mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Bill Hagerty (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-9-13

I wish to recognize Fred Smith, founder and executive chairman of FedEx for receiving the distinguished L. Welch Pogue Award for his outstanding lifelong contributions to the field of commercial aviation. prgtoken On September 14, Mr. Smith, a proud Memphian and generous benefactor to his city, will receive due commemoration for his renowned achievements and contributions involving his organization, career, and passion. prgtoken Since 1971, the iconic Tennessee company he founded has facilitated deliveries not just in the United States but across the world. prgtoken This includes FedEx's work on the Project Airbridge Operation, a partnership executed by FedEx under the direction of the Federal Government that expedited the importation of critical supplies at the height of the pandemic. prgtoken This award, first presented in 1994, recognizes individuals with a lifetime of achievement in aviation and recognizes individuals who not only have a vision for where the industry is headed, but have acted to make it a reality. prgtoken I can think of no one more deserving to receive such an award. Let us celebrate this achievement and commitment to excellence that Mr. Smith has shown throughout his career.
INFLATION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-9-13

. Just a few minutes ago, yet again, the American people received a monthly inflation report that was even worse than the expert predictions. prgtoken The expectation was that ' runaway inflation might finally begin to actually level off. The top-line inflation rate was expected to fall. Instead, yet again, the opposite happened. Overall inflation was up even higher. prgtoken The prices this past August were still 8.3 percent higher than they were in August of 2021. Just a catastrophically high inflation rate. prgtoken Food prices went up another 0.8 percent just this past month alone. Overall food prices just logged their biggest 1-year increase since the late 1970s. Groceries in particular are now 13.5 percent more expensive than they were at this time last year. ' policies are sucker- punching American families every time they set foot in the checkout line. Eggs are up 40 percent. Butter, up 25 percent. Baby food, up 13 percent. Chicken, dairy, bread, cereal, and canned fruits and vegetables are all up around 16 percent each. Coffee is up even more than that. prgtoken Housing and shelter costs were up. Medical costs were up. Furniture, up. New cars, up. prgtoken Electricity costs were way, way up--a 15.8-percent increase since last year. So let me say that again. Inflation on Americans' electricity bills alone--alone--is 15.8 percent in just the last 12 prgtoken months. This is the largest 1-year increase in electricity prices since 1981, when the statistic was looking back into the final months of Jimmy Carter. prgtoken Even if you take out energy and food prices--two areas where the administration likes to pass the buck and pretend they are powerless-- inflation skyrocketed 0.6 percent in just the month of August alone. prgtoken Eight-point-three percent inflation--just an astonishing number. And remember, this figure only looks back 12 months, but we are now more than 12 months into the ' inflation spiral. Prices are 8.3 percent higher today than in August of 2021, but remember, in August 2021, the baseline, we were already talking about runaway inflation. Prices were already way up compared to the year before that. So the 12- month number dramatically understates the total damage that have caused. prgtoken Here is the comparison that matters most to American families, especially with an election in less than 2 months: How are things today compared to January 2021, when this all-ic government was sworn in? How are they compared to January 2021? Here is the answer: Food prices are up a total of 13.9 percent since President was sworn in. Gas prices are up 58.5 percent. Electricity costs are up 21.6 percent. And the overall, across-the-board inflation rate since President took office is a catastrophic--catastrophic--12.5 percent. prgtoken This very day, President and are having a big celebration for their latest reckless spending bill, which th
PLANNING FOR ANIMAL WELLNESS ACT
Eric A. "Rick" Crawford (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-9-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken S. 4205, the Planning for Animal Wellness, or PAW Act, establishes a FEMA working group to determine Federal guidance on animal care during emergencies and natural disasters. prgtoken We have seen citizens impacted by disasters reluctant to evacuate if they can't bring their pets with them. This can greatly affect the ability of emergency managers and local first responders to keep individuals safe. prgtoken Whether it is service animals, household pets, or farm animals, we have made improvements to address this issue; however, problems still persist. prgtoken Given this fact, the bill establishes a working group to review FEMA's policies, determine best practices, and make recommendations to help better prepare and respond to disasters. prgtoken , I urge support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time.
Higher Education (Executive Calendar)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-9-13

what a great time of the year-- county fairs, State fairs. The weather is changing. People are getting outside more. It is not quite as hot in most places. Parents have smiles on their faces because their kids are going back to school. College is starting up. prgtoken That is what I want to talk about today. Our college campuses are ramping up. There are a lot of good things going on with that. A lot of young people are for the first time going to college, going out for the first time in their lives and making their own decisions, away from home for the first time, putting their budgets together, having to go by their own time with nobody to wake them up, having to wash their own clothes, having to do things they have never had to do before. For the first time in their lives, they are responsible for themselves 24 hours a day. prgtoken I did that for 40 years coaching college football, coaching high school football. It was amazing how many young men and women whom I worked with never saw the Sun come up in their lives. If they played for me, they got to see the Sun come up. We got up early and stayed late. prgtoken So it is an important time for all of our young adults in college, K- 12--very important--for our high school, elementary, and junior high school kids. For many, many years, it has been an important part of all of our lives in the United States of America, and it has been one point that has made us better than everybody across the world in terms of education. We educate our young people from K-12. Everybody has an opportunity to go to college for an extended education. It is a great opportunity. It is fun to watch. I had a chance to watch a lot of young people have some great opportunities and make a lot of things out of themselves. prgtoken I used to tell my players when I coached that you are living in the greatest country on the face of the Earth. If you are born in this country, you hit the lottery. A lot of people don't understand that. If you go to some of these other countries, you will figure it out real quick. But the United States of America, this country, really owes you nothing other than one thing: It owes you an opportunity--an opportunity to do what the heck you want to do or be who you want to be. If you work hard, you might have a chance. A lot of times, you are going to get knocked down. Do you know what this country does? It gives you a chance to get back on your feet and go again. It doesn't owe you one thing other than that. If you take advantage of it, you can achieve it. prgtoken For many years, institutions of higher education were great examples of the great American experiment. They were places where free speech was not only allowed but encouraged, and innovation and problem-solving were required for success. Success created some of America's favorite pastimes. prgtoken College sports, which have become a piece of our national identity, started a couple of
Government Funding (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-9-13

there are a lot of important things that we do here in the U.S. Senate, hopefully, every day; certainly, every week, month, and over the year. But there are a couple of pieces of legislation which are literally must-pass pieces of legislation. They deserve an even higher priority than our day-to-day work here. These must-pass pieces of legislation are critical to the function of our government. prgtoken First, for example, government funding is critical so we can keep the lights on and keep the government working on behalf of the American people. If Congress fails to pass an appropriations bill, the government will literally shut down and millions of government workers will be left without a paycheck and the American people will be left without the services that those government employees would otherwise provide. prgtoken The good news is, at this moment, there appears to be little appetite for a funding fiasco at the end of this fiscal year at the end of this month. In a couple of weeks, I expect we will vote on a stopgap funding bill to keep the lights on and the trains moving until the end of the year. prgtoken Continuing resolutions like this, leading up to an end-of-the-year omnibus appropriations bill, are never my first choice. My hope would be that we would take up and pass each of the individual appropriations bills on a timely basis and then bring them across the floor of the U.S. Senate, pass them, and get them to the President for his signature. But, unfortunately, that hasn't happened under the current management. prgtoken There are other bills that receive the ``must-pass'' label. These could be anything from farm bills to disaster relief. Each of these are important. But, in my view, the ultimate must-pass piece of legislation is the National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken Each year, this is how we make sure that our men and women in uniform have the support and the tools and the training they need and the pay to compensate them for their service as well as the support their families deserve, which is particularly important in an All-Volunteer military. This is how we maintain our military bases, modernize our weapons systems, and invest in the next generation of weapons. prgtoken It is how we take stock of the global threat landscape, which always seems prgtoken like it is getting more and more ominous, and we make sure that our country is prepared to counter even our most aggressive adversaries. prgtoken That is why Congress has passed a consolidated defense authorization bill for each of the past 61 years. For 61 years in a row, we passed a national defense authorization bill. But, apparently, the majority leader, Senator Schumer, is contemplating not doing that this year. prgtoken A strong and ontime defense authorization act has always been crucial, but this particular moment in history demands even greater attention. prgtoken As we know, on February 24--nearly 7 months ago
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION REAL ESTATE LEASING AUTHORITY REVOCATION ACT
Garret Graves (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-9-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 1468, as the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia indicated, helps to restore the SEC's leasing authority back to the confines of the General Services Administration. It ensures that we have a uniform approach to leasing space in Federal agencies. prgtoken I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia for her perseverance on this bill. I know this has been a priority of hers for a very long period of time. But I want to give you a little bit of background. prgtoken In 2012, the SEC leased approximately 1.4 million square feet of office space for $566 million. I want to say that again. The SEC leased 1.4 million square feet of office space for $566 million, in violation of the law. They exceeded their authority when they entered into this lease. prgtoken When there was leadership, there was an investigation that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure did over the SEC's actions. The SEC Inspector General similarly commissioned an investigation. prgtoken The conclusion of these investigations found that not only did the Securities and Exchange Commission exceed their authority in that lease, but this was a trend. They had a history of mismanagement of their leasing authority. prgtoken Unfortunately, recent actions by the SEC during the GSA's procurement of leased space for the SEC indicates that they may be returning back to their old ways. prgtoken I want to say again, I commend the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, ensuring that we have a uniform approach, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being managed in a way that we can all be proud of, respecting the people who have worked hard for those dollars, and we don't need to be mismanaging them. prgtoken The bill will ensure that the Securities and Exchange Commission, like other Federal agencies, uses the GSA, the General Services Administration, for its space needs and provide more safeguards for taxpayer dollars. prgtoken , I urge support of the legislation, and reserve the balance of my time.
Energy (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-9-13

I come to the floor today to talk about the rising costs of American energy, and this morning we found out that inflation continues to burn very hot. prgtoken Prices continue to go up and up and up. Last month, they actually went up faster than even any of the economists had predicted. Since took office, the prices have risen now by more than 13 percent across America. That is what families are facing. And prices have been rising faster than wages for the last 17 months. So people are feeling the heat and falling further and further behind. prgtoken Today, gas prices are still nearly a dollar and a half a gallon higher than they were the day took office, but are patting themselves on the back because gas prices have come down from the stratospheric $5 a gallon during the peak this summer. Well, gas is still over $4 a gallon in lots of States, including Nevada and Washington State, and, of course, at $5 a gallon, very few people can afford to drive. So it is no surprise the prices fell as demand plummeted. prgtoken But yet many of the are at the White House this afternoon, apparently in the thousands, to celebrate a law that just got passed here. prgtoken These price hikes, these increases in costs, this is nothing to celebrate. And so in 15 minutes, at the White House, is going to lead a celebration--a party--for a bill that passed along party lines. prgtoken We have a crisis of food, a crisis of energy, a crisis of rent. People cannot afford the cost of living. In terms of energy, after 2 years in power--I come today to the floor as the ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee--after nearly 2 years in power, still haven't lifted a finger to produce a drop of additional American energy, specifically oil. prgtoken Supply is down below the prepandemic peak. has leased the fewest acres of Federal land for energy development of any President since World War II--World War II. The economy is hitting record numbers--40-year record-high inflation. Food prices are up higher in terms of costs of feeding your family; the rise in prices is up higher than in 40 years--and now shutting down American energy with the fewest acres of Federal land for energy development since World War II. prgtoken Now, had a plan. His plan was to invite dictators to sell us oil. Officials from the administration went hat in hand, just a little over a year ago, to Vladimir Putin in Russia, to Iran, to Saudi Arabia, to Venezuela. The President actually went personally to Saudi Arabia to ask for more energy and more production. He went to Riyadh to beg the Saudis to sell us more oil. It didn't work. prgtoken Actually, the Saudis and the OPEC cartel announced last week that they are actually going to slash production by 100,000 barrels a day. prgtoken When President was in the White House, he went on an apology tour to the Middle Ea
Government Funding (Executive Calendar)
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2022-9-13

agriculture is a critical part of Nebraska's economy. It accounts for, roughly, $25.7 billion of Nebraska's gross State product. That is a little less than a quarter of our State's overall GDP. Nearly one in four jobs in the State is tied to agriculture. prgtoken That economic output is important because, thanks to States like Nebraska, hard-working family farmers and ranchers produce a wide variety of products that keep our grocery stores stocked and help to feed the world. But our Nation's agricultural bounty doesn't do anyone much good if it can't get to market, and that is where our complex transportation and infrastructure system comes into play. prgtoken The railroad industry, in particular, has a big role in bringing agricultural products to locations across the United States. That includes ports, where they can then be shipped to locations around the world. Whether it is grain or soybeans, railroads provide the means to affordably move thousands of tons of goods where they need to go. It is estimated that rail delivers 1.6 million carloads of agricultural products a year. That is why I am deeply concerned about the potential for a rail shutdown later this week. prgtoken I think it is very important that people understand what kind of economic impact such as a shutdown would have and how it would upend our Nation's agricultural sector. The consequences would be devastating. When agricultural products can't be transported, there will be price hikes, and there will be shortages. Our international exports of commodities like corn, soy, wheat, of which a large share moves by rail, will fall dramatically. prgtoken Fertilizer prices--an already expensive input due to inflation--will further skyrocket. The mere prospect of a shutdown on Friday means fertilizer and other hazardous materials have already started being removed from the rail networks on September 12. Biofuel plants could be forced to scale down operations or completely shut down. prgtoken I would also point out that we have harvest coming up in Nebraska. Family farmers in my State, many of whom are grappling with rapidly rising input costs, need a good harvest season. And if rail service isn't feasible, that possibility could go out the window. prgtoken Grain elevators, for example, could run out of storage and be unable to accept additional commodities. Family farmers and ranchers will lose critical revenue streams. prgtoken The bottom line is, if rail shuts down, our entire agricultural system shuts down. It is that simple. prgtoken All of this economic chaos would come on top of extreme inflation. Today's numbers put grocery prices up 13.5 percent over last year. Think about the toll this out-of-control inflation is taking on our working-class families. prgtoken Then there is the international turmoil. Russia's horrific invasion of Ukraine has dramatically curtailed the flow of grain, which, in turn, has exasperated food insecurity
CLOSE THE BORDER
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2022-9-13

I address you and this body because I know that you know more than most what it is like to have the impacts of illegal immigration in your State and across the border. prgtoken In the town of Yuma, a town of about 100,000 people, every day in their hospital, they get 11 people who go into the emergency room. They get an additional four or five women every day in Yuma, Arizona, who go into the maternity ward $20.4 million in uncompensated care was provided by that hospital in just the first 6 months of this year. prgtoken , you and I both know that when the Vice President said on Sunday that our border is not open, she was not telling the truth. Our border is wide open, and it has inherent dangers and problems for the United States of America. prgtoken We can close it today. I encourage Members of this House to join me in getting my discharge petition out. We need to close this border.
ELIMINATING LIMITS TO JUSTICE FOR CHILD SEX ABUSE VICTIMS ACT OF 2022
Jim Jordan (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-9-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , S. 3103 eliminates the statute of limitations for a minor victim of a human trafficking offense or a Federal sex offense, to file a civil action to recover damages. prgtoken Studies indicate that many of these crimes go unreported or victims sometimes wait years to disclose their abuse to others under current law. A victim may file a Federal civil claim up until when the victim reaches the age of 28 or up to 10 years after the discovery of the violation or injury. prgtoken This legislation would allow victims of human trafficking or sex offenses to seek civil remedies regardless of when the crime took place. prgtoken , .
FEDERAL RESERVE REPEATS CYCLE OF CORRUPTION
Madison Cawthorn (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-9-14

. Madam , what do you call a group of unelected, unethical, power-hungry bureaucrats making policy decisions? In many countries, we would call them an oligarchy. In the United States, though, we call them the Federal Reserve, which is funny because the Federal Reserve has no reserves, and they are absolutely not part of the Federal Government. prgtoken For decades now, the Federal Reserve has diluted the purchasing power of the U.S. dollar, decimated private industry, and divvied up the hard-won earnings of U.S. citizens amongst corrupt power brokers in Washington and Wall Street. prgtoken Let me be clear: Inflation is, at its root, a monetary fraud, and the Federal Reserve is the biggest counterfeiting operation in American history. This isn't a debate. At this point in our history, it is really no longer even a discussion. prgtoken Decade after decade, the Federal Reserve has repeated the same cycle of corruption and destroyed our economy in the process. The Federal Reserve buys bonds from the government, printing dollars to finance these purchases. Then they deceive us into accepting this newly printed and inflated paper as currency by making its new dollars look like real currency. This is the very essence of counterfeiting. prgtoken The Great Depression of the 1930s, the great inflation of the 1970s, the 2008 recession, and now the 2022 recession were caused in full, or in part, by the greatest currency fraud operation ever attempted, aided and abetted by this hallowed institution, and built on the broken backs and fractured families of millions of American citizens. prgtoken Madam , former President Garfield was right when he said whoever controls the volume of currency and money in any country is absolute master of all industry and commerce. prgtoken To the American people, I say that your master is not decided at the ballot box. It is not decided in public debate or open dialogue. You didn't vote for the person who controls your life. They would never let you. prgtoken Your master is the machine of Federal finance that, in the name of quantitative easing, stripped your right to property ownership away from you, turned your existence into a groveling attempt just to get by, and sucked every last drop of autonomy from the shriveled husk of what used to be a vibrant and prosperous Nation. prgtoken You didn't vote for the Chair of the Federal Reserve. You didn't vote for 9 percent inflation. But you can absolutely vote for people who are willing to destroy it and give the power back to the people.