mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CRISIS AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-9-21

. As the gentleman probably knows, and I am sure he has talked to his own constituents, I have had people coming into my office saying, I don't know what to do. I have served my whole life wearing the uniform, but I don't think it is in my best interest, I don't think it is helping the military, I am not going to do it, and I am getting fired. prgtoken They have discharged 5,000 Active Duty servicemembers for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine while the Army's recruiting levels, as I have said, are at 52 percent of the 2022 recruiting goal. Forty percent of men 18 to 24 are unvaccinated, the prime recruiting demographic. Service academy applications are down 10 to 30 percent depending on the service academy, and now DOD comes in and says, hey, we need more money for recruiting. prgtoken Well, how about you stop screwing up? prgtoken How about you not tuck tail and run from Afghanistan and leave $85 billion behind? prgtoken How about you stop pumping out woke garbage into the men and women in uniform? And how about you not fire them because they dare to say that they don't want a vaccine? prgtoken Madam , from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-9-21

while we are standing here right now in Washington, DC, in the middle of an afternoon, protests are happening all over Iran right now. prgtoken The latest news reports coming out from social media and the very limited media that can get out of Iran--massive protesters are in the streets of 20 different cities in Iran right now. The latest count is nine people have been killed in those protests by Iranian forces trying to be able to shut down the protests that are now breaking out all over the country--including, by the way, protests in Tehran. prgtoken What is going on? This has been a simmering issue for a long time in Iran. As I have stated several times on this floor and in committee hearings, our opposition with Iran is not with the Iranian people. The Iranian people live in oppression underneath the Iranian regime, which pushes their thumb down on them and limits their progress in the world and in their own country. prgtoken The spark of this latest group of protests that are happening in the streets all over Iran is a young lady who was murdered in police custody in Iran named Mahsa Amini. prgtoken Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, died in custody because she broke Iran's hijab law. In other words, she wasn't wearing her head covering, and so--brace yourself--the morality police arrested her. The morality police in Iran detained her, where she was apparently beaten to death while she was in prison. Now, the police and the regime have come out and said she had sudden heart failure, but with multiple injuries around her head, that is not sudden heart failure. prgtoken The nation--once again--of Iran is rising up to say: This has to stop. prgtoken Americans would be surprised at the number of social media posts that are getting out of Iran right now, where prgtoken large crowds--large crowds--are gathering in cities, tearing down the pictures of the Ayatollah, and chanting in the streets of Tehran, ``Death to the dictator.'' prgtoken I have friends in Iran who have actually sent me some of the social media posts to be able to show me that this is what the street looks like today. This is breaking out across Iran. prgtoken Now, what is interesting is that, at the same time, the President of Iran has been allowed to be able to come into the United States to be at the U.N. General Assembly to be able to speak out for the regime's benefit to the rest of the world. It will be a remarkable side-by-side of what is happening in Iran on the streets right now and the Iranian leadership at the U.N. General Assembly. prgtoken At this same moment as well, Iran is working with Russia and has delivered hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles that are weaponized, little kamikaze drones that are literally taking out Ukrainian artillery right now in the field in Ukraine. The Iranians haven't just supplied these weaponized drones to Russia; they have brought Russian leaders into Iran to be able to train them on
AMENDMENT TO MONTREAL PROTOCOL (``KIGALI AMENDMENT'')--Continued
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-9-21

I think you all might remember when the administration's so-called prgtoken experts claimed that inflation was ``transitory.'' It ended up that they couldn't have been more wrong by using that word. prgtoken Since President took office, Iowans have seen prices rise 13.7 percent. That adds an extra $666 to their monthly budget. Couple that with falling real wages, and Iowans have been strapped very thin. prgtoken This combination of rising prices and falling real wages has hit rural Iowa communities particularly hard. As a result, according to a report issued by Iowa State University, the disposable income of rural Iowans fell 33 percent over the past 12 months alone. It is no wonder, then, that the high cost of living is the number one concern that I hear about from Iowans as I travel all of our 99 counties. prgtoken However, here in DC--and remember, DC is an island surrounded by reality--here in this town, the primary concern of President and congressional has been enacting their very partisan agenda. prgtoken They have refused to work with s on sensible policies to tame inflation and provide targeted relief. In the process of doing that, they haven't even followed the advice of their own brethren. And I will use Larry Summers as an example, that Harvard professor and former Secretary of Treasury. He said, way back in January, before this President was sworn in, that the economy was turned around: Don't spend any more money or you are going to have inflation. prgtoken And, immediately, within 60 days of being in office, this new President and this new Congress passed a $2 trillion appropriations bill to feed the fires of inflation. prgtoken So instead of taming inflation, they rebranded the reckless tax-and- spending spree that they had pursued for more than a year as a bill recently passed called the Inflation Reduction Act, which I call the ``Inflation Enhancement Act''--never mind that outside experts uniformly concluded the bill's hodgepodge of the Green New Deal and the subsidies that go with that program and the tax hikes would do nothing to address inflation today. prgtoken Of course, if you want to stop inflation, now caused by excessive government spending, the first thing you should do is stop spending; or another way you can say it--and common sense dictates this: When you are in a hole, quit digging. prgtoken Instead, doubled down with Big Government spending and coupled it with job-killing tax hikes. The National Association of Manufacturers said they would lose about 217,000 jobs. ' policy decisions made even less sense given that, only a week before, we learned our economy had shrunk for two straight quarters, indicating recession. prgtoken And everyone knows, as President once said--and this seems to be the third term of the Presidency, but this is what he said when he was actually President: The last thing yo
ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY COORDINATION AND LEADERSHIP ACT
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-9-21

American aviation--something we care about greatly in Kansas but across the country--it is entering a new era of innovation and of growth. Industry and government in this circumstance need to work together to make certain the United States stays competitive and remains the leader in this arena. prgtoken In today's technology and research and development, there are unmanned vehicles. They are autonomous. They will be flying passengers and cargo from point to point in the United States. prgtoken These vehicles will take off vertically and land vertically, and it is important for us to begin the preparation for that development in our airspace, at our airports, in our communities, and across the country. prgtoken Bipartisan legislation, which I have introduced along with Senator Sinema, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, has been waiting Senate approval for weeks. prgtoken This legislation would instruct the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to lead a working group comprised of members of various government Agencies and the civil aviation industry--a public- private effort. prgtoken Their objective would be for them to review the steps needed to mature AAM past its initial operations, ensure a robust domestic supply chain, identify current Federal policies that can be leveraged to advance this industry. prgtoken I thank Senator Sinema for her help in moving this bill forward. It has been approved by the Commerce Committee, and the advocacy groups have been engaged in helping us develop the legislation and helping us work its way through the committee and through the Senate. prgtoken I also thank a number of Kansans who have provided information and support for this endeavor. prgtoken This legislation is crucial to ensuring the United States remains a leader in the aviation sector for years to come, and I am anxious for it to become law with the President's signature. prgtoken Therefore, as if in legislative session, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 516.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REFORM ACT
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2022-9-21

. Madam , it is always good to follow my good friend, Leader Hoyer. I appreciate his friendship, and I appreciate his time here in this institution. He has seen a lot of things happen in the governing of this country. I respect him and his viewpoint. prgtoken It is frustrating when we also hear comments from my colleague, Leader Hoyer. Back on January 25 of this year he was quoted in a Politico story where he said that President is correct that the midterm elections will be illegitimate if Congress doesn't pass the ' election takeover bills. prgtoken This is part of the rhetoric that we have got to stop. We have got to make sure that we remind everybody, as Leader Hoyer did, my good friend, that this is an American issue. It is not a partisan issue. The processes have worked. prgtoken I want to know, if it is an American issue and not a partisan issue, Madam , why, then, were we not even consulted as the committee of jurisdiction minority members? prgtoken I would have loved to have been able to sit down and come up with a bipartisan solution. No --no --that I know or that I respect thinks that the violence on January 6, which we all witnessed, is okay. prgtoken I think it was a terrible day. I think, again, anyone who committed those acts and those crimes should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Let's be clear: They broke the law. It doesn't matter what you are protesting, Madam , if you break the law. prgtoken Madam , if you are rioting in the streets, looting stores and businesses, and committing the crimes across this country that we have seen exacerbated because of the administration's lack of effort in enforcing these activities to be adjudicated, then do you know what? They should be held accountable. Arrest them, prosecute them, and put them in jail. prgtoken Leader Hoyer also said this bill and this process should not be about one man. I agree. I agree. But, unfortunately, this bill is nothing short of being only about that one man. This is too important of an issue to make this about an individual that you may or may not like or that you may or may not want to run for President ever again. This bill and this process is too important for the future of America. prgtoken Madam , my good friend, Mr. Hoyer, brought up Hillary Clinton. She actually denied the results of the 2016 Presidential elections and believes prgtoken there were legitimate questions regarding the integrity of the 2004 Presidential election. She said that Stacey Abrams would have won the 2018 gubernatorial election against Governor Brian Kemp if it had been fair. prgtoken Madam , I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Steil).
TREATY DOCUMENT NO. 117-1
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2022-9-21

as the current ranking member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works--EPW--Committee, I submit these comments to provide the Senate with additional information on the existing domestic authority to phasedown the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons, HFCs. The EPW Committee has jurisdiction over air pollution, and in the 116th Congress, managed the development of the domestic authority to implement the Kigali Amendment, See 218 Cong. Rec. S7926, daily ed. Dec. 21. 2020, statement of then-EPW Chairman John Barrasso, then-EPW Ranking Member Tom Carper, and Sen. John Kennedy). prgtoken As the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations clearly states in Senate Executive Report 117-2, no further legislation is required to implement the Kigali Amendment and the Amendment is not self-executing. New authority is not granted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-- EPA--through ratification. prgtoken In section 103 in division S of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, the American Innovation and Manufacturing--AIM--Act of 2020, P.L. 116-260, was enacted. That law established a new, national program administered by the EPA to phasedown the production and consumption of certain HFC substances due to their significant global warming potential. Specifically, the AIM Act requires the EPA to implement an 85 percent phasedown of the production and consumption of regulated HFC substances, requiring levels to reach approximately 15 percent of their 2011-2013 average annual levels by 2036. prgtoken The AIM Act provides all the necessary authorities to phasedown the production and consumption of HFCs in the United States in line with U.S. obligations under the Kigali Amendment and is already being implemented by the EPA. In October 2021, the EPA issued a final rule establishing the allowance allocation for 2022 and 2023, along with establishing a trading program for HFCs. 86 Fed. Reg. 55,116, Oct. 5, 2021. As stated in that final agency action, the Kigali Amendment and the AIM Act have ``a nearly identical list of HFCs to be phased down following the same schedule,'' Id. at 55,124. The EPA is currently developing regulations to update allowance allocations and the trading program for 2024 and later years. prgtoken s at the U.S. Senate committee on Foreign Relations for providing a clear Congressional statement that no new legislation is required and that the Kigali Amendment is not self- executing. As Congress has already enacted the required domestic implementing legislation, I support ratification.
RECOGNIZING THE KENTUCKY CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING ASSOCIATION
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-9-21

I rise today to honor the Kentucky Chapter of the National Waste and Recycling Association, NWRA. prgtoken For 60 years, NWRA has been the Nation's leading voice for the private sector waste and recycling industries, which are essential to maintaining the quality of American life. The daily delivery of waste and recycling services impacts all residential, commercial, and industrial properties. prgtoken The NWRA's mission has been to promote the waste and recycling industry prgtoken through the strategic application of a results-driven advocacy and vision. The NWRA has created a favorable business climate where members prosper and provide safe, economically sustainable services and jobs that benefit communities throughout America. prgtoken With nearly 700 members, no chapter has showcased this shining standard more than Kentucky's NWRA chapter. For example, solid waste in Louisville has a diversion rate that is twice as efficient as comparable sized cities. prgtoken Solid waste and recycling collection in Louisville is no easy task. Metro Louisville consists of 83 incorporated cities, numerous homeowners' associations, and the Urban Services District collected by Metro Public Works. Despite these challenges, Kentucky's NWRA chapter continues to meet and exceed all expectations. prgtoken I am proud to salute the Kentucky NWRA chapter for their continued service and accomplishments, and I have no doubt they will continue to play an integral role in bettering the Commonwealth.
STANDING UP FOR DOWNWINDERS UNDER THE RADIATION EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ACT (RECA)
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2022-9-21

. Madam , I rise today in continued support of the reauthorization of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). I first learned about RECA through my constituents over 10 years ago, and since then I have been determined to get justice for the victims of reckless federal government policies that injured thousands. prgtoken From 1945 to 1962, the United States government, through its military, conducted nearly 200 atmospheric weapons development tests as part of our nation's Cold War security strategy during an era when other nations were also engaged in nuclear weapons testing and proliferation. These tests exposed millions of innocent Americans to potentially cancer-causing ionized radiation from nuclear fallout. It is hard to believe today, but for over a decade the military was blasting tons of radioactive material into our skies. And this was the military that was supposed to protect Americans. prgtoken One report, from the University of Kansas, explained that ``enormous clouds, pinkish-gray in color, rose up into the air, spreading out and reaching over nearby communities. At the time, not much information about these tests was available to the public, but the radioactive dust that fell from the clouds--gathering on people's homes, their cars, their clothes lines, and their vegetable gardens--caused serious and harmful long-term medical issues.'' prgtoken The report further documents just one person's experience with the radiation delivered over their farm in Utah: ``Not till the 1960s were we really aware of the danger of those fallout materials. Mom and Dad were told that there was nothing to worry about, it wasn't going to harm anybody. And then people started getting sick! And passing away! And thyroid cancer was a big one, it was huge . . . and then our family lost that sweet little baby. Dad still thinks that it's the milk Mom drank, and then Mom later on got colon cancer, and none of that has ever shown up in her family. There's no sign of colon cancer anywhere in the family. And Mom died with colon cancer, and Dad and Warren were plagued with skin cancer, and I've had a bit of skin cancer myself. It's always a worry because, the people realized that the government were lying to them! Literally lying to them. And it just was sad, it was a sad situation.'' prgtoken When the injuries were discovered, Congress subsequently provided an apology on behalf of the nation and passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act of 1990, or RECA, to establish a trust fund for partial restitution to individuals--commonly referred to as ``Downwinders''--who have contracted certain cancers and other serious diseases that can be directly attributed to the radiation exposure from the nuclear weapons testing. prgtoken The spread of radioactive material was not limited to Arizona, Utah and Nevada. It went essentially nationwide. The Universit
AMENDMENT TO MONTREAL PROTOCOL (``KIGALI AMENDMENT'')--Continued
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-9-21

over the past week, Americans were hit once again with a grave inflation report. Worse, the American people got more evidence of just how out of touch the White House and congressional are with the damage inflation is doing to families across the country. prgtoken We were all hoping President 's crushing inflation might show signs of easing and give folks a chance to catch their breath after months and months of watching their paychecks shrink. That is not what happened at all. Inflation is up 8.3 percent from a year ago--a disastrous number. prgtoken We are feeling the inflation in every aspect of our lives, from paying utility bills to gassing up cars, to rent and insurance, and, especially, to the basics like food. Grocery prices are up 13.5 percent from this time last year, which is a crushing blow to most Americans who visit their local store once a week, like I do. Milk is up 17 percent. Bread and chicken are up 16 percent. Eggs are up an outrageous 40 percent. And the list goes on and on. prgtoken I do my own shopping for my family, and I see this weekly, and it is incredible. This is a reality, but President appears to be living in a very, very different reality. When the latest bad inflation numbers were released last week, the President and Washington threw a party on the White House lawn. That is right, a party--a lawn party. The President and celebrated as the rest of us watched the Dow plummet and received an inflation report confirming that this is the worst year for food and electricity inflation since the fallout from President Jimmy Carter. prgtoken What exactly did they celebrate? Their latest reckless, Big Government spending bill. prgtoken I don't have to remind you that, just over a year ago, the rammed through their $2 trillion spending spree despite economists warning that it would be a catalyst for rampant inflation. Economists warned us then, and they are warning us now, about the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act; namely, that it won't do anything to ease inflation, but it will certainly add to the deficit. prgtoken Apparently, hosting a big party is preferable than heeding these nonpartisan warnings and getting to work to get our Nation back on the right track. prgtoken When the ``Inflation Act'' was on the floor, s tried countless times to adopt solutions to tackle inflation, crime, and secure our border. But our efforts were consistently shut down because not one Senate could spare a penny from the Green New Deal. No, they have their own priorities, and they are awfully out of touch with the priorities of American families. prgtoken On Sunday, we were given more evidence that the President is living in a completely different world than the rest of us. The President appeared on ``60 Minutes,'' where he discussed several challenges currently facing our Nation, only, according to him, our Nation is doin