mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
OBSERVING THE PASSING OF BRUCE MacDONALD
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-7-11

. Madam , I rise today to mourn the loss of dedicated community leader, Bruce MacDonald of New London, Connecticut. Mr. MacDonald, a devoted husband and father, passed away at the age of 78 on June 1, 2022, after a courageous battle with cancer. prgtoken Born just down the road from New London in Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1943 to Lemuel and Margaret MacDonald, Bruce was raised in a household that placed value on community service. Eager to understand and experience the larger world and serve his country, he enlisted in the Army before even graduating high school. prgtoken Upon the conclusion of his service, Bruce returned home to Rhode Island and enrolled at Johnson Wales College earning an associates degree. An easygoing, curious man at heart, he found his true calling as a news reporter. As someone who was never known to take the larger picture for granted, Bruce had a passion for advocating for the most disadvantaged. As a newsman, this meant that he became quickly known for disseminating a broader perspective and a sense of empathy amongst the public, crafting thoughtful, enlightening stories about groups of people living through hardship. A powerful, friendly voice for the powerless, Bruce took on career roles at several radio stations in Westerly, Rhode Island; Norwich, Connecticut; and Hartford, Connecticut before becoming an influential voice in newspapers, including The Norwich Bulletin, Groton News, The Day of New London and USA Today. His prodigious work and ubiquitous presence, made him a well-known, trusted media personality in much of Southeastern New England. prgtoken A man of adventure, Bruce still had a strong appreciation for the fundamentals of life. While reporting for The Day newspaper, Bruce met a colleague who would become the love of his life, Gail Braccidiferro. They married in Gail's getaway state, Vermont, in 1986, and soon after were grateful to bring a daughter, Cara, into the world. Family in hand, multiple worlds of opportunity collided for Bruce at that point in his life, as they then traveled to and lived outside of Washington, D.C for a short stint while he worked on the World Wise Schools project for the US Peace Corps. While an exciting opportunity for Bruce, this was of course just one of many worldly-travel experiences for the family. Upon their return to Connecticut, Bruce transitioned to a new career in public media relations for community stakeholders within the region, first the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and then the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce. prgtoken Through both the nurturing of his family and informing the public, the capacity of Bruce's devoted nature was seemingly endless. There are further examples of Bruce's dedication, however, which existed through service to his community. From an early age, this included volunteering for the ambulance corps and Civil Air Patrol and running for local offices in his hometown. This penchant for commu
The Economy (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-7-12

I come to the floor today to talk about the economic crisis that the American people are living through, caused by . prgtoken The American people have just had the most expensive Fourth of July of all times. It is interesting what a difference a year and a half makes. Last July, 6 months into the administration, the White House was insisting inflation was either nonexistent or transitory. The White House even bragged that the cost of a July 4 cookout last year had dropped 16 cents--not 16 percent but 16 cents--from the year before. Here we are, 1 year later, with 1 year of ic control, and the cost of that same cookout is up not just 16 cents but 16 percent. Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad--across the board-- everything is up. This July 4, the only way to save money was to stay home. prgtoken According to one survey, one out of every three Americans changed their summer travel plans for this summer because of high gas prices. People are driving less; they can't afford gas. They are shopping less; they can't afford the food, and they are getting a lot less from their paychecks. prgtoken The New York Times says people--I was astonished by this--are even using up vacation days so they don't have to drive in to work because they cannot afford the gas. They are using vacation days so they don't have to drive because they can't afford the gas. The average American family is now paying $100 more each and every week just to buy the same things that they bought a year ago. So just to stay even is $100 more a week this year than last. Week after week after week, in the economy, people can afford less and less and less. One study from the University of Michigan showed the era had already seen the steepest drop in disposable income since Herbert Hoover. prgtoken Who could believe it? prgtoken The savings rate right now is the lowest since the great recession of 2009. Household debt is the highest ever. People are trying to borrow or spend their savings just to keep up and to maintain the sorts of things they could afford easily last year. Consumer confidence in this country, right now, is at an alltime low. The concern, of course, is that the worst may yet be coming. More and more experts say we are headed toward a recession. A recession is when the economy shrinks for 6 months in a row. prgtoken Two weeks ago, the Commerce Department updated their estimate of economic growth for the first 3 months of the year, and the update said the economy had grown even less and had shrunk more than they had thought. The economy shrank more than the Commerce Department admitted to in their first assessment, but there are already signs all around the country that the economy is shrinking. No wonder, in a national poll last week, only 1 in 10 Americans thinks the economy is heading in the right direction. Inflation plus a recession is called stagflation. I don't think we hav
NATO Summit (Executive Session)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-7-12

I want to thank Senator Shaheen and my colleagues on the floor here--Senators Coons, Ernst, Blunt, and the others who joined the bipartisan delegation at the NATO summit. It was an extraordinary opportunity to see firsthand how the democratic world looks at the United States for leadership. prgtoken It was an extraordinary opportunity to talk about Russia's aspirations. It was an extraordinary opportunity to talk about what I think may go down as the greatest miscalculation in this century on the part of Vladimir Putin. prgtoken Months ago, when he was massing troops at the Ukrainian border, he prgtoken called it a special military operation, a training exercise, for a little while. What he was thinking in the back of his head was that now was the time to test NATO's resolve; now was the time to see if the differences that we have was enough to break an alliance. prgtoken What he found out was quite the opposite. Shortly after February 24, the NATO countries came together, the EU came together. We implemented sanctions. We provided troops on the ground to assist with the evacuation of Ukrainian refugees. prgtoken And now we are in a position of providing support for the very courageous members of the Ukrainian military. prgtoken What else did he get for his miscalculation? Two nations that, for decades, have been nonaligned, Sweden and Finland. Eight hundred and thirty miles of Russian border is now about to be the back door or the front yard of NATO. And when Finland and Sweden ultimately get membership in NATO, which I expect to be in weeks or months, then Vladimir Putin needs to understand his reward for invading a sovereign nation is 830 miles of NATO borders right next door. prgtoken Now I want to talk a little bit about Finland and Sweden. They are extraordinary countries--advanced democracies, the rule of law, a great defense industrial base in Sweden, home to Saab. They manufacture jet fighters that are NATO interoperable. prgtoken Finland is already spending in the 2-percent threshold for NATO and wanting to go further. Finland has 64 joint strike fighters on order. If the United States was going to have as many--they are a nation of about 5\1/2\ million people--if the United States was going to have as many F-35s as Finland on a per capita basis, we would need thousands of them. We have less than 200. They are committed to defense. They are a strong army, a strong ground force. Russia knows that; just look back to 1939. prgtoken And then in Sweden, we have a defense industrial base and a Navy that covers the Arctic. It covers the Baltics. They are going to be net distributors of security the day that they get NATO membership. prgtoken I had somebody a couple of weeks ago--from time to time, I go to the front office, and I take calls from constituents. I had someone call up and say, Why are you supporting--why are you focused on Ukraine? Why are you focused on Finland and Sweden when we have s
Whistleblowers (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-7-12

I am back to the floor for reasons that my Senator friends are tired of hearing me talk about all the time, but I have come back to give you a specific example of retaliation against whistleblowers, Agencies of the government not answering letters that we have sent, and also what I believe is some political interference in some of my oversight work. Today, it deals specifically with the Department of Veterans Affairs--as we know it around here, the VA. prgtoken On April 2 of last year, 2021, I sent letters to the VA and the VA Office of Inspector General based on allegations from multiple whistleblowers. Those whistleblowers reported numerous ethical violations, retaliation, and possible leaking of market-sensitive information that may have affected retail investors. I have been waiting more than a year for a response to my inquiries. prgtoken Emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act by a government watchdog group called Empower Oversight show that career public servants at the VA prepared a response to my letter over a year ago, but when it came time for the Secretary of the VA, McDonough, to send that letter to my office, senior political officials blocked it. It appears that -appointed VA officials have issued an order not to respond to my request, and I have a pretty good reason why. prgtoken We know that the VA received these allegations from whistleblowers early on, and the VA ignored them. Whistleblowers alleged, among other things, conflicts of interest between a senior-level VA official and a company represented by her husband. This official, Charmain Bogue, has since left public service. The company that employed her husband, Barrett Bogue, is entitled ``Veterans Education Success,'' or VES. prgtoken On multiple occasions, starting in December of 2017, an employee at VA sought guidance from VA lawyers on whether Ms. Bogue should recuse herself on procurement-related matters. The lawyers affirmed that Ms. Bogue should recuse herself, and the employee even copied Ms. Bogue on that guidance of recusal. The employee also alerted VA leadership of Ms. Bogue's need to recuse herself. Ms. Bogue never recused herself, but the VA employee was reportedly removed from Federal service. Now, that is retaliation. That is unjustified. It should never happen. prgtoken In response to my letter about these and other allegations, the VA Office of Inspector General immediately opened an investigation. The VA Office of Inspector General uncovered more wrongdoing than originally thought, and I have four points that they uncovered. I am only going to go into those four. prgtoken Ms. Bogue participated in matters involving her husband's employer, contrary to ethics guidance. Ms. Bogue's interaction with that company violated the apparent conflict rules. Ms. Bogue did not provide sufficient detail to VA ethics about her spouse's business. No. 4, Ms. Bogue refused to cooperate fully in th
Tribute to Kim Holden (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-7-12

I rise today for two reasons: one happy, one not so happy. prgtoken First, I want to take a moment to recognize a much admired Louisiana journalist. I am referring to Ms. Kim Holden from the wonderful city of New Orleans in my State. Kim has just retired from WVUE, which we sometimes call FOX 8 News, in Louisiana, and Ms. Holden has been with FOX 8 News for 34 years. prgtoken Kim, if I may call her by her first name, is Louisiana through and through. She is what most of us would call a star-spangled professional. Ms. Holden graduated from St. Mary's Dominican High School. I know, to some of you, that doesn't mean much, but it is an extraordinarily good school in my State. prgtoken She started out at Tulane University. She wanted to study premed, but she realized pretty quickly that premed wasn't for her. She discovered her love for journalism, and she went to and graduated from Loyola University in New Orleans with a major in communications. prgtoken She took her first job in 1988 as an intern at WVUE FOX 8, and she never left. Kim's talent and intelligence was quickly recognized at FOX 8. She was hired almost immediately after being an intern as a part- time production assistant. prgtoken Throughout her 34 years at FOX 8, she has worked as a producer, as a reporter, as a weekend anchor, and as an assistant news director. In 2005, Ms. Holden started anchoring the morning prgtoken newscast, and she has coanchored at 5 and 10 p.m. for the last 12 years. prgtoken It is a very unique thing, as you know, , in television to work your entire career in one place, particularly in your hometown. Most journalists move from city to city--not Kim. She loves New Orleans, and New Orleans loves her back. prgtoken I have been interviewed any number of times, with great admiration from Ms. Holden--not always with great joy because Kim is tough. She is tough as a boot as a journalist. She does her job, but she is very, very fair. She is in a world now of agenda journalists who have an agenda of their own--not Kim Holden. Not Kim Holden. She called the balls and the strikes. I don't even know what party she is in. I don't care which party she is in. She was just a pro. prgtoken Kim, as I said, has retired, and she has had an extraordinary career. When you go back and look at her awards, she has received an Emmy and two Edward R. Murrow Awards for reporting. The Associated Press named her Reporter of the Year twice. prgtoken Throughout her career at FOX 8 News, Kim has covered everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina, to the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl. prgtoken I think, in her next chapter, Ms. Holden is going to spend some quality time--she deserves it--with her husband Bobby and her four children and her six grandchildren. prgtoken So I just wanted to recognize Kim Holden today and to thank her for giving so much to the profession of journalism and to thank
TRIBUTE TO OFFICER NOAH COLE AND OFFICER NICK GREENE
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-7-12

the Louisville Metro Police Department fields some of the finest officers this Nation has to offer. Nothing could be more true of Officers Noah Cole and Nick Greene. On the evening of Monday, June 27, 2022, Officers Cole and Greene were starting their evening shift like any other night. prgtoken They stopped at Shorty's Food Mart on 18th Street and Broadway in the Russell neighborhood of West Louisville when they were alerted by an alarmed father. The gentleman told the officers that his daughter needed their help. The officers overcame a language barrier with the father and responded immediately to his plea. prgtoken They exited Shorty's and ran to the infant, who was in her mother's arms. Officer Greene quickly assessed the situation and determined that the infant was unconscious from choking. He administered back blows to the infant until the blockage was cleared. Simultaneously, Officer Cole contacted fire and EMS support to aid in the care of the infant. EMS personnel arrived on the scene and were able to further care for the infant and calm the parents. prgtoken The actions of these two officers directly saved the life of our most vulnerable citizen and stopped the worst-case scenario for any parent: burying their child. Officer Cole and Greene are servant leaders, an asset to the residents of Louisville, and a testament to the Louisville Metro Police Department. I am proud to salute officers Noah Cole, Nick Greene, and the entire Louisville Metro Police Department on a job well done.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF MATT POLKA'S RETIREMENT
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-7-12

. Madam , I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the retirement of Mr. Matt Polka, the longtime Chairman and President of ACA Connects. Matt's tenure, from the inception of the organization to the effective organization it has become today, has been marked by his integrity and his earnest commitment to representing the small, hometown businesses that have built and managed the cable and broadband networks that Americans depend on. Matt also distinguished himself in Washington by his common decency, his love of a good conversation about politics, and a desire to help anyone he could. prgtoken Those values have been clearly shaped by his deep roots in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There is not a person who worked with Matt that didn't know of his love and affection for his wife, Sharman, his daughters, Molly and Annie, and his pride in being from the Three Rivers area. prgtoken Under Matt's guidance and leadership, ACA Connects grew from an informal grassroots effort to being one of the preeminent telecommunications organizations in Washington. He ensured his members had a voice in all the important debates that have occurred since taking the helm of ACA Connects. Those efforts span the re-examination of the 1992 Telecommunications Act to each reauthorization of the satellite industry to the latest broadband deployment and adoption initiatives. His work was a mile wide and a mile deep. prgtoken Matt has helped my constituents in Ohio through his work to improve broadband infrastructure and access. Many of my constituents live in rural areas and Matt's advocacy has aided efforts to ensure that they can get online. Additionally, Matt has been a strong advocate for small businesses across the country and championed efforts to cut the bureaucratic red tape that hampers them. prgtoken ACA Connects earned its reputation through his unwavering vision and mantra to work with everyone, to find places of agreement, and to focus on common interests rather than focus on differences and partisanship. That approach has earned him the respect of so many Members, staff, and counsels across the Hill along with the various officials in administrations that have been in place during his time. The respect shown to Matt also comes from others--including consumer groups and businesses--even when his work puts him on opposite sides of an issue. prgtoken Guided by his faith, he has been a firm and determined advocate for his members and he has done so with conviction, character, and fairness. After 25 years of service to ACA Connects, I want to recognize his work and offer my best wishes for his next chapter of service in life.
THE INFLATION CRISIS
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-7-12

. Madam , I am sure every Congressman who has been back in their district for the last 2 weeks heard the same thing as the number one issue that is facing the American public right now, and that is inflation, be it gas, even more food, even more housing, again and again and again. prgtoken People say: How are you going to get around that? It is simple to get around it; it is just sometimes a little more difficult. That is finally saying no to the excessive government spending around here that has forced the Federal Reserve to print dollars and decrease the value of the dollar. prgtoken Within the next couple of weeks, we are going to vote on appropriation bills for the budget year beginning October 1. Let's look: Are we holding the line? prgtoken Transportation and HUD, 12 percent increase; water, 7 percent increase; financial services and general government, 16 percent increase; interior, 18 percent increase; military construction and VA, 11 percent increase. prgtoken Congress has not yet adapted to the new crisis.
U.S. Supreme Court (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-7-12

on June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, returning the question of abortion to the States and to the people and their elected representatives. prgtoken The Supreme Court's decision was an affirmation of democracy, which had been set aside by Roe in favor of a national abortion regime imposed upon the entire country by a handful of activist Justices. Roe took legislative power out of the hands of the people and put it in the hands of unelected Justices on nonexistent constitutional grounds. The Supreme Court's decision puts the question of abortion back in the hands of the States and the people and their elected representatives, where it should always have been. prgtoken I am profoundly grateful for this decision, most especially because of what is at stake here, because the Roe decision was not a failure of constitutional jurisprudence on some arcane point; it was a failure that infringed on our most fundamental rights as human beings--in fact, on the fundamental right: the right to life. prgtoken Roe not only allowed for but imposed a regime that forced States to legalize the killing of unborn human beings. So the decision to overturn Roe not only affirms democracy and repairs a constitutional wrong, it allows for the righting of a profound moral wrong: the legal killing of unborn Americans. prgtoken The Supreme Court's decision does not, of course, make abortion illegal, but it will finally--finally--allow those States to choose to put in place protections for unborn children. prgtoken Since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion through all 9 months of pregnancy, more than 63 million children have been killed in this country by abortion--63 million. It is an unfathomable number and, frankly, a heartbreaking number. To put it into some kind of perspective, that is more than twice the population of the State of Texas and more than 70 times the population of my home State of South Dakota. Sixty-three million. Sixty-three million unique, unrepeatable human beings--future doctors and nurses and farmers and teachers and busdrivers and plumbers and scientists. That is a lot of innocent lives lost. prgtoken And, yes, when we talk about unborn babies, we are talking about human lives. Members of the pro-abortion left would like to obscure this fact, but science and medical technology and plain old common sense, I would add, all clearly demonstrate the humanity of the unborn child. Every mom who has ever felt her unborn baby kick is well aware that she isn't just carrying around a clump of cells, and ultrasound technology and medical advancements have made the humanity of the unborn child even more undeniable. It is impossible to hear the heartbeat of an unborn child at 6 weeks and say that he or she is not alive. It is impossible to look at an unborn baby on an ultrasound kicking her feet and moving her hands and sucking her thumb and to pretend that she is anything but a human being. And