mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-12-12

I would like to thank both chairmen for their leadership in this opportunity of bringing us all together. prgtoken I chose to be a member of the Agriculture Committee because this committee has jurisdiction over some of the most critical issues facing our community, that is food and nutrition. prgtoken Even back in Pennsylvania, one issue that has been central to my work is ensuring that people in every neighborhood in Philadelphia, between west Philadelphia and north Philadelphia, south Philadelphia, had access to safe, healthy, and reasonably priced food. prgtoken In Philadelphia, 20 percent of our population is food insecure, meaning one in five Philadelphians don't know where their next meal will come from. prgtoken I am pleased to see that this bill maintains SNAP and does not weigh down poor and hungry Pennsylvanians with onerous work rules. prgtoken But let's be clear: this is just a beginning. No child should go to bed hungry. No parent should have to make the choice between putting food on the table or keeping the lights on. prgtoken In times of peace and in times of war, our soldiers must always have a food source in order to provide the necessary safety and security our democracies depend on for survival. prgtoken As a member of the Agriculture Committee, I had the opportunity to meet with members of the ag community at all levels, from farmers to consumers. I have come to better understand the needs of Pennsylvania's hardworking farmers and others in the broad agriculture community through events such as the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the Ag Progress Days. prgtoken And over time, through meetings with advocates, the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, The Food Trust, the National Young Farmers Coalition, Philabundance, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, and National Farmers Union, I am happy to say that this bill does a lot of work for them. prgtoken In addition to SNAP, this bill addresses hunger by increasing funding for everyone. prgtoken This bill also provides greater flexibility in coverage and tools for Pennsylvania dairy farmers, investing in rural infrastructure, supports research of 1890 land-grant universities, and maintains fundamental conservation programs. prgtoken Food unites us. Food is medicine. Food is foreign policy. And I say this: this bill is a starting point. We have to work together, and I look forward to working on this bill to make it stronger. prgtoken , I thank both chairmen and I thank the staff for all their collective work together. prgtoken Yes, we should vote a resounding ``yes.''
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Marcia L. Fudge (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-12-12

let me begin by thanking my good friend and the ranking member, Collin Peterson, as well as my fellow conferees and the staff for their leadership in negotiating this conference report. prgtoken The farm bill conference report is a good bill. It is not a perfect bill, but certainly worthy of our support. I am pleased Members on both sides of the aisle and across the Chamber were able to reach consensus on how to show the American people that Congress can work together. prgtoken This agreement protects SNAP by rejecting proposals in the House farm bill that would have severely weakened the program and taken food assistance away from nearly 2 million people. prgtoken This agreement increases access to healthy foods in underserved communities and takes steps to tackle food waste, which we know is a major problem. prgtoken This agreement builds new opportunities to improve soil health and water quality in the Great Lakes. prgtoken This agreement provides beginning and minority farmers and ranchers additional tools and resources needed to own and operate successful businesses. prgtoken This agreement authorizes $350 million per year for rural broadband coverage. prgtoken This agreement expands investment in low-income, urban, and rural communities. prgtoken Finally, this agreement provides certainty and sound agricultural policies for America's producers and consumers. I encourage my colleagues to join me and vote ``yes'' on the final conference report.
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2018-12-12

I am going to change pace a little bit here. I want to talk about a couple of people on my staff who are going to move on to greener pastures, you might say, and I want to acknowledge them. prgtoken First of all, I want to acknowledge a man who has always been there for me when I have needed him. Day or night, hell or high water, yes, even during the first few weeks of his fatherhood, my chief of staff, Aaron Murphy, has given himself to Montana and to this Nation. prgtoken For years, he and his wife Patience and their children Mira and Wes have dedicated nights and weekends to ensuring that our State remains the best place to live and raise a family. prgtoken Dating back to my first U.S. Senate campaign in 2006, Aaron has been an integral part in shaping my message, crafting my political policy, and ensuring that every word matters. He takes the job seriously, but he never loses the ability to laugh at himself--the mark of a true leader. prgtoken One 4th of July, he tasked his communications team to write a statement honoring Independence Day. My team wrote: We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. prgtoken Aaron was appalled by the hyperbole, and he began editing the statement, only to find out that his team had pranked him by copying and pasting lines from the Hollywood blockbuster movie ``Independence Day.'' prgtoken Aaron's no-nonsense style has kept us focused on what really matters, and that is the people. His ability to see the big picture and the end goal is one of his greatest gifts. prgtoken His work ethic is second to none. He is the first person in the office in the morning, and he is the last one out at night. He is rooted in his desire to create opportunity for the next generation, and his passion drives him to excel every day--never settling for second best. prgtoken He has worked as my press secretary, as my communications director, and now he wraps up his time as my chief of staff. prgtoken I want to tell him, on behalf of my entire family and team Tester: Thank you for your service. prgtoken Aaron has been at my side through three grueling elections and countless national media appearances. prgtoken I remember the first time I met this man. He was working at a local TV station. I was informed by my then-communications director that we had this guy who wanted to work for my campaign. At the time, I said to Matt McKenna: Why would he want to work for me? He has a good job. prgtoken Matt responded: Maybe he actually thinks you can win this election. prgtoken That is exactly what Aaron Murphy believes. He believes in the future of this country. He believes in the future of Montana. prgtoken There was another time, before the 2012 election, when Aaron was driving to my farm. He took the wrong road, and he ended up stuck in the mud. He buried the car up to the frame, and, fortunately, he found a spot where his cell phone work
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Paul Tonko (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-12-12

. I will continue working with my colleagues to improve coordination of Federal broadband programs so we can increase efficiency and eliminate duplicative or wasteful efforts. prgtoken Finally, while I am grateful for the overall outcome of the legislation, as a conferee representing the views of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I was disappointed that on many issues in this legislation involving committee jurisdiction, the committee was not properly consulted. It is my hope that, in the future, all conferees will be allowed greater involvement and their voices will be heard, especially on issues that cross committee lines. prgtoken Again, I would urge my colleagues to support this bill.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2018-12-12

it occurs to me that if Americans had any doubt that President is fixated on prgtoken wasting billions of tax dollars to wall off our 2,000-mile southern border, all they had to do was watch his jaw-dropping press conference yesterday in which he demanded another $5 billion of America's hard- earned tax dollars for his political pet project, which, throughout his whole campaign, he gave his solemn word that Mexico would pay for. prgtoken I have been here during the terms of eight different Presidents. I have never heard the words I heard from our President yesterday. I never thought that any President, or , would use them. When President boasted that he would be proud to shut down the government if Congress does not bow to his spending demands, I had to play it back, watching it two or three times, making sure that is exactly what he said. He was very proud of it. I must say it is one of the most reckless statements I have ever heard uttered by a President of the United States of either party. prgtoken The President's job, like yours and mine--all of us--is to keep the Federal Government operating for the hundreds of millions of Americans who depend on government services every day, from our national parks, housing services for the elderly, the disabled, our veterans, and for assistance to our Nation's farmers. Just yesterday, we passed a bipartisan farm bill, and I praise Senator Roberts, a , and Senator Stabenow, a . They came together and passed a bipartisan bill by an overwhelming margin. prgtoken A lot of work went into that to protect our farmers, but if the President shuts down the government, there is not going to be anybody in local USDA--U.S. Department of Agriculture--offices to answer questions from farmers about what that new law means for them, just as farmers are making their plans for next year's planting season. They cannot just turn it on and turn it off. They have to plan months in advance. prgtoken When I first came to the Senate 44 years ago, the idea of threatening to shut down the Federal Government as a negotiating tactic was unheard of. Now it seems we go through this every year, and neither party is blameless. But before President , no one bragged about it. No one seemed to relish it. No one was foolish enough to call it good for the country, no matter what party they were from. No one treated shutting down the government as if it is some kind of reality show, some kind of game, without the slightest concern for the consequences for the American people and hundreds of thousands of Federal workers and their families over the holidays or for the huge amount of the taxpayers' money that would be wasted as a result. prgtoken President 's performance yesterday amounted to throwing a temper tantrum on national television. He is either oblivious to what he is doing, does not know what he is doing, or he simply does not
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TO RETURNS BY EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS AND RETURNS BY CERTAIN NON-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-12-12

I am honored to join the senior Senator from Oregon in support of this important resolution. prgtoken As I think everybody on this floor has observed, there is a rot in our American democracy, and there is a shadow over the Halls of Congress. The rot is dark money, and the shadow is special interest influence empowered by that dark money. prgtoken A lot of this goes back to the extraordinarily misguided decision of the U.S. Supreme Court--or, I should say, five appointees to the U.S. Supreme Court--in Citizens United, which took the astonishing position that the integrity of our elections should receive a value of zero in their calculus and their solicitude should be exclusively for the wealthiest forces that bring their power to bear on American democracy, because, after all, if what you are doing is unleashing the power of special interests to spend millions of dollars, by definition, you are only powering up the group that has millions of dollars to spend and a reason to spend it. prgtoken That is, perhaps, the segment of the American population entitled to the least solicitude in our great American debate. Yet it was the exclusive interest of the five appointees on the Court. It was an evil balancing of priorities but, sadly, part of a long tradition--going back to the Bellotti decision--of appointees to the Supreme Court expanding the role and influence of corporations and special interests. prgtoken In their foolishness, the five judges who gave us the Citizens United decision claimed that the spending they unleashed was going to be transparent--not so. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to append to my remarks at the end with an article pointing out that secret political spending in elections in the United States of America is on track to hit a $1 billion milestone. prgtoken Not only is the secret spending a menace, but once you allow unlimited spending--particularly, if you allow unlimited secret spending--there is another dark problem, which is that if you are a big special interest that is able to spend unlimited money, and perhaps secret unlimited money against a candidate, what else have you been given the power to do? You have been given the power to go to that candidate and say: We are coming after you unless you do what I tell you. prgtoken It opens threats and promises that are always going to be secret. So even were there not these evil channels for dark money to pollute and influence our democracy, Citizens United would still be misguided with respect to the darkness of the threats and promises that it empowered. prgtoken Of course, when you remove accountability for the advertising and the sleazy campaigns that this supports, you get a lot more negative advertising. That is why one of the consequences of all of this has been described as a tsunami of slime. prgtoken Whether you want to rid dark money channels, whether you wa
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2018-12-12

I come forward today to recognize the service of Lori Sutliff who, after 10 years as a member of the board of directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, will be ending her service at the end of this year. prgtoken Ms. Sutliff began her career in broadcasting in 1983. Working under the broadcast name ``Lori Gilbert,'' she has specialized in providing broadcast news to rural areas, serving most recently as the news director for Elko Broadcasting Company's KELK-AM and KLKO-FM in the rural community of Elko, NV. She also hosts a community news program, Elko Live, which provides listeners throughout northeastern Nevada with news about local, regional, and national issues. prgtoken In 2008, Ms. Gilbert was appointed to the CPB board of directors by President . President reappointed her, and she was confirmed by the Senate in 2013. She served as board chair from September 2016 to October 2018 and vice chair from September 2014 to September 2016. prgtoken She helped lead the Corporation through multiple challenges, such as the FCC's Broadcast Spectrum Auction and repack process. Lori has also been instrumental in helping develop new ways for public media stations to collaborate, and, over the last 5 years, CPB has launched 13 new regional journalism collaborations, creating 90 newsroom positions. prgtoken In addition to this work, Gilbert is member of the board of directors of the Associated Press Television and Radio Association of California and Nevada. She serves the rural Nevada community as a founding member of the Elko Cancer Network and the Great Basin College Health Sciences Advisory Board. She has also served on the boards of the Elko County Family Resource Center, the Boys and Girls Club of Elko, and the Elko County Juvenile Advisory Board. prgtoken Through all of this incredible work and service, she has gained an intimate understanding of the issues of rural America and how vital it is for rural residents to have a trusted source of information about their community. Ms. Gilbert speaks in journalism schools across the Nation and has consistently demonstrated her commitment to providing meaningful public media offerings to all Americans, regardless of where they live or their economic means. prgtoken Today I celebrate the many contributions of Lori Gilbert in all of her service. We are fortunate to have had her leadership, knowledge, and voice during her service to both Nevada and the Nation as a whole.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Ron Kind (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2018-12-12

we are in an era now of huge budget deficits, yet we are finding an additional $1 billion under the title 1 subsidy programs, primarily by taking it out of the conservation fund by reducing funding under the Conservation Stewardship Program from $1.8 billion to $1 billion. That will jeopardize quality water programs throughout our Nation. prgtoken So, unfortunately, this bill is not going to solve the problem, the crisis that our farmers are facing today, which is driving them out of business in record numbers: the overproduction in agriculture in our country and this trade war. prgtoken I think we should take a little bit more time and get the policy right, because we won't have another opportunity for another 5 or 6 years, and that is going to be too late for too many of our family farmers.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-12-12

atrocities that are supported with American tax dollars. They fear that a bipartisan majority of this House would reject what has become a wretched stain on our Nation. prgtoken Last month, this same group of enablers buried consideration of our resolution to end this atrocity in a bill about gray wolves, and, today, they bury Yemenis again with a bill about American agricultural abundance. prgtoken As Americans celebrate this special, joyous season of Christmas, the administration, if we do not act today, will continue to write the epitaph on the mass graves in Yemen. prgtoken Let's reject this rule today and put a stop to this egregious wrongdoing.
FAREWELL TO THE SENATE
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-12-12

this is my farewell speech, and I thought it would do me well to think back to the very first speech I gave on the floor--my maiden speech. prgtoken My maiden speech was about a couple of months after my first time being sworn in. I had waited back then--this is 18 years ago. It was appropriate for freshmen Senators to wait a while, don't speak up right away. So I waited 2 or 3 months until it felt like it was the appropriate time, and I remember there was nobody out here. It was an empty Chamber. I picked a topic of the day. I think we were trying to balance the budget at the time--something that 18 years later we are still trying to do. prgtoken Then, in the course of the speech, I mentioned that it was my maiden speech. Nobody was out here except the Presiding Officer. All of a sudden, those doors swung open, and right then and there, in strides Senator Robert Byrd. I was standing at a desk over there on the other side, and Senator Byrd's seat was either here or here. So I finished my speech and he said: Will the Senator from Florida yield? prgtoken I said: Of course, I will yield. prgtoken Senator Byrd, for 30 minutes, gave an oration on the history of maiden speeches in the Senate. So you can imagine, nothing I said was memorable, but it was certainly memorable to this Senator that all of a sudden I would be treated to the corporate knowledge from one of the lions of the Senate in looking back on the history of this body. prgtoken I wanted you to know I am a Florida boy. My family came to Florida from Denmark in 1829. So many people come to Florida from the Northeast. Well, my great-great-grandfather was a sailor--a teenager on a sailing ship--and he ended up in New York in a barroom brawl. He was frightened that he was going to be arrested, so he ran to hide. He ran down to the wharf. He hid in a ship, and the ship cast off for Port St. Joe, FL, in 1829. So you see, my family came to Florida from New York also. prgtoken Five generations--on the other side of the family, I have a deed signed by Woodrow Wilson in 1917 to my grandparents after they had worked the land for the required 4 years. Under the Homestead Act, the government would deed you 160 acres of land. It is the act that pushed the frontier so much farther into the hinterlands, and we especially think of it westward, but that was also southward. prgtoken That 160 acres of land is, today, in the north end of the space shuttle runway at the Kennedy Space Center. I cannot imagine, in that 4-year period, my grandparents swatting mosquitos and fending off alligators and rattlesnakes, scratching out a living they could survive on out of the hard earth of the land. Yet that is the hardy stock from which this Senator comes. prgtoken Grace and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. I stand before you today, and I don't think anyone could have been more blessed. It is not easy when you take your leave from the people you lo