mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING VALLEY QUEEN CHEESE FACTORY
Mike Rounds (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-12-17

today, it is my pleasure to name Valley Queen Cheese Factory of Milbank, SD as the Senate Small Business of the Week. Valley Queen Cheese is a prime example of the important role small businesses play in their local economies and communities. prgtoken In 1929, Alfred Nef and Alfred Gonzenbach decided Milbank, SD was the perfect home for their business and founded Valley Queen Cheese. Four generations later, Valley Queen remains a family-run operation and is still owned by the Nef and Gonzenbach families. Today, it operates less than half a mile from the original location. It is a recognized leader in the South Dakota business community and the greater dairy industry. Since 2017, Doug Wilke has served as CEO of Valley Queen. With guidance from the board of directors, he currently oversees the largest cheese plant in South Dakota and the largest employer in Milbank. prgtoken More than 90 percent of all milk Valley Queen uses comes from South Dakota cows, and they make a conscious effort to continue South Dakota's leadership in this important industry. Thanks to a recent expansion, Valley Queen now has the capacity to produce 200 million pounds of cheese from 2 billion pounds of milk each year. Their cheese can be found in most local grocery stores, as it is sold to some of the best-known food brands in the world. To meet the growing demand, Valley Queen recently invested in a business expansion project that increased the factory's output by twenty-five percent. prgtoken Valley Queen is an active leader in the Milbank community, where it has grown to employ 300 people. In 2017, the Valley Queen Charitable Foundation was established to advance positive change by supporting local organizations and initiatives. In its first 3 years as a nonprofit, the foundation has contributed more than $900,000 to local charities that have a community, educational, or humanitarian focus. Since 1990, Valley Queen has awarded high school and college students over $300,000 in scholarships. In addition to the business's own philanthropy, Valley Queen makes an annual contribution to the Milbank Community Foundation, which seeks to improve the quality of life of residents in the community. prgtoken Valley Queen has been recognized for their continuous improvement and exceptional process control through several awards. Earlier this year, Valley Queen won two awards and received near-perfect marks at the U.S. Championship Cheese Contest for their reduced fat cheddar and Monterey Jack jalapeno cheeses. Valley Queen's sustained efforts toward improved research and development does not go unnoticed by the industry. prgtoken Valley Queen is an excellent example of how small businesses fit the shared values and ideals of their community and give back in a multitude of ways. I am proud to highlight Valley Queen and its team for their integral social and economic contributions to South Dakota. Although many years removed from be
CONGRATULATING STATE CHAMPION FOOTBALL TEAMS FROM LOUISIANA'S FIFTH DISTRICT
Ralph Lee Abraham (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-12-17

I rise to congratulate five State championship football teams from Louisiana's Fifth District. prgtoken On December 13 and 14, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association held its State championship at the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. prgtoken The Ouachita Christian Eagles won the division IV State championship. The Ferriday Trojans won the class 2A State championship, and the Oak Grove Tigers won the 1A State championship. prgtoken In mid-November, the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools held its high school football championships. The Riverfield Academy Raiders won the 4A championship, and Briarfield Academy won the 8-man 1A championship. prgtoken These five teams have made their communities in northeast Louisiana proud. Please join me in congratulating them on a job well done.
NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MUSEUM COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Jeff Fortenberry (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , first of all, let me say how thankful I am for the leadership of Chairman Bishop and, frankly, for the partnership that we have developed over this prgtoken past year. It has been truly remarkable. I also thank Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for their intensive effort around this important piece of legislation, and that of the staff. This is good for America. prgtoken Agriculture, Madam , is, in its essence, really essential to the well-being of our country. The Agriculture portion of this entire package includes support for the hard work of our farmers, ranchers, and producers who give us something that we really all do take for granted, some of the lowest grocery prices in the world, as well as protection for the most vulnerable who are in the midst of food insecurity and disaster relief for humanitarian causes. prgtoken Madam , in the midst of a House divided, I would like to say this: Food is food. A meal brings us together. Agriculture production is the basis for economic and social well-being, and I am very proud of this effort. We found a reasonable path forward to consensus in meeting the needs of fellow Members. This cooperation allowed us to fight hard to defend, in a bipartisan fashion, House Member priorities. prgtoken For example, this bill includes funding streams for the building and rebuilding of critical infrastructure needed in our rural communities, from housing to utilities to economic development. Specifically, the bill includes $555 million for the ReConnect broadband program we started just 2 years ago. The Senate bill didn't include any money for this basic utility, but we have. prgtoken The bill includes an additional $87 million for other rural broadband initiatives that will help bridge the gap and create an ecosystem of livability for telework, telehealth, precision agriculture, and a host of beneficial digital outcomes for rural America. prgtoken Beyond food, this bill also includes a certain level of responsibility for our Nation's healthcare policy. We support initiatives at the Food and Drug Administration to enhance blood safety, stop opioid abuse, reduce generic drug prices, and further food safety. Continued investments in generic drug competition will help bring down prices for the healthcare needs of all of our constituents. prgtoken The bill before us maintains a number of very important provisions, such as a Buy America requirement for water and waste infrastructure and flexibilities for child nutrition programs. Interestingly, as well, and of note, the sale of tobacco and vaping products now moves to 21 years of age. prgtoken No bill includes everything you fight for, but this bill includes a number of benefits for Americans in our diverse communities back home. prgtoken It supports a number of smaller yet highly impactful programs, enhancing nutrition programs for Native Americans, supporting the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network, and the Rura
DHS CYBER INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAMS ACT OF 2019
John R. Moolenaar (Republican, MI) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , I thank Chair Lowey and Ranking Member Granger for this opportunity to speak today on this appropriations legislation. prgtoken The bill before us right now provides crucial funding for our Nation's military, giving our soldiers their biggest pay raise in a decade and providing resources they need to win on the battlefield. prgtoken It is a strong complement to the next bill coming up today, where we will fund the Army Corps of Engineers and pass through Congress historic progress at the Soo Locks, funding the construction of a new lock that will be vital to shipping on the Great Lakes and for American manufacturing. prgtoken American manufacturing is responsible for millions of jobs, and this legislation also supports hardworking men and women across our Nation with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. prgtoken Constituents across my district have told me how this program does crucial work to support the production of Michigan-made goods. prgtoken Another issue I know my constituents are concerned about is the opioid crisis and the threat of fentanyl to our communities. This legislation funds efforts at our Nation's borders, where officials have already stopped thousands of pounds of fentanyl and heroin from entering our country. The opioid epidemic requires a robust effort from all levels of government, as well as law enforcement and medical professionals. prgtoken The next bill also helps in this fight, with record funding for the NIH, which will support research into nonaddictive treatments for pain, as well as the fight against cancer and Alzheimer's. prgtoken Finally, this bill funds Great Lakes monitoring at NOAA in the Commerce Department, which, along with the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, does outstanding work to protect our Great Lakes. The GLRI works with State and local government, conservation groups and research universities, including Central Michigan University in my district. This year, the GLRI is receiving $320 million in the legislation that is coming up next, and I know it will help protect the Great Lakes for future generations. prgtoken I am grateful for the support for many of these priorities from our colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee, including leadership on both sides and, particularly, for my friend from Ohio, Marcy Kaptur, who visited the Soo Locks with me and officials from the Army Corps this summer.
DHS CYBER INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAMS ACT OF 2019
Harold Rogers (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-12-17

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman. prgtoken Included as well are antiheroin and antimeth task forces that bring law enforcement agents from multiple jurisdictions together to end this scourge. prgtoken Finally, the bill allocates $30 million within the Economic Development Administration for assistance to coal mining communities that continue to struggle with the downturn in that industry. And it maintains all pro-life and Second Amendment protections that exist under current law. prgtoken Madam , this bill is worthy of our strong support, and I urge the adoption of this masterful package.
DHS CYBER HUNT AND INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAMS ACT OF 2019
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-12-17

. I ask that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany H.R. 1158. prgtoken The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 1158) entitled ``An Act to authorize cyber incident response teams at the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes'', do pass with the amendment to the Senate amendment. Motion to Concur
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2019-12-17

I am delighted to join my friend and colleague from Alabama, Senator Jones, to urge support for the final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which finally-- finally--contains repeal of what is commonly called the military widow's tax. prgtoken I want to commend Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed for including this important provision in the bill and for their excellent job in crafting the legislation overall. prgtoken This significant bill contains numerous provisions critical to our national security and important to the great State of Maine, but right now I want to join my colleague Senator Jones in celebrating and highlighting one long-fought-for provision, and that is the repeal of the Survivor Benefit Plan and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset, commonly referred to as the military widow's tax. prgtoken Let me explain exactly what the problem is. Many military retirees purchase, with their own money, a form of insurance called the Survivor Benefit Plan. If they subsequently die of a military-connected illness, their surviving spouse qualifies for a dependency and indemnity compensation benefit from the VA. prgtoken Unfortunately, these two programs are offset dollar for dollar for our military families. This makes no sense. The retirees are paying for this extra insurance with their own money. prgtoken The NDAA will finally remedy this inequity, this burdensome unfairness, and it will permit as many as 67,000 surviving spouses, including more than 260 in Maine, to begin collecting the full survivor benefits they are entitled to once it is fully phased in. prgtoken The average offset to the SBP amounts to more than $11,000 per year. That is a significant amount of money that a widow or widower needs to help support their families and themselves. prgtoken I would like to again recommend and thank Senator Jones for his strong advocacy and unceasing leadership, as prgtoken well as the countless military spouses and veteran advocates, the veteran service organizations that helped push this effort over the finish line this year. prgtoken This year, these dedicated advocates helped Senator Jones and I secure a record number of cosponsors to our bill to repeal the widow's tax--78 Senators and 383 House Members. prgtoken As Senator Jones was mentioning, that is phenomenal and shows the strong bipartisan support to correct this unfairness. prgtoken Often I am reminded by military commanders of the saying that you recruit the soldier, but you retain the family. We have an obligation to make sure we are taking care of our military families who have sacrificed so much. prgtoken I urge all of our colleagues to support final passage of the NDAA and to finally put an end to the military widow's tax.
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-12-17

December 22 will mark an anniversary, the second anniversary of the signing of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Tax reform was a big priority for s. We wanted to help American families by reducing their tax burden and spurring the kind of economic growth that would result in better jobs and better wages. prgtoken At the end of 2017, we passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. We cut tax rates for American families, doubled the child tax credit, and nearly doubled the standard deduction. We lowered tax rates across the board for owners of small and medium-sized businesses, farms and ranches. We expanded business owners' ability to recover the cost of investments made in their businesses, which frees up cash they can reinvest into operations and their workers, and we lowered our Nation's massive corporate tax rate, which up until January 1 of 2018 was the highest corporate tax rate in the developed world, prgtoken and we brought the U.S. international tax system into the 21st century so American businesses are not operating at a competitive disadvantage next to their foreign counterparts. prgtoken Over the last 2 years, tax reform has done exactly what we intended. It has allowed American families to keep more of their hard-earned money, and it has helped spur wage growth and increase the availability of good jobs for American workers. prgtoken For 2018, the average family of four with an income of $75,000 saw a tax cut of more than $2,000. On top of that, company after company responded to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act by issuing bonuses, improving benefits, or increasing wages. At least 100 utility companies around the country announced plans to cut utility rates for consumers. prgtoken Then, of course, there is the economic growth that the law has spurred. A whopping 266,000 jobs were created in November, smashing expectations and bringing the average monthly job creation for 2019 to a strong 180,000 jobs per month. Job creation since President was elected has exceeded the Congressional Budget Office's 2016 preelection prediction by more than 5 million jobs. The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low and has been at or below 4 percent for an incredible 21 straight months. The year 2019 has also seen record-low unemployment rates for African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, Americans with a disability, Americans without a high school diploma, and veterans. For 20 straight months, there have been more jobs available than Americans looking for work. prgtoken Meanwhile, wages for American workers are growing steadily. Wage growth has been at or above 3 percent for 16 straight months. Before the start of this streak, the last time wage growth had reached 3 percent was more than a decade ago. Income inequality has declined. The poverty rate has fallen to a 17-year low. The list goes on. prgtoken Those are a lot of numbers and percentages, but they all boil down to one thing, and that is
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-12-17

I come to the floor today to mark the 75th anniversary of the epic Battle of the Bulge. It was an incredible battle in World War II. To quote British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, this was ``the greatest American battle of the war.'' prgtoken It was an incredible privilege to join veterans this past weekend at the 75th anniversary ceremonies in Luxembourg and Belgium. Remember, it was 75 years ago. The youngest among these veterans, if they went into the service at the age of 18, would, as of today, be 93 years old. prgtoken The World War II Memorial in Washington pays special tribute to the 16 million Americans who served and especially to the 400,000 who gave their lives for our freedom. There are two flagpoles at that memorial, and at the base of these flagpoles are the words ``Americans came to liberate, not to conquer, to restore freedom and to end tyranny.'' In winning World War II, this generation gave their all to ensure that we continue to live in freedom. These heroes didn't return home until the war was over. prgtoken This weekend, we recognized a number of veterans who are still with us who helped win the pivotal Battle of the Bulge. For these soldiers, the brutality of the battle came in the bitter cold of winter. They battled the elements--wet snow, intense cold, and freezing fog. Every one of them suffered from hyperthermia, trench foot, frostbite, and illness. They shivered in their foxholes. They shivered from frigid conditions and maybe some from fright. I speak with deep appreciation and admiration and awe for their efforts, their excellence, and their remarkable endurance. prgtoken The battle began on December 16, 1944. That is when Germany launched a surprise attack on the Allied forces in Europe. The Allied troops were generally outnumbered by more than three to one. In addition to the harsh weather, they faced treacherous terrain. Still, GEN Dwight David Eisenhower spoke with confidence. He said: ``United in this determination and with unshakable faith in the cause for which we fight, we will with God's help go forward to our greatest victory.'' The Germans sought to divide and destroy the Allies, but it was the Allies who ultimately crushed the German Army. prgtoken The Bulge was one of the most punishing battles in the history of the U.S. military. Most of the 650,000 Allied troops were Americans. From December 16, 1944, to January 29, 1945, the Americans suffered 75,482 casualties; 8,407 were killed. The brave soldiers who fought in this brutal battle saved the free world. prgtoken Every soldier was a hero, and every soldier has a story to tell. My father, CPL John Barrasso, was one of those heroes. He reported to duty to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard in 1941, 4 days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He didn't return home for 4 years. prgtoken He was a gun crewman in the 108th Field Artillery Battalion of the 28th Infantry Division. He wore on his arm
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-12-17

for his words. I will add to that, I hope. prgtoken As we approach the end of the first session of Congress, I think it may be prudent to look back at some of the news surrounding the current state of the Nation's budgetary affairs. Unfortunately, none of the news is good. prgtoken This past summer, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which increased the last 2 years of the Budget Control Act's discretionary funding caps. The Congressional Budget Office tells us that the bill has increased their forecast of the Nation's projected deficits by $1.7 trillion over the next 10 years. prgtoken I will be the first to admit that it is largely due to mandatory programs, which already have inadequate revenues. prgtoken In the fall, we received final tax and spending data for fiscal year 2019. The report showed the deficit for the last fiscal year was $984 billion, even though revenues were greater than ever before. Relative to the size of the economy, that deficit--an estimated 4.6 percent of GDP--was the highest since 2012. This also marked the fourth consecutive year the deficit increased as a share of the economy. These growing deficits at a time of economic strength should be a warning sign to all. Yet hardly a whimper was heard. prgtoken In October, our national debt hit the $23 trillion mark. It was in the papers for a while, but interest quickly waned. We simply cannot continue down this path. prgtoken I know the bill before us is well-intentioned, and it contains many proposals that I support. Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed and our Armed Services colleagues have worked hard to deliver the Defense authorization bill, and I commend them for the work they put into trying to reach agreement with the House. Unfortunately, CBO tells us this bill will significantly add to our debt both in the near and long term. This is much different than the budgetary impact of the bill the Senate approved earlier this year. prgtoken Ultimately, this bill furthers the practice of passing legislation while ignoring the budget rules of the Senate and our overspending problem. All of this borrowing will continue to cost us increased interest payments and will hamstring future generations of Americans. Congress has the power to correct course now, and I look forward to working in good faith with the proponents of this legislation. Until that work can be completed, I have to oppose it. prgtoken , the conference report accompanying S. 1790 would cause a deficit increase of more than $5 billion in each of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in fiscal year 2030. A benefit that isn't funded, once put in place, will never be taken away or even reduced. This increase violates section 3101 of the 2016 budget resolution. Therefore, I raise a point of order under section 3101(b) of S. Con. Res. 11, the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2016. Finally