mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I rise today in support of amendment No. 15. prgtoken This important bipartisan amendment bans the transportation of equines for the purpose of being slaughtered for human consumption. prgtoken Madam , currently, horses, donkeys, and others can be transported inhumanely across our country and borders only to be slaughtered for human consumption in Mexico and in Canada. prgtoken Moreover, this heinous practice is responsible for over 3,500 horses being slaughtered in 2020 alone. These horses are not old or sickly. More than 92 percent of these horses sent to slaughter are in good condition, according to the USDA. prgtoken Madam , these innocent horses deserve better, and we must lend a voice to the voiceless to help end the practice of American horses being needlessly slaughtered. This amendment has the overwhelming support of the equestrian community, including the Humane Society, the SPCA, and Horses for Homes Coalition. prgtoken I thank Representative Carter for leading this amendment, along with the other bipartisan cosponsors of this amendment, and I urge all my colleagues across the aisle to support it and vote ``yes'' on this bipartisan en bloc.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-6-30

I thank my friend from Pennsylvania, a great member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. prgtoken I want to express my disappointment with the inclusion of a partisan auto safety title in this legislation before us today. I hope the Senate is listening and sees that this does not represent a consensus, since this product completely bypassed the Energy and Commerce Committee. prgtoken We even agreed in April to circulate a draft safety title to stakeholders with our majority counterparts; drafts, I would add, that were largely written by them. But, sadly, they walked away from their own proposals, completely ignoring minority and stakeholder concerns, and bypassed regular order altogether. prgtoken One could only surmise that the directive came straight from the majority leadership. prgtoken And for what? To snatch defeat from the jaws of a bipartisan victory? prgtoken The National Federation of the Blind even supported an amendment I drafted, with their input, to increase transportation access and benefits for Americans with disabilities. The Rules Committee voted not to make it in order. It is truly puzzling that a vote for this previously bipartisan initiative would fall victim to such partisan politics. prgtoken , I urge a ``no'' vote on this legislation. We need to get back to the table and deliver for those who are left behind by this partisan bill.
IN RECOGNITION OF DEPUTY JON HOLT
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Deputy Jon Holt for his heroic actions and continued outstanding service. prgtoken Most recently, Deputy Holt has been recognized for his courageous act of heroism in the line of duty. Single-handedly, Deputy Holt rescued a woman from being crushed and suffocated underneath an overturned car when he lifted the vehicle off the trapped woman. Both the mother and her child were able to walk away from the accident unharmed. prgtoken This was not the first time that Deputy Holt has exhibited bravery and commitment to public safety. Deputy Holt was also recognized by the Greater Hampton Roads Regional Crime Line as both the local and regional ``Top Cop'' after rescuing two people trapped in a burning house. prgtoken In addition to his eight years with the Gloucester County Sheriff's Department, Deputy Holt served his country in Iraq as a member of the Virginia National Guard. In 2007 he was severely wounded by an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Baghdad. Following several years of rehabilitation and after medical retirement from the military, Holt joined the Sheriff's Department. prgtoken Currently, Deputy Holt is completing his master's degree in National Security and recently began his assignment with the Gloucester Investigations Unit where he hopes to continue to serve his country and community. prgtoken Deputy Holt has repeatedly put his own life on the line to keep others safe. It is an honor to recognize his valiant efforts and know that his substantial contribution to law enforcement has not gone unnoticed. I commend Deputy Jon Holt for his service throughout the years. Therefore, Madam , I ask that you rise with me to recognize the brave and humble service of Deputy Jon Holt.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Kat Cammack (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-6-30

I rise today to offer a bipartisan amendment to give needed flexibility to our livestock haulers and producers. My amendment would exempt livestock haulers from hours-of- service requirements for the last 150 air miles to their final destination. prgtoken , since last year, livestock haulers have been temporarily exempted from hours-of-service requirements. However, a permanent solution for our livestock haulers and cattle producers is urgently needed. prgtoken Speaking as a Floridian, cattle is one of Florida's most important exports. It is typically an 8-hour journey just to transport cattle from our producers in south Florida all the way to the north end of the State, before continuing onward to destinations in the Midwest or elsewhere. prgtoken For the health and welfare of the cattle in transit, livestock haulers need flexibility on both the front and back end of their journey to get the cattle safely and efficiently transported to their final destinations. prgtoken Hauling live animals is simply not the same as hauling a trailer full of toilet paper; however, we saw that both were vital during the pandemic. prgtoken Although I and many other Members on both sides of the aisle support this measure wholeheartedly, I will reluctantly withdraw my amendment today. I remain hopeful that as we move forward, we can work to fix these hours-of-service rules to provide greater flexibility for the success of our Nation's producers and livestock haulers. prgtoken , , and I withdraw the amendment.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Beth Van Duyne (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-6-30

the balance of my time. prgtoken Again, I would argue that this is an opportunity to be able to get money back from cities that have found that the HOV lanes have not had the impact, have not had the necessary effect on creating less congestion, but what they found is they have actually created more congestion. prgtoken So in areas where traffic patterns may have changed, where additional highways or other roads may have alleviated those conditions, where 10 years prior HOV lanes were necessary, they are no longer necessary, instead of keeping them closed, we will actually be able to open them up and provide the help that these funds were initially used for. prgtoken , I would encourage adoption of this amendment, and .
CONGRATULATING ELAINA KOENIG ON RECEIVING THE CONGRESSIONAL AWARD GOLD MEDAL
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and congratulate Elaina Koenig, from Ethel, Washington for being awarded the Congressional Award Gold Medal. prgtoken Every year, the Congressional Award Foundation honors a select number of young Americans with Congress' highest honor--The Congressional Award Gold Medal. The award encourages our youth to set ambitious goals and put in the work and dedication to achieve them. prgtoken Elaina completed 800 hours to hone her skills in four areas: Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration activities. Her commitment and dedication to her goals are exactly why Elaina is being recognized for this prestigious award. prgtoken Once again, I want to congratulate Elaina on receiving this honor and I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I was unable to vote on June 30, 2021 due to travel arrangements. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: NO on Roll Call No. 197; NO on Roll Call No. 198; NO on Roll Call No. 199; NO on Roll Call No. 200; NO on Roll Call No. 201; YES on Roll Call No. 202; NO on Roll Call No. 203; and YES on Roll Call No. 204. prgtoken I oppose H. Res. 503, ``Establishing a Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol'' because politicizing justice undermines trust in the rule of law. prgtoken Since January 6th, I've called for the full prosecution of anyone who broke the law. The Department of Justice is already working on an investigation that has resulted in hundreds of arrests. In contrast have spent this time smearing elected s, 74 million voters, and undermining the efforts of our law enforcement. After one failed vote to create a similar commission, Pelosi is asking the House to vote for a partisan select committee. I oppose this political theater.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Garret Graves (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-6-30

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I heard my friends talk about how it has been innovation that has led us to emissions reductions. I find it fascinating and certainly look forward to that discussion. prgtoken But, , right now, just a few months ago, the United States was entirely energy independent. We produced all the resources that we needed to power our economy and to power our transportation sector. prgtoken What this bill does is begins forcing everything, manipulating markets in a direction that doesn't work. prgtoken Don't take my word for it. Let me give you examples about the State of prgtoken California that has tried to do the very thing that this bill does. The State of California currently has electricity prices that are twice those of my home State. prgtoken I ask the American citizens, , which American is asking to have their electricity bills doubled? prgtoken By the way, when you increase demand for electricity, the price goes up even higher. When you try to electrify the entire vehicle fleet, then prices go up. prgtoken Do you think they got a plan for this? prgtoken There is a study in this very amendment that tries to study how you are going to incorporate vehicles into the energy and transportation sector. They don't even know how they are going to do it, yet they are charging ahead boldly under this en bloc amendment. prgtoken Another great one in here: During the committee process on this, I offered an amendment, , to establish national centers of resilience. I got a commitment from the chairman saying: Yes, we are going to work with you on this. prgtoken They didn't work with us. But all of a sudden, when we filed our amendment, that one is discarded, and one pops up from a Member with our idea. It is now going to be in this en bloc for consideration. prgtoken This whole process just doesn't reflect democracy. I can't say it enough, : Decades and decades of bipartisan support, strong support, representing the leadership on how you negotiate legislation and bringing traffic solutions and transportation solutions to America. prgtoken In this case, there is no bipartisan support. This is a failed effort that fails to address the needs of the American public. It diverts funds that need to go to traffic solutions to things that, quite frankly, are going to play into China's hands and cause the loss of jobs. We need to be exporting American innovation, not exporting jobs to China, as this bill does. prgtoken , .
ESTABLISHING THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL
Brad R. Wenstrup (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I have heard it mentioned here today telling us why we voted against the bill. They didn't ask us. prgtoken I can tell you why I voted against the bill before. And I think it is known by the other side, because I offered an amendment to this bill for a commission, that if you are very serious and curious about the defense posture of this building and the posture of those who work in it, then would you please include in this commission to investigate and look at the events of June 14, 2017, at the baseball field? prgtoken Do you know what, Madam ? prgtoken There weren't any there that day except for one, the one that tried to kill us. prgtoken Madam , you talked about an insurrection. If not for the Capitol Police being there that day, 20 to 30 Members of Congress from the House of Representatives on the side may have been assassinated that day changing the balance of power in this Congress. prgtoken That is an insurrection. prgtoken Why is it the voted that down to include that as part of the commission? prgtoken No one could explain that. It has all got to be about one event. prgtoken I do not condone for one second what happened here on January 6--not for one second--but if you are serious, Madam , about looking at what we need and what goes on and what inspires people to attack this building and the people who work here, then let's take a look at everything. prgtoken Why aren't we including the event on Good Friday when the gentleman drove up and killed a Capitol Policeman? prgtoken He could have had a car full of explosives and pulled a Timothy McVeigh-type of event. prgtoken Why are we not looking at that as well? prgtoken This is incomplete, and it is insufficient. prgtoken After the events on June 14, 2017, Paul Ryan stood in this Chamber and got applause from both sides of the aisle when he said: ``An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.'' prgtoken We didn't hear that this time, did we? prgtoken No, we did not. prgtoken This has been created as a partisan issue at a time when it should not be partisan. If you are not partisan, Madam , then you include all the things that threaten us, that threaten this body, that threaten this building, and that threaten the people who work in it. prgtoken Let's be serious. If you are serious, be inclusive, be complete, and do the right thing.
REQUEST TO CONSIDER H.R. 18, NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , the Hyde amendment respects the deeply held beliefs of pro-life people like me by not spending our tax dollars to pay for abortions. prgtoken But support for the Hyde amendment goes beyond the pro-life community. It has enjoyed broad bipartisan support during most of its 45-year history, previously including the current in the Oval Office. prgtoken That is because it respects a cherished American value, freedom of conscience regarding our deepest religious beliefs. Now, that freedom is under attack by radicals running this country. Their assault on the Hyde amendment threatens to undo this important protection for the lives of millions and the consciences of millions more. prgtoken That is why we need H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act. prgtoken Madam , I ask unanimous consent that the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 18, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Sam Graves (Republican, MO) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , this bill basically lets the American people down. This is a missed opportunity for partnership, a chance to come together and pass a bill that addresses the real infrastructure needs of all of our communities, from the largest cities right down to our most rural areas. prgtoken Members on the other side have said that they don't want another traditional highway bill, but we can't abandon our roads and bridges just to say we want something new. Our core infrastructure has become traditional because Americans depend on it to work, travel, and live. prgtoken That is why every highway bill that has become law for at least the last three decades has done so based on bipartisanship, and s sitting down together with their prgtoken priorities and putting in the work to find common ground that both sides can support. prgtoken We could have found common ground and achieved many of the goals while addressing priorities, as well. That is what the American people want us to do. That is what the President at least said that he wanted, and that is what the actually said she wanted our committees to do. prgtoken But the process that led us here didn't reflect any of those calls to unity. What is even more frustrating is that we did have a bipartisan agreement in place, at least part of it, ready to take up again, and that was the wastewater section of this bill. But the majority, again, blatantly rejected the chance to work together on another infrastructure issue that has been and should continue to be bipartisan. prgtoken This bill only reflects the majority's one-size-fits-all vision for what they think our infrastructure should look like. It doesn't reflect the realities of what actually addresses the needs of our communities. prgtoken Today, I am going to ask my colleagues to consider this: Does this help your communities? Do you consider art to be infrastructure? Do you feel good about spending $550 billion on a highway bill that restricts communities from building highways? Most importantly, can you ignore the reality of spending more than $715 billion with no pay-fors, no revenue title, just piling more debt onto our children's future and driving up inflation? prgtoken For me, that answer is really simple. It is no. prgtoken What is worse, progressives are not going to let this bill or any real infrastructure bill become law unless they get their $6 trillion partisan wish list. They are holding infrastructure hostage to achieve their socialist tax and spend agenda. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill and the majority's partisan process, and .
HONORING MR. JAMES MCINGVALE
Steven M. Palazzo (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I rise today to honor the outstanding work of Mr. James W. Mcingvale who is retiring from Ingalls shipyard after more than four decades of service to South Mississippi. prgtoken Jim is a native of Batesville, Mississippi, and is a 1976 graduate of The University of Mississippi. He resides in Pascagoula with his wife, Nancy, with whom he will celebrate 45 years of marriage in August of this year. Their daughter, Brooke, will be the first to tell you that her father has been the ultimate role model and mentor in her life. She grew up understanding the value of hard work and dedication as she truly was a part of the Ingalls family. Some of her favorite memories are from attending the revered tradition of Naval ship christenings, as well as meeting the ships sponsors and guests. prgtoken Jim began his career at Ingalls in 1977 as a photographer and has progressed through the years to various positions of increasing responsibility. Jim, has been a tireless advocate for America's naval supremacy on the high seas, through shipbuilding which helped to improve the quality of life for all Mississippians. prgtoken Jim's list of accomplishments is extensive, a few highlights from his career include being a founding member of The Mississippi Military Communities Council (MMCC), and most recently, serving as the organization's chairman. In 2012, he was appointed by Governor Phil Bryant as a commissioner of GoCoast 2020, charged with defining how key priorities and leveraged resources can help overcome challenges faced by the Coast in the aftermath of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. He is most proud of the impact made on the Gulf Coast while serving alongside Governor Haley Barbour following Hurricane Katrina. prgtoken Although, he is retiring from Ingalls Shipyard, we are fortunate that he will remain an active leader in our community. Jim, congratulations on your well-deserved retirement. On behalf of Mississippi's Fourth Congressional District, I thank Jim for his service.
IMMEDIATE ACTION MUST BE TAKEN TO PROTECT AMERICA'S INFRASTRUCTURE AGAINST OUR ADVERSARIES
Bryan Steil (Republican, WI) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , bolstering our infrastructure against cyberattacks and ransomware attacks is an issue that concerns every American. It is not or , liberal or conservative. prgtoken As we have seen from the recent Colonial Pipeline hack and the shutdown of the world's largest beef supplier, JBS, there are alarming cybersecurity weaknesses in America's critical infrastructure. prgtoken Immediate action must be taken to protect America's infrastructure against our adversaries. That is why we must pass my amendment to the surface transportation bill. prgtoken My proposal is simple. It is focused. It does not grow the size of the Federal Government. prgtoken My amendment requires the GAO, the Government Accountability Office, to study the vulnerabilities within our transportation system to combat cyberattacks. prgtoken This study will show us and accurately allow us to plan, invest, and put forth policies that address our susceptibilities to future threats. prgtoken s from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania for joining me in this effort, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Bob Gibbs (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , for 6 years, a bipartisan agreement in the last surface transportation reauthorization prohibited transit funds going to nontransportation, art-related aspects in federally funded transit projects. The majority's bill ends that bipartisan agreement and allows for the diversion of transportation infrastructure funding to ancillary and unnecessary art projects. My amendment would keep this prohibition in place so that transportation infrastructure funding goes to actual infrastructure projects. prgtoken Both s and agree there is a real need for investments in critical infrastructure, though the majority is attempting to expand the definition of infrastructure to include virtually anything. prgtoken Rerouting these investments to unnecessary art projects or to pay for artists on the project design team is a misuse of taxpayer dollars. We need to focus on repairs for roads and bridges, not feel-good frescoes and metro station murals. prgtoken The amendment will allow excess transit funding to be directed toward improving our highway systems. prgtoken My colleague from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today suggested that if the Soviet Union could have artwork as part of their infrastructure projects, the United States can as well. I am not sure we should be taking infrastructure advice from the bankrupt nation that gave us the Chernobyl incident. And the comparison to the Soviet Union is unintentionally appropriate: This bill is bloated with socialist policies. prgtoken Simply put, this amendment makes sure that infrastructure funds are used to fund actual infrastructure. A vote against this amendment codifies art as infrastructure. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to prohibit Federal funding for unnecessary art projects.