mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FAREWELL REMARKS EXPRESSING GRATITUDE FOR THE HONOR OF REPRESENTING MISSOURI'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Wm. Lacy Clay (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2020-12-4

. Madam , I rise today to offer my farewell remarks as a Member of the U.S. House. prgtoken And while I will be sad to leave this historic place, I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to serve Missouri's 1st Congressional District for two decades, and to have been blessed with the friendship of so many colleagues. prgtoken I have given my best because my constituents deserved nothing less. I learned that vital lesson about public service from my best advisor and my personal hero . . . my dad, former Congressman Bill Clay. prgtoken And the truth is none of my success would have been possible without my remarkable family. prgtoken I want to thank the rock of our family, my mother Carol; and my devoted and talented sisters, Vickie and Michelle. prgtoken I also want to thank my children, Carol and Will. No Member serves unto themselves. Families also sacrifice greatly. Carol and Will have made me extremely proud. They carry themselves with such dignity, poise, and character. There is no greater joy I have than being their Father. I thank them for being my greatest and best legacy. prgtoken To my wonderful wife Pat: I could not have selected a better partner to share in my post-Congressional career. Her love and optimism keep my life balanced and exhilarated. I so look forward to our days to come. prgtoken Of course, the best part of being a Member of Congress has been helping tens of thousands of constituents solve issues with the federal government. prgtoken None of that could have been possible without my dedicated and compassionate staff over the years--Patricia Green, Sheila Mileszko, Virginia Cook, Debra Miller, Michelle Bogdanovich, Sandra Houston, Ishmael-Lateef Ahmad, Jasmina Hadzic, Sean Weller, Craig Rasmussen, Percy Green, Adam Bordes, Marvin Steele, Richard Pecantte, Frank ``Les'' Davis, Mark Odom, Lou Aboussie, Noelle Lindsey, Brian Williams, Michelle Mitchell, Brittany Packnett, Josh Peters, Pauline Jamry, Perre Smalls, Samantha Williams, Sherry Faulkner, Tony Grandison, Bill Sibert, Frank Taylor, Erica Powell, Matt Alexis, Rico Doss, and my Communications Director Steven Engelhardt, and the late Allison Singfield and the late Dottie Ross. prgtoken I would like to extend a special thanks to educator Gwendolyn Reed, who also served as a staffer for both me and my father, Congressman Bill Clay, Sr. prgtoken I also want to thank an exceptional American who has devoted 48 years of public service to the U.S. House, my remarkable Constituent Services Director, Edwilla Massey. prgtoken I want to thank my devoted Executive Assistant and Scheduler, Karyn Long. Karyn is family. She always went above and beyond for me and I am forever grateful. prgtoken I also want to especially thank all my Chiefs of Staff: Harriet Grigsby, Darryl Piggee and Yvette Cravins. prgtoken In the book of Matthew chapter 25, verses 36-40, the scriptures read, ``When I was naked you clothed me. I was sick you visited me, when I was in pr
WE MUST RISE TO THE OCCASION
Dean Phillips (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2020-12-4

. Madam , the foundation of America's greatness stems from its remarkable ability--our remarkable ability--to meet the moment during times of crisis. prgtoken Whether our foremothers and forefathers faced threats from overseas, economic depressions, natural disasters, or attacks on our own soil, they rose to the occasion. They met the moment, and history shined favorably upon their legacies. prgtoken And now it is our turn. prgtoken The pandemic is an enemy that has already killed 276,000 of our neighbors across the Nation, and by the time it is over, it will have likely claimed more lives--American lives--than World War II. prgtoken Families are hungry, restaurants and businesses are closing, millions are unemployed, and each one of them is waiting on us. prgtoken But common ground has been found, my friends. A bipartisan, bicameral framework awaits our action. Time is short, the need is great, and I implore that we all come together and get it done.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Richard E. Neal (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2020-12-4

today's House Consideration of the MORE Act marks an important step in mitigating the impacts of the historically racist war on drugs. This legislation will reform our federal criminal laws while also making investments in and empowering communities of color and those adversely affected by current unjust policies. prgtoken The MORE Act makes important changes to federal law by removing marijuana, or cannabis, from the list of federally controlled substances. This change to federal law does not undermine the ability of states to apply their criminal laws as they see fit. Instead it makes marijuana a federally regulated substance that is subject to the FDA's regulatory authority and federal taxation. The excise tax that is established by the bill is similar to those for alcohol and tobacco. prgtoken By creating a legal marijuana market that is subject to federal taxation, this legislation also creates an opportunity trust fund that will increase opportunities or individuals and communities affected by the war on drugs. The opportunity trust fund will fund programs such as job training, reentry services, and substance abuse disorder services, as well as assistance to small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. prgtoken , Representative Blumenauer, for his tireless leadership on this issue. As this bill continues through the legislative process, I look forward to continuing to work with the measure's sponsors and the other committees of jurisdiction to achieve an effective tax regime that supports a vibrant legal market and provides individuals most affected by the war on drugs the opportunity to fully participate in this emerging economy.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-12-4

I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in support of the MORE Act. I applaud my colleagues, prgtoken Chairman Nadler and Vice President-elect , for their leadership. It is past time that Congress answers the call for reform for low-level marijuana conviction justice. prgtoken This sweeping legislation would officially remove cannabis from the list of federally controlled harmful substances, protect medical cannabis businesses, and expunge low-level marijuana convictions that have disproportionately harmed people and communities of color. prgtoken The MORE Act would also help those whose convictions are overturned through an opportunity trust fund that would provide job training, reentry assistance, and legal aid. If we are serious about criminal justice reform, we need to get rid of the antiquated cannabis laws that disproportionately harm people of color. The MORE Act would do just that. prgtoken , I urge a ``yes'' vote.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-12-4

let me indicate that this legislation does not take away any of the responsibilities of the Department of Transportation in its regulatory authority, and the facts belie any worries regarding road safety. prgtoken According to a 2018 study of the National Bureau of Economic Research, States that have legalized marijuana have not experienced significantly different rates of marijuana- or alcohol-related traffic fatalities. prgtoken All of the State laws dealing with driving under the influence remain. Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana is still illegal in every State--we insist on that--and even in these States that have legalized the substance, and the MORE Act leaves these in place. prgtoken , we need to talk about the many deaths that have occurred because of the violence over illegal marijuana. I have seen it. We have seen it. We have lost lives in their future, and we have lost them to their families. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Correa), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2020-12-4

I rise in support of the MORE Act. The war on drugs targeting communities of color, primarily, has resulted in the advent of the prison industrial complex that has fed on and consumed the lives of countless individuals and families. Too many Black and Brown children in our country have grown up without a parent because of government-sponsored crony capitalism which saw profits and policies that put people in prison rather than dealing with drug abuse as a public health issue. prgtoken The criminalization of marijuana was used to disenfranchise an entire generation of Black men and women. The MORE Act is an important step forward toward more enlightened policy. I am proud to vote in favor of this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-12-4

. Madam , I unfortunately failed to register my vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, H.R. 1380, the Big Cat Public Safety Act. prgtoken While casting a proxy vote for my colleague, I unintentionally overlooked casting my own vote purely by oversight. As a cosponsor of the bill and having just cast a proxy vote for the bill clearly I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 232
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-12-4

I am proud to have introduced H.R. 3884, the ``Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020,'' or the ``MORE Act of 2020.'' prgtoken This long overdue legislation would reverse the failed policy of criminalizing marijuana on the federal level and would take steps to address the heavy toll this policy has taken across the country, particularly on communities of color. prgtoken The MORE Act would make three important changes to federal law: (1) remove marijuana, or cannabis, from the list of federally controlled substances; (2) authorize the provision of resources, funded by an excise tax on marijuana, to address the needs of communities that have been seriously impacted by the War on Drugs, including increasing the participation of communities of color in the burgeoning cannabis market; and (3) provide for the expungement of Federal marijuana convictions and arrests. prgtoken For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem instead of as a matter of personal choice and public health. Whatever one's views are on the use of marijuana for recreational or medicinal use, the policy of arrests, prosecution, and incarceration at the Federal level has proven unwise and unjust. prgtoken This issue is not new to Congress. There have been many Members who have introduced bills upon which provisions in this bill are based. For instance, Representative Barbara Lee has sponsored bills that are the foundation of key provisions of the MORE Act, and I thank her for her longstanding leadership on this issue. Representative Earl Blumenauer has also been an indefatigable advocate and has supported everything we have done to get to where we are today. I thank him, as well. prgtoken Federal action on this issue would follow the growing recognition in the states that the status quo is unacceptable. Despite the federal government's continuing criminalization of marijuana, 36 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. prgtoken I have long believed that the criminalization of marijuana has been a mistake, and the racially disparate enforcement of marijuana laws has only compounded this mistake, with serious consequences, particularly for communities of color. prgtoken Marijuana is one of the oldest agricultural commodities not grown for food, and it has prgtoken been used medicinally all over the world since at least 2700 B.C but its criminalization is a relatively recent phenomenon. prgtoken The use of marijuana, which most likely originated in Asia, later spread to Europe, and made its way to the Americas when the Jamestown settlers brought it with them across the Atlantic. The cannabis plant has been widely grown in the United States and was used as a component in fabrics during the middle of the 19th century. During that time period, cannabis was also widely used as
BRING AUSTIN TICE HOME
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-12-4

and still I rise. prgtoken I rise today on behalf of my constituents, Marc and Debra Tice, the parents of Austin Tice. prgtoken Marc and Debra have asked that I extend their sincerest gratitude to the House of Representatives, all of its leadership and membership, for the passage of H. Res. 17, a resolution that, in effect, supports the President's desire to bring their son home. prgtoken Hence, , pursuant to their request, I thank Pelosi, because I had a personal conversation with Pelosi about this resolution, and I believe that that led to its coming to the floor. prgtoken I thank Majority Leader Hoyer. He, in effect, orchestrated the bringing of this resolution to the floor. prgtoken I thank Congressman Hill for his support of the resolution at the committee level and for his efforts to bring his constituent, Dr. Kamalmaz, home. prgtoken I thank the outgoing chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Eliot Engel, for his efforts to bring the resolution out of committee. prgtoken I also thank the ranking member, the Texan, Mr. McCaul, who is a person who has worked with me on many endeavors. He made this bipartisan early on, and I thank him for what he has done to help us get it through the committee. prgtoken I thank Senator Cornyn, Senator Murray, the 41 cosponsors of H. Res. 17, the 52 Senators and 152 Representatives who signed on to a letter to the President. prgtoken , I include in the Record a letter from Debra Tice to President . Friday, 13 November 2020. Dear President , Thank you, from the entire Tice family, for your steadfast commitment and determination to bring our beloved Austin safely home. Yesterday there was a news story from the region that Austin Tice had been released and was on a plane headed home. Our phones were going crazy, our email was exploding, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram--every kind of social media was buzzing with an outpouring of high hopes and great joy. Many, many news outlets reached out eagerly hoping to verify this great news. We know you can make this joyful news a reality. We know the Syrians are ready to work with you. Please, please bring Austin home for the holidays. Respectfully, Debra Tice.
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-12-4

I rise in support of this legislation because it will restore justice to our most marginalized communities, and it will boost our economy. prgtoken I thank Pelosi, Chairman Nadler, and my fellow chairs, for bringing this legislation to the floor today. The MORE Act takes meaningful action to address systemic injustices by removing cannabis from its current classification as a schedule I drug and incentivizing States to expunge low-level possession records. prgtoken As chair of the Small Business Committee, I am proud to have championed measures included in the bill that will expand capital access and Federal small business development resources to the cannabis sector. prgtoken We cannot forget that while communities of color have disproportionately suffered from the so-called war on drugs, they have also been locked out of traditional capital markets. That is why the MORE Act is the best legislation to advance progress on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes''.
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FRED HAMPTON
Bobby L. Rush (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-12-4

. Madam , you can kill the revolutionary, but you cannot kill the revolution. These were the words my late comrade and best friend Fred Hampton, the Chairman and co-founder of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party spoke and lived by. In a year that has seen too many Black lives unjustly taken, Chairman Fred's words, life, and legacy remain just as vital to our understanding of justice today as they were on the date of his assassination on December 4, 1969. prgtoken Chairman Fred was both a visionary and a revolutionary, who fought for a more just world for everyone. I had the distinct privilege of recruiting and working alongside Fred during our righteous struggle for the liberation and emancipation of the people who had been ignored by those in power for far too long. We encouraged community development and empowerment through programs that included community health clinics and an expansive free breakfast for children program, finally delivering critical social services to long underserved communities. We also helped broker a peace agreement between Chicago's street gangs, reducing violence in the city's most marginalized neighborhoods. prgtoken Furthermore, the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party joined forces with the Latino Young Lords organization, and the Young Patriots, an organization of poor whites living in Chicago's Uptown community. Together, we formed the original Rainbow Coalition to fight all economic oppression. This watershed organization assembled a working-class coalition to fight for our shared interests, despite the fact that we were working in one of the most segregated cities in the United States. We banded together to fight many of the issues that still plague us to this very day, including police brutality, substandard housing, mediocre education, and low-quality health care. prgtoken In the early hours of December 4th, 51 years ago, the Chicago Police Department with the cooperation, coordination, and support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cook County State's Attorney entered an apartment on West Monroe Street that seven members of the Black Panther Party were staying in, with the premeditated aim of murdering Fred Hampton. The police immediately opened fire, killing Fred as he lay in his bed alongside his pregnant girlfriend, Akua Njeri. Our fellow Black Panther Party Member Mark Clark was also killed in the raid. There but for the grace of God, on that dreadful night, go I. In fact, my apartment was raided during the early hours the very next morning, December 5, 1969. prgtoken Madam , through meticulous work we were able to prove that the official narrative of that night, that Hampton and Clark were killed in a vicious firelight, was entirely a falsehood. The police and State's Attorney claimed that they engaged in a fierce battle with the Panthers, but investigators were able to determine that the police fired 99 bullets while the Panthers onl
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-12-4

let me reemphasize what the gentlewoman just said. I was so proud to vote for the Heroes Act twice nearly 8 months ago. I think that we have to move forward and continue to negotiate, and, hopefully, we will get some prgtoken votes on the other side of the aisle to help save lives and to help save businesses and to help our economic recovery. But I was proud to have voted for that twice already. prgtoken Thank you to Congresswoman Jackson Lee for her tremendous leadership in bringing this bill to the floor, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, the MORE Act. Let me thank Chairman Nadler and our fellow co-chair of the Cannabis Caucus, Congressman Earl Blumenauer, our respective staffs, and everyone for their effort, including the House Judiciary staff, for your hard work and for helping to bring this bill together to the floor. prgtoken Also, I have to call your attention to the advocates for their dedication to educating the public on this issue. This bill is an important racial justice measure. It is the product of years of work by so many activists and advocates and young people, and it is long overdue. prgtoken Yes, I have worked to end the war on drugs for many years. The MORE Act includes my legislation, the Marijuana Justice Act and the REFER Act, which are the first marijuana racial justice bills introduced in Congress. prgtoken This landmark legislation would end the Federal prohibition and decriminalize cannabis nationwide by removing it from the list of controlled substances, which is a major step, mind you, a major step toward ending the unjust war on drugs and racial inequities which are central to these laws. prgtoken This bill will facilitate expungement of low-level Federal cannabis convictions, create pathways for lucrative legal cannabis business ownership opportunities for communities of color, and provide critical resources for those most devastated by the war on drugs, for restorative justice to repair this damage. prgtoken I refer you to the letter by the chair of our Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Richard Neal, and I would just like to read a portion of his statement as it relates to a Ways and Means tax issue, which Mr. Blumenauer is going to discuss a little further. prgtoken Mr. Neal has addressed an issue that came to our attention as an exclusion in this measure and made a commitment, and he says that he looks forward to continuing to work with the measure's sponsors and other committees of jurisdiction to achieve an effective tax regime that supports a vibrant legal market and provides individuals most affected by this war on drugs the opportunity to fully participate in this emerging economy. prgtoken I want to thank the chair of the Ways and Means Committee for agreeing to help us fix several provisions of this important bill. prgtoken Make no mistake: This is a major racial justice bill. According to the ACLU, Black Americans are nearly four times more likely t
MARIJUANA OPPORTUNITY REINVESTMENT AND EXPUNGEMENT ACT OF 2019
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-12-4

I thank my dear colleague. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 3884, the MORE Act. prgtoken Since the war on drugs began, the Nation's prison population increased from 300,000 to a staggering 2.2 million people behind bars. In the decade between 2001 and 2010, 8.2 million people were arrested on marijuana charges. Nearly 90 percent of those arrests were for simply having marijuana. prgtoken Most troubling is the fact that, despite equal use rates, Black Americans are four times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana. prgtoken People of color have disproportionately borne the burdens of these draconian policies, facing longer prison sentences and the lifetime economic consequences of having a criminal record. Generations of Black and Hispanic communities have suffered--families ripped apart, businesses shuddered, educations unfinished. This is neither law nor order; it is injustice. prgtoken , we have an opportunity here to right our wrongs. The MORE Act is a sweeping effort for equity to our criminal justice system by removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and requiring Federal courts to expunge prior convictions. The bill goes a long way to reduce racial disparities that plague our criminal justice system. Marijuana reform is long overdue. prgtoken , I thank the gentlewoman for bringing the bill forward.