mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
THE ECONOMY
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-10-11

today I rise to talk about the economy; that is, what is going on out there in terms of jobs and wage growth. It is a positive story. I have seen it firsthand back home in Ohio. Every weekend I go back to Ohio, and I meet with small business owners, and they tell me the same thing, which is that things are good. Their biggest concern is finding workers. They are growing and expanding. We see this in the national numbers as well. prgtoken These small businesses tell me it is primarily because of the tax reform and tax cuts legislation and, second, because of the regulatory environment that makes it easier for them to be able to create more jobs. prgtoken I want to start by talking about tax reform. We remember that before this legislation was passed, going back really for several years, our economy had been relatively weak. We had seen economic growth of between 1.5 and 2.5 percent, and a lot of people were saying that 2 percent growth is kind of the new normal. prgtoken In fact, the Congressional Budget Office, which is the nonpartisan group here that tells us what our growth numbers are likely to look like and then tells us what they actually are, said last year that they believed economic growth this year--the calendar year 2018--would be 2 percent. That is pretty discouraging, really. With 2 percent growth, we are not going to see the kind of growth in wages we all want to see, and we are not going to see the job expansion we all want. That 2 percent growth was before the tax legislation was passed. prgtoken They also predicted that employment would increase by an average of 107,000 jobs per month; again, that is not bad, but not something to write home about. prgtoken Now our economy is up and going, and it is moving toward its full potential. prgtoken Shortly after tax reform passed, CBO changed its estimate. They said: OK, with tax reform, this is our new estimate. We are going to say that the growth is going to be, instead of 2 percent, 3.1 percent. That is more than a 50-percent increase in growth. That is incredible. They were pretty optimistic about what would happen. They said that it was attributable to tax reform, prgtoken which was a big part of this upward revision, as they called it. prgtoken They also changed their projection on monthly unemployment. They said that instead of 107,000 jobs, we are likely to see 210,000 jobs per month. prgtoken Well, what has happened? It turns out the Congressional Budget Office, despite their optimistic projections, was wrong. We have seen numbers even better than their optimistic projections. Economic growth for the second quarter of 2018 was 4.2 percent, and a record 876,000 new businesses were created. The Federal Reserve now estimates that growth in this quarter we are in is likely to be 4.1 percent. Wow. We will see what the final numbers are, but if it is anywhere close to that, that is extraordinary. prgtoken So we have gone from 2 percent to
TRIBUTE TO MARGARET BALLARD
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2018-10-11

today I wish to honor a dedicated and treasured member of my staff, Margaret Ballard, and thank her for her more than 21 years of congressional service. prgtoken Margaret joined my congressional staff as an intern in 1997 when I served in the U.S. House of Representatives and as she was studying for her master's degree at Boise State University. She quickly proved herself to be bright, adept, and dependable, traits that have made her an integral member of my staff. She currently serves as administrative director and has served in this position since late 2001, but she has carried out many different tasks and filled in for various State positions as we developed as an organization. Her experience, knowledge, and skill from working in so many areas enable her to understand the roles of fellow staff and effectively connect office functions. prgtoken Margaret is the glue that holds my office together. As administrative director, she oversees the day-to-day administrative work that is so critical to office functions and responsiveness to the people of Idaho. Margaret keeps track of the intricate details and requirements of operating a Senate office, including the Senate rules. Margaret also recognizes staff achievements and finds opportunities to provide levity and boost morale. She has carried out meticulous work to enhance office operations and coordinate the efforts of the staff. Her long-term dedication to this effort has been vital to ensuring office efficiency. Every organization needs Margaret's kind of continuity and know-how. prgtoken To put the many changes Margaret has been a part of over the past 20 years into perspective, she recalls that, when she started back in 1997, all State offices had to share a dial-up internet connection and she had to coordinate when each office could call in and connect for internet service. With the technological advances since, those connection phases are a dim memory. Margaret has handled each new phase with tact and proficiency as she helped build our office administratively. prgtoken Prior to joining my staff, Margaret was the State emergency response commission chief of staff for 9 and a half years. Before that position, she was an administrative assistant for the mayor and city council of Glendale, CO, for 2 and a half years. She has worked in all three levels of government, local, State, and Federal Service. On a personal note, Margaret and her husband Troy Gugel have a son and daughter. They are grandparents to a grandson and have a granddaughter on the way. prgtoken Margaret, thank you for your steady, committed, and skilled work all these years. The adjectives I could list to describe you could go on and on: well-organized, resourceful, professional. Above all, I know that I have always been able to count on you to get the job done well for the people of Idaho. This is the core of what it means to be an outstanding member of the staff and, more im
REMEMBERING ROY H. MADSEN
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-10-11

many Alaskans have contributed enormously to the development of the Territory of Alaska through Statehood and beyond with their special life skills, talents, courage, and insights into the world around them. Among that distinguished group was a very special man, Roy H. Madsen of Kodiak, AK. Roy Madsen was known for so many things. Among them, he was the first Alaska Native to serve as a judge of the Alaska Superior Court. On the eve of the Alaska Federation of Natives convention, I proudly honor his remarkable life that spanned 94 years from March 15, 1923 to December 26, 2017. prgtoken Roy was born in the village of Kanatak, located just across Shelikoff Straits from the Kodiak archipelago near the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and Mount Katmai in the Katmai National Monument on the Alaskan Peninsula, an area which, in 1980, was expanded and renamed the Katmai National Park and Preserve. prgtoken Roy was one of eight children. His father, Charles Madsen, was a Danish immigrant who established a trading post at Kanatak. His mother, Alaska Native Mary (Metrokin) was a homemaker. The Madsens returned to his mother's hometown of Kodiak where, when Roy was only 4 years old, she passed. Roy and his siblings were raised in Kodiak by their dad and their stepmother, Alexandra Churnoff Madsen. Roy's love for his heritage and for the island remained centerpieces throughout his life. A member of the Sun'aq Tribe of Kodiak, he lived there for most of his life. prgtoken Blessed with his mother's rich, Alaska Native Sugpiaq-Koniagmiut- Alutiiq-Russian subsistence culture and fortified by his father's immigrant mindset of courage and ambition, Roy lived his life setting goals and pursuing them, most often with success. prgtoken After graduating from Kodiak High School in a class of six, he entered Oregon State University in 1941. In 1943, he left college and enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a gunner and navigator on Patrol Torpedo Boat PT 190, the ``Jack of Diamonds'' in the South Pacific during World War II. While serving in the Navy in the Philippines and New Guinea, Roy's unit was awarded campaign medals and two battle stars. prgtoken It was after WWII that Roy and his first wife Katharine (Walters) and family moved back to Kodiak in 1946. To support his growing family, he spent a couple of summers fishing in Bristol Bay on a Columbia River double ender by sail and became a registered Alaska bear guide, working with his father Captain Charles Madsen, guiding clients on Kodiak brown bear hunts. prgtoken The Madsens then moved to Oregon, where Roy finished his bachelor's degree and entered Northwestern College of Law, today the Lewis & Clark Law School, where he received his juris doctor degree in 1953. He served as assistant district attorney and practiced law in Oregon before, in 1961, returning with his family to Kodiak. Over the years, the Madsen clan grew to include seven children: Elizabeth, Mary
FAA/Consumer Protections (Executive Session)
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-10-11

I want to acknowledge what Senator Blunt just said about the success of this Congress over the last 2 years. It has been remarkable. What they did on FAA is tremendous. I enjoyed working with them on that. But I want to rise and talk about our veterans and what we have done for our veterans and what we need to do for our veterans. prgtoken Before I do, my State of Georgia had a tough day and a tough night last night. The hurricane hit about 10 o'clock last night. Unfortunately, we lost one 11-year-old with a tree crashing through the roof. The Governor has declared a state of emergency for 108 of our 159 counties. We have 1,500 National Guard troops activated and ready to deploy if needed to help law enforcement, emergency medical, and hospitals to see to it that we meet the needs of the people in our State. There is a lot of search and rescue going on. We are blessed that a lot of things didn't happen, but we were certainly hurt by those that did. prgtoken For families who have lost property and families who need help, our sympathy is with them, and we are taking action. GEMA and FEMA are working hard. Governor Deal is working extremely hard. We have recovered a couple of times already in the last 5 years from hurricanes, and we will do it again. But on behalf of myself, Senator Perdue, and the United States Senate, prgtoken I send our best wishes to our people back in Georgia and also to our people in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Florida. Florida was hit worse last night. But now the storm has passed Atlanta and is going over South Carolina, and then North Carolina, which just came back from almost the worst storm in history, in which we had 48 inches of rainfall in one county. I couldn't believe that much water fell in one day, but it did. They are recovering and doing it nicely. They have done a good job. But all of us know these acts of nature and acts of God we have gone through affect our citizens, and we need to keep them safe. I urge all of our citizens in Georgia and in every State in the Union to play close attention to what their Federal emergency management people say. If they tell them to evacuate, they should. If they tell them to hunker down, they should. They should do whatever they can to follow the rules the best they can. Everybody we have to rescue takes a law enforcement officer and a medical person out of play to help somebody else.
TRIBUTE TO BARRY CARPENTER
Pat Roberts (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-10-11

I come to the floor today to recognize and congratulate Mr. Barry Carpenter, a longtime advocate for American agriculture, on his retirement from a career that spanned five decades. Last month, Barry retired his position as president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute, the Nation's largest and oldest trade association representing U.S. meat packers and processors. Barry's retirement concludes a career in both public service and private industry. His knowledge of the industry and his collaborative, affable disposition have allowed him to connect with everyone from CEOs to those just beginning their careers. prgtoken Barry's appreciation for U.S. agriculture, his drive to serve, and his work ethic were developed at an early age, working on his family's diversified farm in central Florida that produced cattle, hogs, corn, peanuts, and melons. After graduating from the University of Florida, Barry began his career as a meat grader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He also enlisted in the U.S. Army, earning the rank specialist fifth class. Barry carried with him the sense of duty and discipline learned in these formative years in each role he held. prgtoken Over the course of his 37-year career at USDA, Barry provided reasoned and steady guidance to Secretaries of both parties in multiple administrations. In his senior role at the Agricultural Marketing Service, Barry led programs critical to reestablishing U.S. beef export access following the first U.S. case of BSE in 2003. Barry further oversaw USDA's adoption of video technology used to assign beef quality grades, an important tool in identifying those high-quality prime steaks consumers around the world enjoy. prgtoken Upon retiring from USDA, Barry continued to serve American agriculture when he was named CEO of the National Meat Association in 2007. Barry has since provided steadfast leadership to the meat and poultry industry as CEO of the North American Meat Association and as president and CEO of the North American Meat Institute, following the completion of the merger, which he successfully guided, between the American Meat Institute and the North American Meat Association in January 2015. prgtoken Barry has earned numerous governmental awards, including Presidential Rank Awards, honors bestowed to less than 1 percent of senior career employees throughout the Federal Government, from Presidents Bill Clinton and . He has also received prgtoken recognition from the livestock and meat industries. prgtoken Throughout his career, Barry remained grounded and inspired by his wife Janet, four children, Mary Catherine, Jane, Michael, and Robert, and 11 grandchildren. prgtoken I feel fortunate to have known many distinguished public servants and industry leaders like Barry, who have dedicated their careers to advocating for U.S. agriculture. I thank Barry for his many contributions to American agriculture, and I congrat
Calling for the Release of Pastor Andrew Brunson (Executive Calendar)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-10-11

I am here for what I hope will be the last time to talk about a subject I have come to the floor and discussed virtually every week we have been here since I went and visited a man who has been in a Turkish prison since October 7, 2016. prgtoken His name is Andrew Brunson. He is a Presbyterian minister from North Carolina who, in 2016, under emergency orders in Turkey, President Erdogan ended up ordering the arrest of a number of people, many of whom I think were probably involved in the illegal coup attempt. prgtoken To the extent that evidence demonstrates they were, they should be held accountable for their actions, but, unfortunately, thousands of people--journalists, people of faith, and a number of other people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, like a NASA scientist who already spent 2\1/2\ years in prison--were also arrested. They were also put in prison. prgtoken In the case of Pastor Brunson, he spent almost 17 months in a Turkish prison, in a cell designed for 8 people that had 21 people in it. None of the others were even English-speaking. Then, about 17 months into it, he had an indictment against him. It was about a 70-page document. It is a document I have read. Quite honestly, I don't think a first- year law student or a magistrate anywhere would consider the allegations in this indictment as worthy of any prosecution--certainly not enough to keep somebody in our U.S. justice system in prison overnight, let alone now 734 days. prgtoken The 2-year anniversary was just on Sunday. I called Pastor Brunson Sunday morning to speak with him, to see how he is doing and how his wife Noreen is doing. Noreen has been in the country the whole time because she is afraid that if she leaves the country, they will not let her come back. prgtoken After the last hearing, the Turkish officials allowed Pastor Brunson to be placed under house arrest. He can't leave his house. He has an electric monitor, but the fact is, he is still incarcerated. He is still worried about the very real possibility that he could be convicted for up to 35 years in prison. prgtoken The reason I hope this is the last speech I have to give is, tomorrow is what many of us believe may be the last time that he is in a courtroom. I hope President Erdogan and their justice system find justice for Pastor Brunson. What that justice looks like to me, regardless of whatever conclusion the Turkish courts draw--innocence or guilt--is that they simply complete the judicial process in Turkey and return Pastor Brunson and his wife Noreen back to the United States, most likely back to Western North Carolina. prgtoken I visited Pastor Brunson in a Turkish prison about 6 months ago, after I heard he was concerned that once the indictment was issued against him, the American people would read that indictment and just forget about him. It was important for me to go to Turkey, to go to that Turkish prison just outside of Izmir, Turk
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2018-10-11

. . Along with my colleague and friend, Senator Claire McCaskill, I am introducing the Stamp Out Elder Abuse Act of 2018, a bill that seeks to help combat the abuse and financial exploitation of our nation's seniors. Our bill would create a semipostal, or fundraising, stamp that would allow Postal Service customers to make a voluntary contribution to help raise awareness and combat elder abuse with a stamp purchase. The proceeds from this stamp would go to the Department of Health and Human Service's (HHS) Administration on Community Living (ACL) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). This additional funding for the ACL would be used to further support the development and advancement of emerging practices to prevent and respond to the abuse of older adults. Funding for the DOJ would go toward improving prosecution, data collection, litigation support, and prevention of elder abuse initiatives. Notably, this bill would help to provide needed additional revenue to tackle elder abuse without costing the federal government a single penny. prgtoken Abuse can happen to anyone--no matter the person's age, gender, race, religion, or ethnic or cultural background. Each year, hundreds of thousands of adults over the age of 60 are abused, neglected, or financially exploited. Abuse can happen in many places, including a person's home, a family member's house, an assisted living facility, or a nursing home. Just as abuse can occur in various settings, there are many types of elder abuse, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation. Although there are different types of prgtoken abuse, it is common for a victim to experience more than one type of mistreatment. prgtoken According to the National Council on Aging, approximately one in ten Americans aged 60 years old or older have experienced some form of elder abuse, and according to the GAO, financial fraud targeting older Americans is a growing epidemic that costs seniors an estimated $2.9 billion annually. We know, however, that the true number is probably much higher since many of these cases are never reported because the victim is too often ashamed to report abuse, particularly when it involves a family member. As a consequence, the true incidence of abuse is not known. In fact, the National Center on Elder Abuse reports that only one in 14 cases are reported to the authorities. prgtoken In my home State of Maine--the State with the oldest population by median age--an estimated 33,000 seniors each year are the victims of some kind of abuse or financial fraud. Moreover, in as many as 90 percent of financial cases, the senior is victimized by someone he or she knows well. In a 2017 report of financial exploitation of Maine's older adults, in most cases financial exploitation is perpetrated by a family members and for those perpetrators who were family members, the majority were the victim's child.
RECOGNIZING WALSH ENGINEERING SERVICES
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2018-10-11

Idaho is home to many innovative, ambitious, and industrious small businesses. Today I would like to honor a small business that represents all of these qualities. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, it is my distinct privilege to recognize Walsh Engineering Services as the Small Business of the Month for October 2018. Walsh Engineering Services is a woman-owned design and architectural engineering firm, which provides high-quality technical and design services to various public and private sector customers throughout Idaho and around the country. prgtoken Located in Idaho Falls, ID, Walsh Engineering Services was founded by Stephanie Walsh along with a group of dedicated engineers. An Idaho Falls native, Stephanie was raised in a potato farming family and went on to graduate from the University of Idaho with a degree in mechanical engineering. After graduation, Stephanie returned home and began working for the Department of Energy's Idaho National Lab. While at the INL, Stephanie recognized the emerging need for expert contractors at one of our country's most important nuclear research centers. In 2005, Stephanie finally took the plunge and founded Walsh Engineering Services. Owning her own business and working with the INL as a contractor allowed her to continue to work to meet the needs of the INL, as well as those of a growing Southeastern Idaho. prgtoken Since its founding, Walsh Engineering Services has grown from a small group of dedicated engineers and designer-drafters, to a full-service engineering and architecture firm staffed by architects, cost estimators, and support personnel. Their goal has always been to provide high-quality, reliable, and responsive professional technical services to their customers. Their clients have expanded over the years from the INL to other DOE National Laboratories, the State of Idaho Department of Public Works, and fabrication firms located throughout the country. Stephanie is an outstanding example of Idaho's unique entrepreneurial spirit and is an inspiration to women entrepreneurs across the great State of Idaho. prgtoken As you may know, October has been designated as National Women's Small Business Month. This month, we celebrate the critical contributions that women like Stephanie Walsh make to our country's economy every day. There are more than 9.9 million women-owned small business in the United States, employing over 8 million people. In 2017, women-owned small businesses generated over $1.4 trillion in sales. I am pleased to honor a great women-owned small business this month in Walsh Engineering. Stephanie Walsh and her employees at Walsh Engineering exemplifies the perseverance and hard work that lead women- owned small businesses to success. prgtoken Stephanie's team at Walsh Engineering Services is committed to supporting INL's mission of clean energy, national security, science, and the environ