mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATO
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-1-31

today I rise to highlight the need to strengthen our alliances as bad actors around the world continue to threaten peace and global stability. prgtoken In August, my Senate colleagues and I took a critical step to bolster our defense by ratifying Finland and Sweden as NATO members. This was the right action to take. It is time for all remaining NATO member countries to follow this example and approve expanding our Transatlantic Alliance by adding two very valuable and reliable partners. prgtoken In just a few short weeks, we will be marking a grim milestone of the 1-year anniversary of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Russia's brutal actions in Ukraine, coupled with its increasingly escalatory rhetoric and continued aggression, have shown us and our allies that we must strengthen our collective ability to maintain global stability. Given their proximity to Russia, Finland and Sweden are investing in their capabilities to prevent a similar attack. prgtoken The Finns have demonstrated their willingness to enhance NATO's military strength by significantly increasing military spending above NATO's requirements, participating in joint military training exercises, and strengthening its air power with upgrades to an F-35 fleet under the Foreign Military Sales program. prgtoken Finland has been one of NATO's most active partners and a strong contributor to NATO-led operations and missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The Finns have also delivered crucial support to Ukraine by providing hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid in addition to providing critical humanitarian assistance. prgtoken Finland's large, well-trained ground force and increasingly capable air force are interoperable with NATO. The Finns also have extensive experience in monitoring Russian activities along their 833-mile shared border, and its addition would make defending the Baltic States so much easier. prgtoken Earlier this month, I visited Finland and met with defense leaders who reaffirmed their commitment to bilateral cooperation and the value they would bring to NATO. As a member of NATO, I have no doubt Finland would be a net contributor of security, not a taker. prgtoken I strongly urge remaining members to join the U.S. and approve Finland's and Sweden's accessions to NATO to confront evolving security challenges and the ongoing threat posed by Russia's aggression against Ukraine. prgtoken .
TOP ISSUES IMPACTING OREGON
Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Republican, OR) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise to say the name of a gentleman I heard passed from Happy Valley, Oregon. He was a pillar of the community, and I want the families back home to know that we will miss Lowell Miles from Miles Fiberglass. prgtoken He was a pillar of the community, not only in Happy Valley, Oregon, where I reside, but in Clackamas County. prgtoken , the family has my support here in Washington, D.C and I look forward to coming home this weekend and paying my respects.
RECOGNIZING VIRGINIA SMITH
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-1-31

throughout the course of our lives, we are both blessed and fortunate to cross paths with and befriend individuals who harbor a profound sense of dedication toward serving others and their communities. To me and countless others, Virginia Smith of Stokes County, North Carolina, is one of those people. prgtoken This year, she will retire as the chairwoman of the Stokes County Party, a position she has held since 2003. prgtoken To know Virginia is to know someone who lives and breathes the meaning of possessing a servant's heart. prgtoken From organizing events with her church to her civic involvement within her community, wherever Virginia goes, you know that she is on a mission to serve, and she will not be deterred in that mission. prgtoken Truly, she is a community-driven woman. I cannot overstate her rock- ribbed conservatism and how she has always espoused, promoted, and shared both the values and principles upon which our constitutional republic was founded. prgtoken The simple truth is that we need more Virginia Smiths in this world. prgtoken Her work as chairwoman and as a proud member of the Stokes County community has helped lay a foundation upon which our future leaders, the young men and women of today, can grow and thrive. prgtoken , as Virginia enters this new and exciting chapter of her life, may she know that she has left an indelible mark upon the lives of so many people, me included. I am confident she will continue to do so. prgtoken May God continue to bless her and her family in the days ahead. Reasonable Raising of Debt Ceiling
THREATS FACING CONSERVATIVE SPEECH
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2023-1-31

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise to discuss the threats facing conservative speech in this country. When members of government take it upon themselves to declare certain speech illegal or undesirable, they effectively silence opposition. This isn't the American way. prgtoken We have seen this kind of censorship in Saudi Arabia, Communist China, and Soviet Russia. We never want to see it in America. prgtoken Tonight, we are gathered to call attention to a shocking, coordinated attempt by progressives in business and government to suppress dissent, stifle debate, and threaten free speech. prgtoken Last week, one of the largest satellite TV providers, DIRECTV, chose to deplatform Newsmax from their lineup. prgtoken Newsmax is the fourth highest-rated cable news channel and is watched by more than 25 million Americans. This decision means that more than 13 million homes will lose access to Newsmax programming. prgtoken , 2 years ago, ic members of the Energy and Commerce Committee wrote to AT&T and DIRECTV encouraging the censorship of One America News, FOX News, and Newsmax. Two years later, two out of three of those networks are now deplatformed. prgtoken One year ago, after pressure from , AT&T and DIRECTV removed the One America News Network from its programming, and now DIRECTV has removed Newsmax. prgtoken The Energy and Commerce Committee has immediate jurisdiction over the business interests of DIRECTV. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why AT&T and DIRECTV felt pressured to comply with committee demands. prgtoken Simply put, in that committee disagreed with the content coming out of One America News Network and Newsmax and decided they wanted them canceled. prgtoken This is a clear case of free speech infringement and viewpoint discrimination. Government colluding with telecommunications giants should chill us all. prgtoken We are facing a concerted, unabashed effort to shrink the limits of debate by corporations in an unholy alliance with political activists and their government avatars. These companies have become willing prosecutors of dissent. prgtoken Woke corporations are actively interposing themselves between Americans and the conversations they need to have. Why? Because they are afraid, afraid that the lessons they learned in progressive universities won't stand up to objective scrutiny; afraid that vigorous debate breeds societies of citizens, not sheep; above all, afraid that if they cannot anoint themselves enlightened arbiters, their ideas will just have to stand on their own merits like the rest of us. prgtoken I urge my colleagues across the aisle to rethink their desire to silence opposition. The people who want to silence opponents are people who can't win debates. prgtoken I urge American businesses to stiffen their spines and stand up in favor of free speech and open speech. prgtoken We acknowledge that we may never know th
CONDEMNING SOCIALISM
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise to recognize the 200th anniversary of the all-volunteer Woodstock Fire Department. prgtoken Tracing its history back to 1823, the department has served the Shenandoah Valley as one of the oldest departments in the Commonwealth and the Nation. prgtoken Today, the department has 40 active volunteers who selflessly risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of their neighbors and the preservation of the community. prgtoken The department is led by Captain Zach Hottel, a third-generation volunteer himself, and truly represents the spirit of service. Captain Hottel and the volunteers' dedication to serving others, who are sometimes experiencing the unimaginable, defines what it means to serve your neighbor. It is an example we should all strive to follow every day. prgtoken The Woodstock Fire Department is commemorating its founding of February 8, 1823, with a bicentennial birthday bash at the Woodstock fire station. prgtoken Congratulations again to the Woodstock Fire Department on this incredible milestone. I wish them another 200 years of success in serving the people of the Shenandoah Valley.
TRIBUTE TO BRAD GIOIA
Bill Hagerty (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise today on behalf of Senator Blackburn and myself to honor the legacy and impact of Brad Gioia's 29 years of service as the head of school for Montgomery Bell Academy. prgtoken Since Brad was called to serve the MBA community nearly three decades ago, he has grown the preparatory school into a world-renowned institution. MBA's mission is to ``provide each student with the tools to reach his maximum potential as a gentleman, a scholar, and an athlete.'' Brad Gioia has dedicated himself to fulfilling this mission. Senator Blackburn and I are honored to recognize his great service. prgtoken During the past 29 years, Brad has grown MBA's student population by two-thirds, increased the school's budget by 1,100 percent, and quadrupled the school's endowment. Most impressively, he has developed the comprehensive Wilson Grant program, which has sent hundreds of students to study and serve others all over the world. prgtoken Throughout his tenure, Brad has been a constant figure of support, dedication, and commitment to the students of MBA. He created a culture of support where all boys are celebrated when they excel, whether it is in academics, athletics, music, art, debate, mock trial, service, or theater. The strong sense of community that Brad Gioia built at MBA will reverberate for decades to come, and our community is forever grateful for his selfless service to the thousands of young MBA men over the years. prgtoken His dedication to the MBA community and the greater Nashville community will be missed, and his legacy will not be forgotten. On behalf of Senator Blackburn and the entire Nashville community, I thank you for your tireless years of service as the head of school for Montgomery Bell Academy. We wish you, Minna, Christopher, and Gabby all the best as you enter the next chapter of your life.
IMMIGRATION
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-1-31

over the past few days, we have seen a number of headlines with surprising announcements about the impact the administration's new border policies have had. Reuters, for example, ran a story last week titled ``U.S. arrests of Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants plummet.'' prgtoken Dallas Morning News had a story titled `` administration says illegal border crossings already falling under new policies.'' prgtoken The Wall Street Journal ran a story over the weekend with the headline ``Migrant Arrests Fell by Roughly Half in January After New Enforcement Measures.'' prgtoken Well, by reading those headlines alone, you might assume that the administration had finally done something it has refused to do over the last 2 years, and that is to take action to address the migration crisis, the humanitarian and public safety crisis that has been occurring at our southern border. You might think that they started using authorities they already had under existing law to enforce those laws at the southern border and deter would-be migrants from making the dangerous journey north. Well, if you made those assumptions, you would be wrong. That is not the case at all. prgtoken As we know, the border has been operating at a state of crisis for at least the last 2 years. Last year alone, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 2.4 million migrants, completely shattering previous records. Last month, we broke the record for monthly encounters. The Agency logged more than a quarter of a million--more than 250,000--border crossings in December alone. prgtoken Here is the ugly little secret that the administration so far has failed to acknowledge: Vice President talks about going to Central America, talks about root causes of the migration crisis, and Secretary Blinken talks about root causes, assuming that this is a regional matter affecting Mexico and Central America and that it is primarily people who are coming to the United States strictly for economic reasons or to flee violence. But the fact of the matter is, people are coming from all over the world to our doorstep and seeking asylum. prgtoken A couple of weeks ago, we had a bipartisan congressional trip to El Paso, an urban area. We then went to Yuma, AZ, which is a sleepy little agricultural community right there along the border of Arizona and California. The acting Border Patrol chief told us that they had people from 176 countries, speaking 200 languages, seeking asylum, coming to the Yuma port of entry. prgtoken You might ask, how in the world is that possible? That doesn't sound like root causes; that sounds like a global network of human struggling that is exploiting our asylum laws to gain entry into the United States. prgtoken Well, Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona, who was with us, said: Well, Mexicali, which is a relatively large city in northern Mexico, just across the border from Yuma, has an airp
NORWAY
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise to mark the new security cooperation agreement through the Department of Defense's State Partnership Program between the Minnesota National Guard and the Kingdom of Norway, which will be celebrated in Minnesota on Saturday, February 4, 2023. This partnership will provide a key avenue to deter aggression and assist in both of our nation's national security while broadening and deepening our long-standing relationship. prgtoken Norway has been critical to Minnesota's heritage and culture ever since the first Norwegian settlement was established in Spring Grove back in the early 1850s, a few years before Minnesota officially became a State. Today, Minnesota is the proud home of more than 860,000 Norwegian Americans. Some of our most beloved Minnesotans have been of Norwegian ancestry, including my late friend and mentor, Vice President Walter Mondale. At the end of last year, we had the honor of welcoming Her Majesty Queen Sonja to Minneapolis to celebrate the opening of Norway House's new Innovation and Cultural Center. prgtoken In addition to our cultural heritage, Minnesota and Norway share a strong, time-tested military relationship. In 1973, Norwegian Home Guard's Major General Herluf Nygaard invited the chief of the National Guard, Major General Francis S. Greenlief, to visit their Home Guard. What came out of that meeting was the Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange, also known as NOREX. prgtoken Through this program, members of the Minnesota National Guard and the Norwegian Home Guard have gotten the opportunity to participate in field training exercises with an appropriate emphasis on winter tactical training. For Minnesota guardsmen, it has meant skiing through the mountains of Norway and sleeping in tents and snow shelters. For Norway's soldiers, it has meant winter training at Camp Ripley. Every participant is taken in as a guest by a local family, making NOREX a true cultural exchange. prgtoken For 50 years, the program has strengthened the militaries of both our nations while fostering goodwill and lifelong friendships. This new State Partnership Program brings with it the opportunity to build on that progress while offering reassurance to our friends throughout the globe and deterring our foes. This partnership will promote and deepen trust, familiarity, and interoperability between Minnesota and Norway. prgtoken Norway is one of Minnesota's best friends around the world. They have stood with us. We have stood with them. And we will continue to stand together. Our friendship is unshakeable. Our progress toward initiating this new State Partnership Program is a testament to that.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2023-1-31

I rise to honor the life and career of my dear friend Scott LaBarre on the sad occasion of his death after a battle with cancer. Scott passed away surrounded by his family on Saturday, December 10, 2022. prgtoken From his days as a college student until a few months before his death, Scott, who went blind as a youth, fought tirelessly for the rights of blind people and other people with disabilities. prgtoken Born and raised in Minnesota, Scott attended the Colorado Center for the Blind, a world-renowned rehabilitation training program for blind people, and ultimately established his law practice and his family in the Denver area. prgtoken His legal work focused in the areas of employment law, disability rights, and international copyright policy. He held several leadership positions within the American Bar Association and the National Federation of the Blind--NFB--most recently as NFB's general counsel. prgtoken He served as chair of the board of the Colorado Center for the Blind, led the National Association of Blind Lawyers, and helped establish and guide the Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium, the premier conference for practitioners and students of disability law. prgtoken His impact will continue to ripple across the world because of his leadership in securing the Marrakesh Treaty, an international agreement permitting the cross-border sharing of books in Braille and other accessible formats, which was ratified by this body. prgtoken Scott conducted all of his work with confidence, humor, and a joyful spirit. Going forward, I will miss his presence in the halls of the Senate when the National Federation of the Blind visits Washington each year, as well as my many other interactions with him. prgtoken I am sure that many of you also encountered Scott, and I know you will join me in lifting up his wife Anahit and their children, Alex and Carter, as they cope with this devastating loss. prgtoken I take comfort in the knowledge that Scott leaves a legacy encompassing not only his many accomplishments, but his impact on the hundreds of blind people whom he personally mentored and the millions who will benefit from his efforts for generations to come.
PANDEMIC IS OVER ACT
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-1-31

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , let me just say this in closing. We do have one more speaker, though. prgtoken I think that this legislation that is before us today is totally unnecessary and creates all kinds of problems. In other words, the President has indicated his plan is to end the emergency on, I believe he said, May 12. We estimated it would probably end sometime in April of this year when we were working on the omnibus at the end of last year. We put in the omnibus a lot of protections and guardrails for when the public health emergency would end, but there is still more that needs to be done. prgtoken My concern is that the way this bill is written, it basically eliminates a lot of those guardrails, a lot of those protections, like the continuous eligibility for Medicaid. prgtoken At the same time, it doesn't allow, because it says immediately upon enactment, us to wind this down in an effective way so that we don't have problems like the 20 percent cut for hospitals, eliminating continuous eligibility, free testing, free vaccines. prgtoken There are so many things here that the public relies on--I didn't even mention the veterans, the nursing homes, the SNAP program--that, to me, it is reckless to say we are just going to end it immediately. prgtoken Let's shelve this legislation. I suggest a ``no'' vote. Let the President and this administration wind this process down in an effective way to protect Americans. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), who is the ranking member on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
RECOGNITION OF NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Stacey E. Plaskett (Democrat, VI) \u2014 2023-1-31

. Madam , I rise today to highlight a major legislative win which was the designation of the National Heritage Area Act for my home of St. Croix in the Virgin Islands. prgtoken I thank Senator Angus King for his support, who introduced the Senate companion bill, which was signed into law by President . prgtoken St. Croix, with its place of landing, is the only place in the United States in which Christopher Columbus actually set his foot. It is home to native Caribs, as well as Taino Indians, who engaged and fought with Christopher Columbus. It is the home of Alexander Hamilton. We have a history of enslavement and struggle to maintain our African ancestors' culture on that island. prgtoken Seven nations have owned the U.S. Virgin Islands at one point or another, adding to a rich blend of many cultures and ideas; the epitome of Americanism, how the innovation and continual change in our country takes place. prgtoken St. Croix's National Heritage Area designation is the culmination of nearly 20 years of advocacy and work. We look forward to what it brings to our island.