mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AZERBAIJAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-20

I rise today to honor the of Azerbaijan for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan ic Republic, which was celebrated on May 28, 2018. prgtoken In the Republic of Azerbaijan, May 28th is known as the ``Republic Day''. This past Republic Day celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan ic Republic, the first secular parliamentary republic in the Muslim VVorld. prgtoken In 1991, the United States recognized Azerbaijan as an independent state following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and established diplomatic relations the following year. I would like to highlight that, over the last 26 years, Azerbaijan has established itself as a reliable friend of the United States. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Azerbaijan has been a critical ally of the United States in combating international terrorism through several joint U.S.- Azerbaijani operations in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and Iraq. prgtoken On a more international level, Azerbaijan has strong economic, military, and strategic ties to Israel, representing one of Israel's greatest allies in the region. Azerbaijan's energy sector is also key to combating Russian influences across the region. Altogether, the country plays a critical role in the diversification of energy routes, and helps support allies of the United States' allies by doing so. prgtoken I would like to formally congratulate the of Azerbaijan for the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Azerbaijan ic Republic, and I look forward to continued strong relations between the United States and Azerbaijan for many years to come.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL GAS
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-20

I thank my friend from Ohio. I also thank my dear friend for reminding me that Utica is the Marcellus in your district. It also reminded me over and over of the benefits the gentleman has had in Ohio. Rough parts in the country had some bad years, some down times. We have something that Texas called the Eagle Ford shale play that goes down from basically San Antonio to Laredo, a rough part of Texas, not very much growth there. When Zavala happened back home--I was down there about 3 years ago--a man got his first royalty check. He was thrilled. He goes to his bank to deposit, in his Sunday best suit, and says to the guy there: Put this in my account. prgtoken His banker said: Great, I got it. prgtoken He puts it in his account. He comes back and says: Okay, that is 100,000--whoa, whoa, whoa--100,000? I thought it was 1,000. prgtoken His mind could not see the zeros, the periods, and the commas. We changed his world with American ingenuity. prgtoken The next person up is the former leader of this committee, the chairman, a proud Texas Aggie, and the single most strongest force to get the crude export ban lifted that was installed in 1975, Chairman Joe Barton from Ennis, Texas.
PAKISTAN IS NO ALLY OF THE USA
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-20

yesterday, Lieutenant General Austin Miller, the nominee to lead our forces in Afghanistan, testified before the Senate that the biggest obstacle to success in Afghanistan is Pakistan. prgtoken He echoes the same frustrations the President expressed earlier this year and what others in this Chamber, including myself, have said for years, prgtoken that Pakistan is providing safe havens for terrorists and playing both sides. Terrorist leaders even arrogantly make public appearances in Pakistan, with the knowledge of the government. prgtoken When we take action against terrorists in Pakistan, Pakistan officials typically condemn us, rather than take steps to improve counterterrorism efforts. prgtoken President and the incoming commander for U.S. forces in Afghanistan hold a realistic view of Pakistan. Pakistan is the problem with success in Afghanistan. prgtoken There should be no American money sent to Pakistan until they stop their treacherous ways. Otherwise, the 17-year-old war in Afghanistan may never end. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL GAS
Scott R. Tipton (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-6-20

I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. prgtoken This is really about creating jobs on American soil, creating opportunities, literally, for our families to be able to have better prospects for the future. prgtoken , I rise today to be able to talk about, not only America, but the world's energy future. In my district of Colorado, we benefit from vast energy resources. In 2016, we learned that one of these resources, natural gas, has even greater potential than initially thought. prgtoken The U.S. Geological Survey announced that the Mancos shale formation in Piceance Basin had the potential to be the second largest natural gas deposit in the United States. The abundance of natural gas in western Colorado puts us in the unique position to be able to create jobs here at home and also to supply American allies with reliable sources of energy well into the future. prgtoken For too long, our Nation's adversaries have supplied America's allies with energy resources. We cannot let countries like Russia lead in the global energy market when the U.S. has the resources to be able to supply countries in Europe and Asia with affordable and reliable energy. prgtoken Last year I called on the administration to examine a project that would allow for the U.S. to send LNG to Asian markets. The proposed Pacific Connector Gas Pipeline would transfer the natural gas from Piceance Basin in western Colorado to the Jordan Cove terminal in Coos Bay, Oregon. prgtoken The Jordan Cove terminal is estimated to have the capacity to be able to transport 7.8 million metric tons of LNG annually to the Pacific Northwest and Asia. Unfortunately, under the previous administration, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied the application for the Jordan Cove project, citing a lack of global demand. Not long after the application was denied, Jordan Cove procured an agreement for 75 percent of the pipeline's capacity, proving that there is demand for U.S. LNG in Asia. prgtoken It is my hope that FERC will soon approve the resubmitted application for the Jordan Cove project and we can bring good-paying jobs to western Colorado and send clean, affordable, and reliable energy to Asia. prgtoken As the U.S. works to advance technologies that decrease the environmental footprint of energy production, it cannot be ignored that countries like China and India continue to be some of the world's top polluters. We can responsibly develop U.S. natural gas resources to be able to benefit communities across our Nation and by transporting our energy resources to countries around the globe. The United States can have a measurable impact on the economies and environmental health of communities overseas. prgtoken The United States cannot sit back and let other countries lead the world into the energy future. The time for responsible development of natural gas is now and to be able to create jobs here at home.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2018-6-20

today I wish to honor Rocky Barker for his extensive career as an Idaho journalist. prgtoken Rocky is retiring from the Idaho Statesman where he worked as an environmental reporter-blogger-columnist for the past 22 years. Prior to his position at the Statesman, Rocky was a columnist and correspondent-at-large for the Post Register in Idaho Falls. He has also written and contributed to numerous books, created an Idaho news website, and received many awards and recognitions for his reporting. prgtoken Over his more than 30-year career, Rocky has reported comprehensively prgtoken on issues that matter deeply to Idaho. He has dug into pressing and often controversial issues, including reporting on water, public lands, fish and wildlife habitat, fires, and other related matters that no doubt have required considerable resolve. Throughout, his devotion to reporting and his deep respect for the importance of a free press to our system of governance has remained unwavering. prgtoken Congratulations, Rocky, on your years of writing. ``Litera scripta manet,'' meaning the written word endures, is among the inscriptions in the Library of Congress. You can go onto the next chapter of your career and life knowing that you have been an important part of taking down that written word for our great State for decades. Thank you for your devotion to and deep personal interest in chronicling issues that matter greatly for Idahoans. I wish you and your wife, Tina, all the best in your retirement and much happiness in the years ahead.
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-6-20

as we know, last week President took what I believe is a historic first step in making America and the whole world more safe, more stable, and more secure. I believe his efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons program have already produced tangible results. North Korea has suspended nuclear tests and is dismantling a test facility. They have also committed to recovering and sending home the remains of Americans killed during the Korean war. prgtoken Now the administration is taking the next steps. The State Department is hard at work on followup discussions. Secretary of State Pompeo says he may personally return to North Korea before very long. prgtoken When we heard from President about his trip to Singapore last week, he was upbeat about the talks. He understands these followup talks are going to be where the specifics really start to be discussed. That is where, as they say, the rubber meets the road. I think the talks have a very real opportunity for success. Success means an agreement that is durable, enforceable, and verifiable. It means an agreement that eliminates all nuclear weapons from North Korea and from the entire Korean Peninsula--nothing less. So I am cautiously optimistic about the talks. prgtoken President has applied a program of maximum pressure, and that has brought North Korea to the table. We had a hearing in the Foreign Relations Committee, and the upload from the whole discussion was this: Sanctions work. prgtoken The next stage of these negotiations is going to help us understand whether now is the right time, whether the Kim regime is truly ready to give up its nuclear weapons. If it is not ready, the pressure can resume. The pressure can even be increased. The maximum-pressure approach will ultimately work--if not today, then someday. prgtoken Meanwhile, the United States is in a very strong negotiating position. We know that as a result of the efforts by President and the strong position we are in, it is something that not just we know but North Korea knows as well. We know exactly what we need to have happen in these talks and exactly what North Korea must do. We are willing to walk away if an agreement falls short. That is how you win a negotiation. prgtoken When President negotiated with Iran over their nuclear program, I think he lost sight of that important rule. He wanted a deal so badly that what he was willing to accept was a bad deal. President is a negotiator, and I am confident that he is going to walk away if the only deal to be had is one that is bad for the United States. prgtoken I am confident we can reach our goals of a nuclear-free North Korea-- today or at some point down the road. I remain very clear-eyed, as does the President, about the possibilities, as well as the pitfalls, and I think we should be clear-eyed and concerned. prgtoken The world remains a very dangerous place. Our adversaries, including
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-6-20

I want to join my friend, the Senator from Iowa, Senator Grassley, and talk about what has happened with the tax bill--the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as the President insisted it be called because that is exactly what it was to do. prgtoken It has been 6 months since it was signed into law, and it is clear that the country is thinking differently about the future. It is clear that there is more confidence in our economy than there has been in past years. It is also clear, frankly, that a lot of that confidence began after the last election and was reinforced by commonsense regulation instead of out-of-control regulation. prgtoken The tax bill, on top of that, as it turns out, is doing the things those of us who voted for it said it would do and does not do the things people who were against it said were going to happen. I remember that nobody was going to get a tax cut--only to find out that 9 out of 10 people who paid income tax last year are paying less income tax this year. prgtoken This week, the Gallup poll organization found that the percentage of Americans who are satisfied with the direction of the economy is the highest it has been in almost 15 years. prgtoken In May, small business optimism increased among small business owners to the second highest level in the National Federation of Independent Business survey's 45-year history. In fact, there were several records that were broken in May. Compensation increases hit a 45-year high. Positive sales trends reached the highest level since 1995--over 20 years ago. Expansion plans were more robust than they had been at any time in the survey's history. That set a record as well. prgtoken The combination of lower taxes and full expensing of new and used equipment has created an additional cash flow incentive that is making a difference. prgtoken As of this month, 1 million new jobs have been created since the passage of the tax cut bill. In the last year, Missouri--my State-- added nearly 35,000 jobs, and more than 4,000 Missourians who were unemployed just found jobs. Nationwide there are more job openings than people looking for work. In the 20 years that those two things have been measured at the same time--how many people are looking for work and how many job openings there are--it is the first time in 20 years that there were more jobs available than people looking for work. prgtoken I said a number of times on the floor as we debated the tax bill that there are two ways to increase people's take-home pay. One is to take less money out of the check they already get. Nine out of ten Americans who paid income taxes last year found that has happened for them. No. 2 is to be sure we have better jobs to start with, have an economy where people are competing to get workers and competing to keep workers. prgtoken As businesses try to attract new employees, they are setting new, higher minimum entry-level skills and minimum job compensation than they h
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-20

we have been focused on the U.S.-Mexico border, where the prospect of children being separated from their family has shocked and horrified many of us. We have been working to come up with a solution to this problem. That includes President , who yesterday called prgtoken on Congress to preserve family unity, while calling for a zero tolerance policy when it comes to violating our immigration laws. prgtoken I would like to provide a little bit of context for how we got here and offer a proposed solution. Just like under the administration in 2014, when we saw tens of thousands of unaccompanied children coming across the border into my State of Texas from Central America through Mexico--I remember at the time President called that a humanitarian crisis, and, indeed, it was--trying to find a way to deal with this flood of humanity coming across our border in a safe and humane manner was a huge challenge for the Federal Government, for local communities, like McAllen, TX, and for various faith-based and other organizations. But come they did. prgtoken Between August 1 of last year and May 31 of this year, the number of families apprehended at the southwest border rose 58 percent, compared with the same period a year earlier. Of course, just like the humanitarian crisis of 2014, most of these individuals came from Central America. I think it is important to point out that even though these are not unaccompanied minors in the same number that we saw in 2014, we are still seeing so far this year roughly 30,000 children coming across our southwestern border from across dangerous territory in Mexico and from Central America, transported by human traffickers and the cartels, for whom this is their business model. Let me explain for a minute. prgtoken Recently, an expert on this topic made the point that these criminal organizations that run children, families, and other adults across the border are ``commodity agnostic.'' That is what he said. In other words, they don't care whether it is drugs, contraband, children, or adults. Whatever it is, they are in it for the money, and they have found an incredibly profitable business model in transporting all of those commodities, if you can call them that, from Central America and across the Mexican border. prgtoken For those who are worried about the opioid crisis here in America, which we all are, it is not just about prescription drugs--that is a huge part of the problem--but it is also the heroin that is frequently substituted for the prescription drugs because it is cheap and it is more plentiful. So all of these are good reasons, in my mind, for us to be very focused on what happens at our border. prgtoken My State happens to have 1,200 miles of common border with Mexico, and we are at ground zero when it comes to the border security challenges and when it comes to the humanitarian crises and to the law enforcement challenges that go alon
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--H.R. 3
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-6-20

over the next 10 years, our national debt is set to balloon from $21.16 trillion today to more than $33.9 trillion in 2028. prgtoken With interest rates set to increase, the payments on the debt will also likely double over the next 10 years as a percentage of total economic output. Consider for a moment the fact we are paying a little more than $300 billion a year to service our debt. It is not that much more than we were paying a couple of decades ago when our national debt was roughly one-fifth, one-sixth of its current size. The only reason our debt service payments are as low as they are today is that our interest rates are at all-time historic lows. Our Treasury yield rates are artificially, historically, aberrationally, severely low. The situation gets a lot worse if our artificially, historically low interest rates increase or start to return to their historical averages at a pace quicker than has been projected, as is easily possible. For example, if interest prgtoken rates were to return just to historical norms--I am not talking about a rebound above the historical average, just a rebound to historical norms--taxpayers would soon be drowning in trillion-dollar annual interest payments just for the interest on our debt, which means just the difference between what we are paying in our debt service payment now and what we would be paying then, possibly a few short years from now. It is more than we spend on the Department of Defense. This is really frightening, and this is why it is such welcome news that there is some movement on this front. prgtoken That is why it is such welcome news that on May 8 President sent to Congress a request to rescind $15.4 billion worth of extraneous spending. This is something Congress used to do all the time. This is something that in decades past would occur dozens, even scores of times, during a single Presidential administration, and it was a bipartisan matter, of course. Returning unused taxpayer money isn't just good government; in a republic, it should be expected, and it should be the norm. In 1981, President Reagan and a divided Congress rescinded more than $15 billion in Federal spending and another $16 billion in 1985 and 1986. President Clinton made three rescission requests in 2000, totaling $128 million. prgtoken Now we have the chance to take up the mantle again. President 's specific proposals draw back unused funds from expired programs, obsolete programs, and accounts that the Congressional Budget Office says are wildly, needlessly overfunded. In fact, according to CBO, none of the funds in the requested rescissions would alter current Federal programs in any way. For instance, CBO has certified that the $7 billion CHIP rescission would not affect either outlays or the number of Americans with health insurance. And I should note that Congress has rescinded CHIP funding in every enacted Labor-HHS appropriations bill sinc
TRIBUTE TO TIFFANY AND WAIDE SATRE
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-6-21

this week I have the honor of recognizing Tiffany and Waide Satre of Sweet Grass County for the years of hard work they put in to grow Thirsty Turtle Burgers & BBQ and serve their local community. prgtoken Tiffany and Waide opened the Thirsty Turtle Burgers & BBQ in February of 2011. What started as a bar quickly grew with a kitchen and now operates as a full-service restaurant. The restaurant has continued to grow, turning it into a community staple. prgtoken Tiffany and Waide built both their marriage and their restaurant around each other, and that partnership has fostered growth within the business. Together, they employ around 20 people, including their son Shadow, who is a cook in the restaurant. While their leadership provides the vision behind the restaurant, Tiffany and Waide believe the restaurant would not be where it is without the hard work and dedication of their employees. prgtoken While Tiffany and Waide appreciate the business from visitors in the summer months, they rely on their Big Timber regulars to carry them through the off-season. It is this sense of community that has cemented the success of the Thirsty Turtle Burgers & BBQ. prgtoken I congratulate Tiffany and Waide on the success of their business and their impact on the greater Sweet Grass County. I look forward to my next visit to the Thirsty Turtle Burgers & BBQ.
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-6-21

Senator Bennet for his work on this and the opportunity to work with him to make sure we continue to honor our veterans and armed servicemembers. prgtoken Our veterans have served and our armed servicemembers proudly serve this country in Active Duty. When they come home, though, one of the obligations we have as a society and country to thank them for this incredible service is to make sure they have the skills, education, and training to integrate back into the civilian workforce. They obviously have incredible skills which they have acquired during their military service, and we can put them to use here at home. prgtoken This amendment simply says the Department of Defense and the Secretary of Energy will evaluate military installations to determine which ones are ripe for opportunities to work with community colleges, institutions of higher education, and others so they can enter into agreements to help train veterans--armed servicemembers, members of the Armed Forces, to transition them into civilian life--to help work in the cyber security fields, energy fields, artificial intelligence workforce. prgtoken In Colorado alone, we have 13,000 job openings in cyber security-- 13,000 job openings in cyber security alone. This gives us a chance to continue our service in thanking our veterans for the work they have done in service to our country. prgtoken from Colorado, Senator Bennet. prgtoken and urge my colleagues to vote yes.