mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Mike Johnson (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-1-19

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman for her comments. prgtoken Madam , what my colleagues have illustrated here in this Special Order is the crisis that we have in this country. We are on the anniversary now of 1 year of far-left ic rule in Washington. We have a unified government. The far-left are in charge of the White House and both Houses of Congress. Elections have consequences. The American people can see it for themselves. Every poll across this country shows us. They know that it is crisis upon crisis upon crisis. prgtoken You have heard my colleagues illustrate so many of those here this afternoon. If we had hours upon hours we could continue all night. prgtoken The economic crisis last year: Inflation cost the average worker nearly two paychecks. prgtoken An energy crisis: The national average for a gallon of gas rose 49.6 percent for the year. prgtoken A border crisis: Because of the ' open border policies, every State is now a border State. prgtoken An education crisis: President promised to reopen schools in his first 100 days but his administration secretly worked with teachers' unions to keep the schools closed and label parents as domestic terrorists. prgtoken A crime crisis: Over a dozen U.S. cities had a record-high homicide rate in 2021. prgtoken A COVID crisis: Although President promised to shut down the virus, many Americans continue to struggle to find tests, and, of course, many schools remain closed because of this. prgtoken A national security crisis: Because of President 's weakness on the world stage, our adversaries in Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow are stronger today and they are in power. prgtoken We could go on and on and on. I am out of time, Madam , but I will just point out again, the latest poll that was released just this morning didn't look at just numbers. They asked the American people to give a letter grade to the President. Thirty percent of Americans give the President an F, a failing grade, and more Americans give him an F than give him an A or a B. This is a failed Presidency. These are failed policies. We are living under the crises that they have created. It is time for this to come to an end. prgtoken We are grateful to the American people for recognizing this, and we look forward to bringing our solutions to bear at the election cycle this fall. prgtoken Madam , our Special Order hour has concluded, and .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-1-19

I have been on the floor most of the day today, and I think I heard virtually every speech given. I was reminded again, as the day went on, of really the broad-based talent of people in the Senate. prgtoken I spent some time, a couple of years ago, over the course of about 6 months, kind of watching individual Senators and trying to figure out how they got here. And with only a couple of exceptions, I could figure it out: that unique ability to communicate or to explain things in a way that people understood them or to appear to just know more than other people knew about things that people knew Senators need to know about. And I was reminded again of the tragedy of how little we use that collective talent. prgtoken There is absolutely no telling what we could do if we would decide, as 100 people who figured out how to get to the U.S. Senate, how we would work together and solve big problems. prgtoken And I think we all know where we are today. But I do hope, as Senator Schumer mentioned, that we listen to each other as people express different views. Certainly, the Senate would be a better place if we spent more time on the floor listening to each other and talking to each other. prgtoken Now, on this bill, I think we all know where we are headed. In my view, having watched election legislation for a long time, it seems to me this is just another version of an election bill introduced by . There is not much new in this bill. Both the Rules Committee, where I serve, and the Senate have already rejected this Federal takeover of elections several times this year. prgtoken Now, many of my friends on the other side said: Well, why wouldn't s just want to debate this bill? prgtoken I don't think anybody said: Why wouldn't the s want to amend this bill--because there was no opportunity to do that. prgtoken We have been on the bill now for several days. We got on the bill. It was a fairly crafty way to get on the bill, with a 51-vote vote. It is fine with me to be on the bill. But our friends on the other side decided there would be no amendments on this bill. And I think s, from the very start, sensed that this would be a bill where we would get a ``yes'' or ``no'' vote on a bill that really would dramatically change how we pursue elections. prgtoken Now, while it has a new name--it is more than 700 pages--it is nearly identical to the Freedom to Vote Act. It is substantially the same as the two versions that couldn't get 50 on that side, S. 1; very similar to the Senate bill, H.R. 1; and very similar, frankly, to the election bills that I have been watching for 20 years. And there has always been a different reason to do about the same -sponsored bill in the House and Senate. After 2020, the reason was, well, the equipment is too faulty, and we have got to have more Federal control of what happens in the States. After 2016, the reason to have a massive e
TRIBUTE TO DEPUTY GABE VITT
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2022-1-19

I rise today to honor a true hero from Labette County, KS, Deputy Gabe Vitt. His quick thinking and expertise helped save the life of a woman in a situation only seen in movies. prgtoken Deputy Vitt was on patrol in Parsons, when he heard over his radio that a woman had been hit by a train. EMS was preparing to respond to the situation like they normally would, but the person calling about the accident disconnected before they could say where the woman was hit. By great luck and coincidence, Deputy Vitt was only a few blocks from the tracks. prgtoken Realizing that emergency medical services wouldn't be there in time, he rushed to the scene to find a woman with a severed leg. Making use of his EMT training from school at Labette Community College, Vitt was able to apply a tourniquet which stabilized the woman's leg steady, ultimately saving her life. After the incident, Deputy Vitt credited that training heavily, describing his heroics as a natural reaction to the situation. Had he not been nearby or received his EMT training, that woman may very well not be here today. prgtoken I want to thank this brave officer for being so courageous to dive headfirst into peril. As the son of a police chief, I know the risks our men and women in blue take on each day. I admire these unique citizens for continually working to ensure our safety. Deputy Vitt has shown what true valor looks like, and Labette County is safer because of him. I ask now that my colleagues show this same admiration and recognition for Deputy Vitt and that he may stay safe protecting his community.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-1-19

my ic colleagues are continuing what started last week, with spending hours trying to convince Members of their own party, both here in this Chamber and across the country, that they had no choice but to blow up the Senate rules by firing a partisan torpedo at the filibuster. prgtoken Now, it appears, from what we have heard, that they used demeaning, shaming words and really went about weaving quite a frightening tale about what would happen if their ic colleagues did not cave on this issue. That tale was no more based in reality than the vial accusations of racism that they have hurled at those who oppose this push to single-party rule. prgtoken Last week, when this insulting narrative started to collapse, they tried a new approach and pitched their assault on the Senate as a ``carve-out'' to accommodate an emergency change to election law. prgtoken I fully believe, when someone is going to tell you who they are, you should believe them. And over the past year, we have watched and the throw self-control out the window and leverage emergency after emergency to expand their power. prgtoken signed more than a dozen Executive orders in the very first hours of his Presidency, knowing that if he did not do this, these policies would never see the light of day. prgtoken The people--and that is the people of this country--hadn't seen fit to give his allies in Congress the majority that he needed for his agenda, so he waved his pen and conjured up a mandate for himself. prgtoken And now, his ic allies in the Senate are prepared to do the exact same thing on behalf of a bill that would federalize elections in America, stripping away protections for the ballot box and injecting uncertainty into the voting process. prgtoken Who asked for this? No one. If the American people wanted this, they would have given the the majority they needed to get it done. But they didn't. And, in fact, I hear from Tennesseans every day who want it to be easier to vote and harder to cheat, not the other way around. prgtoken But based on what I have seen, I have come to the conclusion that what the people want no longer seems to matter to our ic colleagues. prgtoken We can take today's event as proof that if the people don't see fit to give them the power, they will come and take that power and turn the Senate into a rubberstamp they can deploy when an Executive order just won't get the job done. prgtoken That really frightens Tennesseans because they can see what is coming down the path: open borders, court packing, gun control, the Green New Deal, abortion on demand, socialized healthcare, speech restrictions, federalized elections, and more out-of-control spending, and, yes, higher inflation. prgtoken We know that this is the future that the are laying out for America. It is the future that they see for our children and grandchildren because these
CONGRATULATING GEORGIA BULLDOGS FOOTBALL TEAM
Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-1-19

. Madam , I am very excited to announce H. Res. 872, which has bipartisanship. The entire Georgia delegation has signed on congratulating the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team for winning the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association College Football Playoff National Championship. Go Dawgs. prgtoken We are also excited, and I am honored to have everyone's signature on this House resolution honoring the University of Georgia and their great championship win this year in 2022 and Coach Kirby Smart for leading the team to victory this year. prgtoken We just want to continue to share our excitement in Georgia, congratulating the University of Georgia.
CELEBRATING MARY LOU HAND'S 100TH BIRTHDAY
August Pfluger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-1-19

. Madam , I rise today to tell you about another patriot. You know, we have patriots, and we have leaders, servant leaders throughout our entire country. This is a special one that I would like to talk about in the community of Staten Island, Mr. John ``J.B.'' Byers, Sr. prgtoken A New Jersey native, Mr. Byers began his remarkable 40-year career delivering letters for the U.S. Postal Service at the USPS Mariners Harbor Post Office and subsequently served 18 years at the Port Richmond office. prgtoken During his four decades of exemplary service, John has become a fixture of the community. He has become beloved by those he happily served for so many years on his daily route. prgtoken The best measure of John's success was not how efficient he was at his job, but it was the undeniable impact he had on his neighbors in the communities that he served so well. He went above and beyond in his duties, taking time to engage in the community, the lives and the livelihoods of the people he served every single day. prgtoken His influence is evident by the meaningful and positive impact he made on those who knew him best, his neighbors, his colleagues, and his friends. Story after story from coworkers and community members alike show J.B.'s generosity, kindness, and work ethic. So much so that on John's last day at the U.S. Postal Service, those on his route threw him a surprise party to demonstrate how much the service that he did for them meant to them and their lives. prgtoken John dedicated his life to his community through his career, and he became a trusted friend and familiar face to all. But even with his tenured and successful career, I know the greatest joy for him today stems from the beautiful family he and his wife, Kathleen, have raised. As he enters retirement, John and Kathleen are celebrating the birth of their first grandchild, Madison Patricia Byers, who was born on December 23, 2021. prgtoken More than a mailman, J.B. has brought great joy and integrity to countless families and neighborhoods, and we thank him for his service to his community. Honoring Mrs. Pam Burke
RECOGNIZING DR. DAVID WAGNER
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-1-19

I rise today to recognize Venango Area Chamber Citizen of the Year, Dr. David Wagner. prgtoken Dr. Wagner currently owns and operates the Wagner Family Eye Care in Seneca. prgtoken Dr. Wagner is a graduate of North Clarion High School, Gannon University, and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. prgtoken Dr. Wagner continues to be an active citizen of Venango County. He is dedicated to giving back not only in the area but around the world. prgtoken Dr. Wagner currently serves on the board for the Oil City Rotary Club and the Venango County Association for the Blind, in addition to being involved in his church, Second Presbyterian. prgtoken Despite staying busy, Dr. Wagner finds time to volunteer with other community groups, , and mentors young adults in the area. prgtoken Dr. Wagner continues his service outside of Venango by participating in Through God's Eyes and ZUMC to provide eye care to people in need throughout the world. prgtoken , I congratulate Dr. Wagner on this tremendous honor and thank him for his continued dedication to those of Venango County and around the world.
HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Young Kim (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-1-19

. Madam , I thank Mr. Johnson for yielding. prgtoken Madam , 1 year ago, I joined several of my colleagues-- especially the freshman colleagues--in a letter to President showing our willingness to work with him on behalf of the American people and to bridge the partisan gridlock, because our President's success is our Nation's success. prgtoken While I am proud that 1 year later I have been able to get 12 bipartisan bills out of the House and four signed into law, I am disappointed that the policies from the administration encourage more division, more Federal spending, and more crises hurting American workers, families, and small businesses as we continue through the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Inflation is at a 40-year high, driving up prices everywhere from the grocery store to prices at the gas pump. We have record high numbers of migrants and illicit drugs at our southern border prgtoken straining our resources and empowering drug cartels. Our disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers, and we still have left the lives of Americans and our allies and military arsenal in the hands of the Taliban. prgtoken In the latest edition of partisan politics last week, one of my bipartisan bills was taken over and instead became over 700 pages of nationalizing elections and letting public funds be used for political campaigns. prgtoken I will keep working through this gridlock, sticking to my conservative policies and principles and fighting back against Big Government and big spending policies.
HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Burgess Owens (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-1-19

. Madam , I thank my good friend from Louisiana for his great leadership. prgtoken Madam , over the past year, I spent time throughout Utah's Fourth District. I have heard from Utahns from all walks of life, and month after month, they have shared the same concerns: soaring inflation, skyrocketing prices, and decreasing wages. prgtoken That is no surprise because gas is up 49.6 percent. Used cars are up 37.3 percent. Gas utilities are up 24.1 percent. Meat, fish, and eggs are up 12.5 percent. Electricity is up 6.3 percent. prgtoken On top of this, as real wages have decreased 8 out of the last 11 months, our economy is still missing millions of prepandemic jobs, and employers are continuing to struggle with persistent labor shortages. prgtoken What is this administration doing to help? You can't make this up: dismissing inflation as high-class problems and transitory; adding to the national debt with money we don't have on programs we don't need; and, just last week, advocating to nuke a filibuster the President defended for decades to push through a radical Federal takeover of all elections. prgtoken Our economy should be thriving right now, but inaction, on purpose, by this administration has massively increased our national debt, which still sits at $29 trillion, by the way; stifled growth; and financially crippled American families and small businesses. prgtoken We are closing out the first year of 's Presidency with the worst inflation of 40 years; open borders; emboldened adversaries; a botched withdrawal from Afghanistan; and a repeated push to increase the size, scope, and reach of the Federal Government. prgtoken This year, I encourage President to start paying attention to the real needs of real Americans. Maybe then we will start seeing real results.
AMERICANS ARE FACING ONE CRISIS AFTER ANOTHER
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-1-19

tomorrow marks the 1-year anniversary of one-party, radical rule in D.C. prgtoken With at the helm, Americans have faced one crisis after another, unfortunately. We have the highest inflation in 41 years, supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages in critical industries, spikes in energy costs; record numbers of people and drugs illegally entering our southern border, a surge in crime, national security threats, a series of foreign relations disasters; in my opinion, a mismanaged pandemic, and countless examples of government intrusion into all aspects of our lives. prgtoken Instead of addressing these problems, have doubled down on failed policies, have engaged in out-of-control spending, and are trying to control every aspect of Americans' lives. prgtoken This is not the way forward. prgtoken I recently asked my constituents one simple question: ``Is your family better off than you were a year ago?'' Almost 70 percent of the respondents said no. Fixing that problem should be Congress' main priority.
HIGHLIGHTING ISSUES WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Carlos A. Gimenez (Republican, FL) \u2014 2022-1-19

. Madam , life has been hard for the American people as President concludes his first year in office. Unfortunately, too many in this Chamber have bowed down to the most radical fringes of the ic Party. prgtoken The sad reality today is liberals in Congress have no clue what every day, hardworking Americans are going through. They care more about pushing their radical agenda than helping working families. The result is more inflation, higher gas prices, unconstitutional vaccine mandates, broken supply chains, and Americans struggling to make ends meet. prgtoken On our side of the aisle, s are committed to making sure we get the American people back to work, ensuring that small businesses can find employees to help keep their businesses open, making sure Americans have uninterrupted access to goods, and getting our country roaring back with a strong economy and safe communities. Those are the issues that Americans really care about. prgtoken Here in Washington, s will use our congressional authority to hold the administration accountable for the Afghanistan debacle where we don't know how many Americans are still left behind in Afghanistan, for choosing to wreck our energy sector, handing Putin the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, and for allowing the southern borders to be kept wide open. Where once we were energy independent a year ago, now we are begging OPEC to please produce more. prgtoken Madam , after only a year of the administration and his radical governing of our country, we have had enough. The American people have had enough. Our people, our country deserve better.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-1-19

inflation is at its highest level in 40 years. Drug overdose deaths and illegal border crossings are at record levels. The murder rate is its highest since the 1990s. Russian troops are massing on Ukraine's border, and the President of the United States just green-lighted Vladimir Putin to invade. China is continuing its aggression. prgtoken So what have the ic floor leader and Senate spent the last 2 months doing? Trying to overturn 200 years of Senate rules and customs so that they can do things like ban voter ID nationwide and use your tax dollars to support political campaigns. prgtoken They tell us that Americans are living under Jim Crow 2.0, and they cite the recent Georgia election law as proof. Well, let's investigate this so-called voter suppression law. prgtoken Under the new law, the State of Georgia will have 17 days of early voting. If this is Jim Crow 2.0, then I have bad news because the ic leader's home State of New York and the President's home State of Delaware were engaged in I guess what you would call Jim Crow 3.0 as recently as last year because New York only had 9 days of early voting and Delaware had no days--zero days--of early voting. prgtoken Next, I have heard complaints that Georgia has reduced the number of ballot drop boxes in the State, even though they now require every county to have a drop box, as was not the case as recently as 2018, and that Georgia has added new security measures to prevent fraud. prgtoken Once again, I hate to break the news that the ic floor leader's home State of New York had zero ballot drop boxes and that the President's home State of Delaware allowed for just five last year. prgtoken Of course, one of the ' favorite claims is that all of those terrible s down in Georgia have stopped campaign and political workers from giving food and drinks to people who are waiting in line at the polls. Where could Georgia have gotten such an idea? Well, as it turns out, the ic floor leader's home State of New York also has a nearly identical law banning such electioneering near polling places. prgtoken The also say that voter ID is a kind of new Jim Crow. That might surprise the 69 percent of Black Americans who support voter ID. prgtoken Now, what are they up to? This is an especially good question, given the letter that 28 , still in the Senate, signed on April 7, 2017, to the leadership around here, urging them to oppose any effort-- any effort--to stop the Senate's tradition and custom of extended debate. prgtoken Some of those Senators are on the floor with us at this moment. I see the junior Senator from Illinois, the junior Senator from Hawaii, and the junior Senator from Maine, the Presiding Officer, for that matter. Many more were down here earlier. prgtoken I would invite, through the Chair, any of those Senators, if they would like to engage in a colloquy, to explai