mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
75TH ANNIVERSARY OF SKY TAVERN
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2023-4-18

I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of Sky Tavern. In 1948, determined to help young Nevadans learn how to ski, Marcelle ``Marce'' Herz filled her station wagon up with kids and drove up the Mt. Rose Highway, fit them with equipment and gear, and began teaching them about the sport and the environment around them. Ms. Herz's efforts eventually led to the creation of the Sky Tavern's Jr. Ski Program, which has taught over 100,000 Reno area youth how to ski and snowboard and continues to serve over 2,000 children each winter. prgtoken Today, Sky Tavern is a nonprofit organization that provides summer and winter outdoor sports training, competitions, recreation, and events that are open to all in the region. Sky Tavern's goal and mission is to give as many youth as possible the opportunity to engage in outdoor sports and recreation--no matter their financial or physical abilities--providing lifelong experiences that promote personal growth and responsibility. Operated by a volunteer workforce, Sky Tavern is a shining example of what is possible through strong community engagement. From the instructors down to the lift operators, nearly everyone helping Sky Tavern achieve its mission is taking time out of their personal lives to do so. At its core, Sky Tavern runs on the spirit of giving back, while also striving to fulfill founder Marce Herz's goal of helping any child learn to ski and have fun doing it. prgtoken There are many examples of how Sky Tavern has helped people grow through their love of the outdoors. Sky Tavern Ski Program alumni include Olympians such as three-time medalist David Wise, Lane Spina, and Tamara McKinney. Sky Tavern's promise to give opportunities to anyone, regardless of their physical or financial ability is the cornerstone that they operate on. The specially trained volunteer staff in their adaptive program are dedicated to helping children with disabilities learn how to ski and enjoy the outdoors. That dedication has yielded results; several Paralympians, including Gold-medalist Ricci Kilgore can trace their roots back to Sky Tavern. prgtoken Congratulations to Sky Tavern on its 75th anniversary. I look forward to seeing their continued impact on the lives of young people in Nevada.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-4-18

I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to Ralph ``Teddy'' Brown, Sr a dedicated police officer, community leader, and friend to many. Sadly, Mr. Brown passed away on March 14, 2023, at the age of 82. He will be remembered for his commitment to his country and community of West Haven, CT, and his love for his family. prgtoken Born in Ansonia, CT, Teddy served in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in Washington State. It was there he met Carroll, who would become his wife of prgtoken 65 years. After Teddy's military service ended, the Browns moved to West Haven, CT, where they have been deeply enmeshed in the community for over six decades. prgtoken In 1977, at the age of 37, Teddy made history as one of the first three Black police officers in the city of West Haven. He ably served the department for 28 years, retiring as a detective sergeant. On the force, Teddy was known as a positive role model for all, particularly for West Haven's youngest residents. prgtoken After his retirement, Teddy continued his outstanding legacy of community service. He served as commissioner on West Haven's Parks and Recreation Board and president of the West Haven Library Board. He continued to elevate future generations by coaching youth basketball. prgtoken Teddy was also one of the strongest supporters of the West Haven Black Coalition, founded by his wife Carroll in 1986. This long- standing community organization has disbursed more than $200,000 in scholarships to students, in recognition of their academic achievements, leadership skills, and community service. For the past 37 years, Teddy was a strong advocate for the coalition, contributing financially to the scholarships and supporting Carroll's great work. The West Haven Black Coalition is a remarkable testament to the Browns' dedication to their community. prgtoken Through his decades of service as a law enforcement officer and a civic leader, Teddy left a lasting impact on everyone around him. But he will be remembered first and foremost as a man who loved his family. He led by example as a mentor and a role model to countless young people. prgtoken My wife Cynthia and I extend our deepest sympathies to Teddy's family during this difficult time, particularly to his wife Carroll, his three sons, and his grandchildren. May their many wonderful memories of Teddy be a blessing. I hope my colleagues will join me in honoring Teddy's life and legacy, both large and lasting.
U.S. Supreme Court (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-4-18

the highest Court in America should not have the lowest standards when it comes to ethics, but for too long that has been the case for the U.S. Supreme Court. It definitely needs to change. prgtoken While the Senate was out of session for the Easter recess, the independent nonprofit news organization ProPublica published a series of stunning reports. prgtoken They found that a billionaire real estate developer and prominent donor, Harlan Crow, has given Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas nearly 20 years of undisclosed luxury gifts and getaways: a lavish yacht vacation in Indonesia, private plane trips, visits to a deluxe mountainside resort, and more. prgtoken Then, just days ago, ProPublica found that in 2014, Crow's company bought properties owned by Thomas and his family, including the house where the Justice's mother still lives. These transactions were also hidden, undisclosed, even though Federal law clearly requires that they be reported publicly. prgtoken Let's be clear. Serving as a Federal judge, and especially a Supreme Court Justice, is one of the highest honors in the Nation that we can confer on an individual. But above all, it is a public service. Judges and Justices are entrusted by the American people to serve the public interest and administer equal justice under the law. That is why taxpayers and not billionaire donors fund judicial salaries, courthouses, and operations. Judges have a responsibility to put service to others ahead of their own personal self-interest. prgtoken But the conduct revealed in ProPublica's reporting tells a much different story. They show a Justice accepting secret, lavish luxury trips and real estate purchases from a wealthy donor with interests affected by the Court. prgtoken This is conduct we cannot tolerate, whether it is from a mayor, a city council member, or other elected official, and we certainly shouldn't tolerate it in the highest Court of the land. The Supreme Court needs to clean up its act and fast. prgtoken Throughout our history, ethics scandals at every level of government have inspired reform. Congress has repeatedly amended ethics laws governing the House and Senate to ensure that there is transparency and disclosure for the trips we take and the donations we receive. We have a Code of Official Conduct that we must follow and Ethics Committees that provide guidance and oversight for our activities. These committees can launch investigations and penalize misconduct when it occurs. prgtoken Congress has also passed numerous laws that affect the operation of the Federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court. We pass appropriations bills each and every year to cover judges' paychecks and the operations of our courthouses. We have enacted financial disclosure laws like the Ethics and Government Act and recusal laws like 28 U.S.C. 455 that apply to all Federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices. prgtoken We have long kn
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE...
Rick Larsen (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-4-18

the balance of my time to close. prgtoken , House have a long, proud, and successful history of supporting clean water. Last year, House successfully made historic investments in our Nation's infrastructure through the bipartisan infrastructure law, providing communities with almost $13 billion in clean water infrastructure upgrades and creating jobs. prgtoken These clean water investments are helping everyday Americans with safe, reliable, and sustainable water and wastewater services while providing good-paying jobs that cannot be sent overseas and reinvigorating our State and local economies. prgtoken Every day, more and more Americans are realizing the public health, economic, and environmental benefits of this transformative law, benefits that will continue as additional resources are implemented across the country. prgtoken The bipartisan infrastructure law was what Congress can do at its best. This resolution is the opposite. Again, I support President for his decision to veto this resolution. prgtoken My colleagues say they want certainty, and we agree, but that certainty that we support also ensures the health and safety of our environment for current and future generations. This resolution, though, provides no certainty. prgtoken I argue that it is a playbook for how to create confusion, more litigation, and continued gridlock. prgtoken This resolution provides no benefits to public health. It seeks to eliminate protections for rivers, streams, and wetlands, many of which provide drinking water for millions of Americans. prgtoken This resolution provides no benefits for our economy. It not only casts aside a time-tested, scientifically based tool to implement the Clean Water Act, but it also blocks any provision of additional clarity for businesses, farmers, and homebuilders going forward. prgtoken In short, this resolution is a step backward for clean water, and it is a step backward for certainty. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to sustain the President's veto by voting ``no'' and to reject this attack on our clean water future. prgtoken , I urge a ``no'' vote on this resolution, and .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 734, PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORTS ACT OF 2023, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 42, DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA...
Becca Balint (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2023-4-18

I rise in opposition to this bill and to speak clearly and directly on H.R. 734, which s are ironically calling the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. This bill is undeniably an attack on our kids and does nothing of substance to protect girls. prgtoken Bills like this are aimed at taking away rights from LGBTQ Americans, specifically our kids. Kids and their families are being targeted and harassed for political gain. I ask, is this really the Nation that we want to live in? prgtoken Sports bans for kids are cruel and unnecessary. These bills are clearly, at their core, un-American. They are about restricting rights. They are about barring kids--kids, kids--from full participation in sports. prgtoken The U.S. House of Representatives must not participate in this obvious fear-based hate and discrimination of trans youth. We risk lives when we don't stand up clearly and loudly against discrimination of all kinds. prgtoken This bill would have us believe that we should be afraid of trans youth. Nothing could be further from the truth. prgtoken When I talk to these kids and their families, when I listen deeply to these kids and their families, what they say is: I just want to live my life. I just want to have friends. I want to be myself. I don't want to go to school and be picked on. prgtoken They need our support. They do not need us demonizing them and fearmongering and bullying. prgtoken Today, s blocked our amendments, which would have actually supported our girls in schools. My amendment would have strengthened protections against harassment in schools based on sex, race, color, national origin, disability, and age. It would have restored protections against harassment and ensured equal opportunities for all students. It would have also required schools to take additional steps to protect students that have experienced sex-based harassment. prgtoken We cannot keep putting our children in harm's way with this hateful rhetoric that is coming directly from inside the Halls of Congress. Instead, let's do our job and take real steps to actually protect our children.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 734, PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORTS ACT OF 2023, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 42, DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA...
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2023-4-18

I thank my friend for yielding. prgtoken , I strongly oppose this rule. I will have more to say tomorrow about the police accountability and transparency legislation enacted by the District of Columbia's local legislature, but I want to take this time to discuss democratic principles. prgtoken It is true that Congress has the constitutional authority to legislate on our local D.C. matters, but it is false that Congress has a constitutional duty, obligation, or responsibility to do so. Instead, legislating on local D.C. matters is a choice. prgtoken I remind my colleagues, who claim to revere the Founders, what James Madison said in Federalist 43 about the residents of the Federal District: ``A municipal legislature for local purposes, derived from their own suffrages, will of course be allowed them.'' prgtoken The Supreme Court has held that Congress may delegate ``full legislative power'' on local D.C. matters. prgtoken D.C. disapproval resolutions are profoundly undemocratic and paternalistic legislation. prgtoken D.C.'s local legislature, the D.C. Council, has 13 members. The members are elected by D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how the members vote, they can vote them down. This is called democracy. prgtoken Congress has 535 voting Members. The Members are elected by residents of the States. None are elected by or accountable to D.C. residents. If D.C. residents do not like how the Members vote--even on legislation that applies only to D.C.--they cannot vote them out of office. prgtoken The Revolutionary War was fought to give consent to the governed and to end taxation without representation. Yet nearly 700,000 D.C. residents cannot consent to any action taken by Congress, whether on national or local D.C. matters, while paying full Federal taxes. Indeed, D.C. pays more Federal taxes per capita than any State and more total Federal taxes than 23 States. prgtoken If the House cared about democratic principles or D.C. residents, it would be voting on my statehood bill, the Washington, D.C Admission Act, instead. Congress has the constitutional authority to admit the State of Washington, D.C. The House is choosing not to. It is a choice. prgtoken , I will close by saying to all Members of the House: Keep your hands off of D.C.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-4-18

I am here for now the 21st in my series of speeches about the scheme to capture and control our Supreme Court, a scheme to which rightwing special interests have devoted hundreds of millions of dark money dollars. The ingredients in this noxious cocktail are creepy rightwing billionaires, phony front groups, amenable justices, large sums of money, and secrecy. prgtoken This month, we have gotten a whole new look at how these ingredients mix. prgtoken According to extraordinary reporting by ProPublica, for more than 20 years, Justice Clarence Thomas has accepted luxury trips, virtually every year, from billionaire Harlan Crow without disclosing them. Here is how ProPublica described it: [Thomas] has vacationed on Crow's superyacht around the globe. He flies on Crow's Bombardier Global 5000 jet. He has gone with Crow to the Bohemian Grove, the exclusive California all-male retreat, and to Crow's sprawling ranch in East Texas. And Thomas typically spends about a week every summer at Crow's private resort in the Adirondacks. prgtoken One of those trips has been valued at more than $500,000. prgtoken We have heard from civil servants who have to report a gift of $5. This Justice received a gift of a trip that they valued at $500,000. It was a trip to Indonesia on Crow's private jet, followed by, and I quote here, ``nine days of island-hopping . . . on a superyacht staffed by a coterie of attendants, and a private chef.'' And that is just one excursion. No telling how many others there were. prgtoken None of this was disclosed. The supposed rationale was that it was all ``personal hospitality.'' So let's set aside for one second the question of whether this actually was personal hospitality. Let's presume that there was personal hospitality here somewhere. What that overlooks is the problem of the personal hospitality exemption, which covers exemption from disclosure of ``food, lodging, or entertainment received as personal hospitality of an individual.'' Food, lodging, or entertainment--not transportation, not travel, not trips on Harlan Crow's private jet. prgtoken ProPublica was able to identify multiple trips that Thomas took on Crow's jet, and each one of those trips seems to be a slam dunk violation of this provision--not food, not lodging, not entertainment. Transportation. prgtoken It does not stop there. Additional reporting by ProPublica revealed more of Crow's undisclosed generosity. In 2014, Crow purchased from Thomas and his relatives three properties in Georgia, including the home where Thomas's mother lives. There seemed to be more collateral gifts in the form of renovations and an agreement that Thomas's mother would live there rent-free for the rest of her life. prgtoken There is much more to learn about this transaction, but back to the disclosure, here is what the law requires for property disclosures. It requires the disclosure of any purchase,
TRIBUTE TO HONOR THE LIFE OF JOHN HART CLINTON, JR.
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-4-18

I rise today to honor John Hart Clinton, Jr. who passed away on March 29th at the age of 78. Mr. Clinton was an integral part of the San Mateo County community through his work as Publisher of the San Mateo Times and his service on the San Mateo County Historical Association. prgtoken John's life was a testament to his family's legacy of civic engagement and passion for San Mateo County. He studied at the University of Oregon and returned home to help run the San Mateo Times, which his mother's family, the Amphletts founded in 1889. His father, J. Hart Clinton was a partner at Morrison, Foerster, Holloway, Clinton and Clark in San Francisco, and he was appointed to lead the San Mateo Times in 1943. prgtoken In the late 1960s, John met his wife Nina, and they had three children: Allison Rak, John Clinton, and Nicole Medina. His family describes him as loving, caring, and kind. Throughout his career, John always came home for dinner, and he loved spending time outdoors with his kids, pitching to his daughter Nicole or fishing with John. He supported his family's passions by learning about their fields of interest and being present at important events. John loved to make his family happy by dressing up in costume for parties and impressing guests with his sleight of hand. prgtoken At the San Mateo Times, John developed an effective working relationship with the newspaper's staff who speak of his work ethic and willingness to go to bat for others. Former Managing Editor Michelle Carter credits John as one of the primary reasons she was promoted to lead the newspaper, thanks to his support of her candidacy with his father, J. Hart Clinton. prgtoken John took on the role of Publisher in 1987, and he was the steward of the San Mateo Times through in-depth coverage of events such as the Loma Prieta Earthquake, several presidential elections, and the end of the Cold War. prgtoken John Clinton loved his community's heritage and served on the board of the San Mateo County Historical Association. He led the transformation of the Old County Courthouse into the new home of the History Museum. Mitch Postel, President and CEO of the Historical Association cites John as integral to the Historical Association's mission, with the following words: ``Telling the story of the current Peninsula was only an ability you had if you knew the past. He realized that and he knew that his family had created an institution in San Mateo County that was very important to the local people,'' Postel said. ``He wasn't into the local history thing just because he wanted to be on a board. He was into it because he believed in its importance and knew that his family was a part of that.'' prgtoken John also volunteered with the nonprofits Caminar and the Peninsula Community Foundation, in addition to co-founding the United American Bank. He will be remembered as a deeply faith-filled man who helped the
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-4-18

and still I rise. prgtoken And still I rise as a proud, unbought, unbossed, unafraid, liberated . prgtoken I rise today, , in the name of liberty and justice for all. Liberty and justice for all, not the name of liberty and justice for people of color, for people who happen to be of a different hue, but in the name of liberty and justice for all and, more specifically, in the name of liberty and justice for Ralph Yarl and Kaylin Gillis. prgtoken , I rise in the name of liberty and justice for them because our country should be in mourning today. A life was needlessly lost, and no one of great notoriety, or a person who happens to have been a Congressperson, or a person holding some prominent position in society. They were not persons who were out in Hollywood making motion pictures; just an ordinary citizen who lost their life, and we ought to be in mourning. prgtoken We ought to be in mourning because the young man was shot for ringing a doorbell. His sin was he was ringing a doorbell. He was a person of color, yes. Apparently, according to at least one statement by an official, there is something to do here with race. But he was ringing a doorbell, and he was shot twice--once in the head. prgtoken The young woman that I speak of was White. She went into the wrong driveway, and she was shot. prgtoken Is this where we are in this country? People are going to be killed for ringing the wrong doorbell? Going to be murdered for pulling up in a driveway? Innocently, I might add. prgtoken Is this where we are? prgtoken We ought to be in mourning today. These lives matter. We ought not allow this to happen without some sort of special occasion, something that speaks to them, some sort of way of commemorating this. prgtoken We have gotten to the point now where it is just a life lost. Tomorrow there will be more. The day after that, even more. prgtoken What is wrong with us? prgtoken Can not we see where we are headed? We stand on the eve of destruction and don't know it. We are going to destroy ourselves. prgtoken , we have the power to do something about this. We cannot allow constitutional carry, meaning just get a gun and not have to take any sort of test. You don't have to prove that you are a person who can manage this level of lethality. You can buy a gun because you have the money to buy it. Then only God knows what you will do with it. prgtoken I am not contending that I know the history of these two persons. That is not it. But I am saying to you that if we don't get a handle on what we are doing with this level of lethality by placing these weapons in the hands of people willy-nilly, we are going to see more of this. It can be your child next. prgtoken Do not assume that it cannot happen to you. It can be your daughter. These were the children of somebody, and they deserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. prgtoken I am totally, completely, and absolutely antithetical to this notion of constituti