mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tribute to J. William Middendorf (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-12-4

next week, the Naval War College in Newport, RI, will host the unveiling of the keel plate for the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer DDG-138, which will be named for an extraordinary American and an extraordinary Rhode Islander: Ambassador J. William Middendorf. prgtoken I won't be able to honor Ambassador Middendorf in person. So I would like to take this opportunity, along with my colleague Senator Whitehouse, to say a few words of appreciation for his contributions and public service. prgtoken Ambassador Middendorf, who now resides in the town of Little Compton, RI, was born 99 years ago, on September 24, 1924, in Baltimore, MD. He remains a person of tremendous intellect, interests, and achievement. To this day, he continues to share his strong and always interesting opinions as a frequent contributor for the Providence Journal. prgtoken I don't always agree with him, but his column always makes for a lively read, and he has been preparing an upcoming book on the way called ``On My Watch: Tyrants and Patriots.'' prgtoken I would like to highlight some of Ambassador Middendorf's extensive record of achievement and patriotic accomplishments. prgtoken In the 1940s, while our Nation was at war, he served in the Navy as an engineering officer and navigator aboard the landing craft support ship USS LCS-53 and earned his bachelor of naval science from the College of the Holy Cross under the Navy's V-12 Program. After he was discharged from the Navy, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from Harvard University in 1947 and then an M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University in 1954. prgtoken Ambassador Middendorf became an investment banker and cofounded Middendorf, Colgate and Company, which became a prominent Wall Street firm, and he took on important roles in the national Party. prgtoken In 1969, he left his investment firm and was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands and continued in that position until 1973. He then served as Under Secretary of the Navy with an appointment from President Nixon. prgtoken On April 8, 1974, Ambassador Middendorf became the 62nd Secretary of the Navy, serving through the Ford administration. During his tenure as Secretary of the Navy, he championed and oversaw the development of four major Navy programs: the Ohio-class submarine program and the accompanying Trident missiles, the Aegis surface-launched missile system, the CH-53E heavy-lift helicopter for the Marine Corps, and the F/A-18 Hornet carrier-based attack aircraft. prgtoken Ambassador Middendorf is also credited with creating the famed Marine Corps Marathon. As Secretary of the Navy, he encouraged and approved the first Marine Reserve Marathon and provided replicas of the Iwo Jima statue to be used as trophies for the male and female marathon winners. prgtoken After his tenure as Secretary of the Navy, he returned to the private sector as president and chief exe
TESTING, RAPID ANALYSIS, AND NARCOTIC QUALITY RESEARCH ACT OF 2023
Zoe Lofgren (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-12-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in support of this bill that I proudly cosponsored. I also thank my colleagues, Representatives Caraveo and Collins, for leading this legislation, as well as Chairman Lucas for his support. I also thank Senators Peter Welch and Ted Cruz over in the other body for their work. prgtoken Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, have taken a terrible toll on communities across this country, including in my own district. Fentanyl is now involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death. prgtoken This epidemic is a horrifying ordeal, and now our communities must deal with various chemicals being added to these drugs to enhance their effects and also make them harder to detect. One chemical that criminals have started to use is a common animal tranquilizer called xylazine. When added to fentanyl, this animal tranquilizer can have terrible side effects, including horrible wounds at the injection site. prgtoken These additives are also consequential to our first responders and law enforcement as they deal with these drugs on the street. Drug mixtures usually contain a very small amount of synthetic opioids, which makes it very difficult to detect and hard to identify new variants. Even small amounts of some substances can be dangerous for law enforcement and public health officials to handle. prgtoken H.R. 1734 would address these challenges by leveraging the National Institute of Standards and Technology's unique research capabilities to help develop technologies to quickly characterize and safely handle street drugs. For decades, the Nation's measurement laboratory has helped to develop safe and effective drug detection techniques and handling practices. NIST also collects and analyzes drug samples in circulation, and this helps health authorities and law enforcement to better respond to this crisis. This bill would codify and enhance those ongoing efforts. It also adds reporting requirements for NIST and the GAO so that Congress can better understand our Federal capabilities in responding to this crisis. prgtoken This is a good example of how we can activate the unique expertise in our government labs to benefit communities across this country. It is also a good example of the bipartisan work that we do in the Science Committee. s again, and .
Tribute to Mark Hayward (Executive Session)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-12-4

I am happy and proud to join my senior Senator in congratulating our friend Mark Hayward, the District Director of the Small Business Administration in Rhode Island, on his very well-deserved retirement after serving at SBA for more than 40 years. It is a really remarkable career. prgtoken In that time, as Jack said, Mark strengthened small businesses all across the Ocean State and created economic opportunity for Rhode Islanders from every community and background. prgtoken He was so well regarded within the SBA that he was actually called down to Washington for a detail to help break in a new Small Business Administrator who needed to learn the ropes. The person that the organization trusted to get her going and working in a good way was Mark Hayward. Of course, he came back to New England and back to Rhode Island. prgtoken Jack mentioned Mark's role in the pandemic. He had actually told us he was planning to retire before the pandemic, but he couldn't walk away from what was happening. So he went to prgtoken work to make sure that Rhode Island did a good job in the pandemic. prgtoken It was not easy. These were big new programs that we had created, and implementing them and getting the money to flow smoothly through the banks and undoing the clogs that emerged and the different errors that were experienced was a big project. prgtoken Mark made Rhode Island a model of good implementation of our pandemic response. Other SBA offices around the country looked to what he was doing and modeled on that. prgtoken It was just a pretty gallant and wonderful thing that he was willing to remain at the helm through that difficult period, to work through these big programs and make them succeed and to help small businesses across our State through a period of real financial uncertainty and peril. Mark and his team delivered much needed Federal funding to businesses in every community, often providing a lifeline that allowed small business owners to keep their doors open and to keep their people on the payroll. prgtoken That pandemic reinforced what we already knew about Mark. He knows Rhode Island's small businesses better than anybody, he is determined to be helpful, and he will stand up and rise to the occasion when the demand is there for his skills. prgtoken So I join Jack in congratulating our friend Mark on an incredible run. We thank you, sir, for your dedication to lifting up small businesses across Rhode Island and for your commitment to public service. We have loved working with you. prgtoken .
Remembering Sandra Day O'Connor (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-12-4

last week, America lost a towering figure of the 20th century: former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. prgtoken Through her life, her work, and her legacy, Justice O'Connor forever changed the nature of the Supreme Court. She was the first woman to ever hold the solemn title of ``Justice.'' prgtoken And with every case she oversaw and every opinion she authored, Justice O'Connor carried out her historic role with integrity and distinction. She moved our country forward in so many ways: protecting women's rights, protecting clean air, protecting voting rights, and fighting discrimination. prgtoken I can't help but reflect on her calm and steady presence on the Court, even in the most tumultuous of times and in the most divisive of cases. That presence was so needed during her tenure, and she will be sorely missed. prgtoken Our thoughts are with Justice O'Connor's family and loved ones.
SALE OF WEBSTER SCHOOL
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2023-12-4

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , this bill, which I introduced with the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee Chair, Scott Perry, would direct the General Services Administration to sell the Federal property known as the Daniel Webster School in the District of Columbia for fair market value by December 31st, 2025. prgtoken Built in 1882, the Daniel Webster School, a red brick, three-story building has been used for a variety of purposes over the years, however, since the 1980s, the building which is located in downtown D.C. has been vacant and has fallen into disrepair. prgtoken The General Services Administration purchased the Webster School 20 years ago, yet the school remains unoccupied, draining the General Service Administration's resources for decades. This bill would return the site to productive use. prgtoken During my service in Congress, I have enacted bipartisan bills to transfer unused and underused Federal land in D.C. to the D.C. government or the private sector to redevelop neighborhoods and to generate tax revenue. prgtoken This includes the southeast and southwest waterfronts. My hope is to see the Daniel Webster School similarly reactivated. The sale provision in this bill is the same as the sale provision in the bill enacted in 2016 that directed the General Services Administration to sell the general property in D.C. known as the Cotton Annex, which is now being converted into housing. prgtoken Madam , I thank Chairman Perry for his partnership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and .
STRONGLY CONDEMNING AND DENOUNCING THE DRASTIC RISE OF ANTISEMITISM IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-12-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in strong support of any and all serious and meaningful efforts to combat anti-Semitism. prgtoken The explosion of anti-Semitism around the world, on college campuses, and online is so shocking that it was the subject of nearly every Jewish household's Thanksgiving meal a week ago. prgtoken The Jewish community is absolutely right to consider this terrifying situation a five-alarm fire, as Senator Schumer so appropriately put it in his moving speech to the Nation just a few days ago. prgtoken Unfortunately, this resolution does absolutely nothing to genuinely counter the scourge of anti-Semitism, nor does it help bring us together with the unity of purpose that this topic merits. Rather, it is another attempt in a long series of veiled efforts by the GOP to weaponize Jewish lives for political gains. It is another partisan gotcha game that amounts to cheap value signaling, not serious action. If there ever was a time for real action, it is now. prgtoken Today, in the face of the largest increase in anti-Semitism, both violent and virulent, in this Nation's history, we have a clear choice. We can abuse this moment to try to inflict interparty political damage or we can rise to the occasion and do something real and powerful to actually help the Jewish community. prgtoken Just in the last few weeks, we have seen disgusting displays of outright anti-Semitism. Over the weekend, protesters in Philadelphia targeted a Jewish business. It is plainly and unequivocally anti- Semitic to hold Jews collectively responsible for Israel's actions. prgtoken In my district, vile, anti-Semitic graffiti has been scrawled on apartment buildings in the Upper East Side. On the Upper West Side, two Jewish women were assaulted after calling out individuals who were despicably tearing down posters of Israeli hostages. prgtoken Last week in Brooklyn, three attackers violently attacked a 15-year- old Jewish boy, yelling, ``Free Palestine'' as they punched and kicked the stranger. prgtoken This anti-Semitic hate is happening across the country. The Oakland City Council rejected a bid to denounce Hamas, as speaker after speaker espoused dangerously misguided and factually erroneous views at a deeply troubling anti-Semitic public hearing. prgtoken Since the Israel-Hamas war began, the GOP has seemed gleeful at their partisan wedging at the expense of the Jewish community, and they have utterly failed to do anything serious to address this crisis. If they object to my charges, let me ask them here today three key questions: prgtoken First, what have my friends on the other side of the aisle--the only ones who actually control the agenda on the floor--done to implement the White House's National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism? This historic whole-of-government plan, which has bipartisan support, has been completely ignored in this dysfunctional MAGA-extremist Congress. The answer is c
I-27 NUMBERING ACT OF 2023
Henry Cuellar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-12-4

. Madam , I thank my good friend, Representative Norton, for her leadership on getting this bill to the floor, and I thank her for yielding to me. prgtoken I also thank my good friends, Mr. Pfluger and Mr. Arrington, for carrying this legislation along with Senator Cruz, Senator Lujan, and Senator Cornyn on the Senate side for their work on this important legislation. prgtoken Madam , I rise in support of this bill to designate a portion of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as Interstate 27. I-27 starts in my hometown of Laredo, Texas, which ranks number one in trade of all the Nation's 450-plus airports, seaports, and border crossings. It starts off in Laredo, then goes up into west Texas and off to New Mexico. prgtoken In the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bill, I was able to secure language designating this as a future interstate making it eligible for Federal funding. prgtoken This bill today formally names it the I-27 in Texas and in New Mexico. Upgrading this route to an interstate will result in a $17.2 billion increase in the Texas GDP and 178,000 of new jobs. prgtoken I certainly urge my colleagues in the House to pass this bipartisan bill to support trade and growth in Texas and New Mexico. I see my good friend Mr. Arrington, and I thank him for his leadership in west Texas. I am glad that we are able to connect Laredo with west Texas and onto New Mexico.
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER FIRST LADY ROSALYNN SMITH CARTER
Barry Loudermilk (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-12-5

I thank my friend from Georgia for yielding the time and for setting up this time to honor the life of Rosalynn Carter. prgtoken I am a native Georgian. I grew up in Georgia. The town I grew up in is represented by my good friend Mr. Scott. prgtoken Where I live now is in north Georgia, in the northern part of the State, and right behind my house as a cemetery where the graves date back to before the Civil War. There are some even as far back as the late 1700s. prgtoken I like to walk through that cemetery and think about the history that is there. As you go to each one of the tombstones there, in most cases, you have a birth date and a date of death, but in between those are the dash. prgtoken As I tell my children, it is not the date you were born that matters nor the date that you die, but it is what you did in that dash that matters. prgtoken The Carters have left an impact on the State of Georgia that has personally impacted me. I remember as Jimmy Carter was the 76th Governor of Georgia and Rosalynn was the First Lady. As has been said here, she was a champion of mental health issues. prgtoken I was a young Cub Scout who actually was on a field trip to visit the Governor's mansion in the State of Georgia in the early 1970s. As a young Cub Scout, I still remember today walking up the steps of the Governor's mansion, and I was met at the front door by Governor Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. prgtoken I still remember what a sweet demeanor she had as she welcomed us into her home, the home of the Governor of the State of Georgia. prgtoken I also remember that as I stretched my hand out and shook her hand, as I pulled it away, she placed in my hand a bag of peanuts. prgtoken If you go to any of the offices in Georgia today, you will find bags of peanuts in our offices. Every time I see a bag of peanuts, I reflect back as a young Cub Scout having a bag of peanuts placed in my hand by Rosalynn Carter. prgtoken I didn't realize that that legacy would continue on as I served in the State Senate. In Georgia, I served with their grandson, Jason Carter. prgtoken Although he was on the other side of the aisle, we became good friends, and we worked closely together. We joked about our political differences, but we focused on the things that we agreed upon, and there were many. prgtoken In fact, when I won my first election for Congress, one of the first calls of congratulation I received was from the Carter family. prgtoken The interaction with the Carters did not end there. Just a few years ago, I was working on a piece of legislation called the BUILD Act. prgtoken The BUILD Act was to reduce government regulation when it comes to zero interest mortgages by charity groups such as Habitat for Humanity. prgtoken When we were working on this bill in the Financial Services Committee, we reached out to the Carters who helped us with this very important piece of legislation, putting partisanship aside with their hearts
Mexico (Executive Session)
Bill Hagerty (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-12-5

I thank Senator Kaine for lending his expertise as a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and, most importantly, as chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. from Virginia for bringing his respected voice to this matter of serious diplomatic concern. As former Governor of his home State of Virginia, he has an acute appreciation of the economic opportunity that exists that is in danger of being destroyed by the illegal actions of the Mexican President. So thank you very much for joining me in this.
TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL ROJAS
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-12-5

Iowans recall the derecho that tore through parts of our State in 2020. The storm hit alongside the COVID- 19 pandemic, when communities faced unprecedented challenges, including stalled school meal programs. Such unforeseen events can disrupt communities. Individuals like Michael Rojas of Polk County step up-- often on a moment's notice and without pause--to keep that from happening. prgtoken Mr. Rojas helped lead FEMA's response to the 2020 derecho, putting to work his expertise from a prior post with Iowa's Habitat for Humanity, where he dealt with tornado and flood damage. During the pandemic, he spearheaded critical plans to address food insecurity in our State. Today, he is a disaster program officer with Volunteer Iowa, which facilitates opportunities for local nonprofits and nearby residents to engage in projects with impacts close to home. prgtoken Iowans who cross paths with Mr. Rojas undoubtedly know his selflessness, ingenuity, and efficacy. By honoring Mr. Rojas on a national scale with its Excellence in Disaster Services Leadership Award, AmeriCorps seems to have hit the nail on the head. I congratulate Mr. Rojas on this well-earned recognition and thank him for his continued, exemplary service to Iowa.
WHAT WE WILL FIGHT FOR
Brandon Williams (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-12-5

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I am pleased to be joined by my wife, who has supported me through this journey. She is in the gallery. prgtoken I will say that I love you because I can do that in real time. prgtoken Judith Kay Alguire was born in Duncan, Oklahoma. Her father was a self-educated carpenter who never finished high school. prgtoken She changed schools frequently as their family chased the postwar housing boom all over the Southwest, and she landed in Roswell, New Mexico, for her senior year in high school. prgtoken She married at 18 and narrowly missed earning a science degree in college. Instead, she took a job as a medical technician while she was 5 months pregnant right here in D.C. to allow her husband to attend law school. prgtoken Working up to the moment of labor and returning to work just 2 weeks later would be par for the course--whatever it takes, family first, never counting the cost. prgtoken What makes Judy remarkable is her powerful intellect. She reads medical journals for fun. Growing up poor, power and wealth don't impress her. Every person is measured by their own merits. prgtoken Raising children made her funny--well, humorous, I mean. Although, you may understandably imagine the effects of five strong personalities and having to care for them. prgtoken Perhaps Judy's most remarkable quality and the source of much of her renown is her generosity. Countless children have attended college, worn shoes, been clothed, and attended summer camp, and an endless number of anonymous blessings have flowed from her heart out to so many. prgtoken Judith Kay Alguire Williams passed from this life into the next just this morning. She passed in peace, and more importantly, she passed into peace. prgtoken I will miss my mom every day, but her humor, intelligence, and I hope her generosity will live on in me and my siblings. God bless her.