mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
THE AMERICAN LEGION 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
Ralph Lee Abraham (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-7-24

allowing the NFIP to expire is simply not an option. It would be catastrophic on financial markets. But more importantly, for that family sitting around the table, it would be catastrophic. prgtoken Chairman Hensarling and Majority Whip Scalise had a good reform bill, but the Senate needs to act. Until that happens, we have to reauthorize this, so that the next hurricane doesn't have a devastating effect on the economy and families. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
PROTECT MEDICAL INNOVATION ACT OF 2017
Jackie Walorski (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-7-24

I rise today in support of H.R. 184, the Protect Medical Innovation Act. prgtoken , this legislation will permanently repeal the job-killing medical device tax. Hoosiers are proud to be leaders in medical innovation with more than 300 medical device manufacturers in our State that support nearly 55,000 jobs. These are high-paying jobs, with workers in the industry earning about $50,000 per year, on average. prgtoken However, after Care's medical device tax took effect, the industry lost almost 29,000 good-paying jobs nationwide from 2012 to 2015, according to Department of Commerce data. That is why Congress took bipartisan action in 2015 to suspend the tax for 2 years, and did so again earlier this year. But if it goes back into effect after 2019, it will impede new discoveries and stifle medical innovation while destroying good jobs. prgtoken Right now, our economy is booming because of historic tax cuts and regulatory reforms, and we need to keep that momentum going. It is time to end the medical device tax once and for all. Permanently repealing this job-killing tax will protect American workers and help patients access the lifesaving medical technology they need. prgtoken , the medical device tax would have a devastating impact on Hoosier workers and people from across the country who depend on these products. The Protect Medical Innovation Act will boost American innovation and manufacturing, and it will encourage medical research and development that make a real difference in people's lives. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this vital piece of legislation.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-7-24

this week, we will continue the confirmation process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who, as we all know, has been nominated by President to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. I say we will continue the confirmation process because there has already been a questionnaire issued by the Judiciary Committee to which the nominee has responded. I know White House Counsel and others are already trying to put their heads together with the Presidential Library, down in Dallas, as well as with the National Archives, to be responsive to the document requests that have been made for the judge. prgtoken As the author of more than 300 published opinions, Judge Kavanaugh is a well-known judicial nominee. I think his experience from the last 12 years on the DC Court of Appeals has clearly demonstrated he has the experience that the job on the Supreme Court requires. prgtoken He is also enormously well respected among the legal community. We have seen op-eds written by professors--all of them scholars--who say that Judge Kavanaugh can more than hold his own when it comes to legal analysis. We have heard this from people who share his judicial philosophy and those who do not share his judicial philosophy. They have a broad mutual respect for his intellect and his integrity. prgtoken We have heard about his mentorship of law clerks, both men and women, liberals and conservatives. As I say, we have received testimonials from professionals across the ideological spectrum. Last week, a group of 80 former students from Harvard Law School, where Judge Kavanaugh taught, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee. As you might imagine, they have a variety of perspectives on judicial philosophy and a wide range of political views, but they all agreed that Judge Kavanaugh is a rigorous thinker, a devoted teacher, and a gracious person. prgtoken Lastly, we have heard from the nominee himself. On the night President announced his choice, Judge Kavanaugh said that he believes an independent judiciary is the crown jewel of our constitutional Republic. He promised to keep an open mind in every case, as a judge should, to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and to preserve the rule of law. Those words and the opinions from his many supporters demonstrate that Judge Kavanaugh is the right person to replace Justice Kennedy on the Supreme Court. Most people agree that it is the Supreme Court's job to fairly interpret the law, not to substitute their own prgtoken judgment--political, ideological, or personal--for that of Congress's when Congress has spoken, and I believe Judge Kavanaugh understands that deeply. prgtoken A number of our colleagues across the aisle have been left grasping at straws given his outstanding qualifications and the fact that he was confirmed back in 2006 to the second most powerful court in the Nation, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken Judge Kavanaugh is a well-kno
SUMMER INTERN LIAM MULLETT
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-7-24

I rise today to recognize Liam Mullett for his hard work and dedication to the people of Colorado's Fourth District as an intern in my Washington, D.C. office for the summer of 2018. The work of this young man has been exemplary, and I know he has a bright future. He served as a tour guide, interacted with constituents, and learned a great deal about our nation's legislative process. I was glad to be able to offer this educational opportunity, and look forward to seeing him build his career in public service. Liam plans to continue pursuing his degree at Princeton at the end of this internship. I wish him the best as he pursues his career path it is an honor to recognize Liam Mullett for his service the last several months to the people of Colorado's 4th District.
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2018
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-7-24

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m Wednesday, July 25; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 6147.
RECOGNIZING THOIS KIEL AND MARGARET YAEGER
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-7-24

I rise today to recognize a small business in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, that was recently recognized as Business of the Month by the Lansdale Borough Council. prgtoken Bent Metal Customs, located on West Third Street in Lansdale, was founded in 2002 in Hatfield before moving to its current, larger location. A classic car restoration shop, Bent Metal Customs specializes in vehicle customization and restoration. prgtoken Bent Metal Customs has influenced the motor vehicle industry in Montgomery County and beyond. Publications, such as Street Trucks, Chevy High Performance, and Diesel World, have all featured the work of Bent Metal Customs. The quality work of its employees has drawn customers from as far as Michigan and Florida, and is even showcased yearly at an auto show in Las Vegas, Nevada. prgtoken I would like to recognize Bent Metal Customs' owner, Justin Brenner, for this distinction, and thank him and the entire Bent Metal Customs family for their contributions to our local economy and community.
ENSURING INTEGRITY IN THE IRS WORKFORCE ACT OF 2018
Richard E. Neal (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-7-24

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , today's debate reminds me of the words of Will Rogers who used to say that: ``The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets.'' prgtoken Although I concede that he had a point during most of the past year, hopefully, today will be an exception to the Rogers rule. That is because we are taking up H.R. 3500, a good bill that would prevent the IRS from rehiring employees who have previously been terminated due to poor conduct or performance. prgtoken I want to say at the outset that I know most, if not overwhelmingly all, IRS employees tend to be ethical and diligent public servants who have, in recent years, been asked to do much more with much less. That is exactly what the American people deserve and expect from them and we all appreciate those efforts. prgtoken The IRS employees collecting our Nation's revenue enable the Federal Government to support veterans benefits, pave roads, protect the environment, fund medical research, care for needy children, and meet all of the other needs our Federal Government asks. This is an enormous task, and we need intelligent men and women of integrity in those roles who will administer our Tax Code in a fair, even-handed, reasonable, and ethical manner. Most IRS employees meet this standard with the utmost attention to their professional responsibilities and we honor their contributions to the country. prgtoken When we learn of situations that fall short of those high standards or employees who have conducted themselves dishonorably, though, it is critically important to rectify the situation swiftly. Jobs at the IRS are positions of great public trust, and last year the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration alerted us to a practice of hiring individuals who had previously violated that trust. prgtoken During 15 months covering parts of 2015 and 2016, TIGTA found that the IRS hired almost 7,500 people, including 2,000 rehires. About 10 percent of the rehired employees, who were mostly seasonal workers, had been terminated or separated while under investigation for substantiated conduct or performance issues. Four of the more than 200 rehired employees failed to file their own tax returns. Four were under investigation for unauthorized access to taxpayer information. Twenty- seven failed to disclose a prior termination or conviction on their applications, as required. prgtoken Although these hires represent but a fraction of IRS employees overall, it is important that we rectify the situation swiftly and prevent this from happening in the future. prgtoken So I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3500, and at the same time remind them that the outliers we are addressing today should not diminish our respect for the men and women at the IRS who serve the public with, I think, dignity every single day. prgtoken , let me thank those Internal Revenue Service emp
RECOGNIZING OUR NATION'S COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROFESSIONALS DURING PRETRIAL, PROBATION AND PAROLE SUPERVISION WEEK 2018
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2018-7-24

today, I rise to recognize the nation's community corrections professionals and the vital role they play in enhancing public safety throughout the United States. In honor of the invaluable contributions of these dedicated public servants, the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and its associated members have designated July 15 through July 21, 2018, ``Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week 2018.'' I thank the thousands of men and women who perform these important public safety duties, and urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in support of APPA's week-long recognition efforts this year. prgtoken In my congressional district, the nation's capital, thousands of women and men serve as pretrial, probation and parole officers or administrators. As public servants, these constituents, along with many other Americans, commit themselves on a daily basis to helping improve the lives of those involved in the criminal justice system. The work of these professionals ultimately results in stronger and safer communities for all. prgtoken Community corrections professionals are responsible for the supervision of adult and juvenile offenders in communities throughout our nation. These trained professionals go above and beyond the call of duty by connecting their clients to supportive services, community- based resources, employment opportunities, housing programs and other evidence-based practices that help individuals successfully complete supervision and reenter society. Community corrections professionals strive to provide these services and support, while simultaneously providing client supervision, crime prevention and restorative justice. prgtoken In honor of Pretrial, Probation and Parole Supervision Week 2018, I want to particularly recognize those who carry out community corrections and supervision services here in the District of Columbia, because unlike in other jurisdictions, officers and professionals of the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) come under congressional jurisdiction. prgtoken CSOSA and the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia (PSA) are dedicated to reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety in the nation's capital. CSOSA and PSA are recognized as model community supervision entities because of their use of evidence-based practices and community partnerships. prgtoken On any given day, CSOSA is responsible for supervising approximately 15,000 individuals on probation, parole or supervised release, while PSA supervises over 18,000 defendants over the course of a year. Charged with having to balance issues of public safety with social services and reentry support, the employees of CSOSA and PSA help to enhance the security of everyone who lives, works or visits the District. prgtoken , again, I extend my gratitude to these public servants for their commitment, compassion and contrib
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-7-24

you couldn't follow this President's tweets with a roadmap, a GPS, a flashlight, and a program. It is impossible to understand the policy of this administration for this country, and when you try to follow his actions instead of his words, it is even more confusing. prgtoken Over the past few weeks, President 's conduct when it comes to foreign policy has been head-spinning, even for him. To recap, he insulted our best allies of 70 years and then turned around and lobbied for Russia at a recent G7 meeting and again bullied our key allies at a summit on NATO. He then met privately with Russian President Putin and then held a press conference with him in which President blamed America and defended Putin's words over the expertise of his own government intelligence agencies. Keep in mind that he also inexplicably met privately with President Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg last year--an event which he initially denied. prgtoken Why all these private meetings between President and President Putin? Why wouldn't he let his Secretary of State sit in the room? Why wouldn't he let his National Security Advisor witness the conversation? I don't know the answer to these questions, and neither does America. prgtoken Then the President tried to backpedal from some of his most outrageous statements. At the end of the day, after trying that and deciding it wasn't worth the effort, he backed around again and decided to side with President Putin. It is impossible to keep track of where this President has been or is going. prgtoken President then questioned the bedrock NATO alliance, asking why the United States should come to the defense of one of its members. Incidentally, that is the heart and soul of the NATO alliance--article 5: We stand together. When the United States was attacked on 9/11, it was the NATO alliance that stood with us when we struck back at Afghanistan and al-Qaida. They stood by us because of article 5, the very basis of the NATO alliance, which this President has questioned. prgtoken He said that no U.S. President has been harder on Russia than President . He argued: ``I think President Putin knows that better than anybody.'' Then he said he wanted to invite President Putin to the United States as his special personal guest. Go figure. prgtoken As President weakens a great military alliance like NATO, bullies our allies of seven decades, cozies up to a foreign dictator, and talks in circles about his bizarre tweets and actions, what has been the priority of the Party on the floor of the Senate since the summit--the disastrous summit--at Helsinki? Well, the leader, Senator McConnell, has not spoken on the Senate floor on this issue since the Helsinki summit, not even one time. prgtoken Why aren't we urgently moving legislation to protect America's membership in NATO, ensure the integrity of our upcoming election, and fully implement l
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-7-24

s from Washington and Connecticut for being here, for speaking out, and for being so remarkable in their persistence in defending America's concerns about healthcare. I want to add my voice for just a few moments, if I might. prgtoken Let me look back 8 years to when I first joined the Senate in 2010. At that point, the Affordable Care Act was barely a year old. Since then, in the early years of the Affordable Care Act, we saw some very positive patterns: More Americans gained access to health insurance; the growth of healthcare costs slowed; insurance markets put in place under the ACA proved to be resilient, despite repeated challenges. As a result of the ACA, 20 million more Americans, including 38,000 Delawareans, gained access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare coverage. prgtoken It is through the ACA exchange that my own family and I get our healthcare, and so many others in Delaware have a chance to get access to healthcare. The 190,000 people, in my little State of 900,000 people, who have preexisting conditions no longer had to worry about being denied coverage, and lifetime caps were a thing of the past. This matters; it has saved lives. prgtoken Just listen briefly to the story of Nicole from my little hometown of Hockessin, DE, a small farming town of just a few thousand people. Nicole's 3-year-old daughter was born with cystic fibrosis, a horrible disease that robs children and people of the ability to breathe. Nicole's 3-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis spent at least an hour a day getting breathing treatments from her mother. At $5,000 a month for her medications--not cheap--Nicole was confident that without the ACA she would have exceeded her annual caps and her medical expenses well before the end of the year. prgtoken Nicole, in reaching out to me, made it clear that without the consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act, she would have had one of three choices: hope she would qualify for Medicaid--unlikely, due to her income; go into debt to pay for her daughter's treatments; or stop giving her daughter some of the medication she depends on to save her life. All of that assumed that her daughter's cystic fibrosis wasn't considered a preexisting condition that would prevent her from getting any insurance at all. Because of that circumstance, Nicole's story exemplifies the life-changing gains and positive trends that the ACA provided. prgtoken Unfortunately, there were some other challenges as well, which I will summarize quickly, that have developed over time. prgtoken Let me transition to where we are today. Today we are in a place where, just a year ago, consistent, repeated efforts after the 2016 election by s in Congress to repeal without a plan to replace the ACA resulted in a situation where, as my colleague from Connecticut has laid out, the administration has done its best to roll back ways in which progress was mad
TRIBUTE TO DIANNE PAQUETTE
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-7-24

I am honored to recognize as July's Granite Stater of the Month an individual who truly embodies the best of New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck spirit, consistently rolling up her sleeves and helping her community, Dianne Paquette of Salem, NH. prgtoken Dianne's efforts started with two elementary school playgrounds that needed repairs. She led efforts to raise money to repair the playgrounds because, in her words, ``somebody has to.'' After she was successful in her fundraising efforts for the playgrounds, Dianne moved on to other town landmarks and was instrumental in raising funds and gathering volunteers for several projects, including restoring the historic Salem Depot Train Station. prgtoken Dianne has formed a core group of friends--a group that she calls the Village--made up of law enforcement officials, firefighters, and Granite Staters who share her commitment to helping their community. Recently, Dianne and the Village have focused on helping those in need after two separate apartment fires in Salem. She helped organize a spaghetti dinner that raised nearly $6,000 and then, following a second fire, and with the help of firefighters working in the kitchen, a pancake breakfast that raised over $5,000. prgtoken Dianne said that these fires increased awareness about an issue that is near to her heart, the lack of affordable housing in the Salem area. The funds she helped raise are going to address many of the challenges the victims of the fires will face, including relocating. As she said, you can't fix everything with pancakes and spaghetti, but you can do what you can to help. prgtoken Dianne reminds us all that sometimes helping your community is about being the person to take the first step and voice the idea, and her efforts to mobilize friends and neighbors to work together has made a difference throughout her community. For her dedication to Salem, I am proud to recognize Dianne as July's Granite Stater of the Month.