mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2022-7-28

I rise today in opposition to this legislation. prgtoken When I recently visited with a manufacturer in my district whose products are highly dependent on access to chips, they told me that chips only comprise 5 percent of their supply chain challenges. prgtoken Chips are one of 10 sectors where China is seeking to break American dominance. This bill does not address our issues with China. It certainly doesn't address the other nine issues where China is also seeking to break American dominance. prgtoken For the same cost of these chips provisions, we could enact better R&D policy, ensure interest expensing, and bring IP back to the U.S. Broad-based policies would help all sectors of our economy. prgtoken I am as disappointed by what is not in this bill as I am disappointed with what is in it. prgtoken I am disappointed this bill doesn't include reauthorizations of noncontroversial trade policies which waive tariffs on manufacturing inputs for our domestic manufacturers and ensure fair treatment of U.S. products when we export them to developing countries. prgtoken Renewing these longstanding policies would help address our supply chain crisis, yet House refuse to bring reasonable reauthorizations to the floor. prgtoken This bill falls short. It is the wrong bill at the wrong time, and I will be voting ``no.'' I urge my colleagues to do the same.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
Clay Higgins (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-7-28

I will tell my colleague what we can agree on in the hallowed Halls of this Chamber. We can and should agree that men of principle do not intend to build the future of our Republic upon backroom deals in the dark of night in the upper Chamber of our bicameral Congress, which is exactly what happened with this bill, which is why it is now strongly opposed by my colleagues in the Party. prgtoken Everything we do here to advance the future of America should be based upon the core principles that gave birth to America. prgtoken Perhaps my colleague could agree with me upon that.
THE BALTICS
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-7-28

today is a very important date for the relations between the United States and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. prgtoken Today marks 100 years of continuous, uninterrupted diplomatic relations between our country and each of the Baltic countries. prgtoken Let me explain why I emphasize continuous, uninterrupted diplomatic relations. Last Saturday marked 82 years since Acting Secretary of State Sumner Welles issued a declaration that is remembered to this day in each of the Baltic countries. Soviet troops had entered the Baltic states, arrested leaders, and organized rigged elections to create pro- Soviet government. prgtoken The Welles Declaration decried the ``devious processes whereunder the political independence and territorial integrity of the three small Baltic Republics--Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania--were to be deliberately annihilated by one of their more powerful neighbors.'' It was a clear, principled statement that the United States would not recognize Soviet control over these countries as legitimate. prgtoken During the 50 years the Soviet Union forcibly occupied Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, diplomats from each of the Baltic states continued their work in the United States, and we continued to recognize them as independent, sovereign countries under foreign occupation. prgtoken The Soviet Union justified sending troops to the Baltics on the basis of the threat from Nazi Germany. However, just a year before, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between the Nazis and Soviets contained a secret protocol whereby Hitler and Stalin agreed to carve up their neighbors into ``spheres of influence.'' Under this agreement, the Baltics, Finland, eastern Poland, and what is now Moldova would be controlled by the Soviet Union, and the rest of Poland would go to Germany. Finland was able to fight back in the Winter War, retaining its sovereignty, but losing significant territory to Russia. The rest of the pact played out just as Stalin and Hitler agreed. prgtoken This isn't just history. This is directly relevant to Vladimir Putin's rhetoric, attitude, and actions in Ukraine. He believes he has a right to a sphere of influence over his neighbors just like Stalin and Hitler thought. To this day, Putin maintains that the three Baltics joined the Soviet Union in 1940 and ceased to exist as countries until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Russian Duma has even threatened to repeal a Soviet law recognizing Lithuania's independence from the USSR--what a joke. prgtoken Let's be clear: The Baltic states are not former Soviet republics. They have been independent countries for over a century. Following in Stalin's footsteps, Putin justifies attacking Ukraine, at least to audiences outside of Russia, as a reaction to NATO encroaching on Russia. Putin casts NATO as a threat, even making up a claim that NATO was planning to put missiles in Ukraine targeting Russia. prgtoken The fact
TRIBUTE TO NICHOLAS BOSTIC
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-7-28

I rise today to formally express my gratitude for the heroic actions of Nicholas Bostic in Lafayette, IN, on July 11, 2022. prgtoken Just after midnight on Monday, July 11, Nicholas Bostic ran into a burning home and rescued five children inside. Nicholas was driving and observed a home engulfed in flames. He stopped to make sure the residents had left the building, and he saw a teenager and three younger children stuck inside. Nicholas ran into the building to help the four children exit safely. When he discovered one child was still missing, Nicholas immediately reentered the home to find the missing child. By the time he found her, the fire had spread, making it unsafe to exit through the downstairs door. Nicholas broke the second story window and jumped out, sheltering the girl from the fall by landing on his side. Thanks to Nicholas, the child escaped with only minor injuries, and the other four children were unharmed. prgtoken In helping shield the children from injury, Nicholas developed first- degree burns and suffered from smoke inhalation. I pray for Nicholas as he recuperates from his injuries and wish him a full and swift recovery. I also want to recognize and thank the first responders who helped put out the fire and treat Nicholas and the children. prgtoken Despite the danger, Nicholas did not hesitate to run into the burning building--twice--to make sure everyone safely escaped. I share the view of Lafayette Police Department who noted, ``Nicholas Bostic's heroic actions saved lives.'' I join the Lafayette community in commending Nicholas for the selflessness he displayed. Today, I thank Nicholas for his heroism and am proud to call him a fellow Hoosier.
BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-7-28

from Arkansas, the ranking member on the Committee on Natural Resources. prgtoken Indeed, I have enjoyed time spent on both of the committees we are talking prgtoken about here, Agriculture and Natural Resources. But what we are talking about here today is something already covered by current law. prgtoken It already prohibits the import, export, transport, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce of big cats. It allows exceptions for entities that are federally licensed by USDA, under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, such as small family-run zoos. prgtoken The trade of big cats, and all federally licensed zoological facilities, are regulated under the Animal Welfare Act, as mentioned, which placed USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, known as APHIS, in charge of hiring inspectors and law enforcement officers who are experts at animal welfare issues. prgtoken This bill ignores existing regulatory framework and creates an additional regulatory system by adding the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service into the mix. prgtoken So, it creates a duplicative regulatory structure and supersedes State law as well. It would mandate all persons or entities that currently possess big cats to register each animal with the Fish and Wildlife Service within 180 days of enactment of this in order to keep their animals. prgtoken Some supporters of this bill have admitted it would indeed create a duplicative Federal process at the Fish and Wildlife Service because proponents would rather, as mentioned, work through the Committee on Natural Resources than through the Committee on Agriculture, which is its current jurisdiction. prgtoken , I am looking at the calendar. There are somewhere around 40 legislative days left of this session. Getting both committees to have to do this work--obviously, they pushed it through already--but let's take that to an agency level. Now, whether APHIS can do the job, do we want to add Fish and Wildlife to that? prgtoken I have issues in my own district in California, where Fish and Wildlife needs to do more work on analyzing what the effects of their mandates are on water in my State and my neighboring State. They are entering into even more responsibility that is unneeded. prgtoken My colleague's amendment would have perfectly dovetailed into what we are talking about here and kept it in the jurisdiction where it needs to be instead of creating more bureaucracy and more effort by already overstretched government agencies that don't have the personnel to cover some of the responsibilities they already have. prgtoken Let's look at what we are looking at priority-wise. prgtoken Yes, we are supposed to be able to walk and chew gum and do other things around here, but why are we creating double effort from already stretched agencies still sometimes sitting in COVID caves, not getting the job done? Add
HIGH INFLATION IS CAUSED BY HIGH SPENDING
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-7-28

we all know that inflation is the big topic on people's tongues nowadays, but what we can't let people forget is that high inflation is caused by high spending. prgtoken Now, what did Congress do after returning to this floor this week and spending the weekend hearing people complain about high gas prices, but even more high housing prices, high food prices? They passed the CHIPS bill today for $76 billion. prgtoken Now, I know why they thought they could vote for a $76 billion bill. They thought the public wouldn't know the difference between $76 billion and $76 million. $76 billion is $230 for every man, woman, and child in this country. If you are a family of four, Congress just spent $1,000 of your money and didn't think anything about it. prgtoken Now, the other thing that bothers me about it is, I like to look out for the average guy. Who owns these chip companies? The uber wealthy. Seventy-six billion dollars toward the uber wealthy and corporate welfare. prgtoken A lot of people think the majority party likes to freely spend money for welfare, for the people who don't work. And that is true; they do. What is not as known is they love to spend money on the uber wealthy as well. prgtoken Every newspaper in the country ought to have a banner headline in the morning: ``$76 billion spent again by Congress.''
WIND RIVER ADMINISTRATIVE SITE CONVEYANCE ACT
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-7-28

I rise today in support of my bill, the Wind River Administrative Site Conveyance Act which, if we get it passed today by the House and signed into law, will provide enormous benefits to the folks I serve in Skamania County, Washington. prgtoken This bill exemplifies a groundbreaking win-win agreement in a rural county where so often locals' needs get completely trampled by the Federal Government. prgtoken With this carefully negotiated solution, the Forest Service unloads land that it no longer wants to manage, and the local community gains a very valuable economic asset and resource. prgtoken In Skamania County, where 80 percent of the land is locked up by the Federal Government, even more if you count the State-owned land, only 1.8 percent of the land in the county is taxed at full market value. prgtoken What does that mean? prgtoken It means that this has severely hindered the county's ability to fund basic services that citizens rely upon, like roads and schools, and police and fire protection. prgtoken The bill that I have introduced and that we are considering today is simple. It would convey ownership of approximately 23 acres in the former Wind River Nursery from the U.S. Forest Service to Skamania County. It is important to note here that this proposal is supported by Skamania County and by the Forest Service. prgtoken The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which covers a majority of the county, is currently facing tens of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance. prgtoken By conveying the land to the county, the Forest Service will shed that financial responsibility for these pieces associated with the maintenance of buildings and facilities on the Wind River Nursery, and by taking ownership of the land, Skamania County will develop recreational, historical, and business opportunities that will draw in tourism and critical revenue. prgtoken This is a win-win solution, and it will result in substantial benefits to the folks who call Skamania County home. prgtoken , I urge the House to approve this important legislation.
RECOGNIZING THE SACRIFICE OF BUFFALO SOLDIERS
August Pfluger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-7-28

. Madam , I rise today to honor National Buffalo Soldiers Day, a day commemorating the formation of the first Army regiments comprised of African American Soldiers. prgtoken In 1866, Congress passed the Army Organization Act to allow former slaves to fight for our Nation during the Civil War. More than 180,000 African-American men served their country with pride and distinction despite challenging terrain, limited supplies, and discrimination. prgtoken More than 100 years later, to recognize their valiant service, Congress passed a law designating July 28th as National Buffalo Soldiers Day. prgtoken Today, we honor the incredible bravery of these 180,000 men who helped secure lasting freedom for our Nation. The Buffalo Soldiers answered the call to fight for our country's freedom while also paving the way for many future service members. Their service was pivotal to securing our country's freedom, and today, we commemorate and honor their sacrifice. prgtoken Each of these men earned the recognition they receive on this commemorative day. Even through hardship, their service to the United States was unwavering, offering a glimpse of their American pride and incredible character. prgtoken In my hometown of San Angelo, the local NAACP chapter is hosting a three-day celebration to commemorate these brave men and the sacrifices they made. prgtoken Under the leadership of President Sherley Spears, San Angelo's NAACP is ensuring soldiers from our local community receive the recognition they deserve for their sacrifices for our country. prgtoken Thank you to Mrs. Spears and the San Angelo NAACP for honoring the life and legacy of The Buffalo Soldiers both in the Concho Valley and across our Nation. prgtoken The Buffalo Soldiers, along with generations of service men and women who have fought for our country both before and after these brave men, are true American heroes. May we never forget the sacrifices they have made and may God bless all current and former service men and women.
Inflation Reduction Act (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-7-28

say it isn't so, Joe. prgtoken Yesterday afternoon, , Senator Manchin--Joe Manchin from West Virginia--and their leadership announced the latest version of their Build Back Better tax-and-spending spree, which they are, bizarrely, calling the Inflation Reduction Act. prgtoken Now, I have to say that when they announced it, I think it certainly blindsided the s, but I think it also blindsided, I am told, an awful lot of who didn't know or hadn't been consulted about what was going to be in this so-called Inflation Reduction Act. prgtoken Let me just tell you a few of the things the bill does. It imposes a new tax on job creators. It provides funding to the IRS to harass small businesses and nonprofits. It provides tens of billions of dollars in tax credits for Green New Deal projects and the purchase of costly electric vehicles. It extends increased government subsidies for people on Care. prgtoken Well, I think the question you have to ask is, What exactly is any of that going to do to address inflation? How are more IRS audits going to help Americans who wonder how they can continue to afford to pay more than $4 a gallon for gas? How is a new tax on businesses going to drive down the price of chicken or milk or fruits or vegetables? prgtoken As for electric vehicle tax credits, they might make purchasing an electric vehicle slightly less painful, but that is if you can afford to purchase one in the first place, especially in the midst of an inflation crisis. These tax credits are going to do nothing to cool down our overheated economy or bring inflation under control. prgtoken Then there is the fact that are attempting to help sell this bill by claiming it is going to help reduce the deficit. Well, it is not that I am not glad to see actually considering deficit reduction, even though their deficit reduction is unlikely to do much to actually reduce the deficit. Perhaps they should have thought about deficit reduction last prgtoken year when they passed a massive, partisan $1.9 trillion spending spree financed with deficit spending--a spending spree, I might add, that overheated our economy and helped push us to our current inflation crisis, which is the biggest inflation that we have seen literally in 40 years, a 40-year high. prgtoken So we found out, of course, about this bill literally hours before we learned this morning that for the second quarter in a row, our economy not only failed to experience any growth but actually contracted. And the news was not unexpected. There have been signs that the economy was weakening for a while now. prgtoken But I have to say, as I think about that news--the inflation news coupled with the fact that the economy is, in fact, contracting--that it seems really incredible that the prescription for either one of those problems in this country would be a massive new tax-and-spending bill. This bill isn't going
PACT Act (Executive Session)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-7-28

I want to talk just a few minutes about the circumstances we now find ourselves in, in passing what I consider to be one of the most important pieces of legislation--perhaps the most important piece of legislation that is currently pending certainly before the U.S. Senate--and that is what we have been referring to as the PACT Act. prgtoken It is legislation that we have talked about many times on the Senate floor. It is a piece of legislation that I and Senator Tester introduced. It is a piece of legislation that follows a long line of bills coming from the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee with broad bipartisan support that have consequential outcomes for the veterans of our Nation. prgtoken We started years ago, several years ago, in regard to the MISSION Act. We followed that with the John Scott Hannon Act. prgtoken The MISSION Act provided additional opportunities for veterans to access care in settings across the country to bring medical care to veterans closer to home to make it more available. prgtoken And we followed that with the John Hannon Act, which dealt with mental health and trying to reduce and eliminate the use of suicide in veterans' lives. prgtoken And then, finally, we have this major piece of legislation that has been a long time coming--way too long--in meeting the needs of those veterans who served, now, a long time ago in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia and our veterans who more recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the subject of toxic exposure, where veterans come into contact with something that maybe not at the time created any healthcare concerns for them but over time has become a significant medical and healthcare challenge for those who served in those areas, in Iraq and Afghanistan, their location in relation to the location of a burn pit-- where many things were burned and caused toxic exposure for those veterans in the vicinity--and going back to Vietnam, Agent Orange, which has been so devastating to so many people. prgtoken Veterans have waited for a long time. The process to date has been so slow. The legislative efforts, while they have occurred, were never sufficient to meet the needs of those who served our Nation. prgtoken And the actions at the Department of Veterans Affairs have delayed decisions for veterans that would make certain that those who encountered these traumatic and damaging healthcare consequences of their service to our Nation receive the medical care that they deserve and the benefits, the financial benefits, that come from being disabled as a result of military service. prgtoken I want to reiterate my support for that piece of legislation. The PACT Act needs to--as it came out of our committee by a unanimous vote. It passed the Senate previously with 84 votes. And we need to continue the practice of taking care of our Nation's veterans in a way that is not partisan on either side of the issues. prgtoken I often tell my constituents