mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
THE AMERICAN DREAM
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-11-30

I thank my friend from Pennsylvania. When I started this speech, I talked about The Wall Street Journal poll from this month finding that only 36 percent of voters said the American Dream still holds true and that our country, our society, is in deep despair and needs help. I talked about the $11,400, according to CBS, that the typical American prgtoken household must spend additionally every year just to maintain the same standard of living that they enjoyed in January 2021. prgtoken The fact of the matter is, the American people are suffering. We in this body know it, yet we are doing nothing about it. All we are doing is making it worse by spending more money we don't have, indebting our children and grandchildren. prgtoken We are now $34 trillion in debt, and all I get from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is lip service about taxes when we have been bringing in revenue to the Treasury at the top level we have ever done in the history of this country, 19.2 percent. We have plenty of revenue. What we refuse to do is deal with our spending problem, promises that we have made but cannot honestly deliver on without printing money. prgtoken I talked about the extent to which the average American family can no longer afford a car. A new car costs $50,000, nearly double what it cost 10 years ago. Why? Because of absurd regulations and mandates coming out of this administration unilaterally, through bureaucrats, backed up by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle passing legislation to mandate EVs that are piling up on the lots of dealerships that people can't afford and that don't allow them to do their job. Debt is piling up. Interest rates are going up. Houses are unaffordable. prgtoken With healthcare, Americans are expected to spend $6,500 for a family policy and $1,400 for an individual. They are expecting 2024 premiums to increase 8 percent for group rates. Healthcare is completely unaffordable for the average American. prgtoken All this is happening as Big Healthcare gets richer, and the Federal Government continues to flood more money into the market. Big Insurance revenue is $1.25 trillion. The CBO estimates Federal subsidies to health insurance for Americans under 65 will reach $1 trillion. prgtoken Nobody in America knows what these numbers mean. What they mean is you can't afford healthcare, can't go to the doctor, and can't choose the doctor of your choice. prgtoken We are enriching bureaucrats and healthcare companies. We are enriching bureaucrats, pharma, hospitals, and Big Insurance. We are doing it through crony capitalism that was inflated under Care. prgtoken I have a constituent who came up to me last week who is on Care and can't go to MD Anderson for the cancer that is killing her, yet my colleagues on the other side of the aisle pat themselves on the back for coverage. prgtoken I would like to know if any of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to call
Long-Term Care (Executive Calendar)
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2023-11-30

across the country, over 1.2 million Americans live in nursing homes. Many of our own parents, grandparents, and other loved ones are among them. Nursing facilities provide specialized attentive care to seniors in critical need of their services. prgtoken Long-term care facilities are especially indispensable in small towns and rural areas like much of my home State of Nebraska. In those areas, a larger percentage of the population is over 65. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration has released a rule this fall that could force many nursing facilities around the country to close their doors. The new rule, introduced in September by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, mandates new minimum staffing standards for long-term care facilities. It requires each facility to staff a registered nurse on site 24/7 and would require staff to provide each resident with at least 3 hours of direct care per day. The administration believes this rule would improve the quality of care in our nursing homes. prgtoken Unfortunately, the rule, as written, would simply force many facilities to shut down, denying care to seniors entirely. prgtoken According to CMS, 75 percent of nursing homes would have to increase staffing to comply with these proposed standards, but across our country, these homes already face historic staffing shortages. According to Federal labor statistics, nursing homes lost more than 200,000 workers from February of 2020 to December of 2022. The industry is still rebuilding its workforce after a devastating pandemic. prgtoken Under this rule, nursing homes would be forced to go to great lengths to find staff in the midst of these overwhelming shortages. If they failed, they would likely need to shut their doors and deprive seniors of care. prgtoken Even one nursing home closure could be detrimental to seniors in certain rural communities. Highly populated urban areas may host several long-term care facilities, a lot of different options are available, but for these facilities in rural areas, they are few and far between. If one facility closes, the next closest one could be many miles or even hours away. It might not be feasible for every senior to move so far from their home. prgtoken So this mandate from CMS, it would devastate facilities across Nebraska, across rural America, and across this prgtoken country. It would devastate families who are relying on these facilities to serve their loved ones, and it would devastate the seniors who urgently need care. prgtoken After the release of this proposed rule in September, I joined the rest of the Nebraska Federal delegation in sending a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure opposing these new standards. We have never received a response. prgtoken So I plan to introduce legislation that would prevent these misguided standards from going into effect. My bill would also establish an advisory panel on the nursing home wor
HONORING THE LIFE OF MICHAEL E. JABALEY, M.D.
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-11-30

I rise to honor the life of Michael Ellis Jabaley, M.D beloved husband of Mary Galbreath Jabaley, who died on his 88th birthday, July 12, 2022. He was born in Copperhill, Tennessee, on July 12, 1934, the son of John and Elizabeth (Solomon) Jabaley. He graduated from The Baylor School in Chattanooga in 1953 and from Vanderbilt University in 1957. Mike was the first person in his family to go to college, and only the second person from Copperhill to attend Vanderbilt. At Vanderbilt he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the leadership fraternity ODK, and Phi Beta Kappa. He played halfback on the football team and was a member of the 1955 Gator Bowl championship squad. It was at Vanderbilt that he met Mary Abbay Galbreath, whom he married in 1959. It vas also at Vanderbilt that a faculty member suggested he might want to apply to Johns Hopkins Medical School. His acceptance started him on a trajectory that influenced the rest of his life. prgtoken At Johns Hopkins, the highlights were meeting (and competing with) bright students from all over the country, making lasting friendships in the Pithotomy Club, and developing his surgical skills with Vivien Thomas, legendary assistant to Dr. Alfred Blalock. A surgical internship at Hopkins, a four-year surgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and a two year stint as a plastic surgery resident back at Hopkins gave him an opportunity to be with ``the best of the best'' surgeons and clinicians and to hone his surgical skills. Throughout this training, the U.S. Army had been patiently waiting to draft him. Now Major Jabaley, he was sent to William Beaumont hospital in El Paso and then to Vietnam. There he worked at the Vietnamese hospital Cong Hoa and also at the Third Field Hospital--both in Saigon. As a fully-trained plastic surgeon, he was able to concentrate on head, neck, and hand injuries among the soldiers--but also operated on many Vietnamese children with cleft lips and palates and other birth deformities. prgtoken After his military service and a stint back at Hopkins as assistant professor of plastic surgery, he was recruited by Dr. James Hardy of the University of Mississippi Medical Center to be the chief of the Plastic Surgery program at UMMC. He and Mary made the big move with their five children, never expecting they would stay in Jackson. But gradually the ``temporary'' move became permanent, as they raised their children here, found a church home at St. Richard's, and made good friends. prgtoken In 1979, Dr. Jabaley left UMMC and went into private practice, at first solo and later as a founding member of Plastic and Hand Surgery Associates. He operated at St. Dominic's and other area hospitals for over thirty years, always accompanied by his invaluable surgical assistant--and friend--Frankie Charleston. Over the years, his practice more and more emphasized hand surgery. He founded the Hand Clinic at St. Dominic Hospital.
CLOTURE MOTION
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-11-30

this is a difficult topic for me to discuss because it is so serious and because the United States has so much catching up to do. Two years ago, Congress created the bipartisan Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. We gave it the job of examining the strengths and weaknesses of our national security position. prgtoken The Commission report was released just last month. The report comments on an array of military issues, but its findings can be distilled to a single alarming fact: China and Russia are increasingly able to match our military might. And if we do not act now, the consequences will be seismic. Not only could we fail to deter a war, we might actually lose the next war. prgtoken The report finds that we are not prepared for what is coming. And here is what is coming: For the first time, we must stand up to the ambitions of two nuclear-armed peer adversaries in multiple regions of the world at the same time. That stunning conclusion means this report should be required reading for each of my colleagues. prgtoken And so I directed my staff to deliver a copy of this bipartisan report personally to every Senator, and I hope we take its message to heart. prgtoken The American military, in particular, our nuclear deterrent, has been one of the principal guarantors of global security--not just American security but global security--since the late 1940s. Our power crested at the end of the 20th century when the Berlin Wall crumbled, and we emerged as the world's sole superpower. But regrettably, instead of maintaining that competitive edge, we have allowed it to slip away in both conventional and strategic deterrents. prgtoken China and Russia watched as we shuttered our shipyards and ammunition plants, as we let our ships rust, and as we neglected to replace our aging Cold War nuclear arsenal. Then, as successive Presidential administrations let defense assets deteriorate, China and Russia poured more funds into their weapons stores. They built the kind of weapons needed to take us on in a conventional fight and keep us at bay in a strategic one. prgtoken This is not one Senator saying this; this is the bipartisan Commission that we tasked with investigating this thoroughly. The autocrats who ruled China and Russia began paying attention to more than our guns and ships. When our satellites and next-generation communications capabilities gave us an unbeatable edge in the Gulf war, these enemies, adversaries of ours, took notice. prgtoken We could see, communicate, and shoot from farther away than anyone else. When we deployed these tools, we inaugurated new ways to protect ourselves, cutting-edge technology, not mere masses of metal, would win the final argument of nations. But the leaders of Russia and China soon came to recognize this also. They began to meet our advances and ensure we could never do to them what we had done to Saddam Hussein's military in
NO FUNDS FOR IRANIAN TERRORISM ACT
Keith Self (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-11-30

. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of Chairman McCaul's bill to ensure no funding for Iranian terrorism. While I am stunned by what I heard from my colleague across the aisle, I will try to bring clarity to this. prgtoken In August, President surrendered access to $6 billion to Iran-- make no mistake about it--for five hostages. Once again, he demonstrated weakness to our adversaries. In doing so, he signaled to Hamas that his administration is willing to reward hostage taking. prgtoken The policy of the United States for years was no negotiations with terrorists or with hostage takers. We knew at that time that precedent was powerful. Now, weak precedent is dangerous. prgtoken In October, Hamas official Ali Baraka said of the $6 billion deal: ``The U.S. conducts prisoner swaps. Only recently, it did one with Iran. Why wouldn't it conduct a prisoner swap with us?'' prgtoken Now, Hamas is holding the West hostage, the entire West hostage, as they fortify their defenses while Israeli hostages are traded for Palestinian prisoners, including terrorists. prgtoken There is only one language that is understood by our adversaries, and that is strength. prgtoken Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and send a message that we will not fund the radical jihadist agenda.
Senate Legislative Agenda (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-11-30

we are nearly halfway through the 118th Congress--you know, it is hard to believe. And despite the challenges that confront this Chamber, working with the House and the President to get legislation passed, the Senate has managed to advance some great bipartisan bills this year. prgtoken All of this attention the media gives tends to focus on where we disagree. And there is no question there are a lot of disagreements. But there are areas where we have found the chance to work together to do important things. prgtoken While some of the bills I have talked about actually passed this Chamber unanimously and will have a positive impact on our constituents in communities from Maine to Texas to Nebraska and while a number of these bills have been signed into law, many are still awaiting action in the House. And I would like to provide a few examples. prgtoken Project Safe Childhood is a bill that I introduced with Senator Klobuchar, the Senator from Minnesota, to provide greater protection for our children online. The anonymity and accessibility afforded in the digital realm have allowed predators to infiltrate our homes and target our children. This, of course, is the dark side of the internet, and it has been a problem since the advent of the digital age. prgtoken But it gets worse. Last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 32 million reports--32 million reports--of suspected child sexual exploitation, an alltime record. prgtoken One of our most valuable tools for combating these crimes is the Project Safe Childhood Program at the Department of Justice. prgtoken This program was created in 2006 to bolster law enforcement efforts and to prgtoken invest in education and prevention strategies. Since its inception, the number of cases and defendants prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Offices has increased by 40 percent. prgtoken This is a positive sign we are moving in the right direction despite the dismal facts that I have recounted here, but it is clear more needs to be done. prgtoken This bill reauthorizes and strengthens this program by modernizing the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. It will provide law enforcement with additional tools they need to bring more predators to justice. prgtoken This bill passed the Senate unanimously last month, but it is currently awaiting action in the House. I have been proud to work with Representatives Wesley Hunt and Debbie Wasserman Schultz-- and alike--on this legislation. Again, this is bipartisan consensus legislation that just needs a vote in the House. prgtoken Another example is Project Safe Neighborhoods. This bill reauthorizes this program at the Department of Justice. Now, at a time when we are all concerned about violent crime in our neighborhoods, this is one of the most efficient, one of the most effective ways of combating violent crime in our neighborhoods that we have devised. prgtoken It is
THE STATE OF QATAR
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-11-30

, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for organizing this hour. I thank the for his indulgence and attention as we have gone through a long list typical of conversations talking about the hostages. I thank my friend from Michigan, General Bergman, for the time. prgtoken We should not have to be here tonight. We should not be forced to talk prgtoken about some of the 250 people brutally kidnapped and taken hostage on October 7. prgtoken It should not be necessary to call for the immediate, unconditional release of these hostages. We should not be here because Hamas should not be holding hostages. prgtoken I am grateful that more than 100 hostages have been released and returned to Israel, but 143 hostages remain in captivity, held by Hamas, by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and by others in Gaza. prgtoken The families don't know the status of their loved ones. They don't know where their loved ones are. They don't know when they will be coming home. prgtoken I will talk tonight about one hostage, Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Hersh's parents, Rachel and Jon, are from Chicago. I have been friends with his aunt, Abby, for more than 30 years. I know his grandmother Leah. Hersh's family is now my family. prgtoken Hersh was born in northern California. His family moved to Virginia when Hersh was 4 and to Israel when he was 7. That was in 2008. Hersh grew up in Jerusalem, reached adulthood, and was known widely as a kind, gentle mensch. prgtoken On Friday, October 6, of this year, Hersh was with his family in Jerusalem. It was the evening of the Sabbath, Shabbat, and the holiday of Simchat Torah. prgtoken The family went to synagogue and then went to dinner at a friend's house with two other families. After dinner, Hersh grabbed his backpack and left to meet his friend Aner. They later learned that Hersh and his friend were going to a concert in the south, a music festival. prgtoken That was on Saturday, October 7. I will read at length some of the words of Hersh's father, Jonathan Polin, published in Time magazine. prgtoken He says, describing his circumstance on Sunday, having learned that Hersh was taken hostage on Saturday, at some time--I think it was Sunday morning--a picture started to circulate online that was from an outdoor bomb shelter. They are not uncommon in the south of Israel. prgtoken Our son was in the picture, as was Aner. Through social media, we started to search for other families of people who were in the shelter and to try to piece together a story. prgtoken What we have subsequently pieced together, based on conversations with the three witnesses who were in the shelter with him, is the following: Sometime around 7:30 Saturday morning, those in the bomb shelter came under heavy gunfire. Grenades were being tossed into the shelter. prgtoken Hersh's friend Aner, who was by the entrance of the bomb shelter, is responsible for the lives of anybody who is still alive--he was picking up grenades and to
Nomination of Shanlyn A.S. Park (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-11-30

today, the Senate will vote to confirm Shanlyn A.S. Park to the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawai'i. prgtoken Born in Honolulu, HI, Judge Park received her B.A cum laude, from Chaminade University in 1991 and her J.D. from the University of Hawai'i William S. Richardson School of Law in 1995. After graduating from law school, Judge Park served as a law clerk to the Honorable Francis I. Yamashita, magistrate judge for the District of Hawai'i. From 1996 to 1997, Judge Park worked on civil matters as an associate attorney at Hisaka Stone & Goto. prgtoken For the next two decades, Judge Park served as an assistant federal public defender and later as senior litigator in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Hawai'i. In these roles, Judge Park tried 10 felony jury trials and 10 misdemeanor bench trials to verdict. She also represented defendants through appeals and argued several cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken Prior to joining the bench, Judge Park worked in private practice as of counsel at Gallagher Kane Amai & Reyes and as partner and of counsel at McCorriston Miller Mukai MacKinnon LLP. At both firms, her practice centered on a variety of civil matters including commercial disputes, contested probate matters, real property disputes, and third-party insurance defense. prgtoken Since joining the State of Hawai'i's First Circuit Court in 2021, Judge Park has issued more than 100 written opinions and presided over 21 jury trials--17 in the family court criminal division and four in the circuit court criminal division. prgtoken The American Bar Association unanimously rated Judge Park as ``qualified,'' and her nomination is strongly supported by her home State Senators, Mr. Schatz and Ms. Hirono. prgtoken Once confirmed, Judge Park will become the first Native Hawai'ian woman to serve on the Federal bench. I am proud to support this historic nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same. Vote on Park nomination.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-11-30

I rise to speak in support of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services Expansion Act and the Accelerating Small Business Growth Act, which I reintroduced today. prgtoken The unprecedented investments provided by the bipartisan infrastructure law offers a major opportunity to leverage Federal resources to help develop women-owned, minority-owned, and disadvantaged businesses. prgtoken President set an ambitious goal of increasing the share of Federal contracts going to small, disadvantaged businesses by 50 percent by 2025, which would translate to an additional $100 billion for these businesses. prgtoken Established in 1970, the Federal Highway Administration's Disadvantaged prgtoken Business Enterprise Supportive Services Program already provides training, assistance, and services to minority- and women-owned businesses to help them develop into self-sufficient organizations that viably compete for federally assisted highway project contracts. Unfortunately, Congress has not allowed this program to keep up with the needs of our underserved businesses. prgtoken The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services Expansion Act would increase this program's annual funding cap for the first time in 50 years from $10 million to $25 million. Additionally, the bill would create similar programs at the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. prgtoken Local, regional, and State agencies have also been leaders in developing innovative programs to prioritize disadvantaged businesses, invest in efforts to create equitable competition, and promote diverse economic development initiatives. prgtoken The Accelerating Small Business Growth Act would create a new grant program to help transportation agencies across our Nation carry out these innovative programs to help underserved businesses grow and achieve proficiency to compete on an equal basis for contracts and subcontracts in federally funded transportation projects. Agencies that receive funding through this grant program would be required to submit reports to the Department of Transportation evaluating the effectiveness of their activities, which would help inform future Federal procurement policymaking. prgtoken I want to thank Representatives Pete Aguilar and Jimmy Gomez for coleading these bills with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this legislation to help minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged businesses compete for contracts to develop and build Federal infrastructure projects funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law.