mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2023-3-8

I rise with my colleague from Michigan, Senator Peters, to introduce the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act, known as the AFTER Act, to promote the adoption or retirement of animals used for research by Federal Agencies. prgtoken In fiscal year 2021, the Federal Government experimented on approximately 45,000 regulated animals for research purposes. These experiments occurred across 14 different Federal Agencies. The animals used were mainly cats, dogs, monkeys, and rabbits. Tracking these animals following experimentation is challenging. In many instances, sadly, animals no longer needed for research are killed since many Agencies lack formal retirement or adoption policies. Recent peer- reviewed studies indicate that research animals that are adopted, however, often thrive in their new environments. prgtoken In 2013, led by Senators Harkin, Alexander, Cantwell and myself, the Senate passed the CHIMP Act, which allowed for the retirement of hundreds of primates that were formerly used in National Institute of Health, NIH, experiments. In addition, the Department of Defense DOD, Veterans Affairs, VA, Federal Drug Administration, and NIH recently enacted successful animal retirement policies. While I am encouraged by the Senate's past work on primates and the recent policies developed by a few Federal Agencies, there are many other Federal Agencies, including the Agriculture Department, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency, that lack formal policies for animals used in experiments. prgtoken The AFTER Act would build on successful policies at DOD, VA, and NIH by directing all Federal Agencies to promulgate regulations that would facilitate the retirement of laboratory animals. The bill would provide flexibility for each Agency to devise its own policy, with the goal of ensuring that such animals, whenever possible, are retired and not killed. Additionally, the AFTER Act would require that animals be evaluated by a licensed veterinarian and pronounced both mentally and physically healthy before leaving an Agency. This will help ensure a smooth transition to a new environment. prgtoken Our legislation would also encourage Federal Agencies to work with nonprofit organizations to help place retired animals in sanctuaries and shelters across the country, not just those closest to the research facility. This would allow State like Maine, which does not have Federal research labs that use animals, to play a role in retiring these animals and providing homes for them. prgtoken , animals that are suitable for adoption or retirement should not be killed by our Federal Government. The AFTER Act would provide the necessary direction Federal Agencies need in order to move forward with developing retirement policies. I urge all of my colleagues to join in support of this important bipartisan legislation, the Animal Freedom
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JACK VANIER
Tracey Mann (Republican, KS) \u2014 2023-3-8

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of a prgtoken great Kansan, Andrew J. McCurry, who passed away on February 12 at his home in Burrton, Kansas, surrounded by his loving family. prgtoken Andy was born in 1950 in Hutchinson, Kansas. After studying animal science and industry at Kansas State University, he and his wife, Mary, started their registered Angus operation Marands Angus, which later became McCurry Angus Ranch. prgtoken As third- and fourth-generation Angus breeders, Andy and his family built a legacy all their own while carrying on the traditions of their ancestors. prgtoken Andy spent a lifetime pounding posts by hand, making a suitable place for hosting cattle sales, chuckwagon cookouts, livestock judging teams, and visitors from across the U.S. Ultimately, he built a place to raise both his family and world-class Angus cattle by the sweat of his brow. prgtoken Andy's gift was the ability to meet people from all walks of life and spend time getting to know them, and his network of friends was nationwide. prgtoken Later in life, Andy pursued another career as a pharmacist. He attended the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, graduated in 1990, after which he worked as a pharmacist in the Hutchinson, Kansas, area for 30 years, retiring on his 70th birthday in 2020. prgtoken Because of his career-change experience, Andy was able to come alongside young people and help them find direction in their lives. He encouraged so many. prgtoken To Andy's wife, Mary; his son, John; his daughter, Emily; and all his grandchildren, you have my prayers as you gather together to remember Andy's loving impact. prgtoken Andy's legacy lives on in so many ways, especially in the cattle his family still produces. I know the first bull sale without Andy will be a tough one, but what a way to honor his legacy by continuing on the tradition he loved so much. prgtoken I will be praying for you tomorrow during the sale that your family would have peace, Andy would be honored, and that the bulls would set new records.
DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNCIL IN APPROVING THE REVISED CRIMINAL CODE ACT OF 2022
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2023-3-8

I, too, come to the floor today to talk about the soft-on-crime policies of in Washington, DC. prgtoken In 2020, all across the country started their movement to defund the police. Almost immediately, we saw burning cities across the country, from the east coast all the way to Portland, OR. prgtoken ic leaders turned their backs on police officers all across the country. As a result, police officers began to retire or resign, and they did so in record numbers. The results were as painful as they were predictable. Violent crime skyrocketed all across America. We saw the fastest murder rate increase in our history. Homicides rose to a 25-year high. This is no surprise. If police officers are not able to do their jobs, then the streets of each town in America are not safe. prgtoken Well, today on the floor, , Senate s are going to act to stop this recklessness. Thanks to the leadership of Senator Hagerty, who is leading our discussion and our efforts, Senate s are going to vote to stop Washington, DC's radical new legislation, this legislation that lets criminals get out of jail free. Senate s are going to vote to make our Nation's Capital a safer place to visit, a safer place to live, and a safer place to work. prgtoken Wyoming families ask me all the time if it is safe for them to visit Washington, DC, or if it is safe for their kids to come to Washington, DC, for something like History Day, an opportunity to see the Nation's Capital. Imagine that: many American families actually afraid to visit or have their children visit our Nation's Capital. prgtoken Liberal cities all across the country have become danger zones. Families in Wyoming watch the nightly news. They can't believe their eyes. They see smashed storefronts in New York and in Chicago. They see innocent people getting mugged on the streets. They see it in New York, and they see it in Washington, DC. The cities run by liberals are not safe. Across the country, we have hit new records for carjackings, for assaults. But instead of backing the blue, are turning cities into safe havens for criminals. That is exactly what has happened here in Washington, DC. prgtoken So the city council here in Washington, DC, recently voted to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for every crime except for first- degree murder. Well, there is a value in mandatory minimum sentences. It tells judges the bare minimum punishment for criminal behavior. Mandatory minimum sentences stop liberal judges from going soft and softer on crime. So it is no wonder that have waged war on mandatory minimums for at least the last decade. prgtoken The new DC law would also reduce maximum sentences for violent criminals like carjackers. For some gun charges, the maximum sentence would go from 15 years down to less than 5. The new crime law in the District of Columbia would mean more vio
OUR NATION'S ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-3-8

I thank Mr. Johnson for leading these opportunities for us to communicate with the American people openly and freely in a more casual, unhurried way of doing so. prgtoken It is good to be able to talk about these issues. Hopefully, folks are paying attention. We are just trying to get the truth out and call out the issues that are extremely important to them that we are working on in Congress. prgtoken When I get up here, a lot of times I am talking about our food supply and the farmers who grow it--as a Californian, we grow a lot of different crops--the water it takes to grow those crops, our energy, the condition of our energy in this country. prgtoken Tonight, I will talk more about our fiscal condition in this Nation and of this government. It is troubling because a recent report issued by the Congressional Budget Office found that the net interest of our national debt--Mr. Johnson was talking about that a little bit ago on spending--just the interest payment on our national debt will amount to a $10.5 trillion burden for our taxpayers over the next decade. prgtoken We talk in these 10-year numbers. If you average that out, that is $1.05 trillion per year just in interest service. For comparison, those interest costs over the previous decade amounted to only $3 trillion, again, versus $10.5 trillion for the coming decade. That is crushing on our national budget and crushing on the discretionary portion that we have over that budget. prgtoken That is not to take away from the fact that the Federal Government already is taxing and extracts more in taxes from American families than at any point in history. prgtoken This kind of payment on interest will devour a lot of our budget if we don't get a handle on this. I shudder to think if interest rates go up much more, the service on that debt becomes that much more extensive. Of course, Federal spending coupled with that is rising at an even higher rate. The increased spending has pushed our national debt over that magic $31 trillion number, again, that we were speaking about. prgtoken As high as this is, it pales in comparison to the United States' unfunded liabilities, which amount to about $182 trillion. Unfunded liabilities, meaning the debt obligations that do not have sufficient funds set aside to pay them, include Social Security, Medicare, Federal debt held by the public, and Federal employee and veteran benefits. Social Security and Medicare's liabilities add up to $57 trillion. These numbers clearly show the United States Federal Government is living beyond its means. prgtoken Social Security and Medicare are called entitlement programs. Let me stop on that for a moment. prgtoken Sometimes that word ``entitlement'' is thought of as a dirty word, right? prgtoken It gets used pretty freely around here. prgtoken However, when you are talking about the entitlement as applied to Social Security and Medicare, it is not necessarily a dirty word because the peopl
ACKNOWLEDGING WOMEN IN SMALL BUSINESS
George Santos (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-3-8

. Madam , I rise today for International Women's Day to acknowledge women in small business from New York's Third Congressional District. prgtoken Pam Ocasio from Pam's Jamz--with a z--is a mom with a talent for curating unique homemade jams and marmalades from local ingredients. She is always at the local farmers market in Oyster Bay with a smiling face and a can-do attitude. prgtoken Another wonder woman, Angela Carillo, is a mother of two from Bethpage with an associate's degree in medical technology and a bachelor's degree in biology. She put her chemistry skills to the test in her basement studio in 2010 curating beautiful and fabulously scented home soaps. I have seen her work at local craft fairs around the district, and I must say, she certainly gives any major manufacturer a run for their money. prgtoken Joey Bowen is a mother of two who built her business as a single mom. Joey lives in Bethpage and hand makes stylish clear handbags. She started in her living room and expanded to an international operation. She now has storefronts around Nassau County and supports the local economy and the workforce. prgtoken Cheers to all these women out there and for their extraordinary accomplishments.
DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNCIL IN APPROVING THE REVISED CRIMINAL CODE ACT OF 2022
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-3-8

I think we got a little offtrack here. prgtoken In getting back to the objection a little bit, I don't think there is anybody here who said it has anything to do with doing away with abortion. The Department of Defense has had, for years, a policy about abortion in the military. My problem is, they have changed it. And the last time I looked, the people who make the laws are not on the Supreme Court and not in the Pentagon--it is this place right here. We make the laws. They have done abortions for years in the military for rape, incest, and harm to the mom--through health. They want to change this to where a third party has said thousands and thousands would start getting abortions and not just military personnel but also their dependents. prgtoken This is about who is paying for this. The American taxpayers shouldn't be told they have to pay for abortions. That is not the way it is written. The military should not be paying for abortions. So, as we got offtrack there a little bit about what we were talking about, we are talking about a new policy based not on facts but on conjecture from the Department of Defense that they are going to do it on their own without coming through this body. prgtoken Now a little bit about SPACECOM, as the good Senator from Colorado brought up. prgtoken You know, it is unfortunate that Members from States that weren't really even running for SPACECOM headquarters are trying to tack on completely unrelated political issues to a fact-based decision. SPACECOM's and the DOD's abortion policies have nothing to do with each other. I don't recall abortion being part of the Air Force's selection process a couple of years ago when they called me and said: Coach, we are going to put SPACECOM in Huntsville, AL. The decision to put SPACECOM in Huntsville was based on facts and facts alone and evidence of what was best for the military and for our country and our national defense. That is the reason they chose it. That decision was then reconfirmed by multiple independent studies over the last couple of years. prgtoken The DOD's inspector general and the GAO confirmed that Huntsville was the No. 1 location for SPACECOM based on things like workforce, existing infrastructure, education, and the cost of living. Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville is, far and away, the best place for SPACECOM. This is not my opinion. It is fact. It is fact from several studies. Attempts to change that with progressive talking points are shameful and purely political. It is really a shame. prgtoken .
DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNCIL IN APPROVING THE REVISED CRIMINAL CODE ACT OF 2022
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-3-8

about 20 million people a year visit our Nation's Capital, Washington, DC. They come to see our hallowed Capitol, DC's inspiring monuments and museums, and to experience the city's lively melting pot of cultures. prgtoken As we have seen across many major cities in our country, bad policymaking has turned a once vibrant city into a scarcely recognizable shadow of its former self. The DC Council is throwing gas on the fire through its woke criminal policies, which will embolden criminals and victimize residents and visitors alike. prgtoken We are seeing a staggering increase in crime. The stats speak for themselves. For example, today is day 67 of 2023--day 67--and already this year, there have been more than 1,200 carjackings--it sounds like 1,201 carjackings as of today--422 robberies, and a murder happening every 2 days--day 67, folks. prgtoken These aren't just numbers. These crimes have victims, and those victims have families. prgtoken The sad reality is that no one is off limits to criminals running rampant in our Capital. It is simply unsafe for everyone. prgtoken Just last month, a 15-year-old tried to carjack an elderly woman on her way to chemotherapy. The victim, affectionately known as ``Grandma,'' said: Baby, you better shoot me, because you're not taking my car. prgtoken Elsewhere, two children, ages 6 and 9, were shot while getting off a city bus--children who were just coming home from school. prgtoken Again, the very evening DC's Mayor threatened to veto the council's ill-conceived crime bill, an 8-year-old was shot by a stray bullet. prgtoken Despite the rise in crime and the chorus of opposition, the DC Council plowed forward with its lunacy. prgtoken DC is seeing an explosion of carjackings, and what does their policy do? Reduce sentencing for carjackers. prgtoken Similarly, murders are through the roof, and yet this new policy reduces penalties for murderers. prgtoken As one commentator put it, ``serious crime is increasing in the District of Columbia. So the city council has decided to reduce sentences for those who commit serious crimes.'' prgtoken These ideas are crazy, folks. Even DC's very liberal Mayor says so: This bill does not make us safer. prgtoken The law was so reckless--so irresponsible--that only those congressional in the most extreme wing of the ``defund the police'' crowd defended the code change publicly. In fact, most did a complete 180 when the spotlight shined on their preferred criminal justice policies. prgtoken The Mayor opposes the policy. The DC police chief opposes it. And, most importantly, DC residents oppose it. So why is the DC Council doing it, and why are the far-left in Congress supporting it? Look no further than the policy's advocates, who say it will ``advance racial justice in the criminal legal system.'' prgtoken Folks, this is just one more of the woke nonsense which gave us ``defund the polic
SYRIA WAR POWERS RESOLUTION
Cory Mills (Republican, FL) \u2014 2023-3-8

the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force licensed the executive branch to conduct broad military operations, and Congress has disregarded its constitutional oversight powers as a result. Repealing these outdated AUMFs restores Congress' constitutional check on executive fiat. prgtoken The United States military forces are present in the Middle East pursuant to an Authorization for Use of Military Force that was enacted more than 20 years ago. At that time, Congress did not conceive that these authorizations would sanction an endless military commitment. prgtoken The United States is not the world's policeman, and it is incredibly unwise to promote this level of involvement in international disputes. However, and Presidents alike have abused the powers of war granted under the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs, and Congress must act to reign back the executive branch's war authorities. prgtoken Further, continuing to dump trillions of dollars into these endless wars is irresponsible, runs contrary to American economic and security interests, and unnecessarily places American lives in jeopardy. prgtoken It is clear that the basis for the AUMFs currently in force have long expired, and Congress must fulfill its constitutional responsibility and ensure we are conducting proper oversight of the executive branch's military operations. prgtoken Now, I hear my colleagues on the left talking about leaving the Kurds and withdrawals, but yet, I note these are the exact same individuals that their party argues that it was time to withdraw from Afghanistan and leave our allies and Americans behind, something I know about, since I am the only Member of Congress who actually conducted the first overland rescue of Americans out of Afghanistan after they were left behind. prgtoken I also note that these are the same people saying that pulling away is going to increase ISIS' presence. Is this not the exact same government that said that nation building was a great strategy for Iraq? Is this not the same government who utilized and helped to implement the 2005 Iraq Constitution that implemented Article 76 that sets forth a sectarian democracy giving rise to Iran's political stronghold? prgtoken I have spent 7 years of my life in Iraq, almost 3 years in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Pakistan, northern Somalia, been blown up twice in 2006, a Bronze Star recipient, and a proud combat veteran. I can tell you that in the 20-plus years that we served in Iraq and Afghanistan, had it been a counterterrorism operation or counterinsurgency strategy, I could have fully gotten behind that. But we continue to play political football, and that is exactly what the dangers of AUMFs are. They allow people to basically do carte blanche with warfare, and that is not the intent. prgtoken In fact, I would argue that we have already lost the advantage, and we should be refocusing our efforts on what is happening at our southern border
DISAPPROVING THE ACTION OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNCIL IN APPROVING THE REVISED CRIMINAL CODE ACT OF 2022
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-3-8

I want to thank my colleagues from Colorado and Alabama for a very interesting and robust debate, but I would like to change the subject slightly. Germany prgtoken , Germany and America are dear friends, and friends tell each other the truth. prgtoken On the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany plans to continue supporting Ukraine ``as strongly and as long [as possible and] as necessary.'' prgtoken I regret to observe that based on where we are today, that would certainly be a change of pace. By all measures, Germany's so-called strong support is more lamb than lion. The numbers don't lie. Germany's current spending to help Ukraine by share of gross domestic product--if you compare the spending of one country to another, it is not fair to use raw numbers because some countries are wealthier than others. So if you look at the current spending by our friends in Germany to help Ukraine, by share of gross domestic product, Germany wouldn't even be in the top 10 nations in terms of financial support for Ukraine. And those are just the numbers. prgtoken Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and the United Kingdom have all outspent Germany by share of gross domestic product. Our neighbors in Canada have outspent Germany, too, both in raw dollars and by share of GDP. And the same is certainly true of the American people. The American people have spent roughly double--double--what our friends in Germany have spent in Ukraine, fighting for freedom, by share of domestic gross product. prgtoken With an entire ocean and most of Europe between America and Ukraine, Americans are wondering why the United States and Canada have dug deeper to deter Russian aggression than Germany has. That is a fair question. prgtoken Germany, as we all know--and I am very proud of them for this--is the economic leader of Europe. Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world. Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world. But the fact is--friends tell friends the truth--that Germany is failing to pull its weight in Ukraine. And if we look back on the past year, it is very clear that Germany's support of Ukraine has been heavy on words and short on action. And I hate to have to say that. prgtoken Somehow, Germany's leadership has lost the urgency it had when Putin began his march into Ukraine. At that time, if we think back a year, Germany could not have been in a more vulnerable position. The Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, were dilapidated. prgtoken At the end of the Cold War, Germany had nearly 500,000 soldiers. Roughly 3 percent of its spending by GDP was allocated to Germany's defense. When Putin invaded Ukraine, Germany's military was roughly one-third of that size, about 183,000 soldiers, and spending on defense by our friends in Germany had plummeted to 1.3 percent of gross domestic product. prgtoken Its