mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
National Computer Forensics Institute (Executive Session)
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2022-9-29

over the last few decades, large parts of our daily lives--like work, education, and even personal finance--moved online. The emergence of computers, the internet, and mobile devices have created a more interconnected world more than ever. But this being connected can also be used by bad actors. prgtoken The entire world of information is at our fingertips, but also, so is cyber crime. Because of this, those charged with keeping us safe have the increasingly difficult task of not only protecting us from the rising physical crime scene in our communities across the country but also from cyber crime that is impossible to see and much harder to detect. prgtoken Law enforcement officials in Alabama, my State, recognized the problem early on. In 2006--before we all had smart phones in our pockets--the Alabama Office of Prosecution Services and the Alabama District Attorneys prgtoken Association saw the need for a more coordinated effort to train law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges in digital evidence. prgtoken They saw how the digital landscape was and still is constantly evolving and how those in law enforcement needed to keep up. But they also recognized how traditionally the largest departments with the biggest budgets were the only ones who could afford the training necessary to help their officers fight cyber and electronic crime. prgtoken So they outlined a plan to bring the training to more of our law enforcement officials and formed a unique and important partnership with the United States Secret Service to create a center for forensics education for State and law enforcement officials. prgtoken Thanks to their innovative thinking, the National Computer Forensics Institute--also known as NCFI--opened in 2008, under the roof provided by the city of Hoover, AL. prgtoken The Institute had somewhat modest beginnings--a $4 million budget and only 264 students. But thanks to continued support from Congress here on the Hill, the Computer Forensics Institute now taps into a $13 million annual budget to train more than 4,000 students from across the country every year. prgtoken To date, more than 19,000 State and local officers, prosecutors, and judges representing all 50 States have been trained at this institute right in the heart of Alabama. Local and State officials come from all over the country to train in Alabama and then take their newly acquired expertise back to their communities all over. prgtoken Graduates have reported utilizing their training in more than 578,000 digital forensic exams. It is clear this model is working. NCIF graduates are applying their skills to protect their communities all across the country. prgtoken The National Computer Forensics Institute focuses on teaching officials how to investigate cyber and electronic crime, always accounting--always accounting--for emerging technologies and difficult digital capabilities. But they also teach officials how to cond
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2022-9-29

I want to take a moment this morning to recognize a friend and fellow Hoosier, Mark Souder, who passed away earlier this week after a battle with cancer. prgtoken Mark represented, as so many Hoosiers know, northeastern Indiana in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2010. He served eight terms. Before being elected to Congress, he spent years working as a staffer for Indiana Senator Dan Coats. prgtoken Anyone--anyone--who met Mark was struck by his intellect, his innate grasp of policy details, and perhaps most importantly, his passion for service, for serving Hoosiers in particular. You see, Mark loved northeast Indiana. He loved his constituents. He loved the land, its people, and its unique traditions. He was a strong advocate for Hoosier veterans in particular and for our national parks during his service in Congress. prgtoken He was also a man of many talents and interests. Baseball was one of them. In fact, he wrote about the game's history and connections to our own State. Recently, Mark collaborated on a book about the history of television in Fort Wayne. prgtoken More personally, I always appreciated Mark's kindness and support as I began my congressional career, and I know Mark provided similar assistance and encouragement to others. prgtoken I offer my deepest condolences to the Souder family and to all of Mark's friends and loved ones as they mourn his loss. CHIPS and Science Act prgtoken , ``Time and momentum are on our side''--so said Xi Jingping to his colleagues in the Chinese Communist Party last year. prgtoken True, there have been some recent setbacks to China's grand plan-- corruption probes, billions of wasted government dollars--but make no mistake, these are minor distractions. You see, the CCP is as determined as ever to supplant the United States as the world's leader, militarily and economically, in order to win the 21st century. Xi and his government will subsidize any industry, spend any amount of money, take any means--even propping up manufacturing with slave labor--to bend the market to its ambitions and force America to its knees. prgtoken The CCP is confident that America is too dysfunctional and that the American people are too divided to arrest its momentum. Well, today, I am pleased to report that the CCP has made a serious miscalculation. Allow me to explain. prgtoken You see, earlier this month, I was in West Lafayette, on the campus of Purdue University. Indiana's Governor, Eric Holcomb, and Purdue's president, Mitch Daniels, were, of course, there. We were joined by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Our group saw up close the amazing work that Purdue is doing across its technology ecosystem. We met and spoke with many talented students and professors. We had a productive discussion about ways to bolster our national security and economic competitiveness. N
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-9-29

yesterday I came down to the floor to talk about where we are after nearly 2 years of control of Congress and the White House. prgtoken We are, as I noted, in the midst of an inflation crisis with no end in sight. Our economy is weakening. Our energy security is diminished. Violent crime has increased, and we are dealing with record waves of illegal immigration and a serious security situation at our southern border. That is where we are. prgtoken The question is, How did we get here? The answer lies with ' priorities. prgtoken The ic Party has moved sharply leftward over the past few years of course, have always been on the left side of the political spectrum. But over the past few years, what was once far-left ideology has become the mainstream. And swept into office determined to enact a far-left, Big Government agenda. It didn't matter to them that their majorities in the House and Senate were extremely narrow or that President had been elected largely because he was considered to be a moderate. prgtoken had a grip on power, however tenuous, and they were determined to use it to enact their most cherished, far-left fantasies. prgtoken They started off with their $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act, filled with unnecessary spending and payoffs to interest groups. They were warned their legislation ran the risk of overheating the economy and setting off inflation. But they ignored the warnings and dumped a lot of unnecessary government money into the economy, and the economy overheated as a result. Inflation quickly began climbing and then climbing some more. prgtoken Now, at this point, it might have seemed prudent to pull back on all those spending plans. After all, if one massive spending bill had kicked off inflation, how much worse would another, even more massive spending bill make the situation? prgtoken But were just getting started. The ink was barely dry on the so-called American Rescue Plan before were outlining plans for a new spending spree, one that would dwarf their initial spending spree and install some of the ' most cherished Big Government priorities. prgtoken And even as inflation climbed and climbed again, kept pushing ahead. Even as economists warned that the American Rescue Plan had kick-started inflation, they kept pushing forward with plans for a $5 trillion spending spree, their so-called Build Back Better plan--$5 trillion. prgtoken To put that number in perspective, the entire Federal budget in 2019 was $4.4 trillion, the entire Federal budget. Yet were pushing forward with a $5 trillion spending plan on top of a $1.9 trillion spending bill earlier in the year. prgtoken Fortunately, for the American people, the ' $5 trillion spending plan was foiled last December, but that didn't stop them for long. prgtoken Even as infl
BIDENFLATION THREATENS FAMILIES
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Madam , an August NBC News poll revealed that fifty-eight percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. prgtoken Already at a forty-year high, inflation has surged thirteen percent since took office, while wages have risen only eight percent over the same period. Under , inflation has outpaced wages for workers for seventeen months in a row, causing families to pay more for everyday goods and services. prgtoken New economic figures show that inflation and high interest rates have cost the average American over four thousand dollars in annual income, according to a Heritage Foundation expert. prgtoken Eggs are up forty percent. Gas is up twenty-six percent. Milk is up seventeen percent. Bread is up sixteen percent, and the list goes on. Families are suffering and jobs are being destroyed. prgtoken flation prices are unsustainable for families. prgtoken God Bless our troops, who successfully protected America for 20 years, as the Global War on Terrorism moves from a safe haven in Afghanistan to America. Never forget 9-11.
RECOGNIZING BROOKE MILLER
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to recognize the immeasurable service, and share my gratitude to one of the most valuable members of my staff, Brooke Miller. prgtoken Brooke has been a member of my team for 6 years and has become an integral part of my daily life both here in Washington and at home in the First Congressional District of Georgia. prgtoken I have called her at late hours and on the weekend, and she was always there for me when I needed help. During her time in our office, Brooke has served as my scheduler and director of operations. In truth, I don't know how we would have managed all this time without her. prgtoken I have been very fortunate to have someone like Brooke on my team, and she will be dearly missed by me, especially, along with the rest of our staff. As she enters this new stage of her life and transitions off the Hill, I wish her the absolute best of luck. prgtoken Her service to the First Congressional District of Georgia, and her time spent as my lifesaver, will never be forgotten. She has left a lasting impression on me and everyone that she has come in contact with. We are so grateful for all of her work. prgtoken Brooke, thank you so much for giving us your time and your unyielding effort and patience. We will surely miss you. Good luck in everything the future holds for you.
REVERSE THE CURSE
Glenn Grothman (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-9-29

there are so many things we can talk about, so many challenges for the American people over the next few months as they try to restore America to its place as the envy of the world, a great country. prgtoken We could be talking about immigration and 150,000 people a month crossing the border. We could talk about the divisive rhetoric from way too many finding racism here, there, and everywhere, and blaming all of America's problems on racism. prgtoken We could be talking about other problems. But tonight we are going to be talking about the ridiculous amount of overspending, which is debasing the value of the dollar and resulting in the inflation that is hurting and harming American families so much, be it the cost of cars, be it the cost of food, be it the cost of energy. prgtoken America must not forget where this inflation came from. It came from the American Rescue Plan, one of the first bills passed under President . It was continued by the infrastructure bill, another over $1 trillion of spending. And, finally, the reduce inflation act, another $700 billion. This is in addition to the large increases in the regular budgets Congress always passes. prgtoken We have been out of control on the regular budgets, and now you hear these three additional bills, which are causing the huge increases in prices that you see at the gas pump, but even more at the grocery store and at restaurants, and when you are looking to buy a house or rent. prgtoken Where did this come from? It is not a natural thing to happen. prgtoken It came because of out-of-control spending on all three of these bills. And worse, in addition to the out-of-control spending leading to the inflation, we have where the money went. We are spending more and more money on programs conditioned upon not working very hard, programs conditioned to take the benefit of not getting married. prgtoken So in addition to, I assume, intentional desire to debase the currency, we continue down the path of moral decline as we encourage money to be spent in the wrong place. prgtoken , I encourage the American people in the future, when you decide how you want your country governed, when you go to your Representative's office hours back home, when you call your Congressman, ask them: Where do you stand on these big spending programs? And now we have another one coming down the pike, another $400 billion in student loan debt forgiveness. prgtoken Where is that money going to come from? prgtoken I will tell you where the money is going to come from. To a certain extent it is going to be paid by future generations, but more immediately it is going to be paid for by the American public again. The $400 billion will result in higher gas prices, higher food prices, higher automobile prices--that is where the money is going to come from. prgtoken Wake up, America, these things are not free. The politicians who have passed these programs in the past are responsib
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS ACT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Mr. Chair, I would like to correct the record regarding a comment Chairman Scott made at the Rules Committee Tuesday that employers must offer mental health benefits. prgtoken Most health plans governed by ERISA are not required to offer mental health benefits. Let me repeat myself: Most mental health benefits offered by employers with ERISA plans are offered voluntarily. prgtoken Offering comprehensive health coverage is a valuable tool used to recruit and retain employees. When employers choose to offer mental health benefits, those benefits must be at parity with other benefits. What parity means is a matter of debate, which is the root of the problem here. prgtoken The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 required mental health parity for plans that choose to provide mental health benefits. When these employer-sponsored plans cover mental health benefits, they must abide by mental health parity laws. prgtoken The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 directed the Department of Labor to provide additional assistance to plans to comply with parity requirements. DOL has ignored Congress' mandate to provide additional assistance to plans and is instead expecting plans to read the minds of Washington bureaucrats or face litigation and fines. prgtoken The problem with this top-down approach is that employers do not have to subject themselves to DOL's whims. Employers are choosing to cover mental health benefits. They can just as easily choose not to offer mental health benefits if Washington is intent on making it too challenging or costly. prgtoken DOL should follow the law and issue additional guidance, specifically standards, to employers and plans. prgtoken Helping employers would undermine the ' long-term goal of weakening employer-sponsored insurance and implementing government-run healthcare. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT
Roger Williams (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-9-29

the have once again failed their job to provide funding for the upcoming fiscal year. They will now kick the can down the road until after the election and pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open until December. prgtoken Funding the government in this fragmented fashion is irresponsible, and it does not allow us to respond to the realities facing our country, like a southern border enduring over 7,000 illegal crossings every day, an energy crisis, and rampant inflation. prgtoken Additionally, CRs do not allow our military to start any new contracts, which is a real problem right now, considering the uncertainty around this world. prgtoken Every year, we know that these deadlines are coming, yet the have once again failed to deliver for hardworking Americans. In God we trust.
FDA MODERNIZATION ACT 2.0
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to talk about a bill that would lift a mandate in the law dating back to the Great Depression. This mandate is that drugs have to be tested on animals before clinical trials in humans. prgtoken This law was created back in the thirties--but I think makes no sense today--when the only methods we had back then were animal trials or human trials. But as the cofounder of a leading bioconvergence startup wrote in ``Forbes'' last December: [T]his legislation was passed 20 years before the first modern blood tests, 40 years before [the] modern computers and 60 years before the human genome was mapped. Now, we have all these tools and so many more to evaluate and ensure the safety of cosmetics and drug candidates before they reach human trials. prgtoken The problem is, the law never caught up to the science. The law perversely requires drug developers to test on animals, which often means killing them after the test is over, even when nonanimal methods would work better. Passing this bill will put a stop to the needless suffering and death of millions of animals in labs across the country. prgtoken An emeritus neurology professor at Mayo Clinic, David Wiebers, wrote earlier this month in the Kansas City Star that the-- [D]ifferences in genetics and physiology among species can change the way a drug is metabolized in the body. As a result, the predictive value of using animals for toxicity testing is far from optimal. The intent of the 1938 requirement for animal models was to keep toxic drugs from harming patients. prgtoken A noble quest. Yet, statistics show that these animal tests are flawed and misclassify many toxic compounds as safe. prgtoken This partly explains why over 90 percent of drugs found to be safe in animal testing end up failing in human clinical trials. But animal tests can be more than twice as expensive--sometimes up to 30 times more expensive--as nonanimal alternatives. This is despite the fact that it takes over a decade to bring a new drug to market and costs about a billion dollars. prgtoken You would think that if you are making that kind of investment, you would be getting something for your money. But not when the government gets in the way of progress. prgtoken It is often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. We have mandated animal testing for the last 84 years, and it meant slower approval for promising drugs and cures. prgtoken The time has come for the law to finally catch up with the science. I am glad the Senate has acted, and I hope the House of Representatives will now move quickly to pass this measure into law. prgtoken This law will allow the option of not doing animal testing. It is not that it will forbid and prevent any animal testing; it simply will allow the option of bringing drugs to market wit
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2022-9-29

the whole country continues our vigil for the people of Florida, who are hunkered down through Hurricane Ian. prgtoken The storm's landfall yesterday brought surging seas and sustained winds over 150 miles an hour, and 2.5 million Florida families and businesses are reportedly without power. Evacuation orders have been in place for more than 2 million residents of the gulf coast. prgtoken The extent of the damage has barely even begun to come into focus. Fortunately, the coordinated State and local response, led by Governor DeSantis and supported by Federal Agencies, is ongoing. prgtoken Yesterday, our two colleagues from Florida led the State's entire congressional delegation in asking President to issue a major disaster declaration and unlock further aid. I understand the President agreed this morning. prgtoken The Senate will stand ready to provide further assistance if needed. The government funding legislation before us will make sure the Disaster Relief Fund is refilled. prgtoken Most immediately, Floridians remain at the forefront of the nation's prayers. The Economy prgtoken , now, on a completely different matter, families across America have felt the brunt of this all-ic government's failed energy policies. When gas prices were skyrocketing, the administration insisted up and down they had no control over them. When the prices started to level off, the same politicians asked for a round of applause--funny how that works. prgtoken Here is what working families in Kentucky know: that a gallon of gas costs a full dollar more than when President took office. American families and small businesses know their electricity bills skyrocketed this spring and this summer, and they know that heating costs on ' watch this fall and winter may well be catastrophic. prgtoken Just like our overall 13.2 percent inflation since January 2021 is directly--directly--traceable to ' reckless spending, a lot of our energy prices are traceable to ' shortsighted policies. have spent 20 years saying we shouldn't explore for American energy, that our abundant fossil fuel resources should actually stay in the ground. prgtoken Just in the last 2 years, overwhelmingly voted two separate items to let the EPA ban fracking. One analysis showed that the kind of fracking ban want will quadruple household energy bills. prgtoken supported President 's de facto bans on both offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing. They backed President 's decision to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline. I guess it is better to import Middle Eastern crude than safely transport oil from Canada. prgtoken They voted for reckless tax hikes, including a natural gas tax that will directly drive up families' heating costs. prgtoken And this week marks the 6-month anniversary of when President began