mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-6-21

this week, we have been considering a regular appropriations package and voting on amendments. prgtoken Many of us have wanted this return to regular order in appropriations for quite some time. It didn't happen overnight. We owe thanks to Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy for the transparent, bipartisan process that has produced this bill. Thanks to the leadership of our colleagues at the subcommittee level, more bills will be on their way to the floor for prompt consideration. prgtoken The package before us today will cross three important items off the Senate's appropriations to-do list: funding for Energy and Water, for Military Construction and the VA, and for the Legislative Branch. prgtoken As I have discussed on the floor this week, the first set of funding measures attend to a number of major national priorities. The Energy and Water title allocates critical resources for the safety, security, and readiness of our Nation's nuclear arsenal. It delivers record funding for cutting-edge scientific research, and it directs support for mitigating flood damage, protecting shorelines, and upkeep for America's inland waterways, like those that support 13,000 jobs in my home State alone. prgtoken The Military Construction and VA title offers targeted resources to causes that are near and dear to servicemembers and their families: upgrades to military housing and school systems, improvements to training facilities, reinforcement of overseas partnerships and alliances, and maintenance of veterans' healthcare facilities. prgtoken There is so much important work contained in this package, and it is just the first step in this year's regular appropriations process. prgtoken With additional cooperation today, we will be able to continue processing amendments on both sides of the aisle and complete work on these bills. Tax Reform prgtoken Now, , on another matter, yesterday marked 6 months since Congress passed our overhaul of America's Tax Code. Tomorrow is 6 months since the President signed it into law. prgtoken I remember debating the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act back in December. There were two different philosophies on display. s believed working families should keep more of what they earn and send less to the IRS. We believe you don't build a healthy society or a growing economy by piling up money and power here in Washington, DC. We need to leave more money and power in the hands of individuals, families, and small businesses. prgtoken Our ic friends put forward a different view. They seem to think government knows best, so higher taxes, more regulations, and more restrictions on free enterprise are the way to go. As a result, they stood in lockstep opposition to these historic tax cuts, and I mean opposition. prgtoken The ic leader in the House said it was--and this is a direct quote--``the worst bill in the history of the
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-6-21

I appreciate the minority leader's teeing up my comments today and introducing what I am going to be speaking about, which is a topic he addressed briefly, and that is the 6-month period of time since we passed tax reform. It was this week, 6 months ago, that we had a historic vote--the biggest tax reform in over 30 years. We are beginning to get some data that is really worth discussing and analyzing, and I would strongly disagree with the characterization by the minority leader. prgtoken I was home in Pennsylvania recently, traveling around the State, as we all do when we are not in this town. On one recent occasion, I was talking to small business owners in Lock Haven, PA, and Bloomsburg, PA. At one of the companies, the small business owner was there, and he was really enthusiastic about how this tax reform is helping his small business. It is actually a very typical story that I am hearing across Pennsylvania. I mention him because, as it happens, his company is in the carpet business, and they happen to make the very carpet that I am standing on right now. They provide the carpeting for the floor of the U.S. Senate. prgtoken He talked about the fact that, because our tax reform really totally redid the rules--especially on the business side, but on the individual side as well--it allows him to access new capital and purchase new equipment. The equipment that he needs to expand his business is more affordable under our tax rules now. So that is exactly what he is doing. He is expanding his business, and he is very enthusiastic about it. prgtoken This, of course, is not an anomaly and it is not specific to Pennsylvania. It is across the country. Already we have had companies-- over 600 businesses employing over 4 million American workers--announce that they will immediately start paying bonuses, increasing wages, making larger pension contributions, but directly sharing their tax savings with their workers. This started within days of passage of the bill, and it has continued. prgtoken By the way, I am only counting the companies that specifically cited tax reform as the reason they are able to do this and only companies that are so big that they are picked up by the press when they make these announcements. There are thousands and thousands of companies that have done the same thing, but we will never hear about it because the Washington Post and the New York Times doesn't report when Sal's Pizza Shop makes a change in its compensation policy but, the fact is that it is happening. prgtoken By the way, there is also another not very widely reported benefit that Pennsylvania families are enjoying, and that is, again, directly as a result of our tax reform and the lower tax burden that we now have on our utilities. Electric and gas company rates have declined. There has been a very significant rate reduction. In fact, it is $320 million at an annual pace in Pennsylvania. That means that eve
TRIBUTE TO BROOKLYN SAMMONS
David Young (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-6-21

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Brooklyn Sammons of Orient-Macksburg High School. Brooklyn was recently honored for outstanding academic achievement at the Sixteenth Annual Governor's Scholar Recognition on April 29, 2018. prgtoken This statewide program is sponsored by the Iowa Governor's Office, the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Farm Bureau. Each Iowa High School was invited to select a senior with the highest academic ranking. Not only are they academically gifted, but the selected students are often the youth who are successful in extra- curricular activities and community endeavors. prgtoken , it is a profound honor to represent leaders like Brooklyn Sammons in the United States Congress and it is with great pride that I recognize and applaud her for utilizing her talents to reach her goals. I invite my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Brooklyn on receiving this esteemed designation, and wishing her the best of luck in all her future endeavors.
BORDER SECURITY AND IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT OF 2018
Carlos Curbelo (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-6-21

I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding me time. prgtoken , the reason I am here is because I made a commitment to my constituents, and, really, to the country, that I wanted to improve our country's immigration system. prgtoken If you look at the reality of what is happening today, it is really sad. We have a chaotic situation at the border. We have drug traffickers active at the border, bringing in their drugs, poisoning the American people. prgtoken We have human traffickers, which are exploiting some of the most vulnerable people in the world, profiting off of them. prgtoken Some of these children that get brought over by coyotes get abused, molested, raped. prgtoken This is what is happening at our southwest border, and it has to change. prgtoken The underlying bill invests in border security, and most Americans-- an overwhelming majority--want to see the situation at the border improve. And an overwhelming majority believes that the United States of America, like every country in the world, has the right and the duty to enforce its laws and to protect its borders. prgtoken I am also here, , because I made a commitment to some of the victims of our broken immigration system. prgtoken There are a lot of young immigrants in our country who were brought over as children. Some of them have no memory of their countries of origin. They are the victims of a broken immigration system. Some of these young prgtoken people--I know their stories because I know them well--when they are 14 or 15, they discover that they are undocumented, after years of having sat in classrooms with our own kids, pledging allegiance to our own flag, and loving this country just as much as we do. prgtoken And that is why this bill contains a solution that is fair to these young immigrants. prgtoken If we don't pass this bill, these young immigrants, the Dreamers, the DACA recipients, could lose all of their protections in a matter of months. prgtoken Now, we don't have to get into why or how that happened. We know that there are some court challenges out there, but that is the reality. That is what we are dealing with today. prgtoken In addition to that, we have all spoken out against this tragedy of children being separated at the border and the difficult position that the current and the previous administration were in of having to choose between enforcing our immigration laws and separating families. prgtoken Yes, the administration planned and started detaining families together until a court told them that they could not, and now we have a true tragedy on our hands. This bill would also help solve that issue. prgtoken In addition to that, we modernize our immigration laws by making sure that our economy's needs are met. prgtoken Now, the alternative is to vote ``no'' and to double down on the status quo: a failed broken immigration system that has created so many victims over the years, from the small children who get abused by t
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mike Rounds (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-6-21

I rise today to discuss H.R. 5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019. prgtoken I couldn't help but listen to my colleague Senator Rubio and the very fine way in which he has expressed the same thing that many Americans feel, and that is a compassion for those individuals who find themselves at our border and who simply want a better way of life for their families, while at the same time expressing the frustration that our laws are very, very clear that if you want to come into our country, you have to follow the law. At the same time, there is the compassion that has been shown by people across this entire country with regard to these children who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in this serious predicament in many communities along the border. prgtoken I also want to express my appreciation to the President for the Executive order he has put in place in an effort to at least in a very short period of time address the situation for these young people and try to unite--as many of us want--those families once again. The compassion of the American people continues to shine through with regard to assisting and recognizing those who simply are not in a position to take care of themselves, regardless of which country they are a citizen of today. prgtoken , I would like to refer to and discuss the appropriations bill that is in front of us today. This appropriations minibus combines three separate appropriations bills, each of which was voted nearly unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year. It expends about $147 billion, or they propose to spend about $147 billion. This is significant because since coming to the Senate 3\1/2\ years ago, this is only the second time we are actually bringing smaller, separate appropriations bills to the floor months before the deadline and also having a healthy, robust debate on amendments to this legislation. It is a long-overdue step that is getting us back to what we call regular order, which is the traditional way of working appropriations bills through the Senate. It lets everybody see what is in the bill. It is truly long overdue. prgtoken Let me go over some highlights of this particular appropriations package of three bills, starting with the Energy and Water Development section. prgtoken This section authorizes funding for the Department of the Interior, the Department of Energy, and the Army Corps of Engineers, just to name a few. It appropriates $42.8 billion to these agencies to improve our water infrastructure and invests in critical national security needs concerning nuclear energy. prgtoken It also provides additional resources to invest in science and energy, including providing full funding for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, which, at $145 million, is up from $
HALL OF FAME--NAPLES ZOO
Francis Rooney (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-6-21

I rise today to congratulate the Naples Zoo on its recent induction into the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame. prgtoken The Naples Zoo earned this designation after receiving five consecutive annual `Certificates of Excellence' from Trip Advisor. Maintaining such an impressive record is no small feat, and requires a relentless commitment to quality customer service. An excellent visitor experience is a top priority of the staff at the Zoo, and their devotion to providing the best possible visit to the guest is indicative of the welcoming spirit present throughout Naples. prgtoken I am proud to recognize the Naples Zoo for its achievement, and gladly point to it as another shining example of the strong tourist appeal of Southwest Florida.
PERMISSION TO MODIFY CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 6, SUBSTANCE USE-DISORDER PREVENTION THAT PROMOTES OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-21

I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding House Resolution 949, during consideration of H.R. 6 pursuant to such resolution, general debate shall not exceed 1 hour, with 40 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member on the Committee on Energy and Commerce and 20 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means.
HONORING PENNY CELESTE FORREST
Bill Flores (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-21

. Madam , I rise today to honor Penny Celeste Forrest of Waco, Texas, who passed away on June 15, 2018. prgtoken Penny was born in 1948 in Dallas, Texas. She was educated at East Texas State University, now known as Texas A&M University-Commerce; Baylor University; the University of Texas at Arlington; McLennan Community College; Texas State Technology College; and Texas Woman's University. prgtoken Penny was very active in our Waco community. She served on various boards, associations, and commissions, including the following: president of the Central Texas Museum District, vice president of the Austin Avenue Neighborhood Association, chair of the Boy Scouts Award Committee, chair of the Waco-McLennan County Library Commission, the McLennan County Historical Commission, the Texas State Technical College board of regents, the city of Waco Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, the city of Waco Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board, and the city of Waco Buildings and Standards Commission. prgtoken For the past 8 years, Penny has been an integral member of my team that serves the 17th Congressional District of Texas. She was one of the first three hires I made when I assumed office in 2011. prgtoken Since then, she worked in our Waco office as our office manager and our caseworker. She loved her job, and she especially loved being able to serve others. prgtoken Penny was also in charge of handling the Military Service Academy nominations for our office. Each year, she would compile all of the applications and coordinate with our service academy board to interview applicants. She took great pride in being able to help young men and women get accepted into our Nation's service academies. prgtoken In addition to her official duties, she also served as the matriarch of our Waco office team. She befriended and mentored everyone with whom she worked. She especially enjoyed working with all of our interns, and she would advise them during their time in our office. prgtoken There is no doubt that some of the wisdom that she shared with them has helped shape their lives and their careers. prgtoken Penny was an exceptional and devoted person who will be greatly missed by all those lives she touched. prgtoken The thing that I know that she loved more than serving others was loving her husband, Jerry, and her children. For as long as I can remember, Jerry and Penny would have lunch together every day in our office. They truly enjoyed each other's company. Their love and dedication to each other was remarkable and something to be modeled by all of us. prgtoken A little over a year ago, we buried my father-in-law. During the graveside service, the pastor said something that I will always remember. He said, When we leave this Earth, we should all aspire to leave behind three things: a good name, a good family, and a forwarding address. prgtoken Penny Forrest left behind all three of those things, and in particular, she l
COUNTERING AMERICA'S ADVERSARIES THROUGH SANCTIONS ACT
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-6-21

today I would like to raise concerns about efforts to erode the effectiveness of the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, or CAATSA. This law requires the administration to impose a host of costs on the government of the Russian Federation for its interference in democratic processes around the world, its support for the brutal regime of Bashar Al-Assad, and its active role in destabilizing Ukraine. Ninety-eight Senators voted in favor of this legislation and should expect the administration to fully implement it. prgtoken Of particular concern to me today is section 231, which requires the imposition of sanctions on those who conduct significant transactions with specific entities in the Russian defense and intelligence sectors. We targeted those sectors because our intelligence community deemed them responsible for the attack on our election in 2016. The law is meant to cut financial income for these sectors. prgtoken Using the model implemented in the CISADA sanctions regime on Iran, section 231 includes a provision to delay sanctions if the individual in question can show that they are substantially reducing significant transactions from these Russian entities. This model was extremely effective in diminishing the volume of energy products that Iran was able to sell to the rest of the world and ultimately helped to drive them to the negotiating table. This model allows for some flexibility while maintaining appropriate pressure to wind down business with these sectors in Russia. It can work if we allow it to. prgtoken The State Department reports that the law is actually already having an impact. Billions of dollars' worth of deals around the world with the Russian defense sector have been turned off due to leverage created by this law. That means billions of dollars less for Russia to interfere in elections and sow discord in democratic societies, billions of dollars less to support war crimes in Syria, billions of dollars less to kill Ukrainians and violate the sovereignty of that country. If the administration fully allows the law to work, the Russian Government will have less money for all of these things. prgtoken The leverage CAATSA provides is critically necessary. In Turkey, this leverage is vital in our efforts to ensure that the Erdogan government does not purchase the Russian S400 air defense system. Such a purchase would be a win for Putin in a strategically important part of the world and could pose a security and intelligence threat to U.S. and NATO personnel and equipment already in the country. CAATSA gives our negotiators an important tool which we hope can leverage the right policy decisions in Ankara. prgtoken Over the course of the debate on the NDAA, voices in the administration want to weaken section 231 and have called for blanket waiver authority. I opposed these efforts, not because I want sanctions on our close friends who continue to do busines
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-6-21

this morning, the hot Sun rose on a tent city 20 miles outside El Paso, TX. That tent city stands as a makeshift detention facility to house children who have crossed our border and have been separated from their parents. This tent city, I would suggest, is hopefully a temporary monument to modern-day American cruelty. prgtoken Across South Texas, so-called tender age shelters have sprung up to house very young children, even infants, who have been taken from their parents in an act that pediatricians, psychologists, and frankly anyone who has raised a child themselves know is the most traumatizing and upsetting thing you can do to a young child, which is to take them away from their parents by force, with no understanding of what is happening or expectation of when they will be reunited. prgtoken This morning, thousands of children woke up to the voices of strangers in strange places and started another day in institutionalized, fenced-in confinement. This is happening in our Nation. prgtoken I have heard from dozens--hundreds of Delawareans by every means they could communicate with me, and I am sure my colleagues have also heard from hundreds or thousands of their constituents, as we, as a nation, have been haunted by the sounds and images of vulnerable children crying out for help. prgtoken On one hand, I think this is a simple issue of right and wrong, but on the other, this issue, like so many others that affect us in the Senate, has been complicated by politics and by rhetoric and by statements, frankly, meant to mislead. prgtoken The American people, though, I think deserve clarity about what has been happening along our southern border in recent weeks and what its impacts have been and may be to families, to children, and to parents who have crossed our border. So let's be clear about what is happening. prgtoken President and his administration created--created--a humanitarian crisis by adopting a so-called zero tolerance policy to compel prosecution of all who cross our southern border, many of whom are people fleeing unspeakable violence in their home countries in Central America. Then the President and leaders in his administration excused or even misled people about this policy--this cruel policy--in a variety of different, conflicting, and, frankly, at times, even absurd ways in the past week. prgtoken Administration officials claim they didn't actually have this policy or claimed they were compelled to do this by a nonexistent law or claimed their policy was a deterrent to prevent people from seeking asylum in the United States. prgtoken Regardless of the explanations given, the American people spoke clearly and forcefully over the past week and said the President's policy was unacceptable. They said this treatment of children was an un-American tragedy that should not continue. prgtoken Under that sustained pressure from the American people, our President relented and yester