mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUDGET SCOREKEEPING REPORT
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-6-6

I wish to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for June 2018. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts the Senate agreed to in the budget resolution for fiscal year 2018, H. Con. Res. 71, and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA18). This information is necessary for the Senate Budget Committee to determine whether budgetary points of order lie against pending legislation. The staff of the Senate Budget Committee and the Congressional Budget Office, CBO, prepared this report pursuant to section 308(b) of the Congressional Budget Act, CBA. prgtoken This is my fourth scorekeeping report this year and the first since I filed new enforceable levels on May 7, pursuant to BBA18 requirements. My last filing can be found in the Congressional Record for April 12, 2018. The information included in this report is current through June 4, 2018. prgtoken Budget Committee staff prepared Tables 1-6. prgtoken Table 1 gives the amount by which each Senate authorizing committee exceeds or is below its allocation for budget authority and outlays under the most recently adopted budget resolution and the Fiscal Year 2019 enforceable levels filing. This information is used for enforcing committee allocations pursuant to section 302 of the CBA. For this reporting period, 10 of the 16 authorizing committees are in compliance with their allocations. Two committee allocation violations were recorded since my last report. The first violation stems from passage of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, S. 2155, P.L. 115-174, which increased direct spending within the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee over the Fiscal Year 2019, Fiscal Year 2019-2023, and Fiscal Year 2019-2028 period. The second violation resulted from passage of the VA MISSION Act of 2018, S. 2372, which increased direct spending within the Veterans' Affairs Committee over all enforceable periods. prgtoken Tables 2-3 give the amount by which the Senate Committee on Appropriations is below or exceeds the statutory spending limits. This information is used to determine points of order related to the spending caps found in sections 312 and 314 of the CBA. Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018, shown in table 2, are consistent with the statutory limits. Table 3 shows that the Appropriations Committee is currently compliant with spending limits for Fiscal Year 2019. As of this filing, subcommittees have only been charged with permanent and advanced appropriations that first become available in Fiscal Year 2019. prgtoken The Fiscal Year 2018 budget resolution contained points of order limiting the use of changes in mandatory programs in appropriations bills, CHIMPS. Tables 4, 5, and 6 track compliance with these points of order. Tables 4 and 6 show compliance with Fiscal Year 2018 limits for overall CHIMPS, $17 billion, and the Crime Victims Fun
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Bill Shuster (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-6-6

this amendment makes additional changes to the pilot program that we authorized in WRDA 2014 for non-Federal implementation of Corps projects. This amendment will allow future projects to be included in the program. I appreciate my colleague's work on this issue, and I am prepared to accept the amendment at this time. prgtoken , .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3249, PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8, WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT...
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-6

the Rules Committee report (H. Rept. 115- 711) to accompany House Resolution 918 included an incorrect amendment description of amendment No. 14 offered by Representative Nolan of Minnesota. prgtoken The correct amendment description should read: prgtoken Expresses the sense of Congress that the construction of a new lock at the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, is vital to our national economy, national security, and national need for new critical infrastructure.
VA MISSION Act (Executive Session)
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-6-6

I am proud that today President will sign into law a piece of legislation that I fought for called the VA MISSION Act. prgtoken This important legislation will help fix many of the problems plaguing the VA Choice Program and will work to ensure that our Nation keeps the promises it has made to our veterans. prgtoken This bill is badly needed. prgtoken Take Hank, for example, a Montana veteran. Last year it took him more than 3 months to get an appointment and then another month to get the glasses he needed. It was clear to him that the Choice Program representatives were completely unaware of the distance issues that Montana veterans have to deal with. prgtoken And it is not just Hank. All across Montana, we have heard about how the VA Choice Program has consistently fallen short. It has missed the mark. Payment delays take up to 8 months. In fact, sometimes we have bill collectors coming after our veterans for something they should not be responsible for. prgtoken Veterans suffer hours-long waits to talk with representatives about claims, and veterans get the runaround on receiving the most basic services. This is unacceptable. prgtoken Our veterans deserve better. That is why the bipartisan MISSION Act is so vitally important. It helps fix many of the problems our veterans still face as they try to access the healthcare services they need. prgtoken Rural veterans will get greater, easier, and quicker access to healthcare. Telemedicine services will be strengthened. The oversight of opioid prescriptions will be increased. There will be greater accountability in how companies like Health Net manage this new program. Finally, it will help the VA's medical professional shortage through scholarship and loan repayment programs for medical and dental students who commit to serving in the VA. prgtoken The problems plaguing the VA aren't just occasional news stories; they are the daily reality for Montana veterans. prgtoken Enough is enough. prgtoken Our Nation has a lot of work to do to fulfill the promises we have made to our veterans. The MISSION Act is an important step forward. I am proud I have helped get this bill across the finish line and on to President 's desk. prgtoken I look forward to honoring our veterans' service by standing with President today as he signs this important bill into law. prgtoken Thank you. prgtoken .
PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Bob Goodlatte (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-6-6

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , gangs are a poison in America. They bring violence, drugs, and death. They paralyze our communities with flagrant acts of violence and flood our neighborhoods with drugs. Gangs tear apart families by prematurely taking the lives of sons, daughters, and parents. prgtoken Unfortunately, today, some areas of our country have been overrun by gang violence. Homicide rates skyrocketed in St. Louis, Baltimore, and Chicago in 2016. Compared to the previous 5 years, 2016 represented a 15.8 percent increase in homicides in St. Louis, a 12.7 percent increase in Baltimore, and an 11.4 percent increase in Chicago. prgtoken We must stand up to violent gangs and provide an antidote to their poison. prgtoken H.R. 3249 is a vital part of the antidote. This legislation reforms and reauthorizes the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program. This program operates under four key principles: partnerships, strategic planning, training, and outreach. prgtoken First and foremost, the program brings all the important actors together. This legislation will foster and improve existing partnerships between Federal, State, and local agencies, community groups, and researchers. prgtoken Strategic planning is the foundation of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program. prgtoken Moreover, H.R. 3249 promotes the robust enforcement of existing criminal laws and the development of intervention and prevention programs, such as juvenile justice projects and activities, including street-level outreach, conflict mediation, and social services. Intervention and prevention programs provide extensive training and community outreach. prgtoken Furthermore, in relying on localized and contemporaneous data, this bill strategically prioritizes a focus on individuals or organizations that are responsible for increasing violence in a particular geographic area. prgtoken This legislation will ensure that 30 percent of Project Safe Neighborhoods funding is allocated to gang task forces in regions experiencing a significant or increased presence of violent crime, firearm offenses, human trafficking, and drug trafficking. prgtoken As a result, critical resources, such as the deployment of law enforcement and funding, are put to their best use. prgtoken Altogether, this legislation takes a balanced approach by combining enforcement with prevention to combat gang violence in our communities across the Nation. prgtoken , the comprehensive, coordinated, and community-focused nature of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program will serve as a key part of the antidote to the poisonous effects gangs have on our country. prgtoken , from Virginia, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, for taking the lead on this important bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. prgtoken , .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-6-6

I rise to voice my enthusiastic support for the majority leader's announcement yesterday that we would be staying in Washington through August. Already we have seen media reports that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are upset about having to work through August recess. As Leader McConnell said, this action would not have been necessary but for the historic obstruction by our ic colleagues who have used every available tool to delay confirmations of executive and judicial nominations. prgtoken To put the scale of their obstruction into perspective, Senate have forced 101 procedural cloture votes on President 's nominees in his first 18 months. By comparison, the previous 6 Presidents combined saw a total of only 24 cloture votes in their first 2 years. In other words, have somehow managed to fit 40 years' worth of obstruction into just 18 months. prgtoken Even more infuriating, after pretend to object to nominees by calling for cloture, many of them later vote in favor of confirmation, acknowledging that the nominees are qualified and worthy of the Senate's support. prgtoken Take, for example, the case of Fernando Rodriguez Jr a highly qualified nominee to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Fernando has spent the last few years serving in the International Justice Mission combating sex trafficking and human rights abuses. He also has 10 years of experience practicing law, not to mention invaluable experience as an educator with Teach for America. prgtoken Yesterday, forced a cloture vote on Fernando Rodriguez to slow down his confirmation but still voted to confirm him unanimously. This is absurd. It seems my friends on the other side of the aisle want to have their obstruction cake and eat it, too, but you can't have it both ways. prgtoken These procedural slowdowns are a transparent charade, a cynical side show meant to shore up support among the ic base. I would remind my friends on the other side of the aisle that this Chamber is meant for policy, not politics. We can campaign on the weekends, but right now we have serious work to do. prgtoken I have to state that there are some reasons to be political sometimes on the floor but not to the extent that we have been subjected to by our friends on the other side. have wasted precious hours of debate with their partisan grandstanding, and the country is worse off because of it. While my colleagues posture and preen for audiences on national TV, dozens of executive and judicial nominations remain unfilled, bringing the important work of government to a halt. prgtoken Enough already. Enough of the games. Enough of the disingenuous handwringing. Enough of the Twitter-tailored cable TV meltdowns. Let's set our egos aside for one moment to get done what the American people have sent us here to do. prgtoken I look forward to working through Augu
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Jason Lewis (Republican, MN) \u2014 2018-6-6

let me start by thanking my colleague from Pennsylvania, the chairman of our committee, for his leadership in getting this bill to the floor. prgtoken The U.S. Army Corps plays a pivotal role in the transportation of all of our goods and services in the United States. They are tasked with maintaining navigation channels in our most active and commercial waterways. Unfortunately, carrying out this important work brings about challenges my constituents know all too well. prgtoken Last spring, the Corps released a 40-year dredged material management plan in an effort to identify placement sites for almost 11 million cubic yards of dredged material. Regrettably, the proposal was drafted by bureaucrats in Washington with very little community input. prgtoken Without knowledge of the local impact, the Federal plan would take 300 acres of pristine land from a third generation family farm, 30 acres in a residential neighborhood in my district, as well as 73 acres from a farm in Congressman Kind's district. prgtoken My own family lost their business through condemnation, so I am acutely aware of the damage the eminent domain process can sometimes have on families and communities. After several discussions with the Corps and letters from myself, they agreed that more public comment was needed and that a better solution may possibly exist. prgtoken I was pleased that the Corps scheduled several public meetings on the topic, and that the Corps worked with us to extend the open comment period several times. This process proved successful, and a number of innovative and thoughtful alternatives were submitted for consideration. prgtoken Yesterday, the St. Paul District Office of the Army Corps and the city of Wabasha, Minnesota, signed a memorandum of understanding for this 40-year plan. The memorandum of understanding describes a process by which the Corps can use existing authorities to collaborate with a non-Federal entity in order to allow for greater flexibility of material placement. prgtoken This proposal has the support of the district office, our local community, and the State of Minnesota. It is also environmentally friendly, as it could allow the dredged material to be used in a manner that benefits society, rather than taking up space on a pristine farmland. It also spreads the burden of a public benefit to everyone who benefits. prgtoken My amendment encourages the Army Corps' headquarters to fully consider this alternative plan, and alternatives like this, in the future. In its history, the Corps has rarely approved innovative plans such as this. Federal, local, and private partnerships are something that we should encourage, instead of putting roadblocks in the way. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment, and I ask that the Army Corps fully consider inventive, but effective projects across the country it would affect. prgtoken , I reserve the balance of m
JCPOA
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-6-6

today I want to talk about some new information regarding the Iran nuclear deal prgtoken negotiated by the administration. This agreement is known sometimes as the JCPOA, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. This is an agreement that was reached by the administration. It was voted on after the fact by this body. Actually, a majority of Members of the House and Senate chose to oppose the agreement, but not enough to be able to stop it. So it went into effect, and, as my colleagues know, it has gotten some play recently as the administration has pulled out the involvement of the United States in that agreement. prgtoken What I want to talk about this evening is new information that has come from the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which I chair. We began an investigation into one aspect of this agreement nearly 2 years ago, and it was based on information that we received that despite the administration's claims to the contrary, there may have been some undisclosed arrangement with Iran to grant them access to the U.S. financial system. prgtoken Recall that the basic deal with Iran went like this: In exchange for Iran agreeing to certain limitations regarding its nuclear arsenal, including limiting the new production of enriched uranium for 15 years, the United States and other members of the United Nations Security Council would agree to lift some economic sanctions on Iran. It was the basic construct of the agreement. prgtoken As part of that agreement, which included ongoing deadlines that needed to be met over a period of years, the United States lifted what are often referred to as ``secondary sanctions.'' So these weren't direct sanctions on the United States, but these were sanctions on foreign companies, foreign entities, and foreign countries that do business with those under U.S. sanctions--in this case, Iran. prgtoken Under the Iran deal, other countries were now allowed, for the first time, to freely do business with Iran without the risk of the United States imposing sanctions on them. That was something that was very important to Iran. Iran was also allowed to access money that had been frozen abroad in other countries because the threat of U.S. sanctions against cooperating foreign partners no longer existed. prgtoken At the same time, really because of the nonnuclear concerns regarding Iran, including supporting terrorism, human rights violations, ballistic missile development, and basic destabilization of the region, U.S. sanctions against Iran remained in place. So our primary sanctions stayed in place. This means Iran was banned from directly accessing the U.S. financial system, and banks and other private institutions were still banned from accessing the U.S. financial systems on behalf of Iran. prgtoken This is a big deal. Any country that is sanctioned really wants access to our financial system because it is so intertwined with the rest of th
126TH AIR REFUELING WING DAY
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-6-6

I rise today to recognize the important efforts of the 126th Air Refueling Wing at Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County, Illinois. prgtoken On June 2, I celebrated the many achievements of this unit when I attended the 126th Air Refueling Wing Day, which was done by proclamation by the Governor of the State of Illinois. prgtoken The 126th Air Refueling Wing routinely succeeds in its missions of providing immediate, sustained, long-range air refueling of both nuclear and conventional aircraft for both the U.S. Armed Forces and NATO allies. prgtoken The 126th Air Refueling Wing has more than 1,000 Air National Guard Active Duty United States Air Force personnel, who recently received its eighth Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for service provided from December 2014 through December 2016. prgtoken The servicemembers of the 126th Air Refueling Wing routinely demonstrate their excellence in performance while supporting the United States Air Force operations. prgtoken The significant awards and recognition the 126th Illinois Air National Guard has received sets the foundational framework for being a strong center of excellence for military aircraft. prgtoken I am proud of their hard work and dedication to ensuring the best aircraft maintenance and repair work is done at Scott Air Force Base. prgtoken Our national defense depends on having our military aircraft able to fly in a moment's notice, so the work that they do every day is critical in keeping all of us safe at home. Recognizing Wilber Hesterberg's 100th Birthday
TRIBUTE TO MADGALY SANTANA
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-6-6

today I recognize Madgaly Santana, the Hardee County Teacher of the Year from North Wauchula Elementary School in Lakeland, FL. prgtoken Madgaly's colleagues attest that she is dedicated to making sure her young students learn all that they can while she is their teacher. She states that she is not just there for her students, but also for their parents as well. She feels that having a relationship with both students and parents helps make the school year a success. prgtoken Madgaly graduated from Ashford University in 2012 with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education K-6. In 2013, she began working at North Wauchula Elementary School as a first grade teacher and has been in the school system for 8 years. prgtoken I thank Madgaly for her devotion to helping her students learn and excel in school. I extend my best wishes and look forward to hearing of her continued success in the years ahead.
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2018
Clay Higgins (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-6-6

. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer my amendment to H.R. 8, the Water Resources Development Act of 2018. prgtoken Madam Chair, my amendment is a commonsense and cost savings amendment that would allow the Army Corps of Engineers much-needed flexibility when acquiring certain rights to the procurement of land. prgtoken Specifically, it would direct the Secretary to prefer acquiring the minimum interest necessary in real property needed to support a project or an action. This allows flexibilities for the Corps to consider the use of a temporary easement estate or other interest to facilitate a reduction in overall project cost, to reduce project time, and minimize conflict with property owners related to the project or action. prgtoken This approach will allow the Corps to take a more sensible approach to projects and not force the Federal Government to purchase more property in order to undertake critically needed projects. prgtoken Historically, in my home State of Louisiana, many of the projects are accomplished through partnerships between the Federal Government and State and private landowners who often can offer more favorable and economical terms than the Federal Government's outright purchasing of property. prgtoken As we have heard throughout debate on the underlying bill, there are countless and widely known deficiencies in the way business is conducted by the Corps. Many of these issues are caused by bureaucratic regulations that get in the way of real progress being made in a manner that is responsible to the taxpayers we represent. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 3249, PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 8, WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT...
Rob Woodall (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-6-6

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I appreciate the words of my friend from Vermont. He is absolutely right. Fiscal conservatives, as a rule, are out there trying to save money. Occasionally, we find ourselves in those spaces where we end up being penny wise and pound foolish. prgtoken The flood mitigation projects that my friend from Vermont referenced saved countless dollars, but, more importantly, countless lives. As some of these aging infrastructure projects look to be on the brink of failure, the time to act is now, not later. prgtoken I am glad to see that we were able to come together to invest needed resources today in a water resources development bill so that we are not spending dollars tomorrow in a disaster relief bill. This is the right time to do it, and I appreciate my friend from Vermont making that point. prgtoken , .