mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2023-3-21

as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Iowa small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial prgtoken spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize the Jerald Sulky Company of Waterloo, IA, as the Senate Small Business of the Week for the week of March 13, 2023. prgtoken The Jerald Sulky Company has been synonymous with excellence for over 125 years. Since 1898, the company has manufactured sulkies, vehicles similar to horse sleighs, leading the company to become world famous in the showring and on the racetrack. Today, Jerald Sulky Company is the last commercial manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles in the world. The company began in Osage, IA, when Samuel E. Jerald, Sr a top craftsman in the horse-drawn vehicle business, decided to build race sulkies. Shortly after, Samuel and his team relocated to Waterloo in 1901 and became known as one of the most innovative companies in the industry, utilizing the latest materials and pioneering new technology. In the early 1900s, there were over a dozen sulky manufacturers; however, the 1930s saw the introduction of the automobile, World War I, and the Great Depression. Innovations in technology, global war, and mass economic downturn took a toll on the sulky industry, and when the dust settled, Jerald Sulky Company was one of only two companies that were still in operation. prgtoken During WWII, Jerald Sulky Company recognized the importance of aiding the country's war effort and began manufacturing field ambulances, also know as litter carriers, to hurry fallen soldiers off the battlefield. The company ensured that each field ambulance was crafted with care, to honor each injured soldier, knowing the journey on the field ambulance might be a soldier's last. The company achieved great success during the post-war boom due to the abundance of materials and an influx of horsemen eager for vehicles that were not available during the war; the company modernized many of their classical designs which are still in production today such as the Fine Harness Buggy and the Show Pleasure Cart. Hard times fell on the Jerald Sulky Company in 2014, forcing them to close. Fortunately, at this same time, Erik and Shelli Lee were looking to buy a show cart. They called up Jerald Sulky Company to inquire about purchasing a cart and ended up buying the whole company. Erik and Shelli turned the company around, and now, they ship sulkies domestically and internationally to customers all over the world, while still focusing on the excellence and integrity of their product. prgtoken In a world that is growing increasingly automated, the Jerald Sulky Company is committed to handcrafting each of their horse carriages because, for them, it is not a product, it is an art. Their custom-made horse carriages take 6 to 10 weeks to create and are worked on by a staff of 12 artisans who, a
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE LEGAL OPINION
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-3-21

I rise today to formally enter a legal opinion from the Government Accountability Office into the Record. The contents of this legal opinion confirms that the administration's reckless student loan scheme has gone too far, violated process, and must be submitted to Congress as a rule, subject to the Congressional Review Act. prgtoken The administration proposes to transfer the burden of $400 billion in Federal student loans onto taxpayers, citing COVID-19. The administration continues to charge the U.S. Treasury $5 billion per month to extend the loan pause, preventing any return to repayment on student loans while it works to cancel them. Meanwhile, Americans who chose not to attend college or already sacrificed to pay off their loans will be forced to carry the burden of the student debt from those who willingly took on these loans. prgtoken GAO's determination means that the administration is not playing by the laws of this land in attempting to implement their mass student loan scheme and extend the payment pause via executive fiat. prgtoken This GAO legal opinion will allow Congress to exercise its oversight prerogative and move forward with a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval, while we await a Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the policy. prgtoken I implore all of my colleagues to join me in support of a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval to stand for the 87 percent of Americans prgtoken who chose not to take student loans or paid off their debt responsibly. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the following letter from the Government Accountability Office be printed in the Record.
CELEBRATING THE 90TH BIRTHDAY OF ROBERT CORNETTI
Richard McCormick (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-3-21

today I pay tribute to Robert D. Cornetti of Roswell, Georgia, ``Bob,'' to his friends. prgtoken Mr. Cornetti served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War, where he received the Good Conduct Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal with Three Bronze Stars, and the National Defense Service Medal. prgtoken On April 27, 2023, Mr. Cornetti celebrates his 90th birthday. I want to extend my congratulations, and the best wishes of Congress to Bob and his entire family for this special occasion. prgtoken May America and my great State of Georgia be forever blessed with patriots like Robert Cornetti, and may God give him many happy returns.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2023-3-22

I rise today to join my esteemed colleague from the State of North Carolina to discuss the situation at the border. This is an ongoing crisis, and it needs to be addressed. prgtoken Our Nation continues to face an unprecedented crisis at the U.S.- Mexico border, and one that is due to the administration's policies, pure and simple. It is a function of the administration policies. prgtoken It is amazing that we have had DHS Secretary Mayorkas in front of our committees, and we asked him: What are you doing to stem the flow of illegal immigration at the border? prgtoken He sits there, and he tells us: Oh, we have operational control. prgtoken That is absolutely ridiculous. It is absolutely wrong. prgtoken For fiscal year 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CBP, encountered almost 2.4 million individuals attempting to illegally cross the southern border. That is 2.4 million crossing illegally. That is operational control? prgtoken And for him to sit there and look at us and say: Oh, yeah, we have control. prgtoken And 2.4 million last year were crossing illegally. This is an increase of 37 percent from fiscal year 2021 and a 419-percent increase--four times as many--as in 2020. prgtoken Additionally, since October, CBP has reported that over 1 million individuals from more than 140 different countries--from more than 140 different countries--have been encountered attempting to illegally cross the southern border. prgtoken Just last week, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told a House committee that the administration does not--repeat: does not--have operational control of the border. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said that the administration does not have operational control of the border. prgtoken We have to hold this administration accountable. On both sides of the aisle, we have to hold this administration accountable for this border crisis. prgtoken I have been down to the southern border on numerous occasions and have witnessed the crisis firsthand. I visited Del Rio, and Eagle Pass, as well as El Paso. I have been in McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley, and I have seen this, both during the day and at night. prgtoken It is just not human trafficking. It is drug trafficking that affects every State, that affects everybody in our country. prgtoken Our dedicated CBP officers and Border Patrol agents continue to work tirelessly to fulfil their mission of securing the border, with the additional responsibility of trying to address this humanitarian crisis. prgtoken While the officers and agents on the frontlines do the best job that they can with the way they are hamstrung, they face an impossible task given the administration's actions to continue to allow this crisis to go on. And it is their policies that are allowing the crisis to continue. prgtoken As a Senator representing a northern border State, I am also concerned about the impact that this situation on the southern border has o
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2023-3-22

I just came from an Appropriations subcommittee hearing, and our witness today was Secretary Janet Yellen. I always love when Secretary Yellen testifies because I learn so much from her. prgtoken Today, among other subjects, we talked about the President's proposed budget, and I want to tell you some of the things I learned today from Secretary Yellen about the President's proposed budget. prgtoken The President's proposed budget is $6.9 trillion. That is up from $6.4 trillion. So it is a proposed half-a-trillion-dollar increase. prgtoken I learned that, since 2019 until today, and not including the President's new spending--I learned that since 2019 until today, the population in the United States has grown 1.8 percent. prgtoken Do you know how much our budget has increased? Fifty-five percent, and that doesn't even count the additional half-a-trillion dollars' worth of spending that the President has just proposed. prgtoken I also learned that the President is proposing $4.7 trillion--not billion, $4.7 trillion--in new taxes. It takes my breath way--$4.7 trillion. We are going to run out of digits. prgtoken And I also learned something else. You know, the President--and I say this gently and with respect--the President has been running all over hell and half of Georgia saying: My proposed budget decreases the deficit by $3 trillion. prgtoken You probably heard him say that. I heard him say it the day before yesterday: My proposed budget will cut debt by $3 trillion. prgtoken You know what I learned today about the President's proposed budget? Under his proposed budget, gross debt--that is all of America's debt, not just debt held by the public, but gross debt--all of our debt will rise under President 's budget from $32.7 trillion at the close of this year to $51 trillion by 2033. Only in Washington, DC--only in la- la land--can you go around and say: My budget reduces the deficit and debt by $3 trillion, when it really increases it by $18 trillion--$18 trillion. prgtoken I have also learned a lot this week about Silicon Valley Bank. I think I spoke--I don't know--a week, maybe 10 days ago--gosh, we learned a lot in a week. One of the things that we have learned is that the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and President 's bailout of Silicon Valley Bank was the result of bad management by the bank officials but also by bad supervision. prgtoken I talked a week or two ago about the risk that the management of SVB took. This is what I learned this week. I want to talk about the mistakes that were made by the Federal Government in supervising this bank. prgtoken Fact No. 1, it is a fact that in January of 2019, the Federal Reserve, which is one of the banking regulators in charge of supervising the bank, issued a warning to the bank--this is 4 years ago--over its risk management systems. Four years ago, the Fed told Silicon Valley Bank that its system to control risk was not up to snuff. prgtoken
Budget (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-3-22

before I begin my remarks, just a quick observation. prgtoken I know that the majority leader comes down on a fairly regular basis and attacks s, particularly House s, for not producing a budget. Obviously, for the House s, it is their prerogative over there. If there is going to be a budget, it is probably going to be a budget that is put together by the House majority. prgtoken But I think it kind of misses the broader point, and that is that, at least here in the Senate, which is our domain, our realm of responsibility, it is up to the majority to put a budget forward. They control the floor. They have all control here. They determine what comes to the floor and what doesn't, and if they want to put together a budget, they certainly could. One place to start, obviously, would be the President's budget. prgtoken The President submitted a budget, which, by any estimation, is a massive expansion of the Federal Government, with lots of new spending--$5 trillion in new taxes, mostly on job creators and small businesses. At the end of the budget period, he would add $17 trillion to the Federal debt. Budget periods cover a window, typically, of 10 years. The President's budget, as put forward, at the end of that 10- year period, would add $17 trillion to the Federal debt and dramatically increase spending. prgtoken Now, spending prepandemic, as we went into the pandemic, was about $4.4 trillion a year--all in Federal spending. Of course, during the pandemic, that increased. In a bipartisan way, there were some decisions made to support and increase spending in some areas that were designed to combat and deal with a lot of the adverse impacts of the pandemic. Now the pandemic is behind us, and a lot of that spending should have been temporary. A lot of that spending really shouldn't have been incorporated into the baseline. prgtoken What the have done is incorporated that into the baseline so that, this year, the amount of spending in the President's budget-- about $6.9 trillion--is about 55 percent more than the baseline spending back in 2019, prepandemic, at a time when the population of the country has only increased by 1.8 percent. Now, you could argue, I suppose, if you had a massive increase in population--a lot more people in the country--that Federal spending would increase with it, but increasing Federal spending 55 percent at a time when you only have a 1.8-percent population growth in the country seems like a lot of excessive spending spent on expanding and growing the size and the footprint of the Federal Government. prgtoken Interestingly enough, at the end of that 10-year period--again, the budget window covers 10 years--spending under the President's budget would be $9.9 trillion--$9.9 trillion; in 2019, $4.4 trillion; at the end of the 10-year window covered by the President's budget, $9.9 trillion--more than double, way more than double the am
AUTHORIZING THE USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL FOR A CEREMONY AS PART OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE DAYS OF REMEMBRANCE OF VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST
Anthony D’Esposito (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-3-22

as the Representative of one of the largest Jewish populations in the State of New York, I rise today to voice my support for H. Con. Res. 25, which would authorize the use of Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Visitor Center for a ceremony remembering the victims of the Holocaust. prgtoken It is vitally important that this legislative body and the Federal Government at large do everything possible to ensure the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten and the victims are always remembered. prgtoken Holding a ceremony right here in the Capitol's Emancipation Hall demonstrates this Nation's unified commitment to honoring those who fell victim to an evil ideology of racism, anti-Semitism, and thorough hatred. prgtoken These ceremonies of remembrance are particularly important now as the generation that survived the Holocaust continues to dwindle in numbers. We must do everything possible to make sure those survivors' stories are told, and their perseverance celebrated for years to come. prgtoken I personally will be observing Yom HaShoah this year by pausing to remember the millions of lives senselessly taken during the Holocaust, and thanking those survivors who continue to keep alive their stories. prgtoken The memories of 6 million murdered Jews and countless other victims of the Holocaust serve as a reminder that evil exists, and we must always stand guard against it and all hatred. prgtoken Let this Congress always stand firm as a force of good and forever act justly to prevent such evils from ever being carried out again. prgtoken We must never forget the Holocaust, and this ceremony at Emancipation Hall will keep that spirit of remembrance alive here in our Nation's Capital and across this Nation.
NATIONAL AG WEEK
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2023-3-22

this week is National Ag Week. It is a time where America honors and gives thanks to her farmers, ranchers, and ag workers. Without their hard work, dedication, and ingenuity, our Nation would not enjoy the rich bounty of food they grow. prgtoken However, there are daunting issues that face our agricultural sector: Fuel, water supply--especially in my home State of California; although right now, we are very grateful for the massive rain--market conditions, and the trade commitments being enforced, such as the deficit we have with China. prgtoken Agriculture is essential to the economic well-being of my district, northern California, and the West. prgtoken California farmers rely on an abundance of water and low fuel prices to grow the crops we eat. prgtoken The last several years have seen fields go fallow because California's broken water management system has not been able to deliver the water that was needed. prgtoken Indeed, if we don't have the water supply, these crops that America receives so much of from California would not be grown, they would need to be imported or not have them at all. prgtoken It is in America's best interest to pursue permitting reform and unleash our domestic energy potential. prgtoken We celebrate National Ag Week in order to keep Americans working, fed, and our farmers in the fields.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-3-22

the song ``Free Bird'' by Lynyrd Skynyrd became an anthem for those consumed by wanderlust. The music speaks to freedom, the right to explore and experience the world, and a simple truth that we are all connected. prgtoken However, on October 25, 2021, the right to explore and experience the prgtoken world was put on hold for many when the White House issued a proclamation suspending and limiting air travel by unvaccinated foreign travelers. prgtoken This mandate levies a particularly heavy cost on State and local economies and American relationships. Continuing this mandate at a time when President himself declared that the pandemic is over is unjustified, and it ignores the new risk calculus that is affording Americans a renewed sense of normalcy. You see, Americans are ready to move on. In fact, in many instances, they are moving on. Yet many are kept from doing so because of this policy and others like it. prgtoken Right now, foreign travelers, including family members, friends, business relationships, and even international sports stars, are being kept off U.S. soil due to this draconian vaccine mandate. prgtoken , there are too many places we have got to see, but if we stay here with this vaccine mandate, things just couldn't be the same. prgtoken So in the spirit of freedom, in the spirit of self-determination and sanity, I am here today to try to pass this--to try to seek to pass by unanimous consent the FREEBIRD Act, which will restore the right to explore and experience the world by allowing nonimmigrant, noncitizen travelers to be vaccinated only if they choose to do so, because this policy has separated loved ones for too long. prgtoken It is time to end the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for foreign visitors, prohibit using Federal funds to carry out this requirement, and prevent the CDC from ordering future COVID-19 vaccine mandates for foreign travelers. This is just costing too much. prgtoken In 2021 alone, Utah visitors spent nearly $11 billion visiting our great State, generating over 130,000 jobs and almost $2 billion in State and local tax revenue alone. A significant portion of that involves foreign travel. But international visitation rates are still lagging. By lifting this vaccine mandate, Utah and the United States stand to benefit from increased international travel. prgtoken Our travel and tourism industry in the State of Utah dipped substantially after the pandemic hit us and hit us hard. Fortunately, it has recovered very nicely, but it has never recovered in the international travel sector to where it should be now, due in significant part to this particular mandate. It is not right. And it is not just costing us tourism; it is costing us meaningful connections that enrich and promote our shared humanity. prgtoken Right now, 22-time Grand Slam champion and top tennis competitor Novak Djokovic is missing the ongoing Miami Open due to the foreign traveler
RECOGNIZING FLAU'JAE JOHNSON
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-3-22

I rise today to recognize Bart Davis, who was named the 2023 Georgia Farmer of the Year at this year's Georgia Ag Forecast. prgtoken Bart began farming 41 years ago in Doerun, Georgia, following the loss of his mother and father during his senior year of high school. Since then, he has grown the then 500-acre operation to encompass 5,000 acres. Today, he focuses on cotton, peanuts, and corn, while also managing a cattle operation. prgtoken Bart has made impressive strides in using precision agriculture technology to ensure the efficiency of his farm, including the use of soil moisture sensors and irrigation in the majority of his fields. prgtoken In addition to the work on his own farm, he has given back in various industry leadership roles. He has served on the Georgia Cotton Commission Board, the Georgia Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, the National Cotton Council, and represents Georgia on Southern Cotton Growers and Cotton Incorporated. prgtoken I thank Bart for his continued dedication to his farm and to the agricultural industry. Recognizing Tom Fanning and Chris Womack
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2023-3-22

. Colleagues, this is, to me, very important; I hope to you. prgtoken There have been 56 attacks against soldiers stationed in Iraq--about 2,000--by Shiite militias in Iraq. I can understand repealing the AUMF because Saddam is dead, but those in Iraq--American soldiers--are being attacked routinely by Shiite militias in Iraq. prgtoken I am asking the Congress to tell the Shiite militias: You come after our troops, we are coming after you. prgtoken Article II power exists nebulously. The strongest we can be as a nation is when the Congress and the President speak with a single voice. Speak with this voice to those who will kill Americans in Iraq: Shiite militias, we are coming after you.
RECOGNIZING THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD SECTOR LONG ISLAND SOUND
George Santos (Republican, NY) \u2014 2023-3-22

. Madam , today, I have to defend the taxpayers living in Nassau County. As Long Island becomes less affordable and inflation disrupts our everyday lives, Long Islanders are struggling to pay taxes. prgtoken Our homeowners in Nassau County are now being required to pay an additional 2.06 percent in school taxes for 2023 through 2024. Nassau County ranks among eight counties nationwide with the highest median property tax, which consists of 60 percent in school tax. One of the more affluent school districts in New York's Third District, Jericho, is proposing a 2.77 percent tax increase. prgtoken The district will pay an additional $2.6 million in health insurance, along with $700,000 more for public school bus transportation. This is why the taxpayers of Long Island would greatly benefit from my bill, H.R. 1360, the SALT Relief Act. prgtoken All taxpayers need a buffer, especially during times of economic hardship. My bill is designed to keep money in taxpayers' wallets while keeping residents on Long Island. prgtoken I am calling on my colleagues to cosponsor my bill and consider what is at stake for all American families. Congratulating Students Emily Kim and Kevin Zhu