mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
J.D. Vance (Republican, OH) \u2014 2023-10-25

we are, unfortunately, in a world where COVID will be with us for the rest of our lives. That is not a good thing. It is not a thing to celebrate, but it is a thing to accept. prgtoken What we do not have to accept and what we do not have to make part of our lives is the never-ending cycle of public health panic that greets the rise of a respiratory virus that there is very little we can do to stop or control. What we do not have to accept is airline passengers fighting amongst each other and fighting with flight attendants because the flight attendants are asked to enforce a mask mandate. What we do not have to accept is that we respond to a public health problem with panic and with fear. prgtoken We know, of course, that the era of mask mandates caused a lot of problems. It caused problems for our kids. It caused developmental delays for school children. It caused a lot of rancor and a lot of division within our common American family. prgtoken If people want to wear masks, of course, they should be able to. But if people don't want to wear masks on airplanes, on transit, they should have that option as well, and that is all that my amendment does. It is narrowly scoped. It applies for the next 11 months, and it applies to transportation cases. And I think it is reasonable to not ask the American people to reenter the era of mask mandates. My amendment does that, and I ask that my colleagues support it.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-10-25

there are 16 million veterans in our country. Sometimes some of them need help with managing their financial affairs. When they do, they go to the Veterans Health Administration, and the Veterans Health Administration appoints a fiduciary to help that veteran manage his or her financial affairs. prgtoken But, under current VA policy, if a veteran who defended this country has to go to the VA and ask for help with managing his or her financial affairs, the VA automatically reports that veteran to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System--we call it NICS--and that veteran loses his firearm. He loses his firearm automatically--no due process, no questions asked. This decision is not being made by a judge; it is being made by a bureaucrat. prgtoken All our amendment would do would be to say that the VA, just because you have asked for help with your money, cannot automatically take away your firearm or report you to NICS unless a judge has ruled that that veteran is a danger to himself or to others. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2023-10-25

I come to the floor today to talk about the need for more American energy. 's policies are destructive to our Nation, and that is because he continues to put liberal priorities first and America last. prgtoken Last week, the administration agreed to ease oil sanctions on Nicolas Maduro's brutal socialist regime in Venezuela. Let's be clear. I want to be clear about what is going on here. Venezuela gets to produce more oil. President is putting Venezuelan oil production ahead of American oil production. He is prioritizing Venezuelan energy workers over Wyoming and American energy workers. prgtoken Our energy workers at home are rightly asking: When is going to ease the sanctions that he has put on American energy production? prgtoken Because, since day one, American oil, American natural gas, American coal producers have been in the President's crosshairs. He refused to change course, even when gas prices skyrocketed. prgtoken Well, certainly has never encouraged more American production like he has around the world in Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and even Russia at one point. Instead, has raided the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and he did it to deflect blame for high energy costs at the gas pump. That was in the runup to the midterm elections. So he used our energy stockpile emergency supply for his own political gain. And it is disgraceful. prgtoken America's energy reserve is now 45 percent lower than it was when entered office, much lower than it was when he was Vice President. Our emergency supply is actually at a 40-year low in terms of the energy supply we need for emergencies. prgtoken With the Hamas terrorists' attack against Israel, there is more uncertainty in global oil production, and our own stockpiles here at home are dangerously low. And this could be the time when we need it the most. prgtoken So, last week, the administration came to the conclusion: Well, maybe we ought to try to fill it up again. So he has announced the purchase of 6 million barrels of oil to help replenish our emergency supply. Six million barrels is a drop in the bucket compared to the 290 million barrels that the President has already drained. The President's administration plan is too little, too late, and it comes at too high of a price. President is offering 79 cents a barrel for these 6 million barrels of oil to help start to replenish the emergency reserve. Well, the price of oil now is $90 a barrel. prgtoken So is going, once again, on bended knee to dictators, begging them to produce more oil and sell it to the United States. Maybe he believes this begging will lower oil prices and increase his abysmal approval ratings. But turning to dictators is not a way to govern, and it is not a way to focus on America's national interests. prgtoken continues to turn his back on America's workers, on American families; and, once again, h
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Charles J. "Chuck" Fleischmann (Republican, TN) \u2014 2023-10-25

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , it is my distinct honor to bring the fiscal year 2024 Energy and Water bill before you today. Before I go into the details, I recognize the hard work of Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member DeLauro on this bill and the entire appropriations process. prgtoken I also specifically thank my ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, for being a tremendous partner throughout this year's process. prgtoken At a total of $56.958 billion, the Energy and Water bill advances our national security, our energy security, and our economic competitiveness in a fiscally responsible manner. prgtoken The bill includes $24 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Within that, the bill fully funds all major weapons programs and infrastructure modernization activities, including the W93 warhead, the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile, the B83-1 sustainment efforts, and the restart of plutonium pit production capability. NNSA funding also supports naval reactors and defense nuclear nonproliferation. prgtoken Remaining a leader in nuclear energy technologies will ensure reliable energy here at home and will help allies across the globe. prgtoken The bill sustains the Department of Energy's nuclear energy base program and also redirects previously appropriated funds to higher priorities, specifically: $2.4 billion to develop a domestic capability for producing low- enriched uranium, including high-assay low-enriched uranium that will be necessary for upcoming advanced reactors; and $1.2 billion to support the ongoing advanced small modular reactor demonstration project. prgtoken To reduce our reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals, the bill provides more than $200 million for the full spectrum of production technologies. prgtoken The Army Corps of Engineers is funded at $9.57 billion, including full funding of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund activities and ongoing Inland Waterways Trust Fund construction projects. These investments will help ensure goods can be moved safely to and from global markets. prgtoken Funding for the Bureau of Reclamation totals $1.8 billion and prioritizes projects that increase water supply and support drought resiliency. prgtoken The bill continues strong funding for the Department of Energy Office of Science, including fusion energy science, to enhance America's role as the global leader of scientific discovery and to lay the foundation for future scientific breakthroughs. prgtoken In closing, I thank the staff on both sides of the aisle for their hard work throughout this process. On the majority staff, Angie, Perry, Nora, Richie, Scott, and Janet. In my personal office, Ian and Daniel. On the minority staff, Scott, Jocelyn, and Adam. prgtoken This is a strong bill, and I urge Members to support it. .
STANDING WITH ISRAEL AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF AGAINST THE BARBARIC WAR LAUNCHED BY HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORISTS
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2023-10-25

I rise in support of H. Res. 771. prgtoken Today, the House has an opportunity to demonstrate moral clarity and moral courage. These past few weeks have exposed a level of anti- Semitism in this Nation that is frightening. prgtoken Whether it is schoolchildren chanting for the genocide of Israelis by calling for removal ``from the river to the sea'' or radicalized college students projecting anti-Semitic slogans on the side of school property, it is clear young Americans are being indoctrinated against Israel. These actions must be condemned. prgtoken Hamas is a terror organization that slaughtered innocent women and children. Hamas is a terror organization that manipulated Western media into doing their bidding by spreading lies about attacks Israel did not commit. Hamas is a terror organization that steals foreign aid, using it to construct rockets and attack Israel. prgtoken These are not my opinions, , they are facts. Yet too many refuse to call Hamas out for what it is: evil incarnate, focused solely on the destruction of the Jewish people. prgtoken , the United States Government must be united in support of Israel and against Hamas and anti-Semitism. prgtoken There should be no equivocation from the White House when asked whether the rise of anti-Semitism is wrong. There should be no equivocation from a Member of Congress about whether to stand with Israel or with terrorist groups like Hamas. prgtoken Today, this body is speaking loudly to the international community that Israel must have the resources to defend itself from genocidal terrorists. prgtoken With one voice, let us support H. Res. 771 and stand with Israel. If, , you cannot bring yourself to support this resolution today, I would encourage any such Member to do the right thing and resign from this body.
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024--Continued
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2023-10-25

I rise today to speak about rural communities like my hometown of Clare, MI. It was a great place to grow up. My dad and my grandpa ran the local Oldsmobile dealership on Main Street, and my mom was director of nursing at the local hospital, and my relatives were dairy farmers. prgtoken And I saw how hard they worked every single day, rarely taking a day off. In fact, on Thanksgiving or Christmas, they were not there most of the time. They had to run back and milk the cows. So I so appreciated how hard they worked. I had many jobs growing up, but my first real job was at the local Dairy Phil, where I learned the art of filling a cone with soft-serve ice cream. prgtoken It wasn't a big town. It still isn't. But there was a real sense of community there. People shopped at local businesses, attended local events, cheered for the local high school sports teams, and rallied around local families when they needed help. prgtoken Places like Clare still exist, of course. In fact, in August, I was there to celebrate the Dairy Phil's 70th anniversary. But small towns and rural communities have seen a lot of changes over the years, and not all of them have been good. When I graduated from high school in 1968, about 1 in 4 people lived in rural communities. Today, only 1 in 7 call rural America home. There are fewer people and a lot fewer farms. prgtoken Among other things, trade wars started by the administration helped fuel this consolidation, causing dramatic drops in crop prices and billions in ad hoc inequitable Federal trade assistance payments. As people have left and as our economy has changed, many smalltown Main Streets have a lot more empty storefronts. Other towns have lost their schools, and more than 190 rural hospitals have closed since 2005. prgtoken Our small towns and rural communities are under a lot of pressure, and that is something that we all should care about. These communities are important. They are a crucial part of the fabric of our Nation. And I am so proud of the investments we have made over the last few years to strengthen that fabric. prgtoken We invested in healthcare and rural hospitals during the pandemic. In the American Rescue Plan, we invested in telehealth to bring healthcare providers to people where they were when they needed healthcare. In fact, telehealth visits by people in rural areas skyrocketed from 9,000 visits in 2019 to more than 830,000 visits in 2020. We invested in keeping critical rural hospitals open, like where my mom worked as a nurse. prgtoken We also know that healthcare above the neck is as important as healthcare below the neck. Farmers and ranchers have always been a stoic group, more likely to tough it out than to talk about it. That can make anxiety and depression and other mental health issues worse. In fact, farming is one of the occupations with the highest risk of suicide today. prgtoken We took big steps towards getting folks the help
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2023-10-25

I wish to speak against this amendment. It would hurt low-income families and saddle them with higher energy costs. prgtoken The updates that HUD has proposed are estimated to generate cost savings of almost 35 percent over current standards and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 2.2 million tons. prgtoken That will amount to savings of $74 million a year or a total of $1 billion to $1\1/2\ billion over 30 years. Now, that is real money that households, particularly in northern climates like New Hampshire, can use for other needs and millions of tons of carbon dioxide that are kept out of the atmosphere. prgtoken The fact is the current standards are outdated; and by law, HUD and USDA are supposed to update their standards within 1 year of industry revisions. prgtoken This amendment would prevent them from doing that. It will raise costs. And as Rob Portman and I worked since 2011, energy efficiency is the fastest, cheapest way to deal with our energy needs. We need to vote down this amendment. It is no good. Vote on Amendment No. 1237 to Amendment No. 1092
STANDING WITH ISRAEL AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF AGAINST THE BARBARIC WAR LAUNCHED BY HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORISTS
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-10-25

I rise in strong support of this resolution to support one of our closest allies in the world and partners, Israel, as she defends herself against terrorist attacks. prgtoken I thank Chairman McCaul for his leadership in bringing this to the floor. I also thank Chairman McCaul as well as Ranking Member Meeks for their leadership and working together, crafting this resounding statement of support, and doing so in a unifying, bipartisan way. prgtoken , on October 7, we watched in horror as Hamas terrorists unleashed a brutal assault on Israel's families and slaughtered so many. We have gone into some detail about the brutality of it all. It is brutality outside the circle of civilized human behavior. The attacks were horrible. prgtoken With this resolution, the United States Congress resoundingly declares our support for Israel, not with revenge but with justice, that justice will be done. prgtoken While doing so, we continue to remain concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, with civilians caught in the middle of the war. I echo Secretary Blinken's call for a humanitarian pause so that innocent lives can be saved. prgtoken , 80 years ago, on the floor of this House, my father, Thomas D'Alesandro, as a Member of Congress from Maryland, called upon the Roosevelt administration to support the establishment of the State of Israel in what was known as Palestine at the time. He was early in calling for that, so it is in my DNA to protect that State of Israel. prgtoken Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas has been declared a terrorist organization by the United States. Hamas must be destroyed, but in destroying them, we must protect the children in Gaza. They use them as shields. We want to protect them. prgtoken This resolution, with overwhelming bipartisan support on the floor of the House, is so necessary. I urge a unanimous vote and thank the chairman and ranking member for their leadership.
STANDING WITH ISRAEL AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF AGAINST THE BARBARIC WAR LAUNCHED BY HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORISTS
Donald G. Davis (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2023-10-25

I rise today in strong support of this resolution, which expresses unwavering support for Israel. prgtoken This past August, I traveled to Israel. I find it absolutely heart- wrenching as I think of the very place that I visited just days later was attacked by Hamas at the Kfar Aza kibbutz where 58 people in the community were massacred and 17 kidnapped. It is just awful to think of babies being killed, people being slaughtered and gunned down in cold blood. At least 33 Americans have lost their lives. Others are missing. prgtoken Let's be clear: A nation must respond, and, yes, we must respond. Let us continue to extend our unwavering support to Israel and ensure that the people of Israel have everything necessary to defend themselves and dismantle these egregious Hamas fighters.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2023-10-25

. Mr. Chair, I stand here as a proud member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies for many years. I unfortunately rise in opposition to this harmful bill. prgtoken Let's start with the two most obvious problems. It raises energy costs for families, and it has zero chance of becoming law. prgtoken It was drafted with one goal: to appease MAGA extremists. prgtoken The new of the House just spoke of reaching across the aisle for all Americans, yet one of the s' first major acts is to jam through a bill that raises their energy costs and undermines our security, all just to keep their rightwing base happy. prgtoken How do we know? Instead of fortifying our power infrastructure and confronting the climate crisis, it fixates on blocking the Army Corps of Engineers from renaming items that celebrate the Confederacy. You just cannot make up this stuff. That rockets to the top of the priority list for House s. prgtoken As we recover from the hottest summer on record, it cuts a critical clean energy program by half a billion dollars, choking off vital energy efficiency avenues to battle climate change. House s have drafted a bill that is entirely removed from the realities that our families and the entire planet face right now. prgtoken I recently had an affordable housing roundtable with Broward County in my home State of Florida, and they all talked about being rent burdened by climbing housing costs. Yet, this bill takes away funding to help American homeowners keep their homes safe and energy efficient to cut their power bill. prgtoken Instead of investing in a stronger America, it cedes supremacy to a Chinese Communist Party that throws its full weight into infrastructure and clean energy investments. prgtoken If s want to craft a bill that helps American families, start by abiding by the bipartisan budget agreement that was signed into law by President just a few months ago. prgtoken In the rare instance where this bill actually honors that agreement, it fully funds a $425 million budget request for Everglades restoration, which I am thankful for, and it allows us to keep moving the EAA Reservoir project forward. prgtoken Beyond that, though, this bill has dramatic funding gaps that jeopardize America's energy stability and independence. It raises costs for families, hurts job creation, fails to tackle the climate crisis, and rolls over to Chinese and Russian competitors. prgtoken Mr. Chair, for all of these obvious reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
STANDING WITH ISRAEL AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF AGAINST THE BARBARIC WAR LAUNCHED BY HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORISTS
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-10-25

I rise in support of H. Res. 771, the bipartisan resolution condemning the heinous October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas that have resulted in the senseless deaths of Israelis, Palestinians, and more than 30 American citizens. Hundreds remain missing and many are held hostage--including women, children, and even infants. prgtoken Savage attacks killing innocent civilians are never justified, and the Hamas attacks of October 7 were perpetrated against Israeli communities for the goal of annihilation. These crimes cross a red line and must be unequivocally condemned as they are clear violations of international human rights law. prgtoken Israel has a right to defend its citizens from this Hamas terrorism. But Israel's response must be proportional and consider the innocent Palestinian lives at stake in Gaza. In the past two weeks, we have seen an escalating wave of violence across the region. It is clear that a broader conflict must be prevented. That is why I have publicly called on President to work with all involved parties on negotiating an immediate regional ceasefire to avoid the loss of more innocent lives. A one-sided ceasefire is not sustainable and will fail. It must include Israel, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and other parties, with the support of the international community. prgtoken The international community must also continue working together to facilitate critical humanitarian aid to Gaza--the population of which is nearly half children--so Palestinians have access to food, water, medicine, and fuel. prgtoken I also recognize that this violence is not just a far-away matter; it is hitting close to home. Many families here in the United States and overseas are living in unimaginable fear while mourning those they have lost. I am hearing from many Jewish constituents and community leaders who are in pain and who have loved ones among the injured, killed, or missing. I commend the U.S. State Department for their work bringing Americans home from Israel, but more work needs to be done--there are American citizens in Gaza who seek to come home and have been prevented from doing so. prgtoken I am deeply saddened and outraged about the brutal murder of an innocent six-year-old boy in Illinois, because he happened to be Palestinian-American. The violent, hate-filled targeting of Wadea AI- Fayoume or anyone else based on ethnicity or religious affiliation is unconscionable and should be condemned by everyone. Hate has no place in America, and Antisemitism and lslamophobia must not be tolerated. prgtoken It is my hope for the future that every Israeli child and every Palestinian child to be tucked into bed at night by their parents without fear of bombings and perpetual violence. All people deserve safety and security, and the only sustainable path forward is one where international human rights and international law are at the forefront and democratic ideals are upheld.