mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
Conor Lamb (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2022-4-1

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , before I came to Congress, I was a Federal prosecutor in my hometown of Pittsburgh, and the biggest law enforcement challenges that we had then, and really still have today, are opioids and gun violence. Marijuana just didn't register in terms of the risks that it posed to people on a day-to-day basis compared to those two things. prgtoken Yet, because of the way the Federal criminal laws are written and the way that cannabis is placed in schedule I, it is very easy for a marijuana offense to actually get someone a worse sentence than an opioid offense like overprescribing Oxycontin, selling fentanyl, or a firearms offense like possession of a firearm or shooting at someone. Our Federal laws are out of place. prgtoken It is in the spirit of wanting to make sure that our law enforcement priorities are focused on the most serious crimes and the most violent crimes that I can support the removal of cannabis from schedule I. prgtoken This bill came up once before in the previous Congress under a closed rule in which there were not opportunities for amendment, so I want to thank the leadership and the chairman this time around for allowing Members under an open rule to make some amendments. prgtoken While I do support the removal of cannabis from schedule I, I think, as we have heard in the debate today, there are many questions about what happens the day after that and are we being careful enough to ensure that the public gets the best possible balance of the benefits of taxing and regulating cannabis while still protecting children and making sure that we have safe and efficient workplaces. prgtoken The amendment that I am offering here today aims to answer a couple of questions. Essential workers--firefighters, people who operate heavy equipment on infrastructure projects, people who work in public safety and national security--what are we willing to tolerate as far as those workers on the job site potentially with cannabis in their system? prgtoken We need to know how to test for it. We need to know what the rules are to keep people safe on that job site and, most importantly, keep the public safe so these people can continue working. prgtoken The same question for schools: What are the best practices for schools in a world where cannabis is no longer in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act; in a world where cannabis could be in corner stores that children walk past on their way home; in a world where school bus drivers or teachers may be legally authorized to use cannabis in their off time? prgtoken All we are trying to do is answer these questions. prgtoken There are some who see problems with a change in the law. They see challenges, and they shrink from them. They say: Let's keep the status quo the same. Let's not tackle problems. prgtoken What we are trying to do here is do the public one better than that. prgtoken There is an ironclad case for removing
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
J. Luis Correa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-4-1

I rise in strong support of the MORE Act. prgtoken This legislation is a very simple but very important piece of legislation. It does three basic things. prgtoken Number one, it legalizes cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substance Act. Number two, it establishes a process to expunge cannabis-related convictions. Number three, it taxes cannabis. prgtoken , it is time. prgtoken Thirty-seven States in our Nation have already legalized cannabis. Even Canada has legalized cannabis, and other nations around the world are legalizing cannabis. Even the Israelis are selling cannabis-related medicine. prgtoken It is time, . prgtoken But this is just the start. Cannabis farmers can't enroll in crop insurance. They can't receive the official organic designation. They can't access USDA programs. prgtoken , it is well beyond time. Please vote for this legislation. Vote for common sense. Let's vote for the MORE Act.
AFFIRMATIVE STEPS TOWARD CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , as the conversation around the country centers on the legalization of marijuana, we must simultaneously address the criminal and racial justice issues embedded in this conversation. prgtoken Despite cannabis usage rates between White and non-Whites being similar, Black Americans are arrested for cannabis offenses at a rate of nearly four to one compared to Whites. prgtoken For decades, the war on drugs has been a tool to target Black and Brown Americans. As a result, their life trajectories have been impacted negatively. prgtoken The MORE Act would create a Community Reinvestment Grant Program, which would provide funding for communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs. These grants would be used for the development of expungement processes, employment programs, and substance use disorder treatment. These reinvestments are imperative for our communities and our country. prgtoken I am proud that I voted to pass the MORE Act today as an affirmative step toward the criminal justice reform.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2022-4-1

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I am very proud today to stand for this legislation with the party of democracy and freedom for the people, rather than the party of Big Brother and failed drug authoritarianism. prgtoken Do you know that 150 million Americans have used marijuana? Half of the country. That is just the people who are being honest about it. Half of the country has used marijuana, but you can still be denied a security clearance and government employment for having once used marijuana. That is plainly stupid, wrong, and unfair. prgtoken We are disqualifying tens of millions of qualified and excellent job applicants for Federal Government employment, our fellow citizens, our constituents. In ic districts and districts, we are disqualifying those people from being Federal Government employees solely because they have used marijuana. prgtoken My amendment is one that every Member of the House should support. It says that Americans should not be denied a security clearance simply because they have used marijuana. prgtoken The longer I spend time in Congress, , the more I realize that in America, change comes from the States. It comes from the people. That is how we got child labor laws. That is how we got women's suffrage. That is how we got direct election of U.S. Senators, and now, so too with our draconian, obsolete, and failed marijuana laws. prgtoken Look at what is happening out in America. Eighteen States, plus Washington, D.C have now passed laws allowing adult use of marijuana. In other words, they have accepted the antiprohibition principle that is in our Constitution. It is not that alcohol is so great for everybody in every circumstance, or marijuana is so great for everybody in every circumstance. It is that criminal prohibition and criminalization of large parts of our own population don't work. prgtoken It is legal in 18 States. In 27 States, it has been decriminalized. In a majority of the States, it is no longer criminal. In 36 States, the vast majority of America, more than two-thirds of the States, medical use of marijuana has been approved. In other words, it is legal in the vast majority of States of the country to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. prgtoken What a massive outbreak of common sense in America against the GOP's failed authoritarian war on marijuana that depends on paranoid tropes from the 1970s. It is like they saw ``Reefer Madness'' in middle school and never got over it. prgtoken I concede our party is not for the kind of cocaine-fueled orgies that a freshman Representative bragged about this week, but we do understand that their marijuana prohibition laws don't work for our people. prgtoken In any event, , we can all agree that we should not be denying our constituents the opportunity to serve in Federal office by denying them a security clearance simply because they have used marijuana. prgtoken , I reser
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , I notice the skill and adroitness of Mrs. Miller-Meeks making her way hurriedly around the rows, through the rows. She must have picked up something from such a great sled hockey player. prgtoken Madam , I want to turn my attention to some recent criticisms of an amazing man. I agree with some who have clerked at the Supreme Court, that Justice Clarence Thomas may be easily the most intelligent Justice on the Court. That fact actually turned him from his days at Yale Law School--actually he started at Harvard for, I think, a day or so, but he felt like Harvard was too conservative, so he dropped out and applied to Yale and was pleased it seemed more liberal in its thinking. prgtoken But Yale was able to take a brilliant person like that, and according to his book, he began to notice how liberals who were White seemed to look down on him with an arrogant view of Clarence Thomas that, gee, if it weren't for us liberals, a Black man like Clarence Thomas would not have even gotten into this school, when actually he had the raw intelligence to do that regardless and had done well everywhere he had been, including Holy Cross when he originally went there thinking he might be a priest at some point. Those are my recollections from his autobiography, a splendid read, ``My Grandfather's Son.'' prgtoken That kind of arrogance, looking down on him like he couldn't do this on his own if it weren't for us liberals, turned him off. That, along with other issues, drove him to become quite conservative. prgtoken The clarity with which he sees issues is a real treasure for the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Now, just as when he was nominated to the Supreme Court, he has come under grave attacks from these same liberals that used to look down on him when he was a liberal, thinking he couldn't possibly be as smart as they were when, actually, he exceeded their level of intelligence. prgtoken That was what was called a soft form of discrimination. What he experienced in the hearings for his confirmation and since he has been on the U.S. Supreme Court, clearly, has not been soft discrimination. It has been overt, radical, mean-spirited, evil discrimination. Nothing soft about it. How dare that man come off the plantation and dare to have any point of view that was not provided to him by other liberals? The man thinks for himself, and he is brilliant. prgtoken These same liberals that are now coming after him seek not only to discriminate against him because he is a Black conservative who is brilliant, but they also want to assert a marriage penalty against him because his wife also thinks for herself. prgtoken Now, there is a great article written by Mark Paoletta, and this is dated March 11. I won't go through the whole article, but he says: ``D.C. Circuit Judge Nina Pillard, for example, voted not to rehear a case rejecting President 's refusal to produce his tax returns in response to a congressional subpoena. That
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-4-1

I thank the gentleman from Oregon for yielding. prgtoken Our country continues to suffer under the many crises created by the administration and policies; you know, the border crisis, the crime crisis, the inflation crisis, the energy crisis. And yet, the priority of this Congress now turns to expanding access to addictive, behavior-altering, recreational drugs at a time when our country is also experiencing increased addiction, depression, and suicide. prgtoken What is worse, we want to target those individuals and communities who are historically most impacted by the harm of illegal drugs and provide Federal funding to help enable criminals to open and operate now legal drug businesses. prgtoken We have rising violent crime in -run cities across the country. More drug use won't help that. prgtoken We had 100,000 Americans die of overdoses last year, the leading cause of death in Americans ages 18 to 45. More drug use won't help that. prgtoken Our government, schools, and our education systems are failing us. More drug use won't help that. prgtoken But, in fact, this legislation has no prohibitions on edible forms of marijuana, flavored vape products, or other efforts to target, specifically, teens and young people. prgtoken Meanwhile, we have surrendered operational control of our southern border to the Mexican crime cartels, and we have got fentanyl and other dangerous drugs streaming into our country at historic levels because of this President's open border policies. prgtoken Of course, what is his solution? Let's end Title 42 which is predicted to increase the daily crossings from the current 7,000 a day to as much as 18,000 a day. That is over half a million a month. prgtoken How might this impact the illegal drug trade across our country? Law enforcement tells me that legalizing marijuana will force the criminal element to redouble their efforts into hard, more dangerous drugs to replace the profit that has been lost from marijuana. prgtoken You can also look at the States that have already legalized it, and you can see the increased addiction, dependency, and homelessness that this has cost. We should be ashamed of ourselves for this legislation, and I oppose this bill.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF HENRY GARNETT PLASTER
Jack Bergman (Republican, MI) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , it is my honor to recognize the life of Henry Garnett Plaster, who passed away recently after a lifetime of service. Through his extreme dedication to the public good, Henry became an essential part of Loudoun County, the State of Virginia, and the United States of America. prgtoken Henry was born July 26, 1928, to Henry Garnett Plaster, Sr. and Jerusha Lohman Plaster in Washington, D.C. After graduating from St. Albans School in 1946, he went on to receive a B.S. in Physics at Duke University in 1950, and was part of the NROTC program. He received a master's degree in Engineering Administration from The George Washington University in 1961. Following his graduation from college, he began active duty in the United States Navy. He served in the Korean War and received a battle star in 1953. Henry resigned his commission in June 1953 and subsequently retired as a Lieutenant, USNR. prgtoken Henry was hired by the Central Intelligence Agency in 1954 and while his work at the agency was classified, he played a major role in a variety of CIA efforts including the CORONA and HEXAGON satellite programs. After serving his country for more than 43 years at the CIA, he retired in 1993 as the Cold War ended. He was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit in 1971 and the CIA Career Intelligence Medal. After his retirement, he left Bethesda, Maryland and moved to his family farm Glenmeade in Bluemont, Virginia. Henry and his wife Anne became very involved in their local community. He was the longtime Chairman of the Snickersville Turnpike Association, a very active member of the Bluemont Citizens Association, and was heavily involved in preserving local Civil War history. prgtoken Henry passed away peacefully on March 21, 2022. His steadfast care and friendly nature toward all members of his community will surely leave a lasting mark on those who had the opportunity to know him. He is missed dearly by his family and friends, and his legacy will undoubtedly live on for generations to come. Henry's tireless dedication to public service touched the lives of countless Americans, and the impact of his work cannot be overstated. prgtoken Madam , I ask you to join me in honoring the life of Henry Garnett Plaster. His legacy will forever live on in his family and in the many lives he bettered through his service.
WESTMINSTER RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 55TH ANNIVERSARY
Michael T. McCaul (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , I rise today to mark the 55th anniversary of the opening of the Westminster Retirement Community in Austin, Texas. I wish to congratulate them for prgtoken the meaningful work they do for the senior community in Austin and commend them for their commitment to providing high-end, quality care to their residents. prgtoken Westminster will always hold a special place in my heart, as they cared for my mother in her final days. I want to thank the doctors, nurses, and all the staff for the love and care they provided her during her time with them. prgtoken Since 1967, Westminster has provided life care, residential services, and state-of-the-art healthcare to thousands of residents who have trusted and relied upon their facilities and staff. To reach this milestone, Westminster's staff has worked tirelessly to ensure that their residents receive the care they need while also providing a comforting place to live during retirement. prgtoken The high quality of care and standard of living for the residents of Westminster has garnered national attention and led to a recognition as a Top 25 `Best in Wellness'' Senior Living Community in North America by the ICAA. This continued commitment to serving their residents in Austin illustrates the value that they serve in this community. prgtoken For 55 years, Westminster Retirement Community has diligently served the senior population in Austin to ensure that its residents live a long, healthy, and joyous life. Westminster has become the reliable institution that it is today due to its effort and acute attention to the care of its residents. prgtoken I want to recognize Westminster on their 55th anniversary and I commend them for the outstanding work they do for the retirement community in Austin.
BIDEN BUDGET DELIBERATELY WORSENS CRISES
Jason Smith (Republican, MO) \u2014 2022-4-1

policies have created multiple crises: the highest spike in prices in 40 years, gas prices over $4 a gallon, a violent crime crisis, school closures that have drastically harmed our children, and so many other items. prgtoken President 's budget, which was released this week, deliberately makes every crisis American families are facing that much worse. prgtoken With $73 trillion in spending, doubles down on his delusion that spending more will cause inflation to go down when Americans are facing a $5,200 inflation tax this year. prgtoken 's budget charges Americans another $2.5 trillion in taxes, upward of $4 trillion if you count the build back broke agenda, which he tries to put in the budget as being free. prgtoken American families can't afford what this budget is costing.
RECOGNIZING SAINT MARYS AREA MIDDLE SCHOOL
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-4-1

I rise today to recognize Saint Marys Area Middle School in Saint Marys, Pennsylvania. prgtoken On March 17, students and staff participated in the Mini-THON. This is a smaller service of Penn State University's THON. prgtoken Throughout the day, students participated in various activities to raise money for the Four Diamonds fund to assist children and families in their battle with cancer. prgtoken One of the many ways students raised funds was through the ``duct tape your principal'' challenge. This brought in over $900. Dom Surra, the assistant principal, was duct-taped to the gymnasium wall. prgtoken Due to the tremendous support from students, staff, and the community, Saint Marys Area Middle School raised more than $12,237. prgtoken , please join me in congratulating the students and staff for this tremendous achievement for such a righteous cause.
SCOTT SAX
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Scott Sax, who is retiring as the president and project manager of the Central Plateau Cleanup Company at Hanford. prgtoken A leader in the nuclear cleanup industry, Scott has been a pioneer in paving the way for the future of the Hanford Site for the last 20 years. I've had the chance to get to know Scott over the years, and let me tell you, his experience at Hanford has covered just about everything--from the tank farms to the Plutonium Finishing Plant and K Basins, to the Hanford vitrification plant. prgtoken Under Scott's leadership, Washington Closure Hanford achieved critically important milestones for the cleanup mission along the Columbia River. His passion for serving the people of Central Washington is admirable and I congratulate him on his many achievements during his career. prgtoken I thank Scott for his many contributions to the State of Washington and the nuclear industry and I wish him, his wife Lauri, and his family the very best in his well-earned retirement.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF HUNTER LONG FOR WINNING THE DIVISION III WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , it is with a great deal of pride that I rise to pay a very special tribute to an outstanding high school wrestler in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. Hunter Long of Wayne Trace High School has represented his school ably on his way to achieving the Division III State Wrestling Title. Hunter overcame the challenges posed by intense competition in his effort to win the Division III State Wrestling Championship. prgtoken In pursuing the State Championship, Hunter Long defeated his opponent in the finals of the 132-pound classification. His hard work and dedication, both on and off the mat, in achieving this accomplishment is truly outstanding. He achieved an impressive season record bringing pride to his school and community. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Hunter Long of Wayne Trace High School. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Ohio, I am proud to recognize this great achievement.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-4-1

. Madam , I thank Mr. Gohmert for yielding to me. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to honor the accomplishments of an incredible athlete from Iowa's Second District. prgtoken Kevin McKee of Davenport recently finished competing in the Beijing 2020 Paralympics, where he won a gold medal in sled hockey. Kevin has proudly represented the United States for over a decade, winning gold medals in the last three Paralympics. prgtoken Kevin has always had a passion for sports, playing tennis in high school and wheelchair basketball in college. However, Kevin soon realized his passion for sled hockey in 2020 when he started playing on the sled hockey club team with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. prgtoken Beginning in 1960, the Paralympic Games are held every 4 years and feature a wide range of athletes with different physical abilities, including impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of motion, limb deficiency, leg length difference, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment, and intellectual impairment. The prgtoken Paralympics are held almost immediately following the respective Summer and Winter Olympic Games. prgtoken Paralympians like Kevin show all of us that with hard work, dedication, and the drive to succeed, anything is possible. prgtoken Congratulations, Kevin, on an outstanding performance. I look forward to cheering you on in the future.
BIDEN'S ANTI-AMERICAN ENERGY AGENDA
Fred Keller (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-4-1

the latest Gallup poll shows most Americans are concerned about the cost and availability of energy now more than at any time in the last decade, and for good reason. prgtoken Thanks to President 's anti-American energy agenda, we are all paying more for the fuel necessary to fill our cars, heat our homes, and run our businesses. prgtoken One short year ago, I warned: If the President's destructive actions toward America's domestic energy production during his first week in office are any indication of where our energy policy is headed over the next 4 years, our Nation is on a dangerous path. prgtoken Today, that warning has come true. This destruction is entirely self- inflicted, and it is entirely avoidable. prgtoken To solve the energy crisis and deliver relief for the American people, President must remove the ban on new drilling, reopen the Keystone pipeline, and unleash American energy dominance.