mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
21ST CENTURY BEAN
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-4-24

if I could today, I would like to share a story about one of my favorite communities in Kansas. prgtoken At 3,681 feet of elevation, Goodland, Kansas, sits on the border of the Kansas-Colorado line. You can look to the west and see the Rocky Mountains literally rising out of the Earth. Partially because of that elevation and the many hot, dry days there, the farmers have struggled for decades for a great crop. prgtoken But about 20 years ago, one of my good friends, Alan Townsend, and the farmers who make up 21st Century Bean, started growing pinto beans. They had some success, and then they started growing black-eyed peas and garbanzos as well. prgtoken Today, 21st Century Bean grows 40 million pounds of beans every day. They had success at that, and they said: You know what else we can do? We can process and package these here. So they formed a processing plant and hired more employees. That was a success. Eventually, they hired a trucking company. They now have their own trucking company to ship their products. Today, and every day, 21st Century Bean ships out enough beans to feed a million people across this country. The great thing is, their main customer is food banks across this great country as well. prgtoken I am so proud that we have made food banks such a priority in this year's nutrition bill, the farm bill. This year, we are going to increase spending from $15 million to $60 million for food banks. Some other significant products coming out of this nutrition bill is that we are going to make access to nutrition easier for the elderly, for those in the military, and, what I am especially proud of, we are rewarding children for making healthy choices like fresh vegetables and fresh fruit, as well as the greatest drink known to mankind, wholesome milk. prgtoken , as an OB/GYN for the past 30 years, I certainly know how important nutrition is, from preconception, during pregnancy, breastfeeding moms, and all the way to the last decades of life. I am so proud that this bill has made a priority helping protect prgtoken those on the edges of life: the newborn and the elderly. prgtoken I am proud that our country spends $115 billion every year to help those who need food assistance and spends another $3 billion of nutrition assistance across the world. But what I am really proud of, though, is this gives everybody on food stamps and nutrition assistance a chance, an opportunity for some type of work training. prgtoken I think there is no greater gift we can give to people than teaching them how to fish, as well as giving them fish when they are in need. I think that this is a great thing to do. I think it is a great opportunity for people. Over 80 percent of Americans believe in this policy. I believe that this is not a punishment, but rather an opportunity we give to people. prgtoken I stand so proudly behind the nutrition component of this farm bill, which we have strived so hard to improve.
REFORMING U.S. CANNABIS POLICY
Carlos Curbelo (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-4-24

I am here this evening to emphasize the importance of reforming our Nation's policies concerning cannabis. This issue has grown to be increasingly bipartisan over the years, yet some in this administration have largely ignored the rising public support for legal, State-regulated cannabis. prgtoken , from Florida (Mr. Gaetz), a distinguished colleague from the panhandle.
IN MEMORY OF REV. DR. MARK CHEW, JR.
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-4-24

I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mark Chew, a pastor and public servant, who passed away on April 6, 2018. Rev. Dr. Mark Chew, Jr. committed much of his life to serving Denton in a variety of roles. Though he was born in Mississippi, Reverend Chew grew deep North Texas roots. He attended Fred Moore High School in Denton and graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in Dallas before receiving an associate's degree from North Central Texas College, a bachelor's degree from Southern Bible Institute, and a Doctorate of Divinity from the International Bible School in Houston. In 1967, Reverend Chew began his pastorate at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Throughout his half-century of pastoral ministry there, he oversaw the development of Outreach Ministry and Rays of Hope. Reverend Chew celebrated his 50-year pastoral anniversary in December 2017, a rare achievement. Spurred by his love for the community, Reverend Chew served the people of Denton far beyond his local church. In 1981, he became the first African American elected to the Denton City Council, serving three full terms in the 1980s and two additional consecutive terms in the 1990s. In addition to serving as President of the Denton County NAACP for 8 years, Reverend Chew was an active member of the Lions Club, the Denton Public Utility Board of Directors, and the Camp Copass Board of Directors. He also was Chaplain at both Peoples Funeral Home and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton. Reverend Chew has left a rich legacy of service to faith, family, and community. I extend my condolences to his wife of 38 years, Dr. Rose Marie Chew, their family, the members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, and all who knew him.
JUSTICE FOR UNCOMPENSATED SURVIVORS TODAY (JUST) ACT OF 2017
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-4-24

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I previously discussed how passing just a reporting requirement is not justice for survivors, never mind the title. It may be vigilance, but there will be no justice served for a single survivor when this body passes this bill and sends it to the President for his signature there is something even worse than not providing justice for survivors, and that is depriving them of justice. prgtoken I want to talk about one of the principles in this bill that, while on the face of it, might read like it is a simple principle--perhaps it sounds like good, common sense--and this is what it does: prgtoken This bill directs the Secretary of State to submit a report to Congress that assesses and describes the nature and extent that certain countries have gone to in order to meet the goals and objectives of the 2009 Holocaust Era Assets Conference. prgtoken Again, it sounds reasonable. It is always good to hold countries accountable, especially when we are talking about seeking justice for Holocaust survivors. But one of the big flaws of the 2009 Conference, and what this bill does by asking the Secretary to report on how governments are complying with these goals, is that it enshrines a principle of running out the clock on survivors. The principle, which is specifically highlighted in this bill, the JUST Act, is the notion of allowing governments to use the assets of heirless property claims to provide for other survivors' needs. prgtoken Essentially, what this is saying to the governments that have claims against them or that have obligations to survivors whom they must meet is: Go ahead. Stall as long as you can. Wait them out. Then use those assets to pay off your obligations. prgtoken How long have survivors had to wait now, ? Over 70 years. And the longer they wait, the longer those states which have obligations to survivors are allowed to stall, the less that these states will be on the hook for. prgtoken Even worse, this rewards states for stalling. It compounds the injustice to survivors. Using property and assets that were denied to survivors for over seven decades to then pay off other survivors is sickening. prgtoken Every survivor deserves justice, and that includes all who have lived prgtoken through the unthinkable but are no longer with us today. This practice is nothing more than a smokescreen for Germany's and other Claims Conference failures to forthrightly provide for all survivors' needs. prgtoken Let's think about it this way, : The Claims Conference will support the idea of using heirless claims to provide for other survivors, sure, but will the Claims Conference support the idea that survivors still being denied their justice by the insurance companies should be allowed to sue those insurance companies in Federal court? Nope. prgtoken , I wonder why that is. If my colleagues want to support this bill and if they think that using heirless prop
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-4-24

I was reading a piece in the Wall Street Journal last week by Kevin Hassett, who was the Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. His piece made an important point that doesn't often come out as clearly as it should, and that is that when American businesses benefit, American workers benefit. My friends on the other side of the aisle like to obfuscate that point. prgtoken Presumably they think they can gain political points by pitting businesses and workers against each other, as if benefits for businesses and benefits for workers were somehow diametrically opposed and as if, somehow, workers could thrive while businesses struggle. prgtoken As the piece I was reading pointed out, ``In a modern competitive economy, workers do well when their employers do.'' If you think about it, it really is just common sense. The vast majority of working Americans work for businesses, whether they are self-employed, an employee of a small business, or an employee of a large corporation. For those employees to thrive, the businesses they are working for have to thrive as well. prgtoken Struggling businesses do not invest in workers; they can't. They don't hire new employees. They don't raise wages. They don't improve benefits. prgtoken On the other hand, thriving businesses do invest in their workers, they do hire new employees, they do raise wages, and they do improve benefits. Leaving aside the fact that most business owners want to invest in their workers, successful business owners have to invest in their workers if they want their businesses to keep thriving. prgtoken For starters, successful businesses tend to need new workers, and the way to attract new workers is with good wages, good opportunities, and good benefits. Once a successful business has good employees, it tends to want to keep them so that the business can keep prospering and thriving. How do businesses keep employees? The same way they attract them in the first place--with good wages, good opportunities, and good benefits. prgtoken As Mr. Hassett notes in the Wall Street Journal: Research by economists Alan Krueger and Lawrence Summers, both of whom served in the administration, shows that more-profitable employers pay higher wages. Any company that attempts to pay a worker less than he is worth will quickly lose that worker to a competitor. Thus, firms that want to thrive must invest in their plants and their workers. prgtoken Ask any business owner in the country, and he or she will tell you that it is a competitive labor market. Unemployment is at a 17-year low. In a tight, competitive labor market, employers have to work to keep their employees. prgtoken Our focus with last fall's tax reform was on making life better for ordinary Americans, so we set out to put more money in their pockets right away by cutting tax rates across the board, nearly doubling the standard deduction and doub
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-4-24

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-4-24

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Wednesday, April 25; 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, and morning business be closed. Finally, I ask that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Pompeo nomination.
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-4-24

today I rise to dispute the absurdity that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act benefits only the wealthy, leaving nothing but crumbs for the rest. prgtoken As someone who started contributing to my family's household income at age 12, I am all too familiar with the many struggles of our country's working and middle classes. Despite their steady perseverance in the face of politicians whose fiscal philosophy was ``government knows best,'' the working poor and middle class have been chewed up by the system that same philosophy promulgated. prgtoken s' Tax Cuts and Jobs Act delivers a modern Tax Code that is fiscally responsible, levels the playing field, and supports working- class Americans. s understand that progrowth tax reform means simpler and fairer taxes that provide much-needed relief to the middle class and our small businesses. It also means security for American jobs, more take-home pay for the workforce, and a level playing field for Americans' farms and businesses. prgtoken By doubling the standard deduction, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will move more low-income Americans into the zero tax bracket. For married couples filing jointly, this translates to $24,000 yearly that is free--free--from Federal taxes. This also means that working-class Americans will be able to take home more of their hard-earned paychecks. prgtoken Currently, over 70 percent of the people in the United States already take the standard deduction. By doubling the standard deduction, even more Americans will be spared from itemizing, and the process will be so simple that they can file on a postcard. For those few Americans who do elect to itemize, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act preserves the child and dependent care tax credit, the adoption tax credit, the deduction for charitable contributions, the home mortgage interest deduction for existing mortgages, and the deduction for newly purchased homes for interest on up to $750,000 of mortgage principal. prgtoken It also continues to allow for writeoff of State and local property taxes up to $10,000. Finally, it expands the medical expense deduction in 2018 for medical expenses exceeding 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income and rises to 10 percent beginning in 2019. prgtoken Last, by lowering the crippling taxes on businesses, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act translates to an increase in employment and workers' wages. We are seeing the lowest unemployment rate since 2000, and 4 million workers and counting have seen the benefits of these historic tax cuts in their income. Businesses across the country are giving bonuses, pay raises, and new investments. Bonuses alone amount to over $4 billion across businesses countrywide. prgtoken The evidence that tax cuts provide substantial relief for the working and middle classes is clear. The ' approach was to defend a Tax Code riddled with high taxes and loopholes, but I am proud that s delivered on our promise to bring rel
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-4-24

yesterday, after some drama and a rare act of civility on the part of Senator Coons, for which I applaud him, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State. This is despite Chairman Corker repeatedly pointing out how qualified for this appointment Director Pompeo actually is, but, apparently, it fell on deaf ears. prgtoken This sort of treatment is unprecedented, in my memory certainly, for a Secretary of State. Director Pompeo was, in fact, first in his class at West Point and led the Harvard Law Review. He served his country in the military and served the people of Kansas in Congress, not to mention the fact that Mike Pompeo already serves in one of the most sensitive and important positions in the administration as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. prgtoken I spoke yesterday about the confirmations of some of the most recent Secretaries of State, not just Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. Secretary Kerry got all but three votes in the Senate, and Secretary Clinton lost only two votes in the Senate, but I also spoke of Secretary Powell and Secretary Rice. All were confirmed overwhelmingly because the Senate has always had a tradition, until now, of showing some deference to the President when confirming nominees to positions like this that have national security importance. The world needs to know that this President has confidence in this nominee, and he does. That is the key to his effectiveness in international diplomacy--knowing he has the President's ear. prgtoken Our ic friends once upon a time acknowledged that, in the words of the senior Senator from Delaware: The President, regardless of what party they are from, needs, for the most part, to have the team they want to put in place. They have been elected to lead. Let's give them a chance to lead. prgtoken The opposition we are seeing breaks with this longstanding tradition in a shameful and partisan way. Of course, our ic colleagues have been slow-walking and obstructing qualified nominees since the President was sworn in, just to hinder progress for hindering progress's sake alone. This is the kind of hyperpartisan approach to foreign policy that threatens to harm our national security because this is an important national security post. Not only should we confirm Mr. Pompeo so the President can have the support of his full Cabinet, but also so the American people can have the assurance that our national security is not being treated like a pinata that our ic colleagues are whacking with a stick. prgtoken The American people can see through this kind of concerted effort to prevent the President from filling Cabinet roles that deserve to be filled. In fact, that seems to be the approach: wherever, whenever, however to block President from accomplishing anything he seeks on behalf of the American people, even
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF JOE BILL DICKERSON
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-4-24

I rise today to remember the life of prgtoken Mr. Joe Bill Dickerson, who passed away on March 24 at the age of 88. prgtoken Mr. Dickerson was raised in Homerville, Georgia, in Georgia's First Congressional District, and truly worked hard throughout his life to make this world a better place. prgtoken After graduating from college with an agriculture degree, Mr. Dickerson enlisted in the Air Force, training in chemical, biological, and radiological warfare. He served in the Air Force until 1953, when he went on to pharmacy school at the University of Georgia. prgtoken Mr. Dickerson served in many levels of pharmacy. He worked in pharmaceutical sales, at a hospital, a local pharmacy, and even became a pharmacy professor at the University of Georgia. prgtoken Today, pharmacists like myself work throughout the State of Georgia who learned their craft under the watchful eye of an experienced Mr. Joe Bill Dickerson. His expertise, colorful personality, and dedication to the betterment of others will truly be missed.
A NATIONAL HERO FROM TEXAS 21
Lamar Smith (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-4-24

last week Southwest Flight 1380 was flying from New York's La Guardia Airport to Dallas Love Field when one of the plane's engines exploded. prgtoken The pilot, Tammie Jo Shults, a constituent who lives in Kendall County, heard the noise and knew what had happened. She remained calm as the plane shook and shuddered and reassured her 144 passengers and five crew members while she also coordinated with air traffic control. prgtoken Captain Shults kept a bad situation from becoming worse and safely executed an emergency landing in Philadelphia. prgtoken Shults is no stranger to high-pressure situations. She had years of experience as one of the Navy's first female aviators who later served as an F/A18 Hornet instructor in which she played the ``aggressor'' pilot in mock dogfights. That's where she met her husband Dean, who is now a commercial pilot too. prgtoken Tammie and Dean have two adult children, one of whom, Marshall, I appointed to the United States Air Force Academy. I'm happy to have the Shults family as constituents in Texas' 21st District.
Nomination of Mike Pompeo (Executive Calendar)
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-4-24

as President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, I ask my colleagues to join us in voting swiftly and unanimously in support of Mike Pompeo's nomination to serve as the next Secretary of State. prgtoken Frankly, I am embarrassed by the naked partisanship that was on display during Director Pompeo's confirmation hearing. The Director deserves better than this. That his nomination was nearly sent to the floor without recommendation is an utter disgrace. prgtoken This is a graduate of West Point and a man who served our Nation honorably as a cavalry officer in the U.S. Army. This is a talented litigator who graduated from Harvard Law School, where he served as editor of the Harvard Law Review. This is an accomplished businessman, a former Member of Congress, and the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. This is a man who is qualified to serve in every respect. Yet some of my colleagues wanted to block Director Pompeo's nomination on the grounds that he supports our President. Give me a break. prgtoken To these colleagues, I say: Enough. Enough of the partisan games. Enough of the political grandstanding and self-serving sanctimony. prgtoken Delaying this nomination undermines not only the reputation of this esteemed body but the very safety of our Nation. Obstructing Director Pompeo's confirmation would be a significant break from the bipartisan process that has characterized these kinds of nominations in the past and over my past 42 years. prgtoken For example, when President nominated Hillary Clinton to serve as Secretary of State, s and set aside their differences without delay, confirming her nomination almost unanimously with a vote of 94 to 2. Just 4 years later, the Senate did so again when we confirmed John Kerry with a vote of 94 to 3. prgtoken As s, did we disagree with Secretary Clinton's and Secretary Kerry's views on a wide range of issues? Absolutely. But did those disagreements prevent us from confirming two preeminently qualified nominees? Absolutely not. prgtoken As a case in point, when Secretary Kerry was confirmed in January 2013, the Syrian civil war was raging, and many of us strongly disagreed with the administration's policies in the Middle East. To my frustration and that of all my colleagues, it seemed that Secretary Kerry's Syria policy differed little from his predecessor's, but rather than turn our dissenting votes into destructive votes, we voted almost unanimously for his confirmation. prgtoken There was an understanding at the time that you paid deference to the President's nominees, even if you disagreed with them on certain policies. Today, that custom is under siege. It is under threat. If we are not careful, in the future, then partisanship will sure get the best of all of us. prgtoken The partisan abandon with which some approached Director Pompeo's nomination is something that I fear the Founding Fathe