mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-12-14

I rise today to bring recognition to the city of Savannah, Georgia, as it was named among the best places to retire by Southern Living. prgtoken This travel publication considered numerous factors such as cost of living, home values, hospitality, accessibility, and others. Savannah was even nicknamed the ``Hostess City of the South.'' prgtoken The city was highlighted for its arts and culture, as well as its historic charm. Being an important asset to the city, the Savannah College of Art and Design fills nearly 70 buildings downtown and hosts an annual sidewalk arts festival named ``Chalk of the Town.'' prgtoken However, there is much more beyond this incredible culture. The city dates back all the way to 1733, which shines through the carefully preserved historic buildings, roads, and homes. prgtoken Savannah offers trolley rides through picturesque squares, as well as dozens of historic cemeteries. The city holds the key to the most excellent quality of life. prgtoken The city is my home. It is where I have lived all my life, and I am so very proud of the city of Savannah.
CRISIS AT THE BORDER
David G. Valadao (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-12-14

I thank the gentleman from Arizona for yielding. prgtoken What we are seeing at our southern border is a humanitarian and national security crisis. Earlier this year, I was at the border with my colleague from Arizona to see the situation on the ground firsthand. prgtoken Our Border Patrol agents are overwhelmed by the surge of migrants from around the world, and we need to give them more support. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration has sent a clear message that our southern border is open for business for drug smuggling and human trafficking. The flow of illegal drugs, guns, and human traffickers has a direct impact on the people from the Central Valley. prgtoken I just held a teletownhall this week, and one of the issues that came up the most was the situation at our border and concerns with fentanyl. prgtoken We must take action to combat the loss of life from illegal drugs, like fentanyl, which are flowing across our open border at an alarming rate. The House has passed legislation this year to increase the number of Border Patrol agents, deploy new drone and surveillance technologies, and restore construction of the border wall. These are commonsense measures that would go a long way to ensure our Border Patrol agents have the tools they need to deal with the crisis. prgtoken For too long, extremes on both sides of the aisle have discouraged real and meaningful discussion regarding border security and immigration reform. We need to secure the border and make reforms to our broken immigration system. We won't be able to make these reforms or find compromise with the current humanitarian and national security crisis we have at the border today. prgtoken I will continue working with my colleagues to find common ground for reforming our broken immigration system and to secure our border.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2670, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-12-14

. Madam , my friend from Florida (Mr. Gaetz), who is a member of the Armed Service Committee, knows very well there are hundreds of provisions in this bill that are good for our servicemembers, in addition to the 5.2 percent pay raise, which is the biggest in 20 years. prgtoken With regard to the individuals who had to leave the service because of COVID, this bill provides a pathway for them to get back into the service without a rank punishment. prgtoken There is much in this bill that he knows is good. To characterize it as only having the pay raise as the reason to vote for it is disappointing. prgtoken Madam , I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher), a real leader on the Armed Services Committee. He is the chairman of the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee.
CONGRATULATING LIBERTY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FOOTBALL TEAM
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-12-14

I rise to congratulate the Liberty Christian Academy Bulldogs for their monumental victory in the VHSL 3A State championship football game. prgtoken On December 9, the Lynchburg-based LCA Bulldogs defeated the Lafayette Rams 28-14 to finish their season with a perfect 14-0 record and earn their first VHSL State football title. prgtoken This was a history-making moment, coming 9 years after LCA filed an antitrust complaint against the VHSL, seeking to permit themselves and other private schools to join the league. The VHSL ultimately settled and agreed to allow any private school to apply for membership, providing a major victory for all student athletes in private schools across the Commonwealth. prgtoken Now, just 8 years after they began competing in the predominantly public school league, LCA reached the pinnacle with their State championship. prgtoken The LCA Bulldogs and Coach Frank Rocco have made their school, the Lynchburg community, and Virginia's Fifth District exceptionally proud. prgtoken I am honored to represent such a phenomenal group of student athletes in Congress, and I congratulate them on this incredible achievement.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2670, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
Dale W. Strong (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-12-14

. Madam , I rise in support of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken Madam , I commend Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership, and I thank both sides of the aisle for their vigorous debate while working together to create a bill that is focused on the defense and security of our Nation. prgtoken The NDAA passed through the House Armed Services Committee by a vote of 59-1. This shows that s and can work together to solve our Nation's problems. This committee put national security first and set an example on how to bring a bipartisan bill to the United States House floor. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support the fiscal year 2024 NDAA on behalf of our Nation and the American warfighter.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 3533 (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-12-14

look, I understand Senator Wyden's point of view. I don't think he meant this, but I don't want to leave anyone with the impression that he didn't know about this bill and that all of my colleagues didn't know about this bill. prgtoken We have something called a hotline. And when we have a bill and we want to try to move it on the floor, we, through this hotline, notify well in advance every Senator: Hey, Kennedy is coming to the floor at this time, on this day, with his bill. If you object to it, you can come down and object. prgtoken That hotline was sent to Senator Wyden. It was sent to all the other 98 of my colleagues. It was sent to every single Senator, and we do hotlines every day. prgtoken So if he was surprised, I am sorry. But that is between him and his staff. prgtoken Point two, I appreciate Senator Wyden's point of view. He is a smart gentleman. He is smart enough to know this has nothing to do with wealthy tax cheats. This has to do with safe seafood for the American people. prgtoken The bill would have cost $36 million. It would come from the IRS. No Senator voted for it. My ic colleagues gave the IRS $80 billion extra--$80 billion extra--to go out and audit the American people. This will take $36 million of it to make sure that they are still alive when the IRS audits them because they may not be eating dangerous shrimp full of antibiotics. prgtoken Does the IRS need all $80 billion? Of course not. How do I know that? Don't take Kennedy's word for it. Take the word of the gentleman who asked us to pass the bill: President . He has already told us the IRS doesn't need the full $80 billion. He offered up $20 billion to us for this year's budget to spend on other things. prgtoken So the idea that the world is going to spin off its axis--and wealthy tax cheats and all of this other foolishness--is just not accurate. I say that with all respect to my colleague, Senator Wyden. prgtoken I will be back. For $36 million, we can protect the American people. I can promise you that the seafood board will spend that money better than the Internal Revenue Service. That is faint praise, but I can promise you that will happen. prgtoken My final point, I appreciate the opportunity to present this bill. Be careful what you eat, particularly if it is imported seafood. I am not kidding you. If you are eating seafood, given the statistics, you are probably eating foreign seafood, and this stuff can be dangerous. I mean it. Some of this product has enough antibiotics in it that you will grow an extra ear. And you don't want that. prgtoken The best way to be safe is to eat domestic seafood--good old American seafood. But if you don't, if you are going to eat foreign seafood, be very, very careful. prgtoken I will be back with a very commonsense approach to try to solve that problem, and I am sorry we couldn't do it today. prgtoken Thank you, , for your time, and I thank S
FAREWELL TO SPEAKER EMERITUS KEVIN McCARTHY
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-12-14

I thank the dean, Mr. Calvert, and my colleagues from California for their kind words. I am so very proud and appreciative of my friends for coming. prgtoken , I thank the constituents for giving me this opportunity to serve them. To America, I loved every single day. prgtoken Less than 13,000 people have ever been given the privilege or the honor to serve in this body. prgtoken To those colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I thank them for the work they have done. We may disagree at times--I disagreed with the vote on this one, too, but one thing I think we must quite understand and the advice I can give is, do not be fearful if you believe your philosophy brings people more freedom. Do not be fearful that you could lose your job over it. prgtoken I knew the day we decided to make sure to choose to pay our troops, while war was breaking out, instead of shutting down, was the right decision. I also knew a few would make a motion because somehow they disagreed with that decision. Do it anyway. I would do it all again. prgtoken However, there is so much we were able to accomplish in a short amount of time. I watched a short clip the other day of a quote of mine: ``I had the privilege of being leader for 5 years and I think about did I leave this place better than I received it?'' prgtoken I remember sitting where Congressman Calvert was and it was the state of the Union. The had won the majority. I was elected minority leader while another colleague from my State, Nancy Pelosi, was elected . prgtoken I watched the stand up and they were very diverse. They looked like America. I watched us stand up. We had lost the majority. I say we looked like one of the most restricted country clubs in America. I thought at that moment I could be the leader of a declining party, or I could focus on what I know brought me to this party: Conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that we are all equal. prgtoken I would take that message to places people didn't think they would vote for a . The California delegation at that time was pretty small, and, yes, it was competitive having the from California. She would put out that she was going to win a lot more seats in California. However, I am proud to say in those election cycles, we picked up five more seats in California. That is larger than our overall majority. We picked up five more in New York, Oregon, and Arizona. And in that same timeframe, the party I loved lost in the Senate, both cycles, lost the Presidency, but we won. What is the secret? It is the quality of the candidate. prgtoken I looked at Young Kim, Michelle Steel, John Duarte, and David Valadao. These are unbelievable seats that that idea wins in. I look at our party today and it doesn't look like it did 5 years ago. We were winning in places you haven't seen before. When I look to the future, I think it is much brighter. Why? Because the ideas are different. <|
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2670, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-14

. the balance of my time to close. prgtoken Madam , another point that I think merits observation is that, as we speak, with the 18 days remaining, the Senate, rather than working on ensuring that we get a better NDAA--but, more importantly in this context because that process is kind of played out--rather than figuring out how we are going to deal with FISA and reform it to make sure Americans' civil liberties are protected, we have the Senate in negotiations with the White House on figuring out what crumbs can be given for border security to be attached to Ukraine funding while Zelenskyy is paraded around Washington trying to demand more money for Ukraine when our border is wide-open. prgtoken So the Senate has plenty of time to hold themselves here in negotiation with the White House so we can beg for crumbs for the protection of our sovereignty and security of the people of Texas and the people of this country, but we don't have time to figure out how to fix FISA. It is pretty extraordinary. It is pretty extraordinary. prgtoken In the meantime, in this very bill is $600 million authorized for Ukraine. Now, I am actually not personally all that troubled by those provisions. We supported them in the authorization bill in July, but I would note, importantly, to my colleagues on this side of the aisle, a majority of s opposed an amendment for the continuation of that funding to Ukraine in a September vote on the floor. prgtoken A majority of s opposed that funding, and, yet, we are authorizing it here on the back of a number of provisions that we don't support and on the back of FISA being piled on the top of that Defense authorization bill. For the life of me, I do not understand why this is how s think we should end the year heading out for Christmas. prgtoken Madam , in closing, we have come to the floor today on a bill that all of us want to see passed. Every single one of us wants to pass a National Defense Authorization Act. Every single one of us wants to ensure that our men and women in uniform are paid appropriately, have the tools they need to carry out their job, have the care they need when they get home, and that we do our job. Every single one of us wants to make sure that we do that. prgtoken Nevertheless, we are doing a terrible disservice to the people of this country by piling on an extension of a FISA regime that was abused--notably and clearly abused--against American citizens without reforming that piece of legislation by kicking the can down the road and by extending it not just through April but through April of 2025. prgtoken A vote for this bill is not just a bill for pay raises and support for our men and women in uniform. A vote for this bill is a perpetuation of the woke policies undermining our military, breaking down morale, driving down recruiting, and now undermining the civil liberties of the American people by not reforming FISA. <|p|
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 1147 (Executive Calendar)
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-12-14

today I rise to ask unanimous consent that the Senate pass H.R. 1147, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. prgtoken But before I start talking, I just want to take a quick drink of this superdelicious milk. prgtoken Here is to the dairy farmers of Kansas and across the entire country. prgtoken Now, a fun fact: Besides water, milk is the only beverage allowed here on the Senate floor. And, as you all know, milk is the most delicious, most nutritious wholesome drink known to humankind. There is nothing that has ever been made anything like it. prgtoken Now, milk is pretty special to me, and you might ask why. And it is pretty simple. prgtoken My dad grew up on a dairy, where they milked Holstein cows every morning, every day of the year, 365 days a year. And I remember, all the way through high school, my grandma still milking cows. prgtoken When your grandma milks cows, you get to have milk for breakfast, for lunch, for supper. Even in school, we got to have milk and a little snack at 10 a.m and I was one of the lucky kids who got two cartons of milk every lunch. prgtoken And I just learned--I didn't know this. I just assumed that this is what everyone was doing--that if you didn't leave whole milk out for Santa Claus, then he wouldn't leave you presents. prgtoken Now, whole milk helps to keep growing kids and adults healthy and strong because it has 13 essential nutrients packed into one drink. And because of the fat content, specifically in whole milk, it promotes the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. prgtoken Now, as an obstetrician, I can't stress enough the importance of drinking whole milk during pregnancy. It helps you have healthy babies. It helps with breastfeeding. It helps us all to grow strong bones. prgtoken Now, science has also shown that milk consumption provides additional positive health outcomes. It lowers blood pressure. It reduces risk of cardiovascular disease and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. prgtoken As medical costs skyrocket and the obesity epidemic worsens, I rise today to set the record straight: Milk is part of the solution; it is not part of the problem. prgtoken Now, many fingers have been pointed at the dairy industry, and millions of lobbying dollars have been invested in making lawmakers believe that milk is the enemy. Anti-dairy policies have resulted in decreased milk consumption and, ironically, in an increase in negative health outcomes. prgtoken In fact, the most recent ``Dietary Guidelines for Americans'' cites calcium, potassium, and vitamin D as three of the top four underconsumed nutrients that Americans are deficient in. Well, guess what is rich in those same nutrients? Well, of course, it is milk. All of those deficiencies can be resolved with an increase in milk consumption, and that is why I recommend at least a glass of whole milk every day. prgtoken No other food or drink has the ability to pack that kind of nutritional punch--none. Bu
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 6503 (Executive Session)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-14

early in his remarks, the Senator from Colorado said the last time he and I were on this floor debating was when I had shut down the government and he was stepping forward to save those who had been shut down. Now, that would be entirely accurate if my name were Chuck Schumer; but since it is not, what the Senator from Colorado said is blatantly, objectively false. prgtoken The last time he and I were doing this, the date was January 24, 2019. We were in the midst of the Schumer shutdown. Chuck Schumer and the had forced a shutdown. The Government was shut down, and there was a particularly unfair aspect of that shutdown, which is that Congress had voted to fund the military--the Army, the Navy, the Marines, and the Air Force--but the Coast Guards had been left out because the Coast Guards are not in DOD, they had been left out. On January 24, 2019, Senator Sullivan and I came down to this floor to seek equity for the Coast Guard, to simply say: Pay our Coast Guardsmen the same as our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines--and the Senator from Colorado stood up and objected. So understand, what he just said is exactly opposite of what happened. prgtoken Our Coast Guardsmen went weeks in 2019 without being paid during that shutdown because the Senator from Colorado objected to their getting a paycheck. And during his remarks on that day, he jumped up and down and screamed at me and insulted me to great fanfare. And I think he was proud of his performance, because he then put it in his launch email for his Presidential campaign that ``I screamed at Cruz.'' prgtoken Now, I suppose I should feel mildly offended that that was not a persuasive argument in the ic primary and he got maybe a percent. prgtoken That was the last contest: shutting down the Coast Guard where the Senator from Colorado was responsible for tens of thousands of Coast Guardsmen not getting their paychecks. prgtoken Understand where we are today. Today, the question is, does the FAA stay open or not? And once again, the Senator from Colorado is the shutdown Senator. The FAA extension would pass had he not said those two words ``I object.'' prgtoken Now, we heard from the Senator from Colorado a long discourse on Ukraine. You know, remarkably missing from that discourse was acknowledgment that responsibility for the war in Ukraine falls very directly on the White House, on Senate , and on the Senator from Colorado in particular who played a direct role in causing the war in Ukraine. prgtoken Now, how is that? prgtoken Putin did not wake up yesterday wanting to invade Ukraine. He has wanted to invade Ukraine for years. He did so in the year 2014. He invaded Crimea in the southern portion of Ukraine. But he stopped. He did not go into the full country. prgtoken Why? Because Russia's major source of revenue is selling oil and gas, and the natural gas pipelines run right through the middle of Ukraine. H
BOLSTERING MILK CONSUMPTION
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-12-14

last night, in a bipartisan manner, the House passed my legislation, Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. This bill addresses the importance of providing whole milk in school cafeterias. prgtoken It is proven that milk is the number one provider of 13 essential nutrients, as well as a great deal of long-term health benefits, including better bone health, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. These benefits are crucial for the healthy development of our Nation's youth. prgtoken Over the years, milk has been unfairly demonized, leading to the loss of nearly an entire generation of milk drinkers. This bill will give children a wide variety of milk options and bolster milk consumption, a win-win for growing children and America's dairy farmers. prgtoken , farmers feed, nutrition matters, and whole milk heals. It is time to follow the science and allow whole milk back into school cafeterias. I call on my Senate colleagues to bring this bill to the floor and pass this critical legislation.
TACKLING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-12-14

I know my colleague has been covering a lot of very important subjects here. I know he is frequently in the area of immigration and the invasion of our border, so I appreciate Mr. Grothman's strong efforts on highlighting that so the American people understand. prgtoken It really boils down to when we are looking at the border invasion that we have quite a battle. I do not understand why the White House is simply sitting by watching it happen, even having personnel propping the gates open to allow this to happen. prgtoken We do not understand fully who is coming in. It is not just people from Mexico or even Central America. There is a lot of very dangerous people coming across the border. They apprehend many people on the known terrorist or mayhem list, at the very least, and I wonder whose side are they on. Whose side is the administration on when they allow this to happen? Whether it is the drugs coming across, the fentanyl, the people who are setting up and going to be the potential terrorist cells that are going to hit this country at some point, and we see all these protests going on over Palestine. prgtoken , they are just waiting for the green light on this. It is completely irresponsible and antithetical to the constitutional vows we take what is going on with the administration and their nonenforcement of the border. Much work needs to be done.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2670, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-12-14

that is why we tried to do it before the motion was made. I am questioning how can a Member exercise his rights under the rules to raise objections when the rule clearly says it must be done before the commencement of debate. Now we are told that once a measure has been called up and the motion has been made, we can't make the inquiries or challenge the properness of the conference report.