mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING BALLARD FAMILY DAIRY AND CHEESE
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2017-6-15

it is not every day that we take a moment to commemorate America's family-owned businesses that dedicate themselves to serving their local communities. I stand before you today to recognize a small business that emphasizes service, tradition, and family values. In my home State of Idaho, I have had the privilege of seeing firsthand Idahoans' dynamic use of natural resources. In our State, we continue to watch our agricultural small businesses advance and thrive. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, it is my privilege to honor Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese of Gooding as the Senate Small Business of the Month for June 2017. Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese has been a pioneer in Idaho's artisan cheesemaking community and is a remarkable example of entrepreneurial innovation. prgtoken With just a few Jersey calves and a strong work ethic, the Ballard family started their dairy farm in 1995. Steve and Stacie Ballard, along with their children, Travis and Jessica, have worked hard to perfect cheeses that are distinctive and can only be cultivated in Idaho's unique climate. Their goal was to create a cheese that was specific to Idaho. Since then, the Ballard family has developed a successful in-house cheese facility that has produced numerous award- winning specialty cheeses. The Ballard family gained the skills to produce artisan cheeses over years of hard work and trial and error. Their determination has allowed them to produce a fresh and original- tasting commodity unique to Idaho. prgtoken The Ballard family produces numerous types of hand-crafted cheeses, including cheddar, gouda, and cheese curds. Their facility produces approximately 3,000 pounds of cheese daily. Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese cows are individually cared for, which ensures that the calves are healthy and allows for the finest cheese. This well-executed cheese production system combined with small batch sizes enables the Ballard family to achieve the right consistencies for high-quality cheeses. prgtoken Award-winning cheese is not the only noted accomplishments this family-run business has attained. In 2013, the Ballards' cheese facility was distinguished by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy as having ``Outstanding Achievement in Energy Efficiency.'' By adjusting their operational processes, their facility in Gooding has reduced their energy costs by about $23,000 annually. prgtoken Beyond the Ballard family's thriving retail throughout the State, the Ballards also provide educational resources with their cheese purchasing information to Idahoans who are interested in learning about cheesemaking methods. Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese is an exceptional example of the entrepreneurial spirit of Idaho agriculture and of innovative energy practices from a family-owned business. I would like to extend my sincerest congratulations to the Ballard family and all of the employees of Ballard
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Kevin McCarthy (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his comments. prgtoken Yesterday was a long and emotional day for the people in this House. A cowardly act of violence was directed at our friends, our colleagues, and our democracy. prgtoken We are currently praying for all those injured and their families-- Matt Mika, Zack Barth, Special Agent Crystal Griner, Special Agent David Bailey, and Majority Whip Steve Scalise. These individuals are strong and, as you said, they are fighters, and they should know that they have the full love and support of this House. prgtoken But, , even in the face of this great evil, we saw amazing bravery yesterday. Special Agents Griner and Bailey put their lives on the line. They saved countless others. There is no other way to put it, but they are heroes. Yesterday could have ended with many deaths. They ran out in order to draw the fire away from the Members. prgtoken This attacker moved down the third baseline to home base, where the majority of the players had been sitting in the dugout of first base, lying on the ground, and even a 10-year-old son, whom they would hover over on top of. He tried to make his movement there. Crystal had already been wounded. prgtoken But as I talked to the agents yesterday in the hospital, they said that they wished they could have even done more, having drawn the fire away and saving so many lives. We will be forever grateful for their courageous actions and those of all of our Capitol Police, who are truly the best in the business. As we end this week, I do want to take the time to thank our men and women in uniform and keep them all in our prayers for their recovery. prgtoken Yesterday I spent a large portion of the day at the hospital, yes, seeing the agents and seeing and praying for our majority whip. I have known Steve Scalise for more than 20 years. Before either of us were ever elected to any office, we got involved in politics in Young s. I was the national chairman, and he was the State chair of Louisiana. We developed a friendship, a camaraderie, and a passion for making the country better. prgtoken I know what Jennifer and the kids are going through, but our prayers are with them, and he will definitely come back and play in that baseball game. prgtoken So, , before I move on with the schedule for next week, because of everything that happened yesterday, I missed doing something important as well. I want to wish my friend, Mr. Hoyer, a belated happy birthday. I hope my friend enjoyed a nice slice of his favorite desert: pineapple upside-down cake. I do want it noted that, even on his birthday, he took the time to make sure the staff of Steve Scalise had something to eat, and they appreciated that greatly. They appreciated his visit. prgtoken , on Monday, no votes are expected in the House. On Tuesday, the House will meet at noon for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6
IN RECOGNITION OF THE BORBA FAMILY
David G. Valadao (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-6-15

I rise today to recognize the Borba family's contribution to the agriculture industry of California and their strong presence in California's Central Valley for over one hundred years. prgtoken The Borba family's legacy began when Ms. Anna Borba emigrated from the Azores, Portugal to the United States in the late 1800's. Anna's son, A.J. Borba, moved to California's Central Valley in the early 1900's to begin the family's agriculture venture, and established a dairy in Riverdale, California. In the 1940's, A.J. and his sons, Ross, Sr and Darril, began focusing on a row cop operation with the goal of introducing cotton to the Central Valley. In 1958, the brothers officially began Borba Brothers Farms on the west side of Fresno County. prgtoken In 1942, Ross, Sr. married Justina ``Tina'' Urrizola and continued to farm in Riverdale while raising their two sons, Ross, Jr. and Mark, and their daughter, Dwayne. In 1976, Ross, Jr. and Mark acquired the family business after their father and uncle retired. In their retirement, Ross, Sr. and Tina established the Rancho Vista del Rio on San Joaquin River near Fresno. Currently, Rancho Vista del Rio serves as the home and horse ranch of Mark and his wife, Peggy Borba, and is often used as a venue for Fresno County community events. prgtoken Today, the fifth generation of Borbas is represented by Mark and Peggy's son, Derek. Derek and his wife, Jennifer, operate the farming and custom farm management business. As custom farm operators, they perform machine operations on partnered farms in Westlands Water District. Having survived years of drought, the farming operation encompasses 9,000 acres of almonds, tomatoes, garlic, melons, lettuce, wheat, and Pima cotton on the Valley's west side. prgtoken The Borba family has significantly contributed to the Central Valley's agriculture industry through philanthropy, financial support, and leadership of organizations including the California Agriculture Leadership Foundation, Sequoia Council Boy Scouts, Valley Teen Ranch, and Ag One. The family has also made a lasting impression on many in their community. The Borba family understands the incredible importance of education, and has continuously supported Riverdale Unified School District, San Joaquin College of Law, and Pacific Legal Foundation. Members ofthe Borba family have volunteered and provided support to their local health and wellness organizations and support services including Community Medical Center, Saint Agnes Medical Center, Valley Children's Hospital, and the Marjaree Mason Center. In acknowledgment of his and his family's contributions and accomplishments, Mark Borba was awarded the U.C. Davis 1996 Award of Distinction. Mark was also influential in establishing the Ross Borba, Sr. Scholarship Endowment for agricultural college students. Additionally, Borba Farms, Inc. received the 2007 Baker, Peterson, and Franklin, CPA, LLP, Agricultural Business Award
SUPPORTING STATEHOOD OF PUERTO RICO
Don Young (Republican, AK) \u2014 2017-6-15

I had the privilege last Sunday to be an observer in Puerto Rico for the plebiscite and watch the people of Puerto Rico make the decision that they would like to be the 51st State. prgtoken I think it is time for this Congress to make the 3,400,000 American citizens part of the United States--in full grandeur, as every one of us have--and have a chance of making sure we can vote for everyone to be part of this. prgtoken I think it is time that America should stop colonizing. If I am not mistaken, this is the last Nation that has a colony. The great America of the United States has a colony, and I think it is time that we change that. Vote in Congress to make sure that we have the 51st State.
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-6-15

one of the things we are debating right now is, What is the future of the Affordable Care Act or, I should say, healthcare in the United States? One thing we can all agree to is that the individual market under the Affordable Care Act--or Care, as it is commonly called--is not doing well. prgtoken I will put up this Facebook post from a constituent in Louisiana named Brian. He wrote in to say: My family plan is $1,700 a month. Me, my wife, and 2 children. The ACA has brought me to my knees. prgtoken He doesn't say this, but we know that, most likely, his family deductible is $13,000. I hope we can get something done. . . . The middle class is dwindling away. Can everyone just come together and figure this out? prgtoken So his family is putting out $20,000 a year for insurance. They most likely have a $13,000 family deductible. They have two children, a young family, $33,000 of out-of-pocket expenses before they would see significant benefit from their policy. Clearly, we have a problem. prgtoken When he was campaigning, Candidate recognized this, and he said over and over that his contract with the voters was to maintain coverage, lower premiums, address and care for those with preexisting conditions, and to eliminate the Care mandates. This, if you will, was his contract with the voters--a pretty good contract. I think it is something both parties can get behind. prgtoken Candidate and then President-elect doubled down on this just before taking the oath of office, saying: ``People covered under the law''--meaning the law that he would support to replace the Affordable Care Act--``can expect to have great healthcare. It will be in a much simplified form. Much less expensive and much better.'' prgtoken Indeed, the President of the United States seemed, again, to renew this commitment this past week at a lunch with 15 Senators at the White House, once more saying how we have to have a law that lowers premiums and cares for those with preexisting conditions. prgtoken That is the baseline. Some would argue, has President committed himself to some right that previously did not exist that all Americans would have healthcare? prgtoken I am a physician, a doctor. I worked in a public hospital for the uninsured for so long. I can tell you, Congress created a right to healthcare when it passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. I think President Clinton was the one who signed it into law. This said that anyone--whether they were a U.S. citizen or not--could come to an emergency room and receive all the care they needed, and if they could not pay, they would still receive care. prgtoken Whenever somebody says ``My gosh, folks don't have a right to healthcare,'' I note that when I was in the emergency room at 2 o'clock in the morning, as long as those emergency door rooms were open, there were people coming through. They would have c
Healthcare Legislation (Executive Session)
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-6-15

first of all, let me say that I am really glad the junior Senator from Georgia has taken this on. This is something that some of us who have been around a little bit longer have gone through before. prgtoken I think everyone realizes that what was attempted to be done by President was a single-payer system. Ultimately, that is what liberals want. I remember back in the 1990s what was referred to at that time as Hillary healthcare during the Clinton administration. I remember so well the efforts that were taking place. prgtoken Sometimes I go back to my State of Oklahoma just to be around logical people, and they will ask the question: If this system is not working in Canada, is not working in Sweden, and is not working in Great Britain, why do they think it will work here? Liberal individuals will never tell you this, but what they are really thinking is this: It would work if I were running the show. prgtoken So we are going through a similar thing again, and I am so happy we have leaders, as the occupier of the Chair, prgtoken and we have more doctors right now in the Senate. This is the time to make these changes and really accomplish things. But that is not why I am here.
COUNTERING IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES ACT OF 2017
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-6-15

I would add that my fellow Ohioan, Senator Portman, is a cosponsor of this. Special thanks go to Senator Graham-- this is the Graham-Brown NATO amendment--also to Senators McCain, Rubio, Casey, and Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. prgtoken This is especially important to the Ukrainian community in my State. A number of them have been in town the last couple of days. They know how critical support for our allies is and how important it is that this amendment sends a clear message that the United States will uphold our half-century commitment to NATO, combined with a strong signal to Russia to clean up its act. That is the importance of this amendment. I ask support from my colleagues. prgtoken I yield to Senator Corker.
RUSSIA SANCTIONS LEGISLATION
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-6-15

the United States must send an unequivocal message to Vladimir Putin: we will not tolerate attacks on democracy in the United States or in Europe. That is why I have long pressed for harsher sanctions on Russia, including with Secretary of State Tillerson in his June 13 appearance before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. I am a strong supporter of amendment No. 232 to S. 722 on Russia sanctions. While I missed the vote on June 14 due to an unanticipated illness, I would have voted yes had I been present. I voted yes on the passage of S. 722 today. prgtoken The Kremlin's ambitions are clear. It interferes in elections in the United States and Europe, in an attempt to undermine public faith in the democratic process. It wants to erode the cohesion and strength of our NATO alliance. It bolsters the hand of brutal dictators like Bashar al-Assad. It wages wars in Ukraine and Georgia, supporting insurrections against the government. It seeks to reestablish a leading role on the world's stage through an unraveling of the international order. prgtoken Russia's use of subversion, disinformation, and irregular warfare are nothing new. However, in this last U.S. presidential cycle, Russia launched an unprecedented and multifaceted campaign to undermine our elections--a view corroborated by our entire intelligence community. Russia paid more than 1,000 people--human trolls--to work out of a facility in St. Petersburg. These trolls spent their waking hours creating anti-Clinton fake news reports and disseminating these stories in key States and districts. Russia also used thousands of botnets to echo and amplify these fake news stories. Russia also targeted the election boards of 39 States in our country, successfully infiltrating at least four voter registration databases and gaining access to hundreds of thousands of voter records. They even attempted to infiltrate the Maryland State Elections Board, but were not successful. prgtoken In response to these attacks, I filed an amendment to S. 722 that would ensure the United States develops a strategic, long-term approach to combat Russia's cyber warfare. My amendment requires a unified strategy developed with our NATO allies and European partners to counter Russia's cyber attacks, including Russia's efforts to undermine our democratic elections. It would also require the FBI to establish a high-level cybersecurity liaison for Presidential campaigns and major national campaign committees, so that the United States is prepared for Russia's next attempt to interfere with our elections. The liaison would share cyber threats as they arise and cyber security protocols with these organizations to stave off cyber attacks. Given the critical importance of shoring up our own cyber defenses, I plan to introduce this amendment as standalone legislation at a later point. prgtoken I also filed a second amendment to S. 722 that pro
REMEMBERING QUARRIER ``Q'' COOK
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-6-15

from the moment she arrived in Santa Fe in 1983, Quarrier ``Q'' Cook gave back. She gave her time to the Santa Fe Community Foundation as a board member. She gave her knack for fundraising to the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival as cochair of several endowment campaigns and as board president from 2002 to 2005. She gave her energy and attention to many of New Mexico's social services organizations. prgtoken She gave whatever she could give to make New Mexico a better place. prgtoken Last year, Q Cook and her husband Phillip Cook received the Santa Fe Community Foundation's Philanthropic Leadership Award during the annual Pinon Awards Ceremony. In her acceptance speech, she remarked that in order to be part of a community, ``you have to help the community'' in small and large ways. prgtoken Q Cook's commitment to these values and her interest in helping others came from growing up in a family that always gave back and expected their children to do the same. She was born on April 7, 1935, in Wheeling, WV, to Thomas Moffat Block and Nancy Fulton and grew up seeing her parents' commitment to activism and public service. She attended Vassar College, earned a political science degree, and became involved in political activism herself. prgtoken She had three children: Thomas McKitrick Jones, Nancy Jones Carter, and Clare Fitz-Gerald Jones. She shared her love for the Southwest's culture with her daughter Clare, with whom she opened a southwestern home furnishings boutique in Washington, DC, called Santa Fe Style. As the buyer for the store, Q made sure that New Mexico had a presence in our Nation's Capital. prgtoken Back at home, she was known as a driving force who achieved whatever goal she set out to reach. She was someone any New Mexican would want on their side, someone who was generous, always willing to open her home, and give her time. prgtoken At the Pinon Awards, she said, ``We hope that a little bit of what we have done has made the world a better place for some people.'' prgtoken Q Cook made the world a better place for lots of us, and New Mexico is indebted to her lifetime of service.
COUNTERING IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES ACT OF 2017
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-6-15

first of all, I wish to thank my friend, the Senator from Florida, for his comments. There is no one in this body who is more familiar with and more knowledgeable about our space programs than is Senator Nelson. prgtoken I also want to associate myself with two comments he made. No. 1, as the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, I echo what he said about the very real, tangible threat the Russians, their spy agencies, and their agents pose to not just our democratic process but--as the Senator from Florida has outlined, not only did they attack us in 2016, they attacked the Dutch, which is why they had to hand-count their ballots, and they attacked the French, and Facebook took down 30,000 Facebook accounts because of fear of Russian manipulation. They will attack the Germans. prgtoken One of the things that is so concerning to me is that if you add up the amount of disruption the Russians have caused in Western societies at large without firing a shot or shooting a missile--and all that for less than 5 percent of the cost of an aircraft carrier--it is a pretty good return. prgtoken Our country needs to be strong against Russia, and I support the Russia sanctions, but I also support, as the Senator has indicated, a really critical part--that we continue our space program. I stand here to join with Senator Nelson and my good friend, the Senator from Colorado, Mr. Gardner, in support of this amendment No. 250, which will allow civilian agencies to continue to launch crucial science, civil, and commercial space missions and which will continue to support NOAA and NASA, which depend upon their research. prgtoken Without this amendment--and I think this is an amendment that corrects a mistake in the original bill--billions of dollars and years of planning that have gone into missions like, as the Senator mentioned, the International Space Station, commercial cargo, Mars 2020, and the Joint Polar Satellite System, just wouldn't be possible. In many ways, without this amendment, we could even become more dependent upon Russian technology. prgtoken Again, as the Senator mentioned, I think the overwhelming majority of this body is very supportive of sanctions against Iran. We are very supportive, and I appreciate the opportunity to add stronger sanctions against Russia and sanctions that this prgtoken President cannot arbitrarily withdraw. But we have to make sure that in this bill we don't do unintentional harm to our space interests--space interests that I know are in Colorado and Florida and my home State of Virginia, where we have a flight facility at NASA Wallops, which is over on our Eastern Shore, where we launch both NASA and commercial satellites. prgtoken We have one of America's leading commercial and military companies, Orbital ATK, which is headquartered in Virginia and launches the Antares rocket from Wallops. The fact is, without this amendment, Orbital ATK would be prevented from