mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE...
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-3-29

with me today is Mr. Seth Brazier, who is one of my colleagues in my Senate office. prgtoken , I want to talk about my city today, the city of New Orleans. The city of New Orleans is iconic, and the whole world knows it. prgtoken My first job in State government was with a reform Governor, back in the late 1980s, named Governor Buddy Roemer. prgtoken Japan was doing extraordinarily well at that time economically, making many foreign investments, and Governor Roemer traveled to Japan to try to convince Japan to invest in Louisiana. And when the Governor got back, he told me: Kennedy, my first meeting was very enlightening. prgtoken He said: In my first meeting, I met with about 50 Japanese business people. prgtoken He said: I asked them how many of you have been to Louisiana? prgtoken The Governor said three of them raised their hand. prgtoken He said: Then I asked them another question. I asked these 50 Japanese business people: How many of you have been in New Orleans? prgtoken He said: Twenty-five of them raised their hand. prgtoken The city of New Orleans is iconic. Every State, every country would love to have a New Orleans. Our city was founded over 300 years ago. We are one of the oldest in America. It was founded in 1718. Our city is envied for--let's see--our food, our music, our architecture, our diversity, our dialects, our merriment, and our festivals--for our celebration of life. In New Orleans, we dance with or without music. prgtoken But New Orleans is under attack. People there are being murdered. They are being shot. They are being raped. They are being stabbed. Their stuff is being stolen, and our quality of life is being degraded because of crime--because of crime, a cancer on our city. prgtoken I want to give you a sense of the breadth of our problem. In 2022, we had 280 murders in New Orleans. The victims ranged from six months of age to 91 years old. Ten percent of these victims were under the age of 18. Seventy percent were people of color. prgtoken Listen to this. One out of every eight Black males who live in New Orleans between the age of 15 to 24 will be shot--one out of eight. Statistically, it prgtoken is more dangerous to be young and Black in New Orleans than it was to be a marine in the battle of Fallujah during the height of the insurgency in Iraq. Those are the numbers. prgtoken Last year, my city had the highest murder rate in the country, twice the murder rate of Atlanta--twice. We had the most murders since 1996. Our murder rate was up 141 percent since 2019, and it is not just murder. Shootings in 2022 were up 88 percent from 2019, carjackings up 156 percent, armed robberies up 20 percent, and it is not much better in 2023. prgtoken Now, behind these sterile statistics are real live human beings, flesh and bones, blood and tissue. prgtoken In one of the most appalling cases that we have had, about a year ago, in an area in New Orleans that we call Mid-City,
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 13, 2020
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2023-3-29

I rise today to talk about the importance of unleashing American energy, the consequences of President 's refusal to invest in American energy, the impact this is having on energy States like West Virginia and Texas, and what steps we can take to move forward to fix the mistakes made by the White House and the jeopardy that they have put our country in. prgtoken President has made his stance on American energy clear since day one of his administration. As President, his policies and personnel choices have delivered on his campaign promises, and high prices are just part of the bargain. The administration has canceled pipelines, rescinded previously issued approvals for others, and raised barriers to building new ones. They have frozen oil and gas leasing and proposed raising royalties--costs that will be passed on to the consumer. The EPA has continued to layer regulation on regulation, though I am pleased to report that, earlier today, through the congressional resolution, we pulled down the WOTUS rule that the EPA recently put forward last December. prgtoken These are just a few of the unreasonable and misguided policy decisions this administration has made that have led to what we are facing today. prgtoken Congressional have not been shy about their stance on an ``all of the above'' energy future. Look no further than the two pieces of legislation that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle boast about the most--the American Rescue Plan and the so-called Inflation Reduction Act. Just last week, while I was questioning President 's head of the Environmental Protection Agency, I was asking him about his Agency's budget. Administrator Regan admitted that, because of the Inflation Reduction Act, prgtoken coal capacity and natural gas generation will plummet in the future. prgtoken This is the coal capacity with the IRA. It is way down here below 50. If there had been no IRA, it would have been somewhere here, around 80. prgtoken Let me say that again. prgtoken Through data generated by the EPA and admitted to be true by the head of the administration, coal capacity and natural gas generation will be significantly lower in our country because of the Inflation Reduction Act. prgtoken Here is natural gas with no IRA, up here. With the IRA, it will be way down here by 2040. prgtoken He went even further--Administrator Regan did--and admitted the misguided policies with the Inflation Reduction Act will lead to the closures of coal and natural gas plants. This will lead to the shuttering of proud energy-producing communities across my State of West Virginia and our country, moving us further away from the energy independence that we desperately need and want. This clearly spells out the priorities of this President and underscores the urgency needed in reversing these policies. prgtoken On top of all of this, the out-of-control reckless spending and Green New Deal pri
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Republican, WA) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. prgtoken My goal as the chair of Energy and Commerce Committee is to make sure Americans have access to affordable, reliable energy. This was a key promise in the House s' ``Commitment to America,'' and we are hitting the ground running to deliver on that promise. This is just the beginning. prgtoken Energy is foundational to everything. For centuries it has driven human progress and development. It is why America has done more to lift people out of poverty and raise the standard of living than anywhere else in the world. prgtoken Today, over 3.7 billion people are living in energy poverty. That is half the world. They have a 10-year lower life expectancy, 35 percent fewer years of education, and many don't have electricity at all. prgtoken Here in the United States of America, we are blessed with the ability and the resources to continue to raise the standard of living globally and even lift people out of poverty. prgtoken Our goal today is to celebrate how our abundant energy resources have unleashed prosperity and invited people from around the world to come across the globe to America to achieve their hopes and dreams. prgtoken We have accomplished this as a leader in reducing emissions and with the highest environmental and labor standards in the world. We cannot afford to move backward with a reckless command-and-control so-called climate agenda that forces people to pay more and go without reliable electricity. prgtoken H.R. 1 prioritizes the American people over this radical climate agenda. prgtoken On his first day in office, President started a war on American energy. Predictably, gas prices skyrocketed to the highest levels in American history. President revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, imposed a moratorium on oil production on Federal lands, and directed agencies across the Federal Government to impose punitive and burdensome regulations. prgtoken As the American people suffered, President turned to OPEC and Russia to boost supplies. In the face of Russia's aggression, President looked the other way and green-lit the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, emboldening Russia to attack Ukraine. The CCP now is deepening ties with Russia and consolidating its control over more than 90 percent of the world's critical mineral supplies. prgtoken To win the future, we cannot allow our energy security to be surrendered to our adversaries. H.R. 1 sends the strong and unmistakable signal to restore American energy dominance and bolster our national security. H.R. 1 will unleash American energy, lower costs, and secure our supply chains. This package helps lift barriers to expanding our energy supplies, remove red tape for exporting and importing LNG, and build more pipelines with our North American allies and across the States. prgtoken It would repeal P
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Troy Balderson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. prgtoken The American people deserve reliable, secure, and affordable energy to power our homes and businesses, fuel our vehicles, and sustain our way of life. prgtoken In this country we are blessed with an abundance of clean and affordable energy resources capable of meeting our energy needs for many generations to come. prgtoken Today, we have an opportunity to end our reliance on bad actors, lower prices for families hurting under sky-high inflation, and finally unleashing American energy dominance. prgtoken H.R. 1 is about ensuring a secure energy future for America. prgtoken Just recently, PJM Interconnection, one of the Nation's largest grid operators, released an alarming report about the long-term reliability of America's power grid. prgtoken The report shows that America's growing power demand, coupled with the retirement of existing power generation, far outweighs renewable sources' capacity to keep up. prgtoken Simply put, the administration's rush to green is putting us on a dangerous collision course toward power outages and energy insecurity. prgtoken To see the consequences of the rush to green, just take a look at the energy crisis that unfolded when much of Europe shut off nuclear and fossil fuel power generation without a means to meet their power needs. prgtoken We cannot allow ourselves to fall victim to the same fate. prgtoken H.R. 1 embraces the abundant resources at our disposal and rejects the false notion that a cleaner environment can only be achieved at the peril of the United States' energy security and independence. prgtoken This commonsense bill reforms the outdated permitting process, increases domestic energy production, and repeals President 's disastrous natural gas tax. prgtoken Mr. Chair, when the American people flip on the light switch, they should have confidence that the lights will actually come on. prgtoken I am proud to join my colleagues in delivering on our commitment to America by restoring American energy dominance. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting America's energy future with the passage of H.R. 1.
LOWER ENERGY COSTS ACT
Michael Lawler (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act. This is about clean, reliable, and affordable energy. prgtoken My constituents in the 17th Congressional District are feeling the pain at the pump, on their electric bills and their home heating costs, and in almost every single one of their purchases due to the increase in energy costs under the administration. prgtoken Gas prices have risen over 51 percent since President took office. Residential electrical costs in New York State have risen over 26 percent since President took office, 24 percent nationwide. Utility gas is up 44 percent. prgtoken In just the last year, energy costs in the New York metropolitan region are up almost 10 percent. Not only does the cost of energy take a toll on families across America, but it has a compounding effect throughout the supply chain, driving prices of groceries and food ever higher. prgtoken This out-of-control inflation has created a massive crunch on the budgets of middle-class families across New York State, but perhaps no more so than right in the Hudson Valley where folks are facing energy bills in the thousands of dollars every month just to heat and power their homes. prgtoken It is fueling the affordability crisis in New York State, and it is exactly why I am proud to support H.R. 1, which will restore our Nation's energy independence by increasing the production and export of domestic energy while reducing the regulatory burdens that stifle American energy. prgtoken We need an all-of-the-above approach that includes gas, nuclear, and renewables. That has been emphatically clear for years. prgtoken Making America more dependent on foreign energy adds more pollution, not less, to our climate. H.R. 1 unleashes American energy and will drive down inflation, providing Hudson Valley families with the real relief they so desperately need. prgtoken Just some facts: 60 percent of New Yorkers rely on natural gas, and 70 percent of our electricity is generated by natural gas. prgtoken We have had a 60 percent reduction in greenhouse gases because of natural gas, greater than renewables. Those are the facts, and that is why we need to pass H.R. 1.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 13, 2020
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-3-29

. . I am unlikely to take First Amendment advice from someone who believes that the First Amendment doesn't protect the Communist Party. You will find no greater foe of Communism, no greater critic. I have been a longstanding critic of, really, the funding of research in Wuhan that led to the virus. And yet I still want to protect the basic Bill of Rights, the First Amendment that protects speech, whether we like it or not. And if someone doesn't understand that Communism actually is included in the First Amendment, that terrible speech we object to is included under that--this is something we should be very wary of. prgtoken We should beware of people who peddle fear. We should beware of people who peddle half-truths. Almost everything that has been said about collecting data is, in all likelihood, true. All the social media companies collect data. They devise algorithms. Some of the domestic ones have psychological experiments that might horrify you to see what they have all the young kids thinking and doing and trying to get them to click on different pictures or trying to get them. prgtoken This is a marketing strategy, and they all do it. And they all want to make money, and they all want to get clicks. prgtoken The difference is this: Many people on the right--in fact, some on the left--they are horrified by Big Tech in our country; they are consistent in being horrified by the abuses of Big Tech here and also TikTok. prgtoken But look at their legislative proposals, many of them would actually ban Big Tech here as well or put it under the thumb of government or set up government agencies or panels to determine what speech would be acceptable. And if you are not putting enough conservatives on there, by golly, we are going to have a government commission that is going to determine what kind of content gets on there. prgtoken These are scary ideas. Don't succumb to fear. Don't give up our freedoms. Don't say that, oh, my goodness, we are going to ban 150 million Americans. This isn't just about the company; this is about the rights of 150 million Americans to get their content. prgtoken You are restricting what they can do, and you are restricting what they can use, all with innuendo. Everything that has been said about, oh, this is a channel and a funnel to the Chinese Government--these are all conjecture. These are all things they are saying happened. As far as the sale of the company, I don't think we should force them to sell, but I do believe, in a heartbeat, they could be sold. prgtoken They are located in the Cayman Islands. They are incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and they can be sold at any minute. I don't think we should force them to sell. The majority of the shareholders are not Chinese; the two engineers that developed it are, but to say that the algorithm has to reside in China and is in one tiny place and isn't anywhere else is a simplistic notion of the way te
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON MARCH 13, 2020
Pete Ricketts (Republican, NE) \u2014 2023-3-29

I rise today to fight a blatant land grab by the Federal Government. prgtoken My colleagues and I support the Senator from West Virginia's resolution disapproving of the waters of the United States rule. This rule would change the definition of ``navigable prgtoken waters'' to include things like roadside ditches, puddles on construction sites, farm ponds. prgtoken Think about that. President 's EPA and Army Corps of Engineers apparently believe that drainage ditches, construction site puddles, and farm ponds are navigable waters. To say this statement defies all common sense is an understatement. Quite frankly, it is embarrassing. prgtoken I am from Nebraska. I get it. I am from a land-locked State. But, to me, ``navigable'' means you can put a boat on a body of water and go somewhere. But you don't have to take my word for it. We have the Merriam-Webster definition of ``navigable'' right here, and it says: ``deep enough and wide enough to afford passage to ships.'' prgtoken If you put a boat on a roadside ditch, you are not going anywhere. If you put a boat on a puddle on a construction site, you are not going anywhere. If you put a boat on a pond, you are just going around the pond. You are not going anywhere besides that. prgtoken To Nebraska farmers and ranchers, this is just dumb. Beyond that, the administration is trying to change the law without coming to Congress. The 1972 Clean Water Act said ``navigable waters'' 50 times. Congress's intent could not have been more clear. prgtoken As a legislative branch, we must protect our authority. The administration is trying to subvert our laws, and it must be stopped. If allowed to stand, this rule would increase costs and uncertainty for producers, property owners, and small businesses. prgtoken President and liberal bureaucrats have absolutely no business regulating this, and I think the President knows it. You know why I think the President knows it? Well, because President 's EPA and Army Corps of Engineers quietly finalized this rule on the last working day of the year, just before New Year's Eve. It seems like the President and his cronies hoped that no one would notice. prgtoken Well, guess what. We noticed. Nebraska's farmers and ranchers noticed. My Senate colleagues and I noticed, and we are pushing back hard. And, today, my colleagues and I are defending private property rights from this unconstitutional power grab. Today, we are sending a message to President that our farmers and ranchers need relief, not regulation. Today, we are fulfilling our responsibility to provide oversight and accountability in response to Executive overreach. Today, we are defending the authority of the legislative branch. prgtoken When I was Governor, I repeatedly opposed President 's efforts to expand the waters of the United States rule. As Senator, I strongly oppose President 's attempt to do the same. prgtoken I want t
CELEBRATING THE 190TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TREATY OF AMITY AND COMMERCE
Michelle Steel (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-3-29

. Madam , I rise to commemorate the 190th anniversary prgtoken of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce, the first treaty between the United States and Thailand. prgtoken In fact, the historic agreement is distinguished as the first treaty between the United States and any Asian country. prgtoken Since its establishment, the relationship and cooperation between our two nations has thrived, providing benefits to both of our economies and national security. prgtoken That is why earlier this month I introduced the bipartisan resolution reaffirming our gratitude for our partnership and our continued commitment to building our friendship. prgtoken As we celebrate the anniversary of the historic treaty of 1833, let us also reaffirm our efforts to strengthen our strategic partnerships, promote democracy, and secure our interests in Asia and around the world.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND THE...
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-3-29

I want to welcome the Senator. We get to add another plain-spoken Nebraskan to the U.S. Senate--people who bring a commonsense, clear-eyed realism, a solutions-oriented approach to the Senate. We are really grateful to have former Governor, now-Senator, Pete Ricketts join the U.S. Senate, along with his colleague Senator Deb Fischer. That is a powerful, powerful duo and will be a great partnership for the State of Nebraska and make great contributions to the U.S. Senate and to the betterment of our country. prgtoken And I know that, like a lot of people from their region of the world, they understand--as he pointed out in his remarks--the importance of a strong and secure America, an America that projects strength in the world, not just militarily but economically, diplomatically. prgtoken And so as we work on these issues, we face lots of challenges, lots of dangers in the world today. prgtoken I am just delighted to have another U.S. Senator who comes to us with a record of accomplishments as a Governor. He got a lot of things done when he was Governor of Nebraska. And, as a neighbor State, a State that gets an opportunity to observe--and, actually, I share almost a border with Senator Fischer, because my hometown and her home area are literally, just as we speak, as the crow flies, in Nebraska and the Dakotas, a few miles apart. prgtoken But we know that we are going to have two people here representing that State whom I have been able to watch, not only from afar but now up close, and just know how talented they are, how dedicated they are, and, again, just how practical and realistic and commonsensical they are about the challenges facing our country and about the solutions that we need to put in place to meet those challenges. prgtoken So congratulations on your remarks and welcome. It is great to have you here, and we look forward to serving with you, Senator Ricketts, and to continue to serve with Senator Fisher.