mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Climate Change (Executive Calendar)
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-4-30

I am joined on the floor by my colleague Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who has recently visited coastal Louisiana and will share his observations following my remarks. He will speak objectively about that which we in Louisiana see not only objectively but emotionally. prgtoken We see our coastline melting away, and with the loss of that coastline, increasing vulnerability to hurricanes coming off the gulf, as well as a loss of villages, beautiful oak trees as salinity kills their roots, whole communities, and ways of life. I shall elaborate because Louisiana's coastal erosion impacts local businesses, communities, and I would say even our entire Nation. prgtoken Some of the Nation's most important trade, energy, and commercial fishing assets are associated with South Louisiana. Now, every Senator gets up and is proud of his or her State, and they will make statements such as that, but these statements are objectively true. prgtoken By tonnage, 5 of the 25 largest ports in the country are located in South Louisiana and along the Mississippi River. Twenty percent of the Nation's waterborne commerce moves through Louisiana. Approximately, 11,000 vessels use the lower Mississippi annually. If you think of a map of our country, from Wyoming to Pennsylvania, that is the territory of our country drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries. If you are shipping goods from Ohio to South America, most likely you are sending it down the Mississippi. The prosperity of the farmer along the Missouri River can depend upon the navigation of the lower Mississippi. It is truly a nation-impacting resource, but coastal erosion threatens the flow of commerce that is essential and vital to all of these areas. prgtoken Approximately, 20 percent of the Nation's oil supply originates off the coast of Louisiana, and countless oilfield service companies are located in South Louisiana to process that energy. Companies like Cheniere, Tellurian, Sempra, and others are investing billions in liquefied natural gas facilities, demonstrating the value of the United States but of Louisiana, in particular, in the global LNG market. prgtoken By the way, the workers who work in these rigs or work in these industries may live in Louisiana, but sometimes they will live far inland. I saw a map where somebody commuted from Montana, coming down by airplane, working for a month, and then going back to Montana. So the folks who work in our energy industry may come from any part of our country. Coastal erosion puts this energy infrastructure in jeopardy, threatening our Nation's energy security. prgtoken Louisiana has the largest commercial fishing industry in the lower 48, harvesting and selling shrimp, crawfish, crabs, and oysters to restaurants and grocery stores around the country. Coastal erosion puts this industry and the livelihoods of the workers who depend upon it in jeopardy. prgtoken For these reasons, among many more, I fight in
IN RECOGNITION OF CAPTAIN LAURA HEGGINS RECEIVING THE ROBERT JACKSON EURY MEMORIAL AWARD
Richard Hudson (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-4-30

. Madam , I rise today to honor Captain Laura Heggins on receiving the Robert Jackson Eury Memorial Award. prgtoken Captain Heggins started her career in 1992 and was assigned to the Cabarrus County Detention Center as a Sworn Deputy. During her law enforcement career, Captain Heggins has served on the Mental Health Task Force, as team leader for the Crisis and Hostage Negotiator Committee, and as a basic law enforcement training instructor. She also finds time to work with the homeless through Main Street Mission. prgtoken Over the course of her career, Captain Heggins has climbed the ranks and was the first African American woman to ever be promoted to the Lieutenant rank with the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office. She is hard working, driven, and promotes a level of excellence that is hard to come by, she is a role model for all of us. prgtoken The Robert Jackson Eury Memorial Award is presented in memory of Robert Jackson Eury, a man who lost his life in the line of duty while serving as a Cabarrus County law enforcement officer. This award keeps Mr. Eury's legacy alive through officers who share his same admirable and commendable spirit in Cabarrus County. Based on her career of service, I would say Captain Heggins fits the mold of esteemed law enforcement officers in our community set by Robert Eury. prgtoken Madam , please join me today in congratulating Captain Laura Heggins for receiving the Robert Jackson Eury Memorial Award. We all wish her well as she continues to make a positive impact in our community.
NOMINATIONS
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-4-30

you just heard the story from Senator Young. He had the benefit of knowing Richard Lugar more recently. prgtoken My story is a little different. I am going to have to think back to 45 years ago. I was between my sophomore and junior years at Wabash College. I never knew I had an interest in politics, let alone that someday I would be serving in the Lugar seat. How life drives you in certain directions. prgtoken I remember that Richard Lugar took on Senator Birch Bayh, who I think had served several terms--he recently passed away himself, another icon of Hoosier politics--and I said that I wanted to get involved. When you have a man like Richard Lugar, who took a risk, stuck his neck out to run for mayor after he had been on a school board--ironically, I was on a school board for 10 years when I decided to stick my neck out to run for State legislator--you think back about how life drives you in certain directions. prgtoken With Richard Lugar, most notably, during his entire life, he lived with character and integrity. prgtoken I think back to when I first met him. I was dressed in a white turtleneck with a blue blazer and plaid pants. Wow, I can't believe we even dressed that way back in the seventies. I found those pictures stored away in a box about 4 or 5 years ago. I pulled them out, and my high school sweetheart, my wife now--she and I were looking at Dick as he was preparing to run for Senate. The look on our faces, looking into the face of someone with his stature, really stood out. prgtoken When you get this far down the trail, I get asked: Who were your mentors who got you to run for school board, State rep, and then the Senate? Mostly, it would have been my parents and my community. I say that often. But if there was one politician I would have looked up to, even when I wasn't certain I ever wanted to get involved in politics at all, I would look back to that year, back in the midseventies, when I decided to do it. prgtoken He was in the Senate for a long time. During the entirety of his terms, he always did it to where, as a Hoosier and as an American, you were proud of him. The thing he did as well as anyone is that he was able to look across the aisle in times when we were less polarized. Now, I think that trait, more than ever, would be something we need to pay attention to. prgtoken When you close the chapter on one individual's life, one whose life was as exemplary as Richard Lugar's, it should mostly be inspiration for others to follow in his footsteps. prgtoken I know in the State of Indiana--in an op-ed that was just put out by an individual, it cites Richard Lugar as the most important public servant ever to come from our State. Gosh, I think you would have to say there was a lot of credibility to push that point of view. prgtoken All I can tell you is that for the time I am here in the Lugar seat, I intend to do what he did. On things he knew a little something about, he stuck h
PARIS AGREEMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, VA) \u2014 2019-4-30

. Well, your amendment would certainly do that, and I will support that amendment. While I can't support the underlying bill, I can support that amendment because that does make the underlying bill better. If we are going to bind our hands and seal our fate to be the number two or number three or number five economy in the world, instead of being the number one economy in the world, if that is what we are going to do, then there ought to be votes taken down the hall. Men and women in the United States Senate should put their name on the line and say yes or no. The American people then will know who has voted yes and who has voted no. They won't be hiding behind any games or circumstances or procedural maneuvers. Then the American people can use the power that was given to them by our Constitution and an inalienable right granted by God to use the ballot box to make a decision as to whether or not they wanted to be bound, whether or not they wanted to have their economy reduced, and have their children and grandchildren to be lesser than what we have today in our economic wealth.
PARIS AGREEMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-4-30

I thank Mr. Gosar, and I appreciate his leading the Western Caucus Special Order hour of the day and all that he does, and the members of the Western Caucus, on these issues. prgtoken President attempted to implement the Paris Agreement domestically through an executive order he issued in September 2016, but the Paris Agreement was never ratified by the United States Senate as is constitutionally required for a treaty to exist and, therefore, is not a legally binding treaty. prgtoken In June 2017, President announced that the U.S. would cease all participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which is fully in its power to decide because, again, U.S. involvement is not legally binding. I applauded that decision then; I continue to applaud it now, and this is one of the reasons why. prgtoken This Paris accord has little efficacy. It will not save the world. Even if we take at face value the assumption that climate change poses an existential threat to the planet, U.S. compliance with the Paris Agreement, or even a full embrace of a far more expansive Green New Deal, would do little to avert that result. prgtoken The U.S. is no longer the primary source of global CO2 emissions. In fact, between 2005 and 2017, our Nation has reduced CO2 emissions by 862 million tons, and market forces are increasingly pushing us toward using cleaner and more efficient fuels. prgtoken Meanwhile, during roughly the same period, China increased its emissions by 4 billion tons and India by 1.3 billion tons. It is extremely unlikely that either China or India are going to fulfill their requirements within the Paris Agreement. prgtoken But even if they and every other country in the world, including the U.S were to comply, we would still only succeed in reducing global temperatures by less than one-half of 1 degree Celsius by the year 2100. That is according to the National Center for Atmospheric Research. prgtoken Like the Green New Deal, H.R. 9 is nothing more than cynical partisan messaging. I urge everyone in this Chamber to vote ``no.''
ISSUES OF THE DAY
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-4-30

let me take a quick moment and sort of get adjusted here. prgtoken We are going to spend a couple of minutes walking through some things that I think are exciting, hopeful, and worth getting our heads around. prgtoken Every week, I try to come to this microphone when we are here to talk about what I believe makes the future really bright for all of us, everyone from my 3-year-old--or 3\1/2\-year-old, as she corrects me-- little girl to someone who is moving into their retirement years. prgtoken Once again, what is the greatest fragility in our society? This is one that is hard for us to get our heads around or even talk about. It is our demographics. prgtoken Whether we like it or not, baby boomers are retiring, and we have 74 million baby boomers. The last baby boomer will hit 65 in about 8\1/2\ years. prgtoken In 8\1/2\ years, two workers, one retiree. In 8\1/2\ years, 50 percent of our spending from this body, less interest, will be to those 65 and up. prgtoken It is demographics. It is not or . It is demographics. prgtoken At the same time, we have a substantial collapse, fall, in our birthrates. As you know, our birthrates now are well below the replacement rates. prgtoken What do you do as a society? What do you do as a government? What do we do as a body here that is making public policy to make the future bright? prgtoken We keep coming to the floor and talking about that we believe there are, functionally, five elements. It is the adoption of technology. It is the adoption of economic policies that maximize economic growth through tax policy that creates investment in new technology for productivity; immigration policy that maximizes new Americans having talents that help us grow the economy; regulatory policy that uses technology and information to regulate instead of bureaucratic filing in file cabinets, functionally; incentives to stay in the workforce and incentives to enter the workforce. prgtoken As we have seen recently, millennial females are moving into the workforce. We still have a problem with millennial males. prgtoken How about someone who is older? Can we do certain incentives in Social Security, Medicare, and other earned benefits to encourage staying in the workforce or even creating a second career? We are going to have to redesign a bit of those incentives that are in the current earned benefits. prgtoken Can you create some incentives on Social Security, saying, ``If you will continue to work, we are going to do these things?'' Because that labor force participation is so important. prgtoken We have worked through these. Now we try to come in and show what we see working in our society. Then, I want to talk a little bit about one of these things, and that is the adoption of technology. prgtoken This week, the majority, the , will have a resolution on the floor about the Paris climate accords. I want to walk a bit through how technology, pro-growth technology, is
RECOGNIZING RICE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2019-4-30

I rise today to recognize Rice Elementary School for being authorized to teach the Primary Years Program as an International Baccalaureate World School. prgtoken The International Baccalaureate program takes an interdisciplinary approach, allowing children to learn and collaborate in the classroom. This program provides a unique learning experience to students, expanding their horizons and teaching them about our larger world beyond our own borders. prgtoken I congratulate the teachers and administrators at Rice Elementary. I thank them for always going above and beyond for their students and their families. prgtoken I am proud to recognize Rice Elementary School as a leader in education in our great State of Minnesota, the Education State, and in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District. prgtoken Congratulations again to the teachers, administrators, and most importantly, the students and their families. Tribute to Retired Chief Petty Officer Alan Dix
RECOGNIZING THE CENTER FOR ANIMAL REFERRAL AND EMERGENCY SERVICES AND DR. MARTHA LOW
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-4-30

I rise today to recognize a veterinary clinic and dedicated doctor in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, both doing their part to protect the health of service dogs in our community. prgtoken Service dogs greatly assist members of our community in innumerable ways, providing companionship, helping individuals with special needs, and serving as therapy dogs. prgtoken Recognizing their importance, Dr. Martha Low of the Center for Animal Referral and Emergency Services, also known as CARES, is offering free eye exams to service dogs. These critical exams protect the eyesight of these animals and allow them to work in nursing homes, schools, and other facilities where their services are needed. prgtoken I extend my sincerest appreciation to CARES and to Dr. Low. Organized by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists, Dr. Low is one of over 300 doctors who perform this work throughout the United States. We are so grateful for all their work and their service to our community. Recognizing the Dominic Liples Scholarship Fund
PARIS AGREEMENT IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-4-30

I thank Representative Biggs for his comments. prgtoken H.R. 9 seeks to mandate implementations of those same technically implausible and unrealistic emissions goals in order to appease extremists. The bill also seeks to prevent Federal funds from being used to withdraw from the flawed Paris Agreement. prgtoken Americans for Tax Reform estimates the Paris Agreement will cost the U.S. an estimated 6.5 million jobs by 2040 and reduce our gross domestic product by over $2.5 trillion. prgtoken NERA Consulting estimates those numbers are even higher and that the Paris Agreement will cost the U.S. an estimated 31.6 million jobs by 2040 and reduce our GDP by over $3 trillion. prgtoken In June of 2017, President announced he will withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, stating: ``The Paris climate accord is simply the latest example of Washington entering into an agreement that disadvantages the United States to the exclusive benefit of other countries, leaving the American workers and taxpayers to absorb the costs in terms of lost jobs, lower wages, shuttering factories, and vastly diminishing economic production.'' prgtoken There are other significant flaws of the Paris Agreement. MIT found the Paris Agreement will only result in a global temperature reduction of 0.2 degrees Celsius by 2100. Under the Paris climate agreement, China and India will actually increase emissions until at least 2030. prgtoken The Climate Action Tracker, a group of European research organizations, found that participating parties will not meet their commitments, and those are the goals of the Paris Agreement. prgtoken The European Climate Action Network reported that no single country in Europe is performing sufficiently to meet Paris Agreement goals, and those that have been making the most progress on their promises did not make large commitments in the first place. prgtoken A recent United Nations Emissions Gap report found all participating countries will have to at least triple their efforts in order to meet the Paris Agreement's basic goals. prgtoken Given how unrealistic and illogical the Paris Agreement is, the U.S. should not inflict monumental harm on our economy chasing a white unicorn. prgtoken Fortunately, there is an alternative. Members of the Western Caucus support personal responsibility, less government intervention in our daily lives, and freedom. They defend property rights and believe that private ownership of property is a fundamental right in America. Our vision encourages innovation and less burdensome mandates. prgtoken Members of the caucus support local control and believe that stewardship of our environment and natural resources is best accomplished by empowering local stakeholders, not victimizing them. prgtoken The people who depend on the land to provide security for their families and communities understand these resources best. States and municipalities are best suited to deal with local issues
IN RECOGNITION OF REAR ADMIRAL JOHN P. NEAGLEY
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-4-30

. Madam , I rise today to honor Rear Admiral John P. Neagley of Edison, New Jersey, who is retiring from the United States Navy this year. Rear Admiral Neagley has dedicated 35 years to the Navy and his service is truly deserving of this body's recognition. prgtoken Throughout his distinguished career, Rear Admiral Neagley has upheld the principles of duty and valor. He has served at sea extensively and was deployed several times. From his service in Operation Desert Fox, to his command of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) during deployment in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Rear Admiral Neagley has bravely helped maintain the security of our country. prgtoken In addition to his service at sea, Rear Admiral Neagley has held various leadership positions in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and the Littoral Combat Ship Program Office. In his most recent assignment as Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants, Rear Admiral Neagley was responsible for the Navy's small combatant force, mine warfare capabilities and unmanned maritime systems. His experience, knowledge and initiative have distinguished Rear Admiral Neagley as an outstanding leader who has exemplified honor, integrity and professionalism throughout his Navy career. prgtoken Rear Admiral Neagley is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and received his commission from Officer Candidate School in 1984. He holds a master's degree in Environmental Management from Duke University, a Master of Science degree in Financial Management from the Naval Post Graduate School and a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval Command and Staff College. prgtoken Madam , once again, it is my great honor to pay tribute to Rear Admiral John Neagley for his 35 years of service to the United States Navy. I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in thanking Rear Admiral Neagley for his honorable service to our great nation.
INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VIETNAMESE AMERICANS
J. Luis Correa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-4-30

. Madam , today, I am introducing a House Resolution recognizing the accomplishments and contributions of Vietnamese Americans. I represent one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the United States, and I am proud to recognize the valuable contribution of 1.7 million Vietnamese Americans living in this nation. The United States is home to the largest number of individuals of Vietnamese descent outside of Vietnam. Currently more than 70,000 reside in California's 46th Congressional District. prgtoken In the aftermath of the Vietnam War, approximately 800,000 Vietnamese refugees fleeing persecution resettled in the United States. Today, Vietnamese Americans contribute to American society through their work in. business, education, science and technology, engineering, mathematics, literature and the arts, gastronomy, the armed forces, and public service at every level of government. prgtoken Vietnamese Americans add to the rich cultural and religious diversity of our nation. As a prgtoken member of the Congressional Vietnam Caucus, it is critical that we continue to represent and celebrate our Vietnamese families, friends, and neighbors, and recognize their significant contributions to American society.