mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING WILL MITCHELL'S SERVICE AS LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR
Angie Craig (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-1-30

I rise today to thank and congratulate Will Mitchell for 4 years and 2 Congresses as my Legislative Director. prgtoken Will has been a dedicated public servant and legislative staffer to the state of Minnesota for a decade now, previously serving for Congressman Rick Nolan for Will's own hometown district and Duluth, Minnesota. prgtoken His expertise on energy and environmental policy helped us enact the Local Water Protection Act during the 117th Congress. He has been instrumental in forming my office as a first-term Member to now a returning Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Not only that, Will has been a jack of all trades, working in areas of Agriculture, Transportation and Infrastructure, Tax, Financial Services and so many different policies. prgtoken I am grateful for Will's tireless advocacy for local communities in my district, spearheading our offices efforts to secure over $40 million in funding for Community Projects. He helped navigate my legislative portfolio through the pandemic, but also constantly stay on top of the issues impacting working families in Minnesota's Second District. prgtoken It has also been a joy watching Will and Sacha's family grow--with 2 young boys, Cal and Charlie, joining us all during his time in my office. prgtoken I've appreciated Will's advice and counsel over the years and wish him the best in his new adventure off the Hill.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR RURAL JOB CREATORS ACT
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-1-30

I rise today in support of H.R. 298-- the Expanding Access to Capital for Rural Job Creators Act. prgtoken H.R. 298 requires the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, an entity within the Securities and Exchange Commission to submit an annual report on the various challenges small businesses in rural areas face when attempting to secure capital. prgtoken This bill was first introduced in 2017 and continues to be reintroduced into congress with the sole hope of helping the small businesses that truly are the backbone of our economies. prgtoken The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 was originally created to regulate securities transactions in the secondary market in order to promote more financial integrity, transparency and to reduce fraud and manipulation. prgtoken Over the years, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 has been amended in response to various needs of our capital markets. prgtoken The Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation was established in January 2019 as an independent SEC office. prgtoken Among other things, this office is responsible for advancing the interests of small businesses and their investors at the SEC. prgtoken The office also facilitates the expanded access to capital for rural area small businesses. prgtoken Rural businesses in Texas and around the nation frequently encounter significant challenges when attempting to raise funds to expand and improve their operations. prgtoken Lack of capital or funding, a faulty infrastructure or business model, and ineffective marketing efforts are a frequent cause of failure for small businesses. prgtoken This legislation would support our rural economies by assisting rural small businesses in overcoming these obstacles. prgtoken It is crucial for Congress to support small and rural businesses if it wants to help this country continue to prosper and grow. prgtoken In 2022 Texas had a population of about 30 million, with 3.8 million of them residing in rural areas. prgtoken And in 2022, between 13 and 14 percent of all jobs in the United States could be found in rural areas, a rate that is only anticipated to increase over time. prgtoken These continuing increases in employment and population indicate a developing trend and the requirement for new businesses to develop in rural areas with easier access to capital which provides new employment opportunities. prgtoken With more than 13,000 unemployed Texans and 6 million Americans throughout the USA, it is essential that we, as elected members of Congress, support the economic growth of our rural populations.
SUPPORTING THE GREAT LAKES
Frank J. Mrvan (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2023-1-30

as the Representative for the First District of Indiana, I rise today to express my appreciation for the provisions in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus bill that support the Great Lakes. prgtoken As the largest body of freshwater in the world, the Great Lakes and the Lake Michigan shoreline in northwest Indiana powered our Nation's industrial revolution and steel production capabilities, and today we continue to harness our region's environmental wonders to grow our economy. prgtoken I am grateful that the 2023 omnibus bill included robust funds for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, my Community Project Funding request to improve our shoreline and the Michigan City Harbor, as well as the provisions championed by my friend, Representative Marcy Kaptur, to establish the Great Lakes Authority. prgtoken As we move forward, I look forward to continuing to work through the appropriations process to support the economic strength and environmental protection of Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes.
RECOGNIZING SLADE BOND AND HIS SERVICE TO THE HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-1-30

I rise along with Rep. David Cicilline, longtime Chair of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law, to thank Slade Bond for his service to the Committee on the Judiciary. prgtoken Slade came to the Committee after serving as legislative counsel to Representative Hank Johnson. Prior to that, Slade was a law clerk for the Center for Democracy and Technology. Slade received his B.A. from Mary Washington College, his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law, and his LL.M from the George Washington University Law School. prgtoken Slade joined the Committee in March 2014, serving as ic Counsel and then Chief ic Counsel for the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial, and Antitrust Law. For the past 4 years, Slade has served as Chief Counsel for the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. prgtoken Throughout his service on the Committee, Slade has provided Members and staff with strategic advice and leadership on a range of legal and policy issues related to competition, bankruptcy, arbitration, commercial contracts, and federal agencies. Slade also has acted as a generous mentor and advisor for junior colleagues on the Committee, setting an example as a superlative staff member. prgtoken During his tenure as Chief Counsel for the Antitrust Subcommittee, Slade applied his keen intellect, conscientiousness, and creativity to advance the priorities of the Subcommittee. Slade supervised staff and led Member preparation for over two dozen hearings and markups, including a 29-hour markup that resulted in Committee passage of a suite of six bills to restore competition online. prgtoken Notable among his many accomplishments is his leadership of a historic, 16-month, top-to-bottom investigation of competition in digital markets. Slade assembled a dedicated team of counsels, technologists, fellows, special assistants, and clerks to examine the dominance of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google in the digital economy. He coordinated and supervised the team's review of nearly 1.3 million documents; interviews with more than 240 market participants, former employees of the investigated platforms, and other individuals; and holding of 7 hearings with testimony from 38 witnesses, including a hearing with the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. In addition, Slade cowrote, and managed the drafting of, the culmination of this investigation: a 450-page report entitled ``Investigation of Competition in Digital Markets: Majority Staff Report and Recommendations,'' which the Committee adopted in April 2021 and published in June 2022. prgtoken Slade has developed a well-earned reputation for his excellent work with Members and staff from both parties, in both the House and the Senate, to shepherd important bills into law. These bills include legislation to reduce the cost of antitrust enforcement to taxpayers by modernizing merger filing fees, to pro
RECOGNIZING THE STENNIS CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2023-1-30

I rise today to recognize the achievement of the Stennis Center for Public Service's service-oriented students, following the publication of their journal, the ``Public Service Review.'' prgtoken For all who are looking for encouragement about the future of our country, I want to bring to your attention the most recently published issues of ``Public Service Review,'' produced by the Stennis Center for Public Service. ``Public Service Review'' features inspiring and informative stories from young leaders who share in their own words their experiences, insights, hopes, and dreams as they engage in public service through internships, jobs, and activities in their communities and throughout the world. prgtoken The publication, available on the Stennis Center's website at www.stennis.gov, provides a glimpse into the future for all who care deeply about the future of American democracy. As they explore the challenges and rewards of public service, the commitment of these young leaders to help keep our Nation strong and free is truly inspirational. The 33 authors featured in the 2022 issues are Adam Duffy of Ohio State University, Alex Siegal of Columbia University, Alexandra Dorotinsky of University of New Haven, Amanda Guilardi of American University, Anna Zmistowski of University of Maine School of Law, Catherine Lawson of Texas A&M University, Jaydn Smith of Hastings College, Owen Rosenberg of American University, Alexandra Schindewolf of Rutgers University, Ava Goble of University of Hawai'i, Ben Savercool of California State University, Chico, Caroline Rykard of University of Georgia, Diana Grechukhina of Salisbury University, Disha Jhaveri of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Drew Ficociello of George Washington University, MAJ Matt Romanowski of Princeton University and U.S. Army, Ethan Sanders of Oklahoma State University, Jagaar Halverson of Grand Canyon University, Jennifer Rivera Galindo of Florida International University, Kathleen Griffith of University of South Carolina, McKayla Steineke of Northeastern University, Mia Robertson of Mississippi State University, Alanna Cronk of Georgetown University, Mini Ganesh of Harvard College, Natalie Gilbert of Georgetown University, Anum Syed of West Chester University, Avinash Maniam of Rutgers University, Mignely Nunez of Indian University Bloomington, Natalie Salazar of Carnegie Mellon University, Niklas Kleinworth of University of prgtoken Idaho, Sydney Smith of Claremont McKenna College, Victoria Izaguirre of Texas A&M University, and Zach Blair-Andrews of University of South Florida. ``Public Service Review'' provides these young leaders an opportunity to write about their experiences and inspirations in their own words, sharing stories of challenge and hope as they engage in public service in a variety of formats and focus on a range of causes that draw their passion. Not only do their stories inspire those of us engaged in
POLICE REFORMS
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-1-30

as chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, I am responsible for legislation in the Senate relative to law enforcement and criminal justice. It is an awesome responsibility, and I think about it quite a bit because the first thing all of us want is the safety of our families and our communities. It is the first question asked: How safe is that area of Chicago? How safe is that part of Springfield? It is a reality, and it is a natural reaction. prgtoken I have had, during the course of my congressional career, the opportunity to meet many of the men and women in law enforcement. Let me tell you, there are some outstanding people who literally get up in the morning and put on that badge and risk their lives. They go out for just a routine traffic stop, and they could end up dead. That is the reality of police work in a dangerous world, particularly in a world awash with guns, as we are in the United States. prgtoken Having said that, acknowledging that reality, I also know that there are cops who are doing terrible things. That was brought home to America vividly over the last several days. You see, videotapes and DNA evidence have changed our conversation about law enforcement and justice. We now know just what happened--not an account of what happened; we know what happened. We see it on videotapes over and over and over again. And we know sometimes that people who have been found guilty of crimes and are serving long sentences--it turns out the DNA evidence proves it couldn't possibly have been them who were responsible. It is a gross miscarriage of justice for the person who is incarcerated--and even worse, the fact that the person who is culpable, blamable, who should be prosecuted, may somewhere be on the loose. Videotape and DNA have changed it. prgtoken Many Americans are struggling with feelings of grief and disbelief after they watched the videotapes of Tyre Nichols being beaten to death by a group of Memphis police officers. prgtoken Mr. Nichols, a 29-year-old father of a young son, worked the second shift at a FedEx facility with his stepfather. He loved skateboarding and photography. He loved his mother so much, he had her name tattooed on his arm. He had no criminal record. One friend told a reporter Mr. Nichols was even thinking about being a police officer to try to make the system better from the inside. prgtoken The videotapes of the deadly assault on Mr. Nichols by Memphis police officers on January 7 are horrific and sickening. They show at least five officers attacking Mr. Nichols with their fists, boots, batons, Tasers, and pepper spray, while yelling contradictory orders to him. They continued pummeling Mr. Nichols even as he screamed in pain, begged them to stop, and called out for his mother. One officer kicked him in the head so hard that the officer was limping afterwards. prgtoken When the beating was over, another officer propped an apparently unconscious
CREDIT UNION BOARD MODERNIZATION ACT
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-1-30

the balance of my time for closing. prgtoken , I applaud Mr. Vargas' efforts to work on this bipartisan bill and appreciate that the reforms in this bill have been structured in a way to incentivize credit union boards to take steps to ensure their institutions are safe, sound, and well managed. prgtoken This bill has broad support, including from credit unions, like the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues, to consumer groups like Americans for Financial Reform. prgtoken I am pleased to work with Mr. Vargas to advance this bill through the House. I was pleased to do this in the last Congress. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and .
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DOWN ON THE GOVERNMENT
Donald G. Davis (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2023-1-30

I rise today on behalf of North Carolina's First Congressional District. prgtoken Right now, the American people are down on the government and tired of the politics of division. prgtoken When I am at home in the district, I am reminded that there is still hope for the future, for the American Dream. prgtoken , eastern North Carolinians are tired of what they see in Washington. They want us, and s, to do right by them, to find solutions to the most pressing issues being discussed at the dinner table. prgtoken , I will do just that. I will fight to ensure those who fought to defend our freedoms do not have to fight their country to survive. I will fight to ensure our families and farmers are better connected, because they, too, deserve every resource to thrive. prgtoken , I will fight to ensure our most vulnerable communities have access to affordable healthcare. We owe it to our communities. We must act together.
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF STATE REPRESENTATIVE QUENTIN ``Q'' SOLDIER WILLIAMS
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-1-30

the City of Middletown and the State of Connecticut lost one of its brightest lights earlier this month with the tragic passing of State Representative Quentin ``Q'' Soldier Williams just hours after being sworn in for what would have been his third term as a State Representative representing Middletown in Connecticut's General Assembly. At only thirty-nine years old, Q was taken from us much too soon, and his loss reverberates throughout his community and our state. prgtoken When running for President, said, ``Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.'' I cannot think of anyone who embodied that spirit more than Q. prgtoken Born and raised in Middletown, Connecticut Q loved his hometown. When he first returned after graduating from Bryant University, he worked in finance where he developed a sense of how that industry could positively impact communities as well as how important it was for young people to better understand how a strong financial footing would help them succeed. He left the finance industry to become the Executive Director of the Middletown's Downtown Business District where he focused his time and energies on advocating for local business owners and finding innovative ways to encourage increased activity and tourism downtown. prgtoken In tandem with these first professional steps, Q also began his journey into politics when he returned home from Bryant. Always seeking ways to make a difference and knowing influencing local government was key, Q joined the Middletown Young and the Middletown ic Town Committee. He was soon recruited to run for local office--first as an alternate to the Planning and Zoning Commission, which he eventually chaired, then as City Treasurer, a position in which he served for two terms. One of Q's proudest moments was on the evening of his election to his first term as State Representative for the 100th District, where he would represent his beloved hometown. prgtoken Q was a proud product of the Middletown public school system, where as an adult he could often be found reading with elementary school students and mentoring those in middle and high school, but he also understood the challenges of urban classrooms and minority students. He found true professional fulfilment when he joined Excellence Community prgtoken Schools as their Director for Advocacy and Policy where he played an instrumental role in the launch of Stamford Charier School for Excellence. His passion for equality in education also led Q to co- found and serve as the co-director of EquityCT, a nonprofit dedicated to creating learning opportunities, building actionable understanding of equity. and dismantling systemic inequity through action and civic engagement. prgtoken In addition to his professional and political work, Q was also deeply involved in
TRIBUTE TO MAYA ASHWAL
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-1-30

I rise today, with a unique combination of joy, sorrow, and pride. For the last 8 years, Maya Ashwal has been my right arm in the Senate, serving as my director of scheduling and operations in our Washington office. prgtoken I rise with joy today because my life and the lives of everyone who works in or with our office has been made better by Maya Ashwal. Maya is this wonderful combination of hard-nosed, no-nonsense grit, and gracious compassion. She brings a seriousness of purpose to her work, but she treats everyone around her with kindness and caring. Over the last 8 years, I watched Maya overcome obstacles that would have swallowed up lesser people. She has persevered through personal loss, finding a way to grow her compassion for others in the face of tragedy. She has conquered a litany of bad health luck, at one point finding herself stuck in South America dealing with a serious health emergency. Somehow, we all knew that Maya would find a way to come back stronger, with a smile on her face. prgtoken Through it all, it has been so wondrous to watch her grow as a person. Since she has been with our office, Maya has gotten married to Jeremy and welcomed a gorgeous daughter, Piper, into the world in the middle of the pandemic. She is a wonderful mother, who deftly balances work and family life. prgtoken But I also rise with sorrow today, because it is hard for me to imagine life without Maya. My colleagues will understand how a great scheduler or great assistant ends up becoming an extension of you, a part of you. That is what Maya is. She knows my preferences before I speak anything out loud. She guesses what I need before I know I need it. She smooths over bumps and rough spots before they are visible to me. prgtoken But she also provides great advice and counsel. I am lucky that we share many passions--like mental health and gun safety--and Maya has become a whip smart political counselor who I rely on to make sure that my daily agenda best aligns with my policy goals. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act could not have happened without Maya's leadership. Never before has such a complicated bill been written and passed in such a short amount of time. Over 30 days and countless meetings, zooms, and phone calls--with advocates, Senators, House Members, staff, administration officials--we negotiated, wrote, and passed the most serious gun safety bill in three decades. During that time, Maya was the air traffic controller for the negotiations, managing to create organization out of potential chaos. That bill is part of her legacy. prgtoken In addition to her work on policy, Maya has also been such a comfort to my family. Being a parent of young children, with a wife who works equally long hours, is an unsurprising anomaly in the Senate. Maya's job over the last 8 years has been made infinitely harder since my schedule has had to prgtoken balance not just work obligations, but a myriad of spor
RECOGNIZING 100 YEARS OF THE ``FLYING YANKEES''
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2023-1-30

today I rise to recognize the 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard--the ``Flying Yankees''--as they celebrate 100 years of dedicated service to the State and our Nation. prgtoken The Flying Yankees are the 11th oldest Air National Guard unit in the United States, including a squadron that has served more than 90 years in military aviation. Operating from the Bradley Air National Guard Base in East Granby, CT, the 103rd Airlift Wing provides tactical airpower and mission support for the State and Nation. The unit carries out this critical mission through highly qualified and proficient C-130 aircrew. prgtoken The 103rd Airlift Wing has a history that dates back to the earliest years of military aviation, and the Flying Yankees have fought bravely in numerous conflicts throughout the last century. From their efforts in France during World War I, to their heroic service in the China- India-Burma theater of operations during World War II, the Flying Yankees have a long history of valiantly serving our Nation both at home and abroad. The unit's service continued through the Cold War and more recent conflicts. The Flying Yankees innovate to meet the changing needs of the State and the Nation, carrying on their great tradition of dedicated service to this day. prgtoken For a century, the brave members of the 103rd Airlift Wing of the Connecticut Air National Guard have embodied their motto--``faithful and alert''--answering the call to service for both Connecticut and the Nation. I applaud their determination and dedication to the vital mission of defending our country and hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the Flying Yankees on this momentous occasion of their 100th anniversary.