mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Vladimir Kara-Murza (Executive Session)
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-7-28

. Mr. Kara-Murza's imprisonment is part of Mr. Putin's larger assault on what remains of political freedom in Russia. In Mr. Kara-Murza's words, Putin's regime has gone ``from highly authoritarian to near-totalitarian almost overnight.'' prgtoken In March, Russian officials passed a new censorship law forbidding all criticism of Mr. Putin's war in Ukraine. That law has been the basis for more 16,000 arrests since the war began in February, including that of Mr. Kara-Murza. Another 2,400 Russians have been charged with administrative offenses for speaking out against the war. Meanwhile, Putin's propaganda machine is ramping up. Independent Russian media outlets have all but vanished, having been blocked, shut down, or forced out of the country by the Kremlin. prgtoken The last embers of freedom in Russia are going cold. Putin's crackdown on domestic freedom began in 2003, when Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested on trumped-up charges of tax fraud after he simply criticized the government. A former member of the elite, Mr. Khodorkovsky had successfully led the Yukos Oil Company through privatization after the Iron Curtain fell. And contrary to the Kremlin's claims, the company consistently paid its taxes. But that didn't stop Vladimir Putin from plundering its assets and throwing Mr. Khodorkovsky in jail, where he stayed for 10 years. prgtoken I would note that just before his arrest, Mr. Khodorkovsky displayed the prgtoken same courage and patriotism that we now see in Vladimir Kara-Murza. Like Mr. Kara-Murza, he knew very well he could go to jail for speaking out against the government, but Mr. Khodorkovsky did so anyway and refused to flee the country, saying: I would prefer to be a political prisoner rather than a political immigrant. prgtoken Of course, by then, Mr. Putin had already shown himself willing to violate the international laws of war, having leveled the Chechen capital of Grozny in his own Republic of Russia in 1999. In 2008, he launched a new assault on international law with the invasion of Georgia. In 2014, he started a bloody war in eastern Ukraine. In 2016, Russian dictator Putin and his forces attacked the Syrian city of Aleppo, killing hundreds of civilians and prolonging the rule of Bashar al-Assad. prgtoken Meanwhile, Putin ramped up his attacks on domestic freedom as well. In 2015, Boris Nemtsov, leader of the democratic opposition, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, was shot to death in broad daylight just yards away from the Kremlin. Three months later, Mr. Kara-Murza was poisoned for the first time. More recently, in 2020, Alexei Navalny, the current leader of the opposition, was himself poisoned and had to seek treatment in Berlin. This is Vladimir Putin's Russia today. When Navalny recovered, he chose to return to Moscow, knowing the risks, and immediately upon landing, he was arrested. prgtoken This is the deplorable state of Russia and freedom under Vladimir Putin
Inflation (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-7-28

minutes ago, new data confirmed what a supermajority of Americans already knew: have plunged America into a recession. According to official statistics, the U.S. economy just shrank for the second consecutive quarter. inherited an economy that was primed for a historic comeback and promptly ran it straight into the ground. prgtoken Of course, working families didn't need any experts or statistics to tell them today's ic Party is a walking, talking economic disaster. ' failures are causing working families deep personal pain on a daily basis. prgtoken Americans know can't be trusted. They know it every time they fill the gas tank, every time they check out at the supermarket, every time parents stay up late at the kitchen table trying to figure out which bills they can afford to pay this particular month. prgtoken Because spent us into inflation, 90 million American households say they are having a hard time meeting expenses--90 million American households. The average household in this country is having to pay an extra $5,300 and climbing every year just to tread water. ' inflation is stealing more than $5,000 from the average family per year, and like a supermajority of Americans already knew before this morning, it has now driven the country into a recession. prgtoken A few years back, our colleague the senior Senator from West Virginia said: ``I don't think [that] during a time of recession, you mess with any of the taxes, or increase any taxes.'' But, alas, yesterday, Washington announced they plan to do exactly that. The who robbed American families once with inflation now want to rob the country a second time through a gigantic, gigantic job-killing tax hike. prgtoken Apparently, our ic colleagues do not want to be responsible for just skyrocketing prices alone. They want Americans to be faced with skyrocketing prices and higher taxes and fewer jobs all at the same time. prgtoken have outlined a giant package of huge, new job-killing tax hikes, Green New Deal craziness that will kill American energy, and prescription drug socialism that will leave us with fewer lifesaving medicines--a reckless taxing-and-spending spree that will delight the far left and hammer working families even harder. prgtoken The are going all in on a multihundred-billion-dollar tax hike prgtoken on American jobs that experts called--listen to this--the single most economically damaging part of their entire BBB plan from last year. Years of research show the burden would be overwhelmingly passed down to workers. This one tax hike alone would kill tens of thousands of American jobs. prgtoken aren't sticking it to the fat cats. They are sticking it to the same middle-class families they have already crushed with inflation. prgtoken So want to respond to their inflation crisis by killing jo
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2022-7-28

I could not improve upon what has already been said about the work on this important bill. Senator Capito has articulated much more eloquently than I all of the priorities that are important in the bill. prgtoken I am just going to add my thanks to Chairman Carper and to Ranking Member Capito and, of course, to subcommittee Chairman Cardin as well. It has been a great team effort, as is, I think, illustrated in the final product and the overwhelming vote. Let's keep the team together. And let's just pass a really big, important WRDA bill. prgtoken And I emphasize again, we did this through regular order, colleagues. We stayed on the 2-year schedule, colleagues. And when we work together, we can do good work for the people we serve. prgtoken With that, I urge a strong vote.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DONALD KELLER
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-7-28

. Madam , I rise today to salute and pay tribute to a member of the Greatest Generation in celebration of his 100th birthday. Donald Keller is a World War II veteran who has lived in Strasburg, Virginia, for almost his whole life. prgtoken At 21, Keller joined the Army as a radio operator, and he served in the military for almost 2 years from 1943 to 1945. During his deployment, he was awarded two Purple Hearts, one after being wounded in Normandy and the other when he was injured in Luxembourg during the Battle of the Bulge. Keller later received the French Legion of Honor for carrying two injured soldiers to safety while he himself was injured. prgtoken After Keller fought in the war, he returned to Strasburg where he served the city by opening his own radio repair company. prgtoken The Sixth District thanks Donald Keller for his service and contributions to the city of Strasburg. prgtoken His commitment to the city is clearly shown by the community's commitment to celebrate his 100th birthday. prgtoken So, again, I thank him for his service, and I wish Donald Keller a very happy 100th birthday.
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
Frank D. Lucas (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-7-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , just 24 hours ago, I expected my remarks on the CHIPS and Science Act to be very different. prgtoken I have worked on this bill for more than 3 years. When I first took leadership of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee as ranking member in 2019, developing legislation to strengthen American science and technology was my highest priority. prgtoken After extensive work, in January of 2020, I introduced a comprehensive bill that created a long-term strategy for investment in basic research and infrastructure to protect the economic and national security of the United States. prgtoken Our committee's chairwoman, Eddie Bernice Johnson, shared my desire to refocus, revitalize, and reinvest in American science, and so we worked together for 2 years, gathering extensive stakeholder feedback and technical advice, while holding multiple hearings with expert witnesses to chart a path forward. prgtoken This has been an exemplary bipartisan process. Chairwoman Johnson and her staff have put in countless hours of work with my staff to find strong, consensus policies to support Federal R&D. I thank the chairwoman for her partnership and leadership and her staff for their diligence. prgtoken I also thank my committee staff members, who have put in long hours and hard work to craft what I believe could be a transformational science policy. I particularly thank Jennifer Wickre, who led this process for us from the very beginning. prgtoken The Science, Space, and Technology Committee's efforts over the past few years and the bipartisan legislation we produced is truly an incredible example of what we can achieve when we work together as responsible legislators in regular order. Unfortunately, not everyone shares our commitment to that process. prgtoken , I was frustrated last year when ic leadership put off conferencing our competitiveness legislation with our colleagues across the Hill in favor of focusing on the doomed Build Back Better Act. prgtoken I was frustrated when the proposed funding for semiconductor manufacturing jumped from $24 billion to $52 billion with no explanation. prgtoken I was frustrated when, after finally starting on conference negotiations, the other body tied our research policy to reconciliation. prgtoken I was frustrated when negotiations were shut down, and I was even more frustrated when the House was shut out of discussions once they picked back up. prgtoken So maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I am frankly, in all fairness, disgusted by the developments over the last 24 hours. prgtoken House s have been working in good faith this entire time to come to consensus legislation that could be passed by both Chambers. But time and time again, we have been thwarted by ic leadership that has moved the goalposts, shut down the process, chosen their divisive partisan policies over a smart bipartisan bill that would
IN MEMORY OF EDWARD O. WILSON
Jerry L. Carl (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-7-28

. Madam , October 7 has been declared Edward O. Wilson day to honor Alabama native and internationally renowned scientist and educator. prgtoken Wilson was born on June 10, 1929, in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Decatur Senior High School before going on to earn bachelor and master's degrees from the University of Alabama. prgtoken Wilson served as an entomologist for the Alabama Department of Conservation and taught at Harvard for over 50 years. Additionally, he served on the boards of the Nature Conservancy, The World Wildlife Fund, and Audubon. prgtoken His accomplishments include discovering hundreds of new insects and documented the arrival of the fire ant in America as a 14-year-old. Wilson wrote over 30 books explaining the natural world to the public and received more than 150 awards, including the National Medal of Science and two Pulitzer Prizes, prgtoken Wilson dedicated his professional career to promoting conservation of natural life in his native Alabama and around the world.
BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT
Russ Fulcher (Republican, ID) \u2014 2022-7-28

I thank the ranking member of the Committee on Natural Resources from the State of Arkansas. prgtoken , here we are, yet again, discussing the most important issue of our day: cats. Not just any cats, but big cats. prgtoken My constituents have been hammering my office about this issue. Thankfully, my colleagues have been listening. prgtoken Of course, I jest. prgtoken I shouldn't be allowing this issue to be taking my time, and neither should you, . prgtoken My constituents are not talking about big cats. There are some misplaced priorities here. They are talking about skyrocketing food and energy prices and the never-ending deficit spending from this ic Congress. That is what is going on in my district. prgtoken Here is another big concern for Idaho and across the West: wildfire. prgtoken , 5.6 million acres--that is million with an M--have burned just prgtoken this year to date. For those of you who don't live in the West or are not familiar with it, wildfire is what you get when you choke off access to your forests and regulate away the ability to properly manage your land. That is what the current leadership is doing. Yet, here we are talking about big cats. prgtoken Do I dare mention the southern border crisis? prgtoken There were 207,416 apprehensions last month alone with who knows how many got-aways, how much sex trafficking, or how much illegal narcotics. But don't worry. Congress is working on big cats. prgtoken , we have had a lot of things on the agenda here for the last few months, and there are many things that are burning in the minds of our constituents and the people whom we serve. prgtoken The people whom we serve deserve better. The people whom we serve are not talking about the things that we are. But yet here we are working through things that simply do not matter in the scheme of everything else going on right now.
SAFEGUARDING TREATMENT FOR THE RESTORATION OF ECOSYSTEMS FROM ABANDONED MINES ACT
Bruce Westerman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-7-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I, too, rise in support of H.R. 7283, the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act, also known as the STREAM Act. prgtoken The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriated $11.3 billion to the Abandoned Mine Lands, or the AML, trust fund. This money is for use by State AML programs to address abandoned mine lands created before enactment of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. prgtoken This historic, fee-based AML program allows a State to set aside up to 30 percent of its annual AML grant in an interest-bearing account to cover the long-term costs of acid mine drainage, or AMD, facilities, which are often needed to address water treatment in historic coal mining states. prgtoken The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act reauthorizes the collection of the AML fee at a reduced rate, as well as a 30 percent set-aside authority for States. However, the IIJA neglected to grant parallel set-aside authority for the newly authorized $11.3 billion in Treasury funds for AML projects. prgtoken This is one of the many areas Congress will need to correct in the hastily passed IIJA bill, and it goes to show why we need to have regular order, why we need to have committee hearings, and why we need to take our time on these large bills. prgtoken That large IIJA bill never went through a committee in the House. It was sent over from the Senate, hastily adopted, and here we are today, trying to fix it. I am sure it won't be the last time. prgtoken The STREAM Act is a bipartisan bill that will make a technical fix to IIJA, clarifying that States receiving newly authorized funds for AML cleanup have the authority to set aside a portion of those funds for AMD cleanup purposes consistent with existing law. This will allow States to utilize AML funds according to their specific needs. prgtoken That said, the Department of the Interior recently released final guidance for States applying to receive funds authorized for AML cleanup that includes requirements over and above the letter of the law. DOI should allow States to make decisions on prioritizing AML sites and refrain from imposing unauthorized and heavy-handed requirements. prgtoken , I urge adoption of this bill, and .
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CHAIRMAN MICHAEL LONG
Andrew R. Garbarino (Republican, NY) \u2014 2022-7-28

. Madam , I rise today to speak in honor of the recently departed Chairman Michael R. Long, who served his community, his state, and his Nation with pride and distinction for decades. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Chairman Long was a staunch conservative who dedicated his entire life to furthering the support of conservative values across our great sate. prgtoken After serving his country as a Marine, Chairman Long jumped into action once again, working tirelessly to support various presidential, gubernatorial, and mayoral candidates over the years. From 1981 to 1983, Chairman Long served his community as Brooklyn's at-large City Council member. In this position, Chairman Long was unwavering in his beliefs, fervent in his support of conservative values, and quickly rose to the position of Conservative Party Chairman just a few years later. prgtoken In addition to his public service and political endeavors, Chairman Long was also an entrepreneur and businessman, having owned a bar and grill, ice cream parlor, and liquor store with his brother, Tom. Chairman Long also served as the president of his local businessman's association, a school board member, and an officer in various other civic groups, including the Committee to Restore Respect, Honor, and Dignity to Policemen. prgtoken In all that he did, Chairman Long emerged as a steadfast, common- sense leader who was never afraid to speak his mind. While countless New Yorkers mourn his passing, let us take a moment to reflect upon Chairman Michael Long's many contributions to his community and his party. May his efforts inspire countless generations of future public servants, and may we continue to honor his memory for years to come.
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Session)
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-7-28

reserving the right to object, I rise in objection to this nominee due to his support of President 's irrational and now proven foolish vaccine mandates for our military. prgtoken Last August, the administration imposed a COVID-19 vaccine mandate across the entire military. This led to the expulsion of thousands of qualified, honorable servicemembers who elected not to receive the vaccine. This DOD mandate failed to account for immunity to the virus many troops gained through natural infection, which we now know is equal to or greater than the effectiveness of the vaccine. The mandate also failed to account for the fact that these men and women are our bravest and healthiest Americans, with strong immune systems. prgtoken Recently, we learned that the Army cut roughly 60,000 National Guard and Reserve members from pay and benefits for refusing to take the COVID vaccine at the beginning of July. This decision was made at a time when more than 30 percent of its recruitment slots are not fulfilled. prgtoken The recruiting crisis has gotten so bad that the Army is now placing enlistees who exceed body fat standards into a dietary and exercise program in order to lose weight. This manpower shortage could result in undermanned units and potentially longer deployments as well as greater dependence on National Guardsmen to meet mission goals. prgtoken These personnel shortages are clear and obvious, and they are getting worse. Yet the ideologues in charge of this administration refuse to drop the vaccine mandate for the military. There is no longer any rational basis to persist in this demand other than as a deliberate campaign to punish dissenting opinions and oppress political enemies. prgtoken The Department also appears to be going out of its way to deny religious accommodations for our troops. More than 24,000 members across the branches have submitted religious accommodation requests. Almost all have prgtoken been rejected. The Air Force approved fewer than 130 of the more than 9,000 religious requests submitted by airmen. prgtoken It is time for this administration to do what is morally right and patriotic, what is decent and sensible and prudent for the readiness of our military, and drop this vaccine mandate. Further, the Defense Department should reinstate those servicemembers who have been expelled for this reason, return them to their previous positions, and provide backpay for time missed. prgtoken But until they do so, I will continue to object to this nominee. And, therefore, I object.
RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESSIBILITY ACT OF 2022
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-7-28

. Thank you, , and thank you, and Ranking Member Capito, for your leadership in that this area. prgtoken As has been said and should be said many times more, we appreciate the great work of our staffs in getting this done. prgtoken The other thing that is so important is the answers to our problems need to come from the ground up. Through the Recycling Caucus and hearings, and the list goes on and on, this is where those answers were generated--from the people who are out fighting the battles. prgtoken We talk a lot about the lack of bipartisanship and things. This is a great example of people working together for the common good up here. prgtoken It is great for the environment in the sense that recycling is not just gathering. We don't want to have a situation continuing, like we do now, where so much of that that is gathered actually winds up in the landfill eventually. prgtoken Conservation is the low-hanging fruit. You know, it makes all the sense in the world to reuse things. It creates a situation where we lessen the dependence on landfills, things like that. And then, again, in this age of globalization and things, we really do need to use the resources that we have and then continue to use the resources as we go forward. prgtoken So we are talking about jobs. We are talking about the environment. And, for that reason, I very much support and appreciate, as I said, the leadership of the chairman and the ranking member for their great effort in pushing this forward. prgtoken And, with that, to Senator Cardin--. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2022-7-28

the outsourcing of American manufacturing jobs has not only resulted in job losses and lower wages at home, it is threatening America's standing as an economic superpower on the global stage. prgtoken The CHIPS and Science Act is the bold action we need to maintain our global standing and provide a strong economic future for American families, small businesses, and workers. prgtoken Critically, this legislation includes an estimated $1.8 billion for the National Science Foundation's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, also known as EPSCoR, a critical program that funds cutting-edge scientific research in smaller States like Rhode Island with historically underfunded academic communities. prgtoken Drawing on the talent, knowledge, and perspectives of academic institutions from every State, no matter how small, helps maintain our competitive edge in scientific advancement. prgtoken With this and the other investments made in this legislation, we will boost our domestic manufacturing capabilities and supply chains, end our dangerous dependence on foreign manufacturers, advance U.S. scientific research, lower costs for American consumers, and create 100,000 new, good-paying jobs. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation.