mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING TRAILS WEST
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2021-12-1

as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Trails West in Preston as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2021. prgtoken Trails West, renowned for its world-class craftsmanship and innovative designs, is the No. 1 manufacturer of horse, living quarter, and stock trailers in the United States. Founder Steve Reeder worked in RV manufacturing before returning to his hometown of Weston to raise his family. After several years of working on his family's farm, Steve saw an opportunity to revitalize a struggling local manufacturer. Armed with expertise in RV manufacturing and business acumen, Steve hired the former business' laid-off employees and established Trails West in 1987. prgtoken Trails West manufactures with customer experience in mind. The company was one of the first to recognize women as the largest demographic of horse trailer owners, prompting them to incorporate consumer-friendly innovations into their designs. In addition, Trails West stands out in the industry by utilizing steel frames to deliver a long-lasting and reliable product to their customers. Thanks to their success and devotion to crafting the best trailers possible, Trails West has grown to employ more than 160 Idahoans and is recognized as the premier manufacturer of horse trailers in the country. prgtoken While the company has gained national fame and recognition, Trails West has stayed true to its Idaho roots. Both the Reeder family and Trails West have donated generously to local schools, supported the construction of athletic facilities, and sponsored the purchase of books and playground equipment. Through their entrepreneurship and philanthropy, Trails West has become a testament to Idaho's thriving small business culture and shines as one of the State's many local gems. prgtoken Congratulations to the entire Trails West team on being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2021. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-12-1

inflation is hammering working families from coast to coast, but want to print, borrow, and spend billions more. Our economy is already sputtering on their watch, but want to wallop the country with massive tax hikes that would kill American jobs and discourage industry from locating here in our country. prgtoken Everybody with a lick of common sense knows the massive, reckless taxing-and-spending spree that are writing behind closed doors is crazy. A supermajority of Americans--67 percent--say that inflation and rising costs are harming everyone in the country and government should cut back on spending and printing money as a result. Sixty-seven percent of the American people--two in three Americans-- want Washington to step back from the precipice--an overwhelming consensus. prgtoken But a few loud voices on the far left are yelling at to ignore the people and take the plunge. The sheer financial cost of what want to do to our country is literally jaw-dropping. prgtoken Even when the Congressional Budget Office had to swallow all the ' budget gimmicks and fuzzy math at face value, they still found that this reckless taxing-and-spending spree would add--listen to this--$800 billion to the deficit in the next 5 years; even with swallowing all the gimmicks, another $800 billion in deficit spending during a time of inflation. prgtoken But even that almost certainly undershoots the impact. The ' legislation pretends that liberals will let all of these huge new entitlements simply expire after a few years. We all know that is a total accounting fiction. They are marketing these new welfare programs as moral imperatives. don't want them to expire, but they draft bills with these fake expiration dates to make it appear like it costs less. prgtoken Outside experts have tried to estimate the real cost of the bill. So listen to this: If all these new welfare entitlements did not magically fall away after a few years, they say the bill would actually cost double--double--what say and leave us with $2.8 trillion in new debt. Nonpartisan experts who look past the ' fictional accounting and fake assumptions find the bill would add $2.8 trillion to the deficit. prgtoken So that is how you risk turning a couple years of inflation into a full-on lost decade--a full-on lost decade. prgtoken But the problem with their reckless taxing-and-spending spree is not just the pricetag. It is not the case that have cooked up a great list of investments that would strengthen America but we just can't afford it at prgtoken this particular moment, no. Our colleagues want to ram through a far- left wish list that would hurt families and help China. prgtoken So, look, there is no grand national project waiting on the other side of all these trillions, no 21st-century version of the Hoover Dam or the Interstate Highwa
TRIBUTE TO ARRIS JOHNSON
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-12-1

today I would like to recognize the birthday of Dr. Arris Johnson. Mr. Johnson is a lifetime Kansan and a personal friend who has reached the remarkable milestone of turning 100 years old this past weekend. prgtoken Dr. Johnson was born on November 28, 1921, and attended grade school in Decatur County. He never strayed far from his roots attending college at Fort Hays State University and graduate school at Kansas State University. He still resides in Hays with his wife, Virginia. prgtoken Just 6 weeks before his graduation from Fort Hays State, he was called to serve our Nation. In 1945, Dr. Johnson enlisted and served in the Elbe River region for the U.S. Army during World War II. It was his work in the Red Cross division that began his interest in teaching and counseling work. prgtoken Following his service, Dr. Johnson returned to Kansas and continued his education, receiving his master's from Kansas State University before returning to Fort Hays State to teach counseling for nearly three decades. prgtoken After retiring in 1985, he was named the freemason grandmaster for the State of Kansas. Additionally, Dr. Johnson was further honored with the Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals who have demonstrated a continuing concern for humanity; support spiritual, cultural, and educational objectives; and exemplify the highest standards of character. These characteristics could not describe Dr. Johnson more appropriately. prgtoken Dr. Johnson is a loving husband to his wife Virginia Johnson, and they will celebrate their 75th anniversary in January with their family and friends. They continue to reside in Hays, KS, where I hope they enjoy many more years together. prgtoken It is clear to everyone that knows Dr. Johnson that he has made the most of his 100 years. His contributions to Kansas and our Nation are worthy of commendation. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and soldier, Arris is a tribute to the ``Greatest Generation,'' and a grateful Nation and State thank him for his service. prgtoken I ask that my colleagues join me in wishing a happy birthday to Arris and a profound thank you for his work in our community. His exemplary service to America and his local community is emblematic of what makes America a great Nation.
AMERICA'S PETROLEUM RESERVE
Tracey Mann (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-12-1

I rise today in defense of Kansas farmers and ranchers who have the right to manage their own resources without overreaching regulation from the Federal Government. prgtoken The administration is hurting farmers, ranchers, and ag- business owners. Recently, they withdrew from the Navigable Waters Protection Rule which sought to undo the harm caused by the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule from 2015, through which the Federal Government aimed to exact regulatory control over nearly all bodies of water, regardless of their size or connection to larger waterways. Because of this legislative mess, farmers and ranchers have had to conduct their businesses under three different regulatory definitions of water in just the past 6 years. prgtoken On a farm, water is the lifeblood of the operation, and farmers in Kansas don't need the Federal Government to tell them how to take care of it. Our farmers and ranchers are the original conservationists who continually update their practices to reduce water use and inputs to produce safe, affordable food while maintaining their water supply for generations to come. prgtoken Instead of worrying about what farmers in Kansas are doing with their puddles, the administration should instead focus on curbing inflation, getting Americans back to work, fixing the supply chain, and securing our borders. service academy nominations
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-12-1

I rise this afternoon in support of the freedom-loving people of Ukraine, our friends and our allies in Europe, and in warning to my fellow Americans, to my colleagues, about a threat coming from Vladimir Putin's Russian regime. I rise in support of this American ally whose right to democracy is being threatened. Its right to self-determination is being threatened. And I rise at this moment, when there are negotiations going on in this building between s and as to how to urge the President of the United States to respond to a buildup of 90,000 to 100,000 Russian troops on the border of this sovereign country who is our ally. prgtoken The world has watched in recent weeks not understanding, not knowing what Vladimir Putin has in mind. But there is no question about it, there is the amassing of troops. They are moving in place all the supplies and troops it would need if they decide to launch an invasion of this Member of the United Nations, of this Member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, this sovereign nation who wants self-determination. prgtoken Our Ukrainian friends are sounding the alarm. They warned us that Russia could be ready to invade their country by land, air, or sea as early as next month or February of 2022. I heard their concerns along with a bipartisan delegation of Senators who attended the Halifax International Security Conference just a couple of weeks ago in Nova Scotia. prgtoken These are concerns that were voiced today at a bureau meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe. The threats are serious. The troops are there on the border of Ukraine, and we have a right to be worried and mindful about Mr. Putin's latest move in his long campaign to undermine Ukraine's freedom and sovereignty. prgtoken We should never forget what happened in 2014, when troops that he disavowed but were clearly under his direction invaded the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. Since then, Russia has provoked a shooting war in Eastern Ukraine which has cost the lives of more than 13,000 people. More than 13,000 human beings have died because of the war Vladimir Putin has caused Russia to make against the people of Ukraine. prgtoken Moscow tries to deny and obfuscate the truth, but the world knows the truth. The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly plainly spoke overwhelmingly in a resolution that Russia had violated every precept of the final agreement of the Organization for Security and Co-operation. prgtoken Now is the time--and I know many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree with this--now is the time for the President of the United States to send a strong signal to Vladimir Putin and his oligarchs, his ruling inner circle, that there will be serious consequences not so much for the Russian people, there will be serious consequences for Mr. Putin and his henchmen on day 1 if he goes ahead
AN UNBORN CHILD IS A HUMAN LIFE
Bob Good (Republican, VA) \u2014 2021-12-1

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding. prgtoken More than 60 million lives have been lost since the treacherous, devastating, and dishonest Roe v. Wade decision by seven misguided Justices nearly 50 years ago--60 million. prgtoken The big lie is that there is a constitutional right to abortion, a constitutional right to take the life of a precious, innocent child in the womb. How have we let this stand for nearly 50 years? How can there not be one lone honest, compassionate voice on the other side, hearing and responding to the unborn cries from the womb? prgtoken What kind of a compromise must you make in your soul when there is no longer any honest denial of the science of life? What kind of a compromise must you make to vote for political expediency to satisfy the loudest, most aggressive special interest groups and vote to remove any restrictions on abortion? prgtoken How did we get to where one party is 100 percent unanimous in supporting unlimited, taxpayer-funded abortion at any time for any reason? prgtoken How did those who previously claimed the pro-life label and support for the Hyde provision at a minimum--back when we didn't have the scientific, visual proof of life--how do they now enthusiastically defend unrestricted abortion? prgtoken Yet, we find ourselves today on the precipice of the Supreme Court having the opportunity to finally, at long last, reverse this decision. May these Justices have courage. May they do what is right. May they do what is moral. May they do what is lawful. May they preserve and protect life. May they finally overturn Roe v. Wade.
INFLATION IN DAILY LIFE
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2021-12-1

real wages have decreased 7 out of the past 9 months. The increase in the cost of consumer goods is at a 30-year high. What do these numbers actually mean in your daily life? prgtoken You wake up in the morning and you go to make breakfast. You want scrambled eggs? They will be 11.6 percent more expensive. What about bacon? At a 20.2 percent increase on bacon, you might even take that off the menu. Don't forget your morning cup of coffee that is 5.6 percent more expensive. prgtoken You make a mad dash to get the kids ready for school and then out the door. That will be a 4.3 percent increase in the cost of their clothing and a 7.5 percent increase in the cost of their shoes. You have gotten the kids on the bus and now you can go on to work yourself. prgtoken Gas prices are now 51.3 percent higher, so it is going to cost you a lot more to drive to work. Have you been thinking about that new car? You can forget that, prices are up 9.8 percent on new cars. You want to save money and maybe get a used car? Good luck with that because they are up 26.4 percent. prgtoken You arrive at work, but you realize you left your lunch at home. The cost of a plate at a nearby diner is up 5.3 percent. On your way home, you stop to pick up your kids to take them to practice. You make sure to tell them to take it easy though and make sure they don't wear out their sports equipment because their sports equipment is up 8 percent. prgtoken Now you are home for dinner and those pork chops you are making for dinner are up 15.9 percent. The canned vegetables are up 6.6 percent. prgtoken Your long day is finally over. You made it. Time to kick back, relax, watch some TV--wait a minute, the TV last year that you bought for Christmas is up 10.4 percent, and there is no doubt that last Christmas it was down that much. prgtoken So what is the difference here? I think it is called the economy. Maybe if people in the administration spent a day in the shoes of the average person, the person that goes to work every day, the person that has to pay these prices that we are talking about, maybe then they would realize that the policies that are being done right now and being put in place right now and have been put in place over the last 10 months is the cause of this, and that they would work with us to get it fixed.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-12-1

now I would ask unanimous consent that it be in order to call up the following amendments to the Reed-Inhofe substitute amendment No. 3867, as modified, in the order listed, and that these be the only remaining amendments in order: 1, Cruz No. 4656; 2, Kaine No. 4133; 3, Peters-Portman No. 4799; 4, Scott of Florida No. 4831; 5, Marshall No. 4093; 6, King-Rounds No. 4784; 7, Hawley No. 4140; 8 Hassan-Cornyn No. 4255; 9, Paul No. 4395; 10, Sanders No. 4654; 11, Daines No. 4236; 12, Menendez No. 4786; 13, Lujan-Crapo No. 4260; 14, Lee No. 4793; 15, Sanders No. 4722; 16, Portman-Shaheen No. 4540; 17, Menendez No. 4860; 18, Risch No. 4859; 19, Durbin-Lee No. 3939; 20, Shaheen-Collins No. 4584; 21, Kennedy No. 4660; 22, Ossoff-Tillis No. 4802; 23, Lankford No. 4100; 24, Cardin-Wicker No. 3980; that the Senate vote at 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 2, in relation to any first-degree amendment offered in the order listed above, with 60- affirmative votes required for adoption of the above amendments in this agreement; further, that upon disposition of the above amendments, the Senate vote on cloture on amendment No. 3867, as modified, upon reconsideration; and the motion to invoke cloture on H.R. 4350 be withdrawn; that if cloture is invoked upon reconsideration, the Reed amendment No. 4775 be withdrawn and the Senate vote on the substitute, as modified and as amended, if amended; that the bill be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on the passage of the bill, as amended, if amended; and that there be 2 minutes for debate, equally divided in the usual form, prior to each vote, all without further intervening action or debate.
HONORING MARK LARET
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-12-1

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to Mark Laret, retiring President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of California San Francisco Health and a treasured friend. The San Francisco Giants recently announced that Buster Posey is retiring. For those who understand Mark Laret and his role at UCSF Health, the departure of Mark is equally earthshaking. prgtoken Mark Laret is a 1980 Regents Scholar graduate of UCLA. He earned his Master's in Political Science from the University of Southern California. He joined UCLA Medical Center in 1980 and worked his way up the ranks, and then transferred to UC Irvine. After Irvine, he came to UCSF and never left. prgtoken Mark arrived at UCSF Health after a disappointing attempt to merge with Stanford Health. At a time when the two organizations decided to end their merger, and many saw UCSF Health as the weaker partner, Mark took an $86 million deficit at the merged entity and produced a turnaround for UCSF Health. It wasn't easy, and he later remarked, ``I think when you are faced with a very difficult turnaround situation, the first thing you do is listen, and let people vent, hear them out-- hear their take on what went wrong, and what caused the issue . . . . [hear] what they're proud of about the place they work, what they think those strong core assets are. What do they want to see change, what's their hope for the future?'' What faculty and labor wanted was new management. prgtoken A new executive team was recruited, and it operates under what Mark calls PRIDE (Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence). UCSF's commitment to quality patient care, operational efficiency, deep employee engagement, and health equity were formalized. Although it would take another 14 years, equity remained a core value and was made concrete when UCSF acquired Oakland Children's Hospital, now known as UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, Oakland. A new capital campaign to update that campus has begun. prgtoken UCSF Health also focused on regional care and an expansion of research. To expand its research capacity, Mark and his board created an entirely new and state of the art campus at Mission Bay. From the remains of railroad tracks and industrial decay, UCSF Mission Bay rose to offer globally competitive research space and hospitals that serve the entire San Francisco Bay Area. $1.6 billion was needed by an institution that only a few years earlier was teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Mark is a visionary, and philanthropists from throughout the Bay Area supported that vision with $600 million in donations, matched by $700 million in borrowing and other funds. Today, the Mission Bay campus includes Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco, Bakar Cancer Hospital, Betty Irene Moore Women's Hospital, and the Ron Conway Family Gateway Medical Building. From birth to passing, relying heavily upon one of the globe's premier research and training programs
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2021-12-1

on Sunday, November 21, the joy and celebration of Waukesha's annual Christmas parade was shattered by a horrendous, senseless act of violence that took the lives of six individuals and injured scores of others. prgtoken Immediately, the community responded. Waukesha police and firefighters leapt into action, as did other first responders and so did parade-goers, providing aid and comfort to the injured and their families and those who witnessed such horrendous violence. They escorted some to safety. Many used personal vehicles to bring victims to area hospitals. These were acts of extraordinary heroism at a moment of immense tragedy. prgtoken I, too, joined in the interfaith vigil the following evening, where I joined hundreds upon hundreds in Waukesha and the surrounding area. This is a first step of an infinite number of steps in both the grieving and healing process. And while the entire vigil was moving in so many ways, I just remember the end where neighbor turned to neighbor to light their candles, and the light was passed on and on. prgtoken In that night, after dusk had passed, the area lit up, a symbol of both hope and unity, as well as grief and remembrance. prgtoken I want to be very clear where I stand, as I stand together with the Waukesha community. I think it is simply wrong and disrespectful to the innocent lives that were taken away for anyone to play politics with this horrific tragedy. We know this is not a political issue asking for division; it is a community standing together in unity, asking for prgtoken support to heal and asking for our love and support as we move forward together. prgtoken So we remember Wilhelm ``Bill'' Hospel, Virginia ``Ginny'' Sorenson, Leanna ``Lee'' Owen, Tamara Durand, Jane Kulich, and 8-year-old Jackson Sparks. prgtoken to my colleague to ask for a moment of silence in their memory.
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2021-12-1

. Madam , the Supreme Court is poised to make one of the most consequential rulings for women and their bodies in over a generation. For nearly 50 years, women have come to rely upon the precedent of Roe v. Wade and the freedom to make their own reproductive decisions without government interference in our personal lives. Now our freedoms are under attack as the Court considers a case asking for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. prgtoken As an adoption attorney for 25 years, I worked with more than 300 birth mothers making the most difficult and personal decision of their lives. They consulted family, loved ones, and doctors, but not one birth mother looked to the government to make that choice for her. prgtoken Earlier this year we passed the Women's Health Protection Act, legislation to codify the constitutional right to safe, legal abortion. Regardless of the Court's decision, we must make this bill law to permanently protect the reproductive freedoms of women across this land.