mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-9-18

today I wish to honor the life of Walter Turnbow, who passed away on September 9 at the age of 95. Walter was a longtime leader in northwest Arkansas and truly represented what it meant to put the needs of others above one's own. prgtoken Walter Turnbow served on the Springdale Industrial Commission, Springdale Public Facilities board, Beaver Water District board, and the Springdale Water and Sewer Commission. In addition to these positions, he also served on the Springdale School Board, Northwest Arkansas Community Care Foundation, and the Arkansas State Board of Education. prgtoken He dedicated his life to public service and the education system in Springdale. While serving on the water and sewer commission, he oversaw the construction of what was, at that time, the State's largest water tank. This proved to be a forward-thinking decision since the city's continued growth would require greater infrastructure investment. Because of Walter's leadership, Springdale was prepared for the changes and completed the project without having to borrow money. prgtoken Walter saw education as the gateway to a better future for his community. In 2006, the Springdale School District honored his contributions to the community and the school board by naming an elementary school after him. He often visited the school to meet with students and read to them. In addition to the elementary school, other sites and meeting spaces in the Springdale community have also been named in his honor, a testament to his very real impact and incredible legacy. prgtoken As one of Springdale's most well-known public servants, he touched the lives of everyone in the community. From overseeing economic development to ensuring a quality education for everyone, Walter Turnbow left a mark on the community of Springdale that no one will soon forget. I extend my condolences to his loved ones and the entire Springdale community and pray that future leaders will follow his remarkable example.
HONORING CAROL SMOLENSKI
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-9-18

. Madam , I rise to honor an extraordinary leader on her retirement, Carol Smolenski. prgtoken She has been involved in ECPAT for 20 years as the executive director, a renowned organization with a single mission: end child exploitation and trafficking. prgtoken Two decades ago, Carol noticed that America did not have an ECPAT- like organization like some other nations had, and so she took charge. ECPAT-USA was born. prgtoken Carol's mission has been pure and simple: raise awareness of modern- day slavery in America and end human trafficking in our world. prgtoken As Carol moves on, I would like to let her hear some Texas wisdom. Carol may not be in a class by herself, but whatever class she is in, it don't take long to call the roll. I thank Carol. She has saved lives.
TIME IS NOW TO AX WIDOW'S TAX
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-9-18

yesterday, the conferees of the National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, were announced, and I am deeply grateful to serve another year on this committee for fiscal year 2020. prgtoken I will continue to promote peace through strength and work to champion repeal of the widow's tax. Our surviving spouses have waited long enough. prgtoken As of this week, my bill, the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act, has 376 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. In fact, it has the highest number of cosponsors of any bill in the current Congress. prgtoken In a time of constant disagreement, I am thankful to come together and for the bipartisan support this bill has received. I am disappointed it did not receive a standalone vote, but I will fight to keep it in the NDAA. It is now time to ax the widow's tax. prgtoken I am dedicated to supporting our servicemembers, veterans, and military families. I look forward to working with the entire NDAA conference committee and President to advance this bipartisan legislation. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
CONGRATULATING WICK'S PIES ON ITS 75TH ANNIVERSARY
Greg Pence (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-9-18

I rise with the sweetest news from the Sixth Congressional District of Indiana. On September 25, the famous Wick's Pies will celebrate its 75th anniversary in business. prgtoken Hoosier families have come to know Wick's for its delicious pies and baked goods that have been a staple in Randolph County since 1944. Duane ``Wick'' Wickersham started this business by delivering pies from his 1934 Buick sedan. Within 4 years, he was producing over 300 pies a day. prgtoken Wick's is renowned for its sugar cream pie, a Hoosier specialty since that has become the State's official State pie. prgtoken To this day, Wick's Pies remains family owned and can produce 10,000 pies in a single 8-hour shift. Wick's distributes to more than 40 States, though you can't beat a fresh slice from Mr. Wick's restaurant on Cherry Street in Winchester, which I have enjoyed. prgtoken , I congratulate Wick's Pies. Lack of High-Speed Internet Access Impacts All Americans
THE MODERN ASSOCIATION OF GRADUATES TAKES SHAPE AOG HISTORY PART III (1946-1995) SECTION A
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-9-18

. Madam , I rise to include in the Record section A of the third installment of an article by Keith J. Hamel honoring the 150th Anniversary of the West Point Association of Graduates: ``For the first 30 or so years of its existence (1869- 1900), the Association of the Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy barely resembled the WPAOG that West Point graduates know today. Back then, its mission was ``. . . to cherish the memories of our Alma Mater, and to promote the social intercourse and fraternal fellowship of its graduates;'' its activities consisted of an annual meeting and the publishing of an annual report (dominated by a ``Necrology'' section of obituaries for those graduates who died the previous year); and its finances primarily relied on an estate gift from George Cullum, Class of 1833, who bequeathed $250,000 to build the Memorial Hall that bears his name and left $10,000 to fund ``the current and necessary expenses'' of the nascent Association. In its second stage of existence (1901-45), changes to AOG's mission, governance, and operations signaled its desire to become more like a contemporary alumni association. Some of the initiatives from that era included ``Alumni Day,'' featuring a wreath-laying ceremony at Thayer Statue that is still practiced nearly 100 years later; the ``Stained Glass Windows'' project, a precursor to Class Giving, where classes purchased windows in the Cadet Chapel (with some classes also purchasing a panel for a class that graduated 100 years earlier which had no living members); and the introduction of ASSEMBLY magazine, which replaced the Annual Report with a quarterly publication chronicling news involving West Point cadets, faculty, and alumni. The third part of WPAOG's history (1946-95) begins with the founding of the West Point Alumni Foundation and continues through the opening of Herbert Alumni Center, the current home of the West Point Association of Graduates, the modern alumni association with which all graduates are familiar today. west point alumni foundation The West Point Alumni Foundation, Inc. (WPAF) was founded on December 26, 1945 by trustees of the much older Association of Graduates. In the years immediately preceding WPAF's founding, the financial condition of AOG was dangerously close to running in the red. Other than the annual yield from an $100,000 endowment, AOG's only income source was the one-time $15 initiation fee it charged for membership, which included a lifetime subscription to the recently launched ASSEMBLY magazine (April 1942). Unfortunately, printing and mailing costs had escalated to such an extent during World War II that it was impossible to continue issuing ASSEMBLY on the support
Appropriations (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-9-18

defense funding is always an imperative. There are always going to be bad actors who threaten our country, whether they are major powers like China or Russia or terrorist organizations like ISIS or al-Qaida. We have to be prepared to counter those threats. prgtoken In the United States, we are used to having the most outstanding military in the world. In fact, we have come to rely on it. We assume our military will always be the best because it has been the best for as long as we can remember, but we can't forget that our military preeminence is the result of sustained investment. While our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines constitute the most advanced and proficient fighting force in the world, they can't do their jobs or maintain our military superiority without adequate resources. That includes funding, not just the weapons, equipment, and technology of today, but also the weapons, equipment, and technology of the future. It is too late to modernize our military when the threat has reached us. We need to invest in the equipment and technology of the future now so that when the threats of tomorrow materialize, we will be ready. This means delivering platforms like the future B-21 bomber on schedule and making robust investments in the cyber and space domains. prgtoken Right now, our military is rebuilding after years of underfunding and the strains in the war on terror. Here in the Senate, Members of both parties have worked together over the past couple of years to meet our military's funding and rebuilding needs. I hope that trend will continue. prgtoken In November 2018, the bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission released a report that warned that our readiness had eroded to the point at which we might struggle to win a war against a major power like Russia or China, and the Commission noted that we would be especially vulnerable if we were ever called on to fight a war on two fronts. That is a dangerous situation for our country to be in, and we need to keep working to rebuild our military so that we are not trailing behind other nations. prgtoken Other countries are certainly not holding back when it comes to military preparedness. Russia and China are busy investing in their militaries as we speak, and they have recently conducted joint military exercises. As the leader noted on the floor on Monday, military spending in China over the prgtoken last decade has nearly doubled. Meanwhile, these countries have continued to flex their military power outside the borders of their countries, underscoring the need for other nations to be prepared to deter their aggressions. Of course, while we may be in a new era of great power competition, we still face threats from rogue states and terrorist organizations. We need to be prepared to meet multiple threats on multiple fronts if we want to ensure the security of our Nation. prgtoken Later today, the leader is planning to have the Se
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-9-18

on September 17, 1787, this great experiment was finalized to try to form what they considered a more perfect Union, and the birth of our Constitution happened. This was a radical experiment in self-government, and most of the rest of the world at the time stared at those whom we now call our Founding Fathers and thought, that will never work. prgtoken It wasn't a parliamentary system. It wasn't a monarchy. It was a representative republic, and it was pulling something out of the thoughts and the hearts of people to say: This is inherently what we think would work. prgtoken It began with the simple concept of checks and balances--that one person would check another person who would check another person. They were able to put that into a governmental structure that had three coequal branches--an executive, a legislative, and judicial branch--so that we don't have one over the other. The three stand on equal footing. Each of them watches the other. prgtoken It was a unique system of putting a legislative branch together that had one body made up of the House of Representatives that would be large, boisterous, and up for election every two years. prgtoken The most painful parts of government--that are required of government--are put into the hands of the people who are closest to the people. Those are the power of impeachment, the power of the purse, and the power of things that need to be done by government but can be done only by people who are closest to the government. prgtoken Then they were able to create a Senate with longer terms, closer to the States, and a larger perspective on how we would structure together to make sure that we protect the rights of the individual States and the uniqueness of, at that time, those 13 States all joining together. It was a radical idea and a complete shift from where we had just been. prgtoken As Americans, occasionally we forget that this wasn't our first time to try to prgtoken put a government together. Prior to 1787, we had Articles of Confederation that basically had 13 different States that were very loosely connected to each other, that continued to spar with each other, and that didn't cooperate together. Eventually, they determined that we had to do something different. prgtoken After our practice round of the Articles of Confederation, we put together this Constitution. But even after the Constitution was put into place, when the very first Congress came into session, they immediately began work on 12 amendments that, at that time, they called the Bill of Rights. That is right; there were 12 amendments. We are so used to hearing about the 10 amendments in the Bill of Rights, but they started with 12. They debated and they edited and they worked it through, and those 12 ended up becoming 10. Those 10 amendments were added as our Bill of Rights, but we continue to be able to edit and to be able to work together as a country. prgtoken Eventually, we fou
HONORING THE MEMORY OF SERGEANT FIRST CLASS BARRETO-ORTIZ
Jenniffer González-Colón (Republican, PR) \u2014 2019-9-18

. Madam , I rise to honor Sergeant First Class Elis Barreto Ortiz, fallen in Afghanistan on September 5. prgtoken When Sergeant Barreto enlisted 10 years ago, he followed the tradition of many Puerto Ricans, including his father, in answering the call to defend America. prgtoken He served with distinction, earning many awards and the praise of his comrades. Now he joins those who also made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. prgtoken The people of Puerto Rico share the pain that fills this hero's family in his small hometown of Morovis and his unit's base at Fort Bragg. prgtoken Nothing can fill the void for his parents or his wife and children, but we must resolve that his sacrifice will be remembered and honored, and his memory will always endure. prgtoken May you rest in peace, Sergeant Barreto, a hero and a proud Puerto Rican.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-9-18

on another matter, we are closely monitoring events in the Middle East following that provocative and dangerous Iranian attack on Saudi energy facilities, which included the largest oil processing facility in the entire world. prgtoken As I said on Monday, Iran's reckless behavior is not just a threat to the region but to the entire global economy, and it must be met with swift consequences from the international community. prgtoken As the United States and our allies continue to learn more and weigh our options, there has already been one positive lesson that should not go unnoticed. While the attack has shaken global energy markets, to be sure, the United States is in a much better position to weather the storm than we might have been in past decades. prgtoken For years and years, an international attack of this magnitude would have been virtually guaranteed to roil the U.S. economy and send gas prices soaring for Americans at the pumps, but so far, this time around, analysts don't expect this event to yield the significant impacts we would have seen back in the seventies or even in the nineties. Why is that? The answer is three words: American domestic energy. prgtoken Over the last decade and often over the strenuous, strenuous objections of , our Nation has made incredible strides toward energy independence. We have explored new technologies, new methods, and new ways to fuel America's prosperity right here at home, and it is paying off big time. By 2015, our production had become so robust that I led the charge to lift the outdated ban on crude oil exports. Late last year, thanks in part to policies, the United States became a net exporter of oil for the first time in decades. prgtoken Get this: Across all forms of energy, the Department of Energy projects that next year our Nation will export more energy than we import for the first time since 1953. Let me say that again. Thanks largely to policies, our Nation is poised to become a net energy exporter for the first time since the Eisenhower administration. prgtoken That is huge progress, not just for our economy but, as we have just been reminded, for our national security as well. You would think the country would be united in celebration, but not everyone is happy. Oh, no. Last week, just days before this massive disruption in the Middle East, House sent us several bills designed to limit domestic energy development and literally tie America's hands. One of those bills would have shut off exploration in a small portion of ANWR in remote Alaska. They want to reverse something that had been sought for 40 years until s secured it in 2017. prgtoken So, as far as I can tell from the bills the House keeps sending us, the socialists who are calling the shots over there have never seen a pipeline they didn't want to cancel. They have never seen a pipeline they didn't want to cancel, a responsible
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-9-18

it is such an honor to be here following Leader McConnell and talk about the achievements of our State's senior Senator and recognize his wonderful work, not only in DC but also in Tennessee. I want to touch on just a few of those highlights and the importance to our State. prgtoken For me, being a State senator involved in our community, coming to serve in Congress, and now serving in the Senate with our senior Senator is something that is a wonderful experience. prgtoken The majority leader just mentioned that our senior Senator will retire at the end of next year. Of course, we are all going to miss seeing him around Capitol Hill. Senator Alexander has really distinguished himself as a man who is committed to Tennessee tradition and to helping Tennessee find prominence on the global stage. prgtoken Anyone who has ever entered Senator Alexander's office knows that he is a music lover. What they may not know is that he is also both a classically trained pianist and a pretty good gospel and country pianist. He has even performed on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, and rumor has it that he really rocked the house the night he was there. His love of music and of Tennessee's musicians has caused him to work tirelessly in these efforts. prgtoken In the House, I started a songwriters' caucus. He did likewise in the Senate, bringing the issues that confront our Nation's performers into the Senate, finding solutions, and, as the leader mentioned, passing and being instrumental in the crafting--not just the passing--of the Music Modernization Act. He was honored just this week by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, which gave him the White Hat Award. This is an honor that he and I share. prgtoken It is important to note that the White Hat Award has only been given 15 times in the 52 years of that organization's history. prgtoken As Governor--then Governor, now Senator Alexander opened the doors to automobile industries, including Saturn, GM, Nissan, and auto parts producers, which solidified Tennessee's place in the global economy. As Senator, he has focused on improving Tennessee from the inside out, giving priority to practical concerns. He led the charge on healthcare, education, and, as the leader mentioned, the opioid crisis. He has supported teachers, stood up for working moms, and enacted tax policies that kept more money in the wallets of Tennesseans. prgtoken Today, I rise to honor a leader, a friend, and, I have to say, the team captain for our annual Crockett Cup baseball game. And they were the winners. They are the holders of the Crockett Cup. prgtoken . prgtoken .
HONORING MERLE DAVID HAY
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-9-18

I would like to share some real Iowa history this morning. prgtoken Merle David Hay from Glidden, IA, was the first Iowa serviceman to die in World War I. Hay enlisted on May 9, 1917, with his father's blessing, as he was too young to be drafted. He was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, Company F. prgtoken In the early hours of November 3, 1917, while posted in the trenches near the French village of Artois, the Imperial German Army attacked, and Merle Hay was killed. Hay's father said: ``I am proud of my boy if he has given up his life for his country.'' prgtoken Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, IA, is a constant memory of this person's sacrifice. prgtoken .