mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING HOPE THAT BINDS
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-4

. Madam , I rise to recognize Hope That Binds, a ministry based out of Cunningham, Kentucky, that supports west Kentucky families by providing critical adoption resources. prgtoken Hope That Binds is an outstanding regional leader when it comes to helping families pursuing adoption through financial assistance and counseling. prgtoken I am proud of my constituents, Wendy Davis-Wilson, Jeff and Benita Davis, Brooke Kelly, and Gracie Reynolds, for their significant contributions to this great organization. prgtoken Adoption provides a home for needy children as well as an opportunity to raise a child for hopeful parents. Belonging to a family is a natural and vital component of life, and every child deserves a loving and nurturing home. prgtoken Hope That Binds' commitment to the gift and treasure of adoption is heartwarming and a great example of giving back to the less vulnerable. prgtoken February 7 to 11 is a week of celebration and awareness for this wonderful nonprofit, and I am proud to recognize them for their incredible work. On behalf of my constituents, I congratulate Hope That Binds for supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
REMEMBERING THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF LOIS BOUTON
Steve Womack (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-2-4

I rise today to remember the remarkable life of an honorable patriot, the late Lois Bouton of Rogers, Arkansas. She died recently at the age of 102. prgtoken Most know her lovingly as the Coast Guard Lady, but that nickname didn't just stem from 20 years as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla on Beaver Lake in Arkansas. During World War II she enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard Women's Reserve, where she acted as a radio operator. She was discharged in 1945 from the SPARs. That is the acronym reflecting the Coast Guard's motto: Semper Paratus-Always Ready. prgtoken However, her passion for service never left. Lois made it a point to visit with wounded and recovering military members, always taking particular care to find her fellow Coasties. This was just the start of her mission to uplift others. She tirelessly wrote over 100,000 handwritten letters to greet and encourage personnel. Her words have crossed oceans and seas, reaching legions of Coast Guard members and their families all over the world. prgtoken Her dedication earned her the rank of Honorary Master Chief Petty Officer, Department of Defense Spirit of Hope Award, the U.S. Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, and more. But she always maintained that her greatest accomplishment was the joy she helped spread. prgtoken I want the Nation to know of this extraordinary American. Fair winds and following seas to the beloved Coast Guard Lady from Arkansas.
PENALIZING NUCLEAR FAMILIES
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-2-4

. Madam , as we go on recess for a couple of days, I want to call, one more time, attention to Robert Rector's article in The Heritage Foundation talking about the one group in America that is genuinely discriminated against: the hardworking middle class with a nuclear family with a dad. prgtoken As Rector points out, changes made in the Build Back Better Act, particularly a lot more money for low-income housing, will create up to a $14,000 penalty that nuclear families will face when the husband and wife get married as opposed to a single family. prgtoken This is true, and this does not include other things such as, for example, Pell grants. I know the Party wants to give free college to illegal immigrants, whereas if you are a child with a mom and dad at home working, Madam , you have to go deeply in debt. prgtoken I strongly want people in this institution to focus on the nuclear family, a sizeable segment of the population, and stop discriminating against them. Give them the same things that the more favored classes get.
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Chip Roy (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-2-4

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from California. That means a lot coming from him and his great service here in this body, as well as his experience in the private sector, working in the healthcare industry, a great expertise that I don't have. My expertise is mostly on the other end of that as a cancer survivor and watching my dad deal with polio and those other issues. prgtoken But I find it astonishing, whether you are talking about people getting fired from their job--or using a slightly prgtoken different example--if you look at the vaccine mandates that are being applied at our Nation's capital in the seat of liberty, here in the United States of America, if you are in the District of Columbia and you go to a restaurant and you show them that you took a test that afternoon and are negative for COVID but you are not vaccinated, you can't go in. But if you are vaccinated and you are positive for COVID, you can go in. prgtoken In what universe does that make sense? But that is what we are doing. We are turning logic and common sense on its head. And we are doing so because--I agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, by the way--we politicize the virus, and we politicize our response to it. prgtoken Our friends in Japan, they put out their public policy as: There is a vaccine. We think it is good. We think you ought to consider taking it or strongly encourage you to take it. There are some risks that we are studying. We are not going to mandate it. prgtoken And their vaccination rates are higher than ours. Now maybe they are a more compliant society. There are all sorts of reasons behind it; we are bigger. But it tells you something. Why is that not our position as a country. Right? Encouraging people. prgtoken My dad is 79 years old and a polio survivor. I wanted him to get the vaccine; I wanted him to get the boost. He is particularly vulnerable. My mom. But it ought to be up to us. We ought to be able to decide for our families. I assume the gentleman agrees.
RON BRICKEY WORKED TIRELESSLY TO SERVE OTTUMWA
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-2-4

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of a man who dedicated his life to serving my hometown. prgtoken On January 9, 2022, Ron Brickey of Ottumwa passed away. A fellow Army veteran, Ron grew up in Ottumwa, graduated from Ottumwa High School, and went on to earn a degree in finance and engineering from Iowa State University. prgtoken He worked for over 40 years at McCune & Reed Insurance, serving as president and co-owner. prgtoken Ron was a lifetime member of First Presbyterian Church, serving on the board of elders and singing in the church choir. He is also a former president and longtime member of the Rotary Club of Ottumwa, served on the board of the American Home Finding Association, was a member of the Ottumwa Chamber of Commerce, received the Gene Schultz Award for community service, served on the Ottumwa Area Development Council, and was president of the Ottumwa Regional Health Center Board. prgtoken He cooked countless chickens for the Ottumwa Rotary Oktoberfest barbecue, raised thousands for the McCreery Cancer Center and the Bridge View Convention Center. Ron worked tirelessly to leave the world a better place than he found it, and he was successful. prgtoken Ron's wife, Janet, his two children, and seven grandchildren are in my prayers.
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF MARTHA BANDA
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-2-4

. Madam , I rise today to remember the life of Martha Banda, a lifetime resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, who passed away in January surrounded by family. She was 87 years old. prgtoken One of Martha's biggest accomplishments was serving the Johnstown community as the first ic woman to be elected to the Johnstown City Council. From there, Martha was an elected member of the ic State Committee and served as an appointed member and chairperson of the Johnstown Housing Authority and secretary of the Cambria County War Memorial Authority. prgtoken Martha's role as a public servant continued when she was elected by council to serve as deputy mayor of Johnstown for 4 years. prgtoken Outside of Martha's role in politics, Martha was a faithful member of St. Benedict Parish, where she served in a variety of roles. prgtoken Martha was always giving back to the community, serving as a member of the Salvation Army Advisory Board as well as president of the Moxham Citizen's Association in 1979. Martha also served on the Bottle Works Board and was a member of the American Association of University Women, Quota Club, the Chrysanthemum Society, and the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees. prgtoken Martha's impact on the greater Johnstown community will not be forgotten. My prayers are with Martha's family and her friends.
FREE SPEECH
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-2-7

on another subject, I have come to this floor several times in recent months--maybe over the course of a couple of years--on my concerns about free speech on campus. There has been a lot said in opposition to reports of crackdown on speech on campuses, but today I come to the floor to give one shining example of a university upholding expressions of free speech and making it still happen. prgtoken This all started with former University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer. The institution, starting with him and continuing, has consistently pushed back on the trends of safe spaces, trigger warnings, and the cancellation of invited speakers. prgtoken Instead, in a letter to all incoming freshmen, the University of Chicago lays out its philosophy in plain English. In the letter to the 2020 freshman class, it said that one of the university's ``defining characteristics is our commitment to freedom of inquiry and expression.'' prgtoken Now, this is more than just words; the university has consistently followed through on this policy. Even today, the university is still open to dissenting points of view. It even goes so far as to tell freshmen ``at times this may challenge you and even cause discomfort.'' prgtoken They are absolutely right. The point of college is not to be coddled. The point of college or university is to learn. How can students do that if they don't step out of their comfort zone? prgtoken I often say that my definition of a university is a place where controversy should run rampant. At the University of Chicago, that means noting that ``diversity of opinion and background is a fundamental strength of our community.'' prgtoken Both opinion and background are very important, and it defeats the point to just have the one. Our universities cannot just have just a veneer of diversity; the whole point of bringing in students of different backgrounds is to get different points of view. That aim is meaningless if all students who go to the college believe the same things. prgtoken I have introduced several bills to provide transparency for prospective students. My bills focus on transparency of cost, but in many ways openness about a university's values are just as important. prgtoken So I congratulate former President Zimmer, who is doing just that and putting his university's values on his sleeve. If some schools keep cracking down on free speech and invited speakers, then the free market will send their students elsewhere. That is because I don't think all kids want to go to a school where they will never be challenged and where their ideals will always be reaffirmed. prgtoken I am happy to see projects like the University of Austin, a newly founded college dedicated to free speech principles. prgtoken So, in conclusion, it takes time to start new institutions. Instead, we need people to stand up in the colleges that we already have. And I hope others will join me in doing just that. prgtoken
GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ VISIT
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-2-7

on another matter, today President will welcome Olaf Scholz, the new German Chancellor, to his first visit to Washington since taking office. prgtoken Germany is a crucial ally of the United States. Tens of thousands of U.S. servicemembers reside in Germany, contributing to the collective security of the NATO alliance. According to the State Department, bilateral trade between our countries totaled more than $260 billion in 2019. prgtoken Many in Washington on both sides of the aisle appreciated the increasing leadership role that Chancellor Scholz's predecessor, Angela Merkel, played in international affairs. Germany's overseas contributions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Africa demonstrated a growing willingness to contribute to international missions that advance our collective security interests. prgtoken The German people have built the largest economy in Europe and the fourth largest in the entire world. They are indeed a major player, but there is no question Germany could do more given its influential role, including within the EU and NATO, to advance our shared foreign policy and security interests. prgtoken Back during the Cold War, the West German military was truly a capable fighting force, but Germany's military has been allowed to atrophy in the decades since. Today, it lags behind the state of the art and suffers from shortfalls in readiness and regular maintenance. prgtoken Germany endorsed the 2014 NATO pledge to commit 2 percent of its GDP to defense and 20 percent of that defense spending toward modernization by 2024. But it has taken very few credible steps to meet that pledge. prgtoken Meanwhile, threats to the alliance have only grown since 2014. Russia's and China's decades-long modernization efforts made it clear that 2 percent will not suffice for NATO to meet these growing challenges. prgtoken Here in Congress, we have demonstrated our commitment to NATO and to Europe's security. We hosted Jens Stoltenberg for a joint address to Congress 3 years ago. We have included measures supporting America's presence in Europe in our annual Defense bills, including significant investments in our European Deterrence Initiative. prgtoken So I hope that Chancellor Scholz will reciprocate and take this opportunity to reassure us about Germany's commitment to NATO and our collective defense. Our friends are too powerful and too prosperous not to contribute more militarily to our alliance. prgtoken Of course, building military capabilities takes time. But the urgent issue of Russian aggression in Europe also demands courage and firmness, and it demands it right now. We know how such resolve works. The United States and our allies displayed such firmness again and again in standing up to Soviet pressure, and West Berlin remained a free city because of it. prgtoken Chancellor Scholz has plenty of tools at his disposal to join his allies in sending a strong signal to Putin that aggression agai
ENDING FORCED ARBITRATION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT ACT OF 2021
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2022-2-7

. Madam , I rise today in support of H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act. prgtoken I believe pre-dispute arbitration agreements are useful in some circumstances. They can allow common, foreseeable disagreements to be resolved quickly and efficiently, but we must acknowledge in the case of sexual assault and sexual harassment, nobody signs on to an employment agreement thinking that oh, I am going to be sexually harassed or I am going to risk sexual abuse. They don't sign up for that. And most of these contracts, Madam , are what we call adhesion contracts. You have to accept it. prgtoken And what often happens is there will be a couple of pages that have all the big items: Terms of the employment, salary, promotion, vacation. And then they will incorporate a handbook. The handbook will then have buried in it language that says all disputes must go to mandatory arbitration. And oftentimes the people who are doing the arbitrating aren't lawyers. The rules of evidence aren't applied. The rules of law are not applied. It is just how they feel after they hear everything. prgtoken This has created a situation that, related to sexual assault and sexual harassment, is unconscionable. It shocks prgtoken the conscience. And in fairness, it is a violation of public policy, in my opinion, and should be eliminated as part of a contract. prgtoken I am surprised courts haven't already come to that conclusion, but instead of having each court in each of the States and territories make that decision, this act will do it once and for all, and we will have done our jobs to make sure that in these egregious situations the individual who is making the claim and who has probably been assaulted or has been harassed or has some kind of a valid claim will have an opportunity to go to court or have an opportunity to go to binding arbitration, if that is what they choose, but they will have a choice instead of having to go in front of company-picked arbiters who will make a decision for them that will affect them the rest of their lives. prgtoken Now, I will tell you that it is important that we move forward with this bill, and it looks like things are going well, but you never know. But I will also tell you that there has been an allegation that it is retroactive--and that is not accurate--as to cases currently pending. It is accurate as to contracts currently signed.
RECOGNIZING KOLE KING
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-2-7

I rise today to recognize a young man from my district who is dominating motorcycle racing. Kole King of Burlington, Iowa, recently won the Grand National Hooligan Championship in Pensacola, Florida. prgtoken At just 25, Kole has already reached the top of flat-track motorcycle racing. Through 13 races during last season, he won 8 times, blowing past his competition. Kole has been racing since he was a young child and is a great example that if you work hard and do what you love, your dreams can come true. prgtoken Good luck, Kole King, the now-defending champion. Iowa is cheering for you.
MASKING CHILDREN IS CHILD ABUSE
Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-2-7

I would like to talk about how children feel about masks. prgtoken You see, while they are watching television, seeing Super Bowl games where adults are filling stadiums without masks and enjoying themselves, and while they see concerts happen, they see people go to work, they see adults going many places all over this country without masks, they are forced to wear a mask every single day at school, and it is wrong. Actually, it is child abuse. prgtoken Now, I know that sounds like strong words, but it really is because children are not at risk of COVID-19. As a matter of fact, children are at the lowest risk. prgtoken Do you know what is harmful to children? Having their faces covered all day long at school, not being able to see each other's faces; not being able to see their teachers' faces; and not being able to learn properly speech, emotions, having that connection, seeing each other's faces, and learning from adults seeing each other's faces. prgtoken Now, while are going on with the mask for thee and not for me, kids have had enough. And they are going to be future voters. They are sick and tired of being forced to wear a mask. It needs to end. Masking children is child abuse.
HONORING CLARENCE ``TAFFY'' ABEL AND 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN IN WINTER OLYMPICS
Jack Bergman (Republican, MI) \u2014 2022-2-7

I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the first Native American in the Winter Olympics and fellow Yooper, Clarence ``Taffy'' Abel. prgtoken Taffy was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on May 28, 1900, and was a member of the Sault Tribe of the Chippewa Indians. Following his childhood years, he joined the U.S. National Hockey Team in the first Winter Olympics in 1924. From there, he was selected by his fellow athletes to carry the American flag during the opening ceremonies and helped the U.S. win a Silver Medal. prgtoken Taffy went on to lead a successful professional career in the NHL with the New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks, resulting in two Stanley Cups, and was greatly respected by many of his peers. His accomplishments significantly advanced international hockey as an institution by tearing down many sport and cultural barriers. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing this historic anniversary and the legacy of Clarence ``Taffy'' Abel.
BACK THE BLUE
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-2-7

. Madam , I thank Mrs. Cammack very much for yielding. I am proud to join my colleagues and rise today in honor of the brave men and women in blue who serve and protect us each and every day. prgtoken According to new statistics released by the FBI, intentional killings of law enforcement in 2021 were the highest in 20 years. Every day police officers across central Washington, as well as the United States, put on a badge and go to work knowing that they may face extremely dangerous situations, exacerbated by significant economic uncertainties, open border policies, and the raging opioid crisis. prgtoken We owe a debt of gratitude to these individuals who risk their lives to enforce the law and protect our communities. Law enforcement officers take time away from their families and their loved ones, often without the thanks that they deserve and often putting themselves in harm's way. prgtoken Before I highlight some of our officers who are currently serving the great State of Washington, I would like to ask for a moment of silence for the victims of today's tragic shooting in Richland, Washington, and the officers who are currently investigating that incident. prgtoken Trooper David Brandt of the Tri-Cities was selected as the 2020 Washington State Trooper of the Year. Trooper Brandt not only demonstrates a strong commitment to law enforcement, but takes the time to personally connect with his community; from reading books to schoolchildren to conducting safety classes for women to delivering meals to families in need. prgtoken King County Trooper Patoc also goes beyond above and beyond the line of duty and just last year saved the life of a man on the brink of committing suicide, who is now receiving the critical help that he requires. prgtoken These officers are the kinds of heroes that we need, and they deserve our utmost support and recognition. I also want to recognize some officers whose lives were recently lost. prgtoken In just January of this year, we lost Trooper Robert LaMay of Yakima, who served honorably for over two decades. In October of last year, we lost Trooper Detective Eric Gunderson of Tacoma in the line of duty. These and all of our fallen officers will not be forgotten. prgtoken I want to personally thank the police and sheriff's departments of Washington State Patrol, and all of the officers who keep central Washington's communities safe. Today and every day we offer our appreciation and respect for law enforcement officers across the Nation. prgtoken Madam , I also want to thank Mrs. Cammack, my friend, for putting together this Special Order.