mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
GUN REFORM NOW
Alma S. Adams (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2023-4-18

today, I rise because too often in our schools the sounds of students talking and lockers clanking in hallways are giving way to silence and violence. prgtoken Today, I rise because desks that should be covered in gum are too often covered in blood, the blood of students and their teachers. prgtoken Today, I rise because three 9-year-old children and three adults are dead in Tennessee, as well as the person who killed them. prgtoken Tennessee State representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson wanted to bring attention to this tragedy. They wanted to honor the victims of the mass shooting at The Covenant School with action instead of insulting their memories with silence. From the floor of the Tennessee House, they led the public gallery in chants of ``no more silence,'' ``we have to do better,'' and ``gun reform now.'' prgtoken Tennessee s were so afraid of this message that they expelled Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, the two Black representatives, for their actions. prgtoken These two courageous young men knew, as we do, that we cannot wait to be saved from the gun epidemic. They knew there would be more dead. prgtoken Unfortunately, since the mass shooting in Nashville on March 27, over 900 additional people were killed by gun violence in our country, 22 in Tennessee alone. prgtoken It really makes me sick. It makes me livid that we continue to accept the status quo and that we are comfortable living in a country where at any time our friends, our families, our neighbors, even our children and our grandchildren, can die a horrible death because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time when the wrong person had a gun. prgtoken We will be judged if we don't act, not only by history, not only by our God, but by our children who will inherit our country with this metastasized gun cancer still attached. prgtoken I am a Christian. As someone who knows and reads and lives Scripture, I can tell you beyond a doubt that the AR-15, the assault rifle, is the golden calf of Washington, D.C. Too many people in the people's House worship this idol and treat it with reverence. However, just like in Scripture, if we continue to worship this idol, the result will be physical and spiritual death. prgtoken I stand with representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones in saying: No more silence. We have to do better. Gun reform now. No more silence. We have to do better. Gun reform now.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-4-18

today I am introducing the Bank Management Accountability Act along with Senator Grassley. This bipartisan bill will make it easier for banking regulators to claw back compensation from directors and senior executives at failed systemically important banks and to ban those directors and executives from future participation in the financial industry. prgtoken We have recently experienced the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, two systemically important banks each with assets exceeding $100 billion. Executives at these banks received exorbitant compensation as the banks took on excessive risks. The CEO of Silicon Valley Bank received $10 million in compensation in 2022 and sold $3.5 million of company stock in the days before the failure. The CEO of Signature Bank received $8.7 million in compensation in 2022 and sold millions of dollars' worth of company stock in the weeks and months before the failure. prgtoken The government declared the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank a ``systemic risk'' to the economy and stepped in with extraordinary backstops and emergency assistance, including protecting uninsured depositors. While these actions prevented contagion from spreading throughout prgtoken the financial system, these two failures are expected to cost the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's, FDIC's deposit insurance fund over $20 billion and have required the Federal Reserve to extend over $143 billion in credit to their successor banks. The FDIC needs stronger tools to prevent directors and senior executives from enriching themselves when their risky bets destabilize the financial sector and saddle the American people with the costs. prgtoken The bipartisan bill we are introducing aims to update the FDIC's outdated compensation clawback authority and weak financial industry ban authority. This bill will make directors and senior executives think twice before engaging in risky activities by allowing the FDIC to claw back the prior 2 years of their compensation if their bank fails. And to ensure that directors and senior executives cannot return to another bank and place depositors' funds at risk again, the bill would make it much easier for the FDIC to prohibit them from participating in the affairs of any financial company for at least two years. prgtoken Under existing law, high standards of liability significantly interfere with regulators' ability to seek restitution from directors and officers of failed banks and bar them from the industry. After the 2008 financial crisis, Congress established much more powerful clawback authority. But this tool is only available when the largest banks are unwound using a special process called ``orderly liquidation authority'' that the regulators have never used--even for the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. That is why directors and senior executives at large banks rarely are subject to compensa
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RELATING TO "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES...
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2023-4-19

when most people talk about the fentanyl crisis crippling our communities today, they talk the numbers. And the numbers are very powerful. prgtoken In 2022, synthetic opioids like deadly fentanyl claimed over 75,000 lives in our country. In fact, it is estimated that over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to the synthetic opioids, the most common one being fentanyl. prgtoken But today, what I really want to tell you about is one person. I want to tell you about Reilly Schrapps from Butte, MT. Reilly was born November 6, 1997. We have four children. Our youngest of four was born in 1996. This all hits way too close to home. prgtoken You see, Reilly loved his mother and his father, Tom. Incidentally, Tom was my guest at the State of the Union Address earlier this year. His stepmother, his brother, his stepsiblings, their family's two dogs, were all loved by Tom. In fact, according to those who knew him best, Reilly was an avid fisherman, he was a sportsman--so much like most Montanans--and he spent his free time enjoying the great outdoors in Montana with family and friends, floating the Big Hole, skiing Discovery, and camping Canyon Ferry. prgtoken Reilly was also an artist. He enjoyed all these things and more until July 30 of 2022, the day Reilly died taking a pill laced with fentanyl. Reilly was in Montana when this happened. He was just 24 years old. prgtoken Reilly lives on in the stories that families and friends tell about him. But that shouldn't be the case. Reilly should be alive today. prgtoken Fentanyl overdoses quickly became the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-olds in our country. It is a fast-acting poison--50 times more powerful than heroin, 100 times more potent than morphine. And it is taking children away from their parents and spouses away from their partners. We lost over 75,000 people just last year. prgtoken And I commend law enforcement in Montana and across our country for doing everything in their power, many times risking their own lives, to get fentanyl off our streets, but they can't do it alone. We must stop fentanyl from flooding our streets to begin with by securing our wide- open southern border. prgtoken Since President took office, there have been over 5 million illegal border crossings. Montana has just over 1 million total residents. We have had over 5 million illegal border crossings since the President took office. This includes gang members, drug dealers, suspected terrorists, as well as thousands of pounds of deadly, illegal fentanyl. This is the most in our Nation's history. prgtoken You see, Mexican cartels are using chemicals that come from China sent to Mexico; and there in Mexico, they manufacture illicit fentanyl, which is pressed then into counterfeit pills, smuggled across the southern border, and sold as pills in powder form in our communities. prgtoken These cartels are terrorist organizations. We need to call and treat the
TRIBUTE TO GEORGE FENNEL
Tim Scott (Republican, SC) \u2014 2023-4-19

as the junior Senator from South Carolina, it is my pleasure to honor George Fennell, who was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame. George became interested in solid waste disposal after a 6-year stint with Milliken & Company in Greenville, SC. In 1972, George returned to his hometown of Walterboro and began impacting the waste-hauling industry. prgtoken Mr. Fennell's drive for excellence pushed him to innovate and gave him a vision for the future of his business. The Colleton Environmental Services, later renamed the Fennell Container Company, was initially created by George and his wife Sandra, who built the modest business from a barn on a dirt lot to the largest privately owned waste management company in South Carolina. His entrepreneurial spirit paved the way to his American dream and has motivated his family, friends, and community. When hurricanes devastated South Carolina, George Fennell stepped up to support the American Red Cross' effort to bring the necessary aid to those affected by the storms. This only scratches the surface of who he is and how deeply he cares for his neighbors and friends. prgtoken Today, it is my pleasure to recognize Mr. George Fennell and his dedication to making a difference in his community and the lives of those around him. Congratulations on this incredible honor and a distinguished career.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2023-4-19

we remember, at 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, 168 people were tragically murdered in the worst act of homegrown domestic violence and terrorism in our Nation's history. That was in Oklahoma City. prgtoken The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City destroyed nine floors, where they collapsed in on each other. The physical impact to the building and of the bombing itself was felt 55 miles away, and the force of the blast damaged 324 surrounding buildings. prgtoken The emotional impact was felt around the world as, literally, the world stopped and stared at their televisions 28 years ago today, and the Nation felt the pain of those who were killed and of the survivors and of the family members who remained. prgtoken The victims included 19 children, many who attended the daycare in the building called America's Kids. A total of 219 children lost a parent that day, and 30 children were orphaned that day. It is estimated that 360,000 Oklahomans knew someone personally who worked in the Murrah Building. prgtoken The 16-day rescue-and-recovery effort took a toll on our first responders and our family members who held onto hope that their loved one was still alive. The events of April 19, 1995, changed my State and changed our country forever. There are incredible stories about survivors of the bombings who helped their coworkers escape the rubble and exit the building to safety. prgtoken In the midst of immense grief, we introduced what we now know as the Oklahoma Standard: the way Oklahomans immediately stepped forward to offer help, showed compassion to their neighbors in pain, donated blood, donated even their shoes that day to rescue workers and other individuals who needed help. Out of the terrible tragedy was demonstrated tremendous love. prgtoken By 3:30 p.m. on April 19, 1995, a family assistance center called the Compassion Center was set up at the First Christian Church in downtown Oklahoma City. The center was supported by the American Red Cross, hundreds of local clergy, chaplains, and mental health professionals. prgtoken Donations for victims and rescue workers poured in from fellow Oklahomans and Americans. Fourteen million dollars was donated to the Oklahoma City Disaster Relief Fund, and the Oklahoma Legislature created the Murrah Fund that pooled public and private dollars to assist victims with lost wages, grief counseling, funerals, and burial costs. prgtoken There is a lot to be said about the aftermath of the Alfred P. Murrah bombing. One notable piece that is often overlooked is the remarkable work of law enforcement that day. prgtoken See, law enforcement was called in from all over to able to assist, but one State trooper who was responding to it was actually turned around and was told to ``stay in your area. We do need to keep coverage across the State.'' So this State trooper, Charlie Hanger, stayed in his area way north of Oklahoma City on I-35. prgtoken
FAITH MONTH
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-4-19

Americans across the country, led by Concerned Women for America, the Nation's largest public policy organization for women, and other faith-based organizations continue to celebrate April as Faith Month. I commend this noble effort calling all people of faith to join in prayer, thanksgiving, and celebration of their faith. prgtoken The United States of America was born of the unanimous Declaration that we are ``endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights,'' based on ``the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God,'' ``appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world,'' and acknowledging our ``reliance on the protection of divine Providence.'' We are a people of faith, which is why religious freedom is known as America's first freedom, as laid out in the Establishment and the Free Exercise Clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment and also supports America's unique focus on freedom of expression, including in matters of faith. prgtoken America's Judeo-Christian founding promotes religious diversity and tolerance. Our motto, ``In God We Trust,'' further emphasizes the importance of faith in our Nation's founding. From our first President to the last, we have always acknowledged America's faith. President George Washington recognized ``it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.'' prgtoken Preserving our religious freedom, which strengthens our country's appreciation of all peoples, regardless of faith, requires eternal diligence. Sadly, attacks on religious liberty and people of faith are growing, with some religious charities forced to betray the tenets of their faith in order to participate in certain government programs. We must actively reject all efforts to criminalize or cancel religious beliefs as somehow incompatible with our democracy. prgtoken Religious organizations in America have a rich history of charitable engagement by helping the sick, poor, and afflicted. Their presence in my State of Mississippi following devastating and fatal tornadoes in March has been a blessing to those trying to rebuild their lives. Their service demonstrates why these organizations should be celebrated, not maligned, for their contributions to improve life. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 75 percent of Americans practice some type of religious faith. This rich, diverse religious heritage is to our credit and should be encouraged. prgtoken This Faith Month, I join millions of Americans in honoring the right to practice our faith freely and openly, with public displays and celebrations, including prayer and expressions of thanksgiving. In this manner, we reaffirm our commitment to the religious liberty principles of our founding.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS RELATING TO "REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES...
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2023-4-19

it is a pleasure to be on the floor today with the chair of our EPW Committee and with my friend from Arkansas, Senator Boozman. prgtoken I am going to speak again about another example of the bipartisan work of our EPW Committee, where we have had accomplishments that are real, practical, and positive and result in good change for our country. On the EPW Committee, we have a history of working together, of crafting legislation together, and of getting good policy going. Sometimes it is not easy, but we have been able to do it. prgtoken The cornerstone of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which made needed investments in our Nation's core infrastructure, was written and passed out of EPW. With the Water Resources Development Act, it was the same thing. It supports the work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on projects across this country. It was passed out of our EPW Committee unanimously, and it eventually became law. prgtoken Today, Chairman Carper, Senator Boozman, and I are reintroducing two pieces of legislation that had been previously approved by EPW and the Senate unanimously--both the committee and the full Senate--to tackle another issue in a bipartisan way, which is access to recycling in America. prgtoken Not only is recycling something that we have found people really want to do, but it is great for the environment, and it is good for business. It supports over 1 million jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic output every year. But in order to grow these numbers, we need to ensure people who want to participate really can, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, such as areas of my State, so that they can do so. prgtoken , the first bill we are reintroducing today, the Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act, addresses challenges when it comes to recycling for many of our smaller cities and towns. prgtoken In the one I live in, we have sort of stopped and started on recycling. Recycling services, including curbside recycling, are just simply not available. These rural areas share common barriers to accessibility: location and proximity to material recovery facilities and the size and density of the population. This is just not available. This has led to low processing yields and high costs in collection and transportation costs, making it difficult for material recovery facilities to operate at a profit. prgtoken Our legislation would establish a pilot recycling program to ensure places like West Virginia, Arkansas, Wyoming, or Alaska aren't being left behind. The pilot program would award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for improving recycling accessibility in a community or communities within the same geographic area. prgtoken Along with improving access to recycling, it is important to fix important data gaps, as the chairman spoke about, when it comes to recycling in America. That is the intent of the Recycli
RECOGNIZING THE CASPER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2023-4-19

I rise today to celebrate 120 years of continued community service by the Casper Area Chamber of Commerce of Wyoming. prgtoken For 120 years, our city has grown and flourished, due in many ways to the efforts of the Casper Area Chamber. The chamber aims to provide organizational structure to build a better Natrona County and to improve opportunities for all businesses in the community. The chamber was founded in 1903 as the Casper Industrial Association by Alfred James Mokler, then publisher of the Natrona County Tribune. A small number of businesses banded together to create the association. Some of their early goals were to pave the streets, install a water and sewer system, and to construct public parks, a courthouse, a city hall, a Federal building, and a railway. All of these goals were realized. Today, the chamber has over 600 members and continues to grow each year. The mission now is the same as it was 120 years ago, to actively create business opportunities by ``connecting, informing, leveraging, and collaborating with their members.'' prgtoken After the first World War, the Casper Industrial Association reorganized and became the Casper Area Chamber of Commerce. At that time, just over 11,000 people were living in Casper and 14,000 in Natrona County. During the 1930s, the chamber was a key player in the construction of a north-to-south rail line from Montana to Colorado by the Wyoming-Montana Railroad Company. The chamber also ensured that freight rates were competitive. This allowed local industry to bring in new services and hire competitively. During the 1960s, the chamber worked to make Casper the convention center of Wyoming. They held over 100 conventions, attracting over 20,000 visitors. prgtoken Progress continued into the 1980s when the chamber designed the Leadership Casper program, organized legislative luncheons, and created professional networking opportunities. During the 2000s, the chamber focused on developing the west side of Casper. The first ``Shop Local'' campaign was established. In 2020, the chamber was instrumental in connecting businesses with the Federal funding they needed to stay open through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken The Casper Area Chamber of Commerce is part of a long and rich local history. It was instrumental in moving Natrona County forward. Their positive influence over the past 120 years can be seen today in our thriving community. prgtoken The Casper Area Chamber of Commerce is the foundation on which the economy of Casper is built. They work hard to maintain a prosperous business environment. This ensures the longevity of tourism, industry, and small businesses. prgtoken In Wyoming, we value community, leadership, and service. The Casper Area Chamber of Commerce puts these values into practice. As board chair, Sabrina Kemper said, ``Without commerce, our community cannot thrive.'' prgtoken Today, the Chamber Staff and Board of D
PROTECTION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORTS ACT OF 2023
Nathaniel Moran (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-4-19

first and foremost, I thank Congressman Greg Steube of Florida for introducing this important piece of legislation, and Chairwoman Foxx for managing this afternoon's floor debate. prgtoken The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2023 will safeguard the ability of female athletes to participate freely in an athletic space that for decades has been specifically carved out for these athletes to compete safely. prgtoken When biological males infiltrate these spaces, opportunities are taken away from these biological females. prgtoken Earlier this month, the administration proposed a new Title IX rule prohibiting public schools from banning transgender male athletes from competing in sporting events with girls and women and eliminating the State's policy to promote integrity in sports. prgtoken The administration is attempting to change the playing field, but there is nothing equal or level about allowing biological men to compete in women and girls' sports. prgtoken Coaches in East Texas that I represent understand the biological differences between men and women, and they understand that there is nothing equal about allowing men to compete in women's sports. prgtoken This legislation will ensure that schools who receive Federal funding can still protect biological women's and girls' rights to freely and fairly participate in sports. As a father of two boys and two girls, this is important to me. This will safeguard and uphold the integrity of women's sports and the true intention of Title IX. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I am proud to stand here on the House floor today in support of this legislation.