mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL FOSTER CARE MONTH
Don Bacon (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-5-21

. Madam , in honor of National Foster Care Month, I would like to address a vital issue in today's foster care system: the need for more foster care parents. I would also like to recognize a few foster care organizations in Nebraska's Second Congressional District. These organizations embrace children in the foster care system and are committed to helping youth find permanent homes through foster parents, so that they, too, can experience love, stability, and the freedom to reach their full potential, regardless of their circumstances. prgtoken Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska has been an advocate in the child foster care system for more than 125 years. This year, their mission is to secure 100 foster families who can offer a mature and stable environment. prgtoken Boys Town Nebraska, where I was fortunate to speak this last weekend at their high school graduation, directly serves about 30,000 children every year and believes that foster parents are the heart of high- quality foster care by offering children protection, permanency, and comfort. prgtoken The Child Saving Institute values the overall well-being of children by offering free, trauma-informed training to individuals and couples who want to serve as foster parents. prgtoken And the Nebraska Children's Home Society not only strives to find permanent homes for children, but they also address the need to foster teenagers. prgtoken All four of these organizations provide care and assistance to the abused and neglected and encourages the need for foster parents for children of all ages. prgtoken Each year, hundreds of Nebraska youth are removed from their homes due to unfortunate circumstances. Many of them fear where they will end up or if they will ever find their forever home. prgtoken My wife, Angie, and I adopted two children, Austin and Jessica, from the foster care system when they were just 8 and 9 years old. Even though we already had two sons, we knew that there were not enough homes for older children and siblings. Austin and Jessica are blessings to our family. Even though foster parenting was challenging, choosing to adopt them was one of the best and most rewarding decisions Angie, my wife, and I have ever made. prgtoken Even though foster children are hurting, they are just looking for someone to be committed to them and help them succeed. It is time to realize that everyone can play a part in enhancing the lives of children and youth in foster care and that these children just want someone to care for them. It is the hope that one day, through opportunity and lessons, these children will grow up and provide safety for their own children, benefiting future generations. prgtoken The idea of children being placed with stable and devoted families is not a partisan issue. I am very appreciative to my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, and I am thankful to serve as a co-chair for the Foster Care Caucus. I will continue to be an advocate for
Military Appreciation Month (Executive Calendar)
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-5-21

May is Military Appreciation Month. In light of that, I come to the Senate floor to remind us all just how important our military is to our way of life. One of the blessings of being a U.S. Senator and being on the Armed Services Committee and a past member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I have had the privilege to travel, as you have, around the world, visiting with our men and women in uniform. prgtoken I have concluded that the best--and I mean the very best--of what we produce here in America is in uniform around the world, worn by our women and men, protecting our interests and defending freedom around the world. There are only six reasons in the Declaration of Independence why 13 Colonies got together in the first place, and one of those was to provide for the common defense. prgtoken Today, the world is more dangerous than any time in my lifetime. Today, the United States faces five threats across five domains. This is much more complicated than the world has ever seen. Today, we measure the threats in this manner: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and terrorism across five domains. prgtoken It used to be air, land, and sea. Unfortunately, today, it is air, land, sea, cyber, and now space. The tragedy, frankly, of our time is we have treated space as a scientific endeavor over the last 30 years, and others who we now consider potential threats have treated it as a military domain. prgtoken I grew up in a military town. My father served in Germany during World War II. When World War II was ended, he joined the Reserves and then was called up again in the Korean war. He spent a couple of years in Korea during the Korean war. I have his dog tags today in my office. They serve as a constant reminder of his commitment to defending our ideals and upholding our way of life here in America. It reminds me that every single woman and man in uniform in our services today do the same thing. prgtoken Today, I am humbled to represent our men and women in uniform in the United States Armed Services Committee. I take that very seriously, as I know every member does. One of my greatest honors as a member of this committee and a former member of the Foreign Relations Committee, as I said, is to travel overseas. The highlight in every one of those trips is not meeting with the head of state or the head of the military or the foreign minister; it was having dinner with people from my home State who were in uniform around the world. prgtoken When President was in office, the No. 1 request I heard from heads of state around the world was: We need America to reengage. prgtoken At that time, America had withdrawn. We had created a vacuum. People weren't asking us to be the world's policeman. They were asking us to basically reengage and have a seat at the table and lead again. After a decade of withdrawal from the world stage under the prior administration, America is now leading again. prgtoken Presi
Tariffs (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-5-21

Friday's announcement that the administration had reached an agreement to remove steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico was great news for American consumers, producers, and workers. Mexican and Canadian retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products have already been lifted. That is a big deal for American producers, especially for farmers and ranchers, who were hit the hardest by Mexico and Canada's retaliatory tariffs. prgtoken Friday's agreement is also important because it removes a significant roadblock to passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. With the aluminum and steel tariff settlement and labor reforms recently adopted by the Mexican Government, two major ic objections to passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement have been addressed. Now it is time for the House ic leadership to indicate its willingness to take up the agreement in the near future. prgtoken The U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement would boost almost every sector of the American economy, from automotive manufacturing, to digital services, to dairy farming. It would create 176,000 new jobs and increase wages for workers. It is time to take up this agreement. As I said, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement would be a boon for U.S. producers and U.S. workers. prgtoken This is the kind of stuff we should be spending our time on in Washington--measures that grow our economy, increase opportunity, and improve life for the American people. That is what s have been working on. Our policies have helped produce the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years and more jobs and higher wages for workers. prgtoken Unfortunately, my colleagues across the aisle seem more interested in relitigating the 2016 election and accelerating their party's rapid move toward the radical fringe left. prgtoken While I realize the are disappointed with the results of the 2016 Presidential election, it is time for them to accept the fact that they lost. It has been more than 2 years now, and are still more focused on opposing this President than on getting things done for the American people. prgtoken When do get around to talking about legislation, too often, it is proposals from the radical fringe left, which is rapidly swallowing up the ic mainstream. Take the Green New Deal, the ' plan for a government takeover of a large section of the economy in the name of clean energy. The estimated price tag for this government takeover is between $51 trillion and $93 trillion over 10 years. To put that number in perspective, $93 trillion is more money than the U.S. Government has spent in its entire history, and $93 trillion is more money than the 2017 gross domestic product of the entire world. prgtoken How do plan to pay for this? Well, they don't actually have a plan. Their usual ``tax the rich'' solution won't work since taxing every wealthy American at a 100-percen
INTERRUPTED FAMILY DINNERS
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-5-21

. Madam , the American people don't trust Washington, D.C. And I know that shocks everyone, but it is a perception that every one of us deals with back home, and after what the majority party pulled last week, it is easy to understand why. prgtoken Three--get it, three--bipartisan prescription drug pricing bills made it through committee and were ready to vote on. prgtoken Now let me say that one more time. Bipartisan healthcare bills, three of them; that is unheard of around here. prgtoken But then politics got in the way. The majority decided to add an unrelated poison pill to drive away the support. This healthcare package now has no chance of being considered in the Senate and will never become law. prgtoken That is why I urge the majority to bring to the floor H.R. 2700. This legislation includes only the three bipartisan prescription drug pricing bills, no poison pills. prgtoken Let's come together to address the problem. The American people deserve better than the cynical political games that we are playing. Celebrating the 19th Amendment
Mental Health Awareness Month (Executive Calendar)
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-5-21

this month is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the goal of Mental Health Awareness Month is to recognize the importance for personal well-being, the need for research and education, dispelling the stigmas associated with mental illness, and to improve mental healthcare to ensure that care is available to ensure that the first episode of mental illness is the last. prgtoken A goal with Mental Health Awareness Month is the awareness that is necessary for the programs to be implemented so that that young person with their first episode is returned to wholeness, and, again, as I said earlier, the first episode is the last. It recognizes that mental health is a societal issue associated with homelessness, crime, suicide, physical health, and public health issues. prgtoken Now, when you speak of mental health, it is a little bit almost like: Oh, my gosh, this is going to be a futile issue. It is so difficult for someone who has serious mental illness to return them to wholeness. It is so difficult that sometimes the individual, their family, and society throws up their hands and says: There is nothing to do, so why try. prgtoken You see manifestations of that with the homeless people walking around this city and every city in the United States, many of whom are mentally ill; yet there can be hope. prgtoken I called a person back home from Baton Rouge, LA, and asked her for a prgtoken story, if you will, of how someone with mental illness issues can be returned to wholeness, so let me tell you about Mary. When you walk with Mary, you can't help but feel happy, happy, happy. That is because Mary radiates the joy of how Capital Area Human Services helped change her life. prgtoken Mary says: I go out and help the community every day. I became successful in my life because of my faith in God and because of the wonderful people at Capital Area Human Services. Today I give back to the community what Capital Area has given to me. prgtoken It wasn't always this way. For nearly 20 years before being referred to Capital Area Human Services, Mary lived in group homes and was dependent upon others for basic needs. prgtoken I am now quoting Mary: I weighed 340 pounds. I was sick all the time, was in and out of hospitals. I was barely able to function. I was on so many medicines I could not keep track. prgtoken When Mary came to Capital Area Human Services in 2006, she was first helped at the Margaret Dumas Center at the Government Street location. She eventually entered the total health program, and even more dramatic changes began. prgtoken Now, let me point out as a physician--I am a doctor--I have learned from folks such as the people I am quoting now that mental health is often associated with physical health problems. So someone who is seriously mentally ill is more likely to die in their 50s than they are in their 80s with untreated hypertension, diabetes, or perh
Military Appreciation Month (Executive Calendar)
Pat Roberts (Republican, KS) \u2014 2019-5-21

first, before my colleague from Georgia leaves, I want to thank him for his strong statement on the fact that we have to do defense appropriations. prgtoken I know that the Presiding Officer certainly knows all about this, given her Active-Duty service on behalf of our Nation. prgtoken As he has pointed out, every service has been affected by this. Speaking for the U.S. Marine Corps, part of the Marine Caucus that we have here, and talking with Bob Neller, who is our retiring Commandant--he has pointed out specifically that they don't have enough to do--I mean, we are proud of the Marine Corps. I always say we do more with less, but this time, you can't do more with less and then less and then less, and that is precisely where we are. prgtoken for making an outstanding statement. I join him in this plea on a bipartisan basis to get these appropriations bills done. prgtoken Thank you.
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 2019
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-5-21

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it prgtoken adjourn until 9:30 a.m Wednesday, May 22; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Nielsen nomination.
KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL EDITORIAL URGING TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY'S CEO TO FIX COAL ASH PROBLEM
Tim Burchett (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-5-21

. Madam , I would like to include in the Record an editorial submitted to the Knoxville News Sentinel addressing the Tennessee Valley Authority's new CEO, Jeff Lyash, urging him to fix the current coal ash problem. I am also including a resolution introduced by Tennessee State Senator prgtoken Ken Yager calling for the TVA to make all board meetings open to the public. [From Knoxville News Sentinel, on Apr. 14, 2019] An Open Letter to TVA's New CEO: You Need to be the Leader Your Predecessor Was Not, Here's How (Unauthored Editorial) Welcome to Tennessee, Mr. Lyash. No doubt you had a busy first week as the new CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority. And what a responsibility! You lead the nation's first and largest regional planning and economic development agency owned and operated by the federal government. You provide power for some 10 million people, and you employ thousands in our state. You've taken over an organization whose history and legacy are revolutionary and inspiring. Few organizations have transformed the lives of so many people, across so many generations. And we know you believe deeply in this mission, a mission derived from decades of service to improving the lives of the people of the Tennessee Valley. This is what has brought you to Knoxville. Which is why today we challenge you to be the leader your predecessor was not. We challenge you to launch a fully independent and transparent investigation of safety and workplace practices that occurred in the aftermath of the massive Kingston coal ash spill and cleanup--not just the TVA's own practices, but those of every one of the contractors and subcontractors it employs. We've reported extensively about the workers who have died, and the hundreds of others who are sick, after their exposure to the toxic ash. Learn from the mistakes of the past and demand accountability. We challenge you to commit to a top-to-bottom review and overhaul of workplace safety at every power plant you operate. Last week we reported about workers at two Tennessee plants who are exposed to fly ash dust and flue gas without masks or respirators. We challenge you to review your relationship with Jacobs Engineering. Although the case goes on, a federal jury already found Jacobs breached its contract with the TVA and its duty to ensure the health of cleanup workers. Yet you're still doing hundreds of millions of dollars of business with the company. We challenge you to hire an independent consultant to radically remake your internal reporting and whistle-blowing procedures and make sure they are accessible to your contractors as well. Your people are adamant no one should
HONORING OUR NATION'S HEROES
K. Michael Conaway (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-5-21

. Madam , I rise today to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in the defense of freedom and to preserve the liberties that we hold dear in this nation. Every Memorial Day, our nation unites to remember our military heroes who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to defend the values and freedoms we all cherish. This day of remembrance represents why so many people in our country are grateful to be Americans. No other nation has sacrificed so much to secure not only its own freedom, but that of other nations as well. As we reflect on the remarkable lives of our nation's fallen soldiers and their families, we must continue to honor them each and every day, as a single day of commemoration is far short of what they deserve. I know that back home in my district, our community will do their part in carrying on the legacy of these selfless individuals. This year, the Granbury community will host their annual ``Field of Flags,'' which is a memorial of over a thousand flags flying along Highway 377. These flags are dedicated to the lives of those that were killed in action or that are still missing in action. prgtoken Attending Memorial Day events like the ``Field of Flags'' this weekend is imperative to teaching younger generations about the sacrifices that our military and first-responders make so that we may continue to live by the values that founded this nation. May God bless our men and women serving today and in days past, may He comfort those who endure the pain of loss, and may He never cease to shed his grace on Texas and this great nation.
HONOR 19TH AMENDMENT BY EXERCISING THE RIGHT TO VOTE
Vicky Hartzler (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-5-21

. Madam , going door to door in my first campaign, a sweet, elderly lady invited me in for iced tea. As she discussed my race, she shared that she had never missed a chance to vote since she was a young girl. prgtoken One day, her mother had hitched the horses to the wagon, pulled up in front of the house, told her to get in, flicked the reins, and they were on their way to town. With determination and pride, her mother announced, ``Today, for the first time in our country, we get to vote. We must always exercise this privilege.'' And that girl did, every election, for over 74 years. prgtoken As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this Chamber passing the 19th Amendment to our Constitution, giving women the right to vote, we must all reflect on what this right to vote truly means. I am grateful for this privilege not only to vote on election day but also to stand here and represent the good people of Missouri's Fourth District and cast their vote here in Congress. prgtoken We live in the greatest country in the world. Let us always remember those who secured our freedoms and honor their legacy by exercising the right to vote.
Disaster Relief (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-5-21

next Saturday, June 1, marks the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. It is an important reminder for everyone--from individuals and families to businesses and local officials--to review preparedness efforts to ensure you are ready for anything that Mother Nature may throw at you. prgtoken There are simple steps, of course, that everybody can take, like reviewing evacuation routes, signing up for emergency alerts, and making a family communications plan. This is also a great time to look at your insurance policies to ensure that you have the right coverage. This isn't the most fun conversation or topic to talk about at the dinner table, but in the event of a disaster, these small steps can make a world of difference. prgtoken As we gear up for the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season, I can't help but think back on the devastation my State saw in 2017 when Hurricane Harvey hit. This storm was the largest rain event in American history, and some parts of Texas are still in the recovery mode. Harvey brought more than 50 inches of rain to some parts of Houston. prgtoken I am sure that many Americans can remember the TV footage of the devastating scenes and the heroism of people who rose to the challenge and helped. The roofs of homes were completely torn off and revealed knee-deep water and scattered furniture. Streets looked like rivers that were filled with small boats that led rescue operations. Folks linked arms and made human chains to help save people who were stranded in their vehicles. prgtoken It was the second most expensive hurricane in history, only behind Hurricane Katrina, with an estimated total cost of $125 billion. While we can put a pricetag on the damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure, there is no way we could even begin to quantify the impact this storm had on lost loved ones and how much it completely upended so many lives. prgtoken With that heartbreak fresh on our minds, it only underscores the importance of strengthening our preparedness efforts. Unlike many threats we face, either from our adversaries on the ground or in cyberspace, there is nothing we can do to stop Mother Nature in her tracks. Our only course of action is to be prepared and to build resilient communities that can withstand the impact. We need to continue to do everything in our power to provide assistance to State and local governments so they can protect themselves in the event of severe weather. prgtoken One may recall, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and other natural disasters, that Congress worked hard to provide disaster relief to Texas and other States that were adversely affected. While there is still a lot of work to be done, these dollars have helped my State to rebuild and to bring back some semblance of normalcy. I am grateful to all of our colleagues here for working with us, as well as with Florida, California, Puerto Rico, and the other places that were hit at about that sam