mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Tracey Mann (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-3-9

I thank Chairman Graves for yielding. prgtoken , agricultural producers have been forced to operate their businesses under three different definitions of water in the last 10 years, and this most recent rule removes longstanding bipartisan exemptions for common water features like ponds and streams found on family farms and other private property. prgtoken With this vote, Congress has a golden opportunity to stand up not only for people who feed, fuel, and clothe us all, but also for all Americans whose businesses and private lives will be affected by this Big Government encroachment onto their property. prgtoken While President would like to federally regulate every small stream, ditch, and puddle from sea to shining prgtoken sea, American producers have been the careful custodians of their own resources for centuries. They are the original conservationists, and their livelihoods already depend on their voluntary efforts to care for their water resources. prgtoken How we vote today will speak volumes. We can either tell Americans that we believe the Federal Government knows best, or we can tell them that the Federal Government should get out of their way and let them do what they do best. I know where I stand.
HONORING THE SERVICE OF KYLE KLEIN
Mark E. Green (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-3-9

I rise today to recognize Kyle Klein for his distinguished career in service to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the United States Congress. prgtoken A graduate of Liberty University, Kyle started his career as an intern for the House Committee on Homeland Security. Through his hard work and determination, he worked his way up the Committee's ranks, from Professional Staff Member to a Subcommittee Staff Director, and finally as the Committee Staff Director. prgtoken Kyle is a dedicated public servant and policy expert with deep knowledge of the Department of Homeland Security's functions and policies. Through over a decade of service at the Committee, he has served under five different chairmen or ranking members. His leadership has helped focus our Committee on the top priorities at hand: the crisis at our southern border, the increasing threats to our Nation's cybersecurity, and the critical need to reform and reauthorize the Department of Homeland Security. prgtoken Kyle has developed great working relationships with Members and staff across the aisle. Additionally, Kyle was instrumental in this transition as s took the House Majority and the Committee on Homeland Security gained a new Chairman. prgtoken Kyle has our deepest gratitude, and I am confident he will continue to distinguish himself in his future endeavors. On behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I commend Kyle for his diligent service and wish him well in all his future endeavors.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Eric Burlison (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-3-9

I thank Chairman Graves for his amazing leadership on this important topic. prgtoken The arrogance of liberal bureaucrats knows no bounds. When we think that they cannot go any further, they decide that they can regulate the rain that falls from the sky. prgtoken The waters of the U.S. regulation will cost our citizens, especially farmers in my State of Missouri, who, on average, own 300 acres, which is mostly small farms, it will saddle them with red tape. prgtoken Of course, we know why the administration is imposing this on our citizens and our farmers. The administration is not at all interested in helping the average American farmer or supporting them. They are more interested in appealing to the radical environmentalists that want to control our lives. prgtoken Farmers have been hit hard with fuel costs, fertilizer costs, and supply chain challenges recently. The last thing they need is this. The EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers should rescind this rule and leave our farmers alone. prgtoken , as a cosponsor of this resolution, I fully support it and urge my colleagues to pass it.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Josh Brecheen (Republican, OK) \u2014 2023-3-9

Article I, Section 1 of the United States Constitution says that all legislative powers are to be vested in the Congress. In the Congress, not the President. prgtoken The administration's WOTUS rule is a perfect example of the administration usurping the authority, the supremacy of the United States Constitution. prgtoken This rule impacts private property, small business, farmers, ranchers, including Jess Kane--I just got off the phone with him 20 minutes ago. Jess has a ranch south of Bartlesville, and he has about a thousand acres in a floodplain. He is concerned about his ranch and how this rule of the President will impact his ability to do what he has always done and be able to manage a cow-calf operation. prgtoken Regulatory costs are a hidden tax and are now expected to be at least $2 trillion, according to the Competitive Enterprise Institute. If you think of regulation as a tax, it comes out to more than $14,000 per family. It is a hidden tax, $14,000 per family, because of the regulatory state. prgtoken Congress has the authority and duty to rein this in. We must inject common sense, horse sense for our farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and private property owners when the Presidency is going the opposite direction. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.J. Res. 27 and overturn the WOTUS rule.
INFLATION IS DEVASTATING TO AMERICANS
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2023-3-9

. Thank you, . prgtoken For everyone who has been willing to give me part of their time, I am just trying to make a couple simple points. We have a fiscal responsibility and blame for inflation. prgtoken We could do policies on pieces of legislation that say we are going to actually help. How about a piece of legislation--actually, guess what, I already have this one--that basically says: How do I pull liquidity out of the marketplace without hurting people? prgtoken How about actually give every American a SPIF for taking some cash out of their checking account? prgtoken Instead of running out and buying a new color television--even though the televisions are beautiful--put it in their retirement account. You actually slow down consumption over here, you shore up their retirement security, and it is almost the exact same thing the Federal Reserve is doing. prgtoken There are things we can do policy wise that would help knock down inflation. We have a handful of bills like that. prgtoken The other thing is the reality of we have been lied to on the scoring of the ' spending from last year, and we are starting to see it now. prgtoken The third thing I want to point out are the dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of tax hikes, and then the White House is pretending it is not going to change the economic velocity, they are going to get all these revenues, and they are still going to spend like crazy. prgtoken Within their morality of are they going to step up and help us save Social Security, the morality of it, are they going to actually help us grow the economy? prgtoken It is unacceptable that their big accomplishment will still be over 110 percent debt to GDP in 9 years. It is unacceptable.
Tribute to James L. Buckley (Executive Session)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-3-9

today we celebrate the 100th birthday of a true hero of the U.S. Senate, former Senator James Buckley. prgtoken Born in 1923, James L. Buckley was raised in rural Connecticut. He went to college at Yale and graduated from Yale with a degree in English. prgtoken After enlisting in the Navy, he served in World War II, where he fought in battles of Leyte, Lingayen Gulf, and Okinawa. Senator Buckley was discharged in 1946 with the rank of lieutenant and received his law degree from Yale in 1949. prgtoken After working for a number of years in the private sector, James was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1970 as the candidate of New York's Conservative Party, becoming the only candidate in the history of that State to win a major party election, running against both a and a . In fact, Senator Buckley was the first and only third- party candidate to be elected to the U.S. Senate in the 20th century. prgtoken During his tenure, he championed many conservative causes, but in particular, he was a pioneer in the early pro-life movement following the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973. Senator Buckley proposed and fought for a human life amendment, which would have recognized embryos as persons for purposes of that term's use in the 14th Amendment. Along with the late Senator Jesse Helms, Buckley was also a key player in passing the Hyde amendment, named after the late Henry Hyde, which prevents taxpayer dollars from funding elective abortions. prgtoken Challenging the orthodoxy of his day, Senator Buckley, was also one of the Senate's first true environmental conservationists. ``Nixon established the EPA in 1970,'' he said, but he added, ``I actually proposed it during my '68 campaign.'' He is responsible for major revisions to the Clean Air Act, which passed in 1977. prgtoken James Buckley would later serve as an Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance in the Reagan administration in 1981, and then from 1982 to 1985, he served as president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which was a contributing force in defeating the Soviet Union in the Cold War. Buckley used radio to deliver raw, fact-based news and messages to millions stuck behind the Iron Curtain. prgtoken Then in 1985, President Reagan nominated Buckley to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Senate confirmed him. Once confirmed to this position, Buckley became the only American to have served in a major position in all three branches of the Federal Government--as a U.S. Senator, as Under Secretary of State, and then as a judge sitting on the DC Circuit. He retired in 2000. prgtoken My own interactions with James Buckley have helped me understand why he remains a hero to this day, not just in the Senate but really throughout the United States. I invited him to address the Senate conference at our steering lunch just a few years ago, in which he pro
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-3-9

as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Iowa small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize Big River Packaging of Clinton, IA, as the Senate Small Business of the Week for the week of March 13, 2023. prgtoken In 2001, Bob Simpson found himself reflecting on the 350 jobs that were lost due to the recent closure of the large paper plant in Clinton. He saw the value of the experienced professionals in the area and wanted to see their talent stay in his community. He and John Huling cofounded Big River Packaging in 2005 with the big idea of utilizing the dedicated local talent to create high-quality boxes. After hiring Bob's son Kip Simpson as the first employee, they began to make their dream a reality. Through trial and error, they slowly grew their business until they eventually found a niche that truly ``takes the cake'': bakery boxes. Once they discovered the need for bakery boxes, they became dedicated to providing the best customer service to a unique clientele whose needs are often overlooked by large corporations. prgtoken In the folding carton industry, small carton orders for specialty items are an underserved market. Many in the industry choose to focus on big-volume orders, but Big River Packaging, on the other hand, has a short-order/value-added market strategy. Big River Packaging aims to help local bakeries by providing them with customized boxes, in volumes that the ``big guy'' often ignores. To continue to serve these specialized accounts with excellence, the company has decided to forgo a physical storefront and instead run all their sales solely through their website. The company strives to provide quality customer service and do everything they can to foster long-term relationships with their clients. This dedication has been evident since the beginning or, in other words, since the fateful day John Huling stopped at his local bakery to pick up a dozen donuts. prgtoken Years prior, cofounder John Huling went to a local bakery to pick up donuts. While he was there, he discovered that the bakery needed a special box to keep their cupcakes steady. At the time, the baker was using sheet-cake boxes to transport cupcakes, leaving the individual desserts totally unsecure inside the box and, as a result, ruining the meticulously painted frosting on the cupcakes. Big River Packaging came to the rescue and developed an insert grid with holes for the cupcakes to keep them steady and upright. Keeping that same knack for product innovation in mind, Big River Packaging continues to cater to the unique needs of any bakery. Currently, Big River Packaging offers a plethora of boxes and bags to fulfill every baker's packaging needs, including cocoa bomb packaging, cupcake boxes, and paper bread bags. Over the years, their reach has grown to over 1
RECKLESS SPENDING
Stephanie I. Bice (Republican, OK) \u2014 2023-3-9

. Madam , today the President will release his budget, and I thought it would be appropriate to stand before you to talk about how we got here today. prgtoken There has been reckless spending under both and ic administrations, but let me be very clear: We do not have a revenue problem. We have a spending problem. prgtoken What is truly astonishing is that during the course of this 5-minute speech, the national debt will increase by $7 million. In the next 10 years, the debt is predicted to almost double. prgtoken Furthermore, if the debt were divided evenly, each taxpayer would be responsible for $246,867 in debt. prgtoken We should have heeded the words of George Washington, who said, `` . . . avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts, which unavoidable wars may have occasioned. . . . '' prgtoken But it is not only George Washington, overall. The Founders generally disapproved of debt and believed that the amount the country owed should be limited. prgtoken The U.S. national debt has increased by more than $8 trillion since late January 2020, the majority of which was under the administration. This includes programs like the American Rescue Plan; the infrastructure legislation, which was really the Green New Deal in disguise; less than half of that funding went to traditional infrastructure; and the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. prgtoken We can't continue with the status quo. For FY23, proposed a $5.8 trillion budget. The national debt is becoming a leading national security concern. Foreign countries, such as China, hold nearly $870 billion in debt. prgtoken It is 's executive orders that have led to increased regulations, higher inflation and, ultimately, higher national debt. Programs such as the student loan forgiveness program, canceling the Keystone XL pipeline, Waters of the U.S and other executive orders that have cost Americans nearly $1 trillion. prgtoken The CBO's Budget and Economic Outlook projects a Federal deficit of $1.4 trillion in 2023, an average of $2 trillion annually from 2024 to 2033. prgtoken The President's budget will double down on failed economic policies that have been devastating for millions of hardworking Americans. It locks in historic levels of spending on far-left policies and higher taxes that will worsen inflation and drive our economy into recession. prgtoken President 's answer--creating a culture of dependency that makes millions of families more reliant on the government. His approach will mean fewer people in the workforce, more people on welfare, and a stagnant economy for a generation. We are on the brink of an unprecedented fiscal crisis. prgtoken s have a strong vision for the country. It is called the Commitment to America. It is built on four main principles: An economy that is strong, a Nation that is sa
NATIONAL SCHOOL BREAKFAST WEEK
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-3-9

if we want America's kids to remain competitive in the 21st century, we can't just teach reading and math. We need to ensure they have healthy, nutritious food in school. Studies show keeping kids fed leads to better attendance, higher test scores, and lifelong benefits. prgtoken Last summer, Congress temporarily increased the Federal reimbursement level schools receive for breakfast and lunch, but in the richest country in the history of the world, we can do better. This National School Breakfast Week I have introduced the Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act to permanently increase the reimbursement level for our children. prgtoken The next generation of Americans--our future doctors, engineers, carpenters, professors, mechanics, and more--need nutritious food to learn and to thrive. If we pass my bill, schools can make more made- from-scratch meals with more locally sourced, healthier ingredients. prgtoken It is a win-win-win for our kids, our farmers, and our future. I urge strong bipartisan support for my bill.
MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-3-9

America's youth are in crisis. According to a recently released report by the CDC, more than one in five LGBTQ teenagers have attempted suicide in 2021, and one in three teenage girls seriously considered suicide in that year. prgtoken It should be no surprise that students are struggling in a country where certain politicians refuse to regulate the guns that kill their classmates and fight to ban books that tell their stories. There is a mental health crisis throughout our country that we need to address now. prgtoken President and in Congress enacted the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act to save lives by expanding access to mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment. Now, my friends are calling to cut Federal funding to FY22 levels, slashing funding for vital youth mental health programs when the assistance they provide is so desperately needed. prgtoken For too long, Americans struggling with mental illness and substance abuse have suffered in silence, intimidated by stigma and unable to access treatment. We must change this. I invite my friends to join us as we fight to change this in our country for young people.
INTRODUCTION OF THE END OIL AND GAS TAX SUBSIDES ACT
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2023-3-9

today I introduced the End Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies Act of 2023. This legislation eliminates nearly a dozen of the most egregious tax breaks enjoyed by the oil and gas industry. President proposed a similar initiative in his Fiscal Year 2024 budget. prgtoken The climate is changing. This fact is indisputable, as is the fact that humans are the primary cause of the changing climate. The United States emitted nearly 6 billion tons of greenhouse gases in 2020 and the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the combustion of fossil fuels. prgtoken Despite consistent profitability, fossil fuel companies receive billions of dollars in federal tax breaks and subsidies, which underwrite the costs of continued oil and gas production. These forgone revenues undermine the United States' ability to combat the climate crisis and invest in critical initiatives like education, housing, infrastructure, and healthcare. prgtoken Recent analysis released by the Stockholm Environment Institute found that just two oil and gas tax subsidies--the expensing of intangible drilling costs and the percentage depletion allowance--increased the value of new oil and gas projects by more than $20 billion in some years. These two subsidies alone helped spur and sustain the shale development boom in the United States. Follow-up analysis examining the impacts of continuing these subsidies found that the subsidies increase average rate of return by 55 percent to 68 percent and more than 96 percent of the subsidy value goes to excess profits. prgtoken Oil and gas tax subsidies are unnecessary and a wasteful use of hard- earned taxpayer dollars. I look forward to working with my colleagues to rid them from the tax code once and for all.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2023-3-9

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-3-9

I rise in opposition of H.J. Res. 27, which would roll back important clean water protections. prgtoken Colleagues, for over 50 years, the Clean Water Act has served as an essential pollution prevention tool and helped us clean up our nation's streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. prgtoken Clean water is a human right. And it is our shared responsibility to ensure we protect human health and our environment for future generations. Whether you live in the heartland near the Great Lakes, or out west near the incredible Colorado River, we all benefit from the federal protections of our waters. As one of the architects of the Clean Water Act, John Dingell, wrote and made clear the intent was to protect ``all the `waters of the United States.' '' prgtoken Wetlands, rivers, lakes, and streams must be protected and due to the 2019 repeal of this rule, there have been hundreds of development projects that were able to move forward with limited regulation, putting our water systems at risk. I would like to thank the administration for their leadership on its rule to establish a revised definition of the ``Waters of the United States'' to protect our most vital natural resource--water. prgtoken , I urge all my colleagues to oppose this resolution and protect clean water for all Americans.