mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
132ND ANNIVERSARY OF EATONVILLE, FLORIDA
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-8-1

on August 15, 1887, 2 years after the end of the Civil War, history was made in Florida, when a group of newly freed slaves voted to incorporate the town of Eatonville on 122 acres of land. With its founding, Eatonville became the first African-American incorporated city in America. I want to congratulate Eatonville as they celebrate their 132nd anniversary and Founders Day this August. The story of Eatonville is one that all Americans should be proud of, and it stands today as an example to our Nation and the world. prgtoken This town started as a tightly knit community, built around church, school, and family, and they have maintained that heritage through over a century of growth and development. They share the challenges faced by all of our communities: the need for good jobs, a great education for their children, and a safe community. prgtoken Eatonville is famous for being the home for two influential authors, Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker. Zora Neale Hurston wrote about Eatonville in her 1937 novel, ``Their Eyes Were Watching God.'' Forty- five years later, Alice Walker would write ``The Color Purple,'' which shared similar themes. Today, Eatonville and Zora Neale Hurston are recognized in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. prgtoken In 2018, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded Eatonville the prestigious Culture of Health Prize for their efforts to address the high rates of diabetes in their community. This is an honor awarded to just a handful of communities across the Nation each year, with only 4 winning cities out of 200 entries. prgtoken To address the health needs of the entire community, they created the Healthy Eatonville Initiative and established a diabetes education and research center, the Healthy Eatonville Place, where residents can come to learn how to improve diet and exercise habits. They improved access to fresh fruits and vegetables. They built safe sidewalks and bike paths and placed historical markers along the way for all residents to learn and take pride in their rich history. prgtoken I am proud of the community spirit of Eatonville and the work they have put in to make the community so successful. As Governor and now as Senator, it is an honor to work with partners like the Town of Eatonville to make Florida the best place to live, work, and raise a family, and I look forward to their future achievements.
TRIBUTE TO EDA UZUNLAR
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-8-1

today I recognize Eda Uzunlar, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. prgtoken Eda is a graduate of Stevens High School in Rapid City, SD. Currently, she is attending Yale University in New Haven, CT, where she is pursuing a degree in global affairs. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. prgtoken I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Eda for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.
ECONOMIC GROWTH
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-8-1

we just had our last vote here in the Senate before going into the August recess, and I am looking forward to being home in Ohio during the week. I come here during the week and go home on the weekends, but during this August recess period, it gives me a chance to get all around the State because we are home during the workweek. prgtoken I will be in a few dozen counties by the end of the recess, but I am going to start by being at the Ohio State Fair tomorrow. Tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m we have the biggest ag event in the State, which is our annual ag breakfast. I will be hearing from farmers from all over the State. prgtoken It has been a tough year for us in Ohio. Because of all the water, we have had lots of farmers who weren't able to plant their crops, and, therefore, there are some fields that are bare. Others who did plant their crops have found that their crops aren't doing very well because of all of the water damage early in the year. prgtoken So it has been a hard year, and, frankly, it has been a hard few years in terms of the price, particularly, of corn and soybeans. On top of that, we have less exports of soybeans, which I hope is now being addressed with the new agreements being made with relation to China in particular, but that has put pressure on price, because without having those additional overseas markets, it has had the effect of lowering the price, particularly for soybeans and corn. On top of that, it has just been generally a tough time in farm country in terms of the price of inputs going up and the price of the product being flat. prgtoken So my hope is that tomorrow I will get more input from farmers all across the State, and we will be able to continue to talk about the things we are doing. prgtoken I supported the U.S. Department of Agriculture providing some emergency loans and grants to Ohio farmers to get us through this season to avoid bankruptcies and to get people back on their feet. That money is now beginning to flow, I am happy to say. We are beginning to see some progress. The new farm bill is helping. prgtoken So my hope is that we will see better weather here going into the end of the season for these crops, that the harvest season will be better, and that we will be able to get back on our feet. prgtoken Also tomorrow, after touring the fair, I will be having some meetings with the business community, talking about what is working and what is not working in terms of regulations and taxes. prgtoken I will also be meeting with business leadership about how to get these new opportunity zones in the tax bill up and going. At those meetings, we will have community leaders and we will have people from neighborhoods that have had a tough time. Even during the economic growth, we have seen that some neighborhoods have been left behind. They still have relatively high unemployment, and they still have real problems of stubborn poverty. These opportunity zo
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2019-8-1

today the Senate passed disastrous legislation that I opposed, which increases spending by $322 billion with few offsets and suspends the debt limit for 2 years with absolutely no reforms to bring fiscal sanity to Washington. According to the Congressional Budget Office, in 2029, the net interest on our debt will near $1 trillion. The cost of our debt is a pending crisis but current rules for scoring the cost of legislative proposals do not tell the full story, like how much the bills will increase the debt and the subsequent cost of interest on that debt. This bill would require that information be included, which in turn would increase transparency for taxpayers, who will eventually foot the bill for this reckless spending. I urge my colleagues to join me in this commonsense proposal.
MORNING BUSINESS
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-8-1

when the Senate gavels out at the end of this day, Members will head home for the August work period to spend time with our constituents and family. I, for one, am eager to get back home to Texas and spend time with folks in about every region in my State. I have the honor of representing roughly 28 million people, and it takes a little bit of time and effort to get around the State, but I am looking forward to it. prgtoken I will have the chance to highlight some of the work that we have been doing here in Washington and, yes, hear from my constituents, my fellow Texans, on what they care most about, what they agree with, what they disagree with, and everything in between. prgtoken With the passage of this bipartisan budget deal, we have now taken care of our final piece of business for this work period. The funding agreement we just passed will provide stability for our Nation through 2020 and deliver on some of the administration's key priorities. It has been the result of extensive negotiations between President and Pelosi and represents a compromise between two sides that typically don't agree on much, and, yes, ``compromise'' is still not a dirty word. It is the only way things get done around here. prgtoken Obviously, this agreement is not perfect. That is the nature of compromise and the hallmark of responsible government. By passing this funding agreement, we are avoiding the possibility of a government shutdown again this fall. Instead, it provides us the time and space for wide-ranging debate about our government's spending habits. As our national deficit continues to grow, that could not be more critical. prgtoken I was glad to see that through the President's tough negotiations, it prevents 30 poison pills--or policy riders--from reaching the President's desk. It is no secret that our friends across the aisle have tried their best to eliminate the Hyde amendment, which, since 1976, has defined a consensus that no taxpayer funds be provided for abortions. That argument is over until 2020. prgtoken We also know there will be no Green New Deal done--no undoing of the President's regulatory reform through the backdoor. prgtoken Most importantly though, this funding agreement invests in our military. If there is one priority for what we ought to be doing here as elected representatives in the Federal Government, it is to provide for the common defense and for our national security. prgtoken This funding agreement provides the Pentagon with the predictability and flexibility they need in order to keep our country safe today and tomorrow. A predictable and steady budget gives our military leaders the ability to plan for the future and allows them to invest in the innovative and cutting-edge tools our servicemembers need and ensure that when the call comes, we are ready. prgtoken I was proud to support this funding agreement, and I am glad it is now headed to the White House for the P
BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2019
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-8-1

some say it is irresponsible not to raise the debt ceiling. Well, true fiscal conservatives say it is irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling without any reform of our profligate spending ways. To allow the debt ceiling to go up an infinite amount--as much as Congress can possibly spend and borrow over a nearly 2-year period--is fiscally irresponsible and has never been seen in our history. This may well be the most fiscally irresponsible thing we have done in the history of the United States. prgtoken The Federal Government is currently spending nearly $2 million every minute. Don't let anybody fool you--this is a spending problem. The annual deficit this year will exceed $1.2 trillion. What is irresponsible is recklessly indenturing our children and our grandchildren. What is irresponsible is binding our kids to this massive burden of debt. What is irresponsible is a Congress that believes it is Santa Claus and that it can be everything to everyone and that everything is free. prgtoken At least the are honest. The don't care about deficits, and they will tell you that to your face. The , in fact, are falling all over themselves to propose more than $50 trillion in new spending in addition to the trillion-dollar annual deficits. They want to add $50 trillion in spending. prgtoken Yet it is not just the . The s are also guilty--at least the Big Government s who will vote for this monstrous addition of debt. Many of the supporters of this debt deal ran around their States for years and complained that President was spending too much and borrowing too much. These same s now--the whole disingenuous lot of them--will wiggle their way to the front of the spending trough to vote for as much or more debt than President ever added. prgtoken Get this. All of those who said the debt was bad under President will today snuggle their way up, wiggle their way up to the spending trough, and they will do exactly what they condemned under President . Shame. Shame on the politicians who have campaigned as conservatives but who have governed as big spenders. prgtoken America, wake up. The two parties are often one. The two parties that ostensibly fight are in reality one party of big spenders, separated only by where they want to spend the money. prgtoken The media reports of a lack of compromise. The opposite is true. There is too much compromise, and the compromise is always more debt, more porkbarrel spending, and more burden for our kids. prgtoken Yet there is another path. There is another form of compromise. Instead of compromising to raise spending for guns and butter, we could compromise to hold the line on all spending. Just a mere 2-percent cut in spending would balance the budget over a 5-year period--1 or 2 pennies out of a dollar. You get to spend 98 percent of what you spent last year, and we balance the bud
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-8-1

I have 2 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Armed Services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, August 1, 2019, at time to be determined, to conduct a hearing on pending nominations. Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, August 1, 2019, at 10 a.m to conduct a business meeting and hearing on the nomination of W. Stephen Muldrow, to be United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, Department of Justice.
TRIBUE TO ROGER HUTSON
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2019-8-1

today I wish to recognize a giant of Denver and Colorado's business and philanthropic community, Mr. Roger Hutson. Mr. Hutson is the president and CEO of HRM Resources III, which is headquartered in Denver and produces energy in Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Kansas. prgtoken Mr. Hutson has a servant's heart. He has offered his business acumen and leadership experience to serve others in Colorado for decades. Mr. Hutson graduated from the Colorado School of Mines with a bachelor of science in geological engineering in 1982, one of the Nation's leading engineering schools. In 2004, Governor Bill Owens appointed Mr. Hutson to the school's board of trustees, and he was reappointed in 2009 by Governor Bill Ritter. During his two terms of service, he served as president of the board of trustees and chairman of the finance and audit committee. He has served on many other boards and commission at both the State and local levels. prgtoken Because he is passionate about business, education, economic development, and public policy, Mr. Hutson was the first oil and gas executive asked to join the exclusive business organization known as Colorado Concern. There, he works with top Colorado executives who are interested in enhancing and protecting our State's business climate, a business climate that is widely recognized as the best in the prgtoken Nation thanks to the work of people like Mr. Hutson. prgtoken He has no doubt touched countless lives in Colorado as he has provided his time, talent, and resources to advance the causes he cares deeply about. He served as a mentor for the Denver Petroleum Club in 2013 and helped a group of young industry professionals raise more than $700,000 for the Wounded Warriors Project. He has also supported the Children's Hospital, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Tennyson Center, and the Newman Center. prgtoken Mr. Hutson will be honored next week at the Navy Seal Foundation's Denver Evening of Tribute. He is worthy of this recognition, and I thank him for serving and impacting so many people in the State of Colorado.
COMMEMORATING WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-8-2

. Madam , later this month, on August 26, 2019, we will commemorate the 99th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote. prgtoken This momentous achievement did not come easy or without struggle, for as the great abolitionist and orator, Fredrick Douglas stated: ``If there is no struggle, there is no progress . . . . Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.'' prgtoken The fight for women's suffrage was waged over a 72-year period, beginning in Seneca Falls, New York at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. prgtoken At Seneca Falls, the delegates issued the ``Declaration of Sentiments'' regarding the repression of women in American society. prgtoken The Seneca Falls Conference was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Mary McClintock, and Sojourner Truth, who powerfully reminded the delegates that equality and suffrage for women should include all women, saying ``Ain't I A Woman?'' prgtoken With the end of the Civil War, the suffrage movement resumed with the 1869 formation of the National Woman Suffrage Association and its rival, the American Woman Suffrage Association. prgtoken By 1890, these two groups merged to create the National American Woman Association led by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone. prgtoken The progressive National Women's Party was formed in 1916 as an outgrowth of the Congressional Union and reached out to social groups beyond the elite class, using radical tactics in the fight to win suffrage. prgtoken During World War I, the struggle for suffrage continued as the National Women's Party organized protests outside the White House, turning President Wilson's famous question back on him, asking: ``, how much longer must women wait for liberty?'' prgtoken These protests resulted in the jailing of suffragists for ``obstruction of traffic'' and they endured mistreatment and forced- feeding while in jail. prgtoken Among the courageous women who organized these protests and some who spent time in jail were Alice Paul, who fearlessly executed the National Women's Party picketing protests, and conceived the hunger- strike in prison; Carrie Chapman Catt, who devised the ``winning plan'' at the Atlantic City Convention; and Ida B. Wells-Barnett, whose political activism and criticism of the suffrage leadership for excluding black women led to a more inclusive and effective movement. prgtoken The pressure generated by the White House pickets, the arrests, and forced-feedings of women protestors compelled President Wilson to embrace the suffrage amendment in January 1918, which was approved by Congress on June 4, 1919, and became the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution when it was ratified by the 36th state, Mississippi, on August 26, 1920. prgtoken The 19th Amendment states: ``The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall
TRIBUTE TO VICE ADMIRAL C. FORREST FAISON, III, UNITED STATES NAVY
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-8-2

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the service and achievements of an esteemed and valued member of our Armed Forces, Vice Admiral C. Forrest Faison, III, United States Navy, on his retirement after 39 years of honorable and dedicated service to our country. His unwavering commitment to those entrusted in his care will remain his legacy long after his departure. prgtoken For the past two years, I had the opportunity to work directly with Vice Admiral Faison in his position as the Navy Surgeon General. Throughout his tenure, he provided invaluable support to Congress, particularly its Members and committee staff as he presented the mission, vision, and execution of Navy Medicine for our country' s sailors, marines, and their families. As a fellow Northern Ohioan, I would like to share with you some highlights of his distinguished career. prgtoken For 39 years, Vice Admiral Faison excelled in his leadership and the training of medical professionals in America's Navy at home, sea, and abroad. He served as the Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy and Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, from 2013 to 2015, and as our 38th Surgeon General of the Navy. prgtoken As Commander of Navy Medicine West and Naval Medical Center San Diego, he was responsible for medical care and support to over 850,000 eligible beneficiaries with a staff of 16,000 at 10 hospitals and over 30 clinics from the West Coast to the Indian Ocean. He served as Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for Current and Future Health- care Operations; Commanding Officer, Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton; Commanding Officer, U.S. Expeditionary Medical Facility; and U.S. Medical Task Force, Kuwait, where he led a tri-service task force of subordinate commands and was responsible for all healthcare operations in Kuwait, Qatar, and Southern Iraq, including all medical logistics support throughout U.S. Central Command. prgtoken Additional assignments included Deputy Commander, Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, Virginia; Group Surgeon, 3d Force Service Support Group, Fleet Marine Forces, Pacific; Director of Department of Defense Telemedicine, Washington, D.C.; Chief Information Officer, Navy Medicine; Director, Clinical Services, U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan; Naval Hospital Lemoore; USS Texas (CGN 39); and Amphibious Group 3. prgtoken As Vice Admiral Faison closes this chapter of his life to embark on new adventures, I urge my colleagues to join me in extending our congratulations to him on his retirement. We wish him, his wife Michelle, and family, ``Fair Winds and Following Seas.''
COMMEMORATING THE RETIREMENT OF CALIFORNIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD COMMANDER MAJOR GENERAL LAWRENCE HASKINS
Ami Bera (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-8-2

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate the retirement of Major General Lawrence Haskins of the California Army National Guard. prgtoken As Commander of the California Army National Guard, General Haskins oversees a force of over 18,000 soldiers. prgtoken General Haskins has served for over 40 years and first enlisted in the California Army National Guard in July 1975. After 9/11, he was mobilized as the Commander of Task Force Guardian, a brigade in support of Operation NOBLE EAGLE III, providing extra force protection forces for 88 Army and Air Force installations across 21 Western states. In 2008, he became Chief of Staff of the CA Army National Guard. prgtoken On April 1, 2011 General Haskins became the Deputy Commander, responsible for day to day operations. In October 2012, he assumed the duties of full time Commander. prgtoken General Haskins has received numerous awards and decorations including the Legion prgtoken of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal. prgtoken Madam , I invite my colleagues to join me in thanking Major General Haskins for his service to the state of California and our nation. We wish him the best in his next stage in life.