mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FAREWELL TO CONGRESS
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-12-13

it has been an honor to represent the people of greater Cincinnati in public office for more than 35 years now. I thought I would take a few minutes to sum up those years. prgtoken I first ran for office, Cincinnati City Council, when I was 26 years old. When this, my last term in Congress, expires next month in January, I will be turning 70. 26 to 70, that is long enough. It is somebody else's turn. prgtoken I had seriously considered retiring and not running this past election cycle, but it was a redistricting year. The congressional lines were being redrawn, and I was concerned that if I didn't run, our district was going to be written off and drawn in a way that only a could win it as had been done 10 years ago in Columbus and prior to that in Cleveland. prgtoken I didn't want to see that happen to the people of greater Cincinnati who depended on me and trusted me to represent them as a commonsense conservative for so many years. prgtoken Redistricting turned out to be a pretty rocky process. I ended up with a 9-point district, making it the toughest -held seat in the country outside the State of California. prgtoken Despite starting out in a 9-point hole, I hoped that with a lot of hard work and a little luck we could hold it anyway. I was wrong. That is water over the dam. prgtoken There is a Chinese proverb, ``May you live in interesting times.'' My 26 years in Congress have certainly been that. I was first elected in the 1994 Revolution, Newt Gingrich, the contract with America. s took over the House for the first time in 40 years, which was my proximate age at the time, and 73 freshmen s were elected. I am the last one in the House out of 73, and I will be gone in a few weeks. prgtoken I have been asked a number of times: What are my proudest accomplishments during my time here in Congress? At the top of the list was leading the effort to pass the ban on partial birth abortion. I fought that battle for 8 years, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. They upheld the law, and it has been described as the most significant pro-life legislation since Roe v. Wade. It is estimated that it saves about 20,000 innocent unborn babies every year from a particularly brutal death. Some have said my strong pro-life positions were a factor in my defeat this election. If so, it was worth it. prgtoken Another accomplishment was having served as both chairman and ranking member of the House Small Business Committee. I was in the position to introduce, pass, and implement the PPP, the Paycheck Protection Program, during the recent pandemic. As a result, the First Congressional District received more money, almost $3 billion; got more small business loans, over 27,000 of them; and most importantly, saved more jobs, over 247,000, than any other congressional district in Ohio. A lot of people's lives, both in our community and across the country, were positively imp
FARM BILL IMPACT SERIES
Tracey Mann (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-12-13

I rise today to recognize and thank Cale Beam for his service to me, my office, and the great people of the First District of Kansas. prgtoken Cale was on my team since my first day in Congress, and he has consistently brought an eloquent and thoughtful approach to his research, writing, and recommendations. He has a genuine and kind spirit, a clever sense of humor, and a wisdom that is beyond his years. prgtoken I am so excited to see what lies ahead for Cale, and I know that with his skill set, he will go far. prgtoken Cale, like me, is a man of faith. I want to send him off on his new adventure with these two brief thoughts from the Scriptures. prgtoken First, God works all things to good for those who love Him. prgtoken Second, delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. prgtoken , I thank Cale. My first session in Congress would not have been the same without him. I will miss him, and I wish him all the best with his new pursuit.
CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-12-13

I rise to recognize the 192 student teams that participated in my district's Congressional App Challenge making it the largest competition in the history of the app challenge. I want to thank and congratulate our winner, Walnut High School senior, Hudson Kaleb Dy, on his impressive app to create an affordable earthquake detection system using old smartphones. prgtoken STEM educational opportunities help our students learn the skills needed to get good-paying jobs, boost our Nation's competitiveness, and tackle some of the most pressing health and security challenges facing our Nation and our world. prgtoken I have been a very proud supporter to promote STEM opportunities as co-chair of the Congressional App Challenge, and I am thrilled that this year over 9,000 students participated across 335 congressional districts from coast to coast creating over 2,700 apps. prgtoken , I will always be a loud voice for educational opportunities for our students. Honoring the Life of U.S. Army Private First Class Jang Ho Kim
PROTECT MEDICARE
John Joyce (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-12-13

I rise today to address an issue that will affect millions of Americans unless Congress acts. prgtoken Unless we prevent the Medicare reimbursement cut that is scheduled to go into effect, the doctors, hospitals, and healthcare providers who work each day to treat Medicare patients may be forced to eliminate services, furlough staff, and delay health initiatives. prgtoken These cuts will have the deepest impact on those patients who rely on Medicare to see their doctors. prgtoken At a time when our healthcare industry is already facing record burnout, we cannot afford to risk losing more doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues to join me in fighting these potential cuts in order to protect American patients who rely on Medicare each and every day.
CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER
Nicole Malliotakis (Republican, NY) \u2014 2022-12-13

I rise today to bring attention to the deadly consequences of President 's open borders. prgtoken In the last month, three Border Patrol agents have committed suicide, bringing the total number of agents who have sadly taken their own lives to 14 this year. That tragically adds to the 35 who have been killed in the line of duty in 2021. prgtoken With President tying the hands of our agents and enabling lawlessness at our border, morale among the force has been crushed to an unthinkable low--so low, in fact, that the CBP has hired a suicidologist to help prevent further loss among its force. prgtoken Our CBP agents are overwhelmed, overworked, underfunded, and they are demoralized. They put their lives on the line every day to defend our Nation's borders while receiving no support from the top levels of our government. prgtoken In fact, the President says that there are more important things going on. prgtoken It should not come as a shock that so many are at wit's end. prgtoken While some have taken their own lives, many others have been seriously injured or have made the ultimate sacrifice while on the front lines. prgtoken In April, 22-year-old Texas National Guard Specialist Bishop Evans was swept away in the Rio Grande while attempting to save two migrants from drowning. We later found out that the two he sacrificed his life for were actually attempting to traffic illegal narcotics. prgtoken Just last week, a 38-year-old father of two, CBP Agent Raul Humberto Gonzalez was killed in an ATV crash while chasing a group of migrants illegally crossing the border. prgtoken Perhaps if the cartels were not allowed free rein on our border to smuggle drugs and to traffic humans, Specialist Bishop Evans and Agent Gonzalez would be with us today. prgtoken No one has benefited more from this country's lax open border policies than the cartels. The Drug Enforcement Agency has told us that up to 70 to 80 percent of fentanyl in the United States comes into our country over the southern border. We know the vast majority of fentanyl is being manufactured in China and brought into our country over the southern border straight into American cities poisoning our youth. prgtoken The Drug Enforcement Agency is telling us that is where it is coming from, yet we continue to have an open border policy, and this body refuses to act to secure our border. prgtoken Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death of 18-to 45-year-olds in the United States, killing 100,000 Americans last year alone; three- quarters of those deaths are from fentanyl. One American dies every 7 minutes from this deadly drug streaming over our open border, and by the time I finish this speech, there will be one more American lost. prgtoken Our babies are dying. Last month, San Francisco firefighters had to use Narcan to save the life of a 10-month-old baby boy who came into contact with fentanyl while playing in a park. In May, a 3-year-old in California
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-12-13

this is Jared Schmitz, Lance Corporal Schmitz, from the State of Missouri, Wentzville, MO. His father made this T-shirt and gave it to me just a couple of weeks ago, when I last had the chance to visit with him. prgtoken Lance Corporal Schmitz was killed in action at Abbey Gate on August 22 of last year. On the back are the 12 other marines who were lost, along with Lance Corporal Schmitz, on that day. prgtoken When I saw his father and he gave me the shirt, he told me about all they are doing to honor Jared's memory. He asked me to continue to fight to uphold that memory and to get answers, and I said: That is exactly what I will do. prgtoken The truth is that this family and the families of the other lost marines and every American citizen have been waiting too long for answers about what happened at Abbey Gate, over a year ago, as the Senator from Hawaii rightly notes. We are waiting for answers as to why the commanders on the ground weren't heeded. We are waiting for answers as to why the White House wasn't ready to do a proper evacuation. We are waiting for answers about how the security situation so deteriorated that 13 servicemembers were killed and hundreds of American civilians were left behind to terrorists there in Afghanistan. We are still waiting for answers. prgtoken No, I am not willing to pretend that everything is fine at the Pentagon. Everything is not fine at the Pentagon. I am not willing to say that business as usual should go on. No, I am not willing to waive the rules of regular order and expedite nominations without even having a vote on the floor of this Senate, but I understand my colleague's sense of urgency here. I understand that he wants to move these nominations. Unanimous Consent Request--S. Res. 763 prgtoken , in the spirit of trying to reach a compromise, as he proposes, I would just say this: Why don't we agree to take a vote-- just a vote--on having a select committee to look into what happened at Abbey Gate and get those answers and make them public--not a commission that will take years and years to report, Vietnam-style, when everybody who made the decisions are safely out of power and collecting their pensions, but a select committee that will report and make it public to the American people and get real accountability--because who has been fired over what happened at Abbey Gate? Nobody. Who has been held accountable? Nobody. Who has given answers? Nobody. prgtoken Here is what I propose: I ask that the Senator modify his request so that following confirmation of the Rumbaugh nomination, the Senate proceed to legislative session; that the Committee on Rules and Administration be discharged from further consideration; that the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 763; further, that the resolution be agreed to and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
EQUAL ACCESS TO GREEN CARDS FOR LEGAL EMPLOYMENT ACT OF 2022
Tom McClintock (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-12-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , ironically, this bill doesn't even serve the interests of immigrants from around the world except for two countries, China and India. prgtoken By removing the per-country caps on employment-based visas, the practical effect of this bill is that, for the foreseeable future, the citizens of only two countries, China and India, will be admitted to work here. Workers from every other country will have to wait many years until that backlog clears. prgtoken Supporters contend that no one currently awaiting a green card will be adversely affected. That may be true as far as it goes. But what they leave out is that this bill will produce long delays for future applicants from every country except for China and India. prgtoken Even the liberal American Immigration Lawyers Association points out that ``many applicants will now face longer wait times.'' prgtoken Now, supporters are fond of comparing the populations of various countries as an argument that uniform percentage caps are unfair. But what they forget is that when a country's allotment isn't reached, its vacant slots then spill over to higher-demand countries. India, for example, accounted for 35 percent of the green cards issued last year, five times their percentage cap. But that, apparently, isn't enough for the left. prgtoken The bill also threatens our national security. China has been stealing U.S. technology for years through programs like the H-1B visa. prgtoken According to The Washington Post, one such initiative resulted in ``the arrests of six Chinese researchers accused of lying on their visa applications about their ties to the People's Liberation Army'' and ``more than 1,000 researchers who had hidden their affiliation with the Chinese military'' fleeing the U.S. within months. prgtoken The supporters assure us that anyone with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party is not eligible, but that completely ignores the fact that the CCP exerts coercive control over all Chinese nationals, whether or not they are CCP members, so this assurance is meaningless. prgtoken As currently drafted, this bill would also result in the immediate exclusion from green cards special immigrant religious workers from around the world for the next few years. Those cards will, instead, go to special immigrant juvenile green cards for unaccompanied alien children from the Northern Triangle countries. prgtoken It is precisely this provision that has been exploited by the crime cartels in trafficking unaccompanied minors into this country, and this bill makes it worse. prgtoken But the most pernicious provision allows certain temporary visa holders to file an application for adjustment for status despite the fact that no green card is available to them. That is the reason you have the long delays that the gentlewoman mentioned. prgtoken The result is that many temporary visas will essentially become permanent because the
Charter Schools (Executive Calendar)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-12-13

charter schools have seen explosive growth since they first came onto the scene in 1992 as a model for education. In 1993, there were just 23 charter schools in the United States, serving a little over 6,000 students. Today, there are over 7,000 charter schools and counting, serving more than 3 million American students. It is not difficult to understand their increasing popularity. They offer an affordable alternative to parents and students who want more options. More options increase competition, and more options improve the quality of the traditional public education system. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration's new rule threatens to stifle their progress by imposing stringent, onerous, burdensome new requirements on charter schools, specifically those that receive grants under the Federal Charter Schools Program, or CSP. This is a terrible idea. prgtoken The CSP was established to provide grants to eligible charter schools to help ensure that all children have access to quality education regardless of their ZIP Code. The administration's new rules would stifle this proven, emerging, and burgeoning model, one that serves millions of the most vulnerable students in our traditional public school system. It would require CSP grantees to hold hearings--to hold hearings--specifically to prove that the presence of the school in question does not or would not contribute to increased racial segregation. This would impose a deliberately costly and inherently unfairly accusatory burden on charter schools and would disincentivize new schools from opening. This, I fear, is precisely the point. That is a feature, not a bug, in this program. prgtoken Look, everyone can agree that we want our children to have access to quality education. The President's rule is antithetical to that very mission. The rule treats charter schools as if they have done something wrong, as if they are guilty somehow of racial segregation until they prove themselves innocent. The accusation of racial segregation is particularly egregious here because CSP schools are required to admit students through a lottery system if there are more interested students than there are available slots at the school. Clearly, this isn't an observation of reality but an injection of woke politics into an issue as fundamental as the education of America's schoolchildren. prgtoken Most charter schools are doing their best to provide quality education to all students, regardless of race or ethnicity. Punishing them for behavior that they don't engage in simply isn't fair. It is not right. prgtoken These regulations would also require the Secretary to examine whether a charter school is ``needed.'' Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I tend to think that parents--and certainly not the U.S. Secretary of Education-- should be the ones deciding the necessity of such schools. prgtoken You know, we have seen this in other areas, other sectors of our
RECOGNIZING JASON GRAHAM
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-12-13

I rise today to congratulate the University of Georgia School of Law for being named the best value in legal education by The National Jurist magazine. prgtoken We need well-educated, ethical, and competent employees in all sectors, but especially law. As lawyers combat the challenges facing our legal system, the University of Georgia School of Law is helping answer that need by providing an exceptional legal education at an affordable price. prgtoken I am particularly impressed by UGA School of Law's proactive efforts to keep it that way. Dean Bo Rutledge and his team have worked tirelessly to reduce the annual indebtedness for students by over $5 million. In 2019, almost 40 percent of the juris doctor student body did not borrow funds for their education. prgtoken UGA School of Law continues to top national rankings in postgraduation employment, bar passage rates, and income level postgrad. This success is a testament to the outstanding education students receive at the University of Georgia for whatever degree they are pursuing. prgtoken Congratulations again to UGA School of Law and Dean Bo Rutledge. I have no doubt that your graduates will continue to make a positive impact on our legal system and for the Georgia community. Recognizing Chatham County Police Department
Charter Schools (Executive Calendar)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-12-13

I would like to thank my colleague from South Carolina for all of his work to promote school choice. I have been proud to partner with him each year to cosponsor the National School Choice Week resolution and promote the maximum amount of educational choice for parents. prgtoken Since I have been in Washington, I have noticed how many different school options are available for families in the area: public schools, charter schools, private schools, religious schools, home schools, co- ops. There are all kinds of options for parents and their children here. prgtoken DC is an example of a place where school choice has helped everyone, as government-funded schools have generally failed. prgtoken Of course, Washington, DC, is also where our Nation's political elite and their children reside. It is where diplomats from around the world come and send their kids to the school of their choice. Bureaucrats, politicians, and wealthy parents have all the choice in the world to send their kids to get a great education. But why should that choice only be available to the elite political class? Why is it that teachers unions and ic politicians want to fight school choice and keep students from middle and lower income families in failing schools? prgtoken It is a perfect example of how the swamp works: They will give every advantage to their own kids, while pushing the working class down. The elites have always had school choice, and like my colleague from South Carolina, I simply want to extend that choice to every family. prgtoken During my 8 years as Governor of Florida, I was a proud champion of school choice and charter schools. I have long believed that parents, not the government, know what is best for their children. prgtoken Near the end of my time as Governor, Florida had 653 charter schools operating across our great State. More than one in four K-12 public school kids in Florida chose a school other than the one that they were assigned to. prgtoken We were ranked third in the Nation for our number of charter schools and the number of students enrolled in our charter schools. That competition helped everyone, including our public school system. When I was leaving, we ranked fourth in the Nation for K-12 student achievement. In other words, our push for maximum choice helped their students in all of our schools get ahead. prgtoken That didn't happen overnight, of course. But we had to work at it. For example, I worked to expand access to Florida's Tax Credit Scholarship Program. This tax credit encourages voluntary contributions from corporate donors to scholarship funding organizations. These organizations then award scholarships to students from low-income families so they can attend private schools or get help transporting them to a public school in another school district. prgtoken During my 8 years, the number of kids benefiting from that scholarship program grew from 40,000 to 108,000. Sixty