mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF RUTH COX MIZELL
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Ruth Cox Mizell, a staple figure in the religious life of this Capitol for decades. prgtoken Ruth served as campaign chair for George H.W adviser to the U.S. Peace Corps under Presidents George H.W. and Ronald Reagan, liaison for the Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, and was the spouse of Congressman Wilmer Mizell. prgtoken She used her positions in and around the Capitol to passionately advocate for the power of Scripture and prayer on a personal and national level. prgtoken Many bible studies and prayer groups take place on Capitol Hill and are attended by a great number of my colleagues in Congress. And these groups honor Ruth's legacy and serve as a reminder that faith is still alive in our Nation and certainly our Nation's Capitol. prgtoken I will end with Ruth's favorite scripture quote from Lamentations, chapter 3, verses 22 and 23: ``The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.'' prgtoken Ruth Mizell was a strong woman of faith and rests in the loving arms and comfort of her Savior.
SKYROCKETING VIOLENT CRIME
Fred Keller (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , in large cities across America, violent crime rates are skyrocketing. At the same time, many of our colleagues are leading dangerous calls to defund the police and take cops off the streets. prgtoken I can't believe this needs to be said, but demonizing law enforcement will not make our streets safer. This kind of rhetoric makes it more difficult for police officers to do their jobs and harder for local departments to attract new officers. prgtoken Just look at the cities which are experiencing the largest spikes in violent crime. Homicides are up 533 percent in Portland, 58 percent in Atlanta, 37 percent in Philadelphia, and 22 percent in Los Angeles. Each of these cities has embraced the same antipolice rhetoric that we have heard from in this very Chamber. Now, in a bizarre twist of logic, are trying to shift the blame to s. prgtoken The only way to solve this problem is to reestablish respect for law enforcement and make sure they have the support and resources needed to protect themselves and our communities.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
August Pfluger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-6-30

I was absent from votes to tour the immigration and humanitarian crisis at our southern border. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 202, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 203 and, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 204. Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress Babin (Nehls) Boebert (Gosar) Cardenas (Gomez) Cawthorn (Nehls) Cohen (Beyer) Comer (Cammack) Fallon (Nehls) Gallego (Gomez) Garcia (TX) (Jeffries) Grijalva (Stanton) Herrera Beutler (Kinzinger) Horsford (Jeffries) Jacobs (NY) (Garbarino) Jayapal (Pocan) Johnson (TX) (Jeffries) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Leger Fernandez (Jacobs (CA)) Lieu (Beyer) Long (Fleischmann) Lowenthal (Beyer) McClain (Bergman) Meng (Jeffries) Mullin (Lucas) Napolitano (Correa) Owens (Stewart) Payne (Pallone) Reschenthaler (Nehls) Ruiz (Aguilar) Rush (Underwood) Sewell (DelBene) Steube (Franklin, C. Scott) Strickland (DelBene) Timmons (Gonzalez (OH)) Wilson (FL) (Hayes) Young (Mast) Amendments En Bloc No. 5 Offered by Ms. Davids of Kansas
ESTABLISHING THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL
Michelle Fischbach (Republican, MN) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , such time as I may consume. The gentleman from Massachusetts continues talking about how this select committee has been modeled after the Select Committee on Benghazi, but ``modeled'' is a very loose term, given that this committee obviously has a far more skewed ratio than the Benghazi committee did. prgtoken In addition to that, this committee can all be appointed by the . In her own words, she agreed that, yes, she could appoint them all. In the Select Committee on Benghazi, there were recommendations taken from the minority to the majority in order to appoint that membership. prgtoken So to say that this has been modeled after Benghazi, maybe because they have the name ``select committee,'' and that is the model they use, but certainly the membership and the makeup of this is not the bipartisan issue that it was on the Select Committee on Benghazi. prgtoken Madam , I have been listening to some of my colleagues on the other side, and you would think that nothing is being done to investigate the January 6 attack, and that is wrong. prgtoken In addition to the bipartisan Senate investigation that has already been mentioned, numerous other investigations are under way by both law enforcement and congressional bodies. prgtoken And as I have mentioned, we have already allocated $10 million for the Architect of the Capitol to investigate what went wrong that day, and law enforcement continues to conduct its investigation. prgtoken The majority ignores the fact that more than 500 individuals--which has been mentioned several times--have been arrested or charged in connection with the January 6 attack, and that investigation will likely continue for some time. prgtoken Instead of ignoring legitimate investigations and launching one of partisan politics, we ought to let the processes that are already underway continue. If we don't, we risk undermining the work that is already being done. prgtoken Madam , .
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I thank Mr. Graves for yielding and for so strongly and well leading this important debate. prgtoken Madam , I rise in support of my amendment, the roads to revitalization amendment, which would increase the Federal share for infrastructure projects in areas of persistent poverty from 80 percent to 85 percent. Levelling up the Federal contribution to these projects could reduce the burden on local governments, enabling long overdue projects to proceed sooner. prgtoken Many low-income communities have infrastructure needs that have been deferred for far too long, imperiling public safety and compounding the project's costs. My amendment reduces the burden on State and local governments to drive infrastructure investments in distressed areas, paving the way for broader economic development and revitalization of countless great American neighborhoods. prgtoken Infrastructure investment, as we all know, can be a game changer for many of the communities I represent, as we all do. This simple policy change will help these communities, Madam , make the up-front investment they need to revitalize Main Street, attract private-sector investment, and become even better places to live and to work.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Kevin Brady (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I thank Ranking Member Graves for his leadership trying to find a bipartisan framework on our Nation's infrastructure priorities. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to speak in support of my amendment that would add crucial taxpayer safeguards to the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing. prgtoken With this amendment, 67 percent of total funding for projects would be required to come from sources other than the Federal Government. This ensures Federal funds are going towards projects with sound financials that partner with other public or private entities. prgtoken My amendment would require borrowers to document a revenue stream with the sole objective of paying off the loan. If the Federal Government is going to lend money to a project, we have to make sure they have a plan to pay it back. And this provision does just that. prgtoken Another provision would require the Federal loan be repaid, along with primary debt, if the loan defaults. This requirement protects taxpayers from bearing the brunt of costs from bankrupt projects. prgtoken In my district, constituents are seeing firsthand how high-speed rail projects with uncertain financing and lacking necessary permits in place, are looking to the RRIF program for funding. Even though Texas Central Railroad vowed for years to not seek Federal funding for the high-speed rail projects, just last year they lobbied Congress to loosen the RRIF lending requirements even further. prgtoken This amendment protects Federal taxpayers not only in my district, but across America, to make sure our constituents aren't stuck holding the bag when rail projects default on their loan. prgtoken Madam , I urge bipartisan support.
REQUEST TO CONSIDER H.R. 18, NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION ACT
Dusty Johnson (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Fifty million, Madam . The WHO estimates that 50 million abortions are performed each year. It is a soul-rending number. prgtoken Of course, abortion is a deeply divisive legal, political, and moral dispute, but despite that fact, for 45 years, this body has been able to come together to accept the powerful message of the Hyde amendment, that taxpayer funding should never be used for abortion. prgtoken When I think about what we can do together, that is a powerful message. It is in that spirit that I ask unanimous consent that the relevant committees be discharged from any further consideration of H.R. 18, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, and I ask for its immediate consideration by this House.
AMENDMENTS 87 AND 89 TO THE INVEST IN AMERICA ACT
Kathy Castor (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , there is good news. The Congress intends to invest in America through passage of a landmark surface transportation and infrastructure package. This is what President challenged us to do, and we will follow through. prgtoken It also comes one year after the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis made landmark recommendations to solve the climate crisis and expand clean energy through a clean energy action plan to cut greenhouse gas pollution, to reach net zero as soon as possible, follow the science, improve our health, and make our communities more resilient to costly climate fuel disasters. prgtoken Madam , over the past year, we have already passed 250 recommendations here in the House and turned 100 of them into law. But now we are going to build on that progress through the INVEST in America Act. prgtoken It is the most climate-forward transportation bill in the history of the Congress with record investment in public transit and rail; investments to make roads and bridges more resilient; record investment in electric vehicle charging stations, pedestrian and bicycle trails; progress on environmental justice, clean air, and clean water. prgtoken This is good news, indeed.
ESTABLISHING THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I rise in support of H. Res. 503, a measure Establishing the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. prgtoken Next week will mark 6 months since the world watched in horror as Americans violently stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from carrying out its constitutional duty to certify a Presidential election. prgtoken Like many of my colleagues, I had hoped that the Senators would put country over politics and support legislation to establish a bipartisan, independent commission just as 35 House s did in May. prgtoken I had hoped they would do so, just as a previous generation of Senators did in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack. prgtoken Instead, our bipartisan, good faith proposal was met with a filibuster. Now that Senate s have chosen to block the formation of an independent commission, it falls to the House to stay the course and get the American people the answers they deserve. prgtoken I commend the for introducing this measure and offering us a way forward. prgtoken I believe that with the right Members, staff and resources, and cooperation from Federal, State, and local partners and the private sector, this select committee will be well-positioned to do vital oversight work into why our information-sharing, counterterrorism, and coordination efforts failed so catastrophically on January 6. prgtoken In addition to that, I salute the men and women who protected us on that day. Some of us were in this very building at the time, some of us in the gallery. I find it incomprehensible that people would deny what occurred and now try to deflect by talking about other issues. prgtoken This is the citadel of democracy we are standing in right now. We have to protect it. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to protect this temple of democracy by voting in favor of H. Res. 503.
BOLD ACTION ON CLIMATE CRISIS
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , 1 year ago today, I joined my colleagues on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and we released our bold, comprehensive, science-based climate action plan. Our plan is a roadmap for solving the climate crisis, and I am thrilled that we are advancing many of its provisions this week as part of the INVEST in America Act. prgtoken The transportation sector is the largest source of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in the country, and the pollution disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color. We must take bold action to mitigate the climate crisis, and that includes advancing the INVEST in America Act. prgtoken This bill would help decarbonize our transportation sector by investing in electric vehicle charging infrastructure, zero-emission buses, and transit. It will increase the resilience of our communities by strengthening predisaster mitigation efforts, supporting the use of natural infrastructure, and restoring fish passages. And importantly, this bill also invests in the people who will rebuild our Nation's infrastructure. prgtoken By passing the INVEST in America Act, we can protect our planet, create good-paying jobs, and truly begin to build back better. I thank Chairs Castor, DeFazio, and Pallone for their leadership.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , to the gentleman on the right, I would like to use a great quote from somebody who all of you loved over there: ``There you go again.'' prgtoken Madam , as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, I rise today in opposition to the amendments offered en bloc, including the one offered by Mr. Perry that would prohibit expansion of Amtrak service. prgtoken I strongly oppose the prohibition which would prevent Amtrak from expanding their network across the country. Allowing Amtrak to expand the national network will connect communities that have previously been isolated and create new economic opportunities. It is vital that we add new service to underserved cities and not just maintain the status quo. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendments offered en bloc.
PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3684, INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Just briefly on the points that were just brought up. As somebody who represents a county that has four refineries in it, those four refineries produce much of the refined CARB-certified fuel on the West Coast and in California. Also, a county that is headquarters to the second largest energy company in the United States, Chevron, this isn't about ending the fossil fuel industry. prgtoken It is about the transition from that energy source to a new, cleaner, renewable, alternative fuel energy source. It is about being independent and being mindful about what our global competitors are doing; what the Chinese are doing to get ahead of us in this energy source. prgtoken So with all due respect, as someone who knows the benefit and also the dangers and the opportunities to the fossil fuel industry, as we have experienced it in this country, those four refineries only employ people, as required by State statute, who have graduated from State- approved apprenticeship programs, the best apprenticeship programs in the world. Each one of those jobs have a multiplier of 14. We like those jobs. We want to keep those jobs. prgtoken But we want to meet the reductions we have to have to be leaders in this country on climate reductions, and prepare for a future that isn't dependent on the fossil fuel industry; both for our public health, and our environment, and for our economy. prgtoken Madam , I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2021-6-30

I would like to thank Chairperson DeFazio for his leadership on this issue of importance to all Americans. I especially want to thank the staff for being people with great integrity. They are honorable people. With them, we can do great things. Without them, we can do very little. prgtoken , there is no national drinking water standard for chromium-6. The American Cancer Society lists chromium-6 as a known and probable human carcinogen. prgtoken , there are an estimated 200 million Americans exposed to drinking water with unsafe levels of chromium-6. This amendment, if passed, will require the EPA to establish national standards for chromium-6. Lives will be saved, and the American people will be in a better place. prgtoken , I thank, again, Mr. DeFazio for his efforts. I also would like to thank Debbie Strauss at KPRC Channel 2 for calling this issue to my attention.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise in opposition to the amendments en bloc, which provides for the consideration of 19 amendments. prgtoken The amendments contained in this en bloc amend various provisions of the bill. They would strike some of the highest priorities in a bill. We just heard an impassioned speech from the gentleman from Louisiana, talking about Louisiana sea-level rise, sinking, and all that, and wanting to take on China and the world economy. prgtoken Well, guess what? prgtoken They are building the future. That is EVs and AVs. And they want to strike all of the provisions in the bill that will provide for electric charging. prgtoken So Fred Smith, no liberal going all electric with FedEx. GM, going all electric. Four truck manufacturers making 80,000-pound capable tractors. No charging stations in America. prgtoken Oh, that is not supposed to be the future? prgtoken That is the future. That is the future. prgtoken And we also--yeah, we deal with climate change. And I know you don't believe in climate change on that side of the aisle. That is fine. I wish you lived up where I do. You might just get a sample of what the future is like. prgtoken Now, this strikes the Fix-It-First requirements that prioritize state of good repair. prgtoken Oh, great. Let's go lay down more lane miles; 35,000 lane miles, the hundred largest cities in America in the last 25 years, and congestion is six times worse. It is called induced demand. Don't provide transit alternatives. They kill transit. They kill rail. We are just going to build more highways. We are going to pave over the entire city. prgtoken How much of it are you going to knock down? prgtoken It is not going to work. It didn't work. It hasn't been working. So it is time to do something different. prgtoken It is time to fix what we have, the Eisenhower legacy, 47,000 bridges in the National Highway System in desperate need of repair or replacement, tens of thousands in rural areas and counties, new programs in this bill to deal with those rural areas and counties. prgtoken They take out the $4 billion Clean Corridors program, as I said, for EV charging and hydrogen fueling. prgtoken Madam , $8.3 billion for carbon pollution--they don't believe in carbon pollution because the parts of the fossil fuel industry that are enlightened are big contributors, and says we can't believe in climate change. So, okay, got to take that out. prgtoken It prohibits any expenditures out of the highway trust fund, except for road and bridge construction. That means no safety. prgtoken We are having record numbers of pedestrian and cycling deaths, and this bill is going to make it safer for people to use alternative modes in urban, suburban, and rural areas. prgtoken I am building a bike lane on a highway in a rural area that is heavily trafficked by bikers to a winery in my district where there have been fatalities. But, n
ESTABLISHING THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE JANUARY 6TH ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-6-30

. Madam , I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I rise in support of the truth and justice. prgtoken Twenty years ago, we suffered the worst external terrorist attack in our modern history. But the gravest attack ever on American democracy came 175 days ago. That attack was borne of big lies; big lies about the election, about voting, and about our democracy. The lies divided our country. They spread like a plague. prgtoken On December 11, I warned of elected officials amplifying big lies. The 14th Amendment is clear about traitors and seditionists on the day the electors tried to do their job. Think about it. We must now hold everyone responsible. We must know how the spark of insurrection was ignited and document who fanned the flames. prgtoken Madam , we have a duty to history. Our review will guide future generations.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2021-6-30

I stand in support of this amendment. I would like to thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce's Energy Subcommittee, Chairman Rush, for his dedicated commitment to supporting the development of electric vehicle infrastructure. prgtoken Electrifying the transportation sector is critical to meeting our climate goals. It is expected that nearly seven million electric vehicles will be sold per year by 2025. To ensure we are ready for this growing demand, we must invest in the necessary charging and manufacturing infrastructure so that Americans are able to reliably power their cars. Chairman Rush's amendment is crucial to this effort and supports charging infrastructure build-out. prgtoken We must also guarantee the benefits of electric vehicles are available and accessible to all communities. Minority communities and rural and underserved communities, stand to benefit from EV infrastructure development, as EV charging infrastructure can help support local economies and help support reduced emissions. Provisions in this amendment help address the lack of EV infrastructure in these communities and bring resources to this area. prgtoken Additionally, as we see growing EV adoption in this country, we must make sure our transition prioritizes American workers.