mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Harriet M. Hageman (Republican, WY) \u2014 2023-9-28

I rise in favor of my amendment No. 58 to H.R. 4665. This amendment would prohibit funding for the State Department's Office of Global Change. prgtoken , the underlying bill rightfully targets U.S. taxpayer dollars from being sent to globalists who foment climate change hysteria and that provide no benefits to American citizens. prgtoken While the underlying bill provides temporary relief from these bad policies, we must target the actual source of this nonsense. That is why my amendment is needed. prgtoken The Office of Global Change is responsible for implementing and managing the U.S. international policy on climate change. It is, in other words, the executive office that was created with the mission statement of funding our enemies and destroying our own prosperity. prgtoken This is the office that oversees all of Mr. 's misguided policies, and we must, therefore, cut off the source of that funding by targeting the money, not just play whack-a-mole whenever a new issue arises. prgtoken Any American that is concerned about the globalist agenda infiltrating our sovereign decision-making process should be concerned about any office whose mission statement is ``global change,'' especially when this global change is all about disrupting and destroying our reliable, clean, and affordable domestic energy resources so that they can force a green dystopia that will cause energy poverty on a massive scale. prgtoken The Office of Global Change seeks to force CCP-inspired policies on the U.S. so that we become more and more energy insecure while the CCP, the Chinese Communist Party, becomes more and more energy independent and secure. prgtoken If this majority is to deliver on the promises that we made to the American people, which means substituting radical climate politics for actual real governance, we must identify and eradicate the source of the problems. That means defunding the Office of Global Change. prgtoken My amendment would do just that. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and .
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2023-9-28

today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Chad Bauer of Missoula County for his commitment to stewarding safe and ethical practices among the next generation of Montana sportsmen and women. prgtoken Chad served as a volunteer with the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Missoula branch for 20 years where he instructed over 1,000 Montanans in hunter and bowhunter education classes. We know that Montana's public lands and wildlife deserve the utmost respect, so ensuring future sportsmen and women commit themselves to safety and conservation is key. From proper firearm handling, administering bear spray, crossing fences, responsible land use and fair-chase practices, Chad wants to ensure that Montanans' ethics translate beyond their time spent in hunter orange. prgtoken September in Montana means the official start of archery season. As Montanans in every corner of the State are putting in long days in the backcountry to fill their respective tags, Chad understands the importance of being bear-aware when it comes to grizzlies. When Chad served on the State of Montana's Grizzly Bear Advisory Council, he applied his knowledge as a lifelong outdoorsmen to help make recommendations that would allow for commonsense management of these apex predators. I am glad to see Chad not only share his insight with the council, but also with his students in hunter and bowhunter education classes to ensure they could enjoy the great outdoors while upholding best safety practices. prgtoken It is my distinct honor to recognize Chad Bauer for his enthusiasm and dedication to equipping future Montana hunters with the skills and knowledge needed to create treasured hunting memories of their own. I am confident his 20 years as a volunteer instructor helped strengthen the integrity of Montana's hunting heritage, and the skills and lessons he has shared will not be forgotten. Thank you for encouraging our youth to get out and experience all that Montana has to offer, Chad-- you make Montana proud.
HONORING THOSE FALLEN SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ON THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOMBING OF THE MARINE BARRACKS IN BEIRUT, LEBANON ON OCTOBER 23, 1983
Gregory F. Murphy (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-9-28

I rise today to honor those service members who died on October 23, 1983 when the Marine barracks was blown up in Beirut, Lebanon by two terrorists from Hezbollah. prgtoken There were 220 Marines, 18 Sailors, and 3 Soldiers who died on that ill-fated day. prgtoken A few minutes later in a coordinated attack, another suicide bomber blew up the French barracks just a few blocks away killing 58 French paratroopers. prgtoken In the summer of 1983, the Reagan Administration approved the deployment of the 24th Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) from the world- renowned Camp Lejeune, which is in my congressional district. prgtoken This deployment was at the request of the Lebanese government, and the battalion landing team (BLT) was First Battalion Eighth Marines, now known as ``The Beirut Battalion''. prgtoken Their mission was a peacekeeping one. The Beirut Memorial in Lejeune Memorial Gardens in Jacksonville, North Carolina has this sentence forever etched in stone, ``They came in peace''. prgtoken They were there to help bring peace to the war-torn city of Beirut, Lebanon. prgtoken These American service members and the French paratroopers paid the ultimate sacrifice for their beloved nations. prgtoken , I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of these noble men. Many who still live in my congressional district today. prgtoken God bless them for keeping the faith and enduring the loss of their loved ones. May they never be forgotten. prgtoken , I want to include in the Record the poem on the Beirut Memorial in Jacksonville, North Carolina as it is fitting to do so on this solemn occasion. ``The other wall'' by r.a. gannon It does not stand in Washington By others of its kind In prominence and dignity With mission clear defined. It does not list the men who died That tyranny should cease But speaks in silent eloquence Of those who came in peace. This Other Wall is solemn white And cut in simple lines And it nestles in the splendor Of the Carolina pines And on this wall there are the names Of men who once had gone In friendship's name to offer aid To Beirut, Lebanon They did not go as conquerors To bring a nation down Or for honor or for glory Or for praises or renown. When they landed on that foreign shore Their only thought in mind Was the safety of its people And the good of all mankind Though they offered only friendship And freedom's holy breath They were met with scorn and mockery And violence and death So the story of their glory Is not of battles fought But of their love of freedom Which was so dearly bought And their wall shall stand forever So long as freedom shines On the splendor and the glory Of the Carolina pines. prgtoken God bless them and their outstanding families. Semper Fidelis.
CELEBRATING THE 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF THE GARRIOTTS
John R. Moolenaar (Republican, MI) \u2014 2023-9-28

I rise today to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Chuck and Debby Garriott. prgtoken Reverend Charles ``Chuck'' Michael Garriott and Deborah ``Debby'' Cacace Garriott met while they were both in high school and married January 26, 1974, in Pikesville, Maryland, both at the age of 20. Their marriage has brought about the blessing of four children and seven grandchildren. Their son Phillip and his wife Brooke Garriott have four children: Blevin. Kiefer, Hazel, and Harper. Their daughter Katie and husband Tony Yang have three children: Avery, Linus, and Cason. Their daughter Anna lives in Washington, D.C and their son Peter in Los Angeles, California. prgtoken Chuck and Debby have used their life together to invest in friends and family. Chuck served as a pastor in Oklahoma for many years and has served as the Executive Director of Ministry to State, a ministry that has invested in the spiritual lives of our leaders in the Nation's Capital, since 2004. Debby cares for patients as a physical therapist while also investing in the lives of men and women through Ministry to State. prgtoken They enjoy spending time with their family and at the beach. Debby enjoys her community garden plot and Chuck enjoys writing and prgtoken keeping busy with his hands. They count it as a privilege to have spent their entire married life in Christian ministry sharing the love of Jesus.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-9-28

. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bipartisan en bloc amendment, which represents amendments with support from both sides of the aisle. prgtoken The amendment includes 15 noncontroversial amendments that advance the priorities of both sides, including support for Taiwan and addressing the passport processing backlog, which is happening everywhere in the country. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I would respectfully urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and .
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-9-28

I rise in support of my amendment. prgtoken My amendment is simple. It would prevent taxpayer funds from paying for State Department employees to travel to or attend events hosted by the Clinton Global Initiative. prgtoken The rationale is quite simple. The Clinton Global Initiative has engaged in blatant corruption and influence peddling that would make even Hunter blush. prgtoken In perhaps its most famous episode in 2014, Hillary Clinton approached the Moroccan Government about hosting a Clinton Global Initiative conference in Morocco. The Moroccans fronted the money for the event by funneling it through a state-owned enterprise that was extracting and exploiting phosphates from a non-self-governing territory: Western Sahara. prgtoken This sleight of hand amounted to condoning Morocco's sovereignty over this disputed land. prgtoken You heard that right. It was a cash-for-sovereignty deal, formulated just as former Secretary of State Clinton began her run for President of the free world. prgtoken This deal was so rotten that even Huffington Post deemed FOX News' investigation into this matter, ``a brutal, clean hit on Hillary Clinton's campaign.'' prgtoken Indeed, the Clinton Global Initiative's scandals are myriad and include an episode uncovered by The New York Times revealing undisclosed donations linked to the sale of U.S. uranium production to a Russian Government agency. prgtoken As expected, the Clinton Global Initiative was unable to withstand the scrutiny and shuttered shortly after prgtoken the 2016 campaign. That is, until late last year when the organization reconstituted itself. Its operations are no longer dark, and this is the first State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill considered since its resurrection. prgtoken It has since morphed into a factory of radical elitist woke schemes. prgtoken Just last week, the Clinton Global Initiative convened in New York to discuss how to reshape our economy to tackle the left's pet projects that will make life for ordinary Americans more expensive and worse. prgtoken Given the State Department's enmeshment with the Clintons and the Initiative, we need to send a clear message: prgtoken No more coordination with the U.S. Government. prgtoken No more conferences with corrupt governments at the expense of the oppressed peoples of the globe. prgtoken No more representation and participation by the State Department--an end to its commingling with official policy. prgtoken And hopefully, the beginning of the end of this corrupt organization's influence on U.S. policymaking. prgtoken Mr. Chair, Americans simply can't afford more radical policies purveyed by an organization that allowed the global elite to buy and influence American foreign policy. Join me in condemning the Clinton Global Initiative's misconduct. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support my amendment, and .
MICRONESIA MALL 35TH ANNIVERSARY
James C. Moylan (Republican, GU) \u2014 2023-9-28

. Madam , I rise today to congratulate and celebrate a remarkable milestone, the 35th anniversary of the Micronesia Mall. This celebration is a testament to the vision, dedication, and hard work that have shaped the mall, their businesses, and the island of Guam into what it is today. prgtoken Since 1988, the mall, under the leadership of the Goodwind Development Corporation, has been a beacon of economic success in the region, providing goods and services to locals and tourists alike as the largest shopping center in Micronesia. As I speak here today, I look back at an incredible 35 years, while also looking forward to seeing what the mall will establish in the future with new opportunities, challenges, and accomplishments on the horizon. prgtoken I am confident in the mall's dedication to the island, and I wish the mall a sincere congratulations and may the legacy of the mall continue to shine in our hearts and in our community.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Marjorie Taylor Greene (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-9-28

. Mr. Chair, it needs to be recognized that we represent the American people, and the polling shows very clearly, the American people do not support continuing to fund a war in a foreign country when our own country has been having a war waged on us by the Mexican cartels. prgtoken Fifty-five percent of Americans say the U.S. Congress should not authorize additional funding to Ukraine. Fifty-one percent say the U.S. has already done enough to help Ukraine. prgtoken Americans demand their hard-earned tax dollars be used to secure our own southern border and stop the Mexican cartels' war on America that is killing 300 Americans every single day. prgtoken Speaking of human trafficking and sex trafficking, we should care about the women and children who are being trafficked at our own southern border, not pay to defend another foreign country and worry about another country which, by the way, is not the 51st State. We only have 50 States in the United States of America, and our tax dollars should pay to defend our States here. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge the House to adopt my amendment, and .
TRIBUTE TO KATRINA FEOLA
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-9-28

I recognize Katrina Feola, the Putnam County Teacher of the Year from Crescent prgtoken City Junior-Senior High School in Crescent City, FL. prgtoken Katrina became an educator because of her desire to help students obtain a bright future. She always works to help them achieve their goals and often meets with students after they leave her classroom. prgtoken Katrina makes her classroom available to other teachers and administrators as they work together for students. They design lesson plans to find a student's weakness and turn it into their strength. prgtoken Katrina teaches English 1 and has more than 30 years of education experience in the Putnam County School District. She returned to teaching in 2021 and serves on various committees at her school and within the school district. prgtoken I extend my deepest gratitude and best wishes to Katrina for her commitment to her students. I look forward to hearing about her continued good work in the years to come.
SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-9-28

I have come to discuss with my colleagues the plight of our local pharmacists, which is always difficult, particularly in small towns; but it is going to be particularly difficult come January 1 and through next year. I have heard firsthand from rural pharmacists about the looming cashflow challenges that they face next year. These challenges are a direct result of the powerful pharmacy benefit managers and the managers' behavior in response to Federal regulations. prgtoken This is the situation. You see, pharmacies are going to face direct and indirect remuneration clawback fees, or what we call DIRs, from the PBMs for calendar year 2023, just after January 1, 2024. At the same time, pharmacies will also be facing lower post point of sale reimbursement from PBMs beginning that same date of January 1 of next year. So it is a double whammy against cashflow problems of small rural pharmacies. prgtoken For over a decade, these powerful PBMs have gouged rural pharmacies by clawing back part of the reimbursements many months after the sale. It is almost like you sign a contract the first of the year that you are doing business with the PBMs. Then, at the end of the year, you get a dun to pay back sometimes thousands of dollars, and I have even heard examples of tens of thousands of dollars. prgtoken You see, this situation comes because three very large PBMs control nearly 80 percent of the prescription drug market. Some of them are vertically integrated, also, with chain pharmacies, insurance companies, and other parts of the prescription drug supply chains. So PBMs have a lot of power over what the prescription drug patients can access through the formulary and how much these drugs are going to cost the patient and then the reimbursement for the pharmacy. In other words, what is the pharmacy getting paid for doing this service? prgtoken I want to end all direct and indirect reimbursement fees. I attempted to do this in legislation, which never passed the Senate, in a bipartisan bill by Grassley and Wyden called the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act. Even though the legislation didn't pass, we, luckily, in 2021, had the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determine that that Agency had prgtoken the authority to end most but not all direct and indirect reimbursement fees. prgtoken I support CMS's actions they have already taken, but we still need to take legislative action to end all DIR fees. CMS's regulations will go into effect this January. With CMS's regulations nearing the effective date to end most DIR fees, you would think rural pharmacies would be about to see some relief. Sadly, this is not the case. These changes have turned into a cashflow issue for many rural pharmacies, forcing many rural pharmacists to consider closing or going without pay for a while so that they can keep their staffs around and keep the lights on. prgtoken Now let's get to a suggested solution for this is
UKRAINE SECURITY ASSISTANCE AND OVERSIGHT SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2024
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-9-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5692, which provides security assistance to Ukraine and funds a special inspector general to oversee these and other funds provided by the American taxpayers. prgtoken In 2016, the Ukraine Security Initiative, referred to as USAI, was created in response to increased Russian aggression. These funds, along with the National Guard State Partnership Program with California and other efforts, have transformed the Ukrainian military from a remnant of the Soviet empire to a capable and increasingly Western fighting force. prgtoken This funding is not sent directly to Ukraine. Since 2016, these funds have been used to pay for the training U.S. troops provide Ukrainian troops and for U.S.-manufactured weapons we provide to Ukraine. prgtoken Yesterday, I supported an amendment preventing the deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine. This program allows us to train Ukrainian troops so they can defend their own country. prgtoken Because of this initiative, the Ukrainian people have degraded the world's third-largest standing army and mobilized a continent against an evil actor. prgtoken I was recently in Germany meeting with Ukrainian forces who were headed to the front lines. I met grandfathers who had left their families in order to learn to operate tanks, young adults who had signed up as interpreters, and American troops who are eagerly training the Ukrainian forces. prgtoken They were all clear-eyed about their commitment to this fight. General Williams, the commander of the U.S. Army forces in Europe and Africa, said something that stuck with me: While America is giving its precious equipment and support, Ukrainians are giving their blood. prgtoken This whole-of-nation effort to repel our common adversary deserves our support. prgtoken I agree with my colleagues that the administration needs to define our military objectives in Ukraine. We are and will continue to ask those difficult questions. I believe it is our duty to our constituents. prgtoken I also agree that we need enhanced oversight. The funding in this bill will be subject to all the new oversight provisions that are in the fiscal year 2024 Defense appropriations bill. The bill also includes $20 million to fund a new special inspector general to improve end-use monitoring and oversight of taxpayer funds provided to assist Ukraine. prgtoken , voting for this bill sends a strong message to Putin, Xi, and our partners in Ukraine. I strongly urge support of this bill, and .
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS NEEDED FOR WAR IN UKRAINE
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2023-9-28

we just had another vote on this floor regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine. One more time, more money was spent on the war. prgtoken As bad as the money that is spent on the war, what is worse is the huge cost in human lives and suffering going on as long as the war exists. prgtoken I think there is a shortage of serious concern as to how this war is going to end and a shortage of desire to end this war. prgtoken Eventually, this war will end, but I believe the United States has traditionally been the world leader, and we should take our responsibility as world leader and try to push somebody, be it Israel, be it France, be it, Turkiye, into negotiating a peace. prgtoken The longer this war goes on, the more you will have wounds between countries that are not going to turn around, and the more Russians and Ukrainians die. prgtoken I remind this body that Ukraine has the second-lowest birthrate in the world. Russia has a very low birthrate as well and, even before the war, was suffering from a lot of its young people leaving Russia and coming to other countries such as the United States. prgtoken , I plead with President to take a leadership role and try to negotiate an end to this war.