mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF BARBARA RICCA
David P. Joyce (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the passing of a dear friend and a model public servant from my district, Ms. Barbara Ricca of Newbury Township in Geauga County. Ms. Ricca passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, March 23, at the age of 95. prgtoken Barb proudly served as the legal secretary for Geauga County for over 30 years. She worked under five different prosecutors from both parties. In fact, when I became prosecutor, Barbara was my very first secretary. prgtoken She worked tirelessly until her retirement, but Barb did not retire from life. She worked just as hard as a volunteer at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center and could be found baling hay on their family farm. prgtoken For relaxation, she played in the Great Geauga County Fair Band, of which she had been an original charter member since 1938. Most recently, I had the honor of pinning Barb at the Geauga County Fair to commemorate her 80th year of playing in the fair band. prgtoken Barb will not only be missed by her loving family and friends but by the entire Geauga County community. prgtoken May Barbara Ricca rest in peace.
TRIBUTE TO SAMUEL B. OLDEN
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2019-3-27

I am pleased to advise the Senate of the accomplishments of a fellow Mississippian, Mr. Samuel B. Olden of Yazoo City, on the occasion of his 100th birthday. prgtoken Mr. Olden is from Yazoo City, the gateway to the Mississippi Delta, where he was born in 1919, to a family of Mississippi planters. Throughout his youth, he read widely in the B.S. Ricks Memorial Library, the oldest privately funded public library in the State, which greatly contributed to his personal development and admission into the University of Mississippi in Oxford. There, he received a B.A. and M.A reportedly conversed with Nobel Prize winning author William Faulkner, and was ultimately recruited to Washington, DC, to serve at the Department of State. Prior to American involvement in World War II, Mr. Olden was sent abroad as the Vice Consul at our embassy in Quito, Ecuador, from 1941 to 1943. Upon his return, Mr. Olden enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving from 1943-46 at posts ranging from Shanghai, China, to Paris, France. prgtoken After the war, Mr. Olden transited the north Atlantic on a Liberty ship. A fellow naval officer noted Mr. Olden's fortitude during this stormy passage. While tending to his ailing father back in Mississippi, he received a letter from Washington asking him to consider defending our Nation's freedom, in a third, essential way. Mr. Olden returned to the District of Columbia, where he was invited to join the newly formed Central Intelligence Group. Commencing in 1947, Mr. Olden spent 2 years in the group's Washington office, followed by 3 years in Vienna, Austria, where he defended freedom and democracy against Communist aggression. prgtoken Following a decade in public service, Mr. Olden entered the private sector, where he employed his experience abroad for Mobil Oil. From 1952-1957, he was posted in East and West Nigeria, British and French Cameroon, The Congo, Chad, and Gabon. He joined Mobil's government relations department in 1957 and returned to New York. There, he attained Observer status at the United Nations and strode the halls with Adlai Stevenson and Eleanor Roosevelt. Later, he went abroad once more to serve as general manager of Mobil's affiliates in Tunisia, Algeria, Peru, and Spain. prgtoken By 1974, Mr. Olden was fluent in English, French, German, and Spanish. He had connections around the world. And where did he go? He chose to retire to the finest place that he had ever lived: Yazoo City. There, he owned and operated a cattle ranch for 15 years, while continuing to pursue his passion for the study of history. He was twice a board member and was elected president of the Mississippi Historical Society, served 15 years on the State Committee for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, and founded the Yazoo Historical Society's remarkable museum, housed in the same Triangle Center building where he had attended elementary school. Even in h
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-27

yesterday, the Senate had a significant vote. Senators made their voices heard on the Green New Deal, and after a lot of grandstanding from those Senate who initially rushed to support this proposal, not a single one voted for the proposal. prgtoken However, my colleagues and I didn't vote present. We don't believe that is what our constituents sent us here to do. Instead, we voted against the socialist grab bag of policies that would set us back an estimated $93 trillion and would bankrupt the State of Texas. To be clear, voting no on the Green New Deal isn't a referendum on the issue of lowering carbon emissions or finding cleaner energy; it is saying no to the litany of far-left proposals that would leave American families footing the bill to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars each. prgtoken The Green New Deal promised things like free higher education. You might have thought this was really about the environment; well, it was a grab bag of government handouts and takeovers. It also included Medicare for All, which means that if you have employer-provided health insurance, you couldn't keep it. Even President said: If you like what you have, you can keep it. But not now--not with this new, radical group of who now say: Forget that promise. We are going to take what you have, even if you like it. prgtoken There, of course, was the guarantee of jobs. I noted yesterday that the only thing missing from the Green New Deal is free beer and pizza for everybody. prgtoken It has been estimated that implementing the full list of the Green New Deal's promises would cost the average American family $65,000 a year, which is well over what many Americans make annually. prgtoken These ludicrous proposals were pitched as a way to uplift the middle class and create jobs, but in reality, they would have undone the economic gains we made these past 2 years under the administration. We could say goodbye to the record-low unemployment levels and the growth we have been seeing. What middle-class American do you know who could afford an extra $65,000 each year to pay the Federal Government for the litany of Green New Deal line items, such as tearing down every building and replacing it with a green version? prgtoken Even the liberal AFL-CIO's energy committee had this to say: We will not accept proposals that could cause immediate harm to millions of our members and their families. We will not stand by and allow threats to our members' jobs and their families' standard of living to go unanswered. prgtoken This is the AFL-CIO. prgtoken Instead of the Green New Deal, we should follow the Texas model of innovation. But it is not just Texas; there are some great private sector initiatives taking place that deal with this concern about CO2 emissions in a much more practical, rational, free market way. We have a thriving energy sector in Texas, as t
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-3-27

as we celebrate Women's History Month, I am proud to spotlight Wyoming's great history and achievements for women's equality. prgtoken Wyoming is the ``Equality State''--the first State to give women the right to vote and hold public office. We actually did it before statehood. Long before statehood, in 1869, the Wyoming Territory was the first to grant women the right to vote. prgtoken Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie became the first woman in the United States to vote in a general election in 1870, and Wyoming insisted on protecting women's right to vote as a precondition for even joining the Union in 1890. prgtoken Now, that is not all. The first elected woman Governor in the United States, Nellie Taylor Ross, was Wyoming's 14th Governor. prgtoken Wyoming women continue to hold key elected offices today, with strong leaders like U.S. Representative Liz . prgtoken The State owes a debt of gratitude to all of these extraordinary women leaders. The Green New Deal prgtoken Now I would like to turn to this week's debate over the ' so-called Green New Deal. prgtoken The Green New Deal isn't about protecting our environment. It is about increasing the size and scope of the Federal Government. prgtoken Every Senator running for President supports the Green New Deal. They have cosponsored it--each and every one of them, every single one. prgtoken By cosponsoring the Green New Deal, these Senators have shown Americans what they actually do support as candidates and as an agenda for America, and that is massively increasing the size of government. prgtoken This year the Federal Government is projected to spend over $4 trillion. That amount includes everything--Social Security, national defense, Medicare, all of it. If we were to pass the Green New Deal, it would cost up to $93 trillion over the next 10 years. That is $9.3 trillion a year--more than double what our government currently spends. prgtoken So, you see, the Green New Deal would massively expand the Federal Government, and that is exactly what Senators running for President want and plan to do, if elected. Don't be confused by Senate ' ducking this vote on the Green New Deal. This is where would take our country if they were to retake the White House. prgtoken The Green New Deal would bankrupt our Nation, would wreak havoc, and would wreck the economy. prgtoken s' pro-growth, pro-jobs policies have strengthened the economy and improved the lives of American families in their everyday lives at home. Because of tax relief, millions of families have more money now in their pockets to decide what to spend, what to save, and what to invest. prgtoken The Green New Deal plan would eliminate fossil fuels by requiring 100 percent renewable, carbon-free energy in just 10 years. Talk about having extra money in your pocket to fill your gas tank, but just putting gas in the car wou
HONORING ROY BENAVIDEZ
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-27

. Madam , I rise today to honor and recognize Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez. prgtoken My district is proud to claim as one of our own Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez, a Medal of Honor recipient who is among the most distinguished heroes in American history. On the occasion of the Roy P. Benavidez Memorial Highway Dedication, I would like to recognize once more a man who exemplified courage, sacrifice, and unbreakable determination. prgtoken Sergeant Benavidez, of El Campo, Texas, was orphaned at a young age and dropped prgtoken out of middle school to support his family before answering the call to service in Vietnam. He recovered from a land mine injury to become a Green Beret, and when a call for help came in, he voluntarily boarded a rescue helicopter and put his own life on the line to save his fellow soldiers. prgtoken Sergeant Benavidez was shot in the head and the leg but continued working to load the wounded onto the helicopter. As the helicopter took off, the pilot was killed, and the helicopter crashed. Sergeant Benavidez heroically carried his wounded comrades off the helicopter and spent what he described as ``six hours in hell'' returning fire, calling in airstrikes, caring for the wounded, and even recovering classified documents. He was shot multiple times, bayoneted, clubbed, and hit by fragments from a grenade, before finally dragging the soldiers he came to rescue onto a second evacuation helicopter. He saved the lives of at least eight men. prgtoken In 1981, Sergeant Benavidez received the Medal of Honor from President Reagan, who noted that ``if the story of his heroism were a movie script, you would not believe it.'' His Medal of Honor citation declared that his ``fearless personal leadership, tenacious devotion to duty, and extremely valorous actions in the face of overwhelming odds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service.'' prgtoken But his challenges were not over. Two years later, he received notice that his disability benefits were to be cut off, despite shrapnel in his heart and constant pain. So he went before Congress on behalf of his fellow veterans, asking ``if they can do this to me, what will they do to all the others?'' Thanks to the efforts of Sergeant Benavidez, the President became personally involved in the situation, and the Department of Health and Human Services announced reforms to the review process. prgtoken He devoted the rest of his life to service, speaking to students about the importance of education and inspiring American troops around the world. prgtoken Sergeant Benavidez was a model of bravery and selfless sacrifice, and it is right and fitting to recognize his heroism by dedicating the Roy P. Benavidez Memorial Highway in his honor. May this highway serve not only as a memorial to a great man but as an inspiration to his fellow Texans to live with the same spirit of courage and service.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-3-27

the Senate has unanimously rejected the so-called Green New Deal. In a display of political courage for the ages, 43 voted present, including many of the bill's own sponsors. prgtoken Now, many of them are running for President. In fact, these days, it seems that all of the ic Senators are running for President and perhaps may realize what a disaster the Green New Deal is for them. prgtoken The Green New Deal would force a transition in just 10 years--one decade--to 100 percent green energy, whatever that is. But it is an impossible goal that would require trillions of dollars of taxes and the effective nationalization of private industry in America. prgtoken That is not all--no, not all. prgtoken The Green New Deal would also overhaul or rebuild all existing buildings in the United States to achieve maximum energy efficiency-- all--every single home and building in America. I guess you could call it the ``Extreme Home Makeover Mandate.'' prgtoken The Green New Deal also calls for taxpayer-funded college and jobs for every person in the country, even for illegal aliens and even if you are unable or unwilling to work. That is according to a press release the sent out and then tried to send down the memory hole when it was justly mocked, and understandably so. prgtoken Jobs for everyone who is unable to work and unwilling to work--there is a big difference between those two groups of people. prgtoken The radical nature of the Green New Deal cannot be overstated. The amount of control it would give to politicians and planners in Washington would be the envy of Soviet Russia. Actually, it would make Stalin blush. And it would take Stalinist tactics to achieve a Green New Deal. prgtoken To borrow from Churchill, ``Socialism may begin with the best of intentions, but it always ends with the Gestapo.'' Who else is going to come into your home and make sure that it is energy compliant? Who else is going to confiscate your gas-using pickup truck? Who else is going to ensure that you don't commit the terrible crime of eating a hamburger? prgtoken Perhaps we can come up with a better name for the Green New Deal--one that reflects its true lineage. Might I suggest the Red New Deal, the color of Communist regimes the world over, or perhaps the Green Leap Forward in honor of Mao. prgtoken I gather some House freshmen might actually feel pretty comfortable with those labels. They claim these radical ideas are necessary to stop the threat of climate change--a threat so dire, the insist-- so dire that we will all be dead in 12 years--12 years--if we don't surrender to totalitarian levels of power over our lives to central planners in Washington. prgtoken Yet we gave them a chance to vote on this existential, apocalyptic threat and they all said: Meh, maybe later. prgtoken So this isn't really about climate change or even the environment. I prgtoken mean, come on. What do free college for
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-3-27

March is Women's History Month. A number of my colleagues have been coming to the floor and talking about the accomplishments of particular women in their States. I want to do the same thing. prgtoken When Virginia Minor, a St. Louisan, was denied the ability to register to vote in 1872, she took her case all the way to the Supreme Court. While she wasn't successful at the Supreme Court level, she remained a leader in the suffrage movement and later testified before the Senate Select Committee on Woman Suffrage in 1889. Remember that women didn't get the right to vote until 1920. So she was working on this with thousands of others for a long time. She is also one of seven women represented in the Missouri State Capitol's Hall of Famous Missourians. prgtoken Virginia Minor and her fellow suffragettes blazed a trail of political leadership that others followed. In 1952 Leonor Sullivan became the first woman in Congress from Missouri. During the 24 years that she served in the House, she became the first woman appointed to the House ic Steering Committee. She was elected secretary, one of the elected leaders, of the House ic caucus for five terms. prgtoken Our former colleague, Senator Claire McCaskill, won her Senate race in 2006. With that, she became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Missouri. Certainly, Senator McCaskill and I disagreed on plenty of things over the years, but, frankly, when it came to the big issues affecting our State, we always figured out how to work together to get things done. prgtoken Also from our State, I want to recognize Margaret Kelly, who in 1984 was appointed to the position of State auditor. When that happened, that made her the first woman to hold statewide office in Missouri. She was elected to a full term in 1986 and reelected two more times after that. prgtoken In Missouri, at least, you can't talk about politics and the impact on politics without talking about Phyllis Schlafly, who was a vocal and tireless advocate for conservative ideas. She was never afraid of a fight, but she also knew when to celebrate what was possible. One of the great things about Phyllis Schlafly was that she knew how to win, when you could win, and what you could win, when you could win it, and, then, how to come back and fight for what you didn't get the first time and continue to work for more. She was a friend of mine. I value her legacy. There is no question that she impacted the political landscape of the country. prgtoken As I mentioned earlier, there are seven women represented in the Hall of Famous Missourians. Two of them were committed lifelong to education. In 1873 Susan Blow, who was born in St. Louis, founded the first public kindergarten in the United States in the Des Peres public school in Carondelet. In 1818 Saint Rose Duchesne opened the first Sacred Heart school outside of Europe. The Academy of the Sacred Heart was the first free sc
SALARY EQUALITY
Josh Harder (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-28

. Madam , I rise today because it is absolutely absurd that in the year 2019, women are still paid less than men, 77 cents on the dollar compared to men, but it is even worse for women of color. Latina women make only 53 cents on the dollar. prgtoken That is why I was so proud to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, which included our amendment to specifically support women of color. prgtoken There are thousands of Latina women in my district who work hard day in, day out, only to be paid half what their male counterparts get. It hurts them, it hurts their families, and it hurts our Central Valley community. prgtoken This is an equality issue, but it is also an economic issue. In fact, almost a quarter of the families in the Central Valley have a woman as their breadwinner. prgtoken It is 2019. It is time that women, especially Latina women, are not left behind. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take up this bill and make sure we are lifting up everyone in our communities.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-3-28

if my colleagues don't want to read the report and they want to rely on a summary, that is their right, and they can make requests in the future. I am sure they can get all of that in the future, but all I am simply asking for right now is that whether you agreed with this investigation or not, the public have the right to see the hundreds of pages that may well help us understand what Russia did. prgtoken I believe our constitutional duty requires us to have the report and the American people do not deserve to be left in the dark about what the report says. prgtoken I hope that it will be made public very soon, and I hope the Attorney General of the United States understands there are a number of us who would like to see a full unredacted report, and there are a whole lot of people who would like to see it as well. prgtoken . prgtoken .
OPPOSING BAN ON TRANSGENDER MEMBERS OF ARMED FORCES
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-3-28

I rise to express my vehement opposition to banning service in the Armed Forces by openly transgender individuals because the administration considers transgender identity to be some medically disqualifying condition. Gender identity is not a medical condition; it is who we are as individuals. prgtoken Since President Truman desegregated the military, we have torn down barriers to the equal treatment and opportunity of every American to serve. Women now serve in combat roles defending our Nation as Rangers, infantrymen and submariners. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans serve our country openly and with distinction. prgtoken In 2016, the Pentagon lifted the ban on transgender Americans, allowing them to serve without having to hide their true identity. The fact that thousands of transgender servicemembers are currently serving, meeting, and exceeding standards and are deployed worldwide speaks volumes about their dedication and contributions to our Nation. We need their skills, their experience, their courage, and their patriotism. prgtoken In 1948, many Americans agreed that racial segregation in the Armed Forces was right, but history shows all of us today that they were wrong. Former Defense Secretary Gates said: ``No aspect of Black Americans' quest for justice and equality under the law has been nobler than what has been called the `fight for the right to fight.''' prgtoken My 30 years in the Army leads me to believe that all Americans who want to serve and who can meet our standards should be given the right to fight. My deep belief is shared by General Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who reiterated that very belief to me just 2 days ago. prgtoken We have an obligation to allow transgender Americans the right to prgtoken fight for our Nation. We cannot, , settle for this discriminatory policy.