mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 185, TERMINATING CDC REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION FOR FOREIGN TRAVELERS; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 24, DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF...
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-2-7

let's just sort this out in our minds for a minute here. prgtoken Giving the privilege that our soldiers have fought for, the very cornerstone privilege of voting in this country, to people that have broken into this country and are here in this city illegally, granting them the right to vote, the people all across the fruited plain have got to believe that they are out of their minds here to extend that privilege to people whose first act was to break into this country. Now, they want to confer the privilege of voting and deciding who the decisionmakers in Washington, D.C are going to be for them. It is absurd. prgtoken Now, there are a lot of things going on with D.C. politics and demands for the area here. I understand, on some level, part of it. But D.C. is about one-eighteenth the size of Rhode Island. Its population is only a little bit larger than Fresno, California, one of the towns in my home State. prgtoken They are demanding statehood? prgtoken It is right in the Constitution that the District of Columbia will be kept separate from any State, so it doesn't have undue influence by a State in conducting the business of the city and of the district and of the Federal Government housed here. prgtoken It just shows that Congress, having been authorized and given the duties of overseeing the district, needs to reassert itself once again, because the council here is out of control, thinking that that is a good idea, with some of the crime legislation that is being talked about. But the right to vote being conferred upon people whose very first act was to break into this country, people are really wondering if this place has lost its collective mind. prgtoken I support this legislation to put D.C. back on the right path, the right foot, of following the law. It would undermine elections all across this country to have the idea of illegal immigrants voting in this city or other ones around the country.
READING OF THE CONSTITUTION
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-2-7

. Amendment XXVII: ``No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.'' prgtoken , that concludes the reading of the Constitution. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that I may revise and extend my remarks and include omitted material in the Record during the reading of the Constitution?
RECOGNIZING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF SOUTHERN PREPARATORY ACADEMY
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-2-7

I rise today to recognize the 125th anniversary of Southern Preparatory Academy. prgtoken The academy was founded by Dr. Lyman Ward in 1898 as a non-profit, non-denominational, coeducational institution for rural youth. Its initial purpose was to provide a secondary education for those who wanted to learn and to work hard. prgtoken In 1901, a charter was granted by the State of Alabama and the school was incorporated with the name ``The Southern Industrial Institute, Inc.'' After Dr. Ward passed away, the military department was added and the school became ``Lyman Ward Military Academy'' in 1948. The school became an all-boys military school. prgtoken Today, much of the original philosophy remains, but precedence is given to the development of Christian ideals. The high standards set have helped students gain acceptance into outstanding universities across the country. prgtoken In 2019, the school was rebranded to Southern Preparatory Academy--a name that represents the values, but brings the Academy into the 21st century. prgtoken , please join me in recognizing this milestone for Southern Preparatory Academy and wishing them a happy 125th anniversary.
STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-2-7

this evening, President will begin the back half of his term with his State of the Union address to Congress and to the American people. But the White House's attempts to script the message for this week have been upset by recent events. Over the last several days, the country learned that on President 's watch, the state of our Union is apparently under Chinese surveillance from our own skies. prgtoken It is ludicrous to suggest that Canada and the United States had no choice but to let this thing traipse across the continent from coast to coast. President 's own Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta, says, ``We should have acted earlier.'' prgtoken The administration's handwringing and indecision, finally downing the balloon only after it had toured the length of our country, was typical of how President and his team have conducted our foreign affairs. prgtoken Our top military commanders and civilian experts all say that our broader strategic competition with China is our most serious challenge. But this President's last budget request tried to cut funding for our military after inflation, while Beijing keeps investing in their own capabilities. prgtoken The commander of our U.S. Strategic Command just told Congress that China now has more land-based intercontinental ballistic missile launchers than we do. The administration's reckless retreat from Afghanistan blew past the expert warnings, cost the lives of 13 American servicemembers, let thousands of terrorists waltz out of prison, and incentivize others to challenge an America that looked cowardly. prgtoken Its hesitating, indecisive, self-deterred approach to helping Ukraine before Putin invaded and in the earliest days right afterwards left freedom's friends flat-footed and are making the substantive fight more difficult than it ever had to be. prgtoken And now the administration apparently has pivoted from chasing another bad nuclear deal with Iran to trying to let terrorists out of Guantanamo Bay. prgtoken These are just some of the reasons why 41 percent of Americans say the state of our union is weak--weak--and only 13 percent say it is strong. prgtoken Of course, this administration has also created problems for American families closer to home. A nationwide poll published last week revealed that just 16 percent of Americans say they are in a better financial situation today than they were 2 years ago when the President and his party assumed total control of government. prgtoken For 84 percent of Americans, one-party ic control of Washington either failed to live up to its promises or actively made life worse. Two years ago, over the objections of their own party's top economists, Washington misinterpreted a narrow election victory as a mandate for an unprecedented spending spree. prgtoken When President took office, inflation was at 1.4 percent. From Inauguration Day to today, inflation is o
READING OF THE CONSTITUTION
Laurel M. Lee (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-2-7

. Article IV, Section 1: ``Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.'' prgtoken Section 2: ``The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. ``A Person charged in any State with Treason, Felony, or other Crime, who shall flee from Justice, and be found in another State, shall on Demand of the executive Authority of the State from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the State having Jurisdiction of the Crime.'' prgtoken Section 3: ``New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress. ``The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.'' prgtoken Section 4: ``The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive, when the Legislature cannot be convened, against domestic Violence.'' prgtoken Article V: ``The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.'' prgtoken Article VI: ``All Debts contracted and Engagements entered into, before the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution, as under the Confederation. ``This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of
Debt Ceiling (Executive Session)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-2-7

as my colleague from Texas said, people are looking forward to hearing what the President will say and what he will not say tonight. prgtoken As I have been home over the weekend, one of the things I have heard from Tennesseans about is the out-of-control Federal spending. prgtoken Now, we know what the have done in plussing up the budget for the last couple of years, but one number kind of stuck with me, and it is about $3.6 trillion--that is taxpayer dollars--that has been spent on ic wish-list items. A lot of this is the Green New Deal. A lot of this is the reckless spending agenda they are pushing. prgtoken Now, they forced through, in 2021, $1.85 trillion in spending. Then they came back around, and they wanted to talk about inflation. had 1.4 percent inflation when he took office, and because of this out-of-control spending and spending more and more and more and hundreds of billions of dollars, we saw inflation in June of 2022 hit 9.1 percent. People are frustrated about this. prgtoken But one of the things that got Tennesseans was the fact that this President didn't say: Well, it is because we put all this money-- Federal spending--your dollars--we are putting these back out there. No, he blamed Vladimir Putin. It was Putin's fault. To Tennesseans, this was outrageous. It was the ``go blame somebody else'' game. prgtoken The administration's neglect of the economy and their complete disregard for the destructive effects of their spending is something that has caught the attention of Tennesseans. This term for this President wasn't even halfway over, and already his policies are making everyday life too expensive to afford. prgtoken To be clear, Tennesseans talk to me about being worried about the basics of life: food security, food for the table, clothes for the kids, gas for the car. They feel like this agenda, this set of priorities that this administration has, is just peeling away a lot of their life, their living, their enjoyment, because there is no extra money left over. It is all going into necessities. prgtoken They are struggling to manage 6.5 percent inflation. They are looking at the cost of food that is up 13 percent from where it was a year ago. Keeping the heat on in this cold winter is 15 percent more. And it is the same story when you talk about school supplies and when you talk about clothes for the kids. prgtoken It is the same story here in Washington, where it seems that and this administration and the are once again poised and ready to spend more money. They are wanting to raise the debt ceiling without even a conversation about spending cuts. To Tennesseans, that is outrageous. prgtoken Now, my ic colleagues have spent a lot of time talking about what will happen if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling, and I don't think anyone here denies that the country has some serious discussions that need to be had.
TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER CADE KEENAN
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-2-7

I rise today to honor and recognize Commander Cade Keenan of the Missouri Air National Guard. prgtoken Cade Keenan, of Great Bend, KS, was recently named commander of the 139th Operations Support Squadron, 139th Airlift Wing, of the Missouri Air National Guard in St. Joseph, MO. In this role, Commander Keenan will lead 46 full-time instructor pilots, navigators, flight engineers, loadmasters, and other support staff of the 139th Airlift Wing. prgtoken Commander Keenan has served our Nation faithfully, with his first deployment being to Uzbekistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as regularly deploying throughout southwest Asia between 2003 and 2020. An expert in infrared weapons and defense systems, he instructed crews from across the USAF, USMC, and 10 partner countries in combat tactics for the C-130, C-17, C-160, and C-235 aircraft. As a command pilot, Commander Keenan has 4,764 hours in military aircraft, with 852 of those hours being in combat. prgtoken Commander Keenan has earned a certificate in electo-optical and infrared applications from the Georgia Tech Research Institute, a master of business administration from Colorado State University, and a bachelor of science in industrial engineering from Kansas State University. He has also graduated from the USAF Advanced Instrument and USAF Weapons schools. Commander Keenan's extensive experience, wide breadth of knowledge on U.S. Air Force operations, and his impressive academic achievements give me great confidence in his ability to lead the 139th Operations Support Squadron. He will certainly make his country, the State of Kansas, and his community proud. prgtoken I now ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Commander Cade Keenan for his recent promotion, as well as thank him for his dedicated service to our Nation.
TRIBUTE TO DAWN SMITH
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-2-7

I am proud to recognize U.S. Air Force veteran Master Sergeant Dawn Smith of Notasulga. Sergeant Smith joined the Air Force immediately after graduating high school when a recruitment poster caught her mom's eye. Once she learned about the opportunities available to her through military service, Sergeant Smith felt that it was the right path for her. prgtoken Sergeant Smith was stationed at several posts during her 20-year career. She started as a missile maintainer, but retrained as an eyecare technician. As a tribute to her dedicated work ethic, she was selected as a noncommissioned officer academy instructor. Even though the military isn't a traditional, 4-year educational route, she described it as a ``continuing education'' experience. prgtoken After she retired from the military, Sergeant Smith started a cattle operation named Lone Oak Farm with her husband Tim, who also served in the Air Force for 23 years. She credits the ``no-fail'' mentality learned in the military for helping her succeed as a first-time farmer. The Smiths have grown their operation from 2 cows to 35, and now, they sell fresh beef to families across Alabama. prgtoken Sergeant Smith is truly a ``lifelong learner'' who is always willing to share her knowledge and experiences with others. That is why she is proud to be a 4-H agent assistant for the Tallapoosa County School System, where she teaches ag-related skills to more than 1,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders each month. And twice a year, she works with high schoolers, helping them learn how to work with their hands and grow their own produce. prgtoken Now, Sergeant Smith helps develop new curriculums for students, including a ``Respect for the Flag'' lesson that teaches the American flag's history, meaning, and how to properly care for it. Sergeant Smith credits the military for giving her greater awareness and compassion for the needs of others around the world. She went to Guatemala for the first time on a medical mission while in the service, which inspired her and her husband to continue mission trips to Guatemala and Alaska after their retirement. prgtoken Alabama is grateful for Sergeant Smith's service and proud to recognize her for the February veteran of the Month.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 185, TERMINATING CDC REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION FOR FOREIGN TRAVELERS; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 24, DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF...
Nicholas A. Langworthy (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-2-7

the balance of my time for closing. prgtoken , if individuals would like the power to vote in our elections, they must go through the legal process to become U.S. citizens, like the millions before them did. prgtoken Ask yourself: Should we be extending the right to vote, no matter at any level, to the CCP members who work at the Chinese Embassy? prgtoken Should we extend the right to vote in elections in this country to members of the Russian Federation staff at their embassy? prgtoken That would happen under the D.C. voting rights legislation. prgtoken If individuals attack, kill, steal, and destroy property, they should be punished for those offenses, not let off the hook. These are basic tenets of our society, of our democracy, and of this great Nation. prgtoken The District of Columbia is the seat of the Federal Government, and as prgtoken such has a special place in American society. Congress has a clear responsibility under the Home Rule Act to block policies that jeopardize the democratic rights and the lives of American citizens. prgtoken We have an opportunity today not just to provide much-needed oversight to D.C.'s disastrous policies but to also finally end a draconian vaccine mandate that has kept families and friends apart. prgtoken Let's remember that around the world, other countries have ended their own COVID-19 vaccine mandates for air travelers. Europe, Canada, and elsewhere no longer require Americans to arrive with a proof of vaccination. prgtoken Why has the administration persisted in upholding this mandate? prgtoken With the proof about the vaccine's true efficacy and limitation in preventing the spread of COVID, why have they so obsessively upheld this mandate or any of the others, for that matter? prgtoken The time has come for Congress to step in and to remind the administration that the pandemic is over and allow families and friends and loved ones to reunite after years of forced separation.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-2-7

I rise to introduce the bipartisan Pala Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act to place roughly 700 acres of sacred lands into trust for the benefit of the Pala Band of Mission Indians. The lands in this bill, which are adjacent to the Tribe's existing reservation, include sacred sites, ancient rock art, and Tribal artifacts. Placing these lands into trust would protect the Pala Band's sacred lands and allow them to safeguard their culture and traditions as their ancestors have done since time immemorial. prgtoken Our bill would place 721 acres of land in San Diego County, which the Tribe has already purchased, into trust for the Pala Band of Mission Indians. Doing so would allow the Pala Band to preserve their traditions and better steward their sacred sites for generations to come. prgtoken Members of the Pala Band of Mission Indians descend from the Cupeno and Luiseno Tribes. The Cupenos lived in the valley of San Jose de Valle for generations until they were expelled from their ancestral homelands by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1901. The Tribe was forcibly relocated to Pala, CA, onto a Luiseno reservation. Over a century later, the Pala Band considers themselves one proud people with over 900 Tribal members. prgtoken In 2016, the Tribe purchased the lands covered by our bill in order to prevent the construction of a landfill on their sacred lands, known to the Tribe as ``Chokla.'' This bill would enable the Federal Government to fulfill its trust obligation by providing permanent protection for the Pala Band's ancestral and cultural sites. prgtoken I thank Senator Feinstein for introducing this legislation with me in the Senate and Congressman Issa and Congressman Vargas for leading this effort in the House of Representatives. I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact this bill as quickly as possible.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 185, TERMINATING CDC REQUIREMENT FOR PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION FOR FOREIGN TRAVELERS; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 24, DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF...
Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2023-2-7

I rise in opposition to the rule. prgtoken H.J. Res. 24 and H.J. Res. 26 are blatant attempts to undermine D.C. Home Rule. These resolutions are explicit efforts by Members of Congress to interfere in local government. They aim to directly override the D.C. Council and dictate what D.C. residents can and cannot do on a local level. prgtoken I firmly believe that the District of Columbia, like any other jurisdiction across the country, should be allowed to govern itself. I am just confused that my friends, who have such a deep commitment to federalism--federalism, where decisions are best made at the local level--why they would work to impede the right of 700,000 American citizens to self-govern? prgtoken It is critical that we fiercely protect this right on behalf of citizens living in D.C. We weren't voted to be D.C. City Council members. D.C. citizens didn't ask for our say in local matters. I trust my mayor of the city of Alexandria, Justin Wilson, to represent me ably there, and everyone else respects the people in their hometown, their home States, to do the same. prgtoken I am certainly not here offering to overturn local city council rulemaking in Kentucky or Georgia or Texas, but I am sure I could find plenty to disagree with. prgtoken We have got to respect the American democratic process and allow the people of D.C. to govern themselves. If we, as a Congress, value and respect the principle of local self-governance that makes up the core of our democracy, it is hypocritical of us to revoke that right for the citizens of the District of Columbia. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to strongly join me in opposing H.J. Res. 24 and H.J. Res. 26.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-2-7

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.