mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MORNING BUSINESS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-6-14

I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to Nelson W. Milner, Sr and Clarence R. Milner, Sr. Both men were beloved relatives of former Hartford, CT, mayor Thirman L. Milner, the first elected African-American mayor in New England. They passed away earlier this year and leave extraordinary legacies of thoughtful, compassionate work. prgtoken Nelson was born in Hartford, CT, and was the brother of former Mayor Milner. Upon graduating from high school, he joined the Air Force, serving for 3 years. Stationed in Riverside, CA, Nelson remained in the State with his late wife, Arthurrine, following his service. In the 1980s, Nelson returned to Hartford in support of his brother's mayoral campaign. prgtoken Passionate about serving others, Nelson became an ordained deacon and taught Sunday school. He also played the keyboard with the East Hartford senior center band. Nelson focused his final years on strengthening his relationship with his family, including his 10 children, 5 stepchildren, and many grandchildren and great- grandchildren. He passed away on February 15, 2022, at the age of 90. prgtoken Nelson and Arthurrine's son, Clarence, was born in California. He would go on to have 10 children of his own, as well as 4 stepchildren, 41 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. Clarence dedicated his life to his Christian faith and volunteered as a firefighter. Just like his father, he moved back to Hartford to work on his uncle's mayoral campaign. In addition to supporting his uncle's successful bid to become the city's first African- American mayor, Clarence also committed himself to running several businesses. prgtoken Family was at the heart of everything Clarence did. He was inseparable from his identical twin, Carl, for many years. Clarence met his wife in Hartford and spent as much time as possible with all of his children and grandchildren. He passed away on January 11, 2022, at the age of 64. prgtoken My wife Cynthia and I extend our deepest sympathies to former Mayor Milner and all of Nelson and Clarence's loved ones. May their many wonderful memories of both men provide them solace and comfort in the days ahead. I hope my colleagues will join me in remembering Nelson W. Milner, Sr and Clarence R. Milner, Sr.
RECOGNIZING DR. RONALD A. PAUL
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-6-14

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the thoughtful and visionary leadership of Dr. Ronald A. Paul, the outgoing President of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington. During the last two years of the pandemic, Ron's compassionate and energetic leadership enabled the JCRC to render essential service not just to the Jewish Community but to the broader community during an excruciatingly hard time for so many people. Dr. Paul has served the people of Montgomery County, Maryland and beyond with relentless energy and enormous distinction. I am proud to be his Congressman and his friend. prgtoken For decades, Dr. Paul has dedicated countless hours as a key member of numerous executive committees and boards of local and national non- profit organizations. He served as Chair of the United Jewish Endowment Fund, Chair of the Endowment for the Jewish Agency for Israel of North America and the boards of the Jewish Council for the Aging, and the Anti-Defamation League. prgtoken But these commitments are not even his full-time job. For over four decades, Dr. Paul has worked as a renowned obstetrician-gynecologist while serving our community in numerous volunteer and leadership roles. His comprehensive approach to health care and inspirational leadership are deserving of the highest recognition and praise. Ron has been named one of Washingtonian magazine's Top Doctors. prgtoken Additionally, Dr. Paul and his loving wife, Toni, have dedicated themselves to serving survivors of the Holocaust in our community, and I want to give special recognition to Toni for founding the local Cafe Europa, a nationwide social program for survivors that has grown around the world since it was founded two decades ago. prgtoken Holocaust remembrance and education have been near and dear to Ron during his term as JCRC President, along with community security, and education and public health advocacy. His dedication to Maryland's Jewish community serves as an example for us all of what it means to be an engaged American citizen. I hope that the House will join me in celebrating Dr. Paul's enduring contributions.
RECOVERING AMERICA'S WILDLIFE ACT OF 2021
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-6-14

I would like to note that hunting and angling collectively support over $200 billion in economic activity annually, including over 1.5 million jobs as well as almost $15 billion in Federal tax revenue. prgtoken My home State of Michigan, the Great Lakes State, is home to almost 650,000 licensed hunters and over 1.1 million licensed fishermen and - women as of last year. However, with over 40 percent of freshwater fish at risk, and significant declines in game and nongame species that support local ecosystems, we need RAWA's investments in on-the-ground conservation to support hunting and fishing for future generations, which is why the major sportsmen's groups, like the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and Ducks Unlimited, have endorsed this legislation. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta).
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-6-14

as we speak, the U.S. Senate is working on something not seen since the time we passed the Brady bill I authored nearly three decades ago: a bipartisan effort to draft meaningful gun safety legislation. prgtoken For decades, the rhythms of the gun debate in Congress have followed a dispiriting pattern: a mass shooting takes place somewhere in America, innocent people are slaughtered, families grieve and demand action, but gridlock takes over, and nothing--nothing--gets done. This was the cycle of inaction after Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, Orlando, Charleston, Parkland, El Paso, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and so many others. But after Uvalde and Buffalo, perhaps--perhaps--this time could be different. prgtoken To many Senators on both sides, this debate certainly feels different. With Sunday's announcement of a bipartisan framework for gun legislation, we are further down the road to gun safety reform than we have been in a long time. prgtoken I spoke with Senators Cornyn and Murphy this morning, and they updated me on their progress. They are working with the urgency the situation demands, and they are hopeful the legislative text can be finalized in the coming days. prgtoken I have assured my colleagues that once we get legislative text to a gun safety bill, I will move to hold a vote on the Senate floor as soon as possible. prgtoken I hope that in the very near future, and s can take the real momentum of the past few weeks and translate it into something that has escaped this Chamber for decades: voting on and passing long-sought gun safety reform. prgtoken It is a rare opportunity for the Senate. So in order to reach our goal, we have to keep working with the same urgency and good faith that has carried us this far. prgtoken For sure, the bipartisan framework is far from perfect, but if passed, it will unquestionably save lives and would be the most significant action on guns that the Senate has taken in nearly prgtoken three decades. If passed, it would enhance background checks for those under 21. It will help States with their red flag laws, preventing shootings before they happen. It will make it harder for domestic abusers to acquire a weapon by closing the boyfriend loophole. prgtoken Significantly, this framework also calls for new punishment for gun traffickers. We all know one of the biggest weaknesses in our country's gun laws as they are today is that anyone can buy a gun in one State and then simply smuggle it into another. We could begin to fight against that with stiffer penalties on gun trafficking. prgtoken Of course, this framework will help lower crime and reduce gun violence in our neighborhoods by increasing funding for mental health as well. And even on its own, funding for mental health with great increases in mental health problems that we see after COVID is very much needed. prgtoken Taken together, the policies outlined by the bipartisan framework would be an impo
CELEBRATING THE 245TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2022-6-14

we are here on the cusp of doing something that really tells the fighting men and women who serve in our military all around the world that we have got your back. prgtoken We are here because of what I would say is a great working relationship between the ranking member, Senator Moran, and myself. As I said in the VA Committee earlier, that relationship is going to continue regardless, and the reason is because, in this place, there is something that is missing, and it is called trust. And I trust Senator Moran. We have been through this for the last year and a half and even longer. prgtoken When you were chairman of the committee, many of the bills that are in this package, you oversaw their passage out of committee. prgtoken But because negotiations continue and because I still believe, even though this process is very broken--we both know that--I still believe that we are going to be able to come to something that both of us can agree on with amendments through our leadership--by the way, we would agree on something anyway--but through our leadership. That is why I am objecting to your motion. prgtoken I object.
UNIVERSAL MEAL PROGRAM
Katie Porter (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-6-14

when the pandemic closed schools and left millions of children without meals they needed, our government took action. Emergency waivers eliminated income caps and gave meal providers flexibility in delivering food. prgtoken Even now, with schools reopened, these waivers are getting healthy meals to children without burying families under mountains of paperwork, but these provisions are set to expire on June 30. prgtoken As 97 percent of meal providers like schools struggle to pay soaring food prices, these protections should be strengthened, not stopped. prgtoken This year, California became the first State to provide free meals to any student. Offering no-cost meals to everyone, regardless of income, helps resources reach the kids who need them most. prgtoken This will also help California's kids in schools perform better. Free meals contribute to better attendance, fewer nurse visits, and higher test scores. California's universal meal program will benefit schools and families. The Nation should follow our example. Taking Action on Climate Change
RECOVERING AMERICA'S WILDLIFE ACT OF 2021
Raúl M. Grijalva (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2022-6-14

I rise in support of H.R. 2773, Recovering America's Wildlife Act. I thank Representative Dingell and her colleagues that have worked diligently on this legislation for a considerable amount of time. prgtoken In the midst of the species extinction crisis that we have, accelerated climate change, the loss of biodiversity, droughts, the wildfires that we just heard about, it is important to note that this legislation was built from the ground up; 1,800 organizations, as diverse as Duke Energy on one side of the political spectrum and the Environmental Defense Fund on the other side, both agreeing that the approach of this legislation is the right approach; 180-plus cosponsors represented in a bipartisan fashion. prgtoken This bill before us today will transform the state of wildlife conservation in our country. prgtoken As we know, America's wildlife faces numerous threats, including habitat loss, pollution, climate change, wildfire, drought, invasive species, and emerging diseases. prgtoken It provides a historic $1.3 billion of dedicated funding for States and territories and $97 million for Tribes to assist in their efforts to conserve, restore, and protect wildlife and habitat each year. prgtoken With that protection comes the resiliency for habitat and the overall resiliency for communities and our environment. prgtoken In the long run, this investment will save taxpayers money. It creates jobs, promotes tourism, and provides safety and resilience to those communities across our country. prgtoken Through habitat conservation and restoration, this bill makes habitats and communities much more resilient to the ongoing and accelerated issue of climate change. This is an important piece of legislation for each and every State, territory, and Tribe in our country, and I urge my colleagues to support it. prgtoken My friends on the other side of the aisle, my colleagues are fiscal conservatives when they are not in the majority. When they are in the majority, that is not the pattern of behavior. prgtoken At the present time, nothing should be done is what is being preached: prgtoken Nothing should be done about the climate crisis. prgtoken Nothing should be done about wildlife extinction. prgtoken Nothing should be done about January 6 and our democracy. That was merely a mirage, a walk in the park that we should all forget. prgtoken Nothing should be done about our children and the danger that they are exposed to in our very schools. prgtoken Nothing should be done about the rising healthcare costs and prescription drug costs. prgtoken We can't do anything because of inflation and the rising gas prices, so the best thing to do is to do nothing. prgtoken Well, my colleagues, I support H.R. 2773 because it does something. It does something in a bipartisan, comprehensive way. If my colleagues want to talk prgtoken about climate change, if they want to talk about droughts, if they want to talk about wildfire, if they
HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021-- Continued
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2022-6-14

. I have been listening with interest to my two distinguished colleagues discuss this measure, referring to it repeatedly as ``governing American energy.'' But, of course, what it really governs is fossil fuel energy. That is the intention here, and that is the result. prgtoken Let's start with a basic factual proposition, which is that the price of oil is set by oil companies. prgtoken In a market economy, the producer of a product chooses the price. And what has happened in this instance is that the oil industry has chosen to depart from market economics, to depart from the costs that were the same just a few years ago, and instead to follow upward the international cartel that our oil industry is a part of. prgtoken This international cartel has driven world oil prices extremely high. And American oil companies have chosen--have chosen--to follow that price, raise the prices at the pump, punish American drivers, in order to blow out their profits. prgtoken We know that this is true because the companies themselves are reporting unprecedented profits--massive profits. We know they are not tracking the cost of production at a reasonable profit because their profits have soared as they have chosen--chosen--to pursue this international cartel price and punish American drivers. It is their choice. prgtoken And then they have the colossal nerve to take their choice, what they have done to American drivers, and then start using that for leverage to try to get other fossil fuel industry prerogatives accomplished politically. prgtoken And let me say, don't be mad at the gas station owner. The gas station owner is not the one who is jacking up the prices. For a lot of gas station owners, they don't even make money on the gas. You have got to go in and buy a coffee or snacks to have them make money. prgtoken Your local gas station is not the problem with these prices. The problem is Chevron, Exxon, Marathon, all of the big oil companies that have chosen to drive gas prices through the roof so they can fill their pockets with profit, so they can prepare for the fact that their product has got an end point. prgtoken We can't keep polluting the Earth the way we are with the emissions of fossil fuel. I noticed that neither of my colleagues mentioned that this fossil fuel actually gets burned. We don't eat it; we burn it. And when we burn it, it emits CO2 and other gases, and we are seeing the effect of that all over the planet. prgtoken Pollution increases. CO2 levels continue to increase. We constantly set new records for CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Heat increases. We are heating the ocean so fast--there is a new term that we have, a new term of measurement, a ``zettajoule.'' Do you know what a zettajoule is? A joule is a unit of heat energy measurement. A zettajoule is that unit with 21 zeros after it. It is an enormous number. All of the fossil fuel burned by all of the people across this entire planet amounts to less tha
RECOVERING AMERICA'S WILDLIFE ACT OF 2021
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-6-14

I thank Representative Dingell for the time and for her great work on this landmark bipartisan legislation, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, or RAWA, as we call it. prgtoken This is a bright spot amidst so many problems facing our Nation. As our constituents are well aware, the climate crisis and other human impacts have dramatically harmed our Nation's wildlife, and, in fact, State agencies have identified 12,000 wildlife species that are in need of conservation assistance. In the United States alone, there are currently 1,300 species that are either threatened or endangered. If we fail to act, these profound and irreversible losses will continue to have devastating ecosystem impacts. prgtoken States, territories, and Tribes are doing great work to address threats to wildlife, but their conservation efforts have been chronically underfunded for decades. This stream of dedicated funding from RAWA is a lifeline for local wildlife agencies. prgtoken This bill also provides local governments the resources to address key elements impacting biodiversity loss such as wildfire and drought which are worsening as the climate crisis accelerates. RAWA lays the groundwork for wildfire threat mitigation on a number of fronts, including managing vegetation and creating wildlife-friendly fire management plans on the front end, performing emergency rescues during the fires, and restoring critical habitat after fires. prgtoken RAWA funding will also allow local communities to restore habitats that have been harmed by drought and protect vulnerable ecosystems from further damage because we know these drought conditions are going to continue. prgtoken We cannot lose sight of the cultural implications of this legislation. The funding in this bill for Tribal nations to recover fish and wildlife is critical to protecting the species that have been integral to their cultures since time immemorial. Biodiversity is declining at a rate not seen since the last mass extinction. Tackling this crisis simply cannot wait. prgtoken As chairman of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee, I am incredibly glad to see this bill on the floor today with strong bipartisan support--42 cosponsors, and 152 . prgtoken Madam , I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
RECOGNIZING THE STEWART INDIAN SCHOOL CULTURAL CENTER AND MUSEUM
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2022-6-14

I come forward today to recognize the grand opening of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum. Three miles south of Carson City, the Stewart Indian School opened in 1890 with the official purpose of addressing Indigenous education. In reality, students were made to forget their Native languages and were allowed little to no contact with family members for decades, thereby destroying important cultural and social connections. Today, Stewart Indian School is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains open as an important educational and historic landmark in Nevada. prgtoken After its closing in 1982, the State of Nevada assumed the property and began taking steps to reconcile its painful history with our community. Most notably, it returned 130 acres of land to the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Since then, the Nevada Indian Commission has worked hard to preserve the history and stories of its alumni. In 2008, it helped establish a self-guided walking tour of the campus, and in 2015, it worked with the Nevada State Legislature to secure funding for a museum director and curator for the location. With the help of volunteers and staff, members of this museum have worked hard to record and display only some of the 30,000 Stewart Indian School alumni stories, with many members being alumni or descendants themselves. prgtoken On May 11 of this year, the U.S. Interior Department released the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report that summarized the treatment of Indigenous children in over 400 boarding schools across the country. The report unveils heartbreaking findings. Many of these children were taken from their communities and were forced to attend these schools. While there, they often faced rampant emotional, sexual, and physical abuse. The report also makes it clear that, from the beginning, these schools were designed to strip children of their Indigenous identities. The resulting trauma impacted families for generations, and some parents went as far as refusing to teach their children their Native language or ways of life for fear that they too would be severely punished in school for expressing themselves. Stewart Indian School stands here today as one of these former 408 boarding schools. prgtoken I would like to commend the efforts of the Nevada Indian Commission, of museum directors and staff, and of alumni and their descendants who have made the official grand opening of the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum possible. It is important that we recognize the history of our community and acknowledge the testimonies of all those who continue to endure the pain and loss that resulted from decades of separation and cultural erasure. Finally, thank you to all of those who bravely shared and publicized their stories so that we may learn a bit more and work to never forget.
CONGRATULATING JAMES RASMUSSEN ON HIS RETIREMENT AFTER MANY YEARS OF SERVICE AS A STRONG COMMUNITY LEADER
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2022-6-14

. Madam , I rise to congratulate James Rasmussen on his retirement. James has served as a strong community leader working on environmental, habitat, and community issues along the Duwamish River. prgtoken My staff and I have had the pleasure of working with James for several years. He has played an important role serving his community as part of the Duwamish Tribe and the Duwamish River Community Coalition. prgtoken James has been an extremely effective advocate for the cleanup of the Duwamish River. He has also been a fierce supporter of the river's nearby communities and has served as a tireless and committed advocate for decades in our region. His efforts and dedication have been invaluable in support of the protection of the Duwamish River. His work will help to ensure that the river is restored for future generations. prgtoken Madam , I sincerely thank and commend James Rasmussen for spending his career focused on the protection and cleanup of the Duwamish River. I congratulate him on a well-deserved retirement.