mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING THE LONGVIEW HIGH SCHOOL LOBOS, 2018 CLASS 6A DIVISION II TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam , it may have taken eighty-one years, but the doggedness and passion that fueled the city of Longview, Texas, to harness the great oil boom and a state championship title in 1937 has once again proven undauntable--resulting in the Longview High School Lobos capturing the top rung in Texas high school athletics to become the 2018 Class 6A Division II Texas State High School Football Champions. prgtoken As the Lobos' fight song attests, the team was determined to ``circle in and hit them hard'' when facing the tangle with the Beaumont West Brook Bruins, culminating in a thrilling 35-34 victory for the Wolf Pack in front of a spectacular throng numbering more than 48,000 strong, a big majority of which were apparently loyal Lobos fans. prgtoken The down-to-the-wire fight was the culmination of a perfect 16-0 season for the Lobos, and was even more gratifying since the Lobos had faced West Brook in the playoffs for three straight years. This was the first opportunity, however, for the two teams to grapple for the state trophy. prgtoken This represented the first top tier title opportunity for the Lobos after decades of near misses and close calls, providing passionate fans a long season to bask in the momentum and a history making trip to capture state wide bragging rights. prgtoken Though the Lobos were down at halftime 28 to 20, they certainly were not out because of their heart, their talent, their coaching and their community support. This was a Longview team that simply refused to stay down, and refused to lose. prgtoken And the Lobos earned those bragging rights in spectacular fashion, coming from behind in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter to secure a fantastic win. Trailing Beaumont West Brook 34-29 with 8:17 left in the 4th quarter, Quarterback Haynes King's outstanding passing pushed the Lobos offense to West Brook's red zone. Stalwart running back Jessie Anderson then punched through to the end zone, giving the Lobos a 35-34 lead with 4:42 left in the game. The Lobos were ahead by one, but played the odds and went for two points in case West Brook tried a field goal. Though the extra two-point conversion was unsuccessful, the two were unneeded because of the way the Lobo defense, yet again, rose to the occasion and crushed the Bruins' comeback attempt along with their hopes for victory. prgtoken No question Beaumont West Brook deserved to be in the State Championship, had an absolutely fabulous team, and played a stellar game. But the Longview Lobos proved they had everything a fan could want in an unbeatable football team. They made Longview, Gregg County, and all East Texas swell with pride. prgtoken The game's Offensive Most Valuable Player was Lobo quarterback Haynes King who was 16-of-27 for 423 passing yards. He connected on two touchdown passes and rushed for a touchdown as part of his 65 rushing yards. prgtoken Kamden Perry secured a Class 6A state championship game record of 8 cat
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Resumed
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-1-16

from Washington very much for her courtesy. I will be brief, and I will be very succinct. In fact, I will be responding to some of the things that Senator Schatz from Hawaii and others have said on the floor. prgtoken I am going to respond to myself. I made a speech here only yesterday, about 2:30, in which I talked about the frustration that I have and that most Georgians have with the fact that the government is shut down, and I talked about who is losing. prgtoken We are losing. The government loses more money when it shuts down than it makes any other time. Shutting down is a losing proposition all the way around, and we are exemplifying the best way to lose because we are not doing anything to solve the problem. prgtoken I have a solution I am going to propose, specifically, right now. I am not going to put my name on it to be the lead name. I don't care who gets the credit. I am ready for some solutions. I am going to talk about some very serious things right now and some very difficult things, but we are in a serious, difficult problem. We have serious problems, and we need serious people to solve them. prgtoken In the United States today, at our ports, our airports, and our highways--every way you can cross the border to come into the United States of America--we charge fees for all kinds of things, and we have for years. We have trust funds, like Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund and things like that. People come across our borders all the time. In Smuggler's Gulch in San Diego, they come in on an eight-lane highway, flooding into America in the morning to go to work and flooding out of America in the afternoon to go home to bed, and we charge for that. prgtoken A constituent of mine called me last night, a gentleman I know very well, who is a very successful businessperson. He said: Johnny, you all are fighting over this border wall or how you fund it or who gets credit for it. I saw your speech. Have you ever thought of this? prgtoken I listened. I listened, I thought, and I said: You know, I haven't. prgtoken I got my staff to get me the information, and it all works. It makes sense, and I think it would make sense to the American people. I think it would make sense to the President of the United States, the ic Party, and the Party as well. If we all start tonight, even, and decide whether we want to sign it or not, we can do it together. Who gets the credit for it stops, and we fight over something that makes more sense fighting over than having a border that leaks and an immigration program that doesn't work. prgtoken Here is the idea. We establish a fee in the United States of America through our ports, through our airports, through all the different ways you come here. You create a trust fund for that money to go into, and it is designated for the security of our borders--our Canadian border and our Mexican border. prgtoken That is it. They charge.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 268, SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019, AND WAIVING A REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS REPORTED...
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to voice the frustration of the residents of my district in Pennsylvania. prgtoken Two weeks after the start of the 116th Congress, the leadership in the House continues to refuse to come to the table, negotiate a compromise, secure our borders, and put an end to the shutdown. prgtoken I have been hearing every day from hundreds of people in my district: do our jobs, secure the border, put partisanship aside, and get things done. Reopen the government, yes, and build a barrier securing the most vulnerable parts of our southern border and put an end to this humanitarian and national security crisis. prgtoken It is in our hands. This is what the people want, and this is what they expect. Instead, leadership appears to be treating this like a game, like we have taken an important issue--disaster relief for tragedy-stricken parts of our country--and poisoned it with partisanship. prgtoken This is a messaging bill that makes for good talking points on TV, but does nothing to make our country safer or end the shutdown. Let's negotiate and do what the people expect of us. prgtoken We were sent here to serve the people, not our political ambitions. It is long past time we start doing it. prgtoken Madam , I urge a no vote on the rule and on the underlying bill, and I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding me the time.
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Resumed
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-16

I rise today to give tribute to a great American, a great Texan, and a 32-year veteran of this institution who has dedicated her career to serving the needs of her fellow citizens. Her name is Joyce Sibley. prgtoken She has led my team of caseworkers in Texas for the last 6 years, and she is now retiring. Joyce started working in the U.S. Senate in 1971, working for John Tower of Texas, answering the phones at his Austin office. prgtoken Since then, Joyce has become a living legend among Texas caseworkers because she simply doesn't take no for an answer, and she always goes the extra mile and more to help someone in need. Indeed, her work has extended so many extra miles beyond our State boundaries that it is difficult to comprehend. ``To move mountains'' is a figurative expression, but when I say Joyce has moved battleships, I mean it literally. During the Albanian civil war of 1997, Joyce got the 6th Fleet to come ashore and help rescue nearly 100 Americans on a beach, including several Texans. prgtoken The office of my predecessor, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, was in communication with the Texans throughout that scary night in which the American evacuees were huddled at the Port of Durres in Albania, having been sent there by the U.S. embassy. The Albanian Task Force at the State Department reported that everyone had been evacuated, but the Americans still trapped there disagreed and started calling offices in Houston and Austin. prgtoken Joyce and her team had to give up on the State Department's part and, instead, they transferred a cell phone call from that beach in Albania directly to a Pentagon duty officer who contacted the Texans and connected them with the 6th Fleet. Together, they coordinated a Zodiac evacuation in the early morning hours. prgtoken Joyce was instrumental in organizing their escape. prgtoken There was another occasion, when a soldier was wrongfully convicted of counterfeiting in South Korea, after copying and printing Korean currency in order to test the quality of his new printer. There was no intent and no evidence of any attempt to distribute fake Korean currency. prgtoken After being convicted and imprisoned for months, largely abandoned by his command, the Texas office asked the prgtoken Korean Government to take another look at the case, and the conviction was reversed. The airman returned to serve with distinction in San Antonio, thanks in part to the amazing casework skills of Joyce Sibley. prgtoken Likewise, when the earthquake hit Haiti, there were several Texans buried in the rubble at one of the local hotels. Joyce and others stayed in touch with the family members, set up regular briefings with the State Department, and kept the family closely informed until all were found and accounted for. prgtoken The Haitian Government even arrested a group of Texas missionaries and charged them with kidnapping for providing relief and housing to orphaned Haitian childre
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Resumed
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-1-16

to quote the great Yogi Berra, ``It's deja vu all over again.'' prgtoken It is the 26th day of the shutdown, and for the 26th day in a row, are refusing to seriously engage with the President to get the government reopened. have spent a lot of time talking about their desire to get the hundreds of thousands of furloughed Federal workers back to work, but their actions contradict their words. prgtoken The only way for the government to reopen is for both sides to come to the table and compromise. The are absolutely refusing to consider any concession. Their position is, my way or the highway. Unfortunately, that is not the way things work in the real world. When you have two groups with diametrically opposed positions, both sides have to give a little if they are ever going to get anything done. prgtoken The White House has a strongly held position on this issue, but it has also made it clear that it is willing to be flexible and to negotiate with . The don't share that willingness, and their refusal to negotiate is victimizing the very workers they claim they want to protect. prgtoken Senate ' latest attempt to distract from ' refusal to negotiate is to push for votes on House-passed legislation on reopening the government, but as know very well, these votes would be meaningless because this is not legislation the President is going to sign. prgtoken Indeed, before Christmas, the ic leader in the Senate stated: ``The President must publicly support and say he will sign an agreement before it gets a vote in either Chamber''; that from the ic leader as recently as just a few weeks ago. prgtoken Well, there is no point in spending time taking up a bill that hasn't received agreement from all parties. We know that, and the know that as well, but apparently they are willing to flip-flop on this issue if they think it will suit their political purposes. Kind of like how they were for a border fence before they were against it. That is right. prgtoken In 2006, the ic leader and the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee voted for legislation to authorize a border fence. They were joined in that vote by then-Senator , then-Senator Clinton, and then-Senator . In 2013, every Senate --every Senate --supported legislation requiring the completion of a 700-mile fence along our southern border. In 2009, the ic leader praised border fencing as a border security accomplishment. prgtoken So what has changed? The need to secure our borders hasn't changed. The effectiveness of barriers hasn't changed. That has been well documented. prgtoken The House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, was asked about the ' flip-flop, whether there is any real difference between what they supported previously and what they are opposing now. Here is what he said: ``I don't have an
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT DISQUALIFYING A NOMINEE TO FEDERAL OFFICE ON THE BASIS OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-1-16

I rise today to offer a very basic resolution. I want Senators to unanimously reaffirm our oath of office to a Constitution that explicitly rejects religious bigotry. prgtoken It is useful to regularly remind ourselves that Americans are First Amendment people. Each of the five freedoms in the First Amendment-- speech, press, religion, assembly, and protest--defines who we are. In America, we talk, we read, we argue, and we march and worship without fear. Because of this fundamental celebration of human dignity and human freedom, America is big enough to welcome a whole bunch of meaty and messy fights on everything from whom you vote for to whom you call God. prgtoken Just as the First Amendment prohibits the government from dictating anyone's religious beliefs, so, too, the Constitution explicitly rejects religious tests for Federal office. Our Constitution explicitly rejects religious tests for Federal office. This isn't a belief; this isn't a ic belief; this is an American belief. But, tragically, over the last couple of years, some strange things have been happening in this body, and we seem to be forgetting some of those basic 101 American civics truths. prgtoken I want to tell you a story. Brian Buescher from my State was recently nominated by the President to be a Federal judge for the District of Nebraska. This is an honor for him and his family, a celebration of his brain, work ethic, and his integrity. By the way, Brian is also Catholic and an active member of the Knights of Columbus. prgtoken The Knights of Columbus, for those of you who don't know, is the largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world. The Knights' 1.6 million members of the organization raise millions of dollars for charity every year, and they contribute millions of hours of volunteer service. prgtoken Like a lot of guys back in Nebraska, Brian joined the Knights of Columbus to give back and to also be involved in a bunch of fish frys. This is not the stuff of headlines, but it is the stuff of basic neighborliness. prgtoken This is where the story gets weird because at Brian's confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee a few weeks ago, one of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee called the Knights of Columbus ``an extremist organization.'' Huh? It got worse. Brian then got a letter from a Member of this body asking him if he would resign his membership in the Knights of Columbus if he were confirmed to the Federal bench to ``avoid the appearance of bias.'' prgtoken This is nuts. We are talking about the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world being called an extremist organization and a nominee for the Federal bench being asked to resign from this organization so that he can serve without the appearance of bias. The clear implication here was that Brian's religious beliefs and his religious affiliations--in this case, an affiliation with a Catholic or
MARCH FOR LIFE
Jim Banks (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam , I rise today because I believe there is a purpose and a God-given right to every life. prgtoken It has been nearly 46 years since the tragic Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, a decision that has denied the inalienable right to life to over 61 million innocent children. prgtoken While we mourn the loss of millions of innocent lives, we reflect on the work left to be done. We gather together this week for the March for Life to celebrate the progress of the last 2 years. From the continuation of President 's expanded Mexico City policy to the landmark Protect Life Rule, the pro-life movement is making major strides promoting a culture of life in America. prgtoken Friday, I will march alongside hundreds of thousands of Americans from all corners of this country in honor of those who never had a chance to march for themselves, but leading the march will be students from Bishop Dwenger High School in my district in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who will be joining us there that day. I can't wait to join them tomorrow as they carry out this honor on The National Mall, and I ask my colleagues to join me as we reaffirm the sacred nature of all life.
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Resumed
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-1-16

one dollar--one dollar--that is the amount that the of the House said she would be willing to invest in physical barriers at our southern border--one dollar. Talk about serious, good-faith negotiations. Talk about taking borders seriously. prgtoken The men and women on the ground have been unambiguous about the crisis they are facing: the entry of criminal aliens and gang members into our country, the drugs that go on to infect our communities, the ongoing humanitarian crises that are fueled by our government's mixed signals and our inability to enforce our own laws. prgtoken According to Pelosi, these urgent issues are worth about 33 cents each--33 cents. As we all know, that is because the has recently defined a brandnew dogma for the ic Party: Actually enforcing our immigration laws with the help of physical barriers is ``an immorality''--an immorality. prgtoken That is quite the indictment of her fellow ' past positions. Recent years have seen vote for billions--billions--of dollars in physical walls and fencing. Recent years have seen a ic administration build the same steel barriers--the very same steel barriers--that this President now wants to expand. prgtoken But these days, it seems that are happy to take their cues from the gentlelady from San Francisco and her extreme, fringe position that walls have now become immoral. Really? prgtoken Yesterday, President issued yet another bipartisan invitation for Members of Congress to meet at the White House and actually negotiate. Yet, again, only s came to the table. prgtoken For the American people, who deserve both a functioning government as well as a secure border, that really is not a promising sign. For Federal workers who are now stretching every dollar until lose interest in dead-end political games, the 's $1 punchline is not very entertaining. prgtoken So for everyone's sake, I hope our ic colleagues will reverse course and work seriously with this White House to reach an agreement that can become law and fulfill our promises to our country. prgtoken In the meantime, as the White House made clear just yesterday, cherry-picking continuing resolutions that fail to prgtoken address the border crisis will not receive the President's signature. They are not going to. prgtoken The only way out of this impasse is a bipartisan agreement, and as the ic leader and I have both stated here on the floor, only an all-corners bipartisan agreement will receive a vote here in the Senate. S.J. Res. 2 prgtoken , on another matter, before the Senate today is a resolution from the ic leader that would overrule career civil servants at the Treasury Department and fire from the hip on one of the top foreign policy concerns of the United States. prgtoken This is the pending business, despite the fact that the ic
WHAT WOULD DR. KING SAY?
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2019-1-16

. Madam , on April 3, 1968, the Reverend Martin Luther King gave what the world didn't know would be his final speech. Seven times in that address, Dr. King said, ``But I wouldn't stop there,'' as he spoke of his dreams for a better world. prgtoken This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it is critical that we not forget the many lessons Dr. King taught us, lessons that emphasize ways to treat our peers and our neighbors with respect, despite our differences, in order to make the dream of a better and more unified tomorrow possible. prgtoken That message should resonate today more than ever to my peers in this Chamber. prgtoken I have been thinking of this a lot lately, what Dr. King might say if he was here with us today, as he might see the divisive partisanship that lives among these halls, and I think he would deliver one clear message: We must unify to make meaningful changes. We must bridge the gaps that divide our Nation by working together to find common good civilly. prgtoken It is no secret that division brings pain and disables our capacity to solve problems. prgtoken As Martin Luther King said in his last speech in Tennessee, ``I wouldn't stop there.''