mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2021-4-28

on January 20, President gave his inaugural address to the American people, saying that in order to overcome the challenges we face as a nation and ``to restore the soul and [to] secure the future of America requires more than words; it requires that most elusive of things in a democracy: unity. Unity.'' prgtoken I end the quote. prgtoken And he says for a second time: ``Unity.'' In fact, he mentioned the word ``unity'' nine separate times throughout his inaugural remarks. Unfortunately, that ``unity'' President preached about is nowhere to be found. prgtoken One hundred days in office, and there has been zero bipartisanship from the prgtoken White House on any major issue. We have seen zero effort by the White House to take any idea or concept seriously. In fact, they have done very little to reach across the aisle, engage s, or have a serious conversation with us. prgtoken They have shown that they are not interested in bipartisanship, as they continue to jam through their radical agenda and seek power grab after power grab. prgtoken We have seen a record number of Executive orders, the first partisan COVID relief bill, steps to grant DC statehood to tip the powers of scale, a directive that threatens private property rights--the cornerstone of our democracy--an attempt to federalize elections and destroy election integrity with H.R. 1, threats to eliminate the filibuster, increased gas prices for Americans at the pump, efforts to pack the Supreme Court, disguised measures to pass the Green New Deal, calls to defund police, mandates to allow biological boys to compete in girls' sports, and tax increases on all Americans, and much, much more. prgtoken Things are changing in DC. History will record President as having spent more money than any other President in U.S. history in his first 100 days. I am warning everyone: Grab your wallets. History will record President 's misguided policies as making our Nation less safe, having created a health crisis, a national security crisis, and a humanitarian crisis at the southern border. prgtoken What I hope to hear from President this evening is not likely to be covered in a speech. He is going to try to explain to us--even though our economy is recovering and we just borrowed and spent $2 trillion from our grandchildren--why we now need to spend another $2 trillion and why he needs to raise your taxes to do it. He is going to try to describe the legislation he wants passed as a so-called infrastructure bill, when less than 5 percent of it is going toward roads and bridges. prgtoken He is going to try to convince Americans of something that is a misnomer and not a truth. What he won't tell you is this is a recipe to kill Kansas jobs and an economic catastrophe for this Nation. prgtoken Last week, President signed into law a bipartisan bill I introduced, alongside Senators Bill Cassidy and Tina Smit
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2021-4-28

today I honor a visionary leader whose years at the helm of Ingalls Shipbuilding have left a profound impact on the State of Mississippi and on the national security posture of the United States. I have had the pleasure of associating with Mr. Brian Cuccias both personally and professionally over many years. prgtoken As president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, Mr. Cuccias led the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi. Located near Brian's hometown of Biloxi, the Pascagoula shipyard sits on 800 acres of land along the Pascagoula River. With 11,500 employees, Ingalls is the largest supplier of U.S. Navy surface combatants and has built nearly 70 percent of the current fleet of Navy warships. prgtoken Mr. Cuccias began his career at Ingalls in 1979. when he joined Litton Data Systems, which was then a major division of Litton Industries, then owner of what is today Ingalls Shipyard. He served as a financial analyst for several Navy programs, including amphibious assault ships and Spruance and Kidd-class destroyers. Since then, he has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility, including assistant to the group vice president of Avondale industries; sector vice president for material for Northrop Grumman Ship Systems; program manger and vice president for Northrop Grumman's DDG 1000 program; and vice president for surface combatants for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. prgtoken Mr. Cuccias left his mark on both the shipbuilding industry and Navy surface combatant programs. Universally recognized for his superb leadership, business acumen, and commitment to maritime security, his 2014 appointment as president of Ingalls Shipbuilding came as no surprise to those of us who knew him. During his tenure, Ingalls has continued to set the standard for shipbuilding excellence, delivering five national security cutters to the Coast Guard, along with two America-class amphibious assault ships and two San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks to the Navy. Additionally, Mr. Cuccias oversaw the reactivation of the Arleigh Burke-class production line, delivering four guided missile destroyers to the Navy after a 5-year hiatus. As he departs, he leaves the shipyard in perhaps its strongest position ever, with 13 ships in various stages of production. prgtoken Mr. Cuccias has left an indelible impact on the Ingalls workforce. He spearheaded numerous investments in the health and safety of shipyard employees and their families. In 2015, Ingalls dedicated a Family Health Center in Gautier, MS a full-service health care facility for employees, dependents, and retirees covered by the shipyard's health care plans. As part of a $600 million 4-year upgrade to build the Shipyard of the Future, he supervised the installation of covered, environmentally controlled facilities to protect workers from the elements--again prioritizing the health of the Ingalls workforce. prgtoken Always active in his community,
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2021-4-28

I rise today to talk about how Congress can work together in a bipartisan way to pass infrastructure legislation, following my colleagues from Ohio, from Wyoming, from Iowa--and my colleague from North Carolina is here as well--with a real desire to come up with an infrastructure package, but we want it to be bipartisan. prgtoken s and agree that investing in our national infrastructure is necessary to increase economic growth, ensure global competitiveness of American businesses, and create new, high-paying jobs. In fact, just last Congress, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously approved a 5-year surface transportation reauthorization bill, which included about $300 billion for roads and bridges. That actually represents a 27-percent increase over the FAST Act. We really feel that bill, with its bipartisan support, creates a starting point--a starting point on a bipartisan basis--for the negotiations that we should have in developing the infrastructure package. prgtoken Tonight we expect the President will outline his American Jobs Plan, but unfortunately it is not focused on infrastructure. It is a massive, $2.25 trillion tax-and-spend bill that dedicates less than one-third, just over $600 billion, toward actual traditional infrastructure. prgtoken The administration's plan would increase the corporate tax from 21 percent to 28 percent, resulting in reduced wages, increased costs for consumers, and a reduction in economic growth. prgtoken The plan would revert the U.S. tax system to a worldwide tax system, increasing taxes on U.S. multinational corporations, reducing the competitiveness of American businesses, and driving U.S. jobs and profits to other countries. The 2017 tax bill brought the United States into a territorial tax system for the taxation of multinational companies. It has worked. From 1985 to 2017, 85 U.S.-based multinational corporations took advantage of corporate inversions, resulting in a $19.5 billion tax revenue loss to the U.S. Government. Since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, there have been no corporate inversions. The plan would abandon this successful approach. prgtoken Further, the administration has proposed a $35 billion tax increase on U.S. energy producers, endangering U.S. energy independence, costing U.S. jobs, and empowering foreign energy production. A recent study from the National Association of Manufacturers shows that nearly 1 million jobs would be lost in the first 2 years alone if this tax increase goes through. prgtoken Tonight we expect to hear from President on additional proposals to increase taxes on American workers as well as increase our debt and deficit. For instance, we have seen reports today that the President is going to seek to repeal stepped-up basis. Now, while the administration indicates there may be some exceptions, repealing stepped-up basis would place a significant a
SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN INNOVATION ACT
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2021-4-29

. Thank you. I am committed to advancing our committee's competitiveness legislation in the manner laid out by my colleague from Michigan. I appreciate the work we have put into this package to date. As we prepare to dramatically increase investment in our research institutions and emerging technologies, the Safeguarding American Innovation Act must be a part of any competitiveness legislation. We must protect the intellectual property behind the revolutionary discoveries and advances being made across our Nation. This whole-of- government approach to get the Federal Government's house in order addresses a far-ranging problem and implicates the jurisdiction of other committees including the HELP Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. I appreciate that the chairs and ranking members of those committees want to continue negotiations on this bill. I understand some changes to this legislation will be needed before it passes the Senate floor. That said, this legislation is the result of several years of bipartisan investigatory work by Senator Carper and myself during our time as chair and ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. prgtoken I am committed to working with committees of jurisdiction, the majority leader, Chairman Peters, and the administration to reach an agreement on this text in the coming weeks before it will be added to the Endless Frontier Act. I am also committed to continuing to engage with key stakeholders including our institutions of higher education. I am ready to put in the work and find a path forward here. The threat is real, and we need to address it now. I look forward to working with my colleague from Michigan to pass this legislation, along with other important measures before our committee, as soon as possible. prgtoken While I am a cosponsor of Endless Frontier Act and believe it provides an important increase in funding to the National Science Foundation, if we don't take the basic steps outlined in the Safeguarding American Innovation Act, these funds may contribute to China's rise instead of improving the competitiveness of the United States, as intended.
Introductory Statement on S. 1458
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-4-29

along with my livestock producer protection bill, I am also introducing legislation today to eliminate the November 1 haying and grazing date for cover crops. prgtoken Cover crops provide a lot of environmental benefits. They improve soil health, reduce erosion and nutrient runoff, improve water quality, and sequester carbon. They also benefit farmers, since their animals can graze these crops, or the cover crops can be harvested to provide forage for livestock. Currently, the haying and grazing date--the date on which farmers can start harvesting or grazing cover groups on prevent plant acres--is set for November 1, which is too late in the year for farmers in more northern States like South Dakota. Early winter weather in these States can cause cover crops to freeze before they can be used for hay and grazing. prgtoken The legislation I am introducing today with my colleague Senator Stabenow would fix this problem by letting farmers harvest and graze cover crops outside of the primary nesting season, which ends August 1 in South Dakota, allowing for both farmers and our environment to benefit from these crops. prgtoken Protecting our planet is imperative, and government certainly has a role to play in promoting clean energy and sound environmental policy, but putting the government in charge of our economy--in fact, putting the government in charge of pretty much every aspect of American life, as the Green New Deal would do--is not the answer. Innovation, not government, is the key to addressing environmental challenges. prgtoken Unfortunately, President is embracing a whole host of Green New Deal-like policies. Take his so-called 30-by-30 directive directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other Agencies to provide recommendations to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. prgtoken I have already heard from ranchers and landowners in South Dakota who are concerned about the measures the administration could pursue to meet this goal, including Federal land acquisitions and burdensome regulations on private landowners, many of whom are already doing everything they can to promote the health of their land. prgtoken There is also serious reason to doubt the government's ability to manage a vast new amount of land. The Federal Government already frequently fails to properly manage the land it already has. Yet some believe that we can give the Federal Government huge new swaths of land, and somehow the government will manage it properly. prgtoken Yet that is the problem with a lot of these socialist fantasies. They assume that the government will achieve levels of efficiency and productiveness that the government has simply never demonstrated. It is the triumph of fantasy over experience. Surely, the people espousing socialist fantasies have sat in long lines at the DMV or remember how the administration had more than 3 years to prepare for the opening of the Ca
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2021-4-29

as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration of S. 593 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent that the Murkowski amendment at the desk be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2021--Resumed
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2021-4-29

I want to talk briefly about boil water advisories. They are more than just frustrating. They are more than just inconvenient. They can be dangerous. prgtoken I don't know about the Presiding Officer's community or my colleagues' communities, but they have been happening more and more frequently in Louisiana. Since 2005, we have had 9,661 boil water advisories. We had 1,600 of them last year alone. prgtoken I thank the EPW Committee for working with me and all of my colleagues. My amendment would require the EPA to provide us an annual study on the prevalence of these boil water advisories and the reasons therefor so we can decide whether to take action, if any. prgtoken I would appreciate my colleagues' support.
Biden Administration (Executive Session)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2021-4-29

, my colleague Senator Murkowski did a good job of explaining some of the economic challenges--actually, the dramatic economic challenges--facing our State: small businesses, families, workers by the thousands who are really hurting right now because we lost the tourism season last year due to the pandemic and are on the verge, possibly, of losing another one, which could be devastating. That is the purpose of our legislation, to focus on lifting the challenge and bringing relief so that we can bring tourism back to Alaska. We are open for business. prgtoken You know, we have been able, in Alaska, to weather the health impacts of this virus in a way that we are proud of in Alaska, with one of the lowest death rates per capita--any death, of course, is horrible--but one of the lowest death rates, one of the highest testing rates per capita with regard to this vaccine, the highest vaccination rates per capita, which is a minimiracle if you look at how big our State is. But the economic impacts have been devastating, as Senator Murkowski laid out. Our commercial fishing industry, our oil and gas industry, our tourism industry--these sectors of the Alaska economy, which are critical, have lost thousands of jobs. prgtoken So this bill, the Alaska Tourism Recovery Act, is something that is very narrowly focused. It is very narrowly focused. It is to give our State a fighting chance this summer with regard to our tourism sector. prgtoken Now, I very much appreciate Senator Blumenthal and Senator Lee, with regard to their passion and focus on the issues that they have raised tonight. Some of the safety regulations on cruise ships, the PVSA Act-- these are issues that they feel very passionate about, and I appreciate that. prgtoken As they know, what we are trying to do here, Senator Murkowski and I, is not tackle those issues so much as to tackle the issue directly before Alaskans, and that is how to salvage a summer tourism season. prgtoken So despite what you have witnessed here on the Senate floor, I want to say I appreciate their willingness to continue to work with us. The clock is ticking, but we do have Senator Blumenthal's and Senator Lee's strong commitments to work with us to resolve these issues--both the ones that they care about and, certainly, the ones that matter to Alaskans--very soon. prgtoken To our fellow Alaskans, my message is, don't give up right now. Here on the Senate floor, despite what you have seen, there has actually been momentum and movement, and I am confident we can get there, and even with the CDC--even with the CDC. prgtoken Some of you might recall that I was here on the floor last week with Senator Scott of Florida, trying to move our legislation relating to the CDC's role here. We are starting to see progress with them. So we are going to continue to fight and continue to try to move this. prgtoken Do not give up, Alaska, on our summer tourism. We haven't
DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2021--Resumed
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-4-29

I just want to state that we are not changing the formula. There is an extra zero, and it is literally a typo, the kind of typo people make every single day in the Senate. Instead of saying ``.025,'' it says ``.0025.'' Everyone knows what it was intended to do. That is the way we talked about it. That has been objected to. The Senate is now a place where you cannot amend a typo by unanimous consent. That is unbelievable. It is unreal. I, frankly, find it unacceptable.
TRIBUTE TO SARAHI MERLIN
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2021-4-29

I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Sarahi for her hard work as an intern in my Casper office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. prgtoken Sarahi is a native of Casper and a student at Casper College. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. prgtoken I want to thank Sarahi for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It was a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her next journey.
DRINKING WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2021--Continued
Cynthia M. Lummis (Republican, WY) \u2014 2021-4-29

I rise today to speak in strong support of the Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021. I want to thank Environment and Public Works Ranking Member Capito, full committee Chairman Carper, Chairman Duckworth, and their staffs for their hard work and cooperation on this bill. prgtoken While many issues divide this Senate, clean water is not one of them. As ranking member of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee under which drinking water and wastewater jurisdiction lies, I am proud to see the work our committee has done to bring this bill to the floor today, and I especially want to thank Senator Duckworth for all of her efforts to serve our communities by shepherding this bill through the Senate. prgtoken On May 17th, our committee and subcommittee held a hearing to examine the challenges facing drinking water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the Nation. We heard from witnesses that many obstacles remain in America's water quality. High among those obstacles is the lagging funding related to an aging infrastructure. The primary mechanism for financing water infrastructure is from State and local sources, including the collection of user fees, but funding has not kept pace with the growing need to address an aging system. Only 20 percent of very large utilities and 10 percent of small utilities report that they will be able to provide full-cost service in 5 years. I am proud to be a part of the team that has come together to find a solution to these problems. prgtoken While working on this issue, I learned something that might surprise a lot of Americans: The majority of our Nation's drinking water and wastewater utilities are small. Over 90 percent of the country's roughly 50,000 community water systems serve populations fewer than 10,000 people. Roughly 80 percent of America's 17,000 wastewater utilities serve populations fewer than 10,000 people. Rural and small communities like many found in my State of Wyoming have greater difficulty affording public wastewater service due to low population density and lack of economies of scale. Rural communities also have lower median household incomes and often have higher rates of poverty, only compounding the challenge. The mandates and requirements given under the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act can be burdensome on these small and rural communities. This bill reauthorizes a number of programs that will provide technical assistance, funding, research, and expertise for these small communities. The Circuit Rider Program, for example, has long been among our Nation's most successful public- private partnerships. The Wyoming Association of Rural Water Systems and organizations like it across the country are doing yeomen's work in delivering for our rural communities. prgtoken The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act unanimously passed our committee by a vote of 21 to 0. Similar legislation worke