mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Internal Revenue Service (Executive Session)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-12-19

earlier this summer, my ic colleagues got through on reconciliation--a strictly partisan way--a bill that provided that the IRS would get $80 billion in mandatory funding, which was meant to double the size of the IRS by 87,000 employees. prgtoken This additional $80 billion, which comes on top of its annual appropriation, is over six times more than it received through annual appropriations in 2022. Now, I expect, in the new Congress, starting January 3 next year, there is going to be an attempt to reduce the $80 billion and not go for the 87,000 additional employees. I favor doing just that. prgtoken However, in the meantime, the $80 billion and the 87,000 employees is law, and so this unprecedented increase in funding demands that Congress have a comparable increase in congressional oversight of the IRS--exacting and unyielding oversight, to be precise. After all, we are talking about 87,000 new employees. prgtoken To begin this oversight, Finance Committee s, including this Senator, sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office in October in pursuit of this oversight. In that letter, we asked for information on outstanding issues that the Government Accountability Office has identified at the Internal Revenue Service and the status of recommendations the IRS has failed to implement. prgtoken The Government Accountability Office responded to that letter at the end of November, and, as you might quite expect, there are many ongoing and persistent issues. In the November letter, the Government Accountability Office notes that the IRS had 41 unimplemented recommendations related to information systems control deficiencies at the beginning of the fiscal year 2022 audit of IRS's financial statements. prgtoken These outstanding recommendations related to information systems control deficiencies are especially concerning given the recent unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information, contrary to U.S. code section 6103, which guarantees the privacy--or is supposed to guarantee the privacy--of your IRS information. prgtoken As you will recall, almost a year and a half ago, ProPublica, a publication, published stories based on ``a vast trove of Internal Revenue Service data.'' prgtoken We are no closer to understanding how ProPublica obtained this confidential taxpayer data now than we were in June of 2021. I have sent multiple letters to the Internal Revenue Service and to the Justice Department requesting updates on their supposed investigations on this matter of how did ProPublica get this private information of individual taxpayers. Yet these Agencies--the IRS and the Justice Department--have failed to provide any information concerning how confidential taxpayer information was disclosed or if additional taxpayer data remains at risk. prgtoken In fact, just last week, we learned of another confirmed data breach. The IRS inadvertently redisclosed information from tax ret
Vote on Gruenberg Nomination (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-12-19

. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Inhofe), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Sasse), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). prgtoken Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch) would have voted ``Nay.''
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL JEFFREY ``SLANDER'' ENTINE
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2022-12-19

I would like to take a few moments to recognize Lt. Col. Jeffrey ``Slander'' Entine, who has worked in my Senate office for the past year as a defense fellow. Lieutenant Colonel Entine is a patriot who has served our country nobly and made it a safer and better place. It has truly been a pleasure to have him in my office. prgtoken Lieutenant Colonel Entine graduated from Florida State University in 2006. After graduation, he commissioned as a second lieutenant and set off for pilot training in Mississippi. Lieutenant Colonel Entine stood out early during pilot training. Not only was he the distinguished graduate of his class, but he was also the best rated student pilot with the highest academic grade in his class. prgtoken Later, Lieutenant Colonel Entine deployed for 6 months to Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan, flying F-16s. He flew 63 combat missions, earned three Air Medals, and was named the outstanding performer of the 480th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron's deployment. prgtoken He then went through the crucible of Weapons School, which forges promising airmen into leaders and tactical experts. Again, he distinguished himself in this challenging environment. When Lieutenant Colonel Entine graduated from Weapons School in December 2016, he became the chief of weapons and tactics in the 55th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base. Shortly after arriving, he overhauled the base's training program. His boss said the new plan was ``the best he's ever seen'' and rated him first out of the 27 company-grade officers in the squadron. prgtoken In October 2017, Lieutenant Colonel Entine shipped off to Afghanistan again--this time to Bagram Airfield, not far from Kabul. He deployed as the wing weapons officer, where he advised the operations group commander and wing commander on tactics. He also worked with special operations forces conducting raids across the country. On one such raid in April 2018, Lieutenant Colonel Entine coordinated with two formations of F-16s, two AC-130s, three MQ-9 drones, and a ground controller who was on his very first combat mission during a day-long firefight with ISIS-K fighters. Lieutenant Colonel Entine employed weapons six times during the battle, three times within danger-close distances, and twice dropped bombs just 30 meters from friendly troops. Thanks to his heroic efforts, no Americans died, three were safely evacuated, and scores of enemy fighters were killed. And that was just one combat sortie out of the more than prgtoken 70 he flew during a 180-plus-day deployment. Lieutenant Colonel Entine received the Air Medal with C device, a medal just beneath the Distinguished Flying Cross, for his courageous exploits that day. The Air Force Association also awarded him the Lieutenant General Clare Chennault award in 2018 as a ``most outstanding aerial tactician.'' prgtoken After 10 years on the frontlines, Lieutenant Colonel Entine moved to Florida, where he served
Recognition of the Minority Leader (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-12-19

when the administration put out their budget proposal, the s knew it was literally wrong for the country. The administration wanted to cut funding for our Armed Forces, after inflation, while massively increasing spending on nondefense. prgtoken s have taken the President's bizarre position and flipped it on its head. The bipartisan government funding bill that Senators Leahy and Shelby have finished negotiating does exactly the opposite of what the administration first proposed. This bill provides a substantial real-dollar increase to the defense baseline and a substantial real-dollar cut to the nondefense, nonveterans baseline. prgtoken Let me say that again. President wanted to cut defense spending and grow liberal domestic spending in real dollars, but Congress is rejecting the administration's vision and doing the exact opposite. This bill will grow defense spending and cut nondefense, nonveterans spending after inflation. prgtoken Just last week, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. Senators on both sides acknowledged that President and his administration had failed-- failed--to request the level of resources that our servicemembers and their commanders actually needed. So on a bipartisan basis, we ignored the administration's request and authorized what our Armed Forces actually need. prgtoken But the landmark investments in upgrading and modernizing our Armed Forces that we just laid out in the NDAA will not happen unless Congress follows through and appropriates the money to pay the bills. That is what Senators Shelby and Leahy have given us the opportunity to achieve: make good on our commitments in the NDAA by following through with actual funding. prgtoken Americans want our Nation to remain the preeminent global superpower. We want our country to remain the mightiest civilization the world has ever seen. We want to keep helping Ukraine, keep outcompeting Russia, and keep pace with the huge investments that China is making in their own military and new technologies. prgtoken So it is a strange position, to say the least, when s in Congress have to poke and prod a ic Commander in Chief into sufficiently funding the men and women that he actually commands. But as I said all along, funding our Armed Forces is a basic governing duty. s were not going to let our ic colleagues demand extra leftwing goodies in exchange for doing their job and funding our troops. The President's own party does not get to take our national defense hostage and demand rewards. prgtoken So I am grateful that our ic colleagues backed down and accepted our position. The bipartisan bill that our colleagues have negotiated equips our Armed Forces with the resources they need while cutting nondefense, nonveterans spending in real dollars. prgtoken This is a strong outc
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2022-12-19

today I have the distinct honor of recognizing and congratulating Montana West Economic Development for its 25 years of service to the communities of northwest Montana. As a small, private nonprofit, MWED has spent the last quarter century working to attract, launch, and grow businesses. prgtoken From their launch in the late 1990s, MWED has worked to help diversify local economies and attract capital investment. Their vision has always been the long-term health of the northwest Montana economy. From maintaining and growing economic drivers such as rail and timber, to growing new businesses in the manufacturing, tech, and service sectors, their work has provided substantial support and opportunities to grow northwest Montana's economy. They have also provided loans and services to launch dozens of local small businesses and run the Montana Procurement Technical Assistance Center to help local companies with the government contracting process. prgtoken I have had the pleasure of working with MWED on a number of projects including the construction of the Kalispell Bypass and the Kalispell CORE and Rail project. They believe in their community and advocate strongly for its needs. Despite facing obstacles, MWED staff always maintains a can-do attitude and works to find solutions while maintaining the trust of community leaders. prgtoken Congratulations to Montana West on their 25th anniversary. I look forward to working with them on more projects for years to come.
Tennessee (Executive Session)
Marsha Blackburn (Republican, TN) \u2014 2022-12-19

I have always believed that serving the people of Tennessee requires that I meet them right there in their communities, and I bring their ideas to Washington to put those perspectives to work. What we do on Capitol Hill gets a lot of attention, but back home is where the real work of making this country work really gets done. prgtoken So this year, I have completed another of my tours of all 95 counties; that is every county in our State. At every stop, I met with local officials, business owners, civic leaders, and citizens who really keep these communities afloat. That is a task that my ic colleagues have made almost impossible with their massive spending bills and their attacks on small businesses. prgtoken In so many ways, their situation mirrors that of thousands of families struggling under recordbreaking inflation and broken supply chains. During teletownhall calls with Tennesseans in each of our 95 counties, this was a constant refrain: They are finding more month at the end of their paycheck than paycheck at the end of their month. From the moment their feet hit the floor in the morning until they put their heads on the pillow at night, Tennesseans are counting their pennies and wondering when the are going to put their radical agenda aside and go back to putting the American people first. prgtoken In spite of the mess the have made with the national economy, Tennessee communities are growing because their local leaders follow the same rules with their county coffers as they do with their small business or household budgets: They spend within their means, they only buy what they need, and they keep their paperwork in order. prgtoken Washington would do well to follow their example and embrace two key pieces of legislation I introduced this year. In response to the 40- year high inflation the caused with their spending spree, I filed a resolution to raise the Senate voting threshold to two-thirds of all Senators for all spending bills if inflation is higher than 4 percent. I also introduced the IRS User Fee Reduction Act. This bill would lower IRS user fees by 95 percent for those with a gross income of less than $5 million and allow these small businesses to use the services the IRS offers without getting hit with a massive bill. prgtoken Times are hard enough for taxpayers without having to worry that their government is working against them. We saw plenty of evidence this year showing that the bureaucracy is actively preventing growth and development. prgtoken The commencement of the massive Blue Oval City project in Haywood County, TN, was clogged in permitting redtape and agency misalignment. It took a remarkable effort to straighten that out, but we got the job done, and now they are on their way to creating thousands of jobs. prgtoken Before this fall, the McKellar-Sipes airport in Jackson, TN, had been without TSA service for 13 years; but b
Taiwan (Executive Session)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2022-12-19

I rise to talk about a very important and, I believe, very bipartisan issue. It is the need for us in the Senate and the entire U.S. Government to focus on the intensifying Chinese Communist Party threat and the People's Liberation Army threat to Taiwan and why it matters. prgtoken My remarks will be focusing primarily on the Chinese Communist Party and the leader of that party, Xi Jinping, not on the Chinese people, who have a proud history, heritage, culture of thousands of years, and, as we have seen over the last several weeks, they are very brave people who simply want more freedom. prgtoken In March of 2021, in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, I asked the then-INDOPACOM Commander, Admiral Davidson, when he thought there would be an invasion of Taiwan by the PLA and the Chinese Communist Party. prgtoken He responded to my question by saying this: Senator, I think the threat of an invasion of Taiwan is manifest during this decade--in fact, within the next 6 years. prgtoken Now, that was 2 years ago almost. His successor, ADM John Aquilino, has confirmed this timeline. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Director of National Intelligence, the CNO of the Navy, and even the Secretary of State have recently been ringing alarm bells on this timeline as well. prgtoken On the heels of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping has emerged as the ultimate supreme leader, surprising the assessment of even the most seasoned China hands with his audacity. He has packed the Politburo Standing Committee with loyalists, promoted party stalwarts with military intelligence and technology backgrounds, and positioned the Central Military Commission to preside over the conquest of Taiwan. prgtoken Take a look at this poster. Those are Chairman Xi and a bunch of his comrades I just talked about. Let's face it. They might look ridiculous in military fatigues--I think they do--but the message of these kinds of propaganda photos is very, very clear, which was just recently sent out by the Chinese Communist Party. It is this: China is preparing for war. prgtoken Americans and the rest of the world should take this threat very seriously. I know that our eyes are on Ukraine, which is something we should stay focused on, as defeating authoritarian aggression in Europe is essential to deterring it in Asia, but we can't lose sight of the threat to Taiwan and of what is at stake. prgtoken So I want to lay out, today, what will be the consequences of a potential invasion of Taiwan and why I believe vital American interests--security and economic interests--are implicated by that and what we should do--all of us together--to work to deter it. But I would like to begin my remarks by focusing on a different era in a different region of the world. prgtoken In 1948, the Soviets cut West Berlin off from food and fuel, and the United States and our allies, led by our power
RECOGNIZING THE OLD ASTORIA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ARTS DISTRICT
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-12-20

. Madam , I rise to pay tribute to the Old Astoria Neighborhood Association (OANA) in support of their efforts to create a dedicated arts district located along the waterfront in Astoria, New York. OANA, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2014 by President Richard Khuzami, has displayed a long-lasting commitment to the community and promotes quality of life, economic growth, and culture throughout Astoria. prgtoken The Astoria Waterfront Arts District (AWAD) proposed by OANA would stretch from Astoria Boulevard south to Rainey Park along the waterfront, housing hundreds of graffiti artists, abstract painters, sculptors, muralists, and many more who contribute to the landscape of the community. The district would be the second arts district established in Astoria following the creation of the Kaufman Arts District in 2014. It would aim to showcase artwork by many of the world's most highly recognized artists and sculptors in addition to hundreds of works by community artists. The district would encompass many cultural institutions in Western Queens, among which are the Socrates prgtoken Sculpture Park, the Noguchi Museum, and the Welling Court Mural Project. prgtoken Socrates Sculpture Park, established in 1986 by the artist Mark di Suvero with other artists and community members, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists in the production and presentation of contemporary public art. The park serves as both an internationally renowned outdoor exhibition space and studio program as well as a neighborhood park that offers a wide variety of free community events, programs, and services. Socrates Sculpture Park offers an extensive roster of inclusive public and educational programming for individuals of all ages, supporting life-long learning through an engagement with all and the natural landscape of the Park. prgtoken The Noguchi Museum, founded in 1985 by category-defying artist Isamu Noguchi and chartered as The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, was the first museum in the United States to be established, designed, and installed by a living artist to show their own work. Located in Long Island City, Queens, the Museum itself is widely viewed as among the artist's greatest achievements. The Museum today remains a place for the exploration of individual artistic endeavor and creative collaboration through exposure to Noguchi's wide-ranging practice. Through an active exhibition and public programming schedule, coupled with ongoing education, preservation, and research projects, the Museum continues to illuminate the enduring influence of Noguchi in dialogue with contemporary culture. prgtoken The Welling Court Mural Project began in 2009 when the organization Ad Hoc Art was invited by the community of Welling Court to add to the aesthetics of their neighborhood. The first project debuted in May 2010 with over 44 murals, fitting for the diverse and lively inhabita
RECOGNIZING BISHOP LARRY MACK
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-12-20

. Madam , today, I want to recognize Bishop Larry Mack of Greater Dreams Church in the City of Wayne in Michigan's 13th District Strong, as he celebrates his 15 years of service in faith. prgtoken Bishop Mack has ministered to thousands of individuals as a faithful servant to his flock. He has provided a safe haven for downtrodden and weary souls, encouraging them through inspired teaching and support in faith. He has also served as a role model and mentor to youth, adults and senior citizens, leading them in ministry. Over the past 15 years, Bishop Mack has helped grow his family in faith and now hosts 5 television programs on TCT (Total Christian Television Network), reaching 172 nations and more than 73 million people. prgtoken Bishop Mack's work extends to community service. He has launched the Brown Bag Lunch Program (TEFAP) to assist individuals which provides nourishment and sustenance for those in need. He has established several auxiliary ministry branches to nourish GDC congregants including: GDC Sisterhood, V Youth, GDC Dance Troup, Alter Ministry, GDC Worship, Greater Men, Hospitality and Greeters, GDC Kids and Keepers of the House. Further, he co-founded The Redeemed International Gospel Assembly (TRIGA) comprised of hundreds of churches, ministering the grace of God and the Good News of the Gospel to untold thousands of individuals and families. prgtoken Please join me in celebrating Bishop Larry Mack for 15 years of service to Greater prgtoken Dreams Church and the people of Michigan's 13th District Strong.