mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-3-31

I, too, would like to come to the floor and thank my colleagues from the Upper Midwest for their great work on this legislation, the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. prgtoken Our colleagues from the Upper Midwest know how important agriculture products are, and they know how important it is for them to reach their destination. As Senator Thune was the previous chair of the Commerce Committee, he knows all too well about how products can get boxed out because of other products on the rails. prgtoken My colleague from Minnesota knows all too importantly about exports and has been a big supporter of our export economy in general and represents a State that is very robust on the global economy. So her leadership on a very tough issue has been very, very appreciated. prgtoken I would like to thank, from the Commerce Committee staff, a variety of people, and from Senator Wicker's staff and from Senator Thune's. A lot of people worked on this: Nicki Teutschel, Alexis Gutierrez, Dave Stewart, Grace Bloom, Charles Vickery, Eric Vryheid, Michael Davisson, Matt Filpi, and Megan Thompson. From Senator Wicker's staff: Andrew Neely, Fern Gibbons, Brendan Gavin, Paul Wasik, Kyle Fields. And from Senator Klobuchar's staff: Obviously Baz Selassie--couldn't have done it without all of his hard work. He is really the guy behind this. And Senator Thune's staff: Chance Costello. And certainly Rob Hickman from Senator Schumer's staff. prgtoken So, today, the passage of this bipartisan legislation couldn't come at a more important time for our growers and producers and exporters; that is, today we are saying that American farmers matter, and their survival matters more than the exorbitant profit of international shipping companies. That is what we really tried to tackle in this legislation. Our two colleagues brought forth this legislation in record time. It was passed in the House of Representatives, led by Congressmen Garamendi and Johnson. Those two passed that in December, and our colleagues got this bill here in the Senate in February, and we were able to pass it now here at the very end of March. prgtoken I thank again our two colleagues--Senator Klobuchar for her leadership and Senator Thune for getting it done so quickly. Literally, it was introduced in February and passed in March. I hope it is an example of what we can do on other legislation that is affecting our supply chain. prgtoken Our economy is built on trading goods in a timely manner with our partnerships from all over the world. Anderson Hay Grain in Washington said: The agriculture economy in our region does not work if we don't have competitive access to world markets. prgtoken Right now, the supply chain isn't working. Our ports have been clogged. Shipping companies have struggled to keep up with demand, and the costs for American exporters who are trying to get hay and milk and apples to the global market have gone through the
HONORING VETERANS BY EXPANDING CARE
Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2022-3-31

I rise today to thank every single veteran in New Mexico and nationwide for their service and sacrifices to our country. prgtoken But we cannot only thank our veterans for their service. We must honor their service by providing veterans the services they have earned. prgtoken In 2018, President 's VA began a process under the Asset Infrastructure Review Act to develop a list of recommendations to modernize and realign VA medical facilities. prgtoken Two weeks ago, the VA released its recommendations to the Infrastructure Review Commission and proposed the closure of four community-based outpatient clinics in rural areas of my district, closing the Gallup, Las Vegas, Raton, and Espanola clinics. prgtoken Combined, these four clinics serve thousands of veterans in predominantly Hispanic and Native American communities. Hispanics and Native Americans serve our country at higher rates. We are incredibly patriotic. prgtoken The VA wrongly assumes that these patriotic veterans can receive care from other community providers. They fail to understand that, in our rural areas, there aren't enough healthcare providers. The VA clearly doesn't seem to understand rural America. prgtoken The VA's own report listed veterans' statements that they have serious issues driving long distances for care and can't receive critical care and quality care in many areas due to limited community providers. While these were listed in the report, the VA may have listened, but I don't think they heard. But I do hear. I hear my veterans and their stories. I hear their needs. prgtoken I heard Harry. Harry is a 75-year-old Cold War veteran who is also a cancer survivor. He is a survivor today because his clinic doctor, Dr. Gomez, ensured Harry received a biopsy, and he received it quickly. It caught his cancer and saved his life. The clinic doctor knew Harry. He knew his history and could respond quickly to Harry's concerns. Harry told me: ``It was my pleasure serving this country, but the thing is that they need to take care of us.'' prgtoken Chris, another veteran I spoke to, told me: ``Congress is quick to send us to war, but when it comes to healthcare, the government is severely lacking.'' prgtoken Shirley cried as she told me she believes she is alive today because she could drive herself to the clinic where she was immediately triaged, stabilized, and sent to a hospital for the chest pains she was experiencing. Her heart still beats today because of that clinic. prgtoken It breaks my heart that after all that these brave veterans have done for us, we are abandoning them just because they live in rural America. prgtoken I know how my communities struggle to receive care and the toll it takes on their loved ones to take a full day off work to drive them 6 hours just to draw labs or to have an annual checkup when it could be done in 25 minutes or less in town closer to where they live. Some veterans would be forced to drive those 6 hours
OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-3-31

relit the fuse that leads to an Iranian nuclear bomb by abandoning the Iran nuclear deal. Now s are urging President to let it go boom. prgtoken President crafted the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon. He had inherited two quagmires in Afghanistan and Iraq, and he was right to prioritize diplomacy to prevent us from falling into a third quagmire. prgtoken 's unilateral exit from the Iranian deal in 2013 created a nuclear crisis where one did not exist. In the years since that withdrawal, Iran has crept closer to a bomb, restricted access to international inspectors, and set us on a potential collision course to war with Iran. prgtoken Our European allies wanted to build upon the Iran nuclear deal, but President and his arms control assassin, John Bolton, used it as target practice, leaving the administration and our allies to pick up the pieces. prgtoken On the s' watch, Iran's breakout time, or time required to build enough nuclear material for its first nuclear bomb, went from more than 1 year down to just weeks. prgtoken There is simply no good alternative to reentering the Iran nuclear deal. has already tried the alternative. It has failed miserably and made the United States more vulnerable and made the Middle East more vulnerable. prgtoken Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid out a series of demands for Iran in 2018 that read more like a fantasy novel than a foreign policy speech. And where did it get us? Absolutely nowhere, except it got Iran closer to a nuclear weapon than it has ever been before. prgtoken No, the reality is that the alternative to diplomacy, our Plan B, is likely to include more sanctions which will lead to more enrichment of uranium and the prospect of another Middle East conflagration. In short, Plan B stands for ``Plan Bad.'' That is what is being urged by the Party, by the supporters. ``Plan Bad'' would endorse 's disastrous policy of ``maximum pressure,'' one that gave us maximum enrichment of uranium and other activities prohibited under the Iran nuclear deal. prgtoken Plan B means that China's reported work to give Saudi Arabia--Iran's nemesis--the building blocks for a nuclear weapon will only accelerate, and other Gulf countries will jump into the race for a nuclear bomb as well. prgtoken Plan B means that Iran's nuclear facilities that are above ground will go underground. prgtoken Plan B means that cameras and international inspectors that keep a continuous eye on Iran's facilities will be shuttered permanently, leaving us in the dark about Iran's nuclear intentions. prgtoken Under , we saw ``maximum pressure'' generate ``maximum tension'' that put us on a perilous path to war. 's Plan B to diplomacy was and continues to be a complete failure. prgtoken Indeed, we saw this in 2019, when tensions rose to a decades-long
OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2022-3-31

I rise today to mark a moment in history for the First State, your neighboring State, to celebrate the first U.S. Navy vessel to be named after Delaware in more than 100 years. prgtoken In 2 days, I will be joined by the Secretary of the Navy, the First Lady of the United States, and what will feel like half of Delaware at the Port of Wilmington to commemorate the commissioning of the Virginia Class of nuclear submarine, the USS Delaware. prgtoken And while the vessel was first officially commissioned underwater and underway on a mission at sea due to the COVID restrictions on April 4, 2020--a first in Navy history--a first in Navy history--this weekend, we will get to give the USS Delaware, its crew, and the people of Delaware a fitting celebration above the surface of the water. prgtoken It has been a long time coming for the USS Delaware. So many people across Delaware and in the Navy have worked hard not just for weeks, not just for months, but for years to make this weekend a reality for our State and the crew. prgtoken I would be remiss not to mention my wingman in the U.S. Senate, Senator Chris Coons, and our wing-woman in the U.S. House of Representatives, Lisa Blunt Rochester, as well as our Governor John Carney for their long-standing support for the USS Delaware. They will be joining us on Saturday to celebrate. prgtoken You probably wouldn't be surprised to learn that SSN 791--that is the number assigned to the USS Delaware, is not the first Navy vessel to bear the name ``Delaware.'' prgtoken The first USS Delaware was launched in 1776. Its role? Delaying the British Fleet's approach to Philadelphia and thus impeding the ability of the British to resupply their army in our War of Independence. That was the first USS Delaware. prgtoken The sixth USS Delaware was completed in April of 1910. Armed with ten 12-inch guns, it was the most powerful battleship in the world at the time. Over 100 years would pass before another US Naval vessel would bear the name ``Delaware.'' prgtoken Then, one day in 2012, I came across a letter to the editor from a constituent in Delaware whose name is Steven Llanso. He wrote to the editor. He said: You know, it has been a long time since a ship was built and named after the State of Delaware. Maybe somebody should do something about it. prgtoken I thought about it for a while. I thought about it for a couple of weeks, actually. I pulled my staff together and said, ``Why don't we do something about this?'' And they said ``Let's do,'' and we did. prgtoken The next week, I was on the phone with then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, former Governor of Mississippi--us both being former Governors-- and a long-time friend, and he would go on to become the longest serving Secretary of the Navy in the history of our country. prgtoken I explained the situation to Secretary Mabus. He graciously heard me out and agreed 100 years was a long time. Before we hung up, he said to m
MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 4521, AMERICA COMPETES ACT OF 2022
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-3-31

. Madam , I am very proud of the efforts that have been made by the House to advance COMPETES, an act that is about investment; a bipartisan effort promoted with higher prioritization by the leadership of this House to address investment: investment in research, investment in workforce, investment in manufacturing. prgtoken It is so important that we are now investing in research as the COMPETES Act requires so that we create the next generation of product line and chips. It is important to invest in that pipeline of workers that will have those precision-oriented skills in an innovation economy that requires such precision. It is important that we retrofit our manufacturing centers so as to compete and compete effectively. prgtoken I am impressed by the fact that we have taken the strengths of so many committees and brought them into the forefront of COMPETES to make certain that we invest in the CHIPS for America Act. I have industries for microelectronics, and certainly the semiconductor industry that are hosted in the 20th Congressional District that I am honored to represent. They deserve and they require, more importantly, a partnership with the Federal Government. Those resources will be there with the passage of this bill as we bring together a consensus. prgtoken We will invest in that $52 billion worth of investment for the chips industry, the CHIPS for America Act. We will make certain that a bill that I authored, the Micro Act, is incorporated in the context of COMPETES, and that will complement the provisions in CHIPS by making certain that we accelerate early stage microelectronics research to feed into the national semiconductor technology center. prgtoken It is so important to have that cutting-edge investment so that we can lead the world in innovation, and making certain also that we promote strong global leadership by positioning the interests and the values of our United States, not China, to win on the world stage, including with strong action to hold the PRC accountable for its trade abuses which hurt U.S. workers, and for its human rights violations. prgtoken The America COMPETES Act will elevate American leadership in the global arena, putting diplomacy first, strengthening our alliances, combating unfair trade practices, and standing up for our national values. prgtoken The COMPETES Act ensures that American goods are made in America by American workers and boosts competition addressing supply bottlenecks, strengthening U.S. manufacturing, and lowering those kitchen table costs. prgtoken This is a measure that is all-inclusive. It is the boldest, strongest statement on competitiveness for America. It is the great strength of COMPETES that I hope will carry us now into an innovation economy with the workforce prepared to go, a research investment that gives us the vision and tethers that vision into future product lines and chips development, and that will allow for us to strengthen our ma
OIL AND GAS REBATES
Katie Porter (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-3-31

porch pirates steal packages and make our communities less safe. Over 1 in 3 Americans, myself included, have been a victim of this theft, which costs us billions of dollars each year. prgtoken I joined and s to introduce the Porch Pirates Act, which will crack down on this crime. This bipartisan bill expands Federal protections for mail and parcels to cover deliveries from private carriers. prgtoken Porch pirates are committing crimes of opportunity, and online shopping--especially during the pandemic--has dramatically increased these opportunities. I recently met with the Irvine police chief who described to me how sophisticated these bad actors have become. prgtoken Our Porch Pirates Act modernizes Federal law and helps keep families safe. Social Security is a Promise
MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 4521, AMERICA COMPETES ACT OF 2022
Gregory W. Meeks (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-3-31

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for yielding the time. prgtoken Madam , we find ourselves in a competition to lead in the 21st century. And that is a competition that the United States cannot afford to lose, and if we do what we should do here, will not lose. prgtoken A month ago, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping thought that America was in decline, that America could no longer lead the world, and that they could therefore simply overwhelm smaller states. They believed that they could undermine the rules-based order whenever they chose. prgtoken Well, this incredible global coalition, binding and getting us together, working with our allies, that President has put together to condemn Russia and support the Ukrainian people, has proven that their assertion is absolutely wrong. But the events of the past month have underscored the need to position America for this challenge on a long-term basis. prgtoken Therefore, it is absolutely critical that Congress get H.R. 4521 to the President's desk. It is an investment in science, innovation, and technology, which would allow us to excel in the global economy for decades, bolster our domestic industry, and create jobs for American workers. prgtoken Madam , I am proud that my bill, the EAGLE Act, serves as the foreign affairs division of America COMPETES. It bolsters our diplomacy to marshal a coalition of states to check the PRC's aggression, its theft of technology, its shirking of global rules, and its gross violation of human rights, of which we need to focus on. prgtoken And I know that if we put our minds to it, we can work together in a bipartisan and bicameral way to finalize this critical legislation and get it to the President's desk, and we must do it. prgtoken That is because our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific are watching. They need our help to bolster international rules, combat the PRC's coercion, and address shared global challenges like climate change. And after what we have seen in Ukraine, the people of Taiwan are watching, to ensure that we deepen our economic ties, strengthen its defense, and create greater space for Taiwan globally. prgtoken Hong Kongers and Uyghurs are also watching to make sure we get this done because they urgently need the refugee protections that are in the COMPETES Act. They need Congress to send a message to Beijing that its genocide in Xinjiang, its destruction of Hong Kong's autonomy, and its lack of regard for human rights will not stand.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-4-1

I appreciate the gentleman for his courtesy and his leadership, and all the people that my friend, Barbara Lee, just acknowledged. prgtoken , a century ago, we were in the midst of a prohibition against alcohol. And the problems that my dear friend from Oregon highlighted in terms of the prohibition against cannabis, I agree with him about the horrific situation in southern Oregon, and I look forward to working with him to try and remediate it. But the solution is to be found in this legislation. prgtoken The problem of the cartels, the illegal activity, the black market, is a result of the fact that the Federal Government does not have its act together. People across the country have acted to take it into their own hands and, as a result, we have a piecemeal approach. prgtoken , 48 States have some form of legalization. What Chairman Nadler and the committee has done is provide a framework to be able to harness the forces, to be able to do the research so we can deal with impairment. The Federal Government interferes with that now. We have an opportunity to solve the horrific problem of lack of access to banking services, which makes dispensaries across the country sitting ducks. prgtoken It adds to expenses for minorities. It adds to the problems of law enforcement. We face a situation now of great racial injustice in this country that the legislation faces. prgtoken We have an opportunity to unlock untold benefits for more medical research and be able to channel the efforts into a legal matter, to be able to have a taxing system federally, and to be able to strengthen the legal cannabis market so that the profits flow to the people who should do it rather than the cartels and the corner drug dealers that are still cutting corners. prgtoken My friend is right about the problems in southern Oregon, but he is wrong about the solution. The MORE Act is a solution to provide the framework, provide the research, redirect the resources to be able to solve the problem that has been created by the failed prohibition on cannabis. prgtoken This is historic legislation, in part, because we will send this to the Senate where there is a different mindset for the leadership. We have opened the opportunity to solve these problems. I urge us to take advantage of it and move forward.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-4-1

I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding and for his tremendous leadership, as well as all of my colleagues who have worked on the MORE Act. prgtoken Richard Nixon began the failed war on drugs a little over 50 years ago, in 1971. At the time, there were less than 300,000 Americans incarcerated in this country. Today, there are 2.3 million, disproportionately Black and Latino. Many of those individuals who have been incarcerated are there because of nonviolent drug offenses, often marijuana possession and use. prgtoken The United States of America incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, including per capita China and Russia combined. That is a stain on our democracy. prgtoken We have an overcriminalization problem in America. We have a mass incarceration problem in America. We have a prison industrial complex in America. It doesn't advance public safety, and it hurts economic development. It has ruined individuals, ruined lives, ruined families, and ruined communities, particularly in communities of color. prgtoken It is time to end the Federal cannabis prohibition. It is time to deschedule it. It is time to decriminalize marijuana. It is time to invest in communities in a way that makes sense, both from a public safety standpoint as well as a fairness, equity, and justice standpoint. It is time to pass the MORE Act.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-4-1

I rise in strong support of the MORE Act and I applaud my colleagues, Chairman Nadler and Barbara Lee, for their leadership on this critical legislation. prgtoken For years, public support for marijuana legalization has surged. Thirty-seven States have voted to legalize marijuana. It is past time that Congress answers the call for marijuana justice. prgtoken This sweeping legislation would finally decriminalize cannabis at the Federal level by removing it from the Controlled Substance Act. The law would apply this retroactively to prior and pending convictions that have disproportionately harmed communities of color. prgtoken The MORE Act would also help those whose convictions are overturned through the Opportunity Trust Fund that would provide job training, reentry assistance, legal aid, and healthcare. prgtoken If we are serious about criminal justice, we need to get rid of the antiquated cannabis laws. The MORE Act would do just that. I hope my colleagues will join me in voting on this long overdue bill.