their dangerous and unpopular anti-abortion agenda. prgtoken And they are not doing this because of what Americans want. It is the opposite
ONE STEP CLOSER TO UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE AND THE AMERICAN DREAM AND PROMISE
Delia C. Ramirez (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-4-19

tonight, I am convening a Special Order hour for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where we are focused on our shared commitment and shared urgency to make comprehensive immigration reform and universal healthcare our reality. We are one step closer to doing so for DACA recipients, or Dreamers, who have been waiting and are still waiting for us to make good on our long-overdue commitment to a pathway to citizenship for them. prgtoken Healthcare is a human right, full stop. I know saying healthcare is a human right can feel more like a slogan or a hashtag than a call to action that anyone will actually do something about. I have certainly felt that myself and felt frustrated by the simplicity of that call to action contrasted with a deflating lack of change. prgtoken Some people think it is too lofty and that we should start smaller. What does it mean, though, to start smaller? When it comes to healthcare, that means dividing people into who is worthy of healthcare and who is not. prgtoken I will take a quick moment to thank everyone who doesn't give in and doesn't give up on envisioning a better world that has more than enough resources for all of us because I know that you get pushback, doubt, and detraction. It is those big, lofty goals that keep us rooted in our why and keep pushing us for better. prgtoken That is why, last week when President announced his proposal to expand eligibility for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act benefits to Dreamers, we all celebrated. prgtoken DACA first started in 2012, over a decade ago. There are approximately 600,000 DACA recipients living across the United States. They are healthcare workers, they are teachers, they are parents, and they are neighbors. prgtoken About 35,000 Dreamers call my home State of Illinois their home. One of them is my husband, Boris Hernandez, who has lived in the U.S. since he was 14 years old. He has now lived in the U.S. more than he ever lived in Guatemala. prgtoken Collectively, Dreamers pay $9.4 billion in State and Federal taxes every single year. prgtoken For all these years, access to healthcare through the ACA or through Medicaid hasn't been available to Dreamers. That is a policy failure with life and death consequences. prgtoken Right now, DACA recipients can mainly only access healthcare if their employer provides it. Otherwise, they are largely reliant upon the State they happen to live in to have a State-funded healthcare program. prgtoken According to the Department of Health and Human Services, more than a third of DACA recipients don't have any healthcare insurance whatsoever. We know what happens when you deny access to affordable healthcare. People avoid going to the doctor as much as possible because they can't afford to go. Health conditions that may only need preventive care or some kind of medication go undiagnosed, untreated, and get worse and worse until it is a life or death emergency. prgtoken Before I came to Cong
HONORING ROBERT ERVES
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2023-4-19

I rise today to honor a tenacious and self-motivated leader, Robert Erves. Robert Erves has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication, and a desire to achieve. prgtoken Erves coached Vicksburg's football, track, and powerlifting teams at levels ranging from eighth grade to varsity for nearly 30 years. He had an undefeated season with Vicksburg's eighth-grade football team and led the school's powerlifting team to the MHSAA Class 5A championship in 2003. prgtoken Erves also had a standout football career as a student in the VWSD. He played at Temple High School, then Warren Central from 1969 to 1972, before starring at Mississippi Valley State. prgtoken Erves was inducted into the 2022 Vicksburg Warren School District Athletic Hall of Fame. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Robert Erves for his passion and dedication to the Vicksburg Warren School District.
HONORING JEFF "SUPA JEFF" VILLANUEVA FOR HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2023-4-19

Jeff ``Supa Jeff'' Villanueva is a current Florida resident and has lived in the state his whole life. He graduated from Full Sail University in 1998 from the Recording Arts program. Today, Jeff is a sound designer/recording engineer at TyFy Studios, where he adds his expertise to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide with shows such as nighttime fireworks spectaculars and the Walt Disney Animation Studios feature Encanto. prgtoken He has touched every sector of entertainment throughout his career. He has contributed to over 110 million records sold worldwide and has earned four Grammy awards. Some of his most notable work as an engineer/mixer has been with super producer Rodney ``Darkchild'' Jerkins, DJ Khaled, and The prgtoken Runners of We the Best Music Group, and with artists such as Lionel Richie, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Usher, Mariah Carey, Drake, Rihanna, and many others. He has continued to expand his success and experience by crossing over into the world of AAA gaming, working on titles such as Madden NFL 20 and NBA Live 19.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-4-19

late on the night of November 2, 2012, Theodore Wafer was woken up by a loud sound. Somebody was knocking on his door--pounding on his door. He looked for his phone to call the police but couldn't find it. So, instead, he picked up his shotgun and went to the door. He saw on the other side a figure. He thought the person, maybe, was trying to break into his house, and so he fired a shotgun blast through the screen door to his porch. prgtoken A couple of hours before that, Renisha McBride had gotten into a car accident not far away from Theodore Wafer's house. She was intoxicated. She was disoriented after the crash. She wandered around the neighborhood, late at night, looking for help. She couldn't find any, and she found herself knocking on the door of Mr. Wafer's home, looking for assistance. The shotgun blast hit her in the face, and she died. prgtoken Jordan Davis was in Jacksonville, FL, a teenager out with his friends. They pulled into a gas station. As a lot of teenagers do, they were playing loud music. Michael Dunn was at the gas station as well. He didn't like the fact that the teenagers were playing their music too loud. He asked them to turn it down. There was an argument that took place. Michael Dunn said: I am not going to let anybody talk to me like that. And he pulled a handgun out of the glove compartment of his car, and he started shooting at Jordan Davis and his friends. Jordan Davis died as his friends sped away, trying to get away from the killing scene. Michael Dunn continued to shoot at the fleeing car. prgtoken His girlfriend came out of the convenience store. She didn't know what had happened. Michael Dunn didn't tell her. They went to the hotel they were staying in, and they ordered a pizza. That happened 1 year before the death of Renisha McBride. prgtoken This week, this country is convulsed by a series of horrific shootings where mistakes and minor slights are being met by gunfire. You know these stories by now. Ralph Yarl, 16 years old, went to go pick up his siblings, went to the wrong house, and Andrew Lester fired at him. Ralph Yarl is now clinging for life right now. prgtoken Kaylin Gillis, 20 years old, and her friend pulled into the wrong driveway--just pulled into the wrong driveway--and Kevin Monahan fired his gun at them, killing Kaylin Gillis. prgtoken And, just this morning, we are hearing news of another stunningly similar incident in Austin, TX, where a cheerleader, by accident, got into the wrong car after cheerleading practice and apparently that slight was so serious that the man in the car fired a gun at this cheerleader and her friend. One of those young women is critically injured. prgtoken My friends, there is a toxic mixture in this country today of hate, of anger, and a population that is increasingly armed to the teeth with deadly weapons, many of them with no training, many of them with criminal records. This mixture is leading to our neighborh
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RELATING TO "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES...
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2023-4-19

I feel like, in fact, I have been here on a weekly basis to talk about this issue. And the reason I feel that way is that I have been here on a weekly basis to talk about what is happening in the wake of the Dobbs decision, which stripped the American people of the first fundamental freedom, the first fundamental right, that we have lost since reconstruction. prgtoken This was a 50-year effort on the part of certain people in this country, with an ideological commitment to overturn Roe v. Wade, who used every single mechanism that they could of our democracy and, now, ultimately, our judiciary, to enforce a legal outcome that the vast majority of the American people have never supported and, today, don't support. prgtoken We find ourselves on the floor today, I dare say, facing a resolution by the Senator from Alabama, whom I have been out here arguing with for the last 6 weeks--a resolution that would be decried by, I would bet, 9 out of 10 Americans. I will be fair: 8 out of 10 Americans. This is an effort in the wake of the Dobbs decision, which stripped the American people of this fundamental freedom, this fundamental right that families have relied on for 50 years. prgtoken Millions of veterans now live in States where abortion is banned. I will come to that in a second. prgtoken In an attempt to deal with the catastrophe in the wake of Dobbs, the VA has promulgated some rules to make it allowable in the Veterans' Administration. When a veteran or their family member has been raped, is the victim of incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake, what the VA has said--because we are dealing with the overturning of Roe v. Wade--in those cases, those three limited cases, we are going to allow people to get access to care at the Veterans' Administration. prgtoken That has set off the Senator from Alabama, who is now trying to get the Senate to pass a resolution to ban that so that veterans and their families who are the victims of rape, who are the victims of incest, or where the life of the mother is at stake, cannot get medical care at the Veterans' Administration. In a State like his, which has banned abortion, that is what is at stake this week. prgtoken A month ago, we were on this floor because the same Senator from Alabama was putting a blanket hold on every single flag officer's promotion in the U.S. military. Think about that. That sounds impossible. That sounds like an exaggeration. prgtoken , the reason it sounds that way to you is because, first of all, you are a reasonable person, but, second of all, it has never happened in the history of this Senate before--that somebody has held up the promotion of every single flag officer, put a blanket hold on. prgtoken Now, that is not because of what the VA is doing. That is because of what the Department of Defense is doing, because the Department of Defense, again, in the wake of Dobbs--the Dobbs decision overturning R
PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORTS ACT OF 2023
Sara Jacobs (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-4-19

. Mr. Chair, Dr. Maya Angelou once said: ``When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.'' Well, House s have shown us over and over again who they are, and it is time we believe them. prgtoken They have introduced a national abortion ban. They oppose paid family leave. They blocked the ERA. They fought against universal childcare. Now they are using the false guise of protecting women to blatantly discriminate against the trans community and threaten the privacy of all women and girls. prgtoken House s make trans kids' participation in sports seem sinister and conniving, and that couldn't be further from the truth. Trans kids are kids. They should be able to live full lives with unlimited opportunities, including playing sports. prgtoken Despite what some of my colleagues have falsely claimed, trans girls and women do not have an overwhelming physical advantage compared to others. Just like all athletes, sometimes trans athletes win and sometimes they lose, but we know this isn't about facts. This is about discrimination and scoring political points. prgtoken To my colleagues who haven't been exposed to the LGBTQ+ community or met someone who is trans or may not understand all of the different terms, you still know this is wrong. You know it is wrong to isolate and stigmatize and shame kids. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.
PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORTS ACT OF 2023
Maxwell Frost (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2023-4-19

this morning I called a 12-year-old in my district who is worried about their future as a nonbinary kid in this country. They should be playing and learning, and not writing to their Congress Member, desperate to not lose their right to exist. prgtoken These are the priorities of the majority--not addressing gun violence, rising rent, or medical bills, but violating the privacy of children. I am glad I get previews. I get special previews of what this majority is going to try to do in this body because they are simply taking bills that are being passed in Florida and across the South, horrible bills, and trying to get them passed up here. prgtoken This isn't about a problem that needs a solution, but about politicians looking for a target. We want freedom and liberty for all of our people, and they want the government to be in children's pants. Disgusting. prgtoken History will not look kindly on this. Trans people will continue to fight for equity. We will be right by their side, and we will win.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RELATING TO "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES...
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2023-4-19

happy Earth Week. prgtoken I rise today, along with a couple of my colleagues--one from West Virginia and another from Arkansas--to speak on the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023 and on the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, which is bipartisan legislation that would improve our Nation's recycling and composting systems. prgtoken As a number of our colleagues know, my wife and I are both avid recyclers and composters and have been for some time. I have long believed in environmental stewardship. That is the way my parents raised my sister and me, and I suspect it is the way a lot of parents of Members of this body raised their sons and daughters. They raised us to leave behind a cleaner, healthier planet for future generations, and that is a belief I know is shared not just by elected officials here in Washington but by many people across this country. prgtoken I am also a strong believer that bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions. Whenever possible, we ought to work to find common ground and put forward bipartisan solutions that can stand the test of time. To that end, I am pleased to have found great partners--not just good partners but great partners--in developing these bipartisan recycling bills: Senator Capito, our ranking member on the Environment and Public Works Committee, with whom I am privileged to serve and to chair, along with Senator John Boozman, cochair of the Senate's Recycling Caucus, our colleague from Arkansas. All three of us recognize that we have to do our part to continue to improve our Nation's recycling and composting efforts. In doing so, it not only benefits our environment but also creates economic opportunity and jobs--a lot of jobs. prgtoken The legislation we are here to discuss today would address several of the challenges that America's recycling efforts currently face and what we might do about them. One of these challenges is the availability of good data. prgtoken In November of 2021, with input from many stakeholders, the Environmental Protection Agency released its first-ever national recycling strategy. When that strategy was released, I was delighted to learn that many of the comments I had submitted to the EPA on behalf of our committee had been incorporated into the final version. It was a happy day when we learned that. This document offered a transformative vision for strengthening our Nation's waste management efforts. It also highlighted the need for greater standardization around data collection. prgtoken To address this challenge around data collection, Senator Boozman and I, along with our staffs, developed the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act. Our bill would improve the EPA's ability to gather data on our Nation's recycling systems and explore opportunities for implementing a national composting strategy. prgtoken The EPA has also set a goal of increasing the U.S. recycling rate to 50 percent by 20
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-4-19

I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to Pasquale ``Pat'' Battinelli, Jr a lifelong Connecticut resident, distinguished veteran, and friend to many. Sadly, Mr. Battinelli passed away on April 6, 2023, at the age of 90. He will be remembered for his steadfast dedication to his country and community. prgtoken Pat was born in Darien before moving to Stamford as a young boy. There, he met the love of his life, Gloria Fabrizio, at the age of 13. After graduating from Stamford High School, Pat enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Stationed in the Philippines during the Korean war, Pat served honorably for 4 years. In 1954, after completing his service, he returned to Stamford where he married Gloria. The couple were married for 68 years and raised four children. prgtoken In addition to his military service, Pat had a distinguished record of giving back to Stamford and our State. As chief of the Glenbrook Fire Department and commander of the Lock City Detachment of the Marine Corps League, as well as an active member of the Knights of Columbus, Pat has demonstrated a lifelong dedication to community service. I personally saw Pat at work in all these positions, but also very importantly as leader of Stamford's Patriotic and Special Events Commission for over 30 years. In this role, he was in charge of every parade Stamford held during his tenure, a testament to Pat's civic mindedness and patriotism. prgtoken Pat was an inspiration to veterans and a shining example of good citizenship. I was privileged to know Pat and count him as a friend. He was selfless, loyal, and unstinting in his commitment to helping others--a true patriot. My wife Cynthia and I extend our deepest sympathies to Pat's family during this difficult time, particularly to his wife Gloria, his four children, and his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring Pat's life and legacy.