mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO ERNIE MANN
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-9-28

despite the gridlock that occasionally grips this Chamber, the Senate has managed to advance some great bipartisan bills since the beginning of this Congress. prgtoken All of the attention seems to focus on our disagreements, not where we agree, and there is no question that there are big disagreements here and for good reasons. But the media seems to miss the smaller but no less important bills that earn bipartisan support every day. prgtoken Over the last couple of years, the Senate has unanimously-- unanimously--approved bills that I have introduced to support victims of child abuse, provide tax relief to survivors of human trafficking, strengthening our trade relationships with Canada and Mexico, and building safer and healthier communities. prgtoken It is no secret that our country is in the midst of a mental health crisis. We do not have a mental health delivery system in America. We made some great strides recently with the Mental Health and Safe Communities Act that made an unprecedented investment in community- based mental health care. prgtoken We all know that the mental health crisis does not discriminate. It affects people of all ages, from all walks of life, and it is creating serious challenges for law enforcement who are often the first to respond when someone is experiencing a mental health crisis. Police officers will tell you that they don't have the training or expertise, ordinarily, to assist these individuals in the most effective way possible because they are not mental health professionals. We can't expect the police to solve every problem that they face on the streets of our country, whether it has to do with mental health, drug overdoses, homelessness, or the like. They have simply been asked to do too much without the resources or support they need, and that needs to change. prgtoken That is where the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program comes in. For nearly two decades, this program has provided critical grants to help law enforcement assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. That includes mental health courts, crisis intervention teams, and other programs that promote public safety and improve mental health outcomes and reduce recidivism. prgtoken Communities across my State of Texas are working to bridge the gap between criminal justice and mental health, and I was able to hear about some of that work during the August recess. prgtoken In the city of Pharr, in the Rio Grande Valley, for example, I sat down with local law enforcement officers and mental health professionals, as well as local civic leaders, to talk about the city's innovative mental health unit. prgtoken The Pharr Police Department launched this unit in 2020 to improve the quality of outcomes for individuals in crisis and the community as a whole. Mental health officers are trained to respond to these crises in the most effective and compassionate way possible, and the city of Pha
VISIT AMERICA ACT
Brett Guthrie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-9-28

the balance of my time to close. prgtoken , we have the greatest country in the world. I love when people want to come see the beauty of our great land and meet our great people. We have a wonderful opportunity for people to come see our country. The tourism industry is a great industry, as are the people who serve in it. prgtoken , I urge the passage of this bill, and .
CIVIL RIGHTS COLD CASE INVESTIGATIONS SUPPORT ACT OF 2022
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-9-28

I rise today to tell a story of one family's tragedy but also of two wonderful people who turned that tragedy into helping others and finding solutions. prgtoken On May 15, 2014, a 19-year-old Wisconsinite named Archie Badura died of a fentanyl overdose. prgtoken Two years later, I met his mother Lauri Badura, who testified before a field hearing I held in Pewaukee, WI, together with an emergency room doctor named Dr. Tim Westlake, who testified about the growing problem that he was seeing in his emergency room with overdoses and, in particular, overdoses with, I think, a drug that we all heard was somewhat new, fentanyl, a schedule II drug; one used in medicine but one that had been altered, the molecule changed, and produced in China and shipped through our Postal Service and was killing people like Archie Badura. prgtoken It was probably the first time I heard of what was happening to fentanyl. And so Dr. Westlake, because he was seeing the tragedy firsthand, was developing a piece of legislation that he was proposing in Wisconsin as well as on a national level. prgtoken The piece of legislation I introduced in 2017 was called the SOFA Act. The reason I called it the SOFA Act--and that stands for Stopping Overdoses of Fentanyl Analogs--is because Lauri Badura, again, who lost her 19-year-old son, turned her tragedy into helping others. prgtoken She was the go-to person for other families who also lost a loved one through overdoses, and she started an organization called Saving Others for Archie. The acronym was SOFA. So I thought it only appropriate, when working with Dr. Tim Westlake on this piece of legislation that would recognize the growing problem of these analogs, of these fentanyl-related drugs that were killing and poisoning our citizens--I thought it only appropriate to come up with a piece of legislation named after that organization with that same acronym, SOFA. prgtoken So on July 13, 2017, I introduced SOFA for the first time here in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken On November 9, 2017, because of Tim Westlake and Lauri Badura's tireless effort, a State piece of legislation, the SOFA equivalent, was signed into law in Wisconsin. And basically what this law does--it is a pretty simple law--it just allows law enforcement, the DEA, to view these fentanyl-related substances as a class under schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. prgtoken Prior to this bill, prior to these regulations, law enforcement had to view each new molecule, each new analog as a separate drug, and they could not arrest, they couldn't prosecute, they couldn't put people in jail for selling these and poisoning our cities. prgtoken So Dr. Tim Westlake recognized that problem. I recognized that problem, and so we introduced the SOFA Act. And once DEA saw it, they thought this was a pretty good idea, and they utilized their regulatory authority and passed a regulation on February 6, 2018. They issued a temporary sched
GILT EDGE MINE CONVEYANCE ACT
Russ Fulcher (Republican, ID) \u2014 2022-9-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise in support of the Gilt Edge Mine Conveyance Act. This bill reflects exemplary collaboration between the State of South Dakota, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Forest Service. I commend Congressman Dusty Johnson for his leadership on this proposal. prgtoken The Gilt Edge Mine is a 360-acre former mining site in South Dakota. Mining began on the site in 1876 with sporadic operations until the 1990s. The Environmental Protection Agency declared the former mine a Superfund site in the year 2000. prgtoken Mr. Johnson's bill authorizes the State of South Dakota to purchase approximately 266 acres of Forest Service land that will allow the State to clean up the Gilt Edge Mine Superfund site once the EPA completes its portion of the cleanup. prgtoken This is a good bill that will lead to a more seamless cleanup effort and empower South Dakota to pursue additional water reclamation efforts. prgtoken This bill will also allow revenue from the land sale to go toward maintenance and improvements at the Black Hills National Forest. Recent mismanagement of the Black Hills National Forest has hurt rural communities and jeopardized future forest management efforts. This is a key provision of the bill and the result of a compromise worked out with South Dakota that will improve the management and care of the Black Hills National Forest, and I strongly support its inclusion. prgtoken This bill is an example of a win-win solution that not only empowers the State to enhance its environment and remediation efforts, but also reduces the burden on the Federal Government by chipping away at the massive Federal estate. prgtoken , I urge adoption of this bill, and .
PRESIDENT BIDEN'S FAILED OPEN-BORDER POLICIES
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-9-29

thanks to President 's open-border policies, human smuggling is now a $20 billion business for criminal cartels. In barely 2 years, the administration and House squandered the progress that had been made to secure our border and have enriched criminal cartels. prgtoken What is the administration doing to correct this? Nothing. prgtoken Instead, when Governors DeSantis from Florida and Abbott from Texas bused and flew a dozen illegal immigrants from their States to ' so-called sanctuary cities like Washington, D.C Chicago, New York, and even Martha's Vineyard, were outraged. prgtoken Some politicians who earlier claimed they would welcome illegal immigrants with open arms have threatened legal action against these Governors, accusing them, laughingly, of human trafficking. prgtoken Are they really trying to claim that a free ticket to Martha's Vineyard is human trafficking; but the criminal cartels smuggling people into our country is not? prgtoken don't seem to care that their policies are enabling criminal cartels to abuse women and children who are seeking a better life. prgtoken The humanitarian crisis we are seeing at the southern border is a direct result of President 's failed open-border policies. The negligence of this crisis by the administration and House and Senate and their refusal to fix it is inconceivable.
CONGRESSIONAL RYDER CUP
Rick W. Allen (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise to talk about one of the great competitions here in our sports and bipartisan competitions in the House. prgtoken , today I rise to talk about the outcome of this year's Congressional Ryder Cup, which is a match between the Ryder Cup team and the ic Ryder Cup teams. prgtoken I have had the privilege to captain the Ryder Cup team for the past four competitions. The Ryder Cup--what we do is we raise money for charities that benefit the game of golf, obviously, First Tee and the National Links Trust, and we have raised over $2 million in this effort. prgtoken This year, I am pleased to announce that the team was victorious. We celebrate that, our team here; I thank my team. prgtoken But I want to take this moment to talk about the captain of the ic team. He is the best player in the United States Congress, Number 1. All my best players want to take this guy on because if you beat John Yarmuth, you have done something, okay? But he is one of the finest players in the game. prgtoken Of course, John came to Congress in 2007, and when he hit here, he became captain of the ic Ryder Cup team. And I say to the gentleman, I think y'all won four in a row immediately. But the gentleman is retiring this year. I thank him for his sportsmanship, his leadership on this competition, and his dedication to the game that we all love. Let's give John a round. prgtoken But it has been a true honor to compete with the gentleman as captain. It was a great competition this year. It is great to see Members of Congress actually come together and compete and talk to each other and enjoy the day. It was a great day for both teams. prgtoken from California (Mr. Yarmuth).
RECOGNIZING PRIVATE FIRST CLASS MELVIN J. LITTLE BEAR
Dusty Johnson (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to recognize, honor, and welcome home Private First Class Melvin J. Little Bear of Standing Rock, South Dakota. prgtoken PFC Little Bear entered the U.S. Army from South Dakota and served with Battery A, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division in the Korean War. He was captured by Chinese Communist Forces on February 13, 1951, as his unit made a fighting withdrawal from Changbong-ni to Wonju, South Korea. PFC Little Bear was marched to POW Camp 1 at Changsong, where he died of malnutrition, exhaustion, and pneumonia on July 21, 1951. During Operation GLORY, the United Nations Command and the ic People's Republic of Korea exchanged the remains of war dead, including those who had died in captivity. In September of 1954, as part of this operation, the D.P.R.K. returned to the United States a box containing PFC Little Bear's remains from Changsong. PFC Little Bear could not be identified at the time and his remains, designated X-14251, were interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 16, 1956. In 2020, his remains were disinterred from the NMCP and sent to the DPAA Laboratory for scientific testing. Laboratory analysis led to the identification of PFC Little Bear from among these remains. prgtoken PFC Little Bear was posthumously awarded the Prisoner of War Medal, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal. PFC Little Bear will be laid to rest on September 30th, in Little Eagle, South Dakota. prgtoken Madam , PFC Little Bear made the ultimate sacrifice for this Nation. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring his memory and his service. Currently over 80,000 Americans are listed as Prisoners of War or Missing in Action. It is a blessing that by reuniting PFC Little Bear with his family and his people, today that number is smaller by one.
PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY FOR VOTING ACCESS PROGRAM INCLUSION ACT
Bryan Steil (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-9-29

I thank my friend from the great State of Illinois for yielding me time. prgtoken , I support the Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access Program Inclusion Act, which makes a simple technical fix. It would now include, as noted, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the American Indian consortium as eligible recipients of funding that would help improve voting access for people with disabilities. prgtoken Originally, this bill was to be paired with the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act on the suspension calendar, and I must note that I am pretty disappointed we are not also moving forward with the Congressional Observer Access Act. prgtoken I introduced this bill with the support of Ranking Member Davis in July, and I believe that it is a missed opportunity to increase Americans' public trust in our elections. prgtoken The Congressional Observer Access Act would simply have clarified that designated congressional election observers--that is, individuals who have been designated in writing by Congress--would have the access they need to observe the administration of Federal elections. prgtoken This is not a partisan bill. In fact, Congress already has this authorization under the Constitution. This straightforward bill would have provided clarity, which our State and local election officials requested in order to provide observer access more readily. prgtoken I am disappointed that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle walked away from doing these bills on suspension, and I encourage them to work with Ranking Member Davis and myself to get this passed as soon as possible. We must work together to take commonsense steps that promote election integrity.
STRAUB BREWERY IS CELEBRATING 150 YEARS
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to recognize Straub Brewery in St. Marys, Pennsylvania. Straub Brewery is celebrating 150 years of homemade brews. prgtoken Founded in 1872 by Peter Straub, a German immigrant, they have been brewing beverages independently for more than five generations. This achievement represents the passion and dedication of a single family who successfully managed, expanded, and often protected a way of life that the brewery represented. prgtoken Their history is an extensive one, spanning generations, starting from immigrant roots, surviving Prohibition, and now Straub is a staple in the community and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. prgtoken For generations, Straub Brewery has continued to preserve and safeguard those qualities that make the brewery unique. Straub's longevity can be attributed to the craft, skills, and professionalism of the men and women who keep the brewery running. prgtoken To celebrate 150 years, Straub is hosting various Oktoberfest events, and they have brewed a special 150th anniversary pilsner. prgtoken , if you ever find yourself in St. Marys, Pennsylvania, I encourage you to check out Straub Brewery and enjoy a cold one from their eternal tap, which has been flowing since 1872. prgtoken Cheers to Straub Brewery, William Brock, and the entire Straub family on this monumental anniversary.
USING THE POWER OF THE PURSE
Clay Higgins (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-9-29

for yielding. prgtoken , I would bring our focus on to our total national debt for a moment. As concerned American patriots, conservative constitutionalist men who love our country, we are discussing this continuing resolution, the temporary funding of the Federal Government that we stand against because of the process and the lack of appropriate regular order that reflects the failure of this body to perform regarding our budget responsibilities that were laid out clearly by our Founders. prgtoken Let's talk about our $31 trillion in debt. prgtoken It was 1980 in America before we had accumulated $1 trillion in debt. So in the first 200 years of our existence, America accumulated $1 trillion in debt. In the following 40 years, we have accumulated $30 trillion. prgtoken We are up $31 trillion in debt. If this body were to balance the budget and run a $1 billion surplus, it would require 31,000 years to address a $31 trillion debt. prgtoken , I say to my colleagues, 1 trillion is 1,000 billion. prgtoken No one here, nor across the Nation that we love and serve, believes we have 31,000 years to fix this thing. We must restore fiscal sanity to this body.
MERGER FILING FEE MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2022
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2022-9-29

I want to use my time to quote other conservative voices. prgtoken The Heritage Foundation just issued a report: prgtoken This package equips the American people's Representatives with targeted, commonsense tools to constrain Big Tech companies' abuse of power. These bills represent an important step towards restoring self- governance, shoring up our national security, and enforcing current antitrust laws to promote competitiveness without expanding or unduly empowering the Federal bureaucracy. prgtoken Senators Lee, Grassley, and Cotton issued a statement on September 26: `` . . . these bills improve antitrust enforcement without appropriating any more funds to President 's out-of-control FTC. We call on all of our colleagues in the House of Representatives to strongly support this package.'' prgtoken The American Mind on September 28 issued a story, ``While GOP views on antitrust have evolved, one thing has remained constant: `antitrust enforcement is law enforcement.' You can't provide `legal amnesty' to Big Tech companies that flout antitrust laws. Defunding the antitrust police will have the same result as defunding the municipal police: enabling bad actors to harm the public.'' prgtoken Finally, The American Conservative on September 29, I guess today, issued this story, ``While Buck is pushing restrained, politically viable legislation that would strengthen the average American's position in the cultural battle against Silicon Valley, some of his colleagues seem to be sticking to an overcooked theory derived from a notion of corporate personhood.'' prgtoken , I include in the Record the following articles: ``Heritage Tech Policy Experts Applaud House Antitrust Package''; `` Senators Urge House s to Support Antitrust Reform Package''; prgtoken The American Conservative: ``Tech Hawks Meet Resistance to a `Modest Proposal'''; prgtoken The American Mind: ``Don't Defund the (Antitrust) Police''. [From the Heritage Foundation, Sept. 29, 2022] Heritage Tech Policy Experts Applaud House Antitrust Package Washington.--This week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on a package of three antitrust bills that would begin the important work of reining in Big Tech: the State Antitrust Enforcement Venue Act, Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act, and Foreign Merger Subsidy Disclosure Act. Experts from Heritage's Tech Policy Center--Kara Frederick, director of the center; Will Thibeau, policy analyst; and Jake Denton, research associate--released the following statement ahead of the scheduled vote: Heritage Tech Policy Experts Applaud House Antitrust Package I The Heritage Foundation ``Big Tech companies should not have outsized authority to shape and control society. However, we have all watched these companies take an increasingly troubling share of control over our politics and
AMENDING SECTION 301 OF TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE, TO ESTABLISH A TERM FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
Rodney Davis (Republican, IL) \u2014 2022-9-29

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I actually have some time left myself and was debating on what to talk about. I don't really have anything to talk about with successful fantasy football teams this weekend, so I am actually glad that my colleague brought up the Electoral College Act. prgtoken What we saw in the Senate were some changes to their legislation that we had requested the House majority do when that bill passed the House last week, so I am excited to see those changes in the Senate. prgtoken I am excited that the chairperson mentioned during our rules debate last week that maybe we could have a conference committee. That is a chance for bipartisan agreement on a very important issue, so I look forward to seeing whether that opportunity presents itself. prgtoken But as we stand here today, , we are trying to put the Government Publishing Office Director in line with every other executive branch appointed legislative branch employee, like the Architect of the Capitol, like the Librarian of Congress. prgtoken What is happening at the GPO has garnered bipartisan support today, and we need to continue to see that progress. prgtoken , I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and .