mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Diana Harshbarger (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , I rise today in opposition to the far-left inflation expansion act. prgtoken This bill is detrimental to Americans' wallets and their ability just to keep their heads above water. This bill is littered with economy- crushing measures that cater to climate extremists and Socialists. This tax will impact every single part of our lives. It will be more expensive to heat our homes, to buy basic necessities, and it will even de-incentivize manufacturing of thousands upon thousands of goods that we use every day. prgtoken This bill is chock-full of Green New Deal slush funds with no accountability and no transparency. We cannot afford to pour billions that we don't have into programs that cut our gas and oil industry off at the knees--an industry that is already suffering greatly under the administration. prgtoken This attack on our refineries could lead to even higher gas prices. I know that is hard to believe, but it is true. It leaves us exposed and more reliant on our enemies. prgtoken This bill is problematic from start to finish, but as a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years, the most concerning part of this Socialist scheme is that the government will now have authority to set pricing on lifesaving medication. And when they set the price, it is going to be out of the reach of the Americans who need it the most. The tip of the day is you never want the government in control of pricing anything. prgtoken This act will directly take away hope from seniors and as many as 100-plus cures will be in jeopardy. There will be no incentive for companies to develop cures for rare and ultra-rare diseases. This bill encourages drug companies to spend less on research and development and more on navigating the politics of it all. prgtoken Americans are already being forced to choose between purchasing groceries or purchasing their prescriptions, and the last thing anyone needs is higher prices for prescriptions and rising insurance premiums. prgtoken Members on the other side of the aisle continue to push an agenda that America does not want. This bill is horrendous. It is an abomination that would go to such lengths--as far as risking the health and the safety of the people they swore an oath to represent--just to push their radical liberal agenda. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to consider the lives that will be negatively impacted by this radical bill and hope to see all the Members of the House of Representatives make the right decision for America with a ``no'' vote on this far-left inflation expansion act.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Garret Graves (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-8-12

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , let's be clear. Everybody in this Chamber supports lowering prescription drug costs, lowering these outrageous costs that all of our constituents are paying across the country. We all support clean, affordable energy and access to those resources. We all support lowering inflation. prgtoken The difference is, where the credibility gap exists, is that the very problems, the very crisis that our country is experiencing today, were actually caused by the administration's policies. prgtoken We went from, in my hometown, $1.80 a gallon for gasoline to, recently, I paid $4.20. We have seen a tripling of natural gas costs. Their own policies have caused this. prgtoken Nearly a quarter of all Americans today can't even afford to pay their electricity bills. The administration policies have caused record inflation, making Americans unable to even afford grocery costs. prgtoken The administration policies have resulted in higher emissions, not lower emissions, as compared to the previous administration. administration policies resulted in this President going to countries like Saudi Arabia and asking them for energy while telling Americans that we can't produce. prgtoken , I can't help but reminisce over Jack Abramoff, a disgraced lobbyist, convicted, who created problems and then charged clients to fix them. The difference between this bill and Jack Abramoff is that Jack Abramoff actually fixed problems for his clients. prgtoken This bill is a disaster. There is a credibility gap. They have caused problems, and now we are being asked to trust them to fix them, and we simply can't. Oppose this legislation.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Michael Guest (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-8-12

I rise today in strong opposition to this destructive piece of legislation. prgtoken Every day I hear from fellow Mississippians who struggle to buy gas and groceries because of inflation fueled by the left's reckless spending. prgtoken Now, instead of acknowledging the impact their out-of-control spending has had on Americans, my colleagues across the aisle are trying to pass legislation that will increase taxes on Americans, spend hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on far-left priorities, and pass legislation that will add an army of IRS agents. prgtoken It is time to acknowledge that the American people are suffering because of legislation exactly like this. prgtoken The American people are tired of this economic crisis, and they have been clear: Do not raise taxes, do not add to this recession with more wasteful spending, do not weaponize the IRS, and do not vote for this legislation. prgtoken This Congress must listen to the American people and vote against this bill.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-8-12

the are determined to make inflation worse by continuing their disastrous policies that caused it in the first place. Do they not understand the concept of pouring gas on a fire? prgtoken Beyond the reckless spending of nearly another trillion dollars on top of the $30 trillion national debt--there is no climate crisis. It is a hoax. This is the one crisis that even couldn't create. prgtoken They have been crying about the climate sky falling for 40 years now, predicting the world would end in 12 years. It is a lie. prgtoken We are the cleanest large energy producer in the world, and fossil fuels are a wonderful thing. They are essential to our economic and national security. prgtoken Worse yet, want to spend $80 billion to hire 87,000 more armed IRS agents to terrorize Americans with 1.2 million more audits of hardworking taxpayers. No one in my district has ever told me that the one thing we need is more IRS agents. prgtoken , the American people will vote against this bill on November 8.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Ashley Hinson (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-8-12

I rise today in opposition to this so- called Inflation Reduction Act. prgtoken Last year, we warned that spending trillions of dollars would cause prices to spike but did it anyway--ramming through a trillion-dollar Washington pork buffet, sticking families with the bill. prgtoken Now, Pelosi is arguing for yet another tax-and-spending spree, wasting hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars on Green New Deal priorities and raising taxes on middle-class families. prgtoken This will worsen inflation. It sics the IRS on hardworking Iowans-- adding 87,000 new IRS agents to target taxpayers. prgtoken Iowans are begging for us to get prices down, but instead, this bill takes more of their hard-earned paychecks. And for what? So the wealthy can get a discount on their electric vehicles? So we can increase bureaucracy at the EPA to impose new regulations on our farmers? prgtoken , this bill ignores the pain that Iowans are feeling. It is the worst policy at the worst possible time. prgtoken , I urge a ``no'' vote on this latest tax-and-spending spree.
HONORING JOE JOHNSON
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , I rise today in honor of former Delegate Joe Johnson of Abingdon, Virginia, who passed away at the age of 90 on August 4, 2022. My friend and former colleague was a true gentleman with a distinguished record of longtime service to Southwest Virginia. prgtoken Joseph Pickett Johnson, Jr was born in Hayter's Gap, Virginia, on December 12, 1931, to Joseph Pickett Johnson, Sr and Gray Henderson Johnson. He served in the United States Air Force from 1951 to 1955, during which he spent a period in the Marshall prgtoken Islands while nuclear tests took place. After his service, Joe returned to Virginia to earn a bachelor's degree at Emory & Henry College, my alma mater as well, and a law degree at the University of Richmond. prgtoken In 1960, Joe started practicing law in Abingdon. Five years later, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. Joe served on the House Police and Militia Committee and was a ranking member of the Roads Committee and the Insurance and Banking Committee. Traveling between Abingdon and Richmond was more time-consuming then than now, so in 1969 Joe chose not to run again in order to help his wife Ann raise their three children Mary Jo, Joe III, and Sage. From 1971 to 1989, he served as a substitute judge for the 28th General District Court. prgtoken Twenty years after leaving the House of Delegates, he was elected to it again and retained his seat until retiring in 2014. He served on the Finance, Courts of Justice, Commerce and Labor, and Rules Committees. As a delegate from 1994 to 2011, I saw firsthand how effective Joe could be. In his unfailingly friendly manner, he championed the needs of Southwest Virginia. He worked to set up and served as a member of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, was a major contributor to establishing the community college system, and helped establish the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. Although a , he was well-liked by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including me. After his passing, s who served with him or succeeded him have been effusive in their tributes to this gentleman who did so much for our region. prgtoken In addition to his service as an elected official, Joe led or was involved in numerous civic and community organizations. He was a member of American Legion Post No. 12 in Abingdon and served as post commander. As a loyal alumnus of Emory & Henry, he served on its Board of Trustees for fourteen years, chairing the board for eight. At the Abingdon Baptist Church he devoutly worshipped at for more than 45 years, he taught Sunday school and served on the Council of Deacons. He was a president of the Washington County Bar Association and a member of the Virginia Bar Association. Other organizations he was a member of included the Abingdon Civitans, Abingdon Masonic Lodge No. 48, Kazim Shriners, Abingdon Chapter No. 182 Order of Eastern Star, and McCabe Lodge No. 56 Independent Order of
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , my ic colleagues own this bill. Let's be clear: prgtoken Tax increases for the average American, check. $80 billion to the Internal Revenue Service to go after those Americans, to hire agents, jobs already posted, check. prgtoken Increased electricity prices, increased gas prices, tilted windmills with your unicorn energy policies, check. prgtoken Increased government and corporate control of healthcare, check. prgtoken I hear my colleagues talking about, ``Oh, we are going to go after pharma.'' Well, what did the CDC say yesterday? prgtoken Don't worry about all of those mandates, don't worry about all of those vaccines, and don't worry about all the quarantines. Sorry, pox on us. prgtoken But my colleagues now today are going to dump hundreds of billions of dollars into corporate America, screwing over the American people every single day with tax audits, increased energy prices, and increased taxes. prgtoken Congratulations. Take that to the polls.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Jim Jordan (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , who are they going to harass? Who are these thousands of IRS bureaucrats, leftwing bureaucrats, Lois Lerners at the IRS, who are they going to harass? Middle-class families. prgtoken We know who it is going to be. It is that assistant football coach at the local high school who teaches history and who has this side business. He mows lawns in the summer. He paints houses in the summer. He pays his taxes, but he is going to get harassed. prgtoken We know how this works. We have seen it before. prgtoken This bill raises taxes. It creates a whole new bureaucracy to go after taxpayers. Such a deal, using your tax money to come after you, the taxpayer. Such a deal for the taxpayer. prgtoken My guess is they will all be working remotely. They won't have to pay the $5 to drive to work like people in our districts do. They will be working remotely, drinking their fancy coffee, going after the guy who is helping kids and has this side business in the summer. That is who this is going to come after, and we all know it. Everyone knows it. The country knows it. prgtoken This is disgusting. I hope y'all vote ``no.''
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 5376, BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2022-8-12

from Texas for yielding me time. prgtoken As Mr. Burgess pointed out, if we defeat the previous question, I will move to amend the rule to make in order my amendment to strike funding for IRS enforcement activities. prgtoken The administration's own Treasury Department has said this funding would be used to hire 87,000 new IRS agents. This has been verified. These agents will be focused on targeting American families, small businesses, farmers, and ranchers with audits. prgtoken Families and small businesses are struggling. That is no secret. Inflation is at 8.5 percent. Food and gas prices are at record highs. Despite this bill's name, reasonable economists agree it will do nearly nothing to actually reduce inflation, especially in the near term. prgtoken Small business pessimism about costs and access to workers is at all- time highs, and audits would only compound this misery. Estimates put the starting cost to a small business being audited in the range of $10,000 to $75,000. Ridiculous. That is the last thing our small businesses need, the vast majority of whom follow the law. They are law-abiding individuals and law-abiding businesses. prgtoken My amendment makes the following changes to the bill. prgtoken It strikes the $45 billion for enforcement activities, which include legal and litigation support, digital asset monitoring, and enforcing criminal statutes. Those are audit activities. prgtoken It strikes $25 billion for operation support, which includes rent payments, printing, postage, and other administrative activities to support the new auditors. It also strikes $104 million for the Office of Tax Policy at IRS, the office which creates new tax regulations. prgtoken It strikes $153 million for the U.S. Tax Court, where cases related to these new audits would be heard, and it strikes $50 million for Treasury to implement these changes. prgtoken Now, let me tell you what this amendment would not do. This amendment leaves in place $3.2 billion for taxpayer services to help address the backlog of nearly 20 million unprocessed returns. We agree this backlog is a serious problem, and taxpayers need better customer service. It leaves in place $4.8 billion for badly needed IRS systems modernization. prgtoken According to the CBO, the bill would still reduce the deficit if we adopt this amendment while leaving every other provision of the package intact. prgtoken Unless there are Senate who believe auditing families and small businesses is the single most important part of this bill, they should have no problem expeditiously passing it again. prgtoken Because we would only make in order this one single amendment, if we defeat the previous question, it will only delay final passage of the bill by about 20 minutes. prgtoken , I have many serious concerns about this bill that the rule makes in order, which I will discuss later. I find it particularly troubling the think auditi
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Jay Obernolte (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , new data from the Department of Labor released this week indicates that inflation in America remains at a 40- year high. prgtoken Numerous studies, including one by the San Francisco branch of our Federal Reserve Bank, indicate that the reason why Americans disproportionately are suffering from this inflation is reckless levels of deficit spending by our Federal Government. prgtoken Only the United States Congress could respond to the situation with a bill that increases Federal spending by over $700 billion at the same time it increases taxes on Americans. prgtoken To add insult to injury, our own Congressional Budget Office, as well as the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, and hundreds of economists, tell us that this bill, the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, will not actually reduce inflation at all. prgtoken We need to get our fiscal house in order and solve the reckless spending that is causing this inflation instead of taking action that makes the situation even worse. I urge a ``no'' vote.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , I rise in opposition to H.R. 5367, a bill the claim will reduce inflation when, in reality, it will do the exact opposite. prgtoken American families are struggling to keep the lights on at home. Far too many people in this country are worrying about the costs associated with putting food on their table and gas in their tanks. And yet, the majority has decided now is the time to double down on their tax-and- spend policies with American taxpayers footing the bill. prgtoken It is also concerning that this bill promotes anti-American energy policies. It will put aside $250 billion at the Department of Energy to subsidize the rush to green energy. This is picking winners and losers in the energy market and will scare away investments in baseload power sources. prgtoken American small businesses need access to more reliable energy, not less. If the grid becomes too reliant on intermittent green energy sources, we will begin to see manufacturers shutter their operations. prgtoken Although it is hard to see how this bill could be salvaged, I did offer an amendment to try to prevent this outcome. My amendment would have required the Secretary of Energy to certify that the bill would not negatively impact electric grid reliability before funding could be used. prgtoken Considering the devastating consequences that would result for American families and businesses, it makes perfect sense that the government should do its due diligence in examining all possible outcomes. prgtoken Unfortunately, the majority chose not to consider my amendment on the House floor today. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this legislation because it will increase taxes on American families, institute price controls that will block innovation and medical cures, promote irresponsible spending on Green New Deal carve-outs and provide significant risks to the electric grid.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 5376, BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Tom Cole (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-8-12

it is worth asking why we are here at all right now, quite frankly. We face no emergency. The government is not about to shut down. Nothing in this bill is actually going to take effect in the immediate future. We are simply here because my friends on the other side want to create the illusion that they are doing something positive before the midterm election. prgtoken I think they also fear that the American people will actually have a chance to look at this monstrosity over a month and their own Members would then have to go home and give a full accounting of what they have done here. Sadly, we are going to rush this through without appropriate consideration. prgtoken It is worth noting, , 180 of our own Members-plus are not even here. They are not here because they have submitted a declaration because we are in a health emergency. prgtoken What health emergency? prgtoken We have vaccines, we have therapeutics, the airports are full of people. People are traveling pretty easily, but 180 Members won't be here--both parties. Again, that is a sad commentary on the manner in which we are operating this House. prgtoken This bill comes before us in a process that I can only describe as lousy. No committee of jurisdiction in either the Senate or the House has dealt with this bill as written. No House Member has had any meaningful input in this legislation. The reality is this bill was negotiated in back rooms by two Senators and rammed through the Senate on a partisan vote. My friends have picked it up without changing it, without considering it, and they are going to ram it through here today. That is a process that they ought to be embarrassed by. prgtoken There are two reasons to oppose the legislation itself, . The first is simply because of what is in it. The are repeating the mistake they made last year. They are going to try and spend their way out of inflation--a novel approach. prgtoken We see how well that worked when they rammed through the American Rescue Plan under reconciliation. It is going to work exactly the same way again. prgtoken On top of that, we are going to try and tax our way out of recession. That is a novel, new economic idea: Raise taxes while you are in a recession, something other administrations of both parties have always rejected as a bad idea. But my friends, feverishly intent upon action, are going to do it here. prgtoken We are going to do one thing, and I guess that could start immediately. We are going to hire, as my friend from Texas suggested, 87,000 new IRS employees. Only my friends on the other side think that is a good idea. Nobody thinks 87,000 new IRS agents are going to do anything to help us with inflation, or help us with the problems that we have in energy, or help us in any meaningful way improve the economy or the lives of the average American. prgtoken What is not in this bill is another reason to vote against it. It does nothing to deal with inflatio
HONORING 1440 KEYS 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-8-12

. Madam , today, I wish to honor the 75th anniversary of Corpus Christi's home of talk radio, 1440 KEYS. prgtoken On August 14, 1947, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved KEYS to move from the 1490 frequency it was originally granted, to its new frequency at 1440. prgtoken With this change, KEYS also increased its power from 250 watts to 500 watts, improving its reach and beginning to increase its influence in the community. prgtoken For now over 75 years, KEYS has remained on air at 1440 AM, serving the public throughout wars, hurricanes, and natural disasters. prgtoken KEYS was founded primarily as a music and entertainment station but has evolved to become a key voice in the Coastal Bend community with its talk radio programming. prgtoken A leading voice heard all throughout the region is none other than Corpus Christi's very own, Bob Jones. prgtoken For over 25 of those 75 years, the Bob Jones Show has provided an engaging, informative, and entertaining platform for South Texans to discuss different topics and news of the day. prgtoken 1440 KEYS became a legacy station depended on by the community for local, state, national and international news and information. prgtoken In addition, KEYS has not only increased its power to 1000 watts, but it can now be heard on FM broadcasting at 98.7. prgtoken 1440 KEYS has become a pillar of the South Texas region, and it is a privilege to honor their service to their community for the past 75 years.