mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MAINSTREAM MEDIA ISSUES
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2024-7-25

. Madam , let's address some problems that ought to be covered by our mainstream media, but I don't feel are adequately being covered. One more time, I would like to review what is going on at the border. prgtoken So the American citizens know, our fiscal year ends on September 30. Sometime in the next 2 months as information keeps flowing out from the administration on the number of people crossing our southern border, we are going to hit the all-time high in the number of immigrants who are coming here, what I believe to be the all-time high. prgtoken Right now, at the end of June, we have let in, in our current year, over 2.1 million immigrants. When the prior administration left, in his final year, we were probably around about 120,000. The American citizens ought to know, when we hit the all-time record, it was 20 times as many people who had crossed the southern border as who crossed the southern border in fiscal year 2020. prgtoken Of course, in addition to the skyrocketing high number, you have the huge cost of immigrants. Immediately when they come in, they are given school at probably 12 or 13 or $15,000 a year. They are housed sometimes in hotels. They are fed. They are given free medical care or largely free medical care, as President promised he would do when he ran for President 4 years ago. prgtoken I hope that when these final figures are released--they might be released in the middle of September, they might be released in the middle of October--the American public is immediately given time to digest the numbers. prgtoken This is also a humanitarian problem, in addition to a huge fiscal problem. It is a humanitarian problem in that along with this group, it appears as though we are going to approach--probably won't get there-- but approach 90,000 unaccompanied minors. prgtoken Can you imagine a 10-year-old, a 12-year-old child, without either parent there, being let into the United States? They will try to find a foster parent, and maybe it will be a relative, maybe it won't be, although the administration no longer does DNA tests to make sure if somebody claims to be an uncle or a parent that they really are. prgtoken There was a time we were upset about tiny numbers of people when their parents broke the law and they were separated from their parents for a week, 10 days, or something. Here we have a situation in which we are going to have almost 90,000 unaccompanied minors separated from their parents for life. Talk about a humanitarian problem. prgtoken I should also point out that when we have an open border, people die making the dangerous trip--I have been at the border eight or nine times--be it drowning in the Rio Grande, be it drowning in the Pacific Ocean, or be it dehydrating in the Arizona heat. prgtoken Every year, people are dying because they think they can come to this country because President has created the expectation that people can come in this country without
TRIBUTE TO TYLER COOPER
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2024-7-25

I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Tyler for his hard work as an intern in my office in Casper, WY. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. prgtoken Tyler is a native of Casper. He attends Casper College, where he studies political science. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months. prgtoken I want to thank Tyler for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.
TRIBUTE TO ALAN BAKER
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2024-7-25

August 7 marks the 95th birthday of Maine's Alan Baker, a truly remarkable journalist, community leader, and public servant. It will be a pleasure to join Alan's friends and family in celebrating a remarkable life of adventures, accomplishments, and lasting contributions. prgtoken Alan's commitment to service began when he was growing up in Orrington, ME, during World War II. Spending more than 250 4-hour shifts in a tower above the town office to spot enemy aircraft targeting the vital Dow Army Airfield in nearby Bangor taught him the importance of individuals stepping forward in times of need. prgtoken After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1951, Alan launched a long and successful international career in publishing. He brought his work ethic, vision, and experience back to Maine in 1986 and joined the staff of the legendary Ellsworth American, one of the oldest newspapers in Maine. He purchased that newspaper 2 years later and later founded the Mount Desert Islander. Under his leadership, those two publications demonstrated the value of community newspapers by keeping readers informed and helping them to become involved citizens. prgtoken Alan was recognized with many industry awards over the course of his career, including the National Newspaper Association's James O. Amos Award for outstanding achievements in community journalism. In addition to being named Maine Journalist of the Year, he is a member of the Maine Press Association Hall of Fame. prgtoken Throughout his life, Alan led by example to encourage civic engagement. Following in his mother's footsteps, who served seven terms in the Maine State House, Alan ran for and won a seat as a citizen lawmaker in order to do his part and to better understand the legislative process. Despite his busy professional life, he has served his hometown on many community boards, from historic preservation to cemetery upkeep, and was named Orrington's Citizen of Year in 2017. prgtoken The remote island communities of Downeast Maine are beautiful yet challenging places to live. One of Alan's most significant contributions has been his strong and generous support for the work of the Maine Seacoast Mission. Founded in 1905, the nondenominational, nonprofit organization began delivering a minister to isolated communities where there were no churches and books where there were no libraries via a sloop called Hope. Today, the Mission's motor vessel Sunbeam V carries on that work and also serves as a mobile health clinic, bringing medical services to four islands. In 2017, the Mission presented Alan with its Sunbeam Award for his steadfast commitment to the island and coastal communities of rural Maine. prgtoken Alan Baker is an extraordinary journalist, a treasured friend, and a true asset to the State of Maine. May his birthday and the days to come be filled with joy.
CUTTING WASTE FROM FOOD PRODUCTION
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-7-25

in the United States, over one-third of all food produced is never consumed, including a significant portion of livestock and animal products. prgtoken Think about that for a minute. For the amount that is consumed, half of it is not. That is the equivalent of 143 billion meals, enough to feed every American three times over for a year. prgtoken This waste comes at an enormous financial cost. Over $473 billion worth of food is thrown away annually. Beyond that monetary loss, this waste results in unnecessary consumption of resources, water, and energy. prgtoken The production of animal resources demands significant amounts of water and energy. When food is wasted, so too are these critical resources. When meat is discarded, all the water used in its production is wasted as well, which is a high water use. prgtoken Energy expended in raising, processing, and transporting these products is lost and wasted, contributing to inefficiencies and waste of resources. prgtoken Farmers--I am one--invest countless hours, labor, and resources into growing crops and raising livestock. It drives us crazy to see it wasted. prgtoken Transportation also plays a crucial role. We lose that energy. prgtoken We must do better so our kids don't go hungry.
STRONGLY CONDEMNING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND ITS BORDER CZAR, KAMALA HARRIS'S, FAILURE TO SECURE THE UNITED STATES BORDER
Rudy Yakym III (Republican, IN) \u2014 2024-7-25

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of this resolution introduced by my colleague, Representative Stefanik. prgtoken In March 2021, an Axios headline declared: `` puts in charge of border crisis.'' prgtoken According to this article: ``The first goal will be stemming the flow of illegal migrants to the U.S.'' prgtoken The chart next to me shows cumulative Southwest border encounters for the first 42 months of the last six Presidential terms. The red line represents the - administration. Look at the chart and ask yourself: How did Vice President do as the person in charge of the border? prgtoken In June 2021, Vice President said: ``If you come to our border, you will be turned back.'' prgtoken Look at that chart and ask yourself if anyone took her warning seriously. prgtoken In September 2022, Vice President said: ``The border is secure.'' prgtoken Look at that chart and ask yourself if it was then or if it is now. prgtoken , the Venn diagram of border security and the - administration are two separate circles. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
TRIBUTE TO DR. AUBREY K. LUCAS
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2024-7-25

on behalf of the people of Mississippi, I honor the exceptional public service of Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas, whose lifelong commitment to education has significantly benefited the people of Mississippi. prgtoken Dr. Lucas is an expert in education, beginning with the three degrees he earned studying the subject: bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. After completing his studies, he began his lengthy career serving Mississippi universities. prgtoken From 1971 to 1975, Dr. Lucas served as the fourth president of Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. He improved the school's reputation and led efforts to get the institution reaccredited for teacher education. On his watch, Delta State College became Delta State University. prgtoken The next year, Dr. Lucas was installed as the sixth president of the University of Southern Mississippi, USM. The university flourished under his care. He served as president for 21 years, overseeing the creation of the Center of International Education and the Polymer Science Institute. He did it all with style, always recognizable on campus for his trademark bowtie. In true Dr. Lucas fashion, he answered the call to serve as interim president of USM on two separate occasions after he had retired. prgtoken Over the years, countless Mississippians and students have benefited from Dr. Lucas's dedicated work. Governor Haley Barbour recognized Dr. Lucas with the Mississippi Medal of Service. More recently, the Mississippi Pinnacle Awards bestowed on him the Lifetime Achievement- Humanitarian Award, in honor of his lifetime of public service. prgtoken Dr. Lucas remains active in many civic and charitable organizations. He serves as chair of the Mississippi Arts Commission and of the board of directors of the Hattiesburg Area Community Foundation. It is for his achievements, legacy, and continued service that I praise Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas today in the Congressional Record.
ELIMINATE USELESS REPORTS ACT OF 2024--Continued
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-7-25

I know we are waiting for our colleague from Indiana to come to the floor, so as we do, today, we are moving to a cloture vote on the Kids Online Safety Act. This is something Senator Blumenthal and I have worked on over the last 3 years, and we are grateful that we are now to this day. We introduced this bill about 3 years ago, after a series of hearings where it became evident that platforms like Instagram knew they were causing rising rates of eating disorders, mental health issues among teenage girls, and yet they were downplaying these harms. prgtoken Since then, we have seen more and more evidence that Big Tech is focused on putting profit over children's safety. Children are the product when they are online. We have seen internal documents from these companies that show they know what they are doing to our kids. prgtoken We have worked tirelessly over the last 3 years to get this bill in shape. It will create new tools for parents to identify harmful behavior and to report abuse directly to those social media sites. prgtoken It will provide new controls for families to support their children, including to opt out of algorithmic recommendations. prgtoken It will require mandatory audits of the social media platforms to ensure that the platforms are mitigating harms to children. prgtoken Perhaps most importantly, it will create a duty of care for online platforms to prevent and mitigate specific dangers to minors, including the promotion of suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, and sexual exploitation. prgtoken Without real and enforceable reforms, social media companies will only continue to pay lipservice to the issue of protecting children while putting profits over their safety. prgtoken I am grateful to my colleague Senator Blumenthal and to Senator Schumer for his leadership in allowing the vote today. prgtoken .
CONTRAST FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE COULD NOT BE CLEARER
Tracey Mann (Republican, KS) \u2014 2024-7-25

last week, I couldn't help but notice the stark differences in the plans that and s laid out for America's future. prgtoken During my townhalls, Kansans demanded that we address our national debt and crushing inflation. They are shocked about the millions of illegal immigrants who have and continue to enter the country and the risks that they pose to the integrity of our elections. Our country is going down the wrong path, and we need to fix it, quickly. prgtoken During our convention, President and the s laid out our vision to make America wealthy again, safe again, strong again, and to make America great again. prgtoken Meanwhile, President withdrew from the race, propping up Vice President as the ic nominee. Make no mistake, Mr Vice President is the chief executive officer of President 's border crisis and is the mastermind behind his pro- abortion policies. A administration would simply be a more radical continuation of the last 3\1/2\ years. Americans deserve better. prgtoken The contrast could not be clearer. The Party is the only party that is prepared to get America back on track.
SECRET SERVICE FAILURES
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2024-7-25

like many of the Tennesseans I represent, I was relieved to learn that Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned on Tuesday. prgtoken We all watched as she refused to answer very simple questions at a House Oversight hearing this week. She did, however, confirm what we already knew, that a significant operational failure occurred on July 13. prgtoken Ms. Cheatle did not offer an explanation as to why the former President was allowed on stage after the agency was notified multiple times about a suspicious person. She did confirm that the roof from which the shooter acted was identified as a possible vulnerability days before the rally, yet failed to explain why it was not secured. prgtoken I support a bipartisan task force to investigate the attempted assassination of former President . An armed, would-be assassin with a clear line of sight must never be allowed to get within 150 yards of a Presidential nominee or a former President ever again.
SAVING SAN FRANCISCO
Kevin Kiley (Republican, CA) \u2014 2024-7-25

. Madam , I rise today with an update on the condition of San Francisco, a city whose fate has been largely shaped by several politicians of prominence here in Washington, D.C. Foremost among them are Vice President and Emerita Nancy Pelosi. prgtoken I think it is important for all Americans to understand the tragedy of San Francisco and what has happened to one of America's most beautiful cities because the same radical failed policies that have caused San Francisco's decline and collapse are gaining increasing traction in Washington, D.C. prgtoken I want to go over just a few of the reasons why it is that as the San Francisco Chronicle put it last year, this city is ``on the verge of collapse.'' prgtoken Indeed, in many ways, my entire State of California offers a preview of where our country has been headed, but San Francisco offers an even starker warning. It is the part of our State where failed policies, radical politics, and public corruption are in their most advanced stage and where residents are most rapidly fleeing. prgtoken In an article headlined ``San Francisco Falls Into the Abyss,'' UCLA economics professor Lee Ohanian writes: ``No major American city has failed at the same level as Detroit, whose population dropped from 1.85 million people in 1950 to about 630,000 today. Move over Detroit, here comes San Francisco, which lost 6.3 percent of its population between 2019 and 2021, a rate of decline larger than any 2-year period in Detroit's history and unprecedented among any major U.S. city.'' prgtoken The city is declining faster than any major U.S. city in the history of our country. The reasons they are not a misery, foremost among them are crime, drug addiction, homelessness, waste, unaffordability, and failing schools, all a result of failed governance. prgtoken Let's just start with the crime situation in San Francisco, which is a city that has had a progression of self-described progressive prosecutors starting with now-Vice President who has used that term to describe herself, progressive prosecutor, followed by others in her mold, George Gascon and then Chesa Boudin, who was ultimately recalled from office by voters. prgtoken On a State level, California law has essentially legalized many forms of crime, making theft of merchandise below $950 a misdemeanor, as well as the possession of even class A drugs. prgtoken In practice, this means offenders are rarely, if ever, prosecuted, and, in many cases, businesses have stopped even reporting losses. prgtoken San Francisco's anti-law enforcement policies have compounded these problems. For example, a few years ago in 2020, San Francisco defunded the police shifting $120 million away from law enforcement. If you park your car while in the city, the advice is just to leave the doors open and make sure there are no valuables inside. That will at least spare you the cost of replacing your windshield. prgtoken Last year, the Cast
RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING CITIZENS OF MISSOURI'S FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Mark Alford (Republican, MO) \u2014 2024-7-25

I rise today to honor our August Veteran of the Month, Mr. Harold King. prgtoken Mr. King attended Leigh High School in Nebraska, Utah State University, U.S. Armor School, JFK Special Warfare Center and School, and Command and General Staff College. prgtoken Mr. King joined the Army as a military policeman in 1984 and held many jobs throughout his career. Among those are armor crewman, armor officer, company commander, operations officer, and information operations officer. prgtoken In 1990, he served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm with 4-37 Armor 1st Division as a legacy. His grandfather was in World War II. prgtoken He left Active Duty in 1994, becoming a psychological operations officer with the 10th PSYOP Battalion in St. Louis, Missouri. Then, in 2007, , he deployed again to Iraq until 2008. prgtoken After that, King remained committed to serving his fellow veterans. He worked as a veteran service officer with the Missouri Veterans Commission for over 10 years and recently took on an additional duty of appeals specialist. prgtoken Right now, he serves as military services coordinator for the Department of Veterans Affairs at Fort Leonard Wood. There, he provides veterans and servicemembers with the information they need to fully understand the comprehensive assistance and benefits available to them. prgtoken He is a devoted father, devoted husband, grandfather to one, and papa to a crew of dogs, cats, and fish. prgtoken I congratulate our August Veteran of the Month, Major King, and I thank him for his service. Major King makes Missouri's Fourth Congressional District and America proud. prgtoken , I wish my colleagues on both sides of the aisle a safe and productive time working in their district, reconnecting with their families, and making memories. prgtoken God bless this body, and God bless the United States of America
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL HIRE A VETERAN DAY
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2024-7-25

I rise to honor today as National Hire a Veteran Day. This day is crucial to the spirit and health of both America's veterans and our communities. prgtoken Set aside to raise awareness of the unique skills and valuable abilities of servicemembers after military service, we must use this day to recognize the sacrifice and strength of our veterans. Qualities like dedication, determination, and tenacity are highly valuable in America's private and public sectors. These features are fostered during military service and can be helpful in nonmilitary employment. prgtoken As 200,000 military members retire and become veterans each year, more and more qualified potential employees are eligible to join the greater American workforce. prgtoken As we look to hire, let us not forget the sacrifices made by our servicemembers. Each and every one of them, having defended our great country, deserve the opportunity to create a unique and positive impact in the workforce. Their dedication, determination, and tenacity are not just skills but a testament to their commitment.