mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING JAGO ON HIS RETIREMENT AFTER 9 YEARS OF SERVICE WITH UNIVERSITY OF IOWA'S POLICE DEPARTMENT
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-12-12

last month, the University of Iowa's Women's Soccer team earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after securing a win in the Big Ten Championship. prgtoken For the first time in Big Ten Championship history, an eight-seed team won it all. In a nail-biter of a game, the Hawkeyes defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 1-0. prgtoken The sole point scored during the game came from a penalty kick from midfielder Josie Durr in the first half. prgtoken Needless to say, the University of Iowa's Women's Soccer team made us all very proud this season, and I cannot wait to see what they accomplish next year. prgtoken Keep it up, Hawkeyes. Congratulations to Riley Kramer of Troop 89
CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF TEMPLE, TX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT AND CEO ROD HENRY
John R. Carter (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-12

I'm honored to celebrate Temple, TX Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Rod Henry as he embarks on his richly deserved retirement after decades of devoted public service. He leaves behind a rich legacy of accomplishment and will remain an example of excellence for all who follow. prgtoken With integrity, honesty, and transparency, Rod has served 10 years as the President and CEO of the Temple Chamber of Commerce. Under his leadership, the Chamber has enhanced the success of members, provided opportunities for business owners, leaders, and their employees to learn and grow, and has served as a thoughtful and effective voice for the business community. prgtoken With his infectious ``can do'' spirit, Rod lives his life in service to others. Over his 46-year career, he has devoted his talents and energies to numerous community and professional organizations that make the world a better place and make cities like Temple great places to call home. prgtoken While Rod isn't tired of the privilege of public service, he knows that everything has its season. But stepping away from the Chamber won't give him much idle time as looks forward to watching Temple's continued growth and spending time with his beloved wife Benita and their family. prgtoken Retirement marks not the end of a career, but the beginning of a great adventure. As Rod Henry embarks on this new chapter in life, I thank him for his exceptional work, remain grateful for our friendship, and wish him the very best.
RECOGNIZING THE KINDRED HIGH SCHOOL VIKINGS
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2023-12-12

I have the privilege of once again congratulating my alma mater on its' second high school State football championship in 3 years. prgtoken On November 10, the Kindred Vikings won the Division A State title at the Dakota Bowl State Football Tournament. They finished a truly impressive undefeated season by taking the championship over Dickinson Trinity by a score of 36-7. They had earlier won their first three postseason games, defeating teams from Harvey/Fessenden- prgtoken Bowman, Oakes, and Langdon/Edmore/Munich. prgtoken This was the third appearance and second State championship for the Vikings since State playoffs sponsored by the North Dakota High School Activities Association began in 1975. They made one Dakota Bowl appearance in 2016 and, in 2021, took the championship by defeating the Edmore-Munich Cardinals. prgtoken At Kindred High School, I lettered for 4 years in football, basketball, and track before graduating in 1979. Our teams were not as good as the Vikings are today, something I observed firsthand as the starting quarterback my junior and senior years. Remembering those years increases my admiration all the more for the superb quality of this team and its undefeated season. prgtoken Quarterback Jake Starcevic scored three touchdowns and rushed for 117 yards in the Vikings's decisive victory in the championship game. He and two other Vikings players, Riley Sunram and Brooks Bakko, were named to the All-State Class A Football Teams. prgtoken Congratulations to this year's team members: Camron Schwartzwalter, Gabe Whipple, Hayden Cichy, Izaak Spelhaug, Hunter Bindas, Jack McDonald, Miles Stroh, Brock Johnson, Landon Kottsick, Jakob Starcevic, Ethan Duval, Brooks Bakko, Carson Gette, Gabriel Iverson, Wyatt Briscoe, Myles Thielges, Graham Hesse, Owen Hoyme, Kylan Swenson, Sawyer Hesse, Grant Allison, Brayden Olson, Tyson Johnson, Fisher Johnson, Taylor Brandsted-Fletcher, Brady Baumgarten, Christopher Freier, Samuel Jenness, Jacob Lund, Kyle Campbell, Tanon Johnson, Tate Miller, Gavin Niemeyer, Teige Erdmann, Brody Mauch, Cole Richard, Kelby Erdmann, Ethan Fornshell, Andrew Haley, Dilon Filler, Lukas Starcevic, Trevor Olson, Riley Sunram, Grant Spelhaug, Javen Johnson, and Lincoln Swenson. prgtoken I also want to also recognize Eric Burgad in his first year as head coach, along with his assistants Brad Ambrosius, Joe Harder, Nate Safe, and Ryan Sunram, as well as all the hometown fans for their part in winning this championship. prgtoken As a proud alumnus of Kindred High School, I join the rest of North Dakota in congratulating the Vikings on a perfect season and another State championship and for inspiring all of us to strive for excellence, regardless of the circumstance. Once again, they have shown the rest of us what can be achieved when faith and passion combine with determination and teamwork.
DR. EMMANUEL BILIRAKIS AND HONORABLE JENNIFER WEXTON NATIONAL PLAN TO END PARKINSON'S ACT
Gus M. Bilirakis (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-12-13

the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. prgtoken , first of all, the reason the Lord brought us here today was to do good things, and that is why our constituents elect us--to do good things and work together for our constituents and, of course, for our wonderful country. prgtoken I thank Jennifer Wexton, my colleague, for really helping me with this. We could not have done this without our bipartisan support, and I appreciate the gentlewoman (Ms. Wexton) so very much. prgtoken I want to thank my staff and the committee staff for not giving up and being resilient in getting this done in a timely fashion. We urge the Senate to do the same. prgtoken I want to also salute some family members: my sister-in-law, Maria, who took care of my brother Emmanuel for so many years. He took care of everyone in our community really as an old-fashioned family doctor and called patients every night to make sure that they were okay. He worried about us on a regular basis, the family, and never really cared about himself. God bless prgtoken him for what he has done for our community and, again, for this bill. prgtoken I also thank my nieces, Evelyn and Stella; and my lovely, wonderful wife for taking care of my mother-in-law for so many years. prgtoken This is quite an accomplishment. Again, we couldn't do it without Representative Tonko, Representative Anna Eshoo, Ranking Member Pallone and, of course, Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has been wonderful. prgtoken , I urge unanimous support for this wonderful bill that will do so much. I thank Michael J. Fox for his help. He has done so much. We will find a cure. I encourage a ``yes'' vote on this particular vote, and .
HONORING THE MEMORY OF MR. LLOYD KENNETH ROGERS OF ALEXANDRIA, KENTUCKY
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2023-12-13

. Madam , I rise today to honor the memory of Mr. Lloyd Kenneth Rogers of Alexandria, Kentucky, who passed away on December 8, 2022, at 90 years of age. prgtoken Lloyd Rogers rose from adversity to live a life of notable achievement and civil service. Lloyd was raised in an orphanage in Kentucky, the same orphanage where he met his wife Blanche whom he was married to for 65 years. prgtoken Lloyd served 9 years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean war. Then he came back to Kentucky, and he ran and won a seat as judge-executive of Campbell County where he served in a civilian capacity. Then later, he worked as my director of Veterans Affairs in my congressional office where he was committed to helping other former servicemembers. prgtoken Lloyd also aided in crafting legislation that most of my House colleagues are familiar with. That is right. Lloyd Rogers wrote the first draft of the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, otherwise known as the REINS Act. prgtoken I saw the first draft of this bill in his basement on his personal computer. He wrote it himself because he was concerned about overreach of the executive--having served his country in the military and having served as an executive himself. He gave it to the Congressman before me who introduced the bill. prgtoken I pay tribute today to a mentor and a friend, and I send his family, especially his son, Dennis, my deepest condolences. I commend Lloyd for his unwavering commitment to his country and to his community.
HONORING THE FIRST BLACK JUDGE IN VIRGINIA'S 24TH DISTRICT
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2023-12-13

I rise today to honor Eugene Butler. prgtoken Eugene Butler was recently appointed to be a judge in Virginia, for the 24th judicial district. He will be focusing on Juvenile and domestic relations. prgtoken As impressive as that is, he now is the first black judge to hold that position in that district. prgtoken Originally from Washington, D.C where he attended Patrick Henry High School, he later graduated from Washington & Lee Law School. Judge Butler has been practicing law for 20 years and is the former president of the Lynchburg Bar Association. Judge Butler is the son of a Methodist minister, and the brother of D.C. resident Brian Butler. prgtoken I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Judge Butler and his family and I wish him continued success in his legal career.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2023-12-13

I rise today to once again call attention to the crisis at our southern border--the very crisis the administration refuses to acknowledge and in not doing so, fails the American people. prgtoken It is a simple fact: There is no national security without border security; and everyone knows our border is anything but secure. We have the numbers to back it up. prgtoken For starters, more than 8.2 million illegal immigrants have crossed the border since took office. To kick off fiscal year 2024, there were over 240,000 illegal immigrant encounters in October, the highest monthly total ever recorded. This comes after a record-setting fiscal year 2023, which saw more than 2.4 million encounters. Of the 2.4 million, at least 169 individuals are on the Terror Watchlist. But what is really frightening is that these numbers only reflect the known encounters and doesn't even include all of those who evaded law enforcement--the ``got-aways.'' Border officials estimate that there were 1.7 million ``got-aways,'' any number of which could be on the Terror Watchlist living in our country with who knows what intentions. prgtoken Even with all of this information available, the administration continues to break all the wrong records. In the last several weeks, daily records have been smashed time and again with known daily encounters ranging from 10,000 to 12,000. For context, President 's DHS Secretary said that 1,000 a day ``overwhelms the system.'' prgtoken We have heard from officials such as FBI Director Wray expressing his concern regarding the ability of terrorist organizations to exploit any port of entry, including our southwestern border. Warnings such as these should not be ignored, and yet it appears this administration will continue to do exactly that. prgtoken But encounters are only part of the ongoing crisis. In October, over 1,300 pounds of fentanyl and over 9,500 pounds of meth were seized--and that is only what was seized. Estimates show that this is only 5 to 10 percent of the illicit drugs coming across the border. These drugs continue to run rampant in our communities at a devastating cost, including in my rural State of Mississippi. prgtoken The CDC says overdose deaths are up from last year, meaning more and more families and communities are being broken apart by the circulation of dangerous drug smugglers across the border. And even worse than the drugs being smuggled across the border are the humans the cartels are smuggling. prgtoken I have spoken before about my trip to the border--the one earlier this year--and the horrific stories of girls, 12- to 16-years old, being smuggled against their will, has stayed with me. The human trafficking industry has grown in the last several years to a $13 billion industry. And this will only continue to grow if the border continues to be an access point for traffickers. prgtoken I do not blame the brave men and women working to do thei
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mike Rounds (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-12-13

. I agree with my friend and colleague. prgtoken To those who think that the citizen review board that would have been created in our UAP Disclosure Act would be unprecedented and somehow go too far, we note that the proposed review board was very closely modeled on the review board established in the J.F.K. Assassination Records Act of 1992, which has successfully guided the release of records to the American public on another very sensitive matter of high interest to the American people. prgtoken It does one more thing that we really need to recognize, and that is that there is, we believe, information and data that has been collected by more than just the Department of Defense--but by other Agencies of the Federal Government, as well--and by allowing for an outside, independent collection of these records, we can make progress in terms of dispelling myths and providing accurate information to the American people.
RECOGNIZING JERRY L. FOWLES' 42 YEARS OF SERVICE
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-12-13

I rise today to recognize Jerry L. Fowles as he retires after 42 years of service. prgtoken Jerry Fowles has served the United States of America for the past 42 years. His story began as a student at Saks High School. Upon graduation, he made the decision to enlist in the United States Army. prgtoken Jerry is the youngest son born to John Fowles, Sr. and Lona Bell Fowles. Two days after his graduation, he boarded a bus to Texas and began his career as an Army soldier. After completing a four-year enlistment, he returned home to Anniston only to realize that his passion was the military, so he reenlisted. His love for the military encouraged him to continue re-enlisting until he had served a total of 21 years. prgtoken While in the military, Jerry furthered his education and attended City Colleges of Chicago prgtoken where he obtained an associate degree. After retirement, he returned to Anniston once again and began seeking other employment. He was employed at Federal Mogul Corporation in Jacksonville, Alabama, prior to applying for a position at General Dynamics. After working at General Dynamics for roughly a year, Jerry decided to apply for a position at the Anniston Army Depot. During his employment at the Depot, Jerry has worked in several different positions and after 21 years of service he has decided to turn in his ``I.D. Badge'' and retire. Throughout Jerry's career he has met many wonderful people and is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the ANAD family. prgtoken In June 2002, Jerry married Melinda Madden, a psychology major who works in the social service field. They have one son, Travis J. Fowles, and two beautiful grandchildren Gabriel (6) and Summerlyn (4) Fowles. prgtoken Jerry and Melinda are both members of World Changers Church International. Jerry is also a member of a community group called Kingdom Men's Fellowship Ministry. This ministry consists of men from the community who spread the gospel of Jesus Christ while helping those in need. Some of Jerry's hobbies/interest are reading his Bible, spending time with his wife and watching Alabama Football. Roll Tide! prgtoken The past 42 years have truly taught some valuable lifelong lessons, yet Jerry leaves Bynum knowing his years of government service have ended. Retirement will be an opportunity for him to begin a new chapter in his life. In the book of Philippians 1:6, one of his favorite scriptures, speaks to being confident in knowing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day in which Jesus Christ returns. Jerry has now completed his time of government service and now will be able to enjoy retirement. prgtoken , please join me in thanking Jerry for his service to our country. Wishing him the best in retirement.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2023-12-13

first, I want to congratulate my friend and colleague from Nebraska for his excellent remarks because I am seeing the same thing in Wyoming that he is seeing in Nebraska. prgtoken He is a former Governor of that State. He knows the people of the State. He goes home and visits with his constituents, his friends, his family, and they know the impact of omics and the expenses it has had on their lives and how much more money people are having to spend as a result of the really irresponsible actions of the and this administration. prgtoken I hear about it every weekend. When I was at a grocery store, a lady, last week, had a little plastic bag, and she said: This shouldn't cost $100 for this bag of groceries. And she is right. Border Security prgtoken , the other thing that I hear about at the grocery store, in addition to the issues that the Senator from Nebraska was talking about, is the issue of the border, and I come today to the floor to talk about America's broken southern border--what we need to do about it, what the concerns are, what I hear about every weekend-- because every time Americans turn on their TV, they see it. They see what is happening at the southern border--the flood, the waves of individuals coming across the border, not being stopped, not being checked, and then moved into the neighborhoods across America. prgtoken Well, last week, Senator Schumer put a national security bill on the floor. The problem is it lacked serious border security policy changes, things that we need in this Nation. s voted against it because we know national security starts with border security. We are going to stand firm until serious changes are made. prgtoken Since last week, the scope, the scale, the seriousness of the border crisis has accelerated. One week ago, an all-time record high of over 12,000 illegal immigrants crossed the southern border. To put that number into perspective, President 's Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, said this in the past. He said a thousand encounters a day--a thousand encounters a day--would overwhelm the system. Well, it was 12,000 each day last week--some days 10,000, some days 11, some days 12--record numbers each and every day, 10 times the number that President 's Secretary of Homeland Security said would overwhelm the system, day after day after day. prgtoken So let's be clear about what is happening with and the White House and in the majority in the U.S. Senate. Well, the and have gambled with American's safety and security. The border--the southern border--is now a hotspot for terrorism and trafficking like we have never seen before in this country. prgtoken This body heard last week from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray. He testified in front of the Judiciary Committee. Director Wray said t
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2023-12-13

I rise today to recognize Rogers Fire Chief Tom Jenkins whose service and dedication will be missed following his retirement. prgtoken Tom has been a firefighter for 26 years, serving as chief of the Rogers Fire Department since 2009. He has truly lived out his childhood dream of becoming a firefighter and exceeded his young expectations. prgtoken As fire chief, he has worked tirelessly to develop and grow the department to fit the needs of the community. He advanced the department's medical services and improved the training of paramedics and firefighters to better serve Rogers residents. By making each ambulance a mobile emergency room and equipping each firetruck with medical equipment, he made sure citizens can get assistance no matter what type of emergency they are experiencing. prgtoken During his tenure, he successfully led the city to earning a class 1 rating by the Insurance Services Office. This accomplishment helped save property owners money as a result of the department's hard work and commitment to excellence. prgtoken Tom's leadership extends beyond Rogers. He served at the request of Arkansas Governors Mike Beebe and Asa Hutchinson on several State safety commissions and groups. He also served on the board of directors for the International Association of Fire Chiefs as second vice president. In 2017, he was elected president and chairman of the board. In this role, he traveled around the world observing other fire departments. prgtoken Tom is a humble servant who is always quick to give credit to the dedicated men and women he works with. He has seen the department through tremendous growth in the community, a pandemic, and more. He imparted a feeling of trust to citizens. They know when Rogers firefighters are on scene, they are in good hands. prgtoken While he will be missed, he has certainly earned a well-deserved retirement. Chief Jenkins demonstrated the true meaning of dedication, passion, and public service. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2023-12-13

. Well, listen. It is a good question. And it is true. I am quite open to using exposure to liability as a way to rein in the excesses of Big Tech. But I think we should do so in a focused and targeted way. prgtoken AI is an incredibly important area of innovation, and simply unleashing trial lawyers to sue the living daylights out of every technology company for AI, I don't think that is prudent policy. prgtoken We want America to lead in AI, and so I am much more of a believer of using the potential of liability in a focused, targeted way to stop the behavior that we think is so harmful, whether it is behavior that is harming our kids--and I am deeply, deeply concerned about the garbage that Big Tech directs at our children--or whether it is the censorship practices. prgtoken I support the approach, but, in my view, it needs to be more targeted and introduce the outcomes we want rather than simply harming American technology across the board. prgtoken That shouldn't be our objective. Our objective should be changing their behavior so that they are not engaging in conduct that is harmful to American consumers and to American children and parents.