mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
National Defense Authorization Act (Executive Calendar)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-11-13

first, I want to thank Senator Fischer for all of her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and in so many other areas. I am here to talk about the same subject, the National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken It may be difficult to understand the difference between appropriating and authorizing. We have two different sorts of committees here. One focuses on the resources funding their use, but they can't be used unless they are authorized. So every year for 58 years, we have come into the committee, we have heard differing opinions on priorities, but at the end of the day, the amazing thing about the Senate Armed Services Committee when it comes to prgtoken the National Defense Authorization Act is that we always reach a bipartisan agreement. It passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee with I believe unanimous support, and then it got passed out of the Senate. prgtoken Normally, this happens in the June timeframe, maybe the July timeframe. Now here we are in November. Not only have we not passed the National Defense Authorization Act, but we are at risk of not passing anything. Now what we are hearing about is a so-called skinny bill that would just be the basic authorities while we are leaving everything else on the table. prgtoken I am going to talk a little bit about the Personnel Subcommittee, which I chair, but what do authorities mean? It means research on new weapons systems. It means research for men and women in a dangerous situation to make sure the best possible technology and training is available to make it as safe as it can be in an unsafe environment. There are hundreds of authorizations in the National Defense Authorization Act that are at risk of sliding another year for the first time in 58 years. prgtoken Now what I want to talk about is what is at stake if we can't reach an agreement with Pelosi specifically in the Personnel Subcommittee. prgtoken I actually requested the Personnel Subcommittee because I wanted to focus on the business of the Department of Defense, and I wanted to focus on military families and on the soldiers' health and safety. prgtoken If we do not pass provisions that passed out of my subcommittee and that are in the National Defense Authorization Act that passed out of the Senate, here is what is at stake: prgtoken There is a pay raise for every soldier, sailor, and marine--a 3.1- percent pay raise that they could lose this year as a result of not gaining agreement. prgtoken We have a lot of provisions in there for military housing. I am from North Carolina, and we have two very large installations in North Carolina--Fort Bragg, the home of the Global Response Force, and Camp Lejeune, home to a bigger population of marines than any military installation in the world. prgtoken They are in housing today that needs to be outfitted. They are in housing that, quite honestly, is unsafe. This National Defense Authorization Act makes progress to ma
ROSIE THE RIVETER CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL ACT OF 2019
Barry Loudermilk (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-11-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , as the son of a World War II veteran, the brother of a Vietnam veteran, and as a veteran myself who served during the time of Desert Storm and other conflicts, I understand that victory in battle is not solely due to the soldier on the battlefield, the airman that is flying over the battlefield, or the marine or the sailor. It is as much the responsibility of all Americans and those who actually supply the weapons and the machinery of war that is so desperately needed by those who are on the battlefield. prgtoken We saw this play out in a great way during World War II. As our young men and women were across the pond and throughout the Pacific fighting against tyranny, many here at home stepped up and fulfilled the positions that many of them vacated to go fight on the battlefields. prgtoken We are honoring such of those women today, being Rosie the Riveters, where 6 million answered their country's call to make sure that the airmen had the aircraft to fly; that the infantrymen had the bullets and the guns that were needed to defend this country; that the sailors had the equipment, the ships, and the weapons to fight on the seas; and that the Marines that were invading the islands that were held by the Japanese had the materials that they needed. prgtoken We could not have seen that victory in World War II if it weren't for these brave patriots who not only took on the roles and the responsibilities that others left to make sure that we had the weapons and the materials and the logistics that were needed, but while also raising families at the same time. prgtoken Back in June, I was honored to be one of the official delegates to travel to Normandy, representing the United States and the House of Representatives for the 75th anniversary of D-day. I was especially honored because my dad was one of those who stepped on the shores of Normandy during that battle. prgtoken And, as I was sitting in the audience waiting on the President to give his remarks, there were three lovely ladies sitting in the row in front of me. We began to engage in conversation, and I found out that they were Rosie Riveters. And, of course, I had to have a selfie with Rosie the Riveter. prgtoken They became the stars. Regardless of the number of Members of Congress who were sitting in the audience, those three ladies became the focus of many who were there, and rightfully so. And because of their deeds and their patriotism, I fully support this legislation. prgtoken , I encourage all of my colleagues to do so as well, and .
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH
Ross Spano (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-11-13

. Madam , I rise today to call attention to National Adoption Month. prgtoken On any given day in our country, there are 440,000 children in the foster care system, most for 2 to 5 years. This holiday season, I encourage you to open your heart to the possibility of adopting a child. As an adoption attorney, I can personally testify that you can give no greater gift to a child without a home than the security of a parent. prgtoken Alternatively, foster care may be a better option for you. My family had the joy of fostering four beautiful children over a 2-year period and simultaneously gave their birth parents the chance to receive help to overcome problems that led to their children's removal from their home. prgtoken Tampa Bay is blessed to have the Gladney Center for Adoption, Catholic Charities Adoption Services, Florida Baptist Children's Homes, Heart of Adoptions Alliance, and others on the front lines of this issue. prgtoken This National Adoption Month, think of these kids as you sit at your Thanksgiving table, when you shop for Christmas, and, above all, when you consider growing your family. They need us.
Recognition of the Minority Leader (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-11-13

as always, I am happy to work with the Senator from New York on things on which we find our interests aligned. Obviously, there are going to be things on which we disagree. Frequently, there are. Yet he and I have worked together on legislation on which we have been able to find enough common interest to be able to build a consensus and get things done. They call that ``legislating'' around here. prgtoken There are other things that we should be doing here on a bipartisan basis. For example, taking up and passing the appropriations bills, including the Defense appropriations bill, so our U.S. military can remain the most powerful, the best equipped, the best trained, and the best led military in the world. That is of overwhelming importance. Yet our colleagues on the other side have objected to and have blocked, on at least two occasions, that prgtoken Defense appropriations bill. Now we have a short-term continuing resolution that expires this November 21. I am told or have read that there is likely to be a follow-on continuing resolution that takes us up to December 20, but that is important work, too, because none of us wants to see another government shutdown. No one wins with government shutdowns. prgtoken This sort of gamesmanship that occurs by blocking bills that should have support by overwhelming bipartisan numbers in the Senate is important, too--things like paying the military, making sure that it maintains its readiness to fight and win the Nation's wars, and even more importantly, making sure it keeps the peace. prgtoken I know the majority leader has a challenge in trying to figure out how to schedule legislation on the Senate floor, but it certainly doesn't help when our ic colleagues repeatedly object to things like appropriations bills and put us into this dysfunction when it comes to paying the Federal Government's bills. prgtoken I would say to my friend from New York that I am always happy to work with him and with any other Member in the Senate, no matter what one's political party is and no matter what one's ideological persuasion is, because I actually believe we were sent here to solve problems and to get things done. prgtoken What I dislike and what I am disappointed about is the dysfunction that we see in the U.S. Senate, whereby, even though it is less than a year before the election, politics have overwhelmed our ability to get things done. I came to the floor to say that maybe we can't do all of this right now, today, but we can do this, and let's build on it once we have gotten the bill passed. prgtoken I am disappointed that the ic leader has seen fit to object to passing this bill that he himself called good and well-intended and that is supported by organizations like the American Association of Retired Persons. I do not understand it, but maybe somebody else does. Their saying that we can't do something because it doesn't include everything we w
HONORING CHIEF OF STAFF RYAN THOMPSON
Ron Wright (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-11-13

what are the best things an American can do for his or her country? prgtoken Public service, military service, community service. prgtoken What does a true public servant look like? prgtoken Someone who possesses exemplary character, integrity, and inspires confidence. Someone who has the network of relationships on both sides to be both respected and effective. prgtoken How do you honor a man who gave 20 years to the United States Government and the House of Representatives, the United States Marine Corps Infantry, and dedicated his free time to bringing and s together in the name of charity? prgtoken Ryan Thompson, my trusted chief of staff and dear friend, who sits here with me, joins us on the House floor for the final time today. prgtoken He has accompanied me and our former boss to the floor countless times and always helped us look and do our best. Today is different, though, because this is his moment. prgtoken , there are proud members of the United States Marine Corps and there are proud graduates of Texas A&M University--Texas Aggies. prgtoken Occasionally, God blesses the world by combining both of those things in one person. Such is the case with Ryan Thompson. prgtoken Ryan is a proud, sixth-generation Texan of the Aggie variety, who serves as a past president of the Texas State Society. A true philanthropist, Ryan has dedicated thousands of hours over the past decade to organizing the bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Baseball Game, which raises millions of dollars for local charities each year. prgtoken Furthermore, Ryan founded and leads the Congressional Sports for Charity Foundation, which was created to ensure that the Congressional Baseball Game and other congressional charity events live on for decades to come. prgtoken Ryan wisely understands that the game is not only essential to the many charities it helps but serves another cause in need, the Congress itself. prgtoken Today, on behalf of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Washington, D.C.; the Washington Nationals Dream Foundation; and the Washington Literacy Council, which honored him with the Champion for Literacy Award--not to mention a grateful institution and Nation--thank you and happy trails to Ryan Scott Thompson. prgtoken Like a Texas live oak, he is strong from the roots up.
National Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-11-13

I will talk for a few minutes today about 5G technology and taxpayer money. We have all heard the term ``5G.'' 5G stands for fifth generation--fifth generation technology. In short, what 5G means is incredibly fast data transmission--data going from my cell phone to the President's cell phone, my internet to your internet, and the ability to connect a lot of different devices at the same time. prgtoken Through 5G technology, which is wireless technology, we will be able not only to transmit data very quickly, but we will also be able to transmit huge amounts of data--almost breathtaking amounts--and it is going to have a huge impact on American society. It is going to have a huge impact on the world. prgtoken In some respects, it is going to change the world. If technology has changed the world thus far--and indeed it has; among other things, it has made the world smaller--5G is going to change it even more. For example, you will be able to use your smartphone to open your garage door. You will be able to use your smartphone and be a mile away but turn on your coffee maker. We will be able to do surgery by internet. Surgeons will be able to be in one place 1,000 miles away from a patient, and that surgeon, through robotics and other means, will be able to transmit the data to operate on that patient. prgtoken Driverless cars are going to change the world dramatically--not only the way we get around. It is going to change our need for roads; it is going to change our tax base; and it is going to change the insurance market. prgtoken 5G is going to allow farmers to be prewarned about encroaching diseases. Farmers will not have to wait to see their crops attacked by certain diseases; through 5G technology, they will be able to know and predict that those diseases are coming. It is going to help us feed the world. prgtoken 5G technology is going to allow our young people to have virtual apprenticeships. If you are a young woman or a young man and you are right out of school and you are offered an apprenticeship or an internship, let's say in San Francisco, and you are living in Duluth-- say you are a student and you say ``I don't have the money to move to San Francisco, and I don't have the money to live in San Francisco,'' you will be able to do an internship through technology. prgtoken It is going to be 100 times faster. In terms of the amount of data, I don't know how to quantify that, but it is going to have an extraordinary impact on wireless technology. prgtoken What are we talking about here? When my phone calls the President's phone, what are we talking about? Really, we are just talking about radio waves. We are talking about radio waves. A radio wave is nothing more than electromagnetic radiation. I don't want to get off the subject here. When my phone talks to the President's phone, we are just sending radio waves through the air. Sometimes you might have heard that referred to as a s
Nomination of Steven J. Menashi (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-11-13

first of all, it is a pleasure to work with Senator Shaheen on this bill. I am very happy to work together. We have the same goals in mind. For the cynical people outside of Washington, DC, that say there is never any or ic cooperation, there is kind of a rule around here that Senator Shaheen and I are examples of, but it applies to all 100 Senators. prgtoken If you really want to get something done, you have to seek bipartisanship in this body. I can quantify that in this way. There are 53 s. There are 47 . But if there were 53 and 47 s, the same rule would apply. prgtoken About 99 percent of the legislation that gets done around here has to have 60 votes to stop debate before you can even vote on the bill. So obviously, even if all 53 s were voting together--and that doesn't happen very often--you still wouldn't get the 60 votes to pass a piece of legislation. So that is why almost every major piece of legislation that gets through here--and this example of Shaheen- Grassley is just another example--it is because you seek bipartisanship, and it is just nice that it has to be that way. prgtoken So addressing this issue, I can say I associate myself with the remarks of Senator Shaheen and sit down, but there is kind of a rule around the Senate. Everything that has been said on this bill has been said, but I haven't said it yet, and I am going to say it. prgtoken I recently introduced S. 2770, known as the Survivors' Bill of Rights in the States Act of 2019, with Senator Shaheen and Senator Tillis. This measure is a companion to what Congresswoman Speier developed and introduced in the other Chamber. It builds on legislation entitled the Survivors' Bill of Rights Act that we adopted in 2016. prgtoken As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the last Congress, I worked closely with a young woman, Amanda Nguyen, on the development of that 2016 measure prior to its introduction. Amanda, a survivor of sexual assault, found and leads the nonprofit organization known as Rise, R-I-S-E. prgtoken She also worked with Senator Shaheen on the same legislation, introducing the final version in this Chamber. We incorporated that 2016 package of rights into an amendment that I offered to another measure before the Senate Judiciary Committee. In May 2016, that legislation passed this Chamber 89 to 0. In October 2016, the House version, which was introduced later, was signed by the President. prgtoken The bills that we introduced this month on the 2016 Survivors' Bill of Rights, it makes each State eligible to receive a Federal grant to implement a similar package of rights for victims of sex crimes at the State level. Such rights include, for example, the right to know the results of your forensic exam, the right to have evidence preserved for a certain period, and the right to notice before your forensic kit is destroyed. prgtoken A State a
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-11-13

it has now been 13 months since the administration concluded negotiations on the United States-Mexico- Canada Free Trade Agreement. It has been 13 months of uncertainty for U.S. farmers and ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, digital firms, financial institutions, and many others. It has been 13 months of wondering what the rules of the road on trade are going to look like going forward. prgtoken We should have passed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement months ago. The s in the Senate have been ready to take up this agreement for a long time, but trade agreements have to be considered by the House of Representatives first, and the House of Representatives is controlled by the ic Party, which is far more interested in partisan pursuits than in actually doing any meaningful legislating. prgtoken While the House are happy to consider far-left messaging bills that have no chance of going anywhere, they have no interest in working with the s to actually get something signed into law. Why? The have convinced themselves that partisan posturing is more important than securing a bipartisan legislative victory, like a strong, new trade deal that will benefit the American economy. So they are currently opposing a trade agreement that would benefit millions of American workers. prgtoken Let's be very clear. The ' decision to prioritize partisan politics is having real consequences for the American people. Right now, the members of our military are unable to fund new priorities because the Senate are blocking the consideration of Defense appropriations. Farmers and ranchers in my home State of South Dakota and around the country are struggling, but the House refuse to move forward on a trade deal--the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement--that would bring them relief. prgtoken Thanks to low commodity and livestock prices, natural disasters, and protracted trade disputes, farmers and ranchers have had a tough few years, and one of the biggest things we can do to help them is to take action on trade. Our Nation's farmers and ranchers depend on trade. prgtoken When I talk to farmers and ranchers at home in South Dakota, they emphasize that the most important thing Washington can do to boost our agricultural economy is to take action on trade agreements. Farmers and ranchers need access to new and expanded markets for their products, and, just as importantly, they need certainty about what international markets are going to look like going forward. prgtoken The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement would help to meet those needs. It would preserve and expand farmers' access to two critical export markets, and it would give farmers certainty about what these markets will look like long term. prgtoken I am particularly pleased with the improvements the agreement makes for dairy producers. South Dakota has experienced a majo
REMEMBERING MISTER FRED ROGERS
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-11-13

. I rise today to pay tribute to the legacy of one of our Nation's most treasured educators and performers and a native Pennsylvanian, Mister Fred Rogers. Many are recognizing today as World Kindness Day and are performing acts of kindness toward their loved ones, neighbors, and even strangers. Perhaps no American embodies the spirit of kindness more than Fred Rogers. prgtoken Affectionately known by children and adults alike as ``Mister Rogers,'' Fred McFeely Rogers was born in Latrobe, PA on March 20, 1928. From an early age, Fred Rogers demonstrated an interest in learning, making art through creative expression, and serving other. He graduated with a degree in music composition from Rollins College in Winter Park FL in 1951 and earned a degree in divinity from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1962. A year later, he became an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church. prgtoken Mister Rogers began his television career shortly after college, working on the sets of NBC in New York City. He then moved back to Southwestern Pennsylvania to work for the first conmmunity-owned, public television station in the country, Pittsburgh's WQED. He gained a firsthand view of the transformative power of television and the impact that educational programs could have on adults and children. At WQED, Mister Rogers worked with Josie Carey on a program called ``The Children's Corner'', where many of his now-familiar characters were first given life. Additionally, he sought the expertise of Dr. Margaret McFarland, the director of the Arsenal Family and Children's Center in Pittsburgh, to integrate best teaching practices into his work. prgtoken In 1963, Rogers appeared on camera for the first time to host a children's program called ``Misterogers''. The program was filmed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto and aired until 1967. Rogers returned to Pittsburgh and WQED, where he created and filmed ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood''. By 1968, the Public Broadcasting Service was broadcasting Mister Rogers to thousands of households throughout the country. prgtoken For three decades, Mister Rogers brought love, kindness, generosity, grace, laughter, and cheer into the lives of countless children and their families. His lessons and performances on ``Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' taught children about respect, safety, perseverance, civility, and caring for others. He did not shy away from issues that face almost every child, including intolerance, disagreement, and bullying. Because he could connect with children in a way few adults could, Mister Rogers helped children to cope and understand difficult emotional issues like anger, death, and divorce. Mister Rogers was a friend to all children and played an important role in the lives of many by reminding them of their self-worth. prgtoken Mister Rogers was bestowed with numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which was award