mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Unanimous Consent Requests--H.R. 4366 (Executive Calendar)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2024-3-6

first of all, with regard to the last unanimous consent request, it is important to remember a couple of things: First of all, we saw that the whole bill together, with the congressionally directed spending elements, for the first time in just the last 48 hours or so. So it is not as though this has been through a public process with debate back and forth. An essential element of any legislative body is that there is an opportunity to amend, to discuss, and debate. In fact, that has been taken advantage of within the last 24 hours as another measure--a measure to remove something that has been characterized online as providing a million dollars to fund BDSM sex parties. That was removed. So if that can be removed, I don't know why this one can't. prgtoken In any event, to say that this cake is baked--that this legislation must be treated as now passed when it is not passed is folly. And it doesn't bode well for this institution, which has long heralded itself and held itself out to the world as the world's greatest deliberative legislative body. prgtoken Let's go to another one: Georgetown University. We have got nearly $1 million also going to Georgetown University--$963,000--nearly a million--to Georgetown University for something called the Prison Justice Initiative. prgtoken Now, I don't know a whole lot about exactly what this will accomplish. It may well have good elements to it. But the point is this: Georgetown University is not only one of the wealthiest universities on planet Earth, it is one of the wealthiest entities of any kind on planet Earth. prgtoken Indeed, it has an endowment. Its endowment alone is valued at over $3.2 billion. And this begs the question: Why does it need to be subsidized to the tune of nearly a million dollars by U.S. taxpayers? prgtoken To that end, , I ask unanimous consent to reprint the joint explanatory statement to accompany H.R. 4366, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024--it was printed in yesterday's Record with the following changes--and that this amended version be considered the joint explanatory statement to accompany H.R. 4366: [T]he removal of a House project that would provide $963,000 to Georgetown University for the Georgetown University Prison Justice Initiative, in CJS.
EXPANDING ACCESS TO CAPITAL ACT OF 2023
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2024-3-6

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2799, the Expanding Access to Capital Act. prgtoken As chair of the Capital Markets Subcommittee, I am so proud of the hard work of our members in crafting this landmark piece of legislation that supports America's Main Street businesses and retail investors. I am also grateful to leadership for affirming that this bill is a crucial priority and taking action to pass this legislation in the House today. prgtoken This legislation is the culmination of four hearings that the Capital Markets Subcommittee has held this Congress, where we heard powerful testimony from 19 witnesses, including founders of both private and public companies, investors of all sizes, former SEC Commissioners, securities law practitioners, and even one of the authors of the IPO- related provisions of the JOBS Act. prgtoken As the witnesses at each of these hearings made clear, all the bills included in H.R. 2799 play a vital role in strengthening our public markets, improving access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and expanding investment opportunities for all Americans. prgtoken For example, Representative Steil's Helping Startups Continue to Grow Act strengthens our public markets, making them more attractive by allowing more companies to benefit from emerging growth company status. Representative Steil's bill also extends the maximum amount of time an issuer can remain an emerging growth company, helping to rightsize the regulatory burdens on newly public companies that are working to achieve their potential. This commonsense provision builds on one of the most successful and impactful reforms from the JOBS Act of 2012. prgtoken Representative Houchin's Regulation A+ Improvement Act improves access to capital for small businesses by increasing the amount that small companies can raise under Regulation A from $50 million to $150 million without being subject to burdensome IPO compliance requirements. In making this adjustment, Regulation A will become a more attractive pathway for small businesses to raise capital. prgtoken Our committee's legislation also expands investment opportunities for all Americans by revising the accredited investor definition to include individuals receiving investment advice on a private offering from a qualified accredited investor. prgtoken Amendments to H.R. 2799 include Representative Huizenga's Improving Disclosure for Investors Act, Representative Lawler's Helping Angels Lead Our Startups Act, Representative Lucas' Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act, and my Increasing Investor Opportunities Act, which gives investors greater choice and access to an asset class typically reserved for the wealthy. They are all welcome and thoughtful additions. prgtoken Together, these policies ensure that our markets are working efficiently and effectively to provide companies access
Border Security (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2024-3-6

last week, President visited the southern border--just his second such trip in his entire half-a- century-long political career. While I suspect his visit was motivated more by the thought of an election year photo op than by a desire to see the border crisis firsthand, the President should--should--be visiting the southern border. But more than that, the President should be taking action on the border, real action--the kind of action that will actually do something to help stem the crisis we are facing, because we are facing a crisis. prgtoken The number of migrant encounters at our southern border in January was the highest January number in more than 20 years. That, of course, followed a recordbreaking and staggering, I would add, 301,983 encounters in the month of December--not only the highest December on record but the highest total for any month ever. And there is no end in sight. The first 4 days of March saw 7,000-plus migrant encounters each day, putting us on track for yet another month of 200,000-plus migrant encounters at the southern border. prgtoken Of course, none of these numbers include ``got-aways,'' and those are individuals whom the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend. There have been approximately 1.8 million known ``got-aways'' since President took office and an untold number of unknown ``got- aways'' over the same period. prgtoken Now, this is a crisis on many levels. It is a logistical and enforcement crisis, it is a humanitarian crisis, and it is prgtoken a national security crisis. Our Nation is simply not secure as long as we have hundreds of thousands of unknown individuals taking up residence in our country. prgtoken In fact, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, speaking about the number of ``got-aways'' at the border, told FOX News: [T]hose are the numbers that really keep us up at night, because if you know that all you need to do is turn yourself in to the Border Patrol and go through the process, what possible reason would you have for wanting to evade capture? Could it be that those are the folks that probably have criminal intent? prgtoken Chief Owens was referring to the fact that under the administration's lax asylum system, individuals who show up at the border claiming asylum are frequently released into the country with court dates as much as a decade into the future. His point, of course, is that when turning yourself in to the Border Patrol with a claim for asylum is likely to result in years of essentially legal permanent residence, it is especially concerning that we have hundreds of thousands of individuals choosing not to turn themselves in to the Border Patrol but escaping into the interior of our country. Given that, it stands to reason that many of these ``got-aways'' have more malign intentions. prgtoken While there are always various factors that affect the flow of illegal immigration
Unanimous Consent Requests (Executive Calendar)
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2024-3-6

to my colleagues, thank you for coming down. I really appreciate it. prgtoken Senator Durbin, you have been a great partner on this journey. We have some victims groups, and we are going to keep doing this until we get the result we think America needs. prgtoken Very quickly, in 2024, here is the state of play: The largest companies in America, social media outlets that make hundreds of millions of dollars a year, you can't sue if they do damage to your family by using their product because of section 230. prgtoken Now, if you wanted to give complete liability protection to a group of people, this would be the last group I would pick. So in the 1990s, there was a law on the books that, to make sure the internet could get up and running, the platforms couldn't be sued for the content that is on their platforms. prgtoken Now these platforms enrich our lives, but they destroy our lives. These platforms are being used to bully children to death. They are being used to take sexual images involuntarily obtained and send them to the entire world, and there is not a damned thing you can do about it. prgtoken We had a lady come before the committee, a mother, saying her daughter was on a social media site that had anti-bullying provisions. They complained three times about what was happening to her daughter. She killed herself. They went to court. They got kicked out by section 230. prgtoken The sexual exploitation of children is just mind-boggling, so we have legislation to strip away section 230 absolute liability protections. One is called the EARN IT Act, and I will make a request for that to come to the floor. prgtoken All of these bills have passed the Judiciary Committee--made up of the hardest of the hard in the body--unanimously. We have seen and heard the same thing. We have different views about the way the world should work, about the role of government in our prgtoken lives, but we come together on this. Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham and Josh Hawley and--you just name it; all of us--we see the problem the same. We hear from our constituents, who are helpless and hopeless. So we are going to keep this up until we bring these people to heel. prgtoken There are three ways to protect the consumer. If the consumer is damaged, they can go to court and seek relief. They have the burden to prove their case, but they have a chance to right a wrong that they believe has been done to them by a business. You can't do that here. prgtoken Another way to protect the consumer is to have regulatory agencies, licensing agencies, deride hurt on businesses to make sure they perform effectively and don't abuse the consumer. There is no such thing here. prgtoken The third is to have a series of laws on the books to protect consumers. There are no laws on the books. We are zero for three--you can't sue them, there is no regulatory body, and there are really no laws on the books to protect the consumer. That needs to ch
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Harold Rogers (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-3-6

. This assistance will help empower our local police departments and ensure they have the resources they need to safeguard our neighborhoods. Law enforcement plays an important role in the well-being of every American in every congressional district. Passage of this bill today sends a strong message: We have their backs. prgtoken In closing, I thank Chairwoman Granger for being a trouper in tough circumstances and has done a wonderful job. I congratulate her. I also thank the subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Cartwright. He has been a valued partner and colleague in this effort. I also thank all the members of the subcommittee for their help and assistance, as well as Ranking Member DeLauro. prgtoken This legislation is a product of good-faith, bipartisan negotiations. It is a win for the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
National Security (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2024-3-6

next month will mark 45 years since a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy in an increasingly critical region of the world became law. The formal title of the law is worth a read in today's context: An act to help maintain peace, security, and stability in the Western Pacific and to promote the foreign policy of the United States by authorizing the continuation of commercial, cultural, and other relations between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan. prgtoken In the 45 years since Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, our friends on the island have continued to write an incredible story of resilience. Taiwan has established a strong democracy, a robust civil society, and a modern, innovative, high-tech economy. And its people have planted themselves squarely--squarely--on the side of free societies and free markets. prgtoken America is Taiwan's second largest trading partner. Its military is reforming and modernizing, increasingly arming itself with cutting-edge American capabilities. And the U.S.-Taiwan partnership has become an increasingly important indicator of bipartisan American resolve at a time when our allies and adversaries alike doubt--doubt--the credibility of our commitments. prgtoken After abandoning allies in Afghanistan, squandering leverage over Iran, and slow-walking assistance to Ukraine, America's relationship with Taiwan holds unique value. And, like it or not, it will be increasingly seen as a test of whether America's commitments to allies and partners hold any water. prgtoken Today, investing in our capabilities and defense industrial capacity would show our friends across the Indo-Pacific that we do--do-- recognize the significance of that region and of the strategic competition unfolding out there--a competition America cannot afford to neglect. After all, the PRC is certainly not neglecting it. prgtoken Since 2015, Beijing's publicly reported spending on its military has doubled, and, just yesterday, Communist Party leaders announced that defense investments would grow a further 7.2 percent. prgtoken Of course, that is just the figure Beijing acknowledges publicly. China's real military modernization efforts are prgtoken actually more expansive and more worrisome, and they are intended to enable the PRC to dominate its neighbors and counter America's ability to project power in the region. prgtoken By word and deed, the PRC is showing the world that it is prepared to redraw maps by force. Sound familiar? That is because the revisionists autocrats we face are operating from the very same playbook. prgtoken And Taiwan appreciates the links between the threats we face as well as any of our allies and partners. Its leaders have been outspoken in connecting the dots between an aggressive Russia in Europe and an emboldened China in the Indo-Pacific. And the people of Taiwan increasingly recognize their interests in preparing to de
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (Republican, AS) \u2014 2024-3-6

I rise today in support of the 2024 Consolidated Appropriation Act and the inclusion of language from the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act. As a Member of Congress who has lived my personal as well as my civic life among the peoples and leaders of the Pacific Island nations and territories, I want first to recognize here the inclusive leadership of Johnson, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Westerman, and House Foreign Affairs Chairman McClure. Each of these leaders in our current House Majority reached out for my insights and perspectives as a House member who comes from the Pacific, regarding this legislation approving renewal of the Compact of Free Association. prgtoken I also join all stakeholders in the future success of America's relations with the U.S. aligned nations of the Pacific, as well as our American territories, in expressing deep gratitude for the bipartisan and bicameral coordination and cooperation in Congress on COFA renewal from 2020 to 2024. As House and Senate committee members we provided necessary policy guidance to the President, National Security Council, State Department, and Interior Department, making clear Congressional interests and expectations that would need to be addressed before statutory ratification by both Houses of terms included in COFA renewal agreements. prgtoken This bipartisan cooperation included the support of House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Grijalva and House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks. Both colleagues cosponsored H.J. Res. 96 with Chairman Westerman and Chairman McClure. Thereby endorsing the original COFA renewal bill that has been inserted in the bill we approve today, which was developed through the bicameral and bipartisan cooperation with the leadership and staff of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in conjunction with House and Senate hearings on COFA renewal. prgtoken Of equal importance, all stakeholders in the COFA success story should recognize the national leaders and peoples of our COFA partner nations for strong commitment to the future success of the COFA alliance. Our closest allies in the Pacific acted with wisdom and patience during delays in the COFA renewal process due to initial U.S. negotiating positions that were not feasible in the COFA nations or in Congress. When ill-advised U.S. positions resulted in failure to conclude negotiations and approve COFA III before COFA II expired, the island government heads of state, ministers and chief negotiators worked with U.S. negotiators and Congress to sustain the COFA II framework until the job approving COFA III was done. prgtoken The Special Presidential Envoy appointed on the bipartisan and bicameral recommendation from many of us in Congress managed to salvage the COFA negotiations. Ambassador Yun overcame resistance in some dark corners of the Executive Branch bureaucracy su
CONGRATULATING ATHLETES
Thomas P. Tiffany (Republican, WI) \u2014 2024-3-6

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate the 12 young athletes from across the Seventh District of Wisconsin who brought home individual State wrestling championship titles for 2024. prgtoken Liam Neitzel, Owen Wasley, Colton Hush, Gage Losiewicz, Wyatt Ingham, Ian Smith, Koy Hopke, Wyatt Unser, Dawson Johnson, Matthew Roach, Ava Gardner, and Madison Burns left it all on the mat to bring home State championship titles. prgtoken A special shout-out to Dawson Johnson of Cumberland High School and Koy Hopke of Amery High School on becoming four-time State champions-- being only 2 of 29 ever to do this in Wisconsin. prgtoken Again, I congratulate all of these athletes.
Government Funding (Executive Calendar)
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2024-3-6

I urge my colleagues to support the six-bill fiscal year 2024 appropriations package that is before us. prgtoken I am pleased to report that the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed this bill earlier today by a vote of 339 to 85. It was strongly bipartisan. And now the Senate should follow suit. prgtoken I want to express my thanks to the ranking members on each of the six subcommittees--Senators Murkowski, Moran, Hoeven, Boozman, Kennedy, and Hyde-Smith--for their tremendous work in assembling this package. prgtoken I also want to recognize the chair of the committee, Senator Patty Murray, who has worked so hard--since she was named chair and I, vice chair--in order to bring us to this point. prgtoken I also want to salute the ic chairs for their work. prgtoken My point is that everyone involved, including our incredibly hard- working staff, has worked night and day to bring us to this point. prgtoken The measure before us includes the following fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills: Interior; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Agriculture-FDA; Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs; Energy and Water Development; and Transportation and Housing. prgtoken And, again--although I wish this had happened months ago--these are full-year appropriations bills. In other words, this is not another continuing resolution, not a short-term patch, but, rather, a package of bills that will fund these important programs and Agencies and Departments through the end of the fiscal year. prgtoken This package fully funds veterans' medical care; supports our farmers, fishermen, and ranchers; protects our Nation's food and drug supply; provides critical resources for law enforcement; helps us better compete with China; advances American energy independence; and invests in our Nation's infrastructure and public lands. prgtoken This legislation also complies with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, as well as the top-line spending agreement reached between Johnson and Senator Schumer. Under that agreement, defense funding for this fiscal year will increase by 3.3 percent relative to fiscal year 2023 enacted levels, while nondefense funding will be held flat. prgtoken That is not easy to do, particularly given the impact of inflation and the 5.2 percent Federal employment pay raise, which many of these Agencies are going to have to absorb. So it took a great deal of negotiation and hard work for us to get to this point. prgtoken It certainly has not been easy, but I am proud of the legislation we are bringing to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to move this important legislative package forward toward enactment. prgtoken I look forward to further floor discussion tomorrow, but, right now, I do urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion to proceed.