mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
WHAT WE WILL FIGHT FOR
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-5

I thank my friend from New York for his touching remarks about his mother. We will be praying for him and his family, knowing that she is in a better place, knowing that we are all here for a brief period of time, and we are celebrating a life well lived. I am sure she was proud to see you on the floor of the House of Representatives. We will honor her life by doing our job. prgtoken To that point, you heard my friend from New York (Mr. Williams) talking about the life of his family, and it reflected what I started talking about, that generational transfer of the American Dream, the extent to which one generation sacrifices so the next can live that American Dream. prgtoken My grandmother was a single mom in West Texas with my father, who was a 7-year-old stricken with polio. She had just lost her husband, my grandfather, to cancer. She didn't run around asking for help. She didn't say: Where is the government? She got a second job. She woke up at 4:00 in the morning. She did all the rehab my father needed so that he could walk, got him through polio. She ran and became the first woman elected county clerk in Nolan County, Texas. She wasn't running around asking for some sort of handout because her father was an orphan, the bastard child of somebody that we don't know--we believe him to have been an American Indian in Mississippi--and was sitting in an orphanage and then moves to West Texas to figure out how to build a family, build the American Dream, farm. That is where my grandmother grew up. prgtoken She didn't ask for people to be giving her something because her family wasn't treated right, or she drew a short straw because her husband died of cancer, or her son had polio. She just worked. She just did what you are supposed to do. prgtoken That core aspect of the American Dream is what currently is increasingly unattainable for the vast majority of Americans. Too many Americans today are looking out and saying: I cannot live as my parents and my grandparents did. I can't afford to buy a house because interest rates are so prgtoken high and houses are so high. I can't afford to buy a car. I can't afford to buy groceries. I can't figure out how to manage to keep my family safe and secure in my own home and community. They are looking out across the future and over the horizon. prgtoken For the first time in really our history, Americans are questioning whether this country will exist for their kids and grandkids, whether their kids and grandkids will be able to have a better life than they did. That is unacceptable, but yet that is what we currently face. prgtoken I want to be very clear. This is the direct consequence of radical leftist positions by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in this body, in the other Chamber, and in the White House. It is the direct consequence of who refuse to sit down at the table to constrain spending when we need to, to secure the border of the United
RECOGNIZING WRIGHTSTOWN FOOTBALL TEAM
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-12-5

today I rise to recognize the Wrightstown Tigers Football Team for their runner-up finish at the 2023 WIAA Division 5 State Boys Football Championship. prgtoken Following an impressive season and playoff run, the Wrightstown football team traveled to Camp Randall in Madison to compete in the 2023 WIAA State Football Championship Game. With a record of 11-3 during the season, the Wrightstown team worked together all season to become a dominant force in the conference. I commend head coach Steve Klister, the coaching staff, and the entire team for their unwavering commitment and dedication to an incredibly impressive season. prgtoken This being their first trip to the state championship since 2011, the entire team and community have much for which they should be proud. Although they lost a tough battle to a talented La Crosse Aquinas team, the team displayed great skill and determination throughout the season. Congratulations to the entire team for this remarkable achievement, and a special congratulations to the senior players on the team: Riley Verbeten, Quade Thompson, Payton Vande Hey, Kevin Biese, Riley Sundin, Landon Helphrey, Elijah Lemke, Ben Zemple, Sam Keuler, Charlie Garvey, Trent Vande Hey, Garrett Hitner, Brendan Gustafson, Carter Lamers, Everett Lamers, and Gavin Ducat. prgtoken , I extend my sincere congratulations to head coach Steve Klister and the entire Wrightstown Football Team for his outstanding accomplishment. It is my honor to recognize this team and I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding their remarkable season.
NOTICE OF INTENTION TO OFFER RESOLUTION RAISING A QUESTION OF THE PRIVILEGES OF THE HOUSE
Lisa C. McClain (Republican, MI) \u2014 2023-12-5

pursuant to clause 2(a)(1) of rule IX, I seek recognition to give notice of my intent to raise a question of the privileges of the House. prgtoken The form of the resolution is as follows: prgtoken Resolution Censuring Representative Jamaal Bowman. prgtoken Whereas, on September 30, 2023, as the House of Representatives was considering legislation to avoid a lapse of appropriations for Federal agencies and departments, which would result in a shutdown of those agencies and departments, Jamaal Bowman, the Representative from the 16th Congressional District of New York, pulled a fire alarm; prgtoken Whereas, section 22-1319 of the District of Columbia Criminal Code makes knowingly causing a false alarm of fire a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment up to 6 months, or both; prgtoken Whereas, section 22-1319 of the District of Columbia Criminal Code states: ``It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to willfully or knowingly give a false alarm of fire within the District of Columbia, and any person or persons violating the provisions of this subsection shall, upon conviction, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be punished by a fine not more than the amount set forth in section 22-3571.01 [of this code] or by imprisonment for not more than 6 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment;'' prgtoken Whereas, on October 26, 2023, Representative Bowman pled guilty to violating section 22-1319 of the District of Columbia Criminal Code and was required to pay a $1,000 fine and write an apology letter to the United States Capitol Police and was placed on probation; and prgtoken Whereas, the actions of Representative Bowman forced the evacuation of the Cannon House Office Building and disrupted the work of Congress as a vote was underway on the floor of the House: prgtoken Now, therefore, be it resolved that the House of Representatives censures Jamaal Bowman, Representative from the 16th Congressional District of New York; Representative Jamaal Bowman will forthwith present himself in the well of the House of Representatives for the pronouncement of censure; and Jamaal Bowman will be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the .
Bidenomics (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-12-5

$11,434--that is how much more a typical family has to spend today to maintain the same standard of living they had at the beginning of the administration--$11,434. That is a lot of money. Needless to say, it is money that a lot of Americans don't have. prgtoken Nearly 3 years of high inflation has taken its toll. Americans are exhausted from constant price hikes, and they are struggling to keep pace with the huge increase in their cost of living. prgtoken One recent news story noted: Since early 2020, prices have risen about as much as they had in the full 10 years preceding the health emergency. prgtoken Let me just repeat that. Since early 2020, prices have risen about as much as they had in the full 10 years preceding the health emergency. prgtoken In other words, we have had 10 years of price increases packed into the last 4 years. The lion's share of those increases has occurred during the administration. Since President took office, the price of groceries has risen by almost 21 percent, gas prices have risen by 54.8 percent, electric bills are up almost 25 percent, car repairs and maintenance are up 26.5 percent, rent is up 18 percent, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, at this point, it is prgtoken clear that today's high prices are here to stay. prgtoken Inflation didn't come out of nowhere. Inflation is the result of too many dollars chasing too few goods and services. That is exactly the situation the administration and helped create in 2021. prgtoken The President's first major piece of legislation was a massive and partisan $1.9 trillion spending bill filled with unnecessary spending and handouts to interest groups. The bill flooded the economy with unnecessary government money, and the economy overheated as a result--no big surprise there. Almost 3 years down the road, we are still dealing with the inflation crisis the President and helped create. So it should come as no surprise that the President's ``omics'' pitch--his attempt to sell the American people on his economic record--is falling flat, even among members of his own party. prgtoken A substantial majority of Americans have a negative view of the economy. Fifty-five percent of voters say they are worse off financially under President , and a large percentage are cutting back on spending to make ends meet. prgtoken President claims that ``omics is just another way of saying `the American Dream.' '' Well, for a lot of Americans, omics has proved to be less dream and more nightmare because the reality is that under omics, working Americans are struggling to get by. They are tapping into their savings. They are taking on more debt. They are falling behind on car payments or other bills. prgtoken Increasingly, one key measure of the American dream, which is owning your own home, is out of reach for many Americans. The higher
HONORING DANIEL KELL
Nicholas A. Langworthy (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-12-5

I rise today to honor a true patriot and advocate for our State's veterans, Daniel Kell, the New York State VFW commander. prgtoken Daniel's unwavering dedication to the welfare of our veterans has left an enduring mark on our community and the lives of those that have served. prgtoken Earlier this year, I had the privilege of touring Bath VA Medical Center with him, witnessing firsthand his tireless commitment to ensuring that our veterans receive the care and the support that they deserve. prgtoken Daniel was raised in my birthplace of Jamestown, New York. Just days after graduating from Jamestown High School in 1979, he answered the call of duty, enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. prgtoken His 23 years of service, culminating as master sergeant, reflects a commitment to excellence that has earned him numerous accolades, including the Meritorious Service Medal and Navy commendation medals for his distinguished service during Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield. prgtoken Since joining VFW Post 53 in Jamestown in 2001, he has become a life member, serving in various leadership roles, including national surgeon general. prgtoken As he concludes his term as the New York State VFW commander, I thank Daniel Kell for his selfless dedication to our veterans and his exemplary service to our great Nation.
EPA DATA DOESN'T SHOW INCREASING TEMPERATURES
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-12-5

importantly, where we get our data from is extremely useful and key to making wise decisions around here. prgtoken Since about half the focus of the speeches at this place and at every committee and at every agency of the Federal Government seems to be on what they call climate change, it is good to know where we are getting our data. It tends to follow what percent of the atmosphere is CO2 and what the temperatures are. prgtoken Well, here is an interesting little piece from the EPA on their data and on the climate stations they have. They have all sorts of weather monitoring devices across the country, a little over 1,060, I believe it is. In some cases, the way they are set and where they are placed is a whole conversation unto itself. prgtoken The old rules require that they be placed in areas that are not skewing the temperature one way or another, but sometimes, you will find them on rooftops next to air-conditioning units, parking lots, areas that are going to be more prone toward heat sinks and to keeping temperatures higher. prgtoken Nonetheless, a recent set of data that EPA themselves has allowed to get out is that, since 1948, only 19 percent of those weather stations have shown a mild increase in temperature. That means 81 percent did not show an increase in temperature as per their own data. prgtoken Over 800 of those stations, I think 863, reported either a decrease or no change in the number of hot days. prgtoken Interesting, isn't it? You would think that we are melting down. We hear all this talking--even the committee I was just in--oh, sea level rise. Well, you look at pictures, and the sea level hasn't risen; certainly not to the extent that we are being threatened in the way they are not asking us but forcing us to change our lives. prgtoken It is one thing if you want to buy an electric vehicle because that might work for you in your commute. Hey, great. When you see my own State of California forcing these mandates by 2035, or whatever round year number they make up, as to when we have to get to what they call net zero on CO2, prgtoken it is really going to negatively affect a lot of people's lives, not just automobiles, which might be easier, but trucks that haul things. prgtoken For example, a typical truck, the total vehicle weight is 80,000 pounds, which the tare weight, or the empty weight of the empty truck, is 25,000 pounds. You have got about 55,000 pounds worth of capacity. If you convert that truck to an electric vehicle, it will take 16,000 pounds of additional weight of batteries to make it have any kind of range. The payload has just decreased by about 16,000 pounds or so on a truck. prgtoken Let's get back to the core numbers. What we are seeing is their own climate stations, their own weather stations, 81 percent of them, have shown as level or a decrease in temperature since 1948. Only a handful have seen an increase. Even then we have got to see how skewed those are with
National Security (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-12-5

the Senate has spent months considering prgtoken supplemental action to meet serious, connected threats to America's national security. prgtoken As I have said from the outset, our work needs to address four urgent challenges: Putin's war on a sovereign democracy in Europe; the terror campaign against Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East; China's aggressive escalation against Taiwan and peaceful nations in the Indo- Pacific; and the administration's continuing failure to contend with the crisis at our southern border. prgtoken Senate s' focus on securing the border didn't just begin this fall. We have watched for 3 years as the border descended into chaos on President 's watch. And for 3 years, we have urged his administration to fulfill even its most basic responsibility to enforce our immigration laws. prgtoken Anyone who suggests that Senate s are injecting the issue of border security into this discussion at the last minute either isn't serious or hasn't been paying attention. prgtoken Continuing to pretend that upholding American sovereignty is any less urgent than helping our allies and partners defend theirs is reckless. Borders in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona are every bit as inviolable as those in Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific. And the sooner our ic colleagues realize it, the sooner we can deliver on urgent national security priorities. prgtoken Now, needless to say, America's adversaries aren't waiting for us to get serious about our own security. In the South China Sea, for example, the PRC is increasingly using aggressive posturing and outright force to disrupt peace, stability, and lawful maritime commerce. prgtoken Beijing now greets lawful passage in international waters with threatening, unsafe conduct and hyperventilating bluster and continues to undermine the long-established territorial claims of sovereign nations throughout Southeast Asia. prgtoken Unfortunately, China is not the only adversary stepping up its aggression in the maritime domain. Iran and its network of terrorists continue to illustrate the failures of the administration's deterrence in dangerous detail. On Sunday, a U.S. Navy destroyer and Israeli-flagged commercial vessels came under fire from the same Houthi rebels this administration had inexplicably taken off--off--its list of terror organizations when it took office. This was, of course, a concession to Iran. prgtoken Of course, terrorist violence at sea is only the latest in a laundry list of Iran-backed attempts to kill Americans in the region since October 7. At least 77 times, Tehran's proxies have used lethal force against U.S. personnel in Iraq and in Syria, just since October 7. prgtoken By any objective standard, the administration's response has been woefully inadequate. Tehran remains demonstrably undeterred. As President 's former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta put it last wee
Venezuela (Executive Calendar)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-12-5

on Sunday, October 22, 2023, more than 2 million Venezuelans around the world made their voices heard and cast their votes in support of Maria Corina Machado, the official opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. prgtoken These brave Venezuelans participated in this election at great personal risk but did so united by their dedication to ridding Venezuela of the brutal oppression brought onto them by Nicolas Maduro and returning freedom and democracy to their country. prgtoken This is a significant moment in the Venezuelan people's fight for freedom and true representative government--something I have been fighting alongside them to achieve for years. It is imperative that the United States stand with them, recognize Maria Corina Machado as Venezuela's duly elected presidential opposition candidate, and lead the international community in doing the same. prgtoken The National Primary Commission is to be commended for its ability to successfully organize and carry out the opposition primary election despite facing numerous obstacles, threats, and attacks from the illegitimate Maduro regime. The work of the National Primary Commission advances the cause of freedom in Venezuela and represents the best interest of its citizens. prgtoken It also is in our national security interest and the best interests of all who strive for peace, liberty, and stability for nations in Latin America and across the Western Hemisphere to recognize and support the fundamental role the Commission is carrying out in Venezuela. prgtoken The United States must use this opportunity to put the full weight and power of our Nation behind the cause of freedom in Venezuela. Our national security depends on us being strong in this moment. However, we cannot act from a position of strength while negotiating with a murderous, dishonest, and tyrannical dictator. prgtoken I have been unequivocal in my condemnation of attempts to negotiate with Nicolas Maduro on any issue beyond how and when he will leave power. prgtoken Recently, I wrote to President urging him to acknowledge this moment and immediately revise the conditions of sanctions relief that the administration has recently offered to the Maduro regime. That is the only way to make clear that Maduro and his thugs, who have horrifically murdered and oppressed the Venezuelan people for years, will see no easing of sanctions until free and fair elections are held and democracy returns to Venezuela and the following conditions are met: prgtoken No. 1. Maria Corina Machado, as the sole Presidential opposition candidate, should be represented on the opposition delegation of the Venezuelan-led negotiations in Barbados. prgtoken No. 2. Maria Corina Machado is officially allowed to run as the sole Presidential candidate of opposition in the 2024 Venezuelan Presidential election. prgtoken No. 3. The release of all political prisoners, including all U.S. citizens,
COMMENDING MOBILE RETIRED EDUCATORS FOR THEIR SERVICE TO ALABAMA DISTRICT ONE
Jerry L. Carl (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-12-5

I rise today to honor Mobile Retired Educators and their service to Alabama's First Congressional District. Educating the young minds in our District is arguably one of the most important jobs there is. prgtoken Though their job may not be the easiest, it is vital in laying the groundwork for successful citizens. Being an educator is not just a career; it is being a mover, shaper, and inspiration to young people. prgtoken We are grateful for their sacrifices and time in their dedication to their careers for shaping the young minds of our future and the betterment of our community. We wish them the best in their hard- earned, well-deserved retirement.
200TH ANNIVERSARY OF RICHMOND
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2023-12-5

. . I rise today to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of Richmond, ME. As community events throughout this bicentennial year demonstrate, Richmond has a fascinating history that exemplifies the determination and ingenuity that defines the State of Maine. prgtoken For thousands of years, the woods and waters where the Kennebec River meets the sea at Merrymeeting Bay sustained the Abenaki people. In 1605, the explorers Samuel de Champlain and George Weymouth led the first European expeditions to the area. In the decades following a land purchase from the Tribes in 1649, the first English settlers established farms, grain and lumber mills, a trading post, and, in 1719, Fort Richmond. Originally part of the town of Bowdoinham, a community named for the fort grew and prospered on land granted to Revolutionary War veteran John Plummer, and Richmond incorporated as a separate town in 1823. prgtoken The Kennebec River flows through Richmond's history. With vast lumber supplies and nearby ocean access, the town became a key center for the seafaring trade and shipbuilding in early America. An estimated 200 ships were built in Richmond during the days of sail, about half of them by Thomas Jefferson Southard. Known as ``the father of Richmond village,'' Southard rose from blacksmith apprentice to master shipbuilder and property developer, and his memory lives on in the stunning architecture that distinguishes the town today. prgtoken Throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th, Richmond also was a center for the ice trade, sending massive blocks of pure frozen Kennebec water all over the world. Before the invention of powered refrigeration, some 50 huge ice houses, some as big as 10 football fields and up to 7 stories high, operated on the Richmond riverfront. Every winter, up to 4,000 workers would come to town for the 2-month ice harvest season. prgtoken An important thread that runs through Richmond's story is the love of liberty. Throughout American history, patriots from the town have stepped forward to defend freedom. During the Cold War, Richmond was home to as many as 500 Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, and Belorussian immigrants who sought refuge from Communist oppression in a place where the countryside reminded them of their homeland. The St. Alexander Nevsky Church, with its pale blue onion dome, is the only Russian Orthodox Church in Maine. prgtoken From the Fire and Ice Festival in winter, to Richmond Days in summer, townspeople love to get together to celebrate their heritage. The last Saturday in June is observed statewide as R.B. Hall Day in honor of Maine's world-renowned composer of marches and band music, and the day has special significance for Richmond. Born in neighboring Bowdoinham in 1858, Robert Browne Hall lived in Richmond, began his career as soloist and leader of the Richmond Cornet Band, and is buried in the town's Evergreen Cemetery. prgtoken Today, visi