mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL PARK COLLEGE NIGHTHAWKS
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2024-4-5

I rise today to congratulate my hometown National Park College Nighthawks on winning the 2024 NJCAA Division II Basketball National Championship. After achieving a perfect 26-0 regular season record, the Nighthawks claimed the crown this year in Danville, Illinois. On his way to achieving greatness, head coach Dillon Hargrove was also named the NJCAA Region 2 Coach of the Year. prgtoken Nighthawk Taylor Harrell was named the tournament's Pin Ryan Most Valuable Player. The sophomore center had 50 points, 35 rebounds, and 2 blocks throughout the tournament including a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds in the semifinals and 22 points and 8 rebounds in the championship game. I also want to recognize the coaches and staff who helped bring this championship back home to the Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas: Dillon Hargrove (Head Coach), Drake Henderson (Assistant Coach), Timothy Webb (Assistant Coach), Rich Thompson (Athletic Director), Mark Oliver (Sports Information Director). And the players who worked hard to achieve this great accomplishment: Hunter Burke, Siddiq Canty, Keryn Collins, Will Dykes, Taylor Harrell, Ja'Bryant Hill, Them Koang, Madison Peaster, Anthony Swift, Colen Thompson, Brody Tucker, Mondo Watkins, Nakavieon White, Chris Crew, Alveon , and Tavarius Vinson. prgtoken Having been a college athlete myself, I have a deep-rooted appreciation for competitive team sports. One of the three key pillars my staff and I follow is ``compete to win.'' The NPC Nighthawks have done just that. prgtoken , this team has made Hot Springs and the state of Arkansas unbelievably proud, and I am honored to recognize and congratulate them today. These young men will forever be remembered in the history of Arkansas sports. .
CELEBRATING UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND PROFESSOR EMERITA DR. ANN WYLIE'S EIGHTIETH BIRTHDAY
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2024-4-5

over the weekend, a great Marylander and important member of our University of Maryland community celebrated her eightieth birthday: Dr. Ann Wylie. She has educated countless students from across Maryland and America ever since she first became an Assistant Professor for the University of Maryland's Department of Agronomy in 1972. The following year, she became a founding faculty member of the University of Maryland's renowned Department of Geology. prgtoken From the President's Medal and the Scholar-Teacher Award at the University of Maryland, College Park, to the Butler Prize awarded by the Geological Society of Washington, Dr. Wylie has received widespread acclaim for her research and leadership in academia. Crucially, Dr. Wylie has displayed a commitment to service that deserves the admiration of every Member of this Congress. Her work on how exposure to minerals--including many mined in Maryland--affect human health has helped us better safeguard the well-being of the American people. Whether for the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. geological survey, the U.S. Bureau of Mines, or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, she has made important contributions to our government's understanding of these issues. prgtoken As a Terp, I'm also grateful for her leadership in the University of Maryland, College Park's administration. Throughout her distinguished career, she has served as Interim Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President and Provost, Vice President for Administrative Affairs, Interim Dean of the Graduate School, and many other vital positions. My staff and I have had the pleasure of working closely with Dr. Wylie on many occasions over the years--especially when she served as Chief of Staff to my friend Dan Mote during his tenure as the university's president. prgtoken , we at the University of Maryland, College Park, could never have known just how lucky we were to have Dr. Wylie join our community more than a half century ago. She has propelled the university and its students to greater heights and leave an indelible mark on campus. I ask that all my colleagues join me in wishing my fellow Terp well as she marks this terrific milestone. May they also join me in thanking her for her many years of service and leadership.
RECOGNIZING MOTAZ AZAIZA
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2024-4-5

today I want to recognize Motaz Azaiza, a Palestinian journalist, for his ongoing coverage of the Palestinian people and his commitment to telling their stories. prgtoken Mr. Azaiza has focused his life's work on capturing the daily life of Palestinians in Gaza. Since the war began, he has bravely used his platform to document the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the lives of the innocent people who have been killed. Mr. Azaiza's images on the ground have exposed the war crimes being committed by the Israeli government for the world to see. We applaud his efforts and bravery for risking his life to report on these atrocities. prgtoken Please join me in recognizing the numerous contributions of Motaz Azaiza in the field of journalism
RECOGNIZING THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE OF DR. MARION ROSS FEDRICK
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2024-4-5

I rise today to honor a loving wife, dedicated mother, committed community servant, and effective higher education administrator, Dr. Marion Ross Fedrick. President Dr. Fedrick will be honored for her seven years of service at Albany State University during the annual Blue and Gold Gala that will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Dr. Fedrick is leaving the university to become the new Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff for Georgia State University. She will also serve as Special Advisor to Chancellor Sonny Perdue for his Historically Black Colleges and Universities Initiative. prgtoken A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dr. Fedrick has sought to better herself through education to serve others. She is a three-time graduate of the University of Georgia, earning a bachelor's degree in adult education, with a concentration in organizational development, a master's degree in public administration, and a Ph.D. in higher education. prgtoken Because of her commitment to excellence, she has excelled professionally. She has given her time and talents to several organizations to include Clark-Atlanta University, Emory University Hospitals, State of Georgia Office of State Personnel Administration, AT&T, and the Former Bell South Corporation. Dr. Fedrick also served as the University System of Georgia's Vice Chancellor of Human Resources. prgtoken On August 14, 2018, the trajectory of Albany State University changed forever when Dr. Fedrick was appointed at the 10th President of the University after serving as Interim President and Executive Vice President. It has been said that: ``Education is the passport to the future, it belongs to those who prepare for it today.'' Dr. Fedrick used her time at Albany State to prepare thousands of young people to embrace their futures with confidence. She has done this by being a leader who has embraced focusing on the whole being of the student-- academically, socially and spiritually. Dr. Fedrick has expanded access and opportunities for students by increasing campus-wide resources. Dr. Fedrick has truly lived by the words of Mary McLeod Bethune when she said that ``We have powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we direct their power toward good ends.'' Dr. Fedrick has helped all students who have come through the doors of Albany State during her tenure to direct their power towards the betterment of humankind. prgtoken Dr. Fedrick has truly advanced the University though a variety of initiatives to include a redesign of the university's academic colleges, approval of the University System of Georgia's first nexus degrees and the design and implementation of the University's integrated student success model. As a result of her ingenuity and visionary leadership, the University has achieved a sixteen percent increase in retention and a six percent increase in enrollment. prgtoken Dr. Fedrick is w
RECOGNIZING RABBI BENNETT MILLER
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2024-4-5

I rise today to recognize Rabbi Bennett Miller as he celebrates his 50th year in the Rabbinate. It is my honor to join with the members of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple and the greater community in celebrating this milestone. prgtoken Upon becoming a rabbi in 1974, Rabbi Miller served under Rabbi Harvey Fields at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple. In 1977 he became Senior Rabbi at Anshe Emeth, where he continued to serve until his retirement in 2018. prgtoken Following his retirement, Rabbi Miller became Rabbi Emeritus of Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple; he also served for one year as the Interim Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Westfield. He also served as National Chair of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) and currently serves as Chair of the URJ/ARZA Herzl Society. As Rabbi Emeritus, Rabbi Miller provides pastoral guidance and leadership to the congregation and continues to support Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple's mission of religious education, spiritual growth, and social action. prgtoken Rabbi Miller attended Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati and earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. In 2024, he received the Builders of Zion Award and in 2023 he was the recipient of Matan's Trail Blazer's Award. prgtoken Despite his retirement, Rabbi Bennett Miller has continued to provide outstanding rabbinical leadership and contributions to the community. I sincerely hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Rabbi Miller on his 50th year in the Rabbinate and thanking him for his ongoing service.
HONORING TONY SPANIOLA
Elissa Slotkin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2024-4-5

today I pay tribute to an incredible advocate--Tony Spaniola--whose unwavering commitment and tireless work have made an indelible mark on his community, the state of Michigan, and beyond. prgtoken In 2016, Tony's world shifted when he learned that his home, and many others near Lake Huron in Oscoda, Michigan, had been exposed to contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, a class of chemicals used by industry and, in Oscoda's case, our military. At the time, the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda had been identified as the first site contaminated with PFAS in Michigan, and the first U.S. military PFAS site in the country. prgtoken This revelation ignited a fire within Tony--one fueled by a determination to confront the threat of these ``forever chemicals.'' Studies have shown PFAS exposure may lead to an increased risk of cancer, decreased fertility in women, developmental delays in children, and other health risks. Tony became a driving force behind efforts to address PFAS contamination on local, state, and federal fronts. prgtoken His leadership was instrumental in the founding of the Need Our Water (NOW) community action group in Oscoda. Tony's vision also extended beyond Michigan, as he co-founded the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, and also serves on the leadership team of the National PFAS Contamination Coalition. He played a pivotal role in the creation of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, where he currently serves on the Citizens Advisory Workgroup. Furthermore, his efforts contributed to the establishment of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force of which I am proud to be a member--a group dedicated to advancing legislative solutions and raising awareness about the urgent need to address PFAS contamination nationwide. Because of his relentless advocacy and uncanny ability to bring stakeholders together, Tony has earned the respect and the ear of senior Pentagon leadership, including Undersecretary of Defense Bill LaPlante, and has played a major role in pushing the Department of Defense to act more urgently on PFAS cleanup. prgtoken Tony has been an advocate his entire life, which can in part be attributed to the influence of his father, Francis Spaniola, a retired Army officer who served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1975 to 1990, representing Corunna in Shiawassee County. During his father's tenure in the state legislature, when the toxic flame retardant polybrominated biphenyls, more commonly known as PBB, was mistakenly sent to Michigan farmers as livestock feed and entered the food supply, Tony worked alongside his father at the forefront of tackling the PBB health crisis. Together, they initiated legislation that led to the creation of the Michigan Cancer Registry, regulated PBB, and compensated farmers for poisoned livestock. prgtoken I have had the privilege of bearing witness to Tony's unwavering passion since
Mayorkas Impeachment (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2024-4-8

a lot of history has unfolded in this room. The U.S. Senate has been home to some of the most formative debates in our Nation's tenure. These are fierce arguments among passionate, intelligent people. It is not all that different from the debates today. prgtoken The Senate has always welcomed these sometimes intense disagreements by respecting the rules and the traditions of the institution. It is how a Senator like me, who is a Member of the minority party, can stand here and speak freely about the issues that matter to the American people and to the people of Louisiana. prgtoken Now, my ic colleagues in the Senate, today, may be about to make some new history in this room. Apparently, they think it is a brave new world, and they want to set a dangerous new precedent. For the very first time, Senate are seeking to table--maybe even dismiss--an impeachment of a sitting Cabinet official without even holding a trial. They are summoning spirits they won't be able to control. prgtoken Please, my colleagues, don't do it. prgtoken I fear though that Senate are going to try to take the Articles of Impeachment that our colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives thoughtfully crafted and passed with a majority vote and toss them into the trash without hearing from either side. prgtoken They don't want to let the House impeachment managers make their case. They don't want to let Secretary Mayorkas make his case. They just want to ignore the House's evidence, summarily sweep it under the rug, and move on. And that is wrong. prgtoken The Senate has never in its history tabled an impeachment--never. In the more than 200 years that this body has existed, the House of Representatives has impeached an official 21 times, and we have never once tabled the impeachment--not once. prgtoken Now, Senator Schumer may also try to dismiss these charges instead of tabling them, but that has never been done before, either. If the Senate dismisses these charges without a trial, it will be the first time in the Senate's long history that it has dismissed impeachment charges against an official it has jurisdiction over without that official first resigning. And that is a fact. prgtoken I want you to consider this: The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to impeach an official 21 times--only 21 times--in our long history. The U.S. Senate has only dismissed 3 of those cases--3 out of 21. prgtoken Now, why did they dismiss them? In two of those cases, the impeached official chose to resign instead of facing a trial. As a result, the Senate dismissed the charges. In this case, Secretary Mayorkas has not resigned. In one of those dismissed cases, the impeached official was a U.S. Senator, and the Senate concluded that the Constitution did not give it jurisdiction to remove a prgtoken U.S. Senator through the impeachment process. prgtoken Here, everyone agrees that the Constitution gives Congress the
Mayorkas Impeachment (Executive Session)
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2024-4-8

I come to the floor this evening because we have some serious business ahead of us soon. prgtoken For Laken Riley, Ruby Garcia, and the countless Americans who have died from fentanyl, the Senate must hold a full impeachment trial for Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Secretary Mayorkas is breaking the law every day he releases illegal immigrants into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security is required under law to detain these immigrants. and Mayorkas's catch-and-release policy releases illegal aliens into the United States without even issuing a notice to appear for immigration proceedings. prgtoken Secretary Mayorkas is the most important player in President 's open border agenda, but we must first remember it is the President who is calling the shots. President took the actions that opened our border. On day one, he personally stopped construction of the wall. He alone signed prgtoken the Executive order to allow illegals to be counted in the census to decide how large congressional districts are. This is a direct attack on our most important democratic institution. It was President who ended the ``Remain in Mexico'' policy, leading to millions released into our communities. prgtoken It was a criminal coward who killed Laken Riley, but it was President and Secretary Mayorkas who welcomed him into the country. It was sanctuary city policies that kept him here. Laken Riley's death was a complete failure of our government to protect our own citizens. Yet not one person has lost a job due to it. prgtoken It is no wonder President 's allies want to sweep this impeachment under the rug and break the rules of the Senate by failing to hold an impeachment trial. prgtoken Every Senator must stand up for the American people and vote down the motion to kill the impeachment trial. The American people deserve to hear the truth of how President opened their country's borders to the world and the American lives lost because of it. prgtoken I will be voting to hold a full impeachment trial of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. If a full trial does not happen, he has clearly lost the faith of the American people to protect our borders and he should resign immediately and President should be held accountable by the American public this November. prgtoken .
National Security (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-4-8

America's adversaries are working overtime to undermine our interests and erode the alliances that protect them. prgtoken And it is easy to concede that these challenges as playing out exclusively on the high seas of the Indo-Pacific or the borderlands of Europe or the Middle East. But in reality, the competition is not an ``away game.'' America's greatest strategic rival is threatening our security right here on U.S. soil in tens of millions of American homes. prgtoken I am speaking, of course, of TikTok. Today, 170 million Americans are active users of the social media platform that the People's Republic of China treats as a tool of surveillance and propaganda. prgtoken TikTok officials like to insist that U.S. users' personal information, browsing histories, keystrokes, and other sensitive data are kept out of the reach of the PRC's teams of censors and propagandists. They claim that what it shows young Americans is what they want to see, not what the PRC wants them to think. But the company's own words shatter this fantasy: Everything is seen in China. prgtoken That is the truth TikTok officials were willing to admit in a leaked recording from behind closed doors. And it shouldn't be all that surprising anyway: Chinese law requires that TikTok's Beijing-based parent company coordinate closely with the PRC. prgtoken All sorts of social media platforms can be fountains of disinformation and propaganda. Just look at last week's news about the PRC's efforts to manipulate Taiwan's elections with Twitter accounts driven by AI. prgtoken But with TikTok, we are not talking about meddling or hijacking an American platform. In this case, PRC influence and control has been baked in from the very beginning. prgtoken With Beijing's blessing, TikTok's algorithm pours gasoline on alarming trends from the glorification of Hamas terrorists to a particularly outrageous fad that emerged last year where young people ``discovered'' the wisdom of Osama bin Laden. prgtoken I wish I was making this up. But let's be absolutely clear: This isn't a debate about restricting speech. After all, the PRC does enough of that itself. Chinese citizens are barred from accessing TikTok at all. prgtoken No matter how loudly TikTok's apologists claim that reining in PRC influence violates the First Amendment, the question we will face is about conduct, not content. I take a backseat to no one when it comes to protecting Americans' First Amendment rights. I have firmly defended American's right to even the most noxious forms of free speech like flag burning. But there is a serious difference between the views that Americans might express on TikTok and the actions taken by a platform that is beholden to our foremost strategic competitor. prgtoken Let me borrow an analogy from someone who has been relentless on this issue--FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr. Here is what he had to say: You can use a pen to write salacious ant
TRIBUTE TO SCOTT CROISANT
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2024-4-8

in a time when we are facing shortages in the trucking industry, Alabama's veterans are helping fill this vital need in our economy. One such veteran is Scott Croisant of Florence. Scott joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1982, after graduating from Wilson High School. prgtoken While in the Marines, he trained to become a truck driver. Scott deployed twice to Lebanon, following the 1983 Beirut bombings. There, he helped transport food, water, and ammunition in combat zones. He was also part of Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. After completing his time in the military, Scott served in law enforcement before entering the trucking industry. prgtoken And for more than 24 years, he has driven a truck for Greenbush Logistics in Abbeville, out of its Tuscumbia location. Scott spends many, many early mornings and late nights on the road, to keep our supply chains moving. He is committed to ensuring folks across the southeast get the building materials that they need on time. Scott has an incredible record of more than 2 million accident-free miles. prgtoken Travis Williams, the director of Logistics for Greenbush, says that Scott ``epitomizes the essence of a professional driver. His unwavering dedication, skill, and attention to detail make him a role model for all drivers.'' prgtoken Scott is also a trusted mentor for upcoming truckers. He has helped train nearly 100 new truck drivers. Alabama is thankful for Scott's service to our country, and his tireless efforts to keep America's economy moving. prgtoken It is my honor to recognize him as the April Veteran of the Month.