mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CREATE A FEDERAL OFFICE FOR GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Maxwell Frost (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2023-3-27

I rise today because I am furious, angry that three kids died today in Nashville, Tennessee; angry that hundreds of parents had to cry their eyes out today not knowing if their child would come home from school; and angry that we have to live day after day when we turn on the news to see rampant gun violence claiming life after life. prgtoken All of this is because of politicians in this Chamber that have been bought and paid for by the NRA, that put profits over people, over human lives, cowards who wasted our time last week passing a parental bill of rights, not giving a damn about the rights of children to be able to go to their classroom without the fear of being gunned down due to senseless gun violence. prgtoken It is likely that, at this moment, the next mass shooter is planning their shooting. What will this Chamber do about it? prgtoken I filed my first bill last week to simply create a Federal office of gun violence prevention. Three kids are dead today, and every day that we wait, 100 more people die. prgtoken I pray to God that there are some s in this Chamber who can help support my legislation to save lives.
FIRE GRANTS AND SAFETY ACT
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-3-27

I rise today to express my support for S. 316 and the repealing of the 1991 and 2002 authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF. I commend Senators Kaine and Young for their relentless work on this bill, and I am glad to be a cosponsor of it along with 43 of my colleagues. prgtoken I voted against the 2002 AUMF when it was introduced more than 20 years ago. And I can assure you that as we debated that bill at that time, no one would have believed that 20 years later we would be on the floor debating its repeal. The war against Saddam Hussein is long over, and our bilateral relationship with Iraq is fundamentally different today. In our current fight against violent extremists, the administration has clearly stated it does not rely on the 2002 AUMF as the basis for any ongoing military operations. prgtoken Let's remember what the 2002 AUMF authorizes. The United States went to war, ``to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq.'' The administration alleged, falsely, that Iraq had amassed an arsenal of nuclear weapons. administration officials also alleged that the Iraq Government had ties to the al-Qaida terrorists that attacked the United States on September 11, 2001. These false pretenses and cherry-picked information provided the basis for Congress to authorize the war in Iraq in 2002--again, an authorization I opposed. prgtoken And this costly war of choice caused the United States irreparable harm. It caused us to take our eyes off violent extremist groups throughout the region and resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan. It also forced us to take our eyes off Russia and China as they became peer competitors. As we spent billions of dollars investing in tactical vehicles to protect our troops in a counterinsurgency, as we spent billions of dollars to try to train Afghan forces, the Russians and the Chinese invested in hypersonic vehicles, in very sophisticated long- range precision strike weapons. And the Chinese have been building an entire navy since then. We paid little attention because we were preoccupied with Iraq. prgtoken And finally and ironically, our war in Iraq allowed Iran to become one of the most powerful and dangerous forces in the region, because we took out a block against their ambition, which had been Saddam Hussein and Iraq. As a result, we are paying, today, for those errors in judgment, and I think it is only fitting that we recognize it and repeal those AUMFs. prgtoken We have ongoing operations to suppress violent extremists. Beginning on 9/11 and going forward, we have been fighting anyone who has aspirations to use terror attacks against the U.S. homeland or our allies. That is as a result of the 2001 AUMF that essentially empowered our government to find and defeat terrorists, anywhere they are, who pose a threat to the United States and to our allies. Retaining the 2001 AUMF or an approp
COMMEMORATING BLACK WOMEN AND THE ERA
Yvette D. Clarke (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-3-27

I thank the gentleman from Illinois, Jonathan Jackson, for yielding to me. prgtoken , I rise on this day to acknowledge and thank Congresswoman Cori and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley for their unyielding, unflinching, and unapologetic leadership and for leading the charge on the ratification of the equal rights amendment. prgtoken I rise today to reaffirm that ever-present need to have this ratification take place, as well as to recognize the tireless efforts and work of Black women on behalf of that mission. prgtoken It was more than half a century ago that the ERA first passed Congress due in large part to the efforts in drafting, advancing, and organizing by trailblazing Black women. prgtoken With that said, I am reminded of the words written by one of my congressional predecessors, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, decades ago in the very spot where I stand right now. She said: ``Of course, laws will not eliminate prejudice from the hearts of human beings, but that is no reason to allow prejudice to continue to be enshrined in our laws, to perpetuate injustice through inaction.'' prgtoken , we are tired of the inaction. We are tired of the injustice. We are tired of being tired. So, it is my privilege to join the first-ever Congressional Equal Rights Amendment Caucus in history and support legislative efforts to affirm the ERA as the 28th amendment to the Constitution. prgtoken For decades, Black women have continued to pave the path toward ratification, and I am proud to see we are carrying on that legacy today. prgtoken , I thank every woman who has played a significant and substantial role and continues to play their position in this battle and in this fight for equal rights. As the Honorable Marcus Garvey admonished each and every woman out there: Forward ever, backwards never.
COMMEMORATING BLACK WOMEN AND THE ERA
Ayanna Pressley (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2023-3-27

I am so appreciative that we have male colleagues like you who do see this as a shared fight, and we appreciate your leadership and partnership in this moment. prgtoken , I thank my sister in service, my partner in good, on so many issues of consequence, Representative Cori , for your leadership, your ingenuity, and your partnership. I never grow tired of your saying: St. Louis and I rise. I know every time that you say that, St. Louis and those that are the most marginalized, ignored, left out, and left behind are being advanced in that moment--that justice is on the way. prgtoken As Black women who have earned the right to be Members of this august body, we find ourselves at the intersection of both race and gender. Some of the most profound and most impactful policies come directly from our lived experiences. prgtoken Each day as we walk these sacred Halls of power, we see statues and portraits of White men that serve as reminders of the inequality and the lack of parity in these Halls in our Nation's past and present. prgtoken For centuries, the contributions of Black women have been excluded from the narrative and marginalized in history, but not today. Today, there will be no erasure. We will give all the flowers to Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, and Pauli Murray. prgtoken Black women, they believed, are inherently valued, and our equality is a necessity. They advocated for the ERA to codify those truths in our Constitution. Ratifying the ERA is not only about history, it is about the here and now. Black women are still organizing at the forefront of the women's rights movement. Zakiya Thomas, Christian Nunes, Melanie Campbell, and Fatima Goss Graves are community builders and organizational leaders that are working daily to get the job done: Black women, justice seekers, truth tellers, pace setters, table shakers, always doing the work of liberation, even when our own was often sacrificed. prgtoken I feel especially encouraged and emboldened that Black women are a part of the multigenerational and multiracial coalition leading and working in an intersectional way to advance policy change. prgtoken This Congress, I introduced a joint resolution to finally make the equal rights amendment the 28th amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, but I did not introduce it alone. I was joined by Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove, Madeleine Dean, Sylvia Garcia, Abigail Spanberger, and, of course, my partner in good, my sister in service, and co-chair of the Equal Rights Caucus, Representative Cori . prgtoken When the equal rights amendment was put forward 100 years ago, the coalition was not as diverse nor as inclusive. As a Black woman who has experienced firsthand many of the daily indignities of an unequal society and heard stories from my mother, Sandy, may she rest in peace and power, who throughout her career had to train men who were paid more and promoted over her--I know how tra
CELEBRATING THE SCHOOL RENAMING IN HONOR OF THE LATE MRS. ROSE MARY BILLIPS LOVING
Troy A. Carter (Democrat, LA) \u2014 2023-3-27

today I rise to pay tribute to an outstanding, cherished public servant from my home State of Louisiana. Mrs. Rose Mary Loving, born Rose Mary Billips, was the first African-American woman elected to the Orleans Parish School Board and served from 1977 to 1989. Mrs. Loving was elected board president in 1982, 1983 and 1985. She was also a former director of the Algiers- Fischer Community Center. prgtoken Even before her election to the board, Mrs. Loving was involved with the public schools for two decades as a committed parent and was also active in Chapter 1, a federal program providing remedial education to schools in low-income areas. prgtoken At her last board meeting, she was honored by school officials, employees and other well-wishers. Mrs. Loving pointed out her 15-year- old granddaughter in the audience to show that she had a special reason to stay involved with the schools. ``I'm not going very far,'' she said. This weekend, we continue to recognize Mrs. Rose Mary's unwavering commitment and numerous contributions to the school system, naming a local elementary school in her honor. prgtoken Nearly a year ago, New Orleans Public School System responded to public requests to rename school facilities. This renaming is in accordance with policy approved by the Orleans Parish School Board to ensure school facilities do not have names honoring figures from our painful past. The board believed all schools should be welcoming, inclusive, and inspiring places for all students. The goal was to ensure the names of these physical school facilities and the people that we honor reflect the values of the school district, like Mrs. Loving did throughout her life and her time serving on the board. prgtoken As their policy states, the OPSB is fundamentally opposed to retaining names of school facilities named after persons who were slave owners, confederate officials, or segregation supporters. prgtoken After months of public input, hundreds of name considerations and historical research, the Orleans Parish School Board unanimously voted and approved NOLA Public Schools list of recommendations for the renaming of several public-school buildings. prgtoken The District received more than 250 name recommendations that were vetted and considered. Mrs. Rose Mary Loving's name is replacing Martin Behrman, a former slave prgtoken owner, and she is one of 24 selected honorees that are now listed as the historic names of school properties. prgtoken Mrs. Lovings dedication to her community is evident through the many accolades she was awarded in her lifetime. A longtime volunteer and community activist, Mrs. Loving was known for her work with the elderly and low-income families. She was the first president of the Metropolitan School Boards Association. She was a two-term member of the city's Human Relations Committee and served on former Mayor Ernest N. ``Dutch'' Morial's commission to chart a course for the city's future. She
CONGRATULATING MAJOR LLOYD M. ALAIMALO
Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (Republican, AS) \u2014 2023-3-27

I rise today to congratulate Major Lloyd M. Alaimalo on his retirement from the United States Army. Major Alaimalo has had an illustrious career lasting over 30 years serving both on active duty and in the reserves. In American Samoa, our men and women of the Armed Forces are very important to us. The people of our islands take great pride in being patriotic Americans and our people are known for a high rate of service in our military. Major Alaimalo serves as a prime example of this type of dedication, and I would like to recognize all the work he has done on behalf of the United States and our people. MAJ Alaimalo was born in Long Beach, California but his home is the village of Vatia, American Samoa. His career began when he enlisted in the Army in June of 1990 as a cannon crewmember. He has had multiple overseas tours and deployments including assignments in Greece, Iraq, and Kuwait. His first duty assignment as an officer was with the 542nd Support Maintenance Company, 80th Ordnance Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. His last assignment before retiring was Assistant Product Manager for Joint Program Protection (JPM-P), Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense (JPEO CBRND) at Stafford, VA. In between those milestones he served his nation well in a variety of leadership roles and was an exemplary soldier. MAJ Alaimalo's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal with four campaign stars, the Global War on Terrorism Expedition Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. In congratulating this outstanding officer today, we also express our deep appreciation to all who serve, including the many in uniform from American Samoa serving with distinction all over the world. I thank MAJ Alaimalo, for his outstanding leadership and his commitment to our Soldiers, American Samoa, and our great Nation. and I thank his wife, Elisapeta Leilani Areta, and their son, Ropeti, for supporting Lloyd while he served his country. ``God bless and good health.'' Fa'amanuia le Atua i ou ala. Soifua.
IN MEMORY OF SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE JACK HOLT, JR.
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-3-27

I rise today in memory of Arkansas Supreme Court Chief Justice, Jack Holt, Jr who passed away on March 5, 2023. prgtoken Former Chief Justice Holt began his career in the United States Air Force, where he achieved the rank of Colonel. prgtoken He then went on to work in Arkansas as a deputy prosecutor, chief assistant attorney general, and ultimately served as our Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court for 10 years, from 1985 to 1995. prgtoken Jack Holt will be remembered for his significant contributions to the modern justice system that exists in Arkansas, including the creation of our juvenile courts. prgtoken Justice Holt is accredited with setting up the essential parts of our court systems. prgtoken His advancement of the education requirement for attorneys and creation of more staff positions to help circuit court judges has greatly improved the effectiveness of justice in my state. prgtoken I thank Chief Justice Holt for his many years of service and contributions to the state of Arkansas. prgtoken His legacy truly lives on. prgtoken My prayers of comfort are with his wife Jane, their family and their friends.
STOP FORCED ORGAN HARVESTING ACT OF 2023
Christopher H. Smith (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2023-3-27

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , every year under General Secretary Xi Jinping and his Chinese Communist Party, between 60,000 to 100,000 young victims, average age 28, are murdered in cold blood to steal their organs. prgtoken These crimes against humanity are unimaginably cruel. Ethnic groups targeted for this mass harvesting include Uyghurs who suffer from Xi Jinping's ongoing genocide and the Falun Gong, whose peaceful meditation and exercise practices and exceptional good health make their organs highly desirable. prgtoken The Chinese Communist Party has declared them to be an evil cult fit for butchering. prgtoken , in May of last year, I chaired an absolutely chilling congressional hearing at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission titled ``Forced Organ Harvesting in China: Examining the Evidence.'' prgtoken The China Tribunal, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice--and this is the man who prosecuted Slobodan Milosevic at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, a tribunal that I worked very hard on and was very supportive of, as were other Members of this body-- conducted the world's first independent legal analysis of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China. prgtoken Sir Geoffrey Nice testified at my hearing and said, ``Forced organ harvesting has been committed for years throughout China on a significant scale,'' and he said that ``. . . Falun Gong practitioners have been one--and probably the main--source of organ supply.'' prgtoken He said the Falun Gong and the Uyghurs in the PRC each qualify as a ``group'' for purposes of the crime of genocide. prgtoken Ethan Gutmann, Senior Research Fellow in China Studies, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, testified that the Kilgour-Matas-Gutmann report of 2016 estimated China's total transplant volume--this is forced transplantations--at 60,000 to 100,000 annually. prgtoken Mr. Gutmann also pointed out ``. . . at any given time since 2017, there are approximately a million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Hui in the camps.'' These are the concentration camps, of course, made up mostly of Muslims. prgtoken He said his estimate is that 25,000 to 50,000 camp detainees are being harvested every year. Again, he says 28-year-olds from the Xinjiang camps can be harvested for two or three organs each, translating into a maximum of about 150,000 organs. prgtoken Another expert witness who testified at our hearing, Matthew Robertson of the Australian National University, coauthored with Dr. Jacob Lavee an examination of Chinese medical journal articles and found that ``71 papers gave explicit descriptions of surgeons appearing to violate the dead donor rule while procuring hearts from prisoners. In plain language, the papers appear to show that the donors, who were prisoners, were alive at the time of surgery and were killed by transplant surgeons in the process of heart extraction.'' prgtoken Their work, published
CALLING ATTENTION TO HIGHER EDUCATION PROBLEMS
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-3-27

. Madam , we have many problems today in higher education, one of which is the excessive kind of anti-God, liberal approach, leftwing approach, I will say, of the faculty in general, which, of course, flops over to the students. Some of it should be addressed, and we should try to get back to some sort of balance in higher education. prgtoken America is very divided today: about 50 percent more conservative and about 50 percent more leftwing, more progressive. Hypothetically, the faculty at America's colleges and universities ought to reflect that. prgtoken Instead, a recent trend is going to push things in the exact opposite direction, and that is the movement of colleges and universities, including the colleges and universities with the highest reputations in the country, to get rid of standardized tests. prgtoken What result will getting rid of standardized tests have on the type of people who are admitted to all of our colleges and universities, but particularly our elite colleges and universities? Right now, a standardized test is something you either do well on or don't. A lot of people are nervous about standardized tests, but in any event, some determination has to be made on how some people get into college and some people don't. prgtoken As we get rid of standardized tests, we are going to put more weight on things like an essay students submit to try to get into college. We are going to put more weight on extracurriculars or nonprofits that students work for. What effect is that going to have on the type of students who are admitted? prgtoken Given that these are subjective determinations, we know very well the professors or other people on the admissions committees will look at where you are doing your extracurriculars. Are you active in an evangelical church? Are you active in a conservative political party? Or are you active in more left-leaning nonprofit organizations? prgtoken They will look at your essay, which is purely a subjective determination. The danger is that these leftwing faculty members will say: Oh, this person doesn't look like he will fit in here. This person is a conservative. This person is a Christian. prgtoken As a result, this ought to be of great alarm to everyone. Not to mention, the scores you get on these tests do a good job of predicting how well you will do in school. As a result, it is going to lower the quality of students. prgtoken Already you hear from employers that college graduates are not as qualified, that their work ethic isn't as good as new employees they had 20 years ago. What will be the effect of removing these standards? prgtoken Furthermore, it is going to have a negative impact, I think, on people who come from backgrounds without as much money. You only have so much time before you go to college to put together your resume. If you need more money, if you have to work, say, 30 hours a week at the local McDonald's, you don't have time to put together the lo
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Larry Bucshon (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-3-27

I regret that I was unable to be present for votes in the House last week. My son was getting married, and I was attending his wedding festivities. prgtoken Had I been present, I would have voted: Yea on rollcall No. 144; Yea on rollcall No. 145; Yea on rollcall No. 146; Yea on rollcall No. 147; Yea on rollcall No. 148; Yea on rollcall No. 149; No on rollcall No. 150; No on rollcall No. 151; No on rollcall No. 152; Yea on rollcall No. 153; Yea on rollcall No. 154; No on rollcall No. 155; No on rollcall No. 156; No on rollcall No. 157; No on rollcall No. 158; No on rollcall No. 159; No on rollcall No. 160; Yea on rollcall No. 161; and Yea on rollcall No. 162.
AMERICAN FAMILIES AT RISK
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2023-3-27

last Thursday, Secretary of State Blinken admitted at the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that 175 Americans are still in the terrorist safe haven of Afghanistan, despite the promise of leaving no Americans behind. prgtoken President was correct; the surrender was the greatest foreign policy humiliation in U.S. history. prgtoken refuses to release letters he claimed, on August 26, 2021, that blamed military leaders for his disastrous decision. prgtoken A March 6 Washington Post editorial said the administration will be judged by victory in Ukraine, liberating all of Ukraine from war criminal Putin. Democracies with rule of law must prevail over authoritarians by rule of gun with the Ukraine invasion, Taiwan threats, and nuclear capabilities against Israel and America. prgtoken Sadly, with an open southern border with nearly 200 names of known terrorists crossing under , American families have never been at greater risk of mass murder. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years from the global war on terrorism as it continues moving from Afghanistan's safe haven to America. prgtoken Our prayers for the families in Nashville.