mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONGRESSIONAL TEACHERS AWARDS IN FLORIDA'S 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
Vern Buchanan (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-3-14

. Madam , I rise today in recognition of outstanding public school teachers in Florida's 16th Congressional District. prgtoken I was once told that children are 25 percent of the population, but they are 100 percent of the future. prgtoken And it's true. The education of a child is an investment, not only in that student, but in the future of our country. prgtoken Therefore, I established the Congressional Teacher Awards to honor educators for their ability to teach and inspire students. prgtoken An independent panel has chosen the following teachers from Manatee and Sarasota counties for Florida's 16th District 2019 Congressional Teacher Award for their accomplishments as educators: prgtoken Marissa Dobbert for her accomplishments as a 7th Grade Math Teacher at Sarasota Military Academy Prep; prgtoken Elizabeth for her accomplishments as a 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Interventionist at Myakka City Elementary School; prgtoken Chris King for his accomplishments as a 6th-9th Grade Special Education Teacher at Haile Middle School; prgtoken Kate Kramer for her accomplishments as an English as a Second Language Teacher at Fruitville Elementary School; prgtoken Kari McMillan for her accomplishments as a Math Teacher at Palmetto High School; prgtoken Ashlee Middleton for her accomplishments as an 11th and 12th Grade English and Reading Teacher at Sarasota High School; prgtoken Nancy Miller for her accomplishments as a 3rd Grade Teacher at Ballard Elementary School; prgtoken Kymberli Rivers for her accomplishments as a Literature and English Teacher at Manatee High School; prgtoken Maria Underhill for her accomplishments as an 8th Grade Reading Teacher at Braden River Middle School. prgtoken On behalf of the people of Florida's 16th District, I congratulate each of these outstanding teachers and offer my sincere appreciation for their service and dedication.
TRIBUTE TO DR. CURTIS JONES, JR.
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-3-14

today I wish to congratulate one of my constituents, Dr. Curtis Jones, Jr on being named the 2019 National Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Jones is an outstanding public servant, and I am honored to commend him in the Senate today. prgtoken A native of Barnesville, GA, Dr. Jones is the son of a schoolteacher and a preacher. Prior to becoming an educator himself, Dr. Jones graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served over 20 years in the Army, retiring as lieutenant colonel. Upon retirement from the Army, Dr. Jones began his career in education as a JROTC instructor before becoming a high school principal, assistant superintendent, and later superintendent of Griffin-Spalding County Schools. prgtoken Dr. Jones joined his current school district, Bibb County Schools, as superintendent in 2015. Under Dr. Jones' leadership, the school district has been completely turned around, and the graduation rate has increased by more than 20 percent. Dr. Jones has brought the Macon-Bibb County community together for a common cause, and it has been a joy to see the school district's progress as a result of his leadership and service to those students. prgtoken Throughout this entire process, Dr. Jones has repeatedly recognized the teachers, principals, and students in his school district for their contribution to this award. He has also attributed his success to the love and support of his family. Dr. Jones has truly made his State and country proud, and I congratulate him and his family on this high honor.
CONCERNS REGARDING H. RES. 183
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2019-3-14

. Madam , I rise today to express my concern regarding H. Res. 183, Condemning anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the people of the United States and condemning anti-Muslim discrimination and bigotry against minorities as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contrary to the values and aspirations of the United States. This resolution fails to condemn a specific act perpetrated by one of my colleagues, therefore rendering this resolution pointless. By broadly condemning every act of hatred, we condemn nothing. My colleagues consumed hours on the floor of the House of Representatives to debate a commonsense sentiment instead of passing meaningful policy to better the lives of Americans and condemning the specific statement of antisemitism made by a Member of the House of Representatives.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-3-14

during the recent government shutdown, there were a lot of budget issues that were negotiated. It was a wide- ranging bill of over 1,000 pages, when it was all said and done, but the most contentious number in all of the negotiations circled around a barrier on our southern border in the highest drug trafficking corridor in the country. prgtoken The President requested $5.7 billion to build a barrier fence in 10 locations that the Customs and Border Patrol had identified as the top 10 points of illegal drugs entering our country. That study had been requested by Congress before they fulfilled that study of identifying the highest profiled drug trafficking corridors. They brought that back to Congress. The President then requested funding to build fencing in those areas of the highest trafficking areas. prgtoken His request was not for a 2,000-mile-long wall. It was only to replace some of the sections of the 650-mile-long barrier that already exists--areas that were old and ineffective--or to put new fencing in high drug trafficking areas. prgtoken In a highly partisan debate, Congress eventually appropriated $1.375 billion to DHS for the construction of additional barriers. It is not even close to what the President and what Customs and Border Patrol said they needed to protect the Nation and members of law enforcement. prgtoken During those negotiations, the President announced he would declare a national emergency if he didn't get the funds needed to secure the Nation. At that point, there were two options for people who don't want the President to secure our border. One was to include language in that appropriations bill before it was passed to prevent the President from declaring an emergency action and using any of the funds for that. The second one was to wait until after the bill was passed and declare a disapproval resolution to stop the President after the bill had already passed. prgtoken Those who oppose border security chose the second option--to fight the President after passage, which brings us to today. prgtoken After signing the funding bill to reopen the government, to deal with the humanitarian crisis, and the flow of illegal narcotics coming into our country, the President declared a national emergency in two areas. He has over 100 authorities; he declared it in two. prgtoken One was this. He wanted to replace some of the National Guard members with members of the Reserve. You have to declare a national emergency to call up the Reserve members. So his first request was to call up some of the Reserves to swap out some of the Guard members who were already serving at the border. prgtoken The second one was that in one of the accounts that deal with military construction, if needed, he wanted to tap into some of those funds. He was also very clear. There are four accounts prgtoken they would have access to. Three of them don't need an emergency declaration. Let me run through those. <
RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF MAYOR NANCY SHAVER
John H. Rutherford (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-3-14

I rise today to honor and recognize Mayor Nancy Shaver and her tenure of dedicated service to the citizens of St. Augustine, Florida. A strong advocate for the Nation's oldest city, Mayor Shaver recently stepped down from her position with an admirable record of leadership in her community. prgtoken Mayor Shaver, who previously served as a teacher and businesswoman, was elected to office in 2014. During her time as mayor, she was a tireless advocate for important issues that are very unique to the city of St. Augustine. It was my honor to work with her in the effort to combat sea level rise to protect our coastal economies and safeguard the priceless historical and cultural features that make St. Augustine so special. prgtoken As mayor, she exemplified the virtues of local government by putting citizens, not politics, first and remaining devoted to the northeast Florida community. prgtoken I thank Nancy Shaver for her commitment to the city of St. Augustine and our fellow citizens, for whom she so dearly cared. I wish her and her family the best in their future endeavors.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-3-14

the Senate will soon vote on the President's declaration of a national emergency. We have reached a moment of crisis, but it is not a constitutional crisis; it is a crisis on the border, a crisis of American sovereignty. When hundreds of thousands of foreigners arrive at the southern border and demand entry, that is not migration; that is an emergency and a threat to our sovereignty. The stories speak for themselves. prgtoken Last Thursday, an American citizen named Rocio Alderete was shot to death on a bridge over the Mexican border near McAllen, TX. Early reports suggest Rocio was caught in a shoot-out between cartel gunmen and the Mexican police, but whatever the case turns out to be, Rocio has perished--the latest American victim of lawlessness at our southern border. prgtoken Since last October, Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 260,000 illegal aliens at the border, which is a surge of 90 percent-- almost double from the previous year. For the most part, these aren't young men who are coming for work, as has been so often the case in the past; rather, they are Central Americans who are gaming our generous asylum laws. Instead of running away from the Border Patrol, these illegal aliens run to it so they can be captured and released into the country, with notice to appear in court, which they hardly ever do. Thanks to stupid laws and activist judges, illegal aliens are even using little kids as legal force fields because being detained with minors increases their odds of being held in America rather than to be turned around and sent home. prgtoken As a result, we see all of the horrors of the human smuggling trade at the border today. Women and girls are sexually assaulted at horrific rates. Hundreds die in the desert each year of thirst and exhaustion. Infectious diseases we had all but eradicated with vaccines are appearing again in border communities. ICE health officials have found 236 confirmed or probable cases of mumps among detainees in the past year after having reported zero cases for the previous 2 years. prgtoken This surge of illegal aliens is swamping law enforcement's ability to do its job. ``Overwhelmed'' is the word we hear so often from agents. Border Patrol Commissioner Kevin McAleenan says: ``This is clearly both a border security and humanitarian crisis.'' prgtoken The consequences of this crisis stretch far beyond the border. Sometimes it stretches thousands of miles away. An American--1 of 192 every day--dies of a drug overdose. The poison in his veins flows across the Mexican border. A brave police officer and father, Corporal Ronil Singh, of California, was shot dead the day after Christmas after his killer snuck into the country illegally. We have failed to protect our border, as any sovereign nation must, and our people are dying because of it. prgtoken The President has declared a national emergency because of this crisis. Yet the administration's se
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-3-14

Tennesseans have asked me: Is there really a crisis on the southern border? Do you support President 's border wall? prgtoken And my answer to both questions is yes, I do. prgtoken I have urged the President to build the 234 miles of border wall that he asked for in his January 6 letter to the Senate and to do that in the fastest possible way, with a minimum delay and legal challenge, by using the $5.7 billion already approved by Congress. prgtoken But the President's emergency declaration to take an additional $3.6 billion that Congress has appropriated for military hospitals, for barracks, and for schools--including one in Fort Campbell--is inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution that I took an oath to support and to defend. prgtoken Never before has a President asked for funding, the Congress has not provided it, and then the President has used the National Emergencies Act of 1976 to spend the money anyway. The problem with this is that after a Revolutionary War against a King, our Nation's Founders gave to Congress--a Congress elected by the people--the power to approve all spending so that the President would not have too much power. This check on the executive is a source of our freedom. prgtoken In addition, this declaration is a dangerous precedent. Already, Presidential candidates are saying they would declare emergencies to tear down the existing border wall, to take away guns, to stop oil exports, to shut down offshore drilling, and for other leftwing enterprises--all without the approval of Congress. prgtoken I believe the crisis on our southern border is real. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol arrested more than 66,000 illegal aliens in February of 2019--the highest total in a single month since March 2009. In the last 2 years alone, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have arrested 266,000 illegal aliens in the United States with criminal records. Each week, approximately 300 Americans die from heroin overdoses, of which nearly 90 percent come across the southern border. prgtoken During the last 25 years, Congress approved and President , President Clinton, President , and President George H. W. built 654 miles of barrier along the 1,954-mile southern border. In 2013, the comprehensive immigration bill that received 68 Senate votes, including mine, included $40 billion for border security, including physical barrier, and enforcement. Last year, I voted with nearly prgtoken every for a bill that included $25 billion for border security, including physical barrier. prgtoken So one might ask: Why is President the only President not allowed to build more wall on the southern border? prgtoken But in this case, as the Wall Street Journal said on March 12, ``The President doesn't need to invoke a national emergency to build his wall along the southern border.'' He has the money immediately available in other accounts already appr
REMEMBERING EUBA HARRIS-WINTON
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-3-14

today I wish to recognize the contributions of Euba -Winton to Fort Smith and the State of Arkansas. She passed away on Monday, March 11, at the age of 95 and leaves behind a large, loving family and countless Arkansans whom she helped and inspired throughout her life. prgtoken Euba was born on June 26, 1923, to Rev. Daniel Haven Edward and Martha T. Hill in Cotton Plant, AR. Her school years were spent in Fort Smith where she attended Howard Elementary School and Lincoln High School. After attending Westark Community College and Philander Smith College, she returned to Fort Smith to raise a family with her husband, Ellsworth Daniel Winton. They had 10 children: five girls and five boys. prgtoken She was a devout member of the United Methodist Church, and her great faith and passion for service led her to become the executive director of the Mallalieu Community Development Center in 1970. The center's mission was to strengthen the outreach ministry of the church. As part of that mission, she worked on efforts to fight poverty, improve substandard housing, increase educational opportunities, and personally provide help to anyone who asked. She led the organization for 25 years and improved the lives of countless Arkansans in the process. prgtoken Throughout her life, she met with leaders at all levels of government to advocate for others and served on numerous boards and councils. In an article in the Lincoln Echo several years ago, Bennie Mae Ware Gunn remarked that, ``Euba is known and respected for being both relentless and resourceful in her pursuit of justice and opportunities for others. However, she is also known for her sensitivity and compassion.'' prgtoken That is certainly true of my experience with her and that of so many others she influenced or helped over the years. I was honored to know Mrs. Euba and will personally miss her example, kindness, advice, and willingness to help others. prgtoken She was a rare individual who never stopped fighting to improve the world prgtoken around her and was an inspiration to us all. I know her legacy lives on through her extended family and in every person she touched with her compassion, strength, and wisdom.
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2019-3-14

significant, the very first clause of the very first section of the very first article of the Constitution consists of the words ``all prgtoken legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and the House of Representatives.'' prgtoken The Founding Fathers wasted no time in getting right to the heart of the matter, which is to say that the legislative powers within the Federal Government--that is, the power to make law within that Federal system--would themselves be exercised only by the branch of that government most accountable to the people at the most regular routine intervals. prgtoken This system of government, of course, involved three branches--one that would make the law, one that would enforce the law, and one that would interpret the law. That system of government relied, necessarily, and quite appropriately, on the fact that each branch of government would operate within its domain and would jealously guard the powers reserved to it, neither exceeding the powers granted it, nor accepting a diminution of those powers. prgtoken It is with that topic in mind that I rise today, reluctantly, in support of the resolution before us. When I speak--and some of my colleagues might even say nag--about our constitutional framework, when I insist that every word, every clause, and every principle does, in fact, matter, that we take oaths to support and defend the Constitution of the United States--we do so, in fact, right here on these very steps in this very Chamber when we start each term of office--we are dutybound to adhere both to the letter and to the spirit of that document, and we should do everything we can to avoid straying from it. prgtoken When I say some of these things, I am sometimes accused by some of naivete. I am told the old ``Schoolhouse Rock'' version of how a bill becomes a law works in theory, sounds nice in theory, but it is somehow passe in a vast, diverse, continental nation including about 230 million people today. I am told that given the responsibilities of the United States as now a vast, global, and economic power and Congress's inability to get things done, we have no choice but to accept and even encourage a system of government in which we are relegated to the backseat, to the backseat of the very things we were supposed to be doing in the first place, which is passing law, which is setting policy within the Federal Government. prgtoken This faux sophisticated analysis gets things exactly backward. It is the advocates of Executive overreach and judicial supremacy who are naive. They believe that given our Nation's size and diversity, only centralized government can rise above partisan, ideological, regional, practical differences, and unite us behind one policy, but this function now strangling this city and strangling this body, toxifying our political discourse, is directly related to this
BMW CREATES JOBS
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-3-14

it was reported last week that the BMW plant in South Carolina remained the top vehicle exporter in America, with more than $8.4 billion worth of cars shipped to foreign countries. prgtoken Nearly a quarter of a million cars were exported, with the vast majority sent from the Port of Charleston, led by State Ports Authority President Jim Newsome. prgtoken , 25 years ago, the late Governor Carroll Campbell recruited BMW to South Carolina with export production of 1,400 cars a day. Production in 2018 was 356,749 vehicles. prgtoken Governor Henry McMaster and Commerce Secretary Bobby Hitt continue to promote an additional $600 million investment in Plant Spartanburg, which already at $10 billion is the largest BMW plant in the world, providing 11,000 jobs. prgtoken Thousands of additional jobs in the region have been created by suppliers to the assembly facility. prgtoken , in conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
RECOGNIZING WINNETT ACES
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2019-3-14

. Madam , I rise today to honor the members of Winnett ACES for leading efforts to encourage economic growth, revitalize their community, and protect its future. Concerned about the decreasing population of rural America, Winnett ACES (Agricultural and Community Enhancement and Sustainability) formed in 2016 to strengthen its community so that future generations will live, work, and raise their families there. The group's first program to take off was Winnett Beef in the School, which serves locally-raised beef to the local K-12 school system. Led by local producer Charlie Ahlgren, area ranchers made a three-year commitment to donate beef, about four cows per year, to the program. Other volunteers helped cut and deliver the fresh product. Within three months, the program had successfully launched, saving money for the schools to use on other education priorities. Winnett ACES is also leading a revitalization project to build a community center. Land has been donated, and grant money awarded to design the center, which will accommodate 300 people. Another project, known as grass banking, is underway after a feasibility study produced the program's guidelines. Local ranchers and landowners lease their lands for summer grazing in exchange for conservation work. Seven individuals will each graze 100 or more cattle when the program launches this spring. These projects are a few of the inventive approaches Winnett ACES is taking to strengthen its community. Madam , for their innovative efforts to bolster their community's future, I recognize the members of Winnett ACES for their spirit of Montana.