mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-8-1

in a short time the Senate will vote on final passage of a bipartisan agreement to lift the budget caps for 2 years and extend the debt ceiling. It is an agreement that will strengthen our national security and provide our troops with the resources they need to do a very difficult and often dangerous job. Importantly, it will clear the way for critical investments in America's middle class, as well as for those struggling to get to the middle class, in healthcare, education, childcare, cancer research, our veterans, and more. prgtoken For too long, the arbitrary, draconian limits of sequester have hampered our ability to invest in working Americans and our military readiness. This deal ends the threat of sequester permanently. That is huge. prgtoken As large forces erode the financial security of the middle class-- globalization, automation, technological advancement--one of the only forces large enough to push back on the side of the middle class and help them is the Federal Government. prgtoken Investing in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and childcare is how we give middle-class Americans greater security and give Americans struggling to get into the middle class a ladder up--something this government has done for decades and decades but hasn't been doing very well since the sequester has been in effect. prgtoken The sequester has hamstrung our ability to make investments in the middle class for 8 years--but no longer. Thank God. prgtoken Not only does this agreement end the sequester, it includes a significant increase in support for domestic priorities. In fact, the budget deal increases domestic budget authority $10 billion more than defense. In the 3 years of 's Presidency and a Senate, have secured over $100 billion in increases for domestic programs. That means additional resources for the States to combat the opioid epidemic; support for VA hospitals caring for our veterans; cancer prgtoken research and other critical medical research that have saved the lives of literally millions; climate and clean energy technology; reducing the burden of college debt; infrastructure and transportation improvements. prgtoken So this $100 billion is not abstract. It means jobs; it means ladders up; and it means hope for the American people, who are often pushed around by forces much larger than themselves. prgtoken Finally, this legislation lays the groundwork to avoid another government shutdown and will preserve the full faith and credit of the United States. prgtoken As my colleagues know well, the House has already passed this legislation and recessed for the State work period. The President supports it. Reportedly he is calling Members to encourage them to vote yes. The final piece to this puzzle is the Senate's stamp of approval. prgtoken I want to salute Senator Leahy, our ranking member, all of the members of the Appropriations Committee, and all of those who came u
DREAM CENTER
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-8-1

back in 2017, Dream Center Education Holdings, the spinoff of a Christian charity with no previous experience in higher education, announced its intention to acquire the campuses of the failing for-profit giant Education Management Corporation, EDMC, and convert them to nonprofit status. prgtoken Among EDMC's most notable brands were the Art Institutes and Argosy University. prgtoken I joined several of my Senate colleagues at the time, raising concerns about Dream Center's ability to effectively manage this higher education enterprise in the best interests of students and taxpayers. prgtoken Despite our concerns, Secretary DeVos's Department of Education gave its preliminary approval to the transaction in October 2017, without conditioning that approval on any restrictions or protections for students and taxpayers. prgtoken The Department's failure to protect students and taxpayers at this critical juncture set up a chain of events that left thousands of students harmed and millions in taxpayer dollars wasted. prgtoken In November 2017, as part of its own approval of that transaction, the Higher Learning Commission, HLC, removed accreditation from Dream Center's newly acquired Art Institute of Colorado and the Illinois Institute of Art effective January 20, 2018. prgtoken HLC transitioned these schools to ``candidates for accreditation,'' during which time they could still receive Title IV funds. prgtoken HLC noted that the loss of accreditation could have serious consequences for current and prospective students and that students ``should know that their courses or degrees are not accredited by HLC and may not be accepted in transfer to other colleges and universities or recognized by prospective employers.'' prgtoken Because of these risks, HLC required Dream Center to provide students with ``proper advisement and accommodations.'' prgtoken But Dream Center failed to comply with these requirements and instead continued to falsely advertise to students that these institutions ``remain accredited.'' prgtoken In June 2018, when several news articles brought the misrepresentation to light, I wrote to the Higher Learning Commission asking them to investigate. prgtoken I also sent a copy of that letter to the Department of Education. prgtoken Then, in August 2018, an article by David Halperin alleged that the top DeVos postsecondary education official, Diane Auer Jones, directed Dream Center to continue to represent the Illinois and Colorado campuses as accredited while she worked behind the scenes to orchestrate retroactive accreditation. prgtoken As Chairman Scott put it in his recent letter, it was an attempt at ``rewriting history to erase Dream Center's deceptive marketing practices.'' prgtoken And, it required changing Department regulations. prgtoken I wrote to Secretary DeVos in August about these troubling accusations. prgtoken In a December 4, 2018, response, signed by then-Assistant Secretary for Legis
TRIBUTE TO ERIK BECKER
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-8-1

I am proud to recognize Erik Becker of Lancaster, NH, as August's Granite Stater of the Month for his dedication to improving the community he grew up in and for lending support to those in need. prgtoken As the Student Assistance Program coordinator at Groveton High School--the very same high school that he graduated from--Erik sees firsthand how important it is to ensure that students have both emotional and material support throughout the year, not just during the school months. prgtoken During the summer, kids usually lose the relationship that they have formed with teachers during the school year. To prevent his relationships from weakening during the summer, Erik spends 15 hours a week at the school helping to distribute free lunches to kids in need, while also acting as a ``big brother'' for students who just need someone to talk to. prgtoken Erik also works at the community homeless shelter, Tyler Blaine House. He started out as a support staff member but moved his way up to a full-time case manager position to help individuals seeking to break the cycle of homelessness and get back on their feet. prgtoken In addition, Erik is the founder of the Black Crow Project, which he and a few friends founded after seeing how the substance misuse epidemic had negatively affected their community. The Black Crow Project seeks to act as a support system for those impacted by substance abuse. Right now, the group is working to revitalize the Lancaster/Groveton Crowalition, a community coalition that provides support, training, and guidance to individuals suffering from addiction. In 2016, the group also helped put on one of the largest Narcan kit distribution/awareness events in New Hampshire. prgtoken One of Erik's favorite projects as part of his work with the Black Crow Project is the Small Town Loud Fest, an annual event that brings people of all ages together to combat substance misuse, all while listening to area bands in a substance-free space. prgtoken To top off all of this community involvement, Erik also acts as a recovery coach for those battling addiction. prgtoken In New Hampshire, we have a tradition and ethos of seizing the initiative in order to make a difference, and Erik's activism and engagement exemplifies what it means to be a Granite Stater. His passion and dedication to improving the lives of the people who he grew up with is making a difference and will spur and enable others to do the same. New Hampshire is lucky to have him.
BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-8-1

first, I want to compliment the leadership in being able to come together on a budget agreement. This was a good day for the Senate, a good day for Congress, and a good day for the American people. prgtoken We now have predictable spending caps not only for the fiscal year that begins October 1 but for the following year. This is good news. It provides the predictability we need in order to have early process for the consideration of the appropriations bills. When we return in September, it is our anticipation that the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will be hard at work, and we will have an opportunity to get our work done prior to the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1. prgtoken I want to explain why I think this was the right vote and why I proudly supported it. It provides a reasonable growth rate for discretionary spending. If you look at the trend line over several decades, you will find that discretionary spending has become a smaller and smaller part of the Federal budget. We held back on discretionary spending in this country, whether it is defense or nondefense needs, and those needs have grown. prgtoken We have not kept up with the needs of funding these programs. This budget agreement will now give us the opportunity to set priorities and move forward with many important programs that are funded by discretionary spending. Once again, discretionary spending has grown much slower than the growth rate of our budget, generally. prgtoken It is a reasonable expectation that we can meet the needs of the people of this country by allowing some growth. What does it mean? Well, this past week, the Environment and Public Works Committee has recommended a transportation reauthorization bill for service transportation that would grow by about 10 percent. I think everyone in this Chamber understands that we have tremendous unmet needs in transportation infrastructure in this country. These caps give us a better opportunity of meeting those types of needs. prgtoken Tomorrow I will be in the city of Bowie--which is not far from here-- meeting with the mayor who has a simple request: His drinking water pipes need major maintenance or replacement. There is not enough capacity within the ratepayers in order to be able to do that work. He needs the Federal partnership, State-revolving funds, or other areas in order to help fund a modern water infrastructure so we have safe drinking water in our community. prgtoken These budget caps, again, give us the opportunity to move forward on programs like that so the Federal Government can help us meet our needs. prgtoken I am proud, in the State of Maryland, that we have the National Institutes of Health located and headquartered in our State. We are all very proud of the work they do. They are unlocking the mystery of diseases in this country. We need to fund them. At the present time, so many worthwhile grant applications go unmet and unfill
BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-8-1

I first thank my colleague from Connecticut, Senator Blumenthal, for his incredible work and leadership on this important bill, the Duty to Report Act, as well as for all of the other work that he has done. prgtoken He gets it. He gets that we are about to adjourn this day without passing election security legislation. We had bipartisan election security legislation. We have had that for years. Yet it has been stopped in every step of the way. prgtoken Russia invaded our democracy. Let's be clear about that. I don't like it when we use the word ``meddle'' because that is what I do when I call my daughter on a Saturday night to ask her what she is doing. This foreign country didn't just meddle in our election. They invaded it. They didn't use missiles or tanks. They used a new kind of modern warfare, which is cyber warfare, and they did it to invade our democracy. prgtoken Think about this. Our Founders literally set up a country and a Constitution because they wanted to be independent of a foreign country. In this case, it was England. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives on the battlefield fighting for our democracy and democracies across the world. That is what World War I and World War II were about. They were fighting for democracies across the world and fighting for the simple right that people should be able to determine their own destiny and vote. prgtoken Yet, in 2016, we know for a fact--we know it from President 's own intelligence advisers. Dan Coats, who was once a Senator in this very Chamber and who is someone we are going to miss, is leaving his position. Dan Coats made it clear. He said they are getting bolder. So this is something right in front of us right now, and we must respond to it. prgtoken Yet we haven't passed a bill to address it. Yes, Senator Lankford and I, along with Senators Leahy, Coons, Shelby, and others have worked to get some money, over $200 million, into the States, which is important. We got that done, but it doesn't really end there because, actually, there were no strings attached to that in terms of what we want to have done in this country, and I will get to that in a minute. prgtoken So let's first go back over the facts, because some people in this Chamber seem to have trouble with facts. Let's go over those. Special Counsel Mueller, under oath, just last week and in his report, concluded that Russian interference in our democracy was sweeping and systematic. Those were his words and not my words. We know that they are actively working again to undermine our democracy. In his words, when he was testifying under oath, ``they're doing it as we sit here.'' That is what he said under oath. prgtoken The day before Special Counsel Mueller testified in the House, the FBI Director testified in front of the committee that I am on, the Senate Judiciary Committee. I was there and asked him questions. I asked him whether he thinks havi
CIVIL AFFAIRS
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2019-8-1

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Congressional Record this scholarly article ``Civil Affairs, Winston Churchill, and the Power of Paying Attention,'' originally published in Small Wars Journal, which analyzes the value of Civil Affairs to supported commands and agencies through the lens of Winston Churchill's conception of generalship and statesmanship. Its author, CPT Andrew J. Bibb, U.S. Army, is from Santa Fe, NM. prgtoken Although often overlooked, our civil affairs forces contribute to the ability of policymakers and military commanders to understand the full landscape and make fully informed decisions. Civil Affairs units also help us navigate conflicts where we more frequently confront civilians than combatants. As the article puts it, Civil Affairs ``helps the commander understand the factors that contribute to civil unrest and make societies vulnerable to nefarious actors [and] enables them to make decisions that not only defeat threats but prevent them from arising in the first place.'' prgtoken I want to thank our men and women in Civil Affairs and let them know we value and appreciate their often unheralded work.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-8-1

as a fellow Commodore and former Vanderbilt athlete, I would like to congratulate the Vanderbilt University baseball team on winning the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's College World Series, the second championship title for the baseball program and the fifth national championship in Commodore athletic history. prgtoken Tim Corbin, in his 17th season as head baseball coach, has built a program that not only contends each year for college baseball's top prize, but has developed a culture of excellence among his athletes, both on the field and off. En route to their second national title, Coach Corbin's team, also referred to as the Vandy Boys, broke the Southeastern Conference record with 59 total victories, while also winning both the regular season and tournament titles. Without Vanderbilt's seven-member senior class, the Commodores' success could not have been possible. These seniors provided leadership and stability to a program that had a target on its back throughout the season. prgtoken This achievement is due to the hard work, talent, and teamwork of the following outstanding student-athletes: on Ray, Cooper Davis, Philip Clarke, Tate Kolywck, Isaiah Thomas, Ethan Paul, Matt Hogan, Dominic Keegan, Kiambu Fentress, Austin Martin, Walker Grisanti, Pat DeMarco, Stephen Scott, Ty Duvall, Tyler Brown, Julian Infante, Ethan Smith, Patrick Raby, Sterling Hayes, Hugh Fisher, Erik Kaiser, Zach King, Jackson Gillis, John Malcom, Jake Eder, Justyn-Henry Malloy, Austin Becker, Mason Hickman, Chance Huff, AJ Franklin, JJ Bleday, Joe Gobillot, Drake Fellows, Kumar Rocker, and Jayson Gonzalez. prgtoken These student-athletes were coached and mentored by a dedicated team of coaches and athletic department staff, including: Head Coach Tim Corbin, Associate Head Coach Scott Brown, Assistant Coach Mike Baxter, Volunteer Coach David Macias, Athletic Trainer Tracy Campbell, Strength and Conditioning Coach Chris Ham, Director of Baseball Operations Brooks Webb, Director of Player Development Brandon Barak, Video Coordinator Josh Ruchotzke, Equipment Manager Kevin Collins, and Student Managers Jack Goodrum, Chase Casali, Jackson Kelley, and Ethan Stem. prgtoken I would also like to acknowledge Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletics Director Malcolm Turner, Deputy Athletics Director Candice Storey Lee, and Associate Athletic Director Phillip Brown for their leadership. prgtoken Anchor Down, Commodores. We are proud of you.
PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-8-1

I think we should save the taxpayers a lot of money by giving States more options under Medicaid. prgtoken Unlike Medicare and private insurance, Medicaid doesn't incentivize bundled payments. This prevents States from testing a method that could potentially save money. prgtoken The bipartisan prescription drug pricing reform legislation I introduced with Senator Wyden allows States to collect rebates from drugs in outpatient settings. This removes an existing exemption in statute for some outpatient drugs and allows States to more completely utilize and test bundled payments to possibly save money. prgtoken Giving States flexibility allows them to focus on the best care for different populations. Encouraging bundled payments in Medicaid would do just that. prgtoken .
BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-8-1

in 1974, Congress passed a new Budget Act. It was revolutionary and comprehensive. It was supposed to streamline how Congress appropriates money to fund the business of the Federal Government every year. prgtoken Unfortunately, now 45 years later, we know that bill was an unmitigated disaster. Only four times in the last 45 years since that Budget Act was passed has Congress funded the government through the appropriations process before the end of the prior fiscal year--four times. prgtoken Today is the end of July. We are about to leave Congress today, hopefully--if our Senate today gets these bills passed. Then we will go back to our States, and we will work in August. We heard a lot of people talking yesterday about what they were planning to do in their States. It is a busy month. I wish it were a vacation month, but it is not--nor should it be--given the things we have to do today. prgtoken When we come back in September, there will be 10 working days left before the end of this fiscal year, September 30--10 working days. prgtoken As I stand before this body today, this is not a partisan observation. As I stand here today, we have not appropriated $1 for next year's budget to run the Federal Government of the United States of America. That is an indictment. It is an indictment of the process, an indictment of the Members, and an indictment of the fact that we have no consequences by not funding the government by September 30--not one. prgtoken So today we are about to do something that could cause us to actually use a continuing resolution for the 187th time, potentially, since the 1974 Budget Act passed. We now know how draconian these continuing resolutions are. I will talk about that in a minute. prgtoken Hopefully, we will vote today on a bill that is a compromise bill that actually sets the stage. It sets the upper limit. It doesn't do the appropriating at the detail level. It sets the topline number for the fiscal year 2020, which starts October 1, 2019. That number is roughly $1.375 trillion. I have a debt clock in my office. I can watch the national debt spin about $100,000 a second--going up every single minute of every single day. This bill actually begins to address that. President had a couple of priorities here. prgtoken Before I talk about that, I want to put in perspective what this bill actually does. We talked before about mandatory spending and discretionary spending. Again, the problem is in our Federal Government. This whole budget drama we have seen this year and every year for the last 45 years only deals with the discretionary budget, which is $1.375 trillion for 2021. prgtoken The dotted line here is where we are for the 2019 discretionary budget. Discretionary budget is 30 percent. That is the blue line here. prgtoken The green line is the total spending of the Federal Government. Today we spend $1.3 trillion in discretionary spending. We spend $3.3 trillion in