mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8580, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025 AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8282, ILLEGITIMATE COURT...
Mark Alford (Republican, MO) \u2014 2024-6-4

I thank my friend from Pennsylvania for yielding. prgtoken I rise today in favor of this Military Construction, Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. prgtoken , I also want to share my appreciation for Kelly Dixon, who is leaving the Rules Committee. She is one of the first persons we met as freshmen you remember us going to the Rules Committee office and Kelly running us through how things operate here on the House floor. I had no experience in politics, and it was all new to me. She made the rules clear, and decorum, as well, which is such an important part of this institution. We wish Kelly well. prgtoken I want to say a special thank-you to the Appropriations Committee, in particular, Chairman Cole and Defense Subcommittee Chair Calvert, for the $144 million in this bill, which is going to go to the advanced individual training barracks for prestigious Fort Leonard Wood in the southeastern part of the Fourth Congressional District of the great State of Missouri, which I represent. prgtoken Fort Leonard Wood is a wonderful center of excellence, training the men and women who are tasked with protecting our great Nation. I was down there last year to visit and saw the need for new barracks on this great facility. It was real, . prgtoken I also thank Secretary Wormuth of the Army for making this a priority in the President's budget because, together, we are working to increase our retention and recruitment for the armed services. prgtoken As you know, , we have issues with recruitment. Only 9 percent of Americans, young people, right now have any interest in joining the military. At Fort Leonard Wood and other areas where we are going to provide military construction through this appropriations process, we are not building the Taj Mahal, but we are building barracks and privatized housing that is going to make living and working on these facilities not necessarily a joy but someplace where they can rest their heads at night and feel comfortable and safe. I thank the chair and subcommittee chair for that addition to this package. prgtoken I want to talk now specifically about H.R. 8282, the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act I rise in support of the rule to provide consideration of this act. prgtoken To be honest, I am a little disappointed. I am a little bit disgusted that, once again, we are having to have these discussions about what we stand for as a nation, in particular in protecting the Nation of Israel. It is unfortunate, but it is something that we must do. prgtoken Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, and it is under attack. It has been since October 7. Israel was living in peace until they were attacked on October 7.
ILLEGITIMATE COURT COUNTERACTION ACT
Michael T. McCaul (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-6-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Let me just say to my dear friend, Mr. Meeks, that he knows we worked on a version of this bill and came to a bipartisan resolution that, ultimately, was rejected by the White House, and I think that is unfortunate. prgtoken I also would like to state that the alarms that this bill harms U.S. alliances, I think, are overstated. The bill's sanctions are triggered by Presidential determination that a particular foreign person has supported illicit ICC efforts against protected persons, so that is against American citizens or the citizens of U.S. allies who have not submitted to ICC's jurisdiction. prgtoken Furthermore, and this is the most important point, this bill, and we did this at the behest of the , gives the President the ability to waive these sanctions. prgtoken , I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy), the author of this bill. I thank him for working so closely not only with me but with the Foreign Affairs Committee.
TRIBUTE TO JEFF ANDRIEU
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2024-6-4

I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jeff Andrieu, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard for his exemplary service and unwavering commitment. From his beginning as a civil engineer in the Louisiana Air Guard, to his current role as an Air National Guard military construction liaison, he has attained a mastery of the military construction process benefitting Congress, the Department of Defense, and the National Guard. prgtoken Lieutenant Colonel Andrieu has been a trusted adviser and source of knowledge bridging the conversation between the National Guard and Congress. During his time as a congressional liaison, he consistently demonstrated unparalleled commitment and his expert level knowledge was instrumental in advancing congressional objectives and intent regarding our military facilities. His commitment to excellence and his support of staff and the mission should be a model for all. prgtoken As Jeff transitions from the National Guard Bureau legislative liaison to his next assignment, I want to recognize him for over 26 years of distinguished service and wish him the best in his next chapter of service to our Nation. His presence here will be missed.
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 2494 (Executive Calendar)
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2024-6-4

I appreciate my colleague's comments, and I believe them to be sincere. But let's not get lost in the swirl of eloquence here. prgtoken I believe my colleague once said that illegal immigrants are ``undocumented Americans''--a direct quote--and that they are ``the people we care about most''--another direct quote--but I would submit that if you illegally enter the United States and then beat up a police officer, you are most certainly not an American. And the only thing we should care about is that you are deported. prgtoken Now, he said these laws can lead to deportation, but it is not necessary that they do particularly under this administration. prgtoken I refer to my prior remarks: There have been a half million illegal immigrants--a half million--with criminal records that have come into the homeland, again, illegally. And it is no surprise that they can commit crimes against Americans. prgtoken So this bill, which he seems to support--I am a little confused at the language. It seems like he might support this unanimous consent effort here because it is important because the current law does not cover all assaults against law enforcement. Deporting an illegal alien who assaults a law enforcement officer requires a complex legal analysis to prove that the illegal alien committed an aggravated felony or crime involving moral turpitude. prgtoken It is not guaranteed that this process will even lead to deportation. So the POLICE Act creates a simple, straightforward, commonsense rule that says illegal aliens who assault cops are deportable--period, end of story. prgtoken We saw it in North Carolina. We have recently seen it in New York City. And it can happen in a community near you. prgtoken .
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican, WA) \u2014 2024-6-4

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to address the troubling state of housing for servicemembers and their families at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane. prgtoken According to the Air Force, roughly 85 percent of the 650 privatized homes at Fairchild were constructed in the 1950s. They are aging rapidly and approaching a point where they will not be fit for families living on base. prgtoken Reports of mold, cracks in the foundation, siding falling off, chipping paint, and roofs in need of repair are just a few of the many issues with the housing on base. Needless to say, this is unacceptable. prgtoken Our servicemembers and their families sacrifice so much for our country. They deserve a comfortable, dependable home that isn't falling apart around them, and it is our job to make sure they have one. prgtoken This amendment is critical for ensuring Congress has the ability to conduct the oversight of the conditions of Air Force housing as we work together to make the necessary and long-overdue renovations and repairs. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and join me in making quality housing for servicemembers and their families a top priority. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
Right to Contraception Act (Executive Calendar)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-6-4

105 years ago today, this Chamber did something truly historic: It passed the 19th Amendment to secure the right to vote for American women. prgtoken The amendment's ratification by the States 1 year later marked the largest enfranchisement in U.S. history, extending the vote to 26 million Americans. prgtoken This incredible achievement fulfilled more than 70 years of tireless efforts by brave suffragists to make our country a more perfect Union, including many Tennessee women: Abbey Crawford Milton from Chattanooga, Ida B. Wells from Memphis, and Anne Dallas Dudley from Nashville. prgtoken On this anniversary, I am especially reminded of Febb Burn of Niota, TN. In the summer of 1920, the Tennessee General Assembly was in a heated debate about whether Tennessee would ratify the 19th Amendment. At the time, 35 States had already voted to ratify the amendment, so only 1 more was needed to make the 19th Amendment the law of the land. prgtoken On the day of the vote in Nashville, Febb Burn wrote a letter to her son, Harry Burn, the youngest member of the Tennessee State Legislature. She urged her son to support the amendment. She wrote: Hurrah and vote for suffrage and don't keep them in doubt. prgtoken At first, Harry pinned a red rose--the symbol of the anti-suffragist movement--to his shirt and voted to table the amendment in back-to-back deadlocked votes, but with his mother's letter in his coat pocket, Harry ultimately listened to her advice, switched his vote, and switched to a yellow rose on that lapel, making Tennessee the 36th and final State to ratify the 19th Amendment. prgtoken As the first woman to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate, I have a special appreciation for the women who fought this fight, and I have worked to honor their legacy and advance their cause. But as we remember the suffragists on this anniversary, it is important to recognize that women are still fighting for a seat at the table and recognition for their achievements. prgtoken Look no further than the National Mall right here in our Nation's Capital. This 2-mile stretch of land--America's front yard, as it is known--honors our Nation's history and ideals with monuments, memorials, and statues of incredible Americans who have made tremendous sacrifices to make our country a more perfect Union. Yet, among the 40 monuments, not 1 is dedicated to American women. prgtoken That is why, alongside Senator Baldwin, I introduced the bipartisan Women's Suffrage National Monument Location Act, which would finally secure a monument honoring women's history on the National Mall. This monument will commemorate the women's suffragist movement, the passage of the 19th Amendment, and the incredible women who fought to secure the vote for millions of Americans. prgtoken The House unanimously passed this legislation in November. Now the Senate should vote to make this memorial a reality and honor the giants who paved the way for
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2025
John R. Carter (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-6-4

. Madam Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken This is a good bill. I hear about all these cuts, but what I see is that we have done our duty to both our veterans and our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines around the world. We have gone out of our way to fund the area where we have our biggest fear of combat, which is the Indo-Pacific. prgtoken I traveled over there, as did Ms. Wasserman Schultz at a different time. We both saw that we have an awful lot of projects that have to be dealt with over there. We did our part to do that, and I am sure DOD will do their part to do that, too. We have to be ready in case and until the flag goes up, if it should, with the Chinese. prgtoken The issues on those islands is that the wind and dampness destroy buildings, so we are going to have lots of building projects that are going to go on over that way. We have provided the appropriate amount of funding as we had it available for those projects. We also had a bunch of barracks issues around the country, and we provided to fully fund a certain number of those barracks and to give guidance funding for the rest because we intend to fund them all. prgtoken In my opinion, we are always underfunded in military construction. I think Ms. Wasserman Schultz will agree with me on that. We have more than we can say grace over when it comes to funding projects relative to our military. prgtoken For that reason, I think that we have done the best we can for them. I don't see the cuts that are being talked about. I am curious about that, but then I am curious about a lot of things around here. prgtoken I am blessed to have a ranking member who I can work with. She is a kind person. We get along just great except prgtoken we don't agree on any policies, but other than that, we get along just great. I guess that is a blessing, that I can plan to keep going after this. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
Unanimous Consent Request--H.R. 2494 (Executive Calendar)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2024-6-4

reserving the right to object, the Border Patrol union--our law enforcement officers who patrol the southern and northern border who serve this country and protect this country-- endorsed the bipartisan border security bill that my friend from North Carolina opposed, as did almost all of his colleagues. prgtoken The Border Patrol union--the organization that represents law enforcement officers--supported that bill for a number of reasons. It would have surged resources to the southern border to make sure that we properly administered our border and made sure that the only people who are coming to this country have legitimate asylum claims. It would invest in technology to make those Border Patrol officers' jobs easier. It would have granted new hiring authorities to make sure that we can get people down to the border faster rather than just redeploying agents from the northern border to the southern border. prgtoken But it is likely that they supported that bill for an additional reason. Under current law, if you are coming to this country to apply for asylum, if you have a criminal history in the United States during a prior visit or in your home country, that question is not relevant under existing law until you go before an asylum judge, before you go before an immigration judge to make your asylum claim. prgtoken Senator Lankford, myself, and Senator Sinema thought that didn't make sense. We thought that that question of your prior criminal history should be relevant the minute that you show up at the border; that you don't get into the United States to make your claim of asylum if you have a criminal history. prgtoken That was part of the bipartisan border bill. That would have protected the country. That would have protected our law enforcement officers. But my colleagues turned down the opportunity to pass bipartisan legislation that would prevent individuals prgtoken with criminal records from coming into the country and applying for asylum because under current law--law that the President is bound to administer and enforce--those questions are not brought into the process until that asylum claim is being heard by a judge. prgtoken And so it is just another example of the ways in which the bipartisan border bill--the bill that s asked for, demanded negotiate--would have made this country safer, would have created a more efficient and more secure border. And I am still furious--and heartbroken--that s decided to keep the border a mess because it helps their Presidential candidate politically instead of trying to solve the problem. prgtoken As for this specific measure, as I said last time I came to the floor to object, it is already, under current law, a deportable offense if you commit a crime of violence. It is already, under current law, a deportable offense if you commit and are convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. And, further, nonc
Right to Contraception Act (Executive Calendar)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2024-6-4

I rise today because reproductive freedom is under attack. prgtoken In 2022, 's far-right Supreme Court took away the constitutional right to an abortion, completing the Party's decades-long plan to overturn Roe. prgtoken In some States, the Court's decision revived abortion bans that had lain dormant since the 1800s. In other States, the decision triggered new abortion restrictions prewritten to go into effect the very day that Roe v. Wade was overturned. The results have been horrific. prgtoken But here is the thing the Party missed: From Kansas to Ohio, to California, reproductive rights are popular. Americans overwhelmingly support the right to an abortion, the right to IVF, and the right to contraception. In fact, these rights are so popular that s want you to believe they support them, but their actions speak for themselves. prgtoken First, s said they wouldn't overturn Roe v. Wade. and his extremist Supreme Court did, and is still bragging about it. Now, over 20 States have banned or severely restricted abortion access, passed laws criminalizing doctors who perform abortions, or threatened access to pregnancy care, miscarriage care, fertility assistance, and more. prgtoken Then s claimed they wouldn't go after IVF. Just this year, Alabama's Supreme Court virtually outlawed IVF in the State, and just a few weeks later, my colleagues in the Party blocked Federal legislation that would protect access to this care. prgtoken Now, the Party is saying they won't go after contraception. Well, that makes sense since 92 percent of Americans support birth control. But, guess what, s now have contraception in their sights, and they are even trying to redefine what constitutes contraception. Sure, they support contraception--ah, but not an IUD; or they are all for contraception--hmm, but not Plan B. prgtoken Contraception is a must, except s in Congress have a bill, the ``Life at Conception Act,'' that would give an embryo so-called personhood rights, which would outlaw abortion, outlaw IVF, and, yes, outlaw some forms of contraception. That bill has the majority support of the caucus, including of the House Mike Johnson. On top of that, s blocked from passing this very same bill to protect the right to contraception last year. But tomorrow, every Senator will have to say where they stand, proving that no matter what s say about wanting to support contraception, when it comes down to it, they won't. prgtoken Tomorrow's vote should be a turning point. It is time we take these lawmakers at their word. prgtoken Millions of people across this country are already experiencing a new form of hell thanks to and the extremist Supreme Court that overturned Roe, and Black, Brown, and low-income communities are feeling a dis
Border Security (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-6-4

when I hear the leader come to the floor and talk about the fact that President has waited until this point in his first term to issue an Executive order on border security, I can't help but think how long the Senate has waited to do anything on immigration. prgtoken The Senator from Kentucky knows as well as I do that for more than 30 years, this Senate has failed to pass any meaningful immigration legislation. prgtoken Part of the problem on our border today hearkens back to decades of neglect by the Senate and the House of Representatives to meet their constitutional responsibility to upgrade our laws. prgtoken How many times have you heard it said that our immigration legal system is broken? They are right. I happen to know that. I have paid personal attention to this issue for a long time. prgtoken For the Senator from Kentucky to berate President because he waited until this moment in his first term to take action is to ignore the obvious. prgtoken We passed comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S. Senate, and it was passed by more than 60 votes. It was sent to the House of Representatives. They refused to act on it. prgtoken To bring it closer to home, we were told last October not to pass any defense supplemental bill unless it included a provision related to border security. So we waited for a bipartisan group of three Senators--one , one Independent, and one . Senator Lankford led the effort on behalf of s. We waited until they produced a work product which, in fact, President embraced. Though it was controversial, I felt it was a reasonable step forward. prgtoken What happened at that moment? We had a chance to do something-- finally, to do something--in the Senate on immigration. We had a bipartisan bill, a bill which was crafted by able Members of the Senate and addressed the major problems facing us on the border. prgtoken What happened? Do you remember? I will tell you exactly what happened former President of the United States, announced he opposed the bill, instructed any who happened to agree with his point of view to oppose it as well, and then said: And if you want to assign any blame, blame me. Well, I am blaming him. A chance to pass legislation was stopped by and the s in the Senate even though they initiated the process themselves. prgtoken That is the reality of the status that President faces on the border. prgtoken We are facing the largest refugee crisis in modern history all over the world, and we are seeing it on our southern border and in the United States as well. The question is, Will we do anything? prgtoken President has decided to step forward with an Executive order which would limit the access of individuals between ports of entry on the border in an effort to slow down the pace of those presenting themselves. That, to me, is a step in