mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CELEBRATING THE KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2023-12-5

I rise today to applaud the Kansas City Public Library (KCPL) for one hundred and fifty years of service and commitment to the community. For over a century, the Kansas City Public Library has served as a gateway for people to gain knowledge and wisdom. The library offers resources and services that cultivate a love and appreciation for reading and learning. On this momentous occasion, let us reflect on the irreplaceable assets the Kansas City Public Library, and all libraries, have given us. prgtoken In 1873, the Public School Library of Kansas City was established as an invaluable resource for fostering a love of reading, allowing all who visit the library to immerse themselves in new worlds. In times of extreme economic hardship, KCPL has stood as a beacon of hope and prosperity. The library offered a sense of culture and sophistication, thereby helping establish the foundation upon which Kansas City was built. This institution started with just a few books and has flourished into what we now know as the Kansas City Public Library, with ten branches, thousands of books, and an immeasurable amount of online assistance. prgtoken By offering a variety of children's books, novels, textbooks, and databases, libraries represent different things to different people. Synonymous with education, a library can fuel a student's love for learning, allowing them to better understand themselves, friends, family, and the world. Lending books allows prolonged access to knowledge that may not be available anywhere else. Catalogs and records help us learn from the past and recognize how it shaped our present and future. Libraries inspire creativity and imagination, creating an open space for people to share stories and engage with each other. A place unlike any other where all ages can come together, the Kansas City Public Library is not only a quiet place for students to study but also a place to make a friend, pick up a new hobby, access the internet, and attend educational events. prgtoken The Kansas City Public Library does more than just provide access to knowledge. The library system is keenly aware of the needs and hardships of many who enter their doors. Specialists throughout the branches help individuals with common issues that everyday people face, from taxes and budgeting to health and fitness. A safe haven is provided for those who enter any of the Kansas City branches. In 2016, the Outreach Team, alongside the AmeriCorps VISTAs, began ``Coffee & Conversations.'' These meetings invite people experiencing hardships and housing insecurity to have open discussions about their lives; ensuring they have food, emergency supplies, and the support needed to stay on their feet. Additionally, there is also an initiative to help those who just came to the United States. Refugee & Immigrant Services & Empowerment connects the immigrant community with opportunities, services, and resources to help immigrants gain cit
POWER OF ONE
Joyce Beatty (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2023-12-5

in honor of the 68th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, I rise today. prgtoken , on December 5, 1955, the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. It was a landmark bus boycott that lasted for 381 days following the courageous and bold single act of the defiance from Rosa Parks who was arrested on December 1, 1955, for refusing to give up her seat to a White person on a Montgomery bus. prgtoken Rosa Parks epitomized the incredible power of one person to change the course of history. I, along with so many others in this Chamber, benefit from her indelible legacy. prgtoken , the action of Rosa Parks propelled the challenges of the civil rights movement to the forefront of national concern, deeply influencing public opinion and ultimately contributing to important legislative and societal shifts in this country. prgtoken , I was the house leader in the State of Ohio, the first female and Black woman to do such. prgtoken As a young girl growing up, I grew up hearing about Rosa Parks. When I was on the house floor then in the State legislature, I thought I could make a difference and do something. prgtoken On the day she died, I went to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and and s came together to make Ohio the first State in the United States to have a Rosa Parks Day. prgtoken That was a proud moment for me, that I could stand in the well in the statehouse, and colleague Priscilla Mead could stand in the well, and we could both declare how important this would be for the Nation. prgtoken Today, I stand in another well, asking us to take a look at H. Res. 308, the Rosa Parks Day Act, sponsored by Congresswoman Terri Sewell, Congressman Steven Horsford, and myself. prgtoken , we have well over 100 signatures just in the first week, and we are going to continue to try to get signatures for this important piece of legislation. prgtoken Just imagine: For 381 days, people did not get on a bus; they walked. If they rode in taxies or in cars, they were cars or taxies operated by Black Americans. prgtoken It was wrong because, you see, Rosa Parks was not tired that day. We want history to be correct. At that time in the 1950s, people of color had to sit back as far as the seventh row. prgtoken Rosa was sitting in the seat by the window in the row for people of color. When someone got on the bus who was a majority gentleman and had to stand, he went to Rosa and asked her to get up out of the seat in the section she was supposed to sit in. prgtoken Now, I can imagine that Rosa knew she was going to be arrested because she had been warned, and she was not the first to have been arrested. prgtoken She sat there so eloquently, and when they said to get up or you will be arrested, she got up. She was arrested, she was handcuffed, she was fingerprinted, and they took her mug shot. prgtoken That not only sparked her as the leader of the modern day civil rights movement, it also propelle
STRONGLY CONDEMNING AND DENOUNCING THE DRASTIC RISE OF ANTISEMITISM IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-12-5

all fair-minded Americans must agree the rise in antisemitism is despicable and dangerous. Such hatred is against everything the United States stands for. I will never fail to use my office to stand against antisemitism. prgtoken While I will vote for this resolution, I condemn House s for politicizing our fight against antisemitism. Specifically, this resolution directly references an incident in Clifton, New Jersey on October 8, 2023. After checking directly with Clifton leaders and police, I found out this incident did not occur as described in the resolution. And while an investigation was conducted, no formal complaint was ever filed. prgtoken We have seen a startling rise in antisemitism since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. There is no shortage of genuine examples to draw from, but s included this unvetted falsehood anyway. prgtoken The resolution also conveniently ignores how a resurgence in right- wing extremism has long been a major source of increased antisemitic violence. By turning the fight against antisemitism into one more partisan vehicle, House s are threatening to render frivolous true acts of anti-Jewish hate.
DEFENDING EDUCATION TRANSPARENCY AND ENDING ROGUE REGIMES ENGAGING IN NEFARIOUS TRANSACTIONS ACT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-12-6

. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in opposition to the amendment in the nature of a substitute from Mr. Scott. prgtoken Instead of taking the threat of foreign influence seriously, this amendment is a mere slap on the wrist for campuses and includes gaping disclosure loopholes. This is insufficient to protect our students and institutions from our worst adversaries. prgtoken The amendment first makes it easier for foreign sources to be undetected, doubling the threshold for contracts to $100,000 and allowing gifts under $250,000 over a 3-year span to go unreported. prgtoken Bad actors will seek any possible way to avoid transparency about their attempts to harm America through their influence over American postsecondary education, and a strict threshold is essential to stop that from happening. prgtoken The annual thresholds in the DETERRENT Act are simple and align with other requirements in existing Federal law. prgtoken Shockingly, this amendment includes no differences for America's biggest enemies: countries of concern and entities of concern. In my colleagues' minds, gifts from Russia and Iran are the same as gifts from England. prgtoken I find it alarming that my colleagues are trying to make it easier for countries of concern to find ways to influence our universities. prgtoken The DETERRENT Act uses a tailored list of countries and individuals, pulled from existing law, that have a proven track record of being security threats and actively working against the United States. prgtoken The ic amendment in the nature of a substitute also has terrible carve-outs that provide gaping loopholes for cunning adversaries. The amendment prevents disclosure of the names of foreign sources and who at the institution is responsible for receiving the gift. prgtoken These loopholes will make it easier for foreign sources to conceal their relationships and schools to feign ignorance, rendering disclosures all but useless. prgtoken Finally, the provide no real incentive for schools to comply. Their fines for violations go as low as $250. After three consecutive years of violations, the ' fine only goes up to the full amount of the gift. prgtoken This is a laughable drop in the bucket compared to the billions in foreign contributions. Money talks, and institutions need to know section 117 cannot be ignored. We have already seen institutions fail to disclose billions in the past, and this paltry fine has no real consequences. prgtoken Mr. Chair, it is time to take foreign influence seriously. I stand against this amendment, and .
CHOICE IN AUTOMOBILE RETAIL SALES ACT OF 2023
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-12-6

what it really boils down to is choice for Americans, affordable choices. Just because we want to be part of this green agenda here, constantly crying about climate change doesn't mean it is going to be good for Americans. prgtoken These mandates, for example, on trucks will add 16,000 pounds of weight that is no longer part of the cargo capacity for trucks. On automobiles, it is adding about $13,000 to the price of a car. prgtoken Little credit has been given for how efficient and clean internal combustion engines run these days. This is all a big CO2 scam. I remind you; CO2 is only 0.04 percent of our atmosphere. prgtoken Let's go back in the direction of allowing people to have choices of the best manufactured cars that come from right here in America instead of giving it over to China, which is what will happen on the mined products, the labor, so many other things. prgtoken Americans can figure out what they like. They certainly don't need California mandates that have already failed in the past and the Federal Government dictating to them what their choices are in driving. prgtoken H.R. 4468 is a good, righteous bill. Let's support that and help people continue to have the choices they want in this country and not be mandated by Congress or certainly California.
Supplemental Funding (Executive Session)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2023-12-6

12,080, it is not just a random number; it is the highest number of crossings ever in a single day across our southwest border. That is the record, 12,080. We have never had a day more than 12,080 crossing our southwest border. prgtoken You might ask: What day did we set the record for the most number of crossings across our southern border? And my answer would be yesterday. Yesterday was the highest number of illegal crossings in the history of the country. September was the highest September ever in the history of the country for illegal crossings. prgtoken October was the highest October ever in the United States in the history of illegal crossings. November was the highest November ever in the country in the history of our Nation for illegal crossings. And there is the highest number ever in the history of the country-- yesterday. prgtoken What is really happening? The numbers continue to be able to skyrocket. If we look at what is actually occurring with the number of illegal crossings, they continue to accelerate day after day, month after month, unchecked. prgtoken We face very real threats in our Nation, and it is not just me saying that. People may recognize the FBI Director, Christopher Wray, who just this week in a hearing was asked about the threats that we are facing in the United States after October 7. He was asking what he saw with that, and his answer was, ``I see blinking red lights everywhere.'' ``The threat level has gone to a whole other level since October 7,'' in the United States. prgtoken Yesterday, of those 12,080 people who illegally crossed the border, the vast majority of them were released into the country today. They had no criminal background check. They didn't have to prove their ID of what country they were from because right now the soft-sided facilities that are housing migrants all along our southern border are currently running at 400 percent occupancy. prgtoken So the goal is, get them through and into the country, hand them a piece of paper, and--literally--ask them to promise to turn themselves in, in the future at some point, just go because we need your space because there are more people coming. prgtoken At the same time the FBI Director is saying, ``I see blinking red lights everywhere,'' we are literally releasing thousands of people, day after day, no criminal background check, no evaluation of their history--many of them we don't even know what country they are from-- and releasing them into the country. prgtoken In the last 2 years, this White House has designated on our southwest border prgtoken 70,000 people they designated as what they call ``special interest aliens.'' These are individuals who are coming from areas known for terrorism, but we had no background information on these individuals. prgtoken What happened to those 70,000 individuals? They were released into our country with a piece of paper saying: Please turn yourself in, in the days a
RECOGNIZING DR. J. WILLIAM McROBERTS
Gregory F. Murphy (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-12-6

I rise today in special recognition of my dear friend, mentor, and former surgical chairman, Dr. J. William McRoberts, known affectionately as ``Mac.'' prgtoken A native of Rochester, Minnesota, he graduated from Princeton University and attended Cornell University School of Medicine where he was elected class president. prgtoken After completing his surgical training at the Mayo Clinic, he was stationed as director of urology at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bremerton, Washington. He continued to serve in the U.S. Navy as a captain in the Reserves for 20 years. prgtoken He began his academic career as an assistant professor at the University of Washington, excelling throughout the ranks and becoming chairman of urology in the division of surgery at the University of Kentucky. prgtoken As my chairman, Dr. McRoberts taught me a great deal about patient care, endurance, and professionalism. Despite long and oftentimes grueling hours, he kept a great wit and humor about him, challenging us all not only to be better physicians but better humans. He demonstrated that compassion and surgical skill are not mutually exclusive. prgtoken Once he retired from academic life in 2001, instead of just enjoying the fruits of his labor, he has served in underserved areas in Kentucky and for the last 3 years in rural eastern North Carolina. prgtoken Now, at the age of 90, I am releasing him of his medical obligation to enjoy his life with his wife, Marley; son, Porter; daughter, Jane; and their grandchildren. prgtoken My life has been a better one lived because of his professionalism, humor, and friendship.
Supplemental Funding (Executive Session)
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-12-6

the forces of evil and instability are on the march around the globe. In the Middle East, Hamas massacred more than 1,200 Israelis and 33 Americans. Iran, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, continues to finance, provide training for, and authorize attacks against U.S. forces in the region. In Europe, Russia continues its brutality against Ukraine and is fomenting conflict in the Balkans, further threatening peace and stability in Europe. Meanwhile, China is rapidly expanding its military, threatening our allies and partners, and stealing billions in Americans' intellectual property. prgtoken All this chaos is the result of weakness from the administration. Starting in Afghanistan, continuing to this day, this administration has put American weakness on full display. As we confront a dangerous global situation, we cannot ignore the fact that for America to be a strong nation, we must first be strong at home. Before we can help countries protect their borders thousands of miles away, we must first protect our own borders. prgtoken The biggest threat to our national security right now is the wide- open southern border. For 3 years, the border has been in a state of crisis. We have grown familiar with these numbers, sadly, but they remain historic and staggering. Under President , over 8 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border. Under President , 279--I just heard my colleague speak, and she gave an even higher number, an accurate number perhaps, an even higher number than 279-- folks on the Terrorist Watchlist have illegally entered our Nation. prgtoken Under President , nearly 50,000 pounds of fentanyl have been seized at the southern border. That is nearly enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States. Given the fact that we are only able to interdict 5 to 10 percent of the illegal drugs that cross, our country is being overwhelmed with drugs that can kill with just a 2- milligram dose. prgtoken Under President , there have been 1.8 million known--known-- ``got-aways,'' and that is not counting all of the unknown ``got- aways,'' including terrorists, human traffickers, and other bad actors. prgtoken This crisis has got to be dealt with, and we have got to deal with it now. That is why Senate s have offered the White House a deal. Here it is: Include proven border policies in the House-passed H.R. 2 in the national security spending package, and you will have our support. prgtoken It is a clear pathway, but, so far, this White House is more interested in playing politics and continuing to ignore the border crisis altogether. prgtoken But you know who can't ignore it? The Border Patrol agents, who are under siege right now. prgtoken In the times that I have been down there--multiple times--they have told me that, yes, we need a wall. We need border enforcement. We need funding. But what we really need--in their own words-
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-6

I am here on the floor to join my colleagues in support of Israel, and we are willing to do more than just speak those words. We are willing to do something about it-- something that, miraculously, the majority leader has been unwilling to do since November 2, when the House passed a $14.3 billion bill to provide aid to Israel. prgtoken And, for some reason, the only person who has the authority to bring a bill like that to the floor to vote has refused to do so. It makes me wonder why. Why in the world would the majority leader, who I know supports Israel, refuse to bring a bill to the floor to provide that aid? So far, it is almost 5 weeks since the House passed an appropriations bill to do exactly that. prgtoken Well, it could be that he doesn't like the pay-for, that he doesn't want us to quit adding to our national debt. But if that is the case, he could suggest another offset or pay-for. He could have tried to bring the bill to the floor and eliminate the pay-for that the House provided. prgtoken Frankly, I think it makes plenty of sense to keep the House pay-for in the bill so we don't add to our national debt, which is now about 100 percent of our economy. This last year alone, the United States Government paid over $600 billion in interest to our bondholders who own our national debt. And, apparently, the majority leader and our ic colleagues want to add to that and not stop this march toward bankruptcy or insolvency. prgtoken So here we had a vote. The majority leader brings a bill to the floor to deal with Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and to provide more money to pay for the current broken border policies by the administration. prgtoken You might wonder: Why would he bring that bill to the floor with those four pieces, those four components, but yet refuse to bring a bill to the floor to fund Israel? prgtoken You would think, well, at least it is a step in the direction he apparently wants to go. But the truth is that he is holding this Israel aid hostage to his desire to pass this other $106 billion appropriations bill, this supplemental. prgtoken Now, don't get me wrong. Many of us support aid to Ukraine, but we also are going to insist on policy solutions to help prevent and stop and reverse what we see happening at our border, which is historically catastrophic. prgtoken So this is really a very strange way of doing business. Here we are, almost 5 weeks after the House passed an Israel aid bill. You would think, well, the majority leader would say: Let's pass that and send it to the President, and then we can focus on the rest of the bill that was on the floor this afternoon--Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, and the border. But, apparently, he wants to use the support for the Israel aid to build the vote for the larger bill, understanding that, while support for Israel is virtually universal among both parties and in both Houses, there are some divisions on the Ukr