mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INFLATION
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-6-21

the Senate is back in session, and still we have no indication from the White House or my ic colleagues that they have a plan to lower inflation. prgtoken Tennesseans are frightened. You would be, too, if you consistently found more month at the end of your paycheck than paycheck at the end of your month. It is getting harder to stretch the pennies and nickels and dimes, and talking points aren't going to fix this problem. prgtoken The White House keeps telling people that if they hang on just a little bit longer, they are going to be all right, but that is not how it works in the real world. In the real world, at a certain point, you run out of rope to hang on to. prgtoken People are looking at this transition economy, and they are saying: What are we transitioning to? It is not what they want for their economic future. It is no longer a matter of just trying to make things work; you just can't pay the bills anymore. The gas tank stays empty or you go to bed hungry. prgtoken Now, it is clear that and the know that the country has reached a tipping point, but rather than offering hope, they have settled into blaming everyone from congressional s to foreign dictators for the problem. That is not what the American people want to hear. They know who got us in trouble, and they know it wasn't Vladimir Putin; it was and the . prgtoken It is the people--the who are controlling every branch of government in this town. Yes, they have done it, and no amount of scapegoating will change the fact that the American people have been watching closely over the past year and a half, and they know things have gone terribly wrong. prgtoken The administration abandoned our recovery, spent trillions on a reckless spending spree, and then panicked when all that spending caused record-high inflation. No, it is not temporary. The country doesn't need a pep talk; they need and the to reverse course before we fall into a recession, if we haven't done so already. prgtoken There are things the administration can do right now that will pull us back from the brink. prgtoken It is time to take the taxpayer-funded credit card away. The American people can't afford what the are selling, and they wouldn't want it even if they could afford it. They know this is wasteful, out- of-control, reckless spending. prgtoken Next, the President must stop expanding the size and power of the Federal Government. Stop hiring bureaucrats we don't need at salaries we can't afford to write regulations that only exist to take more money out of people's paychecks. prgtoken would also be wise to get the regulators we do have out of the way--especially when it comes to the energy sector--restart the Keystone XL Pipeline, and make America energy independent again. Go back to drilling in Alaska, offshore, fracking. Return it all so that we once ag
TRIBUTE TO CAROLE JOHNSON
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2022-6-21

today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Carole Johnson of Mineral County for her dedication to the Forest Service and her 50-plus years--50-plus years--of public service to the people of Montana. prgtoken Raised in Superior, MT, Carole graduated from Montana State University and joined the U.S. Forest Service in 1971. Carole started as a seasonal recreational employee on the Superior Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest and has since worked in nearly every facet of the Forest Service, including firefighting, logistics, silviculture, surveying, mining, and conservation education. In 2015, Carole was named ``Superior District Ranger,'' the post she has held until retiring earlier this spring. According to most accounts, at the time of her retirement, Carole was the longest tenured Federal employee in the State of Montana. prgtoken Anyone who knows Carole will tell you that she exemplified the definition of a ``public servant.'' For more than 50 years, she served her community with unmatched institutional knowledge and professionalism. She has been a voice of reason in debates over public lands management, emphasizing that forest management and conservation truly go hand in hand. As District Ranger, Carole worked tirelessly to increase the timber output on the Superior District to help benefit the local economy and support wildfire mitigation in the community. prgtoken Outside of her role at the Forest Service, Carole is active in her community. She serves on many boards, including the Mineral Community Hospital Board, the Mineral Fair Board, and the Glacier Country Tourism Board. Through her commitment to public service, it is clear that Carole has long been a well-respected and beloved member of the Mineral County community. prgtoken It is my honor to recognize Carole for her dedication to the Forest Service and her 50-plus years of public service to the great State of Montana. prgtoken Carole, thank you for your many years of public service and your commitment to improving our public lands and our forests. I wish you all the very best in your retirement. You truly make Montana proud.
INFLATION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-6-21

a little more than 2 years ago, with policies in place, American workers and families were enjoying one of the best economic moments in a generation. prgtoken Unemployment was at a 50-year low. Inflation was very low at the same time. Our economy was growing robustly, and workers were reaping the benefits: Real wages were climbing. In fact, wages at the bottom of the income distribution were growing faster than that at the top. In other words, on our watch, working-class Americans were getting bigger percentage raises than their bosses. prgtoken Under these conditions, the American people were looking forward to the future. Satisfaction with the direction of our country was at a 15- year high. Consumer confidence was hovering near its highest level since 2000, and small business optimism had set an alltime record high. prgtoken policies helped create that environment, from cutting redtape to passing the most comprehensive tax cuts and tax reform in a generation. prgtoken Now, said the 2017 tax bill would not strengthen the economy and would starve the Federal Government of money, but we s knew better. And sure enough, with our tax bill in place, Federal revenues are at historic levels. The past fiscal year's nominal corporate tax receipts were the highest they have been since 2007. Individual income tax receipts just hit an alltime record high as well, and they are on pace to climb even higher this year. Overall, Treasury Department revenues just recorded their largest 1-year surge in 44 years. prgtoken So that is what has happened since the 2017 tax reform that literally predicted would be ``Armageddon": tax cuts for American families, record-setting tax revenues, and the best economy for working families in a generation prior to the pandemic. Unfortunately, most of our ic colleagues have a terrible track record when it comes to economic policies and predictions. The tax reform they called Armageddon preceded low inflation, high employment, and robust growth. prgtoken And what about on their watch? prgtoken setting policy on party lines decided on trillions of dollars in reckless spending. That has bought us the worst inflation in 40 years, anemic growth, and now, on top of all of that, the threat of rising unemployment and a possible recession. prgtoken Just as Senate were preparing to dump $2 trillion in reckless spending on our economy, the Senate ic leader said: I do not think the dangers of inflation, at least in the near term, are very real. prgtoken President said: The risk is not doing too much. The risk is not doing enough. prgtoken Secretary Yellen said: [T]he price of doing too little is much higher than the price of doing something big. prgtoken Well, they were all wrong, and American families are paying dearly for it. prgtoken The ic leader claimed:
Ukraine (Executive Session)
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-6-21

I come to the floor again today to update people on what is happening in Ukraine as Russia continues its illegal, unprovoked, and brutal assault on that country and talk more about what we can do here in the Congress and as Americans to help the people of Ukraine during this desperate hour. This will be the 16th consecutive week I have come to the floor to discuss the invasion while the Senate has been in session. prgtoken We are now on the 118th day of this war on Ukraine. In response, the bravery and effectiveness of the Ukrainian defenders has been unbelievable, truly impressive, but not surprising because they are fighting to defend their homeland, their families, and their freedom. prgtoken They have shown again and again the power that comes with that. Just 4 days ago was another example of Ukrainian tenacity and success against a much bigger and better armed Russian army. Last Friday, Ukrainian military officials announced that they struck and sunk a Russian vessel in the Black Sea using two Harpoon anti-ship missiles supplied by the West. The ship was carrying personnel and anti-aircraft equipment to Snake Island, which the Russians invaded early on and used as an outpost to assist in their blockade of Ukraine. prgtoken This action marks the first time that Ukraine has destroyed a Russian vessel with a new, Western-supplied armament. It is an example of what we can do, the United States and other allied countries, 42 of us who are helping Ukraine, giving them the tools they need to defend their homeland. prgtoken By the way, the Ukrainians have now sunk so many Russian ships that the head of the Odessa Oblast military administration remarked that Ukraine is creating ``an underwater brigade at the bottom of the Black Sea.'' prgtoken Despite these successes in the Black Sea, Russia has taken the upper hand in the critical area east of Ukraine called the Donbas. The Donbas region is this area of Ukraine in eastern Ukraine where Russia has really focused its forces. Previously, you recall they took Crimea in 2014, and they took a part of the Donbas--Donbas and Donetsk areas. Now they are trying to take the entire Donetsk region and more. prgtoken Although the Ukrainians are fighting valiantly in this area of the Donbas, they are simply being outgunned by the Russians, who have longer range and very accurate Russian missiles. The stakes are really high right now. The fate of a sovereign country to remain free hangs in the balance. But not only that, if Vladimir Putin is successful here in the Donbas in taking more than he already controls, I think it would be naive to believe he will stop there. Based on his own words, he won't stop there. The Baltics could be next. He already has a puppet dictatorship here in Belarus. These countries--Baltics, Poland, Romania, where I was recently, Moldova--they are all concerned and rightly so. We cannot allow him to achieve these goals. prgtoken Last Wednes
WELCOMING THE HONORABLE MAYRA FLORES TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Mayra Flores (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-6-21

. Madam , I rise today to give a voice to the voiceless and to say that the people who live and work in south Texas have had enough. We want to be heard, and we are tired of being treated like second-class citizens. prgtoken I was born in Burgos, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and raised with strong values to always put God and family first. My father, Saul Flores, moved us to the United States because of the promise of America. He told me that in this country, if you work hard, you can accomplish anything. My story proves he is right. prgtoken But right now our people are struggling. They are taken for granted. That ends now. prgtoken I am here. I have risen from working in the cotton fields to representing the community I love in the United States Congress. And I will give them a voice. I will use it to say: Our lives are not a game. Our people deserve to have opportunity, security, and freedom, and I will work every day to give it to them. prgtoken I am a proud Border Patrol wife and a mother of four young children fighting for a better future for them and for all our children.
GUN LEGISLATION
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-6-21

28 days ago, an 18-year-old young man opened fire on students at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX. He murdered 21 people--19 children and 2 teachers. In the process, he effectively committed suicide as well. prgtoken This was an attack that was so cruel, so brutal, and inhumane that it has brought much of our Nation to its knees in mourning. Since the shooting, my office has received--as I am sure many other Members of Congress have--I have received tens of thousands of calls and letters and emails with a singular message: Do something. prgtoken Do something. Not do nothing, but do something. Texans are disgusted and outraged by what happened at Robb Elementary, and they want Congress to take appropriate action to prevent the loss of more innocent lives. prgtoken I don't want us to pass a bill for the purpose of checking a box. I want to make sure we actually do something useful, something that is capable of becoming a law, something that will have the potential to save lives. prgtoken I am happy to report as a result of the hard work of a number of Senators in this Chamber that we have made some serious progress. In particular, over the last few weeks, Mr. Murphy, the Senator from Connecticut; Ms. Sinema, the Senator from Arizona; Mr. Tillis, the Senator from North Carolina; and I have searched high and low for common ground. prgtoken Now, there are some people who would say, What is the use? Why try? We know this is an issue that divides much of the country, depending on where you live, and maybe even divides people living in the same household. But I think we have found some areas where there is space for compromise. And we have also found that there are some redlines and no middle ground. We have talked; we have debated; we have disagreed; and, finally, we have reached an agreement among the four of us. But, obviously, this is not something that will become law or fail to become law because of a small group of Senators. prgtoken The truth is we had a larger group of 20 Senators--10 s and 10 --come forward and sign on to an agreed set of principles, and I believe as Senators see the text that supports those principles, they will see we have tried our best to be true as to what we said those agreed principles should be. prgtoken So soon, very soon--not soon enough for me--but very soon, we will see the text of bipartisan legislation that will help keep our children and our communities safer. prgtoken We know there is no such thing as a perfect piece of legislation. We are imperfect human beings. But we have to try, and I believe this bill is a step in the right direction. prgtoken One of the pillars of this legislation is support for community-based mental health care. Following the violent attacks, we have all heard about missed signs, and the fact is the New York Times recently profiled the type of young man: typically alienated, isolated, not receiving any sort of su
ACTIVE SHOOTER ALERT ACT OF 2022
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-6-21

. Madam , I thank Ranking Member Jim Jordan for yielding the time. prgtoken You know, I find it interesting that all across the country, are moving to defund the police. Here, today in Congress, we have a bill called the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022. prgtoken Well, if they defund the police, a more appropriate title for this bill would be the you are on your own act of 2022. Yes, that is right. We think you are in danger, but nobody is coming to help you because we have defunded the police. prgtoken But what does this bill really do? You know, if it were anything other than an attempt to demonize guns, to panic people, it would cover things like stabbing, car violence. How come we never hear about car violence? It would cover all violence, but they have chosen to single out the Second Amendment and firearms. prgtoken The technology already exists to do this, and the States that want to do it have already done it, and the campuses across the country that want to do it have implemented this a decade ago. prgtoken So, why are we doing this at the Federal level? What is the purpose to take what would have been good ideas at the State level, bring them up here, launder them, and then go tell the States how they have to do it, even though they are already doing it in many cases? prgtoken What good does a one-size-fits-all bill do when you dictate from D.C.? prgtoken You know, rural Kentucky is not like urban Chicago. If you hear a gun go off in rural Kentucky, your first instinct is not to panic. prgtoken Now, if your phone comes on and tells you that you need to panic, you might be inclined to do that. But when you hear a gun go off in Kentucky, you assume somebody is hunting. You assume they are target practicing. They are doing something that is lawful. prgtoken In maybe 1 out of 10,000 cases that it is not, it is just somebody poaching a deer, probably, but it ain't nothing to panic about. That is what they want you to do. prgtoken You know, it is different when you hear a gun in Kentucky than when you hear one in downtown Chicago, which gets me to the point: Can you turn this system off in Chicago? prgtoken Is anybody going to be able to sleep in a -controlled city where crime is rampant, where they are moving to defund the police? How will you get to bed? prgtoken Every few hours, there is violence in Chicago, or pick your favorite big city run by a big, liberal where they have the strongest gun bans in the country. They have more violence than anywhere else. prgtoken So can you turn it off? That would be my first question for those poor folks in Chicago that have to deal with the sort of public policy that have advanced. prgtoken Now, one of the questions that came up in our committee that was never answered: Is this going to tell you after the fact, after the shooting has happened, or will it alert you to one that they think is about to happen? prgtoken We asked, and I asked the
REPUBLICAN STUDY COMMITTEE'S BLUEPRINT TO SAVE AMERICA
Kevin Hern (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-6-21

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his words and for his personal knowledge of how the budget is so important to all the American people. prgtoken You have heard a lot from my colleagues about pieces of legislation to be included in this budget. Some 203 pieces of legislation by some 82 Members of the Party have been included in this budget to design and develop and produce a balanced budget for all Americans. All Americans sitting at their table, they don't look and see first if they are or . They don't care about politics when it comes to spending. prgtoken Members of Congress talk about how they care about the least of us in our economy across America. If we cared, we would sit down and work together to produce a balanced budget, one like we haven't seen in over 20 years. prgtoken , from Utah (Mr. Moore), my colleague prgtoken from Utah's First Congressional District, and an outstanding freshman member on the Armed Services Committee.
CONDEMNING THE OCTOBER 25, 2021, MILITARY COUP IN SUDAN AND STANDING WITH THE PEOPLE OF SUDAN
Kathy E. Manning (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2022-6-21

the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. prgtoken , the October 25 military coup in Sudan represents a dark day for the people in Sudan. It put Sudan and its people on a regressive path that has eroded their human rights and their aspirations for a civilian-led transition. This transition, with historic support from the United States, augured peace, stability, and democratic governance in Sudan for the first time in decades. Instead, the military junta decided to seize power without regard for the will of Sudan's people. prgtoken This resolution will echo the voice of the international community by condemning the coup, standing up for Sudan's people, and calling for full accountability for the junta leaders who have abused their power and their people. The passage of this concurrent resolution is a step in the right direction. prgtoken I again thank Chairman Meeks for his leadership on this resolution, and I urge all my colleagues to join us by voting in the affirmative. prgtoken , .
RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF JON BOUGHTIN
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-6-21

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the service of Jon Boughtin, the long-serving and committed member of the New Dem family. prgtoken Jon is leaving Capitol Hill this month after working for more than a decade in public service, including for Rep. Bill Owens, Rep. Lincoln Davis, and the New Coalition under Chairs Suzan DelBene and Derek Kilmer. Jon's meaningful member engagement will leave a lasting impact on the Coalition for years to come. prgtoken As New Dems, we have 98 members focused on advocating for common sense policies to grow our economy, educate our kids, and lift up Americans from every walk of life. We cut across the gridlock and political division to deliver real solutions to some of the toughest challenges facing American families. The work is hard and unrelenting, but Jon faced every challenge with optimism and integrity. Our members are better for having worked with Jon for the last five years. prgtoken More important than his daily work, Jon was a kind colleague to his peers and a dedicated advocate for all Americans throughout his career. His presence at the New Coalition will be sorely missed. prgtoken On behalf of our entire Coalition, I want to thank Jon for his hard work and wish him and his family nothing but the best in his future endeavors.
SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-6-21

I rise in strong support of the Honoring our PACT Act, which will ensure comprehensive benefits and care for our troops who suffer from toxic exposure, especially from burn pits. prgtoken I thank Chairman Takano once again for his leadership, and it is now time for us to finally send this bill to President 's desk. prgtoken As a daughter, sister, and wife of a veteran, caring for our veterans is extremely important to me, as it should be to every American. The Honoring our PACT Act will help over 3 million suffering veterans and ensure that they can get the care that they need. prgtoken I note especially the similarities between this bill and my 9/11 Health and Compensation Act which supports the 9/11 first responders who were exposed to dangerous toxins that made them sick, still to this day. prgtoken Our veterans were there for us. We must be there for them. We should all support this important bill.