mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
2023 SPECIES WEEK
David G. Valadao (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-22

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , the Endangered Species Act was a well-intentioned effort to protect the species we are at risk of losing. Unfortunately, the ESA has been hijacked by extreme environmentalists who have weaponized the law, especially in California. prgtoken Central Valley families and farmers have seen the negative impacts of heavy-handed and misguided regulations that put fish ahead of our families and our farms. prgtoken During dry years, the very limited amount of water available is consistently flushed out to the ocean to protect the delta smelt and other endangered species. prgtoken While this precious resource was going out to the Pacific, thousands of acres of farmland were fallowed. This has devastating consequences for the people I represent and the livelihoods that depend on agriculture. prgtoken This is something that is important for us to address and talk a little bit about, because when the water goes out to the ocean, obviously we are not taking any of that surface water, and it has an impact on our below-ground water and our aquifers. prgtoken These past few years, we have had a huge number of wells fail. In agriculture, you drive around the countryside, and I know a lot of people at home probably see this, where you will see wells pulled out of the ground, the pipes stacked, and they clean them. Two days ago, I was driving around the valley, and there was a situation where there was a pile of sand around this well, and it was obvious the well had failed. prgtoken What is really devastating is I have communities all across the valley, and in just working with one nonprofit, there were at least 2,000, either homes or communities, where they had actual tanks put in because the wells had failed and there was going to be no clean water for these people at home, so they put in tanks and pumps, and they were trucking water to these people so they could have water in their faucets. prgtoken This was happening all across the valley. When we talk about the devastating impact it has on our communities, this was something that was at their faucets. It was really frustrating these past few years when you talk to folks and we have to say, well, we can build projects, but we can't build water infrastructure projects. We have had projects that they have been working on for the last 30 years, a simple expansion of an existing well or existing reservoir. We have got a reservoir, like Sites Reservoir, they have been talking about for six decades and have never been able to break ground on that. prgtoken When out talking to folks around the district, farmworkers specifically in some of these communities that struggle most with these wells, the conversation they brought up was they can expedite the permitting process for a project like the high-speed rail and you see the project being built, but they can't do anything for water infrastructure. prgtoken It is frustrating because a lot of
RECOGNIZING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EMERGENCY RESCUE SQUAD
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-5-22

today I rise to recognize the Emergency Rescue Squad on its 75th Anniversary. prgtoken As the Rescue Squad celebrates this milestone, we look back on the outstanding history that has shaped the organization. On April 5, 1947, the Ansul Rescue Squad was established after founding member Joe Banich conducted a survey at the Ansul Company about employees who understood first aid procedures. Following the survey, Mr. Banich was given permission to facilitate a sign-up for individuals interested in first aid training. Eight men signed up to take an extensive 21-week first aid training course and the first rescue squad was formed. The group of men, referred to as the ''Great Eight,'' began a legacy of service that would live on for generations. prgtoken Throughout the years, the Great Eight expanded their knowledge and skill while providing services to the sick and injured. The men continued to play a critical role in the community and therefore, were provided with a Rescue Squad vehicle and first aid equipment. By 1949, the group had grown to eighteen members who answered more than 1,300 calls from community members in need. Then in 1959, the Ansul Rescue Squad was turned over to the Marinette and Menominee community management and became the Emergency Rescue Squad as it is still referred to today. Today, the Rescue Squad receives up to 20 calls in a 24-hour period demonstrating the clear need and service they provide to northern Wisconsin. prgtoken I commend the numerous members of the Rescue Squad, past and present, for their years of selfless service and dedication to the community over the years. Over the last 75 years, the Emergency Rescue Squad has played a critical role in the success and safety of communities throughout Marinette County, including the cities of Marinette, Peshtigo, Menominee, and the towns of Peshtigo, Porterfield and Grover. I extend my sincere appreciation to past and present members of the Emergency Rescue Squad for their years of exceptional service to Northeast Wisconsin. prgtoken It is my honor to commemorate this historic milestone for the Emergency Rescue Squad. I invite all members of this body to join me in celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Emergency Rescue Squad. The Rescue Squad is a true credit to Northeast Wisconsin and is deserving of the highest degree of recognition.
2023 SPECIES WEEK
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-5-22

it is really a pleasure to serve with Chairman Newhouse on the Western Caucus as well as in other capacities here in the U.S. House. prgtoken Indeed, he has really invigorated the effort that the caucus is making on having these key issues on all manner of things, not just western but really, for the whole country, having so much to do with resources and such. prgtoken As we contemplate here tonight what the Endangered Species Act's original intention 50 years ago was when passed by Congress, and really, for those of us in production, agriculture, energy, minerals, just about anything that uses the basic building blocks of the economy and the things that our modern society needs, the Endangered Species Act has been weaponized against that. prgtoken What it has turned into now due to activism in the courts, the endless lawsuits and the way the courts reinterpret things is nothing close to what Congress would have passed back in the early 1970s. prgtoken Had they passed that, I think they would have been ridden out of town on a rail because it was so destructive toward the cornerstones of our economy and what has made America strong and independent in so many areas. prgtoken We agree with the purpose originally. It is to protect and recover vulnerable species. I think the focus at the time, really, was on the bald eagle with expansion from there to many other species that we deem valuable. prgtoken The world has well over a million species in it, and they are discovering more all the time; a lot of it in the insect world and such. prgtoken To think that we are going to just completely move all human beings, especially Americans, into caves or something like that and say we can't affect the environment or touch it in any way is really unrealistic. Mankind has a piece in the world as well. That is even a biblical truth. prgtoken The Endangered Species Act, what it has turned into, is really harming the ability for people to get what they need. prgtoken Also, the focus hasn't really been on recovering species, which I think was well intended, because we have heard my colleagues talk about the ratio here of recovery. It is extremely low, especially if you put a ratio of dollars spent and pain inflicted on agriculture, on mining, on domestically produced products versus the number of species recovered. It is way out of whack. prgtoken You heard my colleague from Minnesota a minute ago talking about the recovery of the wolves. They have an incredible number of wolves in the upper Midwest, but the ESA can be misinterpreted and misused and abused to say we need to have wolves everywhere: in Oregon, in California, in Washington. prgtoken For that matter, should we introduce them into the Golden Gate Park and the Santa Monica Pier to make sure they have their share as well? prgtoken If you want to see a wolf, you are still going to be able to see a wolf in the areas where they have been more indigenous for a long time, and th
PREPARING FOR TYPHOON MAWAR
James C. Moylan (Republican, GU) \u2014 2023-5-22

on Tuesday afternoon, Guam, a territory of the United States, my district, and my home, will be moving to Condition of Readiness 1 as Typhoon Mawar makes its way to the Marianas region. prgtoken On its current track, the system is expected to bring tropical-storm- force winds as early as Tuesday afternoon, with the possibility of typhoon-force winds of 81 to 110 miles per hour by Wednesday morning, along with gusts projected to reach 100 to 120 miles per hour. This, along with heavy rainfall, certainly places Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in a serious predicament, with a major natural disaster at our doorstep. prgtoken While our community is resilient and has overcome such perils of Mother Nature many times in the past, when it comes to a typhoon of this magnitude, a direct impact over any of the islands will sadly lead to severe damage of homes, businesses, crops, and livelihoods, and will certainly lead us to a long road toward recovery. prgtoken Within these sacred Halls, I humbly ask my colleagues to pray for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and that we can dodge this massive bullet called Typhoon Mawar. prgtoken God Almighty, please protect our community and our people. Celebrating the Philippines 125th Independence Day
NATO SUPPORTING UKRAINE
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2023-5-22

this weekend, I was grateful to participate in the U.S. delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Spring Session in Luxembourg led by Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner with former Assembly President Gerry Connolly. prgtoken U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrett and our Luxembourg hosts were incredible, providing a heartfelt welcome by President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen with the enthusiastic Ambassador to the United States, Nicole Bintner. The Minister of Defense Francois Bausch indicated that the budget for defense is being doubled in the great country of Luxembourg. prgtoken Prime Minister Xavier Bettel hosted breakfast today for the delegation, and he cited the Luxembourg appreciation of America that will never be forgotten for the thousands of Americans who died fighting for their liberation in 1944. prgtoken The closing resolution approved today reaffirmed unwavering support for Ukraine's democracy and territorial integrity and holds accountable the Russian regime for its war crimes. He also denounced the ideology and practice of ruscism, defining Putin fascism. prgtoken On our departure, we had the leadership of Congresswoman Ann Wagner, former Ambassador to Luxembourg, to lay a wreath at the historic Luxembourg American Cemetery. prgtoken Our sympathy to the family of the beloved Mary Dozier Lee Ellsworth of Lexington.
2023 SPECIES WEEK
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-5-22

the Endangered Species Act was drafted with the best of intentions, but it has simply failed to live up to its noble mission. prgtoken Since the ESA was passed in 1973, only 3 percent of species protected by the law have recovered to the point where they can be delisted. This is an abysmal recovery rate. prgtoken Burdensome and outdated regulations like the Endangered Species Act negatively impact our Nation's farmers, ranchers, and foresters, create frivolous lawsuits, halt critical infrastructure projects, stifle economic growth, and do not help the species in question. It fails to do that. prgtoken Just consider the northern long-eared bat. It is declining due to a disease with no cure, and the ESA will only further restrict our ability to help the species recover. It is an inflexible and outdated approach to species conservation. prgtoken America's working lands play a vital role in protecting threatened and endangered species, . prgtoken Voluntary, locally led conservation programs should be a model for the Federal Government rather than a top-down sledgehammer of red tape, or what I prefer to call, green tape. prgtoken It is high past time to modernize the Endangered Species Act to better protect species and to treat property owners, farmers, ranchers, and States as partners rather than obstacles. prgtoken The ESA should be amended to empower local stakeholders, incentivize voluntary conservation programs, and should emphasize actually recovering species, not simply leaving them on life support for years to come. prgtoken The simple truth is the programs that we have in the Agriculture Committee under a conservation title which are locally led, voluntary conservation programs, have led to the delisting of far more species that were either listed originally as endangered or threatened. prgtoken We know that works, and we know the Endangered Species Act in its current form does not.
VET-TEC AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2023
Jack Bergman (Republican, MI) \u2014 2023-5-22

I thank the chairman for all of his support for these bills that not only make life better for the veterans but also for their families. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 1669, the VET-TEC Authorization Act, which, as amended, includes the text of legislation I originally introduced as H.R. 234, Gerald's Law. prgtoken Gerald's Law was drafted and introduced on behalf of Gerald Elliott, a U.S. Army veteran and a resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, as well as on behalf of his family and the thousands of other veterans like him. prgtoken A lifelong Yooper, Jerry was a member of The American Legion Post 363 and was an active volunteer with U.P. Honor Flight and the Iron Mountain VA Hospital. prgtoken After a cancer diagnosis in 2019, Gerald received his care at the Iron Mountain VA. As the disease progressed and he was placed on hospice care, he decided to go home to enjoy his final days with his family. prgtoken Following his death, Jerry's family discovered that even though he received hospice care through the VA, his family did not qualify for burial benefits after his death; that is, burial benefits for Jerry himself. That is because under current law, VA hospice care provided at home does not qualify as a death under VA care and is, therefore, not covered under the nonservice-connected burial and plot benefit. prgtoken As a result of this quirk, if a veteran with a terminal illness wants the full burial benefit, they would be forced to die in a hospital or nursing home under the VA auspices instead of transferring to home hospice care. This is just, I am sure, a mistake. This injustice is unacceptable and unconscionable. prgtoken No veteran should worry about losing VA benefits for their family when choosing to spend their final days in the comfort of their own home. Gerald's Law will address this by extending VA burial allowance eligibility to veterans whose passing occurs at home while receiving VA hospice care if they were previously receiving VA hospital or nursing home care. prgtoken I am thankful for the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their work to assist the thousands of veterans and family members being denied benefits due to this legislative oversight. prgtoken H.R. 1669, which includes Gerald's Law and other bipartisan, commonsense reforms, was approved unanimously by the committee in April. prgtoken , I urge every Member of Congress, every Member of the House, to support its passage on the House floor today.
2023 SPECIES WEEK
Tracey Mann (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-5-22

I thank the gentleman for his leadership, his prgtoken friendship, and for having this Special Order tonight. prgtoken We have talked about a lot of different species this evening, and I rise to discuss the misuse of the Endangered Species Act as it pertains to the lesser prairie chicken and its negative impact on farmers, ranchers, agriculture, and oil producers throughout The Big First District of Kansas. prgtoken On April 19, President didn't listen to Congress when it came to our bipartisan joint resolution of disapproval on his administration's flawed and burdensome Waters of the U.S. or WOTUS rule. He vetoed it. prgtoken Soon, I hope that President will have another opportunity to listen to producers when it comes to the lesser prairie chicken. prgtoken Last year, the administration proposed the listing of the northern and southern distinct populations of the lesser prairie chicken as threatened and endangered, respectively, under the Endangered Species Act. That ruling became active this March. prgtoken Under the Endangered Species Act, the normal activity of agriculture and energy production can be construed as harm and harassment of the listed species and thus prohibited. prgtoken This rule fails to provide adequate protections for producers, even going so far as to require third-party approved grazing plans for ranchers. prgtoken To make matters worse, when the lesser prairie chicken rule went into effect in March, the Fish and Wildlife Service had not approved any third parties. To date, there are only three across the entire habitat area. prgtoken Grazing plans change, and ranchers are always adapting. It is unacceptable to force ranchers to agree to a grazing plan under the threat of a fine. prgtoken This is another example of Big Government overreach jeopardizing the livelihoods of American producers. The truth is, the lesser prairie chicken population thrives or dwindles based on rainfall, not the activity of agriculture energy producers. prgtoken In response to this misguided listing, which would add to President 's other policies that threaten our Nation's food security and energy independence, I introduced a joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to strike it down. prgtoken On April 28, the Committee on Natural Resources passed my resolution. On May 3, the U.S. Senate passed their version of the same resolution. prgtoken The designation of the lesser prairie chicken as threatened in places like Kansas is unacceptable, and this rule should have no force or effect until Congress is consulted. prgtoken I have been working hard on this issue since being elected to Congress, and I am encouraged to see that it passed the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Now it is time for my colleagues in the House to decide whether they want to stand for Big Government over regulation that will put producers out of business or stand for producers' rights to their private property and
PREVENTING THE FINANCING OF ILLEGAL SYNTHETIC DRUGS ACT
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-5-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 1076, the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act. prgtoken As we are all painfully aware, fentanyl is a poison that is afflicting every community across America. This poison is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just 2 milligrams, equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is enough to be lethal. prgtoken That is why I am grateful that Members like Congresswoman De La Cruz have hit the ground running on commonsense legislation like H.R. 1076 to sever the lifeblood that keeps the fentanyl business model going, which is its financing. prgtoken As we heard in the Financial Services Committee hearing titled, ``Follow the Money,'' ``Financing is essential to support and sustain the command and control, personnel, arms, communications, logistics, and operations of organized crime groups. For this reason, following the money trail and depriving criminals of illicit financial flows can disrupt and disable these networks.'' prgtoken I recognize there are many challenges to attacking the fentanyl crisis, including our unsecured border, but from a Financial Services Committee perspective, we can only address what prgtoken is in our jurisdiction, and that is its financing. prgtoken Congresswoman De La Cruz's study will help inform Congress on the next best step to disrupt and dismantle synthetic drug trafficking and its financing. prgtoken , I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, and .
HONORING THE LIFE OF JERRY HOGAN, SR.
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-5-22

I rise today to honor the life of Jerry Hogan, Sr. Jerry was born in the Old Fort neighborhood of Savannah in 1942. prgtoken Before his graduation from Benedictine Military School in 1961, he attained the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. prgtoken After Benedictine, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving with honor and distinction before transferring to the United States Marine Corps Reserve. prgtoken As well as his Marine Corps service, Jerry was a police officer on Tybee Island. After his stint with the Tybee Island Police Department, he went on to become a stevedore at the Port of Savannah and the Port of Miami. prgtoken In 1975 he started M.J. Hogan & Company and followed that up in 1991 with Hogan's Marina. He led both companies until his passing. prgtoken A devout Catholic, he was active in every parish in which he lived and the diocese at large, and he founded the Joseph O'Brien Ramsey Scholarship at his alma mater, Benedictine. prgtoken Jerry was also active in community and civic associations, being a member of the Jaycees, the Propeller Club of the Port of Savannah, and the Chatham County Tax Assessors Board. prgtoken A proud Irish American, he served as the general chairman, adjutant, and finally as grand marshal of the Savannah St. Patrick's Day parade. prgtoken My thoughts and prayers go out to the Hogan family during this most difficult time.
RECOGNIZING CHIEF GARY SPARKS' 40 YEARS OF SERVICE AS A FIREFIGHTER FOR OXFORD, ALABAMA
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-5-22

I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Chief Gary Sparks' 40 years of service as a firefighter for the City of Oxford, Alabama. prgtoken Chief Sparks began his work with the City of Oxford when he was just 15 years old washing trucks and cleaning the station. On May 12, 1983, He became an official member of the Oxford Volunteer Fire Department. prgtoken He later became a full-time member of the Anniston Fire Department on February 13. 1987, rising through the ranks to eventually become Assistant Fire Chief in 2003. prgtoken After 20 years of service with the Anniston Fire Department, he retired on February 13, 2007. Chief Sparks became full time Fire Chief for the City of Oxford on March 3, 2007. prgtoken Chief Sparks is involved in several civic organizations in his community. He is currently serving on the Alabama Joint Fire Council. He has served Alabama's fire service for eight years with dedication and insight as a member of the Personnel Standards & Education Commission with the Alabama Fire College. He is a Past President of the Alabama Fire Chiefs Association and was voted the 2015 Alabama Fire Chief of the Year prgtoken In addition to being a dedicated firefighter, Chief Sparks is also a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. prgtoken , please join me in recognizing Chief Sparks and his 40 years of service as a firefighter for the citizens of the City of Oxford.