mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING MILO J. SHULT
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-9-26

I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Milo J. Shult, whose steady hand led the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture for 18 years. Milo passed away on July 19, 2019. prgtoken Dr. Milo Shult was originally from Keokuk, IA, and after graduating with his Ph.d. from Iowa State University, started his career in agriculture for the Texas A&M University System. In 1992, he became the University of Arkansas System's vice president for agriculture, a position he held for 18 years. Throughout his tenure, Milo transformed the Division of Agriculture to enhance its research and extension capabilities to become one of the finest in the Nation. prgtoken Throughout his 38-year career in public agricultural research and extension, Milo was a dedicated advocate for agriculture. He served on several local, State and national committees, including the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching, CARET; Arkansas Agriculture Board; as chairman of the board for the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics, NAREEE; and chair of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. In 2011, Milo was inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. prgtoken The impact of his career and leadership are once again being acknowledged as the division is commemorating Milo's years of service by renaming the Arkansas Agricultural Research & Extension Center in his honor. Starting on its 100th anniversary, ``The Farm,'' as it is known in Fayetteville, will now be called the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research & Extension Center. prgtoken Milo Shult left a mark on the University of Arkansas System and our State's agriculture community that no one will soon forget. I am proud that this is one more piece of Milo's legacy that will live on at the Division of Agriculture, and I hope that future leaders will follow his remarkable example.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Tom Reed (Republican, NY) \u2014 2019-9-26

. Madam , on Thursday, September 19, 2019, I was unable to vote on Roll Call No. 538: Passage of H.R. 4378, ``Making Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020, and for other purposes.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' prgtoken On Friday, September 20, 2019, I was unable to vote on Roll Call No. 540: Passage of H.R. 1423, ``Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''
UNITED STATES-ISRAEL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
David P. Roe (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-9-26

I think he had his people at heart and his family at heart and the Palestinians at heart, and I see nothing but good things if peace can break out. prgtoken Another thing we did that I think was extremely important was go to the training center and visit there. This is a leadership training center. Some 60,000 people have been through it in Israel. prgtoken The day we were there, there were a group of Palestinian Girl Scouts there team building, and it was fun to kind of watch them. prgtoken I was actually much happier watching them on the ground. They were climbing up on these ropes and everything. prgtoken But they were there with their Scout leader going through the leadership training. This is building bonds and friendship that will, hopefully, last for generations. prgtoken I think the other thing that the Palestinian Authority, that Mr. Jabari pointed out, he said that, of all the money that the United States has given the Palestinian Authority, they have not built one school or one hospital for the people. prgtoken So where did the money go? prgtoken We heard that day when we were there that there is actually a bounty from the Palestine Authority if you kill a Jew, if you kill another human being, that your family that is left is given money each month. prgtoken That is very difficult to get to a peaceful situation, and that is why I am so respectful of Mr. Jabari, because he put himself in harm's way to try to make the plight of his people better. And he is doing it. prgtoken A couple of other things that I think we learned on this trip was how many prgtoken businesses are thriving in Israel. So the next time you get in your car, , and you start driving down the road, and your car automatically brakes, your steering wheel shakes when you get out of the lane as you look at your cellphone--and you shouldn't--this driverless car technology was developed in Israel. I think Intel has now bought the company. So when you see a car driving without anybody in it, that technology began in Israel. prgtoken Another thing that really surprised me that is a difference, it is a game changer in that country, was the fact that they discovered natural gas. They are now a net exporter of energy. They actually export to Egypt. So it really stabilized them from an energy standpoint where they are not so dependent. America's independence also contributes to their safety. prgtoken Let me go over why that is important. Forty-plus years ago, we had an oil embargo by OPEC in this country. We had lines. Every other day we had to get in a line to get gas. I happened to be a young Army officer 11 miles south of the DMZ in Korea during the winter. We got heat 3 hours a day because of this embargo. We had to use our fuel for our tanks, Cobra gunships, Huey helicopters, and other equipment that we had. So we didn't have any to heat the place we were in, and it was incredibly miserable there. prgtoken I saw oil used as a political weapon b
TRIBUTE TO MARCELLA RYAN LEBEAU
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-9-26

it is always a privilege to honor the men and women of America's Greatest Generation. They brought peace to the world and defended the freedoms we all enjoy every day, and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice. prgtoken Today, I wish to recognize one of these heroic Americans from my home State of South Dakota. Marcella Ryan LeBeau volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during World War II--WWII--providing care to wounded soldiers across Europe. Next month, Marcella will enjoy her 100th birthday at a celebration with family and friends, and I wish to add my voice to the chorus of those praising her lifetime of achievement and dedication to public service. prgtoken Marcella has dedicated her life to serving others. She completed a diploma in nursing at St. Mary's Hospital in Pierre, SD, in 1942 and served in the Army Nurse Corps as a first lieutenant in WWII, taking her from the United States to Wales, England, France, and Belgium. While serving in the Army from 1942 to 1946, Marcella cared for countless wounded soldiers, including D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge. prgtoken In 2004, on the 60th anniversary of D-Day, Marcella was among 100 WWII American veterans awarded France's highest civilian award, the French Legion of Honor, at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. prgtoken Following her service in the Army, Marcella worked for the Indian Health Service--IHS--in Eagle Butte for 31 years. She would eventually become the Eagle Butte IHS Hospital's director of nursing. In addition to her work at the IHS Hospital, she served 4 years on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council while raising eight children with her husband, Gilbert. prgtoken After retiring from the IHS, Marcella opened a quilting shop with her granddaughter. They make a variety of quilts, with the main feature being the star quilt used by the Lakota people for honoring and naming ceremonies, memorials, and various life achievements. prgtoken In 2016, Marcella was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame, and she received the Women in History award from the Spirit of the Prairie Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She also received an honorary doctorate of public service from South Dakota State University in 2018. prgtoken With her lifesaving work in the Army and a longtime commitment to South Dakota, Marcella has made a lasting impression on the lives of many, and on behalf of all of them, I would I like to wish her a happy birthday and thank her for her remarkable service to the United States.
APPOINTMENTS AUTHORITY
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-9-26

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to commissions, committees, boards, conferences, or interparliamentary conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.
SOUTH FLORIDA CLEAN COASTAL WATERS ACT OF 2019
Michael Waltz (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-9-26

I thank my delegation colleague, Congressman Mast, for drafting this important bill, the South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019, to address the HABs problem, the harmful algal blooms, and improve water quality in Florida. prgtoken I also thank Senator Rubio for introducing the Senate companion, and I give credit to my predecessor in Congress, now-Governor DeSantis, for prioritizing clean water at the State level. prgtoken Red tides and green algae have plagued Florida in recent years. As we have discussed here today, it impacts Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades, Indian River Lagoon in my district, and both of Florida's coasts. prgtoken Last Congress, the Interagency Task Force on HABs was reauthorized, which was a very important step. This bill ensures that the task force will produce an integrated assessment on the causes, consequences, and approaches to reduce HABs; identify the current gaps in research; and, very importantly, produce an action plan to deal with it. prgtoken The focus of the task force is the Everglades, and the health of the Everglades impacts water quality across the State. prgtoken The scope of the introduced version for H.R. 335 attempted to take this into account by including ``contiguous coastal near-shore water'' in the definition of eligible waterways. However, ``contiguous'' could be interpreted by the task force--this was my concern--in any number of ways, potentially excluding the northern reaches of the Indian River Lagoon. prgtoken The entire Indian River Lagoon is part of the National Estuary Program, and the southern section is an Army Corps of Engineers authorized reservoir included in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. prgtoken According to the Army Corps, Indian River Lagoon is ``home to more than 3,000 species of plants and animals'' and ``considered the most biologically diverse estuarine system in the continental United States.'' prgtoken This dynamic ecosystem is sensitive. It is important to the environment for those reasons, but critically, it is also important to our economy. A 2016 economic valuation study found that the output of the lagoon is about $7.6 billion annually. prgtoken For these reasons, it is the right thing to do to ensure the Interagency HABs Task Force includes the entire lagoon. prgtoken In coordination with Congressman Mast, I offered a management amendment in the Science, Space, and Technology Committee markup that lists the entire Indian River Lagoon in the definition of waterways to be included in this bill. prgtoken We are not just seeing HABs in southern Florida. It is now spreading to other parts of my district and all parts of Florida. We have already seen blue-green algae in the St. Johns River and even spreading into our springs. Protecting the springs in central Florida is an ongoing effort. prgtoken It is for this reason that the task force's integrated assessment is so important. It will improve water quality management and
Nomination of General John E. Hyten (Executive Session)
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-9-26

Gen. John Hyten is before the Senate today to be confirmed. We are anxious to get to this. It has been a long time in the working. It is going to happen, and I am very thankful, not just for the sake of General Hyten but for other officers and junior officers who are looking at a future, knowing some of the problems that exist out there. prgtoken I have stood in this very spot and talked about exactly what our Nation is dealing with when it comes to our national security. The world is more dangerous now than it has ever been in my lifetime. China and Russia are building their capabilities as we have fallen behind. prgtoken Our national defense strategy lays it all out. We have a document that we use. This is our blueprint. It is one that was put together by and s some time ago, and we have adhered to it. As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I have adhered to it and will continue to do that. prgtoken As the Department of Defense and the administration implement the national defense strategy and the recommendations of the NDS Commission, we need confirmed leadership at the Joint Chiefs to provide the military perspective. We need strong, innovative leadership, someone who understands strategy, competition, new warfighting domains like space, and the importance of a strong nuclear deterrent. We need strategic guidance born from years of firsthand experience. prgtoken To me, there is no doubt that General Hyten is the right man for the second highest ranking military office. Throughout his service, General Hyten has developed a reputation of discipline, integrity, and honor. For the past 2\1/2\ years, he has led STRATCOM, where he has demonstrated shrewd and decisive understanding of our national security objectives. prgtoken Before that, he served honorably in top leadership positions at Air Force Space Command. He has willingly and selflessly served this Nation in uniform for nearly four decades. I am confident he is going to keep us on a path to rebuild our military advantage and protect our civilian military relations in all this. prgtoken The Senate considered his nomination yesterday on a 20-to-7 vote to advance General Hyten's nomination, and here we are today making this final decision. This came after a fair, exhaustive, bipartisan process, where we closely reviewed his nomination, including allegations against him. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations ran a tight and thorough investigation. prgtoken Now, in all my years I have been here, I have never seen one of those more exhaustive than this one. It went on and on and on, and all the members of the committee were able to read every document that is out there. I am very proud of the committee for taking the deliberate time to make this happen. The committee held five executive sessions, studied thousands of pages of investigative records, and reviewed statements from more than 50 witnesses. Ever
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM DOCUMENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF THREATS IN AMERICA ACT
Mark E. Green (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-9-26

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I rise today in support of H.R. 3106, the Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act, introduced by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson). I almost got up, , when you said, ``the gentleman from Mississippi,'' because I happen to be in a small town just a few miles away from where the chairman lives. prgtoken H.R. 3106, as amended, passed with bipartisan support during the Committee on Homeland Security markup in July. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) for developing the amendment in the nature of a substitute, which passed unanimously, and broadened the scope of the bill to cover all forms of terrorism. prgtoken A central lesson from the September 11, 2001, terror attacks is that government cannot have a siloed approach to homeland security threats. The importance of a broad ideological focus was stressed again during a Committee on Homeland Security hearing on global terror threats held on September 10, 2019. prgtoken There is bipartisan agreement on the need for more reliable public reporting on both domestic and international terror threats to the homeland. prgtoken The report mandated in the legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice to produce an annual report for 6 years on a number of investigative aspects of domestic and international terrorism. Access to reliable data will help policymakers and the public assess trends, emerging threats, and available resources. prgtoken The threat from international terrorism also remains high. Hundreds of U.S. citizens were radicalized by ISIS and sought to travel to the battlefield to carry out attacks in the homeland. prgtoken , 18 years after the horrific 9/11 terror attacks, both al-Qaida and ISIS remain intent on targeting the United States. We were also recently reminded by the direct threat posed by Iran when a Hezbollah operative was arrested last week in New Jersey for allegedly plotting attacks against the United States. prgtoken The broad range of ideologically based hatred and societal obsession with violence has left scars across the country. Obtaining a comprehensive threat picture and reliable data is essential for developing legislation and determining what additional resources may be necessary. prgtoken , I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for his willingness to work with us to ensure that the reporting requirements in the bill track all forms of terrorism. I strongly recommend that my colleagues support this bill, and .
UNITED STATES-ISRAEL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2019-9-26

I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers) both for giving me this time, but also for her leadership on this and other issues. prgtoken , beside me is a photograph of myself; Avi Zimmerman, who is the head of the Judea and Samaria Chamber of Commerce, an Israeli Jew; Sheik Ashraf Jabari, a Palestinian businessman; the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers); the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Wagner); and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. David P. Roe). prgtoken Mrs. Wagner and Dr. Roe joined Mrs. McMorris Rodgers and me on this incredible trip. We are standing in the Sheik's home in Hebron. The Sheik is a former security adviser to the Palestinian Authority, an incredible businessman. prgtoken Now, before I get back to that meeting, I want to make sure that we begin to make clear to everybody in America that much of what we have learned or believed we have learned about what is going on in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians is not true. prgtoken What we learned, both from Sheik Jabari and from others, is that something new and exciting is happening between the Israelis and the Palestinians in Israel. prgtoken There is this idea out there that the Israelis and the Palestinians have been fighting one another for years. That is not true. prgtoken The truth of the matter is, after the Romans expelled most of the Jews from Israel in the first and second century AD, there remained a small number of Jews in what was known as Israel and then later on as the Province of Palestine. Then over the years, some would creep back in, but there was a relatively small number of Jews in that land, and they lived in peace with their Arab neighbors. prgtoken It wasn't until the 20th century, when large numbers of Jews began to move into that area from Europe and the U.S. and other places, that we began to see some clashes between the Arabs that lived in that area and the Jews that were moving there. prgtoken In 1948, when Israel proclaimed itself to be a State, there was an unfortunate war between them, their Arab neighbors, and many of the Arab countries that surrounded them. prgtoken As a result of that, a State was formed with true territories, but there was a problem between Israel and Jordan, which was one of the countries that they fought, and in order to decide who lived where, they took a green pen and wrote on a map a line, and it was called the Green Line. Jordan existed, or had control, on the east side of that Green Line, Israel on the west. prgtoken A second unfortunate war occurred in 1967, the Six-Day War, which many of us remember. As a result of that war, Israel was able to take control of all of the area that is now within Israel on the east side of the Green Line. prgtoken Those two wars and what came out of them is where a lot of the problems between the Palestinians and the Israelis started. It is not ancient, it is not built into their genes. It is not something that can't be overcome. <|p
The Working Class in America (Executive Session)
Josh Hawley (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-9-26

earlier this week, the Missouri Department of Health issued a new report that shows that life expectancy actually declined in the State of Missouri last year. Worse than that, the report shows that life expectancy has been falling in my State for almost a decade. Death rates for Missourians between 15 and 34 years old rose by almost 30 percent between 2012 and 2018. The death rate for Missourians who are between 25 and 34 is at its highest levels since the 1950s. We know what is causing it. It is an epidemic of drug overdoses and suicides, along with a spike in crime, in our cities. prgtoken Here are the facts. Opioid-related deaths in Missouri have more than doubled in the last decade. The number of suicides is up by over 50 percent, and there is no end in sight. And it is not just Missouri. New data shows that deaths from suicides and drug overdoses are exploding nationwide. Suicides in this country haven't been so common since 1938. Alcohol-related deaths haven't been so high since the 1910s. Meanwhile, the surge in deaths from drug overdoses in this country is completely unprecedented. prgtoken These numbers are tragic, but they are more than that--they are the signs of a crisis. We are witnessing the slow-motion collapse of the working class in America. prgtoken All Americans suffer from the depths of despair, but we know from the evidence that it is working people and working families who are hit the hardest. So now the working middle of this Nation is facing a struggle to survive. You don't have to look far to see it. prgtoken I have seen it in the small towns of my State, in the places where TV cameras never go, where town squares sit half empty, where businesses stand shuttered, where you can buy fentanyl with the snap of a finger on any street corner. prgtoken I have seen it in country places where meth is so common, they tell me that dealers hang bags of drugs from tree branches for their buyers to retrieve--a literal landscape of despair and addiction. prgtoken I have seen it in the faces of young farmers who put a crop in and pray for rain and pray for Sun and pray for fair prices and then wonder if generations of family farming are going to end with them. prgtoken I have seen it from young mothers raising kids alone, working a job and trying to go to school at night, trying to shield their children from drugs and from the pathologies online. prgtoken I have heard it in the words of young men who graduated high school only to find no jobs, no place to learn a trade, and no hope for anything that is better. prgtoken This is the struggle of working life today. In my State, it is a struggle shared by White and Black alike, by everybody of every race, because of the breakdown of family and neighborhood, the loss of good work, and the epidemic of addictive drugs, which don't know racial boundaries. prgtoken This is a struggle we are in together. It is a struggle that brings us together. It is