mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONGRATULATING RON WILES ON HIS RETIREMENT
Daniel T. Kildee (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , today I rise to honor Grand Blanc Township chief of police Ron Wiles as he retires after 26 years of service on the police force. prgtoken In his quarter century serving Grand Blanc Township, Chief Wiles has been an incredible champion for community policing, bringing law enforcement and the community together keeping mid-Michigan residents safe from crime. prgtoken Chief Wiles is an important member of the Genesee County Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust, or ALPACT, a forum where community leaders and law enforcement come together to develop public safety solutions for crime. prgtoken Chief Wiles is also well-recognized as a figure across Michigan law enforcement. Recently, he completed an outstanding term as president of the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. prgtoken Chief Wiles has also served on the Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Commission; and in March, Chief Wiles was appointed by Governor Whitmer to serve on the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards where he will continue working to better the law enforcement profession and keep Michiganians safe. prgtoken I personally thank Chief Wiles for his service to our community, for our work together on behalf of mid-Michigan. Grand Blanc Township has been blessed by his presence, and I congratulate him on his retirement.
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OF 2022
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-7-29

26 souls, including 20 babies massacred at Sandy Hook Elementary School. prgtoken Parkland, Buffalo, Uvalde; the common denominator, an AR-15-style assault weapon, the weapon of choice. prgtoken Eight of the 10 deadliest mass shootings involved an assault weapon. We cannot be numb to this needless violence. It is long past time for us to act. prgtoken In Connecticut, the tragedy at Sandy Hook changed our lives forever. These are unspeakable tragedies. They are avoidable tragedies; and they are happening in our schools, our grocery stores, our places of worship. prgtoken The legislation before us today will reduce the prevalence of assault weapons, ban the purchase of assault weapons, get them off of our streets, make our communities safer, protect our children, save their lives. prgtoken Is that not the noblest of goals, to save lives? We have the opportunity to do that in this body today. Enough is enough.
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OF 2022
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-7-29

. And still I rise, . I rise to announce that I will vote for this legislation, and I will do so because I know that there are 19 babies who were murdered at Robb Elementary School in Texas who will never have the right to vote. prgtoken I rise to vote for it because there are two teachers who were murdered who will never have the opportunity to seek the future that was theirs. prgtoken I rise because we have a Governor in the State of Texas who could have saved all of those lives if he had but only, after the shooting at Walmart that took 23 lives, passed legislation such as what we are passing today. prgtoken I rise because I don't want the blood of the next person murdered with an AR-15-type weapon on my hands.
RARE KIDNEY DISEASE WEEK
Theodore E. Deutch (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the designation of July 18 to July 22, 2022, as Rare Kidney Disease Week. prgtoken Too often, rare kidney diseases are life-threatening, lack effective treatments, are difficult to diagnose. Many individuals who are diagnosed with a rare kidney disease--particularly communities of color, which are disproportionately burdened by disease--rapidly progress to end-stage kidney disease, kidney failure, and the need for a kidney transplant. Meanwhile, there has been little to no innovation in treatment for kidney disease patients since the 1960s--a time when the use of dialysis and immunosuppressants became commonplace. prgtoken This lack of innovation makes Rare Kidney Disease Week especially crucial for spreading awareness. Increased awareness of rare kidney diseases will encourage accurate and early diagnosis, help prevent the need for dialysis and kidney transplant, and support both public and private efforts to develop effective diagnostics and cures. prgtoken It is with high expectations that Rare Kidney Disease Week is observed nationally for years to come, providing hope for and shedding light upon the rare kidney disease community. prgtoken Once again, I am pleased to recognize July 18 through July 22, 2022, as Rare Kidney Disease Week.
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OF 2022
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2022-7-29

this has been an interesting debate. prgtoken The cumulative debate from the side has been Members who have been wanting to show their intimate knowledge of weapons. It is almost a fetishism with weapons, something that only Freud would properly understand and be able to explain to the American people. prgtoken They have talked about hands being dangerous and knives being dangerous, prgtoken but hands and knives and other weapons that they discussed don't kill people in volume and number like AR-15s do. prgtoken The CIA did a study and said that even shots to extremities all made fatal impacts on people. The AR-15 is an outgrowth of a military weapon that was designed for military use. The AR-15 is a weapon that destroys people's bodies and kills them quickly. It should not be allowed in a civilized, safe society, particularly for children and for people in the general public. prgtoken , I urge passage of the bill.
HONORING MIKE JORDAN
Robin L. Kelly (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , today we honor the hard work and dedication of Illinoisan Mike Jordan. prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan is retiring from his position on July 31, 2022 after serving as a State Farm Insurance agent for 43 years in Chicago's South Suburbs; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan has been uplifted throughout his career by his wife, Patricia, and daughter Allison; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan always greets people with a smile on his face, a bounce in his step, and an eagerness to offer whatever help he can; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan is active in his local community of Park Forest, striving to improve the village by serving on the community's Economic Development Advisory Group as the Vice Chairperson and as a member of the St. Irenaeus Catholic Parish Finance Committee; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan's relationship with former President led him to encourage the former President to pursue the Presidency; and was active in former President 's campaigns for U.S. Senator and his two runs for the Presidency; prgtoken Whereas, he has always sought to exceed his clients' highest expectations, including by visiting a business owner's business to inquire about storm and rain damage before the business owner had time to initiate a request for service; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan kindly offered a ride home to a client after the client was involved in a late-night automobile accident; and the client said ``It's not the policy. I just have the best insurance agent in the world!''; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan is humble about his widespread influence on his community and his church, and serves as a mentor and advisor to many fortunate people across the United States; prgtoken Whereas, he has positively impacted so many people's lives and helped countless families; prgtoken Whereas, Mike Jordan ends every conversation in which he is engaged with an expression of gratitude; and now, therefore, be it prgtoken Resolved, By the House of Representatives of the United States of America that the hard work and service of Mike Jordan be remembered and honored.
ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OF 2022
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-7-29

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his great leadership. prgtoken , each year, more children die from gun violence than any other cause--cancer, auto accidents, or any other cause. prgtoken Our Nation has watched in unspeakable horror as assault weapons have been used in massacre after massacre in communities across the country. prgtoken Disturbingly, so many of these mass shootings have targeted our precious children in their schools, at the movies, at the malls, and throughout our communities. prgtoken That is why I rise today in strong support of reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban Act, a long overdue step to get deadly weapons off our streets. prgtoken Make no mistake, we know that an assault weapon ban can work because it has worked before. For 10 years--from 1994 to 2004--our families were protected by a strong assault weapons ban strongly championed in the Senate by then-Senator, now-President . Chuck Schumer led the way over here; Dianne Feinstein in the Senate. I was a relatively new Member of Congress who was whipping for this legislation. It made us all very proud. More importantly, it saved many lives. prgtoken During that time, we witnessed gun crime with assault weapons drop by up to 40 percent. Let me repeat, gun violence with assault weapons reduced by 40 percent. Meanwhile, since the ban expired, the number of mass shooting deaths has grown by nearly 500 percent. prgtoken It is particularly sickening to now see these same deadly weapons-- are you ready for this--being marketed to children. Here is an advertisement for a JR-15 designed to be a so-called ``smaller, safer, lighter'' version of the horrific AR-15, which has been used to murder so many of their playmates and friends. Look at this, these little skulls with ponytails on it. prgtoken The manufacturers stated that their ``goal was to develop a shooting platform that was not only sized correctly . . . but also looks, feels, and operates just like mom and dad's gun.'' Mom and dad's gun. They used that expression. prgtoken Indeed, gunmaker WEE1 Tactical launched the JR-15 and said: ``we are so excited to start capturing the imagination of the next generation.'' prgtoken Indeed, this callousness is disgusting. It is despicable, and it reminds us that the crisis of gun violence requires action. prgtoken To the families who are survivors and have suffered from gun violence, we have said over and over again, we will not stop until the job is done. We thank them for sharing their sorrow to help prevent others from suffering in that way. They have turned their agony into action. prgtoken Now, whether we are saying we are going from Newtown to Uvalde and everything in between and since, there are so many deaths, so much sorrow, so much hope that we would get the job done. They are responsible for our bringing this legislation to the floor. Their outside mobilization, their advocacy with great intellectual integrity has made all the
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL COMPLETION ACT
Steven Horsford (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam Chair, it is great to see the gentlewoman in the chair. I thank Chairman Grijalva for bringing this important bill to the floor, and I applaud the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Neguse), my friend and colleague, for leading this legislation. prgtoken Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5118, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act. prgtoken As a native of Las Vegas, I grew up with frequent trips to Lake Mead, which is part of my district. That is why it is heartbreaking to see levels at Lake Mead at their lowest point since the reservoir was first filled in 1937. It is currently only 27 percent full. prgtoken Madam Chair, Nevada and much of the U.S. West has experienced a very hot and dry summer, fueling drought and even fires in some areas. prgtoken In this year's appropriation bill, we secured $6 million for the Lake Mead/Las Vegas Wash program to directly address the falling water levels, and this legislation, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act, will further address some of the issues being caused by this heat and drought. prgtoken This package represents 49 individual Member bills, bringing together many great ideas and solutions to the problem. prgtoken Madam Chair, it establishes new hiring authorities and minimum basic pay for the brave men and women who serve as wildland firefighters. prgtoken It provides $500 million to prevent key reservoirs, like Lake Mead, from declining to unsafe levels. prgtoken It invests in drought-proof water infrastructure, like water recycling and desalinization projects. prgtoken This legislation also secures water reliability for Indian Country, investing $1 billion in Tribal clean water access. prgtoken And it will support the development of modern water management data and technology. prgtoken H.R. 5118 will protect and restore important ecosystems, and I encourage this body to pass this legislation.
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL COMPLETION ACT
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding time, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 5118, the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act. prgtoken Climate change and extreme weather are already wreaking havoc on American families and businesses. Every day, we read news stories about drought conditions in the West and the corn belt, wildfires displacing Americans from their homes, and the potential collapse of Texas' power grid from extreme heat and unreliable fossil fuel power plants. prgtoken Just this week, in my home State of New Jersey, Governor Murphy is encouraging residents to conserve water due to dry conditions. prgtoken Now, the impacts of climate and extreme weather are truly being felt everywhere. That is why I am proud to support this package of commonsense proposals, including many from the Energy and Commerce Committee, to mitigate the effects of extreme weather on our electric grid and water resources. prgtoken I just want to highlight a couple of the key provisions from our committee. prgtoken The bill includes legislation from Representative O'Halleran, requiring the Federal Government to identify grid infrastructure that is vulnerable to natural disasters. prgtoken It includes Representative Casten's legislation to ensure that different regions of the country can share power during extreme weather events. prgtoken The legislation also includes a provision from Representative Panetta to increase the energy resilience and productivity of critical facilities through investments in microgrids, energy storage, and energy efficiency. prgtoken Finally, it includes two provisions championed by Representative McNerney. The first would help water systems implement water loss control programs and water efficiency programs, and the second directs the Federal Government to study the need and feasibility for standards to ensure that power plants are capable of operating in drought conditions. prgtoken Madam Chair, this legislation is essential to helping us address the climate crisis. Frankly, this legislation should garner overwhelming bipartisan support. prgtoken I can't understand why my colleagues would oppose the bill. They have farmers in their districts whose crops are ravaged by drought. They represent homeowners displaced by wildfires. They certainly have constituents who use the power grid. prgtoken Extreme weather clearly threatens our security, but my colleagues seem content to watch the world burn. I am not, and neither are my ic colleagues. That is why I will vote for H.R. 5118, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
RECOGNIZING THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF MT. ZION CHURCH OF ONTARIO
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Mt. Zion Church--a pillar of the Ontario community and the Inland Empire region. prgtoken Since Mt. Zion's founding in 1922, the church has stood resolute to its values by advocating for civil rights and supporting the growth of Ontario and the community. Over the past century, Mt. Zion has witnessed events like the Great Depression, the desegregation of the Ontario Police and Fire Departments, and much more. Through it all, the church has been a source of peace and security to our community. Mt. Zion continues to pour into the people of the Inland Empire with their food assistance, preschool, and their English as a Second language programs. Now more than ever, their compassion is needed as our nation faces unique challenges. prgtoken Under Pastor Kennedy's leadership, Mt. Zion has kept our community together and provided critical services during a pandemic that has rippled through our lives. Mt. Zion is a source of comfort for many families who have experienced loss during the pandemic and reminds me of what it looks like to support the working families in the Inland Empire. prgtoken Partners in the Inland Empire community like Mt. Zion, Senior Pastor Dr. Brian E. Kennedy and his wife Lady Hilda Kennedy are invaluable as we try to fix the issues facing Ontario and our region. I will continue working with the Mt. Zion community to bring further opportunities and support to our home and neighbors. prgtoken For the remarkable and incalculable contributions to our community, it is my honor to recognize the 100th anniversary of Mt. Zion Church of Ontario. The church's decades of prgtoken service and support to the people of the Inland Empire is worthy of the highest commendation.
HONORING RODRIGO ``ROD'' GARCIA
Linda T. Sánchez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , I rise to honor and celebrate the life of Rod Garcia, a respected visionary, leader, and advocate in Southern California. Rod dedicated his life to empowering the Latino community in educational excellence, economic opportunity, and social equity through the science, technology, engineering, and math fields. He was a trailblazer for Latinos in STEM, and his work to continue diversifying this essential workforce lives on. prgtoken Rod graduated from California State University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor's Degree of Science in Engineering. During the tech boom in California in 1973, Rod became one of the few Hispanic engineers to be a leader in the STEM field. prgtoken Seeing the lack of Latino representation in STEM, Rod founded the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). He sought to diversify the field by offering networking and educational opportunities for Hispanic students and professionals in the Southern California region. prgtoken Rod had the unique ability to unite community partners and leaders around the country in the commitment to closing the STEM gap among Latinos. prgtoken Over the course of five decades, Rod propelled the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers to reach 13,000 members and 286 chapters nationwide. prgtoken Today, Latinos continue to experience some of the most noticeable disparities in representation within the STEM field. prgtoken But Rod's legacy will live on through his devotion and work to close that gap. His work will continue to help future generations of Latinos realize their fullest potential to positively impact the world.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1808, ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN OF 2022
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , weapons of war are designed for war. They are designed to kill as many people as possible as quickly as possible. Our country is exceptional in making these weapons of war, these assault weapons, available in the civilian sector, and we have quickly--because those weapons are easier to qualify for than getting a driver's license; they are easier for a teenager to get than to buy a beer, because we have done that, we have turned our churches, our schools, our shopping centers, our entertainment venues, almost any place, into a battleground with one massacre after another. prgtoken There is no Second Amendment right to own a machine gun, which has been banned in this country since, I believe, the thirties. But if you talk about rights, how about the rights of those little children in Uvalde to live, the rights of those families to be whole? They have rights, also. And that is what we are protecting today. prgtoken I think that we just cannot continue to live like we have been living in the shadow of fear, a terrible kind of American exceptionalism where we are horribly exceptional to the amount of dead children gunned down in their best tennis shoes after end of the school year celebrations, of young parents having to bury their still younger little children; where we are the exception in how many congregants die where they are massacred in their churches or in their temples; where we are the exception, the outlier in how many gruesome bullet-ridden bodies our doctors see month after month. prgtoken And God help us because Texas has been among the worst. From El Paso to Uvalde to across the center of the State to the Houston area, murderers, massacres with assault weapons, where one family or another grieves.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Mark Pocan (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2022-7-29

. Madam , I was not present for 6 Roll Call votes in the House on Tuesday evening, July 26, 2022. Had I been present, I would have voted: YEA on Roll Call No. 388, H.R. 6552 the ``Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022''; YEA on Roll Call No. 389, H.R. 7289 the ``Federal PFAS Research Evaluation Act''; YEA on Roll Call No. 390, H.R. 3588 the ``Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act''; YEA on Roll Call No. 391, H.R. 7180, the ``Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID-19 Cognitive Research Act''; YEA on Roll Call No. 392, H.R. 8454 the ``Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act; and YEA on Roll Call No. 393, H.R. 7734 the ``Timely Delivery of Bank Secrecy Act Reports Act''.