mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023
Kay Granger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-7-19

. Madam Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 8294, a package of six appropriations bills. prgtoken As we sit here today, inflation is 9.1 percent above last year, the highest it has been in more than 40 years. Economists recommend that American households budget an extra $5,000 this year to cover rising prices. That is over $400 a month. Many families simply can't afford this. prgtoken Under this administration, prices of everyday goods are skyrocketing. For example, gas prices hit an unprecedented $5 a gallon; energy services, like electricity and natural gas, are up 19 percent; and groceries have increased over 12 percent, the highest jump since 1979. prgtoken Americans are paying more for just about everything. The social spending pushed by Members on the other side of the aisle is a key driver of today's inflation. Simply put, record-high spending by the government means record-high prices for the American people. Unfortunately, the bills before us do not reduce spending or reflect the economic realities we face. prgtoken Many of these bills receive double-digit percentage increases, including a 70 percent increase for Financial Services and General Government, an 18 percent increase for Interior-Environment, and a 12.2 percent increase for Transportation-Housing and Urban Development. prgtoken At a time when Americans are struggling to pay for gas and groceries, the Federal Government should be reducing spending. We should prioritize core responsibilities, such as our national security, and we must cut extravagant social programs. prgtoken In addition to my concerns about funding levels, the policies proposed in these bills do not reflect a bipartisan agreement. In particular, the bills before us today drop longstanding pro-life protections that prevent taxpayer funding for abortions. The bills allow for the closure and transfer of dangerous criminals from Guantanamo Bay to the United States and worsen our Nation's energy crisis. prgtoken Just a few months ago, we were able to come to an agreement and enact the fiscal year 2022 appropriations bills. Those bills continued longstanding policies supported in the past by Members of both parties and drop new controversial provisions. I hope we will be able to do the same this year so that those bills can get to the President's desk and be signed into law. prgtoken Madam Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote, and .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8294, TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8373, RIGHT TO...
Guy Reschenthaler (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-7-19

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken There was an--I don't know if you want to call it an allegation--an insinuation that the only time I speak to condemn violence is when it is violence that I don't agree with. prgtoken I want to be clear about something. I condemn all acts of political violence. I have been very consistent on that; so have my colleagues across the aisle. prgtoken Great example: The first time I ever spoke here on the House floor was in support of a resolution rejecting white supremacy, and I talked at length at that time of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting that occurred in Squirrel Hill, Pennsylvania. prgtoken As you know, I am from the South Hills of Pittsburgh. I have a lot of friends that actually attend that synagogue. And again, the first time I spoke on the House floor was to condemn violence. prgtoken So I just want the Record to reflect my consistency on this issue and the consistency of my colleagues. prgtoken I wish my friends on the left would condemn violence that the left has done. It seems that they cherry-pick their own outrage. prgtoken But let's just get back to economics. Again, there was this notion floated that inflation is not as bad here as it is internationally, and this is a global problem. Again, it is a global problem because we are the world's largest GDP. We are exporting inflation. prgtoken But even with that said, inflation is far worse here than it is in the developed world. Our inflation, by reference, is 9.1 percent. Japan is at 2.4 percent. The U.K. is at 9.1 percent; they are the same as we are. Italy is at 8 percent; Canada, 7.7 percent; France, 5.8 percent. prgtoken Again, all those countries I listed, those nations in the developed world have inflation that is lower than where we are, with the exception of the U.K which is the same. In Brazil--I should say this about Brazil. It is at 11.9 percent in Brazil. prgtoken So this idea that everybody is experiencing inflation, and that we have it easier, is just not accurate when you look at the numbers. prgtoken Now, I gave a list of what I would cut from the budget. It wasn't an exhaustive list, and neither is this, but I just want to give a few more examples. $75 million is allocated for public housing, energy efficiency and climate resilience upgrades. That could be cut. There is 75 million right there. prgtoken Funding for the FDA--and let's not forget, the FDA was the agency that failed to prevent the infant formula crisis. The are rewarding the FDA with a 10 percent increase. That can be cut. prgtoken And what is so insulting about a 10 percent increase to the FDA is, at the same time want to increase the funding to the FDA-- again, the agency that led to the baby formula shortage--you have farmers and ranchers that are struggling to make ends meet and to actually harvest food because of the rising food costs and fertilizer costs, and there is no increase to them. <|
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-7-19

the next issue that maybe has bored the press by now, but they shouldn't stop reporting on it, is what is going on on the southern border. prgtoken We recently got the estimated number of migrants remaining in the interior who crossed the southern border for June. The good news is it is down a little bit from May and April, and it is expected to be down because June is such a hot month, fewer people cross our border. prgtoken But if you look at June of this year, about 142,000 migrants remained in the interior. Of those 142,000, 50,000 are what they call got-aways, which means the Border Patrol didn't even touch them. We didn't even have a perfunctory interview with them. They just came across the border, which should be particularly scary. prgtoken What I want to point out, though, is that almost 150,000 from this June is compared to 79,000 last June. So we have gone from 79,000, which was a crisis at the time, to 142,000. Two Junes ago, under another administration, we were around 9,000. So when we go from 9,000 people a month to 79,000 people a month to 142,000 people a month, that should be a banner headline in every newspaper around the country. prgtoken Now, I know the newspapers don't like to do anything that would make the current administration look bad, but there is a reason why people don't subscribe to newspapers anymore or don't listen to the news at night, and that is they caught onto the idea that you are not going to be well informed if you read the local newspaper or turn on the news at night. prgtoken Again, I will repeat those numbers: 9,000 people in June of 2020 migrants crossing the border. We go from 9,000 to 79,000 to 142,000. Massive increases. In addition to that, as we know, almost all these people who cross the border paid $5,000 or $10,000 or $20,000 to the Mexican drug cartels. I have been at the border about eight times. Every time I am down there, the Border Patrol tells me they think the Mexican drug cartels are making more money letting people across the border than they are selling drugs. prgtoken This brings another thing which hasn't been brought up enough, our poor neighbor to the south, Mexico, is right now in very, very bad shape due to the strength of the drug cartels, and part of that is our inability to close our border. We are making the Mexican drug cartels wealthier and wealthier and wealthier with all their crime, with all their corruption. I think the United States, just as we refuse to enforce our border, we refuse to stop taking illegal drugs crossing the southern border, and as a result we are making Mexico a complete mess. prgtoken I beg my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to express some interest in the flood of people coming here. I beg our newspapers to begin to report these monthly numbers with the banner headlines that they deserve so America can know what is really going on here. Drug Overdoses in America
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-7-19

. Mr. Chair, I offered two amendments to this appropriations package that would save a total of $86 million in taxpayer dollars. prgtoken One amendment strikes funding to buy electric vehicles for the Federal fleet, and the other removes woke Federal funding to make public housing ``climate resilient''--whatever the heck that is. prgtoken The American people cannot afford 's climate agenda. They also don't want it, as I am confident they will demonstrate 112 days from today. prgtoken Americans are suffering from 9 percent inflation, the highest in 40 years. Call it the price hike, if you will, with an average national gas price of nearly $5 per gallon. prgtoken Yet, this ic majority wants to make the American people pay for unelected bureaucrats to drive around in expensive electric vehicles and make them fund climate welfare programs. prgtoken Washington is pumping $91 billion in funding toward a ridiculous transportation and housing bill. This is an increase of 12 percent year over year. prgtoken Voting for an absurd spending increase is simply a vote for more inflation and economic pain for all Americans. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment, vote to eliminate wasteful spending, and oppose the underlying bill.
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-7-19

. Mr. Chair, it is with sadness that I come to the floor to speak against this measure. prgtoken We had opportunities in the Appropriations Committee to work across the aisle to address the concerns of the minority and to fund the priorities of this country and its people. Unfortunately, with a 40- year high in inflation, CPI rising to 9.1 percent in June, $30 trillion in debt, and the CBO recently predicting $1.6 trillion in deficits over the next decade, business as usual can no longer be contemplated. prgtoken We must take action to secure the financial stability of this country for the future, for our children, for their children, and for future generations. We have to return to fiscal sanity through these appropriations bills to rein in inflation and rescue this economy. prgtoken Transportation-Housing and Urban Development has an increase of more than 12 percent; Agriculture an increase of 8 percent; Financial Services and General Government an increase of 17 percent over FY22; Interior, 18 percent increase; MILCON, more than 10 percent above 2022. prgtoken All of these bills contain important priorities, but they also contain excessive amounts of waste and liberal priorities that are not in keeping with the priorities of the American people, so I urge their defeat. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her hard work in trying to get our priorities considered. prgtoken I look forward to continuing to work to ensure that fiscal responsibility is the watchword of the day and that the American people have their tax dollars looked after by the Appropriations Committee.
Inflation (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-7-19

June inflation numbers came out last Wednesday, and, as is typical for the Presidency, they weren't good. In fact, they were spectacularly bad. Inflation hit 9.1 percent in June, the worst inflation since November of 1981. The last time inflation was this bad, America was still a year and a half away from finding out whether Han Solo would survive his time in carbonite. prgtoken , we all know how we got here. In large part, it was via a ic spending spree. When took office in January 2021, Congress had just passed a fifth bipartisan COVID relief bill that met essentially all current pressing COVID needs. But now that they were in charge, were eager to get spending. So they passed a massive $1.9 trillion piece of legislation under the guise of COVID relief that flooded the economy with unnecessary government money, and, as expected, the economy overheated as a result. prgtoken Even worse, despite steadily climbing inflation in the wake of their bill, seemed incapable of learning from their mistake. In fact, they spent last fall attempting to double down on the strategy that helped get us into this mess in the first place. Fortunately, their plans for a second spending spree failed last December. prgtoken But it has become clear that they are not giving up. In fact, right now, they are trying to pass a new version. In the latest iteration of their tax-and-spending spree, notably plan to hike taxes on small businesses. Yeah, that is right, on small businesses. prgtoken Our country is struggling with soaring inflation, the economy is teetering on the brink of a recession, and the want to raise taxes on small businesses--and particularly on small, individually, and family-owned businesses or what are often called passthrough businesses, which make up more than 90 percent of the businesses in this country. prgtoken , I guess it shouldn't be a surprise. After all, ``tax and spend'' is the unofficial motto. The have made their hostility to tax relief very plain. President ran for President on repealing tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the tax relief legislation s passed in 2017 that helped increase wages and incomes, boost economic growth, and drive the poverty rate to a record low. prgtoken In addition to the natural economic recovery coming out of the pandemic, much of the residual strength in the economy that President likes to tout is a result of the tax relief passed prgtoken in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but that hasn't stopped President from claiming that the bill just benefited high-income earners and corporations. prgtoken The only problem with his narrative, of course, is that lower- and middle-income Americans are actually the ones who saw some of the biggest benefits from s' tax relief legislation. Wage growth in the wake of s' legis
TRIBUTE TO KATIE KARAM
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-7-19

I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Katie for her hard work as an intern in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. prgtoken Katie is a native of Virginia. She attends Mississippi State University, where she studies political science and international relations. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. prgtoken I want to thank Katie for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her journey.
JUSTICE FOR CYPRUS
Nicole Malliotakis (Republican, NY) \u2014 2022-7-19

. Madam , 48 years this week, on July 20, 1974, the Turkish military invaded the Republic of Cyprus in direct violation of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. prgtoken To this day, there has been no accountability for the deaths, displacements, and destruction caused by this illegal invasion and occupation. prgtoken I urge the President, Secretary Blinken, and this body to join calls for the immediate removal of Turkish troops, the return of property to rightful owners, and the reunification of Cyprus. prgtoken Today Cyprus, Greece, and other nations in the eastern Mediterranean face more aggression and continued threats from Turkey under President Erdogan, who has threatened exclusive economic zones, ordered repeated military flyovers over the Greek islands, and undermined NATO sanctions on Russia and U.S. operations in Syria. prgtoken Despite Turkey's aggression, President plans to sell U.S. fighter jets to Turkey. s on both sides of the aisle for supporting our amendment last week to prevent this sale and our efforts to deliver justice for Cyprus once and for all.
RESPECT FOR MARRIAGE ACT
Jim Jordan (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-7-19

as I said at the outset and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Johnson) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy) have said, we think this legislation is unnecessary. prgtoken Justice Alito was very clear--again, it has been read several times-- the Dobbs decision should not be misunderstood or mischaracterized to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion. prgtoken The Court couldn't have been clearer. The Obergefell decision undid what 35 States have as law in their respective States. Thirty of those States it was the vote of the people, as I said before. But this legislation is going to, I guess, just go after the decision of the respective States, and, as I said, the voters in those States. prgtoken I think it is also, as we have indicated, a further effort to intimidate the Court. We have had Senator Schumer's statements on the Supreme Court steps, we have had the AG's inaction with regard to protestors at Justices' homes, and, of course, we have had the ' introduction of a bill to add four Associate Justices to the Supreme Court to pack the Court, and not focus on some of the things that are so pressing. prgtoken I mean, Mr. Johnson was right when he talked about 50 attacks on churches and pro-life crisis pregnancy centers in 11 weeks. That last clause is important. In that short a time frame, that sustained effort by the left to go after the pro-life community and places of worship is as wrong as it gets. I would love to have a hearing on that issue and what actions we might be able to take to help stop that because that is not supposed to happen in our great country. prgtoken , I urge a ``no'' vote on the legislation, and .
Remembering David Belcher (Executive Calendar)
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-7-19

we have broken another record. Unfortunately, it is not the kind of record we want to prgtoken boast about. Last week, the latest Consumer Price Index exceeded inflation expectations at a staggering 9.1 percent. In Utah, that rate is much higher. prgtoken The administration's evolving blame game has shifted. It has shifted its focus from the pandemic to the supply chain and then from the supply chain to Putin. There is, however, a more coherent answer: Government continues to spend more than it has--a lot more. Last year, we saw this play out. This Congress spent a stunning $6.8 trillion while collecting just over $4 trillion in revenue. With the return of legislative earmarks, porkbarrel spending, meanwhile, has increased over 1,700 percent. prgtoken Rather than recognizing the problems associated with spending more than the government brings in, the government simply prints itself more money. Like a child stricken with affluenza, rather than being cut off, the government helps itself to more money. It doesn't take long to lose the value of a dollar when you are not spending your own money. Government is no different. prgtoken While hard-working Americans pinch pennies, lawmakers spend carelessly. To pay for their next project, they threaten to raise taxes. When they don't have the support to raise taxes, they nevertheless continue to spend and drive up inflation. Inflation is nothing but an invisible tax on the people--a tax on the people that, I would add, disproportionately affects hard-working Americans, the poor and middle-class Americans. Sometimes the wealthiest of the wealthy can find ways to get even wealthier in times of inflation. Everyone else gets hurt. prgtoken With no action, the reckless spending will drive us off a financial cliff. But our spending trajectory is such that we cannot afford to wait for the consensus needed to pass a constitutional amendment. prgtoken While hard-working Americans wait, I have introduced the Preventing Runaway Inflation in Consumer Expenditures Act, or the PRICE Act, to stop the bleeding. The PRICE Act requires a three-fifths supermajority of Senators to approve new spending measures when the Nation's inflation rate is at or above 3 percent. prgtoken The PRICE Act is desperately needed. This insatiable spending machine is now costing Utahns $881 a month more than they paid last year, and that is on top of what they already pay in taxes. Those are 881 dollars every month for which Utahns receive nothing in return. It represents money that could be spent toward their home, toward their child's college education, toward filling their empty gas tank, but instead, millions of Americans will look at the skyrocketing costs of living and determine that they must sacrifice their wants and, in many cases, their needs just to meet their most basic, fundamental necessities. prgtoken My PRICE Act flips the script. It doesn't altogether prevent lawmakers f
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023
Kevin Hern (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-7-19

. Mr. Chair, I rise today with a deep concern over the rampant spending that has come out of this Chamber over the last 2 years. prgtoken While our constituents suffer from 40-year high inflation, this Chamber has done nothing to help them. Instead, my colleagues across the aisle have doubled down on their reckless spending and continue to make each bill bigger than the last. The spending has got to stop. prgtoken We know that the American Rescue Plan was the catalyst for inflation problems. We know that 's agenda has worsened those inflationary pressures. And yet, today--today--we are looking at even more exorbitant spending. prgtoken We have been here before. Me and my colleagues remember the 1970s and the 1980s when inflation was even worse than it is today. prgtoken Inflation isn't new. We know how to reverse it. We have to stop the spending. That is what my amendments do, cut our spending. prgtoken I urge every Member of this Chamber to support my amendments, which will cut wasteful spending from government programs. prgtoken The status quo is not serving our constituents. For 20 years, we have operated without the appropriate appropriations process in this country. For the last 4 years, since I have been in Congress, I've never seen a budget that has been provided and worked out, as my colleague just mentioned prior to me. prgtoken The spending has continued to rise unchallenged. When will it end? To maintain what we have done for the last 20 years is a disservice to the people counting on us. prgtoken When I am home in Oklahoma, the only thing my constituents ask me is: How are you going to stop inflation? prgtoken I know it is the same for all of my colleagues. Here is how we can answer them: Cut the spending. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of my amendments from both sides of the aisle.