mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN HONOR OF A&W RESTAURANTS
Andy Barr (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam , I rise to celebrate the oldest franchise restaurant in America--A&W. Today is its 100th birthday. As the automobile opened new horizons for Americans, A&W Restaurants pioneered the drive-in restaurant and made the Root Beer Float a household treat. prgtoken These small businesses are a source of fond memories for generations of Americans. A&W's beloved mascot Rooty the Great Root Bear is known from coast to coast. prgtoken A&W opened doors of opportunity so people could start their own businesses as franchise owners. These iconic restaurants became hubs in towns across America, and A&W developed a culture of giving back, reflecting the very best of heartland values. prgtoken Today begins their annual fundraising drive for Disabled American Veterans. A&W has raised over $800,000 for veteran-related charities since 2011. prgtoken A&W is owned by its franchise partners, who independently operate nearly 600 U.S. restaurants. The National A&W Franchisee Association headquarters is located in Richmond, Kentucky. prgtoken Madam , please join me today in welcoming the A&W family to Washington to celebrate their 100th Anniversary.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Markwayne Mullin (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam Chair, my amendment would prohibit funds from implementing the social cost of carbon rule. prgtoken The administration continuously used social cost of carbon models which can be easily manipulated in order to attempt to justify, once again, new job-killing regulations. prgtoken I offered this same amendment yesterday, and, unfortunately, it failed. Until then, the House had a clear, strong record of opposition to the social cost of carbon, voting at least 12 times to block, defund, or oppose the proposal. prgtoken We want clean air; we want clean water; and we take care of the land we live on. Using subjective standards to create job-killing regulations is not the way to accomplish this goal. prgtoken The social cost of carbon rule is nothing more than more burdensome red tape for the American people. prgtoken Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-6-20

I have come to the floor to speak in support of the nomination of Dr. Rita Baranwal to be Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the Department of Energy. Dr. Baranwal was reported from the Energy and Natural Resources Committee without opposition in both the 115th and 116th Congresses, and I am glad we will vote to confirm her today. prgtoken Over the past several years, the United States has lost influence in nuclear energy to countries like Russia and China. That is not a positive development, but advanced nuclear technologies have the potential to reposition the United States as a leader in the world market. prgtoken To achieve that, we will need strong, experienced, and consistent leadership at the Department of Energy. Dr. prgtoken Baranwal's experience as the director of the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear, also referred to as GAIN, provides her with an informed perspective to push forward the research, development, and deployment of advanced reactor technologies. prgtoken Congress began to demonstrate its strong support for advanced nuclear through the enactment of two bills in the last Congress, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act and the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act. These new laws are intended to facilitate reactor development and streamline the licensing process at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. prgtoken In addition, legislation I have sponsored, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, has garnered 17 bipartisan cosponsors in this new Congress. Our bill provides for the next steps on advanced nuclear technologies, including the need to ensure high-assay, low-enriched uranium fuel is available for them. prgtoken We need a strong leader in the Office of Nuclear Energy, someone who recognizes the potential of these technologies, who will move forward so that we can realize that potential and who will work to restore the United States' leadership in nuclear energy. I appreciate Dr. Baranwal's willingness to serve in this role and urge my colleagues to support her nomination.
CONSIDERATION OF SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NOS. 27 THROUGH 48 EN BLOC-- Resumed
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-6-20

the arms industry is a unique industry. It is not like making shoes or apparel. It is not like selling watches. You are selling things that, when used properly, kill other people. They are deadly weapons that we have. We have accumulated the technology by the taxpayer paying for this. We have helicopters, planes, guided missiles, and we are able to refuel planes. prgtoken It is not a jobs program, and it is not something that--we don't willy-nilly give weapons to everyone. We don't sell weapons to Russia and we don't sell weapons to China because we have disagreements, and we don't think it would be in our best interest to sell weapons to them. prgtoken We also don't sell weapons, typically, to people we think are untrustworthy. I think there is every evidence that Saudi Arabia can be put in that category. When you have direct evidence and when our own intelligence community has concluded that there is high confidence that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia butchered a dissident with a bone saw in a consulate in a foreign country, you would think that would give us pause as to giving Saudi Arabia or selling Saudi Arabia more weapons. prgtoken But it is worse than that. We are not only selling Saudi Arabia offensive weapons, we are also talking about giving them nuclear technology. The nuclear technology, they say, is only for energy, but you have to wonder. A country that sits atop one of the largest oil reserves in the world is now saying ``Oh, we don't have enough fossil fuel. We need nuclear power''? There have been people who have gotten nuclear technology and then have moved on to nuclear weapons. prgtoken What could possibly be the worst thing to happen to the Middle East? It would be to have three powers there with nuclear weapons. We had Iran before. They now have the knowledge to enrich. They made an agreement not to enrich. They are still threatening to enrich uranium. What do you think will happen if Saudi Arabia gets nuclear technology and there is any rumor of their progressing on towards developing nuclear weapons? What will Iran do? Automatically, they will do the same thing. prgtoken It also happens in the conventional weapons arena. So every time we sell or give missiles to Saudi Arabia, what do you think Iran does? They have to either buy more or make more. It is an arms race. We are feeding both sides of an arms race. prgtoken But you will hear people in Washington say: But Iran--they are a malign influence. Well, yeah. So is Saudi Arabia. But what do we do when we have two powers that show tendencies toward evil and show tendencies toward acting in ways that are against our national interest? Do we just blindly give weapons to anybody who is opposed to Iran because Iran is a malign influence? Well, what about Saudi Arabia? They have spent $100 billion spreading this radical jihadism to other cultures; $100 billion around the world preaching hatred of Christians, hatred of Je
CONGRATULATING GABE KURTZ OF THE CAMDENTON LAKERS FOR WINNING THE 2019 MISSOURI CLASS IV STATE JAVELIN THROW TITLE
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam , I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Gabe Kurtz of the Camdenton High School Lakers for winning the 2019 Missouri Class IV State Javelin Throw Title. This is the second year in a row Gabe has won the state championship title. Gabe and Coach Nick Bruck, should be commended for their hard work throughout this past year and for bringing home the state title to their school and community. Madam , I ask you to join me in recognizing Gabe Kurtz for a job well done.
CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam , I rise to join my friends and colleagues in celebrating Juneteenth. prgtoken Madam , 154 years ago, on June 19, 1865, Texas became the final State in the U.S. to officially abolish slavery. This was a pivotal day in American history, one that represents both the checkered past of our Nation as well as the rising above it. prgtoken September 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and it took effect on January 1, 1863, throughout all the formerly Confederate States. prgtoken Madam , 2 years later, Texas was the last stop on the road to the abolition of slavery in America on June 19, known as Juneteenth. prgtoken On a day like Juneteenth, we encourage everyone to come together and celebrate this occasion and recognize not what makes us different from one other, but what we all have in common, all that we share: the love of freedom and individual rights that we are one people. prgtoken There is still more to be done, but a lot of progress has been made the last 150 years, and we will continue to make that together as a society.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Don Young (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam Chair, I suggest, when they talk about the taxpayer, these roads that are in place now, maintenance costs were already there. The reason they are not being used is because there is no timber in that area, which have been cut already, a very small amount of the Tongass. I am talking about State land. prgtoken By the way, can I ask the gentleman who just briefly spoke, or anybody: Have you been to the Tongass? prgtoken Do any one of you want to answer that? No. They are mimicking or parroting what has been fed to them. prgtoken This is not the United States of the Federal Government; it is the United States of America. You are taking away the right of a State of access to their land because of this action, and that is wrong. prgtoken I said we won it in court. You may not know that. We will win it again, because the law is very clear: There was to be no more in Alaska, but did apply it. prgtoken So I am saying: Have at it. It is not going anywhere. prgtoken I shouldn't get excited. It is just the idea that you are supposed to be representing a form of government, and you should have a right to represent your district. That is your responsibility. prgtoken Stay out of my district, because you are not doing what is right for the State of Alaska, and that is my job. I say shame on you. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-6-20

once again, I have been sitting on the floor. I sat in the House Committee on Natural Resources yesterday and heard this assault on oil and gas. So I want to remind everybody that the only mechanism to fund LWCF is actually these funds from the Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas. prgtoken It is amazing. It is absolutely amazing that we have this rhetorical conversation on the House floor. prgtoken So we are against adding any access to know what the resource actually is by seismic. We are responsible on behalf of these resources to the American public. Yes, the American public actually owns these jurisdictions. And what we are doing is we are leveraging as that opportunity to fund LWCF. prgtoken Be careful, Will Robinson, what you are asking for. prgtoken Those responsible applications, we heard it over and over from the gentleman from Louisiana. Once again, these are an asset of the American people, not South Carolina, not Florida, not California, not Massachusetts. So responsible applications here, we have got to be taking in good stewardship. prgtoken So with that in mind, I caution everybody that LWCF is the only mechanism for funding. The only mechanism for funding is these Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leases. prgtoken These are responsible aspects, and they actually know what the resources are. You are going to need seismic, if you are going to look at alternative energy aspects, particularly wind, in regards to permanent moorings. prgtoken So from that standpoint, I just offer a cautionary plea. Be careful what you ask for. You may end up having no funding at all. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Jared F. Golden (Democrat, ME) \u2014 2019-6-20

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise to offer this amendment to H.R. 3055 on behalf of my colleague, Representative Andy Kim. prgtoken Over the past decade, more than 400 Veteran Treatment Courts have been established across our country. These courts address a serious problem to those who served. For veterans with post-traumatic stress, substance abuse simply compounds the issues that they face on a daily basis. prgtoken More than 2 out of 10 veterans with post-traumatic stress also experience substance abuse problems. These are service men and women who gave much to our country, only to come back and struggle long after their time in uniform has come to an end. prgtoken As representatives of a grateful Nation, we owe them solutions to the problems they face. Veteran Treatment Courts have been that solution for thousands of veterans and they continue to be so. prgtoken That is why this amendment would increase funding for this lifesaving program by $1 million. That is funding to help provide an alternative to incarceration for those in need. That is funding to help improve access to mental health services and rehabilitative care. That is funding to improve the functionality of our local VA services and better serve those who served us. prgtoken This is a proven program that addresses a critical need in a community that has given much to this country. Let's join together today to give something back to them. prgtoken With that, I urge adoption of this commonsense amendment. I have seen these courts at work in such positive ways amongst my brothers and sisters who served in the military. prgtoken I want to thank Representative Andy Kim for offering this amendment, and .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-6-20

it is my great honor to join Senator Brown of Ohio here on this 50th anniversary. prgtoken The image of a river aflame is engraved in our collective memory. For Ohioans, for Senator Brown, and for all others who care about our water and environment, the Cuyahoga River remains a rallying cry. prgtoken Time magazine ran a piece in 1969 calling it this: ``Chocolate brown, oily, bubbling with subsurface gasses, it oozes rather than flows.'' prgtoken No fish lived in it. It was too dangerous for drinking or swimming. ``The lower Cuyahoga has no visual signs of life, not even low forms such as leeches and sludge worms that usually thrive on wastes,'' a Federal report said. prgtoken Virginia Aveni, captain of a vessel charged with cleaning up, told the Plain Dealer that the river ``was a complete gel almost of petrochemicals.'' There was a ``sheen and thickness of the river . . . . it was totally jammed with downfall from upstream'' and had ``every kind of litter you can imagine.'' prgtoken Today, waterfowl are back, and paddlers enjoy themselves. It has been named River of the Year for 2019. Fish from the river are now safe to eat. A river that inspired a generation to act in the name of our environment has rewarded that effort. prgtoken By the time a spark jumped off a nearby passing train and lit the river on fire in 1969, it was no surprise. The river had burst into flames 13 times before between 1868 and 1969. This is the most economically damaging fire, in 1952, which cost over $1.3 million--$12 million in today's dollars. prgtoken An earlier fire in 1912 was the deadliest, killing 5 people. prgtoken What was different this time? America paid attention. prgtoken Of course the Cuyahoga was not our only polluted waterway. The Potomac River in Washington, DC, was, to describe it in Time's words ``stinking from the 240 million gallons of waste [that] were flushed into it daily,'' and ``Omaha's meatpackers [filled] the Missouri River with animal grease balls as big as oranges.'' prgtoken Americans wised up to what we were doing to our planet. We grew tired of unchecked industries using our common assets as their dumps, and things changed. It produced some of the most significant environmental and public health protections in history: the December 1970 establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, the 1972 amendments to the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act, the Ocean Dumping Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act, and the Toxic Substances Control Act. And, of course, there was the big one--the National Environmental Policy Act. prgtoken Each one had broad popular support. Each garnered bipartisan support. It is hard to imagine that today, but it happened. prgtoken The American people have made hard-earned progress protecting our waters in the last 50 years. We want to swim in our lakes. We want to fish in our rivers.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Ayanna Pressley (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Mr. Chair, during a recent Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, of which I am a member, on Ban the Box, an advocate and formerly incarcerated mother testified that ``People do not go to prison; families do.'' prgtoken From personal experience and a career spent in community and advocating on behalf of families destabilized by mass incarceration, I know firsthand the trauma that comes from having a parent involved in the criminal justice system. prgtoken We must break the chains that keep families ensnarled by the mass incarceration system generation after generation. We must end the prison industrial complex that has brought so much devastation and trauma to many families and communities. prgtoken As many as 2.7 million children have at least one parent in prison or jail. That is 1 in 9 Black children, 1 in 28 Latino children, and 1 in 57 White children. Too many children are bearing the trauma, the shame, and the stigma that often comes along with having a parent or caregiver incarcerated. prgtoken In the Massachusetts Seventh, which I am fortunate to represent, a Boston reentry study that tracked formerly incarcerated men and women found that over half of respondents had less than $400 in their pockets upon release from prison; about a third went to unstable or temporary housing in shelters and transitional housing programs, motels, or on the street; and fewer than half were in paid employment after 2 months. prgtoken Mass incarceration and the lingering effects of a criminal record have a profound impact on families. From unemployment and financial instability to eviction and hunger for families involved in our criminal injustice system, incarceration is, quite literally, a shared sentence. prgtoken As lawmakers, as mothers, as fathers, as brothers, as sisters, we can and must do better. prgtoken My amendment would increase funds to support the Children of Incarcerated Parents Program and help reduce the harms of parental incarceration and alleviate generational trauma. In the wealthiest Nation on Earth, we must ensure that all families can truly have a second chance. Funding for these programs will help provide that. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Chellie Pingree (Democrat, ME) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam Chair, I am sorry to say that I have to oppose the amendment from the gentleman from Oklahoma and appreciate his thoughts, but he is completely wrong. prgtoken The amendment is a harmful rider that would prohibit the EPA from considering the social cost of carbon as part of rulemakings. prgtoken The ``social cost of carbon'' may sound a little confusing to people, but, frankly, it is an estimate of the economic damages associated with the small increase in carbon dioxide emissions in a given year. It represents, currently, our best scientific information available for incorporating the impacts from carbon pollution into regulatory analysis. prgtoken Weakening or eliminating the use of the social cost of carbon as a tool for Federal agencies would ignore the sobering cost of health, environmental and economic impacts of extreme weather, rising temperatures, intensifying smog, and other impacts. prgtoken We just cannot afford to abandon science at this critical moment in time. Our country needs to face the challenges ahead of us with climate change and have the best scientific tools available, and this is one. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3055, which would provide funding for the 400 Years of African- American History Commission. I would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives John Lewis, Barbara Lee, and Rashida Tlaib for cosponsoring this amendment which would provide an additional $500,000 to support the work of this important commission. I would also like to thank Chairwoman Lowey, Chairwoman McCollum and the Appropriations Committee for working with me to include funding in the underlying bill and their support for this amendment. prgtoken The 400 Years of African American History Commission is charged with planning programs and activities to commemorate the arrival of the ``twenty and odd'' enslaved Africans who arrived at Point Comfort, Virginia 400 years ago this August and to recognize the influence and contributions of Africans in America in the 400 years since. prgtoken Unfortunately, that August day in 1619 was not the last time men, women, and children arrived to our country as slaves or were born into bondage here. The history of our nation cannot be fully understood or appreciated without knowing and acknowledging their stories and understanding the ramifications of slavery. We must not ever allow ourselves to forget that this country, including our nation's Capitol, was built through the forced labor of enslaved Africans and their descendents. prgtoken More than a stain on our nation's past, racism in America did not end with emancipation nor the end of Jim Crow. We must recognize how it continues to impact our communities and our nation today as we address issues of environmental justice, voting rights, mass incarceration, police brutality, and inequity in education and housing. Only then can we begin to move forward together as a country. prgtoken In the past 400 years, African Americans have struggled and triumphed, making important strides and innovations in science, medicine, business, politics, law, the arts, and more. As we remember, mourn, reflect, and study horrific parts of our nation's history and work to address systemic racism today, the Commission is also intended to celebrate the many accomplishments of African Americans. prgtoken This body has a history of funding the work of similar commemorative commissions and I trust that our support for the work of this commission will be no different. I remember fondly the many celebrations surrounding the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown Settlement in 2007, just a few miles up the James River from historic Point Comfort. As we look forward to the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment next year, I am grateful for the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission and the funding they have received to support their important work. I am also grateful for this body's generous support of the United States Semiquincentennial Commissioners as we prepare to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026. <|p|