mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-12-21

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.
CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-12-21

I also wish to talk about something tonight that was not accomplished. It was not accomplished in this vote we just had, which was the continuing resolution that keeps the government funded until January. prgtoken Some of us pushed hard to include various things in this legislation. I understand that some of these items are controversial, and it was hard to get it done because you needed 60 votes tonight. You needed a bipartisan consensus on how to move forward and not shut down the government. prgtoken I am not a fan of government shutdowns. They don't work. They are inefficient. They cost the taxpayer more at the end of the day, and they cause a lot of pain in the process. prgtoken We had the opportunity to pass certain things tonight that were not controversial. I don't understand why we didn't do it. Some issues, I understand on the spending front, were more controversial. I understand some issues were more controversial in terms of how you deal with the immigration issue. The DACA issue is one that I support resolving. I think we should codify it and resolve that. There were different points of view. People wanted to add different things there. prgtoken Let me tell you about one where I don't think there was any disagreement. If we could have passed it tonight, it would have provided a lot of certainty and predictability to families in Ohio and around the country. It is one that passed my committee, the Finance Committee, by a strong vote--not a bipartisan vote but a unanimous vote. That is the Children's Health Insurance Program, or the CHIP program. We passed it with a unanimous vote out of committee. prgtoken People say: Well, we need to find pay-fors for it. It is about $8 billion to do what we did, which is a 5-year extension of the program, providing certainty and predictability to families who tonight are wondering what is going to happen to this program. Are my kids going to have the kind of quality healthcare they can access through the Children's Health Program, or the CHIP program? prgtoken There are some pay-fors out there that are, again, bipartisan. A big one, which would cover nearly half of that cost, is one where you simply ensure that the Medicaid Program has more integrity. So if a third-party payer is paying, the Medicaid Program doesn't pay for it. It is a bipartisan issue, and there is an initiative we looked at for this program and could have used. prgtoken I don't get this notion that we couldn't pass it because we couldn't find the pay-fors. The pay-fors were there. I don't get it that this was controversial, because it is not. I believe that on both sides of the aisle, we wanted to resolve the Children's Health Insurance Program. prgtoken Again, with all the other issues, I understand. It is tough when you have to get to 60 votes and get this passed in order to keep the government operating, which is not a situation we should be in, but we are in. I must tell you,
HONORING AMY WRIGHT, 2017 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR
David Rouzer (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-12-21

I rise today to honor Amy Wright, the cofounder of Bitty & Beau's Coffee Shop in Wilmington, North Carolina, on being named CNN Hero of the Year. prgtoken When Amy and her husband, Ben, found out that 70 percent of adults living with disabilities do not have jobs, they opened the doors of Bitty & Beau's in January 2016 with the goal of providing these worthy individuals the opportunity to interact, contribute, grow, and succeed in the workplace. prgtoken As those in Wilmington know, Bitty & Beau's is more than just a place to grab coffee. It is a warm, inclusive environment with exceptional customer service. Named after their two children who have Down syndrome, the coffee shop employs 40 exceptional individuals with disabilities. prgtoken Congratulations to Amy on this very special honor. Her and Ben's contribution to our community and our fellow man is truly remarkable and an inspiration for us all.
REFORM FISA 702 PROGRAM
Thomas Massie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-12-21

on December 31 of this year, the FISA 702 surveillance program expires. prgtoken Ostensibly, this program allows our intelligence agencies to spy on and stop terrorism. However, it is a well-known fact that the FBI has used this program as a back door to our Constitution to spy on Americans. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues not to reauthorize this program before December 31 without significant reforms. We all took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. We need to stay true to that oath and require the FBI to get a warrant if they want to go into the 702 database to surveil Americans.
TRIBUTE TO LUTHER STRANGE
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2017-12-21

today I wish to honor my good friend and colleague from Alabama, Senator Luther Strange, prior to his departure from the U.S. Senate. prgtoken While Luther and I have worked closely together in the Senate, our friendship dates back nearly four decades. Over the years, I have had the privilege of not only getting to know Luther, but also getting to know his wife, Melissa, and his two sons, Luke and Keehn. prgtoken Even before Luther was appointed to the U.S. Senate, he and I worked alongside each other throughout much of our careers. When Luther was sworn in to fill Attorney General Sessions' seat, I was pleased to have him just down the hall from my office. prgtoken As soon as Luther was sworn into the Senate, he hit the ground running. His camaraderie, integrity, and great attitude did not go unnoticed. Another thing we all quickly observed about Luther in the Senate was his willingness to help in any situation. He was always the first to volunteer, whether the task be big or small. Luther is admired by Members on both sides of the aisle, which is rare in Washington. He has made a lot of friends in the Senate and has worked in a bipartisan fashion. prgtoken In addition to his work ethic and great attitude, Luther was able to accomplish an incredible amount legislatively in a short period of time. His successes include his work on the final National Defense Authorization Act conference negotiations, securing three littoral combat ships, his help in achieving the 51 votes needed to pass a once- in-a-generation tax reform package, and helping repeal care. prgtoken Luther's time in the Senate was cut too short. I would be remiss not to mention how much I, along with my Senate colleagues, have enjoyed his company. prgtoken I thank Senator Strange for his time and service both to Alabama and our Nation here in the Senate. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors, and I look forward to continuing our close friendship. prgtoken Thank you.
A RECAP OF THE YEAR AND AN OUTLINE OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE YEAR AHEAD
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-12-21

as I try to do every year, if time permits--this will be my seventh year in the U.S. Senate; sometimes our work here finishes in a different fashion, but if possible, I try to come on the last day of the legislative year and give a speech to kind of recap the year behind us and outline the challenges of the year ahead. prgtoken For me, it was, obviously, an eventful year, a productive one, and I believe it has been one for this Chamber, as well, in what is a unique political environment in which politics today is practiced and covered in ways we have never seen before--almost like entertainment. Nevertheless, it was a year that we got a lot of good things done, and I wanted to highlight some of them in the hope that this gives us momentum into the new year. prgtoken This has been my first experience with a new President--obviously, not just a new President but a new administration that brought with it a set of individuals in different positions, so I think for all of us it was a transition in that regard. It also was the beginning of a second term, which, at one time, I didn't know I was even going to pursue. prgtoken In arriving here earlier this year and getting to work, we slowly but surely got going on a number of key priorities that we had been working on for a very long time. The first one that happened prgtoken was the VA accountability bill. This was a bill that I had been working on for a number of years. It basically gave the Secretary of the VA the power to fire people at the VA who are not doing a good job. It is that simple. It is not anything more complicated than that. It made it easier to fire people who were not doing a good job. They still have due process to defend themselves. prgtoken For the better part of 3 years, there were a lot of objections to that proposal from the previous administration and some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Then everything lined up this year. Senator Tester and Senator Isakson, who are the ranking member and chairman of that committee, came onboard and really helped to push this and to move it forward. It passed in both Chambers and was signed into law by the President. This was a substantial achievement. prgtoken What is interesting about it is that because it was bipartisan, because there was cooperation, and because no one was fighting with anyone on it, it didn't get a lot of press coverage. But it happened, and people need to know about it. prgtoken Does it make the VA perfect? No. Are there still challenges that need to be confronted? Absolutely. This is something that has to do with accountability and the ability to get rid of people who were not doing a good job. It is something that, for years, could not get done because someone always objected and found a way to stop it. Then it came together with people working across the aisle to make it happen. Today, it is the law. Today, there are people who were not doing a good job
FURTHER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Christopher H. Smith (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2017-12-21

I thank my good friend for yielding time to me and for his tremendous bill. It is a great bipartisan piece of legislation. prgtoken , after Superstorm Sandy, I and others saw how leaders and volunteers of churches, synagogues, and other religious centers helped feed, clothe, and shelter tens of thousands of victims, yet they were left out and left behind when it came to repairs of their own facilities. prgtoken The FEMA policy was and is unfair, unjustified, and discriminatory. Over 4 years ago, the House came together in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and passed legislation that I authored by 354-72. Surprise, surprise, the Senate never acted, so the policy continues to this day. prgtoken I want to thank the chairman for including a provision in this bill that will ensure that houses of worship, churches, and synagogues get the kind of help they need on an equal basis with other nonprofits. I also want to thank him for including language that will get rid of this misnamed duplication of benefits clause. prgtoken Imagine this: men and women who are victimized by Superstorm Sandy or any other storm, they go to FEMA, they are advised to take out an SBA loan, then a little later in the recovery time, they are told that there is a HUD grant available, and they are precluded from getting that grant to even pay off the SBA loan.
CONGRATULATING THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA-LINCOLN VOLLEYBALL TEAM FOR WINNING THE 2017 NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION DIVISION I VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2017-12-21

I thank my senior Senator for leading us in this resolution. prgtoken Nebraska volleyball continues to dominate. If there is any debate about the best volleyball State in the Union, there should be no more. Nebraska has proved, yet again, we have the best team, the best coaching staff, and indisputably the best fans in the country. prgtoken Two years ago, this team won the national championship at home in Omaha, setting records with the crowds that attended the games there, and last week in Kansas City, we set another alltime record with the most watched championship volleyball game ever at 18,516 fans, including my 6-year old who stayed awake at nearly 11 p.m. as we were finishing, and he was deciding to watch it upside down, hanging over the seats from the upper decks at the arena in Kansas City. prgtoken So I proudly join the senior Senator and Husker nation in congratulating these young women, saying ``Go Big Red'' on behalf of all 1.9 million Nebraskans. prgtoken Just two stats of note. First, in the earlier round at the final four, Nebraska beat Penn State. Those are the two winningest teams in the history of volleyball. Nebraska has the most wins at 1,308. Penn State has the greatest winning percentage. We have now won five championships in 22 years, as well as three runner-up, second-place finishes in the last 30 years. prgtoken Coach Cook, as Senator Fischer mentioned, has won four championships at Nebraska over the last 17 years. The alltime record for the history of volleyball is five national championships, and we expect that Coach Cook will set that new record. prgtoken So I join my senior Senator in urging the Senate to pass this resolution for the University of Nebraska women's volleyball team. prgtoken .
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-12-21

I thank the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my new friend, great colleague, and mentor as I have made my transition into this great body. He tells me that all freshman Members come in and have big wins like tax reform and these big, tremendous wins, not for the Party, but for the American people. I am so proud to have been a part of that. I am proud to call Mr. Gohmert my friend. prgtoken , today I rise to celebrate the Borden County Coyotes' hard-fought victory over Jonesboro in the Division 1, 1A Six-Man Football State Championship. This was the Coyotes' seventh State championship appearance, fifth State championship win, and the second year in a row these two teams faced off in the six-man State championship game. prgtoken Going into the championship game, only six opposing teams had scored against the Coyotes all year long. They boast the best six-man defense in the State, have been named the best six-man team in the Nation, and are ranked number 1 in the class 1-A division rankings. prgtoken With the discipline and determination they showed all season long, this team turned a two-point lead at halftime into a 60-22 win in the State championship. prgtoken I want to commend both teams on their tremendous success and sportsmanship and congratulate, especially, Coach Richey on preparing our Coyotes to achieve a perfect season. prgtoken I would be remiss if I did not thank the parents and the teachers and the administrators and the fans who were always there throughout this season to ensure the Coyotes always gave their Borden County best. prgtoken There is nothing like high school football in west Texas. Go Coyotes, and go west Texas. Happy 80th Birthday to Dr. Bill Dean
FURTHER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-12-21

I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4667, which provides $81 billion in Federal disaster assistance to States and territories recently devastated by natural disasters. This is not a small amount of money. prgtoken First, as chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Appropriations, I am pleased to include $616.4 million for repairs, cleanup, and recovery at various agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, and others. prgtoken As chairman of the California delegation, I have a particular interest in wildfire assistance in this bill. The coordination and collaboration between s and on this bill to reflect the needs of California shows bipartisanship is alive and well. prgtoken , I would certainly like to thank Congressman Mike Thompson for his tireless efforts in regard to the fires in northern California. prgtoken Last month, I toured Santa Rosa, California, which was absolutely decimated after a wildfire tore through the area. Forty people lost their lives, and more than 14,000 homes were destroyed or damaged. prgtoken As a lifelong California resident, I have seen a lot of fires and the resulting devastation, but I have never witnessed anything like I saw in Santa Rosa. The stories of survival and heroics of our first responders truly are incredible. Now, in the aftermath, we must come together to recover and rebuild. prgtoken This bill is the first step towards recovery and provides $27.5 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund, a $4.5 billion increase from the request, a 90 percent Federal cost share for wildfire disasters; and $541 million for watershed and flood prevention efforts, which will be vital as the rainy season begins in California. prgtoken California will be eligible for nearly all the various sources of disaster funding in this bill, including for crop losses, Army Corps of Engineers projects, Federal highway damages, small business assistance, displaced employees, and student assistance, among others. prgtoken With my colleagues, I will continue to monitor the fire situation and respond as needed. The Thomas Fire in Ventura County has burned over 272,000 acres, on track to be the largest wildfire in California history; and, unfortunately, the fire rages on. prgtoken , I especially want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and the Appropriations Committee staff for their outreach and responsiveness to the fires in California. We greatly appreciate their assistance and ongoing support. prgtoken , I would be remiss if I didn't thank all my staff and the Interior Subcommittee, but in particular, my chief of staff, Dave Kennett, and on the Interior Subcommittee, Betsy Bina, both of whom went above and beyond to deliver results for California. prgtoken On a quick note, best wishes for Betsy, who is getting m
FURTHER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Garret Graves (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-12-21

I thank the chairman for working with us on this and for yielding time. prgtoken I also want to thank the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the ranking member for all their assistance. prgtoken , this bill doesn't just include money, which, of course, is very, very important. It also includes language and changes that I would consider to be priceless. It includes things like applying lessons learned, reducing disaster response costs, and, importantly, speeding up recovery--things outside Washington called common sense and applying it to how we handle disasters. It pivots from being reactive and spending billions of dollars after disasters to being proactive. prgtoken You can look back since 1980. We have had well over 200 disasters in this Nation that have cost over $1 billion each. In fact, when you add it all up, we are looking at approximately $1.3 trillion in disaster costs in this Nation. prgtoken As the chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee said, this bill includes text from H.R. 4460 and H.R. 4438 that transforms this process: instead of just coming in and picking up the pieces after a disaster, actually leaning forward and making sure our communities are more resilient, making sure they are prepared for disasters, making sure they are prepared for the future. prgtoken This bill includes very important provisions to the State of Louisiana that address this duplication of benefits issue, some nonsensical policy that someone came up with that a loan is duplicative of a grant. It eliminates these barriers that prevent us from spending hazard mitigation grant programs on federally authorized Corps of Engineer projects to prevent flooding and prevent hurricane damage to our communities. prgtoken It applies common sense. It ensures that deficiencies like the I-12 barrier in Louisiana are addressed. It provides funding to respond to the 2016, 1,000-year flood that we had in the capital region in Louisiana. prgtoken It provides flexibility for these STEP program housing program-type concepts that ensure that we are not wasting money that is only ripped out later on, but it truly provides long-term solutions. prgtoken Finally, , it addresses inefficiency in food banks and churches and others, and it makes them eligible. I urge adoption of this bill.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA A&T FOOTBALL TEAM FOR THEIR HISTORIC SEASON AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-12-21

I rise today to honor the undefeated MEAC and 2017 Celebration Bowl Champions. I'm speaking of course of the North Carolina A&T Aggie football team. prgtoken Last week, as time expired in the Celebration Bowl, the Aggies made their nation proud with a last second touchdown to secure their second Celebration Bowl victory in just three years. And with that win, the Aggies became the first MEAC team to go undefeated as they won their second HBCU national title under head coach Rod Broadway. prgtoken , `A Champion Has Risen' indeed, and that champion, is the A&T Aggie Football Team. prgtoken Congratulations to the esteemed Dr. Harold Martin, Sr to Coach Broadway and his team, and also to the offensive and defensive MVP's of the game, Marquell Cartwright and Mac McCain for their performances. prgtoken I am honored to represent this historic and honored institution in Washington, and they have made me, their community, and most importantly, the `Aggie nation' proud with their win. prgtoken , please join me today in honoring North Carolina A&T for their historic season and national championship win.