mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LOUISIANA HAS BRAVE FIRST RESPONDERS
Mike Johnson (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-9-13

I rise today to honor and thank Louisiana's brave first responders who valiantly rose to the occasion this summer as our State was hit with unprecedented wildfires, the largest of which is still burning today. prgtoken We had tens of thousands of acres that have been charred. Nearly half of the parishes in my district were ablaze. At one time, parts of Sabine, Beauregard, Allen, Vernon, Natchitoches, Grant, Caddo, and DeSoto Parishes were all on fire. prgtoken Our communities received support from the State fire marshal, the State police, the National Guard, as well as nearly every local police and fire department in the region. The U.S. Forestry Service dispatched firefighters from many States around the country to help. prgtoken Many of the first responders have been volunteers, Louisianans who donated time, money, and shelter to their neighbors in need. This disaster tested our State more than ever, but we responded. prgtoken Louisiana is home to the most resilient people you will ever meet, and we will bounce back from these wildfires just as we have done after every disaster we have ever faced. It is a great honor to represent so many of these heroic individuals in Congress.
HONORING THE TOWN OF PROSPER'S RESILIENCE AND UNITY IN REMEMBRANCE OF 9/11
Keith Self (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-9-13

on September 11, 2001, our Nation witnessed a tragic and unprecedented attack that forever changed the course of history. prgtoken Under the leadership of Mayor David Bristol, Police Chief Doug Kowalski, and Fire Chief Stuart Blasingame, the town of Prosper commemorates September 11th each year with a solemn and heartfelt Remembrance Ceremony. prgtoken Prosper's commitment to honoring the sacrifices made and the lives lost on September 11, 2001, reflects the enduring spirit of the American people and serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of community, compassion, and service in times of adversity. prgtoken It is with much appreciation that I honor the town of Prosper's dedication to preserving the memory of 9/11 and foster a sense of unity and resilience within its community.
BIDEN'S BORDER CRISIS
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2023-9-13

just a few weeks ago, the White House press secretary said that President has ``done more to secure the border . . . than anybody else.'' She could not be more wrong. prgtoken The administration's open border policies have created the worst illegal immigration crisis in our Nation's history, and it is making our communities less safe while the Mexican cartels thrive. Deadly fentanyl has poured across our southern border in record-high amounts, endangering countless American lives. Criminal cartels are now making $13 billion a year smuggling illegal immigrants into our interior. prgtoken Even more troubling, the Department of Homeland Security has admitted that 40 percent of illegal migrants prgtoken caught and released into our communities have disappeared, with no way to track them. prgtoken A secure nation requires a secure border, which is why earlier this year House s passed H.R. 2, Secure the Border Act, the strongest border security legislation that Congress has ever considered. prgtoken While President and DHS Secretary Mayorkas have no plans to get this chaos under control, we are fighting to stop it. It is far past time the Senate stops stalling and passes our critical bill to restore the rule of law in our Nation. prgtoken To help them act, we should make border security a condition of any continuing resolution when the fiscal year ends on September 30. The American people demand and deserve nothing less. prgtoken Congratulating the Northside High School Softball Team on Winning Class 3 State Title
RECOGNIZING AURORA, TEXAS' NEW CITY HALL
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-9-13

I rise today to recognize the City of Aurora as the residents gather to celebrate the dedication of their new City Hall. This proud Wise County community has a story that has historically overshadowed its population, but I am confident it has only begun to realize its potential. prgtoken Named by William W.O. Stanfield, the name ``Aurora'' was chosen to represent the settler's perspective that it ``was the dawn of something luminous and beautiful in the new land.'' Looking back in time, Aurora's history reflects his vision. Through a history that includes a thriving western settler community, stories involving alien sightings and a reported crash and burial site, a Marine Air Base and recent challenges that have led to the construction of their new City Hall, Aurora's story is rich and compelling. However, as we look to the future, it is clear that the opportunities, located at the edge of what is currently the fastest-growing region of our country, remain almost as limitless as any that Mr. Stanfield could have imagined. prgtoken Endowed with attentive and responsible leaders, served by a top-rated public school system and located at the juncture of a growing traffic flow, Aurora's dawn with the celebration of this new City Hall is bright with opportunity for both current and future residents. prgtoken I am encouraged by the resilience of this community and honored to represent this historic Wise County gem as a part of the 26th Congressional District of Texas. I offer these remarks and a commemorative flag in celebration of the City's current leadership and accomplishments. I share their commitment and I am honored to contribute my efforts toward their success in dutifully representing this community I am blessed to serve on behalf of our Nation's Capitol.
ACCURATELY COUNTING RISK ELIMINATION SOLUTIONS ACT
Ed Case (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2023-9-13

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1567, the Accurately Counting Risk Elimination Solutions (ACRES) Act of 2023. prgtoken Drought conditions and invasive grasses throughout the country in recent years have compounded the threat of wildfires, and the recent wildfires on Maui serve as a tragic reminder of how serious the risks are. These wildfires devastated a vibrant community and serve as a stark warning sign of the reality of such risks. prgtoken Federal lands are particularly vulnerable to wildfires, as they alone experience a fifth of the country's wildfires every year. To combat this danger, the ACRES Act will help mitigate the risk of wildfires across the country by mandating that our Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior conduct more accurate risk assessment tracking of dry invasive grasses on our federal lands. This will help prevent wildfires before they start. This legislation will also mandate that data collection processes involved in wildfire risk assessments be updated and standardized across both departments to ensure that their cooperation will be seamless and efficient. prgtoken Each department will also be required to submit a report of the number of acres of federal lands that underwent a risk assessment every year and provide critical information on wildland-urban interface and wildfire risk. The ACRES Act will add an extra layer of oversight and public transparency to ensure the accuracy of wildfire risk assessments, allowing for more effective wildfire prevention. prgtoken This legislation will be especially helpful in Hawaii, which has large public land holdings and currently suffers from a higher risk of wildfires due to vast swaths of land being overrun by dry invasive grasses, directly linking to fires across my state every year. This commonsense bill will enable us to reduce hazardous fuels and protect our communities from this threat. prgtoken I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help advance smart data collection and protect our public lands from wildfire by supporting this bill.
TRUTH WITH MATH
Robin L. Kelly (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2023-9-13

. Gun violence does not need to occur inside a school to harm our children. The stress from living in a community impacted by gun violence has been proven to lower test scores and increase mental health conditions like anxiety and PTSD. prgtoken Just last week, I was in a place called Danville in the central Illinois part of my district with 25 young people. The stories I heard were devastating. One young man talked about how two brothers and his father were killed because of gun violence. prgtoken Just last week alone, there were 42 shootings in Chicago--a 15-year- old was shot in a park, a 14-year-old was shot while he was riding in a car, and an 8-year-old--think about that, 8 years old--was shot just walking on a sidewalk. prgtoken I am so happy that Congress has begun to make progress to combat this public health crisis. We got the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act done, the first time in 30 years that Congress took meaningful action on gun violence. prgtoken On August 31, Attorney General Merrick Garland directed the ATF to comply with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act's licensing requirements for gun sellers. We have made progress, but there is so much more to do. prgtoken are prepared to take these next steps. The American people, young people, are asking us to deliver. We put people over politics when we passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. We can and must do more. We cannot afford to wait.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 117TH CONGRESS
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2023-9-13

today, we have once again seen the majority party unable to govern. The defense bill was scheduled today, and apparently the majority party cannot get its act together, so we are not considering the defense bill today. Unfortunately, the s seem to be frozen by their own dysfunction. prgtoken It is interesting that we have scheduled today to show the work that the 117th Congress did that is making such a positive effect today in America. Today, we ought to reflect on what accomplished by standing together last Congress, with some bipartisan support. prgtoken The 117th Congress was one of the most productive in American history because united behind a common cause: investing in America, making us stronger, safer, healthier, and more competitive in the 21st century. prgtoken Now, the historic investments we made to create jobs, lower costs, and build the economy from the bottom and middle out are coming to fruition. Conveying the scale of these laws' positive impact on our country is no easy task, especially in a single hour, and we do not expect to do it in this hour alone. prgtoken We can look at the past 32 months of consecutive job growth in America. We can point to the 13.5 million new jobs, including 800,000 new manufacturing jobs in the last 2\1/2\ years, added to our economy under the - administration. prgtoken The previous administration, by comparison, , added 500,000 manufacturing jobs to the economy in the first 3 years before the pandemic. Indeed, we created more jobs in 2 years than any prior administration has added in a single 4-year term. prgtoken We pushed the unemployment rate to a generational low, with more Americans working today than at any point in our Nation's history. prgtoken Rather than stalling out into a recession, our economy continues to boom because put people over politics to invest in America. prgtoken Goldman Sachs just put out a report estimating that we will see another 200,000 manufacturing jobs in the next 2 years alone. That makes a million new manufacturing jobs incorporated into what will then be a 15 million new jobs accomplishment. prgtoken With inflation threatening to eat into more take-home pay for working Americans last Congress, stepped up to pass policies to reduce costs, raise wages, and create jobs. prgtoken The results are now in: It worked, and it is still working. Wages continue to go up; inflation continues to go down; and our economy continues to grow at a steady pace. prgtoken There are many factors at play, , in the global economy, but we owe these strong economic trends in no small part to the laws we enacted in the last Congress. prgtoken Economic strength alone, however, doesn't capture all that these laws are accomplishing for the American people. prgtoken The best way to understand how these laws are transforming our Nation for all Americans is to meet Americans where they are to hear firsthand
MIGRANT CRISIS IN NEW YORK CITY
Adriano Espaillat (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2023-9-13

I rise today with an urgent call as we face the inaction of this House to address our budgeting needs and to potentially throw us into disarray through a government shutdown. I rise with an urgent call of action to address the influx of migrants, asylum seekers in New York City. prgtoken Since the spring of 2022, New York City has welcomed over 110,000 migrants. It has opened 200 emergency shelters and has seen the influx of 20,000 children, 15,000 of which registered in the New York City Public School System last year, and the rest, 5,000, this year. prgtoken This Friday, , I will be co-leading a New York delegation and other Members to visit New York City so they can see for themselves the challenges that are facing this city. The purpose of this trip is to show how New York City has addressed this crisis and the programs that they put in place to address the needs of these new arrivals. prgtoken Many would like to say that this is unprecedented. Many would even resort to hateful language to say that this should not happen. The fact of the matter is that this has been around in America for a very long time. In fact, , in 1907, the busiest year ever for immigration in our country, Ellis Island saw 1.25 million immigrants processed. prgtoken The busiest day was April 17 of that very same year, with a record of 11,747 immigrants processed relatively quickly, . They also faced great challenges. They also faced discrimination. There was a literacy test enacted so they would not come in. The Chinese Exclusion Act was put forward so that Chinese immigrants would not come in. There were patters of hateful language and discrimination all over America during that year, and yet only 2 percent of them were rejected. On that island called Ellis Island, which some call the island of tears, only 2 percent were sent back. prgtoken , 1.2 million of them were let into New York City, and they rebuilt the city of New York. I propose to you that the immigrants that are coming to New York City will also rebuild this city, this great city of New York. prgtoken After the COVID-19 pandemic, we need their energy. We need their hunger, their hunger to succeed. We need their innovativeness. That is exactly what America needs; not hateful language, not literacy acts, not complicated obstacles to prevent them from moving forward. prgtoken , there are three basic solutions to this impasse. The first one is TPS for Venezuelans. They already have the temporary protective status. Let's just extend it until yesterday so they have the right to work; and everybody, including those across the aisle, understand that the work permit is the solution. Let them work so they are not a load on government. That is the first one. prgtoken The second one is through the CBP One app, many of them have already applied as asylum seekers, but yet they have not applied for the work permit. Let's make sure they do that. The law allows that right now. A wor
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2023-9-13

the substitute amendment contains the Appropriations Committee-reported versions of three bills: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. prgtoken I rise today as the chair of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. I just want to urge all of our colleagues--all of them--to support the Agriculture bill that the Appropriations Committee reported out on a unanimous and bipartisan 28-to-0 vote. prgtoken The fiscal year 2024 Agriculture appropriations bill provides nearly $26 billion to continue the important work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and of the Food and Drug Administration. This includes support for American farmers and food producers, protections for our Nation's food supply, and investments in important conservation and clean water programs. prgtoken As we drafted this bill, our subcommittee made difficult decisions on how best to invest taxpayer dollars in line with the agreement forged earlier this year by both President and--I would point out--House leadership. I am proud of the incredibly collaborative approach taken by Ranking Member Hoeven to make this a truly bipartisan bill. prgtoken Our subcommittee held substantive hearings. We considered nearly 3,000 requests from our Senate colleagues, and we worked in an incredibly bipartisan manner to address all of the ways that these Agencies serve our Nation and our constituents. Every single State, prgtoken including my own State of New Mexico, has farmers, families, and rural economies that will benefit directly from the investments in this legislation. prgtoken At the core of this bill is our commitment to ensuring that families can put food on their tables and that no child goes hungry. The committee-reported bill includes $6.3 billion for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC. It safeguards the enrollment of over 6 million women, infants, and children across this Nation in this vital nutrition program; and we will continue to monitor the impacts of rising food costs and the increased participation of families in WIC. We must deliver on the goal of providing every eligible family with the full benefits that they need to keep healthy and nutritious food on their tables. prgtoken Few Federal aid programs garner such broad bipartisan support as WIC, and I am confident that my colleagues will continue to sustain this essential program, just as they did when the Presiding Officer was chair of this Appropriations subcommittee. prgtoken Equally important, this bill fully funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child nutrition programs so that kids across the country will continue to receive healthy school meals. Children should be able to focus on learning and growing, not on the worries about when or if they will get their next meals. prgtoken
HONORING THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF KENNETH LEE HART
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2023-9-13

today, we come together to remember and honor Kenneth Lee Hart, a man whose life was marked by dedication, wisdom, and a passion for history and politics. Born in South San Francisco in 1939, Ken's journey left an indelible mark on this world before his passing on August 16, 2023, in Fresno, California. He was a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend, and a mentor, touching the lives of many with his wisdom and warmth. Ken's educational journey began in Fresno, where he attended Fresno High School, graduating in 1957. His thirst for knowledge led him to Fresno State College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science in 1961. His academic achievements were just the beginning of a life dedicated to learning and teaching. prgtoken A true patriot, Ken felt a profound sense of duty to his country. He volunteered to serve in the Army Signal Corps, stationed in Saigon, Vietnam, from 1962 to 1964. His service to his Nation was a testament to his commitment to a cause larger than himself. Upon returning to the United States, Ken embarked on a teaching career that would span several decades. He taught at Reedley High School from 1964 to 1968 and also coached the baseball team. His influence extended beyond the classroom, shaping the lives of his students both academically and personally. In 1967, he earned a Masters' Degree in United States history at Fresno State College. The following year, he assumed the role of an instructor at Merced College. In 1972, his dedication and passion for teaching earned him the position of Chair of the Social Science Division. His contributions to education were further underscored when he received the prestigious honor of being named Merced College's Instructor of the Year in 1992, 1994, and 1998. Ken's commitment to enlightening young minds knew no bounds, and he continued to inspire and educate until his retirement in 2001. prgtoken Ken's passion for politics was the driving force behind his advocacy for positive change. His involvement in Robert Kennedy's 1968 presidential campaign was a testament to his unwavering belief in the power of politics to shape a better future. He went on to serve as the chairman of the Fresno County ic Party and as an alternate delegate to the 1972 ic National Convention. Ken's dedication to public service was truly remarkable. In 1978, Ken's political journey took a new turn as he entered the world of political consulting. He, along with his esteemed business partner Dalton Moore, became known for their expertise in creating effective campaign materials and impactful radio and television advertisements. Ken's passion for politics and his commitment to positive change extended to his role as a Probate Referee, a position he held from 1977 to 1997. His service to the residents of Fresno County and California in this capacity showcased his dedication to fairness and justice. prgtoken In 1997, Ken began a loving relationship wi
LET'S FUND THE GOVERNMENT
Mark Pocan (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2023-9-13

I rise today to speak about what is happening in my home State of Wisconsin. There are calls from the gerrymandered State assembly to impeach the newest State supreme court justice before they have even heard a case. prgtoken Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected overwhelmingly. She defeated her opponent by more than 200,000 votes. She won by 11 points. In a purple State like Wisconsin, that is a landslide. However, because she mentioned that Wisconsin's extremely gerrymandered State legislative and congressional districts might be a problem, the current State assembly is threatening to use their impeachment powers before she even has a chance to hear a case. prgtoken The State assembly is trying to overturn the will of the voters because they don't like who won the election. Using this logic, if the legislature doesn't like the possible outcomes of any election or cases before the court, it can conceivably threaten impeachment without actual cause and undermine the separation of powers of government. The legislature does not trump the judiciary. They are co-equal branches of government. prgtoken Under the s' absurd logic, they could threaten impeachment over their gerrymandered maps or keeping Wisconsin's 1849 abortion law or even potentially over giving themselves a pay increase even if they thought the court would find it unconstitutional. prgtoken There is a standard for impeachment. It is for wrongdoing in office, not for disagreeing with the legislature. The fact that Justice Protasiewicz has not heard a single case makes this even more ridiculous. prgtoken Now the s in Wisconsin are maybe changing their tune. They likely realize this impeachment farce might be a bad idea, but that is not stopping them from coming up with new bad ideas to stay in power. Now they claim they want an independent commission, a Trojan horse, to distract as a way to stay in power, an idea that they previously dismissed. prgtoken If the s don't like the so-called fair maps that come out of this commission, they can still draw their own maps under this Trojan horse plan. It only requires a simple majority, which when you have gerrymandered maps, you certainly have. This is wrong. It does not represent Wisconsin's values and, frankly, it is un-American.