mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Foreign Policy (Executive Calendar)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2022-3-29

a lot of Americans are tracking day by day what is happening in Russia and Ukraine, as we watch the Russian Army continue to be able to roll its way through Ukraine and, city by city, pummel innocent people--so, literally, to shell homes, apartments, businesses; to level whole cities to the ground for the sake of Russia's aggression. prgtoken This Congress and this body in particular, in the Senate, have spoken out often on this issue. I am grateful that the President has engaged to be able to apply sanctions, to be able to cut off purchases with Russia, to be able to slowly open up the weaponry that we are giving to the Ukrainians, as they continue to ask for more. They are looking for help. The Oklahomans whom I talked to want us to provide help. prgtoken But it is ironic, and some people may not know, that while we are isolating Russia in every way that we possibly can, right now, this administration is working with the Russian representatives to be our spokesmen to Iran negotiating a revised nuclear deal with Iran. We are not doing face-to-face negotiations with Iran. We are working through the Russian representative to represent our beliefs to the Iranians. prgtoken Now, if anyone in this room could say they trust the Russians to represent our values at the table with Iran, please, rise, because we don't and we shouldn't, and it makes absolutely no sense that a revised nuclear deal is prgtoken being done with Iran through the Russian negotiations while Russia is currently pummeling Ukraine. I wish I could tell you that is even the worst part of this deal. prgtoken Iran has a couple of things that they need to be able to get to a nuclear weapon. The two things they need are time and money. They have the technology. They have the know-how. They have the facilities. They have the advanced centrifuges. They just need time and money. My frustration with the Iranian nuclear deal that was done under the administration was that it gave them both time and money. It set a 10- year window where they couldn't have nuclear material that could be usable for a nuclear weapon, but it allocated $100 billion in relief of sanctions to the Iranians--$100 billion to the Iranian regime. prgtoken Now, I have no beef with the Iranian people. They are remarkable people, extremely well educated, but they live under the thumb of a horrible regime. prgtoken What did the Iranian regime do with the $100 billion that they were given? prgtoken Well, we saw the advance of the war in Yemen that happened as the Iranians were supplying the Houthis to be able to attack the Saudis and the Emiratis. We saw what happened in Lebanon with the support for Hezbollah to be able to attack Israel and to continue to destabilize. We saw what the Iranians did in Syria, supporting Bashar al-Assad and becoming his army in many areas across Syria, and that ruthless dictator is still there today because of Iranian support, because of the
SECURING A STRONG RETIREMENT ACT OF 2022
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2022-3-29

. Madam , I am glad we are finally considering SECURE 2.0, which will help every American family save. The Savers Credit improvements in this bill will help low-income families start putting aside money for the future, certainly a key to getting out of poverty. prgtoken The enhanced credit for small employers offering retirement plans will prgtoken help more businesses offer plans, an important factor in recruiting and retaining talent. prgtoken New tools--like allowing employers to match workers' student loan repayments with retirement contributions--eliminate the need for young workers to choose between paying their debt or saving for retirement. prgtoken Provisions like enhanced catch-up contributions and delaying required minimum distributions until age 75 will help older workers have more control as they near retirement. This is a strong package for savers of all ages. prgtoken Madam , I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their efforts to get this to the floor and I certainly urge support.
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF RONALD CURTIS KNIGHT
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2022-3-29

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the life and service of Ronald Curtis Knight who passed away on Monday, February 21, 2022 at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. I join his family, friends, and loved ones in mourning his loss. prgtoken Curtis was born December 9, 1953 in Amory to Hubert Caroll Knight and Emma Mill er Langford. He briefly lived in Texas before returning to Amory. He attended Amory High School and joined the Army, where he served for 6 years. He worked on a riverboat on the Mississippi River for 15 years and was also employed by True Temper Sports. In 1994, he began his 28 year career in law enforcement. He began his career with the Aberdeen Police Department then joined the Monroe County Sheriffs department. He served as a jailer, patrol, chief investigator, and retired as Chief Deputy. He served as Sheriff of Monroe County from June to December 2021. prgtoken Outside of his law enforcement career, Curtis was a Master mason in the J.A. Mayfield Lodge and he played golf, fished, and woodworked. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Amory. prgtoken Left to cherish his memory are wife, Tina; son, Josh; daughters Nikki and Tiffany; along with his brother, sister, and grandchildren. prgtoken I am grateful for Curtis' lifetime of service to the state of Mississippi. My deepest condolences are with his family at this time.
Biden Family (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2022-3-29

. Yesterday, Senator Johnson and I discussed a joint investigation into the family's foreign financial entanglements. We reviewed much of our earlier work and provided a brief preview of the new material. prgtoken Today, we will give our second speech on our investigation series. Once again, we are going to make public and we are going to describe new financial records relating to Hunter and his connections to the communist Chinese Government. Most of that focus will be on his connections to the CEFC, a company that is effectively an arm of the Chinese Government. prgtoken But first we must go back to 2015. At that time, Hunter served on the board of Burisma and was paid tens of thousands of dollars each month. Its owner was a corrupt Russian-aligned Ukrainian oligarch. But that is not all that Hunter was up to. prgtoken In that year, CEFC International announced an agreement with Northern International Capital Holdings. Northern International is incorporated in China, and it is very much involved in the energy sector. prgtoken One of Ye Jianming's companies was a majority shareholder of CEFC International. Northern International purchased 123 million dollars' worth of CEFC's shares, binding the two companies together. prgtoken We must also mention Hudson West III and its financial connection to CEFC. Hunter was an investor and a manager of Hudson West III. He was tasked with advancing its interests. Hudson West III also involved Chinese nationals connected to the communist regime, such as Gongwen Dong, whom I talked about yesterday. prgtoken Now let's look at this first poster. prgtoken I should note that Senator Johnson and I will make these documents public in full. We are providing snapshots for our presentation here on the floor of the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Here we have one portion of an LLC agreement from a bank. It shows the companies that have bound themselves together: Hudson West V, Hudson West III, and Owasco. Owasco is Hunter 's firm. prgtoken Now let's turn to the second poster. prgtoken The paragraph at the top shows the purpose for which the LLC agreement exists. prgtoken So what this tells us is that Hunter and James linked up with companies connected to the communist regime to assist them with finding projects for global and domestic infrastructure and energy. prgtoken As we know from my and Senator Johnson's report from last August, some energy project explorations between the family and China were here in the United States. One example is a multimillion-dollar natural gas project in Louisiana. prgtoken Now let's move to the next paragraph at the bottom of this same poster, which defines the word ``affiliate'' in the agreement. For the avoidance of doubt, CEFC China Energy Company Limited or any of its Affiliates shall be deemed as an Affiliate of Hudson. prgtoken Accordingly, this agreement between Hunter 's firm and Hudson
Energy (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2022-3-29

I come to the floor today to speak about unleashing American energy. Earlier this month, we saw the highest price ever for a gallon of gasoline in the United States. Inflation is over a high of 40 years. Energy costs are driving the cost of everything else, and there appears to be no end in sight. cannot hide from the fact that he is the President of high prices. prgtoken Meanwhile, in Europe, Vladimir Putin continues his onslaught. The Russian killing machine continues its assault on innocent people. Thousands of civilians have been killed. This includes hundreds of children. prgtoken Vladimir Putin's war crimes are all paid for with Russian energy. Energy accounts for nearly half of Putin's budget. Energy is the only successful industry in the Russian economy. If you want to defund Vladimir Putin, you have to drain his tank. You have to defund him on energy. prgtoken So what have we seen from the President of the United States? Well, spent all last year acting like Vladimir Putin was his ``Secretary of Energy.'' played right along. Putin wanted it; did it, followed the ``Secretary of Energy.'' prgtoken decided against sanctions on Putin's Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. People in this body, on both sides of the aisle, said: , sanction the pipeline; don't allow it. prgtoken Putin said: I want it. prgtoken gave it. prgtoken Actually, actually lobbied this body, the U.S. Senate, to not do what we knew was the right thing to do in terms of sanctioning Vladimir Putin and the pipeline. caved to Putin. prgtoken also caved to Putin by extending our nuclear arms reduction treaty without any conditions. He essentially gave Vladimir Putin exactly what he wanted: a permission slip to build up the military. Even after the invasion, 2 weeks in, was still fine with buying Russian oil. It took bipartisan Members of the House and the Senate to stop it. prgtoken He didn't ban Russian oil because of the war; it was because of this bipartisan effort in Congress. We finally forced his hand. in Congress were willing to stand up to the President of the United States and say they were willing to join the s in overriding the President on this very matter. dragged his feet, so a bipartisan group in Congress had to drag . prgtoken Every Member of this body should remember what President Zelenskyy had to say to us. He said: If there had been sanctions, meaning in January, there would not have been a war. In January, I came to this floor, and I said history would not be kind to those who ran interference for Vladimir Putin. It is even more true today. History will not be kind to those who stood by as Vladimir Putin planned, prepared, and paid for the invasion. prgtoken At every step in this crisis, Congress has had to take the lead, and the President had to be pulled along. Congress had to drag Joe Bide
Biden Family (Executive Calendar)
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2022-3-29

as my colleague, the senior Senator from Iowa, has shown, Hunter and James received millions of dollars from companies connected to the communist Chinese regime. Frankly, it is worse than that. These companies were effectively an arm of the Chinese Government. prgtoken This isn't Russian disinformation; these are hard facts backed up by bank records of actual financial records and transactions that prove just how connected the s were and how compromised President probably is. prgtoken I use this next series of transactions to prove my point. prgtoken The first chart here shows a bank record showing a $1 million wire transfer into the account of Hudson West III from CEFC Limited on November 2, 2017. As Senator Grassley and I have already established, CEFC is effectively an arm of the communist Chinese regime. It is also important to note that at the time of this transfer, in November 2017, Hunter was already invested in and providing management for Hudson West III. So a company that was effectively an arm of the Chinese Government transferred $1 million in November 2017 to a company that Hunter is managing and is invested in. prgtoken I also bring up the second record. Focus on the $1 million wired out on March 22, 2018. Again, this is a record from Hudson West III's bank account. Like the previous record, this is showing the transfer of $1 million, but this time the money is being transferred out of Hudson West III to OWASCO, another one of Hunter 's firms. This transfer took place on March 22, 2018, a little less than 5 months after the $1 million transfer from CEFC to Hudson West III. prgtoken Hunter is transferring $1 million between two firms he manages and has ownership in. So what is the purpose of these two $1 million transfers? This next record seems to answer that question. This record shows OWASCO's receipt of the March 22, 2018, $1 million transfer. It also shows what the transfer is for on the OBI line. ``OBI'' is an abbreviation for ``originating beneficiary information.'' It is like the memo line on your personal check; it tells you really what that check was about. In this case, the OBI indicates the transfer is being made for ``Dr. Patrick Ho Chi Ping representation.'' prgtoken So, to recap, on November 2, 2017, Patrick Ho's company, CEFC, wired $1 million to Hunter 's company, Hudson West III. On March 22, 2018, Hudson West III wired $1 million to OWASCO, another Hunter company. The bank record clearly states that the $1 million payment was being made for the purpose of representing Patrick Ho. prgtoken Represent him for what? Here is where things get interesting. We know that Patrick Ho was arrested by U.S. authorities in November 2017 for international bribery and money laundering charges. Keep in mind that this arrest occurred in the same month that Patrick Ho's company, CEFC, is wiring $1 million to Hunter 's company, Hud
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2022-3-29

today I have the distinct honor of recognizing Gabryelle Perkins of Sweet Grass County as Montanan of the Month for her devotion to the Big Timber community and her passion for educating and supporting young Montanans both in and out of the classroom. prgtoken Gabby was born and raised in the great State of Montana and, like myself, is a proud graduate of Montana State University--``Go Cats!'' Upon wrapping up her studies at MSU, Gabby earned a degree in English education and a minor in writing. For the past 11 years, Gabby--or as her students know her, Ms. Perkins--has taught English at Sweet Grass County High School. prgtoken Her passion for working with students extends far beyond the classroom. Gabby encourages her students to be involved in extracurricular activities that have a positive impact on Big Timber and Sweet Grass County. Every year, she works with her students to put on a play for their community. When Gabby isn't helping her students on the stage or serving as a student council adviser, she leads a volunteer group for Montana students to give back. Gabby's students involved in SAVY, also known as Serving and Volunteering Youth, participate in local coat and food drives, leadership workshops, recycling programs, and fundraising events. The SAVY group also develops resources to help provide clothes or food for students in need. prgtoken I have no doubt that Gabby's students and everyone in Big Timber are grateful for her commitment to supporting young Montanans. It is because of teachers like Ms. Perkins that Montana has the best and brightest students in the Nation. It is my honor to recognize Ms. Perkins for her devotion to supporting young Montanans in and out of the classroom. Keep up the great work, Gabby.
DON YOUNG COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2022
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2022-3-29

I thank the gentleman from Missouri for yielding. prgtoken What a great tribute, to be naming this Coast Guard reauthorization bill after Don Young. While we mourn his loss today and pay tribute to Don in Statuary Hall, his family was here, and as you are paying tribute to a great life, the dean of the House who served 49 years in this great Chamber from the 49th State of Alaska, you can't prgtoken help but think of all the Don Young stories. prgtoken Clearly, there is a tie to this bill because Don served on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee for his entire tenure that the committee was in existence. Don loved the Coast Guard, loved the relationship they had in Alaska, just trying to get more icebreakers so that we could keep up with Russians continuing to open up their shipping lanes, but our not having the ability to get enough Coast Guard cutters to break ice in Alaska. Don Young was always a champion for Alaska. He was a great friend. He was somebody who you knew where he stood all the time. And if you stood in his way, he would make it clear that he was going to keep moving forward. prgtoken As we look at the seat that Don Young always sat in, in a Chamber of 435 people where there are no reserved seats, everybody knows that is where Don Young sat. When you look over there today, it is a little bit sad, but you can only think of great memories of Don Young when you see the black cloth draped over that seat. prgtoken We will always remember Don Young, a man who loved this country, surely loved the Coast Guard, and epitomized what is the great State of Alaska. No better champion they had in Congress than Don Young. prgtoken I look forward to passing this bill with overwhelming support.
TRIBUTE TO DAVID URE
Mitt Romney (Republican, UT) \u2014 2022-3-29

I rise today to recognize a remarkable Utahn who recently announced his retirement after a long and fruitful career for our great State. David Ure will conclude his civil service following his tenure as director of the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, SITLA. prgtoken David's career in public service began with his election to the Utah House of Representatives in 1993. A dairyman and rancher by trade, he successfully balanced his legislative responsibilities with his livelihood, an accomplishment underscored by his Summit County's 1996 Rancher of the Year award. As a legislator, David was instrumental in guiding many pieces of legislation to the Governor's desk, and after spending more than a decade in the statehouse, he continued his public service on the Summit County Council before joining the SITLA board of trustees. prgtoken In 2016, Governor Herbert appointed David to serve as SITLA's director. The independent State agency, created to generate funds for Utah's schoolchildren and other trust beneficiaries, flourished under David's stewardship. In this role, he led the agency's operations and administrative functions, including a myriad of energy initiatives and real estate development projects. During David's tenure as director, SITLA's trust grew by 40 percent and added over a billion dollars to the significant benefit of Utah's public education system, State institutions, and communities in need. prgtoken David has also served on a number of important State boards, including the Weber Basin Conservation District, Intermountain Healthcare board of trustees for the Heber Valley Hospital, the Park City Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of State Trust Lands. prgtoken Thank you, Dave, for your outstanding career of public service to Utah. Your accomplishments will continue to yield positive outcomes for individuals, families, and communities across the State, and they will brighten the lives and livelihoods of generations untold.
APPOINTMENT OF ACTING PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2022-3-29

I would like to just begin by acknowledging and thanking Pastor Bob Thune for his opening prayer this morning. prgtoken It should come as no surprise, based on the last name, we are related. He is my nephew. I have been blessed through the years with a rich, spiritual heritage, as has he. His father, my big brother, was the spiritual trailblazer in our family. He went on to pastor churches in the Midwest, on the West Coast for about 50 years. His son Bob, my nephew, is carrying on that great tradition. prgtoken Bob pastors a church, as was noted, called Coram Deo Church in Omaha, NE. Coram Deo is Latin for ``the presence of God.'' Bob, on a weekly basis, proclaims the truth of the gospel from the pulpit. But on a daily basis, he and his congregation have, at the center of their daily lives, the presence of God as they seek to have an impact on their community and their region and on this world. prgtoken Bob is, in many respects, as it says in the Book of Acts, fulfilling God's purpose for his generation. I am grateful for the spiritual heritage that we share, for the way that he continues that today. I want to encourage him in his work and just acknowledge how grateful we are that he was able to join us here in the U.S. Senate and offer that opening prayer which, on a daily basis, is offered by our Chaplain, Barry Black, who has been a great inspiration to me on so many levels and leads us in a weekly Bible study here on Capitol Hill for Senators. prgtoken I always try and do an advertisement to get more Senators to come to that Bible study. It is a rich time where we can have an opportunity to reflect on the important work that we do and the way that our faith applies to it on a daily basis. prgtoken .
DON YOUNG COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2022
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2022-3-29

I had the honor to serve 26 years here in the House with Don Young. prgtoken There is an expression some of our Texans have about not messing with Texas. Well, with Don Young, you knew not to mess with Alaska. prgtoken We butted heads on that several times, but we remained friends. When my family and I went to Alaska some years ago, he told us the places not to miss. It was a family vacation. It was wonderful. We stopped by the State fair there, and we picked up ``I'm a Young Man'' buttons-- this is one today--and ``I'm a Young Woman'' buttons for my wife and daughter. Periodically, I would wear it here in the House, and he always got a kick out of that. prgtoken Now, Don Young is gone, and as they said about Lincoln, he now belongs to the ages. He will be long remembered in this place, and he will certainly be long remembered in Alaska. prgtoken May Don rest in peace.
DON YOUNG COAST GUARD AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2022
Ken Calvert (Republican, CA) \u2014 2022-3-29

I rise in support of this legislation. prgtoken Don represented Alaska in this House for nearly as long as Alaska has been a State. Don was a ferocious advocate for the people he represented, not the least of whom were Alaska's Native people, who held a special place in his heart. prgtoken We are going to miss Don. He was a champion for the North Slope, Alaska's commercial fisheries, and infrastructure, obviously. Don spent his career fighting for his constituents to use Alaska's vast natural resources to bring prosperity to his State. prgtoken Don knew what made our country great and how to work across the aisle to deliver for the people of Alaska. prgtoken Don was my first committee chairman when I came here 30 years ago, and he quickly found me and said: ``I heard you want to be on my committee.'' I said: ``Yes, .'' ``Well, do whatever I tell you, and you will be just fine.'' I think, at some time or another, all of us have lived by those words. prgtoken I will miss Don. I will miss his friendship, his humor, and his passion. My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Anne, and the family. prgtoken Rest in peace, Don.