mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE CAREER OF DR. SCOTT ROBISON
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-1-23

I rise today to recognize Dr. Scott Robison, who is retiring after more than 40 years educating Hoosier children. prgtoken Dr. Robison hails from New Albany, IN, and earned his bachelor's degree in education from Indiana University in 1980. His career began as an elementary teacher in New Albany-Floyd County schools, as well as MSD Pike Township in Indianapolis. He then served as a principal in Southwest Allen Schools in Fort Wayne and as the founding principal of Pike Township's New Augusta K-8 Academy. He later became assistant school superintendent in Westfield Washington Schools before becoming superintendent of Marion-Adams Schools in Sheridan. In 2006, he was named superintendent of Zionsville Community Schools. After 16 years in the district, he is retiring this month. prgtoken Dr. Robison is an innovative leader. In the 1990s, he pioneered practices such as in-district school choice, alternative school calendars, multi-age classrooms, and parent/community partnerships that are now well-established practices in schools across the State. He is known as a tremendous recruiter and developer of educators, many of whom have benefited directly from his wisdom and inspirational leadership. prgtoken Throughout his tenure, Dr. Robison has never lost his own love of learning. He earned an M.S. from Indiana University in 1986 and a Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2003. He has also served on countless boards, commissions, and committees throughout the years and even refereed high school and college basketball games for 20 years. It is my honor to thank Dr. Robison for his tireless devotion to the children of Indiana, and all Hoosiers join me in wishing him a restful retirement.
Welcoming John Peter Ricketts (Executive Calendar)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-1-23

. Moments ago, the Senate returned to our full 100- person strength as Nebraska's new junior Senator took the oath of office. prgtoken The Cornhusker State expects a lot from its leaders. For the last 8 years, Nebraskans could rest easy knowing they had Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse on the job here in Washington. And during that same time, of course, they also had an outstanding leader even closer to home. As Governor, Pete Ricketts applied private-sector savvy to the work of public administration with great effect. He secured for Nebraska families and small businesses the biggest tax relief in that State's history. He championed parents' rights and defended civics education. prgtoken In the face of a global pandemic, he built the State's response on common sense--saving lives but also safeguarding livelihoods; preserving liberties and protecting kids' educations, all at the same time. The people of Nebraska chose wisely in electing and re-electing Governor Ricketts by huge margins. And their new Governor chose wisely in sending his predecessor here to this Chamber. prgtoken I know I speak for the entire Senate in extending a warm welcome to Senator Ricketts and his wife Susanne. prgtoken Pete, we are glad to have you here on the team. 118th Congress prgtoken , on another matter, the American people want and need this 118th Congress to work differently than the past 2 years that were just finished. We just had 2 years of one-party ic control, 2 years of spending us into record inflation on party-line votes, 2 years of ignoring top priorities of the American people like violent crime and open borders, two years of Senate procrastinating on basic government duties in order to push radical proposals like an unprecedented elections takeover and unlimited abortion on demand for all 9 months. prgtoken The American people put an end to that one-party government because they wanted change. prgtoken This year, the Senate leadership must not put off our most basic jobs, like intelligently funding our Federal Government and providing for our Armed Forces, before the very last minute. Basic duties like the appropriations process and the National Defense Authorization Act need more thoughtfulness, more bipartisanship, and more regular order. And they must not be shoved into late December after the Senate waste literally months looking for ways to placate the radical left. prgtoken The American people elected a bipartisan, divided government. The country voted to change Washington. So this Chamber's ic leadership needs to change accordingly.
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-1-23

it is great to be back with my Senate colleagues this week. It has been a while. But we need to get a lot done in this year's new Congress. prgtoken As a new Congress is getting underway, our country faces many problems, many problems that we need to address. However, as we look ahead to what we can accomplish this Congress, we also need to look back and learn from the past. Having the courage to recognize and address problems prevents us from making problems and continuing the same thing in the future. prgtoken It is high time we take a look back at the devastating impacts of some of the Federal and State government policies in response to COVID- 19 and the pandemic. Most importantly, we have to focus on education. We have to look at the toll the lockdowns have taken on our country's youngest citizens. prgtoken Unfortunately, like many issues in DC, the COVID crisis was weaponized for some political gain. The government misused emergency measures to grow its control over Americans' daily lives. Hopefully, those days are over. prgtoken This time 3 years ago, COVID was making its way around our country, through the States and through the communities. Of course, in the early days, we knew very little about the virus and how to respond to it, so leaders in both parties, leaders across our States and our communities, called for a pause in daily activities to get control of the spread of COVID-19. But what we didn't know then was how long that pause would last, not just in some areas but all over our country. And we certainly didn't know that our response could end up being worse--the response that we had being worse than the actual COVID that was running across our country. prgtoken We are just now starting to understand the impact of COVID-related lockdowns. They weren't just extreme, they were deadly in some areas. prgtoken Research led by a professor at the University of Chicago exposed the deadly impact of lockdowns by analyzing the excess death rate in our country during the use of these lockdowns. The ``excess rate'' is a term used to describe the number of deaths above historical norms--or how many more Americans died than we would typically expect to pass away during any given year. So those were balanced up and looked at from the years of COVID to the years past. prgtoken According to the data from the CDC, the number of non-COVID excess deaths reached almost 100,000 people in 2020 and in 2021. The hundreds of thousands of non-COVID excess deaths during the pandemic can be mainly attributed to shocking increases in accidents, overdoses, and death from alcoholism and homicide. Those causes disproportionately impacted minorities and low-income Americans--the same groups lockdowns were often billed and made to protect. prgtoken The number of deaths from hypertension and heart disease and diabetes also skyrocketed during the pandemic. This was especially true for America's young people. In total
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-1-23

I rise today to recognize the 1973 Vaster High School basketball team on the 50th anniversary of its overall state championship game performance and the way it continues to inspire many Arkansans to this day. prgtoken From the small, rural Jefferson County community of Moscow, and with a first-year head coach, the Vaster basketball team had a remarkable season, earning the Class B title and advancing to the finals in the overall tournament. Vaster defeated bigger and better teams to earn the right to play in the overall championship contest against the powerhouse players of Little Rock Central High School. prgtoken The Vaster squad was certainly the underdog, but they played hard and kept the game close through late in the fourth quarter. In the final moments, they came up short, but despite the crushing defeat, the Vaster players held their heads high and fans rallied around these young men who proudly represented their community. They revealed wisdom beyond their years in learning from the loss, taking pride in all they had achieved and still displaying true sportsmanship. prgtoken Stories like theirs bring communities together and create memories and friendships that last a lifetime. Their performance at the end of the 1973 season has forged a bond between the players, coaches, and spectators that still sparks passion today. prgtoken I applaud the coaches and players for their ability to show such grit and resilience on the court and grace in defeat. By overcoming challenges they faced along their hard-fought journey, the Vaster team demonstrated the power of uniting to achieve a common goal. Even 50 years later, this game represents something bigger than just basketball in the lesson it provides--anyone can face long odds, and even suffer a defeat, but still be considered a winner.
Tennessee (Executive Calendar)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-1-23

it was so wonderful to have time this month to kick off my annual 95-county tour, which is what I do in Tennessee each year. And I know that my colleagues across the aisle think they are here starting fresh with a new Congress, but that is not the way the people in Tennessee see this. As I have talked with people in our State, they continue to talk about what has happened this past couple of years with inflation, with crime, with that open border, with the supply chain issues. They prgtoken are worried about that. They are worried about how that is going to affect them this year. My colleague from Texas has touched on some of these issues. prgtoken Now, in Tennessee, as they look at what has transpired over the last couple of years, we talked a lot about a tornado in December that ripped through Dresden, TN. I went into the Presbyterian church that was demolished on my last visit over there, and I saw the progress they are making to rebuild that wonderful church. One of the things they talked about was how inflation and supply chain bottlenecks are really thwarting their efforts to get this sanctuary finished so they can have their Easter celebration right there in that sanctuary. prgtoken In Waverly, TN, those individuals know exactly how the people over in Dresden feel because we had floods that came through Humphreys County, TN--devastating floods. There were 20 Tennesseans who lost their lives when the floods ripped through that town, destroyed that town, about a year and a half ago, and the town is trying to rebuild. prgtoken My team and I were able to help those folks there in Waverly secure a disaster declaration and the funds they needed to help get rebuilding, but the same issues--inflation and supply chains--those things that are hurting Dresden are hurting Waverly as they try to rebuild homes and as they try to recover. prgtoken Now, this President, this administration, and my ic colleagues have focused on big spending and little else, and it has really created a minefield for our local leaders, whether they are trying to rebuild or whether they are trying to expand. But those issues--supply chains and inflation--continue to come up. prgtoken West Tennessee, where I started my 95-county tour, is experiencing massive growth. Ford Motor Company is coming in there, and they have a big plant, a multibillion-dollar investment. Sonova is over in that part of the State. There are other companies that are moving their operations to the area. These communities are set to welcome thousands of jobs, homes, and new businesses, but they are not ready because the existing utility infrastructure cannot support the growth and expansion that are coming into that part of our State. prgtoken Until recently, most of this West Tennessee area was fields and small rural communities. These local leaders now are seeing growth, and they need to expand their utilities, their water, their sewer, their e
Border Security (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-1-23

after a busy and productive time at home for several weeks, I am glad to be back in the Senate as we kick off the new year and a new Congress. After 2 years of controlling both Chambers, the House and Senate, the American people voted for a change in the midterm election. Voters sent a majority to the House and opted for a divided government. prgtoken With a House, , of course, will no longer be able to abuse the budget reconciliation process to circumvent the normal legislative process, which means the end to partisan spending bills. They will have no choice but to work for common ground and to move legislation through what we call regular order around here, which means by the rules. prgtoken While there is a lot we need to do in the coming months, one of our top priorities must be the humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border. This crisis has been raging since President took office 2 years ago. Day after day, month after month, migrants have crossed the border in unprecedented numbers. prgtoken Over the years, we have seen migration surges at different times, but nothing like this. The scale and the immensity of this crisis are unprecedented. prgtoken Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered more than 250,000 migrants at the southern border. That is the back door to my State, the State of Texas. A quarter of a million people in a single month--that is a new record and a shocking number. prgtoken To put that in perspective, Customs and Border Protection encountered more migrants in November and December last year than it did in all of 2017--more in 2 months, the last 2 months of last year, than it did in the entire year of 2017. prgtoken Those figures tell you a lot, but no words can accurately capture just how complex and challenging the situation at the border truly is. To understand what is happening on the ground, you need to show up. You need to see it firsthand, and you need to listen and learn from the experts and the people who are dealing with this day in and day out. prgtoken I have traveled to the border many, many times over the last few years, as this crisis has gotten worse. I have spoken with the law enforcement officials who have taken an oath to uphold and enforce our laws, the nonprofits--groups like Catholic Charities, which provide humanitarian services--local officials, mayors, and county judges, who are responsible to their own taxpayers for providing services that are overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of people coming across the border. prgtoken Then there are private landowners who find that their fences are knocked down, their properties are trashed, and that people trespass upon it at will. prgtoken Then there are the small business owners that depend on the foot traffic that frequently comes back and forth across the border and countless others who are impacted by the current border crisis. <|p
TRIBUTE TO DR. DANIEL EDELMAN
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2023-1-23

today I have the honor of recognizing a true Montana hero, Dr. Daniel Edelman. Dr. Edelman is a veteran of the U.S. Army who was seriously injured on a mission while deployed overseas as the noncommissioned officer in charge of security and intelligence of the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, First Infantry Division. Despite his severe injuries, Dr. Edelman pursued and obtained bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees, along with several professional certifications, allowing him to have a long and distinguished career serving his fellow Montanans. prgtoken While serving as chancellor at Montana State University-Billings, Dr. Edelman championed many student causes with a particular focus on veterans, disabilities, first generation, underserved, and Native American students. He worked with the FBI and other Agencies to provide educational opportunities for victims of human trafficking and also entered into an agreement for MSUB to partner with the University of North Texas Health Science Center to identify human remains, particularly those of murdered Native Americans. Additionally, he created a veteran's success center at MSUB. Dr. Edelman also helped raise the final funds for a science building and student scholarships. Outside of his work at MSUB, Dr. Edelman volunteers by serving on the board of Horses Spirits Healing, a nonprofit that helps veterans with PTSD. prgtoken After a career dedicated to serving Montana and our Nation, Dr. Edelman recently retired from MSUB due to a terminal condition connected to his time in the U.S. Army. Dr. Edelman truly embodies the values and spirit of a Montanan, and I have no doubt that his legacy of service will continue for generations to come. It is my honor to recognize Dr. Edelman for his service to our great State and Nation and for his dedication to improving the lives of his students and fellow Montana veterans. You have made Montana and our country proud.
MARCH FOR LIFE
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-1-24

on Friday, as they have done for decades, Americans from around the country--many of them young people--took to the streets of Washington, DC, to march for life. This year, of course, was a little different because for the first time since the march began nearly 50 years ago, pro-lifers marched in a post-Roe America. prgtoken On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and recognized that the Constitution does not contain a right to abortion, that our founding document does not confer a right to deprive one group of citizens of their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness simply because they are small and defenseless. The Supreme Court's decision marked the righting of a constitutional wrong, and it opened up the chance to right a great moral wrong: the legalized killing of unborn Americans. prgtoken The Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade does not, of course, make abortion illegal, but it does allow State governments and the Federal Government to finally begin to establish meaningful protections for unborn children. prgtoken The Dobbs decision marked a major victory for the pro-life movement and for the babies whose lives are in jeopardy from abortion, but the Dobbs decision does not mark an end to the pro-life movement or the March for Life but a new beginning. prgtoken The legal fight turns from the courts to Congress and State legislatures--in other words, to the democratic process, where this issue belongs and has always belonged--and the work to change hearts and minds to support moms and babies continues. prgtoken The Dobbs decision may have opened the door to meaningful legal protections for unborn Americans, but abortion extremists, who unfortunately count the majority of the ic Party among their ranks, are doing everything they can to stand in the way prgtoken of these protections. To give just one example of how far the abortion- on-demand caucus has taken things, 2 weeks ago, the House of Representatives took up legislation to ensure that babies who survive abortions and are born alive are guaranteed medical care. Almost every single in the House of Representatives voted against the legislation. That is 210 men and women who apparently think that living babies who have already been born--already been born--can legitimately be left to die or, I suppose, be killed outright by the abortionist. That is a horrifying position. prgtoken There is much work to be done to get to a day when a country that is supposed to be dedicated to the protection of life and liberty actually guarantees the right to life of all Americans, including the most vulnerable and most innocent Americans--our unborn children. prgtoken So the March for Life today is more important than ever. The march, of course, is just one small facet of the pro-life movement, which works every day in every State around the country to help provide help and hope to moms in need, but it is
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise today to recognize National School Choice Week and the importance of school choice. prgtoken I was proud to join my colleague, Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, in introducing the CHOICE Act last Congress, which would expand the school choice options and programs for elementary and secondary school children. I look forward to working together again on similar legislation. prgtoken I was also proud to join Representative John Moolenaar last week on his resolution to designate this week as National School Choice Week. prgtoken In Iowa, we recognize that every child learns and processes information differently, and we have empowered parents and students to choose the school best suited to their needs. prgtoken We are fortunate to have Governor Kim Reynolds, who is leading the Nation in school choice policy, and who has been a strong advocate for school choice throughout her tenure. prgtoken During the COVID-19 pandemic, many children were forced to transition to virtual learning while some private schools stayed open. Unfortunately, this resulted in a significant drop in testing averages across core subjects like reading comprehension and math. prgtoken This proved, in some instances, that public schools weren't able to adapt to the needs of each individual student. However, some students in private or charter schools were able to excel because of smaller class sizes or specialized education tailored to their strengths. prgtoken I am honored to represent a State where we put parents first, where parents matter, and where parents have a right to a say in their children's education instead of Washington bureaucrats. As a mother of two, I understand how important it is to ensure that your children receive the best education possible. prgtoken I will continue to fight for school choice to ensure every child in America has a chance to succeed in the best possible learning environment. Our children deserve nothing less. prgtoken I would also like to wish a happy birthday to my nephew. Happy birthday, Andrew. prgtoken I would like to extend birthday wishes to Nicholas Pottebaum, one of my very first campaign volunteers and now a health policy adviser to Senator Grassley. Happy birthday, Nick.
OPPOSING THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL HORSERACING INTEGRITY AND SAFETY AUTHORITY
Lance Gooden (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-1-24

I rise today in opposition to the unconstitutional Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA). During the 117th Congress, I filed an amendment to the omnibus spending bill to strip language from the bill that had been intended to ``fix'' the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, which was found unconstitutional by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on November 18, 2022, because Congress had unlawfully delegated its lawmaking power to a private corporation called the ``Authority''. The Appeals Court said the Authority needed more oversight from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), but the language included in the omnibus had been hastily put together and failed to address the underlying issue raised by the Appeals Court. The so-called ``fix'' still did not allow the FTC to make policy decisions. The FTC still may only reject rules proposed by the Authority if they are inconsistent with the Act, but the Act is written so broadly that no rule will ever be rejected. After the rules have gone into effect, the FTC may now issue its own rules, but it still may do so only to make them consistent with the Act. It cannot impose its own policy decisions on the Authority's rules. Unfortunately, my amendment did not receive a vote in this era of governing by omnibus, but I will be working this Congress to pass legislation through regular order that will fix the constitutional problems with HISA.