mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO "STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT EMPLOYER STATUS"
Eric Sorensen (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-1-12

. Madam , I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 98. prgtoken Last year, the administration took an important step to protect workers' rights by issuing an updated joint employer rule. Unfortunately, House s are now trying to reverse the strong standard. prgtoken My colleagues across the aisle are making misleading claims today about this joint employer standard, arguing incorrectly about the impact on small business franchises. prgtoken Now, let me be clear. The joint employer issue is simply about whether or not an employer is obligated to come to the bargaining table. prgtoken I have heard from so many working families across central and northwestern Illinois who feel as if they are left behind and as if their government does not stand for them as they work paycheck to paycheck trying to do the right thing for themselves and their families. prgtoken All the while, big corporations automate jobs and misclassify workers all to save a quick buck while reporting record profits and forgetting whose labor got them to their positions of success in the first place. prgtoken As a member of the Congressional Labor Caucus, I believe that when workers come together to bargain for fair wages, for good benefits, and for safe workplaces, then every entity that has control over these conditions should be at the table, and it is required by law. prgtoken That is exactly what the administration's joint employer rule does. The strong standard overturns the previous administration's rule which allowed corporations to easily outsource jobs so they could evade responsibility and undermine organized labor. prgtoken We cannot allow House s to undermine workers in this country by overturning the National Labor Relations Board's joint employer standard. prgtoken To the hardworking people in my district, let me be clear. As their Member in Congress, I will always stand on the side of workers and fight for their protections. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to vote against this resolution.
CELEBRATING KOREAN-AMERICAN DAY
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2024-1-12

as Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, I am grateful to recognize Korean American Day. Celebrated annually on January 13, it commemorates the arrival of the first Korean immigrants on that day in 1903. prgtoken In 2003, President , proclaimed January 13, as Korean American Day, and in 2005, the U.S. House and Senate passed resolutions demonstrating their unanimous support for the recognition, and appreciation of the Korean American community. prgtoken South Carolina is blessed to be the home of a large and vibrant Korean American population. For almost 20 years, Columbia, South Carolina, has welcomed thousands of people from across the state for their Korean Festival, an experience filled with food, music, dancing, and traditions at the Korean Presbyterian Church on Richland Street. prgtoken I was also grateful to have celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the signing of the Korean Armistice Agreement on July 27, with Ambassador Hyun-Dong Cho and several members of the Korean National Assembly ruling party, People Power Party Leader, Assemblyman Gi-Hyeon Kim, members of the National Assembly Chul-Gyu Lee, Seok-Ki Kim, Sang-Bum Yoo, Min-Kuk Kang, and Chairman of the International Relations Committee of the People Power Party and former National Assemblyman Jae-Young Lee. prgtoken On several occasions, I have had the good fortune of visiting South Korea and have personally experienced the warmth of its people. In 2023, I visited North Korea at Pyongyang and I saw firsthand the contrast of dictatorship there of darkness in the North as contrasted to the vibrancy of the South. prgtoken I am grateful for the vast contributions Korean Americans bring to our community, from business to culture, and to commemorate this day. Their continued success is a tribute to the American Dream fulfilled.
WINTERGREEN COMMUNITY NEEDS EMERGENCY EXIT
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2024-1-12

. Madam , I rise to support the ongoing efforts of the Wintergreen community to build an emergency exit road to keep their residents safe. prgtoken The Wintergreen community is located within the Blue Ridge National Park in Nelson County, Virginia, and is home to up to 10,000 residents at any given time. It is situated in a box canyon, but it only has one road that leads in or out. prgtoken For 20 years, the community has tried to work with the Park Service to construct an emergency exit but has been denied every time. The community is trying to fund and create a 400-foot emergency exit road to the Blue Ridge Parkway, which would be critical to saving lives in the event of a fire. prgtoken The Park Service continues to insist they do not have the authority to approve this action, so to remedy the situation, I am introducing the Blue Ridge Fire Safety Act to make it clear that the Park Service does have the authority to grant an emergency road construction permit. prgtoken Madam , I hope that common sense will prevail and prioritize the safety of this community.
HOMETOWN HERO SAISHEREN SENPON
Beth Van Duyne (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-1-12

I rise today to recognize our Texas-24 Hometown Hero, Saisheren Senpon of Irving. prgtoken Ever since he was three years old, Saisheren has been practicing karate. Now, 20 years later, he has become an elite athlete at Champion Karate Academy, earning a 3rd Degree Black Belt and a spot on the USA Karate Senior National Team. prgtoken As Mayor of Irving in 2014, I had the privilege of recognizing Saisheren for his accomplishments and am impressed by all that he has gone on to accomplish. prgtoken Following in his parents' footsteps, both of whom were national champions in karate, Saisheren is a nine-time National Champion, multiple-time US Open champion, three-time Pan-American Champion, and a gold medalist in the Junior Pan American Games, Cali 2021. Most recently, he brought home the bronze medal in the 84kg category for Team USA at the Pan American Games, Santiago 2023. He currently stands at No. 47 in the world rankings. prgtoken Congratulations to Saisheren, and I wish him continued success in his karate career.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO "STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT EMPLOYER STATUS"
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2024-1-12

the letter argues that the NLRB's joint employer rule is ``misguided'' and ``will harm millions of workers and small businesses across the country.'' The letter also states the final rule ``will cripple small businesses in numerous sectors by exposing them to frivolous litigation, eliminating jobs, and slowing wage growth across the country, just like it did when a similar standard was implemented in 2015.'' prgtoken The letter continues: ``At a time of continued economic uncertainty, it is alarming that the NLRB has chosen to move forward on such a divisive and damaging joint employer rule.'' prgtoken , it is clear to me in listening to this debate this morning from speaker after speaker on the other side that they have no experience in the private sector and no idea of how our economy works. Our country has flourished economically because of freedom and the entrepreneurial spirit that exists in this country. They constantly want to squelch both of those principles. prgtoken I will point out a key difference in the and ic Parties illustrated by the joint employer rule. Listen carefully to the language under debate. The conservative language: direct, immediate. The liberal language: indirect, potential. prgtoken Any casual observer of American politics can understand how the blatant attempt to smuggle legal ambiguity into the otherwise clear-cut law will be abused by a weaponized and partisan agency. It will open every American franchisor and franchisee to lawfare from the left if it does not toe the ic Party line. prgtoken With the spurious pretenses we have seen this administration use to go after Catholic Americans and concerned mothers, we don't need to give it another tool to go after American small businesses. prgtoken Therefore, , I urge the passage of the resolution, and .
CELEBRATING THE LIVE OAKS CAREER CENTER JROTC CADETS
Brad R. Wenstrup (Republican, OH) \u2014 2024-1-12

I rise today to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the Live Oaks Career Center JROTC Cadets. Beginning as a local Army JROTC program in 1993 to teach high school students leadership and citizenship classes, the Live Oaks JROTC program has evolved into a nationally recognized leadership and citizenship program. prgtoken This year, three teams of Live Oaks JROTC Cadets competed against 216 other teams in the U.S. Army Cadet Command Junior ROTC Raider Challenge Championships at Fort Knox. The Live Oaks male and female teams finished first in their divisions, and the coed team came in fifth place. Twenty-eight cadets earned full-ride scholarships to the university of their choice due to their success. prgtoken Live Oaks' JROTC Cadets demonstrated incredible tenacity and grit in their championship success, qualities that will serve them well in their southern Ohio communities. I am proud to congratulate them today.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO "STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT EMPLOYER STATUS"
Roger Williams (Republican, TX) \u2014 2024-1-12

. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in opposition to the National Labor Relations Board joint employer rule that will be disastrous for small businesses across the country, and I also am a franchisee. prgtoken The NLRB is attempting to adopt an overly broad new definition of a joint employer that will greatly increase the number of entities that are subject to costly new Department of Labor requirements. prgtoken Last fall, the Committee on Small Business held a hearing to examine the disastrous impact of the regulation as well as many others coming out of the Department of Labor. prgtoken We heard directly from job creators on how the new joint employer rule will prevent businesses from looking for growth opportunities because of the legal uncertainty caused by this rule. prgtoken If we continue to punish the businesses who provide over half the workforce and half the payroll, our economy is going to suffer. In a time where inflation remains stubbornly high, businesses cannot find qualified workers to hire, and supply chains remain fragile, we should not be adding another confusing regulation to the list of their troubles. prgtoken I am glad to see the CRA come to the floor today so we can provide regulatory relief to businesses already dealing with significant employee economic headwinds. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 98. prgtoken In God we trust.
FORT MOSE GROUNDBREAKING PROJECT
John H. Rutherford (Republican, FL) \u2014 2024-1-12

I rise today to recognize and celebrate Fort Mose Historic State Park in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. prgtoken Fort Mose, a national historic landmark, is the site of the first legally sanctioned free Black settlement in the United States. prgtoken In the 1600s, enslaved people in the British Carolinas made their way south to freedom in St. Augustine, which at that time was under Spanish rule. prgtoken Next week, the park, along with the Florida State Parks Foundation and community partners will break ground on a full-scale reconstruction of the original fort that once stood there. prgtoken You can see the updated renderings of the fort here beside me. It is really going to be an amazing site. prgtoken This project is the realization of decades of dreams, dedication, and hard work from hundreds of individuals who share a love for the Fort Mose history and rich, rich story. prgtoken Thanks to the partnership of the Florida State Parks Foundation, the Fort Mose Historical Society, and Florida State Parks, the fort will be completed this winter, and it is expected to draw visitors from around the world to northeast Florida. prgtoken The reconstructed Fort Mose will have lasting impacts for St. Johns County, our State, and our Nation for generations to come. prgtoken So congratulations from Florida's Fifth Congressional District, to, again, the Fort Mose Historic State Park, and to all who have been involved in bringing this amazing story to life. prgtoken , .
PENNSYLVANIA FARM SHOW
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-1-12

over the weekend, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania kicked off one of my favorite events: The Pennsylvania Farm Show. prgtoken For more than a century, farmers have gathered each January at the Pennsylvania Farm Show in burg, Pennsylvania. prgtoken This weeklong event is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the Nation, showcasing more than 6,000 animals, nearly 12,000 exhibits, and more than half a million visits. prgtoken Each year, I host a listening session at the farm show, and we cover a range of topics during the public forum. prgtoken This year, I held my listening session on January 6, the same day the farm show kicked off. I was joined by my fellow Pennsylvania Congressman, Dan Meuser, and Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary, Russell Redding. prgtoken , I thank them both for being there as we heard directly from Pennsylvania's farmers and producers. prgtoken I have been hosting this listening session as the Representative for Pennsylvania's 15th Congressional District for 14 years. Like every year, I look forward to hearing directly from the backbone of our Nation, the hardworking men and women of American agriculture.
RECOGNIZING UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL TEAM
Lisa C. McClain (Republican, MI) \u2014 2024-1-12

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the University of Michigan football team for winning the national championship. prgtoken It is great to be a Michigan Wolverine. prgtoken Monday night, the Michigan football team completed their final test and stood atop as national champions. prgtoken Capping off a 15-0 season, team 144 will be enshrined as Big Ten champions, Rose Bowl champions, and now national champions. prgtoken Despite the accolades, this season for Michigan has been met with adversity on and off the field, but the players and the coaches and the team never wavered. prgtoken Michigan has a saying: ``Those who stay will be champions,'' and champions they have become. prgtoken These players are champions on and off the field. Team 144 is the epitome of what it means to be Michigan men and stand as champions because of it. prgtoken We are proud of these young men. We are so proud of Coach Harbaugh and his staff and all of those who are involved with this great program. prgtoken Madam , I congratulate Michigan. They are national champions. Go Blue.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO "STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT EMPLOYER STATUS"
Jay Obernolte (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-1-12

. Madam , I rise in strong support of this joint resolution which would overturn a completely nonsensical ruling by the National Labor Relations Board. prgtoken The NLRB is seeking to expand the definition of an employer to include what they call joint employers. That is an employer who exerts indirect control or even potential control over an employee. prgtoken Madam , it has been said that those who do not honor the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them, and we are about to make the same mistake that we made almost 10 years ago when the NLRB took this exact same action. prgtoken What happened? prgtoken It raised costs for small businesses by over $33 billion and resulted in the loss of nearly 400,000 jobs. prgtoken Madam , that will happen again if this ruling is allowed to stand. It is completely appropriate that Congress is taking this action under the Congressional Review Act because this is a decision that has major consequences for employers across our country, and, yet, it has been made by a set of unelected bureaucrats. prgtoken Madam , under our Constitution, the power to regulate interstate commerce resides here in this Chamber in this building and not with an unelected executive branch agency. prgtoken Madam , this commonsense resolution would overturn that ruling, returning that power not only to Congress but to small businesses across our country, and I urge its adoption.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO "STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT EMPLOYER STATUS"
Kevin Hern (Republican, OK) \u2014 2024-1-12

. Madam , because of the successes that I have had in life, not many people know that my life began very differently. prgtoken My family was dependent on food stamps for most of my youth. My stepdad never worked, and my siblings and I paid the price for it. I knew from a young age that I would not let that be my life. From the moment I could start working, I did whatever it took to earn financial security--hog farming, welding, computer programming, the list goes on. prgtoken If it weren't for the McDonald's franchisee program, I wouldn't be here today. After 11 years of working in the restaurants, I was able to work my way into the franchisee program and purchase my first franchise location. I was able to build a successful company with over 20 locations and thousands of employees. prgtoken I have lived a truly American story, and my mission in life is to help every child who grew up like me--wondering where their next meal would come from, unsure if the lights would be on when they came home from school. I want those kids to know that our country is a place of opportunity and a place of hope for those who will work for it. prgtoken Today, we are here to provide congressional disapproval of a rule that would completely destroy the franchise model that gave me the opportunity to be successful. prgtoken I thank Congressman James for introducing the CRA to shed light on how harmful the National Labor Standards Board rule is to small businesses and especially the franchise model. This new rule would have grave consequences on small businesses and the franchise model. prgtoken Have we not learned from our history? Under the administration, the joint employer rule was expanded, and the data shows that franchises lost $33.3 billion each year, 376,000 jobs were lost, and losses increased by 93 percent. prgtoken We have already seen this administration's spending habits wreak havoc on Americans in the form of inflation. We cannot allow the administration to move forward with this rule that will have devastating effects on our economy. prgtoken We should learn from the mistake the administration made and reject this new joint rule. prgtoken Madam , I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to support H.J. Res. 98.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD RELATING TO "STANDARD FOR DETERMINING JOINT EMPLOYER STATUS"
Tim Walberg (Republican, MI) \u2014 2024-1-12

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I strongly support H.J. Res. 98 to overturn the administration's joint employer rule which would directly harm employees across this Nation--employees who can become and do become entrepreneurs, franchise owners, and small businesspeople because of their opportunity. prgtoken This misguided joint employer rule is a classic case of solving a problem that doesn't exist, and, in the process, it creates unnecessary barriers to success. prgtoken Madam , we have been here before. In 2015, the NLRB implemented the Browning-Ferris decision--I remember it well--which rewrote the joint employment standard with disastrous results. To say otherwise denies the truth. prgtoken It raised franchise operational costs by $33 billion and caused 376,000 job losses. It increased NLRB unfair labor practice charges by 93 percent, imposing significant litigation costs on businesses, both large and small. prgtoken Despite the historical evidence that expanding the definition of joint employment harms economic growth and job creation, the NLRB has decided to finalize a substantially similar rule anyway. prgtoken Michigan is home to over 23,000 franchise locations, employing approximately 248,000 people. However, as a result of this new regulatory burden, workers and small businesses in Michigan and across the country are at risk of losing jobs and opportunities to pursue their own American Dream. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to pass H.J. Res. 98 so we can return to a commonsense standard that workers and local employers have relied on for decades and promote success.
VISIT TO THE TEXAS SOUTHERN BORDER
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2024-1-12

it is our first week back from what I guess we refer to as Christmas or winter break, and at least 60 of us s spent a couple days down at the Texas border to analyze one more thing, the complete disaster that we have going on with regard to what I will refer to as illegal immigration. prgtoken I will summarize one more time for the American public and for my colleagues what we find when we go down there. prgtoken First of all, it is apparent, in December of 2023, we will one more time hit an all-time high in the number of people who are let into our country. We are going to clear 300,000. prgtoken I remind the body that, as recently as 3 years ago, that number, the monthly number, may have been 5,000 or 10,000. So we have gone up by a factor of 30 times as many people crossing the border. prgtoken Sometimes comments out there made by the President imply that it is going to be very, very difficult to find a way to prevent 300,000 people from crossing the border every month. I remind the American public, without Congress doing anything, the prior administration had that number under 10,000. prgtoken I also want to point out these people are coming from all around the globe. prgtoken We were down in the Del Rio sector, the Eagle Pass entryway. Now, we are just talking here about people who formally check in with the Border Patrol. In the 33 days prior to us coming down there, people came in from 61 different countries. prgtoken Among the over 300,000 who come across in an average month, about 9,000 are unaccompanied minors. Can you imagine in this country, I mean, can you imagine us sending children to another place around the globe, a 12-year-old without either of their parents? prgtoken This is routine at the southern border. We saw one room where we were told, the prior week, there were 300 unaccompanied minors, people under 18, in that room at one time. prgtoken There is no appropriate oversight. When these people claim that they want sponsors in the country that are related to them somehow, an aunt, an uncle, whatever, we don't do DNA tests. We have no idea if--and it probably in some cases is--it is human trafficking. prgtoken The United States, instead of sending them back to their country of origin and having the courts in Guatemala or Brazil or wherever determine where this child goes, we will deliver them anywhere. The cartels will put a name on a T shirt and say, deliver this child to 123 Elm Street, and the U.S. Government kind of plays like UPS. We just take that child and deliver them wherever they want. prgtoken We have no idea whether the people who take care of them are good sponsors or bad sponsors; if they claim they are relatives, are they relatives or not? prgtoken I would suggest, as we debate in the next month what we are going to do with President , our negotiators add an addition to H.R. 2, a bill which we passed about 2 years ago, that we will stop taking unaccompanie