mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2018-8-23

I am on the floor to thank the ranking member of the full committee for his good, hard work on this bill and certainly Senator Shelby and the subcommittee chairs. prgtoken We are here to talk about some of the important issues in this bill and how consequential this bill will be and has the potential to be. prgtoken We are encompassing both Defense and Labor-HHS, both of which passed out of our committee a few weeks ago with bipartisan support and a lot of input from Members in the process. prgtoken Bills of this magnitude deserve to be debated on the Senate floor, as we are doing today. I will first address the defense part of this measure because I think it impacts not only our standing here and our military here but also has a global impact. prgtoken President has made rebuilding and strengthening our military one of his administration's primary objectives, and this bill helps him do exactly that. prgtoken This legislation invests in programs, projects, technologies, and capabilities that will strengthen our Nation's military. More importantly, it invests in the people behind all of these efforts by including a 2.6-percent raise for all of our military. That includes our National Guard. prgtoken Our National Guard's presence in West Virginia is essential not only to our Nation's security but to all the core values and the core strengths the National Guard brings to the State of West Virginia. All of these men and women deserve our support and our commitment to provide them with what they need to defend freedom both here and abroad. prgtoken Of course, the legislation under consideration doesn't just focus on the military; it also focuses on another war being waged right here in our country, and that is the fight against the opioid epidemic. prgtoken Under the leadership of Chairman Blunt--and he has been fantastic in the committee--the Labor-HHS Subcommittee has made this issue a top priority, and I could not be more grateful, more proud, and, even more importantly, more hopeful. prgtoken We saw the statistics come out last week that there have been over 70,000 deaths across the country. It is deeply troubling as to how to get the best handle on this very difficult problem. prgtoken Over the past 4 years, we have increased funding for this effort of fighting the opioid crisis by more than 1,275 percent, but we haven't done this blindly. We are just not throwing money at the problem. I think we have been very thoughtful, as have our partners in the State and local areas. prgtoken We have focused on treatment through our community health centers. We have focused on prevention, working with the CDC. We have focused on recovery through our workforce initiatives. We have focused on research at NIH, where, hopefully, NIH can develop a nonaddicitive opioid treatment, which I think will be a major breakthrough for this problem, and we have focused on directing funding to the States to meet the local c
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-8-23

we have been seeing a lot in the news lately about the American economy, and it is very good news. prgtoken Last Friday, the Wall Street Journal had an article with the headline ``Youth Unemployment Hits 52-Year Low''--a 52-year low. For people between the ages of 16 and 24, this is the best job market we have had since 1966. The article went on to say that ``more opportunities are available to some groups that historically have struggled to find jobs.'' People are getting opportunities because the American economy is booming. Since President was elected, we have gotten more than 4 million additional Americans working. The economy grew at a rate of more than 4 percent last quarter. The Atlanta branch of the Federal Reserve is predicting that we are going to have another 4-percent growth this quarter. People are seeing the effect of the booming economy in their paychecks and in their lives. Average wages were up more than 3 percent last year. prgtoken You look at all of the good news, and it is no wonder that confidence is going through the roof. Small businesses are now much more optimistic than they have been since 1983. They are hiring, they are expanding, they are raising wages, and they are much more confident about the future. prgtoken It is all happening because of the policies and the priorities we have been putting in place. It is what happens when you have a President who puts the needs of the people first instead of the desires of unelected, unaccountable, heavyhanded Washington bureaucrats. prgtoken When President took office, one of the first things he did was to put Washington on a regulation diet. He said that America was again open for business. What does all that mean? What happened? In the administration's first year, they issued 3 new regulations and they cut 67 regulations. Three regulatory actions and 67 deregulatory actions-- that is a ratio of 22 to 1. It is in favor of cutting redtape, eliminating regulations, and cutting the amount of paperwork people have prgtoken to fill out. Nobody has ever seen anything like this. Working with this Senate and this House, this administration has been streamlining, simplifying, and striking out regulations from the very beginning, and we are not slowing down. When you add it all up, it amounts to about $14 billion in savings since the start of the administration. prgtoken s in Congress have been doing our part as well. We know that the reason America's economy had been struggling for so long was because it was being strangled by all of the redtape that comes out of Washington. So we used the authority of Congress to roll back major regulations that were harming our economy, burdensome to industries in our communities and in our States, punishing to people who are just trying to do their jobs. We cut 16 unnecessary, burdensome rules and saved Americans $36 billion in the process. <|
NATIONAL GASTROPARESIS AWARENESS MONTH
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2018-8-23

I would like to call attention to the estimated 5 million Americans suffering from gastroparesis in observance of National Gastroparesis Awareness Month in August. prgtoken Gastroparesis is a chronic digestive disease in which the stomach cannot empty properly in the absence of any observable blockage. Symptoms of gastroparesis, which include nausea, vomiting, and the inability to finish a normal-sized meal, can lead to malnutrition, severe dehydration, and difficulty managing blood glucose levels. This debilitating and sometimes life-threatening disease can affect people of all ages, but it is four times more likely to affect women than men. prgtoken While there is no cure for gastroparesis, some treatments, such as dietary measures, medications, procedures to maintain nutrition, and surgery, can help reduce symptoms. Unfortunately, gastroparesis is a poorly understood condition. Patients often suffer from delayed diagnosis, treatment, and management of this disorder. As such, further research and education are needed to improve quality of life for the millions of Americans, including thousands of Wisconsinites who suffer from this disease. prgtoken I want to recognize the important efforts of the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders, IFFGD, an international organization based in my home State of prgtoken Wisconsin, as well as other patient organizations, in providing education and support to help those affected by gastroparesis. prgtoken In an effort to improve our understanding and awareness of gastroparesis, I urge my fellow colleagues to join me in recognizing August as National Gastroparesis Awareness Month. prgtoken Thank you.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-8-23

before Senator Blunt leaves the floor, let me thank him for his leadership in regard to the provisions in the bill before us that relate to Alzheimer's and the research. prgtoken As has been pointed out, this is bipartisan. We strongly support the efforts in this bill. I would just like to put one face on it, if I might. Remembering Sally Michel prgtoken , this past week, Sally Michel, a distinguished leader in our community, died after 10 years suffering from Alzheimer's. We lost her way too early to this disease. She was an extraordinary person--a professional civilian activist, advisor to Governors, mayors, and legislators, and she left a great legacy. She established the Parks and People Foundation in Baltimore and the SuperKids Camp Program. She helped start the Baltimore School for the Arts. prgtoken She developed private sector partnerships, working with government to get things done. She was a very effective youth in our community, and underserved areas benefit today from the programs she started. I was very proud of my granddaughter, Julia, when she volunteered at one of these SuperKids Camps this summer in Baltimore City. prgtoken My point is, she was taken way too early as a result of Alzheimer's. There are many reasons we have to make an extraordinary commitment to finding answers to this very challenging and cruel disease. I can assure my colleague from Missouri, all of us in this Chamber support the efforts that are being made to make sure we are full partners in the Senate to move forward on conquering this disease.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-8-23

maybe one of the most memorable moments from Secretary DeVos's confirmation hearing was her response to a question I posed to her. I thought I was giving her a softball. I thought I was giving her a very easy question at the end of my 5 minutes when I posed a simple question to her as to whether she thought it was a good thing to have guns in schools. prgtoken I thought she would give me an answer about how, of course--in listening to teachers and parents, as she claims to have done during her career in education--having more guns in schools was not the right thing in order to protect our kids. Instead, she said yes. In fact, she thought that question should be largely up to the States because of potential ``grizzlies''--the idea that there are some schools that may need guns inside to protect against wild animals. prgtoken I assume she would probably answer that question differently today, as it has become a butt of jokes. Yet, as it turns out, what we may be learning today is that the Secretary was, indeed, serious. Reports this morning suggest that Secretary DeVos is planning to do the bidding of the firearms industry and put our kids at risk by allowing Federal funds to be used to arm teachers, which is in direct contravention of Federal law. prgtoken I have offered an amendment that will reiterate what has been the policy of this Congress--not of Congress in general but of this Congress--which is that Federal funds should not be used to arm teachers. Let me speak about why we have taken that position as a Congress, why s and have voted for legislation that prohibits Federal dollars from being used to arm teachers. prgtoken First, we listen to teachers when we set educational policy, and teachers have told us they do not want to be responsible for carrying firearms. Two different polls that have been taken of teachers suggest that three out of four definitively state they think their kids will be less safe, not more safe, if these teachers are armed. They tell us that because they know how difficult a teacher's job is. prgtoken I have a first grader and a fourth grader in the public schools, and I am in awe of how many things we ask our teachers to do. We ask our teachers to teach earlier than ever before; we ask them to be social workers; we ask them to engage in conflict resolution; we ask them to be nurses; we ask them to teach a range of children; we ask them to interact with the community and show our kids a broader view of the world; and we, as parents, want them on call to answer our questions all of the time. prgtoken Our teachers are probably the greatest multitaskers in this country, and they don't want an additional job description of having to be trained to carry a firearm at all times in order to guarantee that firearms stay out of the reach of little children. Earlier this year, we saw a series of events which showed us what happens when you do put guns i
ROHINGYA CRISIS
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-8-23

last August, the world watched in horror as Burma's military launched an ethnic cleansing campaign of rape, arson, and mass murder against the Rohingya. prgtoken Despite the Burmese military's claims that their operations were in response to attacks on police outposts by extremists, the evidence is clear that the Burmese military had made extensive preparations to carry out these operations. Their preparations included systematically disarming Rohingya civilians, training and arming non-Rohingya communities, and building up an unusually large military and security presence in Rakhine, all in anticipation of attacks that included extrajudicial executions, rape, expulsions, and mass burning of Rohingya villages throughout Rakhine state. prgtoken The military's campaign of ethnic cleansing has forced more than 720,000 Rohingya--roughly 80 percent of the entire Rohingya population in Burma--to flee for safety in Bangladesh, creating the world's worst refugee crisis in recent history. The government and people of Bangladesh have shown extraordinary generosity by providing safe harbor to those fleeing violence in Burma and continuing to keep its border open. prgtoken Bangladesh is at a tipping point. Already the world's most populous country, there simply isn't enough space or capacity to house this new population. Camp conditions for the Rohingya population are miserable. Refugees are living in plastic and bamboo shelters dangerously perched on the side of clay hills. Children have limited access to education. While many would prefer not to rely on limited humanitarian aid, work is tough to come by. prgtoken The day-to-day reality for the Rohingya people in Bangladesh is bleak, and while many 1 day wish to return home to Burma, they rightfully ask for their government to guarantee their safety and to recognize their civil and political rights; yet so far, even these basic demands are unmet. prgtoken Equally troubling, conditions for the Rohingya who stayed behind in Burma remain perilous. Andrew Gilmour, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, recently declared that while the nature of their persecution has changed, there persists a ``lower intensity campaign of terror and forced starvation.'' prgtoken Burmese officials continue to reject UN and other international findings of ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and, potentially, genocide. In fact, the Burmese Government has relentlessly blocked access to Rakhine state by many humanitarian groups, independent media workers, and UN observers, in an attempt to prevent the international community from assessing the very violations they deny are happening. A New York Times journalist recently gained access to Rakhine state and met Rohingya who described living in a constant state of fear and repression. She also saw the burnt remnants of what used to be Rohingya villages and visited repatriation centers that appeared more like ``concent
THE HIGH SCHOOL CODES ACT
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-8-23

I come to the floor to speak about the importance of teaching computer science and coding in our education system. Throughout the United States and especially in my home State of Washington, our internet economy is booming. Nationwide it represents 7 percent of our GDP, which makes up 13 percent of Washington State's economy. In Washington State, over 13,000 internet companies provide more than a quarter of a million jobs. prgtoken Every student in America should be taught the tools they need to enter our 21st century economy. Every student in the United States should have the opportunity to learn about the internet, and algorithms, and apps. This is a skills gap we have to close, and that is why I joined with my colleague from Louisiana, Senator Cassidy, to introduce the High School CODES Act earlier this year. prgtoken Senator Cassidy and I have long considered and spoken about the importance of allowing students to have the ability fulfill a math, science, or language requirement with a coding class. prgtoken That is why Senator Cassidy and I were pleased to include language in the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act that the President signed into law yesterday. The language in the bill would allow Federal funds to support ``efforts to expand, develop, and implement programs to increase the students' opportunity for rigorous courses'' in coding and computer science and ``support statewide efforts to create access to implementation of coding and computer science.'' Additionally, Senator Cassidy and I were pleased to get an amendment included in the appropriations bill that highlights the importance of a dedicated funding stream for coding courses in K-12 education. prgtoken During the Carl D. Perkins markup negotiations both the majority and minority agreed to include strong report language that captures the intent of our original bill, S. 3122, the High School CODES Act. Additionally, we are pleased that Senator Alexander agreed to send a letter to Education Secretary DeVos expressing the same. prgtoken I ask Senator Cassidy, is it your understanding that the purpose of our legislation is to incentivize States to allow coding classes be used in lieu of advanced math, science, or foreign language requirements?
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2018-8-23

this body is about to vote on my resolution to protect nearly 800,000 West Virginians and millions of Americans from the dangerous lawsuit that 20 U.S. attorneys general, including my own attorney general from West Virginia, are leading to once again allow insurance companies to deny coverage to those with preexisting conditions. prgtoken This resolution will authorize the Senate legal counsel to intervene in this cruel lawsuit on behalf of the U.S. Senate to defend these men and women and children and fight for the right to affordable healthcare insurance. prgtoken The Department of Justice has recklessly refused to defend the law, and as a result, the nearly 800,000 West Virginians--91,000 of those being children--with cancer, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, or women who dare to have a baby are at risk of financial jeopardy if they get sick. prgtoken We have an opportunity today to stand up for the millions of Americans with preexisting conditions who are trusting us to protect their healthcare access. It is just common sense, and I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--because every one of us has someone in our family with a preexisting condition. prgtoken I will continue to look for ways to work across the aisle to ensure that every West Virginian and every American has access to affordable healthcare, no matter what their health condition may be. This is the right thing, this is the moral thing, for all of us to do. prgtoken I encourage each and every one of my colleagues to please vote for this amendment coming up. prgtoken .
Trump Presidency (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-8-23

by any account, this has been a momentous week in the history of the Presidency and the history of Presidencies in general. President 's former campaign manager was convicted on eight counts and still has another trial to go. The President's former personal attorney--his lifelong compadre for so long--pled guilty to multiple violations of bank fraud and campaign finance violations, implicating the President of the United States himself in one of those crimes. Let me repeat that. President was named as an unindicted coconspirator in a Federal crime. prgtoken What did we hear from our friends on the Hill? Was this the moment when leaders finally stood up and said ``enough''? Amazingly, apparently not. Apparently, my colleagues cannot rouse themselves to offer even a word of criticism for a President now implicated in a Federal crime; a President who casually tosses around the idea of pardoning his convicted former campaign chairman; a President who speaks favorably about that convicted felon because he didn't break, while disparaging a former confidant for collaborating with law enforcement. It sounds like a scene out of the ``Godfather.'' prgtoken Imagine if President 's campaign manager was convicted of several serious Federal crimes. Do you think my friends would give circumspect quotes to reporters, or do you think they would be beside me on the floor beside themselves? The answer is obvious. Yet, when it comes to a President of their own party, there is hardly a word of criticism or censure from our friends. prgtoken At some point, after the ``Access Hollywood'' tape, after Charlottesville, after the Helsinki summit, and now after these most recent revelations, the broad failure of the Party in Congress to condemn the President's behavior and what that behavior is doing to the American character becomes a form of complicity. prgtoken Without strong voices in his party to tell him when he goes too far, the s have become complicit in bringing down the character of the United States, which is probably the best thing we have going for us. The President keeps destroying, hurting, and gnawing at that character with amazing narcissism, with total ego, with bullying, and with misstatements of truth after truth. Our friends--the only ones who can really stop him; we can't--just shrug their shoulders. President thinks he can keep testing the boundaries, and our friends say: Go right ahead. We are not going to stop you. We are going to be quiet. We are going to be silent. prgtoken It seems that Party leaders have made the ultimate Faustian bargain: forgoing their duty to the Constitution and the country in exchange for a corporate tax cut and stacking the courts. They are willing to ignore the corruption and lawbreaking so long as they have someone in the White H