mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2023-3-23

this morning, the U.S. Trade Representative is testifying before the Senate Finance Committee on President 's 2023 trade policy agenda, and I look forward to asking her about the details of the administration's plans--or lack thereof--to boost trade opportunities for American workers, farmers and ranchers, and businesses. prgtoken Trade has been a very low priority on the President's list throughout the first 2 years of his administration. To name just one example, it took the President a year and a half to nominate a confirmable chief agricultural negotiator at the U.S. Trade Representative's office even though agriculture is a U.S. industry that depends upon trade. prgtoken If the President has deemphasized trade, he has really deemphasized trade--that is, removing trade and tariff barriers and increasing market access for American producers. The administration is currently negotiating exactly zero comprehensive free trade agreements; and its so-called trade initiative frameworks are, largely, flowery rhetoric with little to nothing in the way of tangible and durable benefits for American workers. prgtoken Tariff reduction and increased market access--the hallmarks of free trade agreements--are notably missing in action from the administration's trade initiatives. In fact, President 's Trade Representative has openly said that the Indo-Pacific economic framework--perhaps the President's signature trade initiative--was designed not--not--to include tariff reduction. prgtoken So why is this a problem? prgtoken Well, first of all, it is a problem because trade is essential to our economy. More than 41 million U.S. jobs depend on trade, and that includes a lot of jobs at small businesses. In fact, 98 percent of U.S. exporters are small businesses--a stat that includes many farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and around the country--and ignoring or deemphasizing trade puts those jobs in jeopardy. prgtoken But it is not just that our economy already depends on trade, it is that trade, specifically free trade--trade characterized by low or no tariffs and fewer market barriers--is a powerful engine of prosperity and economic growth. To name just one example, U.S. farm and food product exports grew from $46.1 billion in 1994 to more than $177 billion in 2021, largely due to greater market access opportunities for American exporters. prgtoken Free trade helps create economic prosperity. It opens new jobs and opportunities for American workers. It helps grow U.S. businesses and, by extension, our economy. President has tended to deemphasize the benefits of trade for our economy and for American workers and has suggested that trade and a robust U.S. manufacturing footprint are somehow in competition. But increased trade actually helps domestic manufacturing. Sixty percent of U.S. imports are intermediary goods or prgtoken materials for use in American manufacturing. Removing unne
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2023-3-23

I rise today to introduce the Success for Rural Students and Communities Act. This bipartisan bill would help students living in rural areas achieve their higher education goals and connect them with the economic opportunities in their communities. I want to thank Senator Hassan for coleading this legislation with me. prgtoken Today, employers often require something more than a high school diploma, such as a college degree, a skilled trade credential, or a professional certificate. Yet, rural students may face barriers to pursuing postsecondary education. Although rural students tend to graduate from high school at about the same rate as their suburban peers, they go on to enroll in college at a lower rate. Rural students also tend to have lower full-time retention rates in postsecondary education than their urban and suburban peers. prgtoken Maine's experience is consistent with these national trends. According to census data, two out of three Maine schools are in rural communities, and more than half of Maine students attend those schools. More than 86 percent of Maine students graduate from prgtoken high school, but only about 60 percent enroll in higher education right away. Unfortunately, an even lower percentage of Maine students go on to actually earn a degree, often leaving them with debt and without the credential. prgtoken The Success for Rural Students and Communities Act would help by encouraging the creation of community partnerships to promote strategies that make it easier for rural students to access college and career pathways. Community stakeholders--such as local school districts, colleges and universities, regional economic development entities, and community organizations--would join together to help students and their families navigate higher education opportunities and address barriers that too often stand in their way. prgtoken For example, many of these students are the first in their families to attend college, so they may have a more difficult time finding information about financial aid or selecting an educational program that meets their needs. Partnerships could work together to expose students to college campuses, courses, programs, and internships. They could also focus on the enrollment and completion rates of rural nontraditional students who did not pursue or complete postsecondary education after high school but may find they need additional credentials to pursue their chosen career path. prgtoken To help rural students gain the skills and experience needed to enter and succeed in the workforce, partnerships would also be encouraged to develop strategies for putting students on pathways into the high- demand jobs available in their communities. For example, partnerships could test various work-based learning opportunities, including apprenticeships, internships, and a sequence of courses on the path to a certain skill or job. By helping to connect students w
PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS ACT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2023-3-23

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise today to recognize the profound importance of H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, and what it means for families across the country. prgtoken Over the past several years, parents witnessed the consequences of lessons taught in classrooms firsthand. Math scores declined by the largest margin ever, and reading scores plummeted to the lowest levels in over three decades. These results are devastating. prgtoken Teachers' unions and education bureaucrats worked to push progressive politics in classrooms while keeping parents in the dark. The Parents Bill of Rights Act aims to end that and shine a light on what is happening in schools. This bill will reaffirm a parent's right to review course curriculum, meet with the child's teacher, and be heard at school board meetings without fear of reprisal. prgtoken My colleagues on the other side of the aisle seem convinced s are using this bill to punish teachers or push an extreme rightwing agenda. This is false. prgtoken Our education system is spiraling out of control as parents are pushed further outside the classroom. This bill will restore the role of parents in schools and provide new mechanisms to promote parent- teacher partnerships. prgtoken When parents are involved in their child's education, students thrive. That is the guiding principle of this bill. With the Parents Bill of Rights Act, s will help parents steer the education of their children back onto the correct path where they can learn the skills they need for a lifetime of success. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS ACT
Richard McCormick (Republican, GA) \u2014 2023-3-23

. Mr. Chair, my amendment No. 17 is a simple addition to H.R. 5 that states that parents have the right to be informed of any non-curriculum-based initiatives or events, and parents have the right to opt-in their child to such events, excluding birthday celebrations and Federal holidays. prgtoken Examples of these events that my amendment seeks to address include: National French Week, Firefighter Appreciation Day, Democracy Day, or any other politically motivated or controversial extracurricular activities. prgtoken Some of these activities are great. However, it is important that parents aren't simply aware of the activities their children are participating in, we also want to give parents the ability to be proactive in their child's education and especially their extracurricular activities. This is their right. prgtoken This amendment has nothing to do with technical careers or college prep. It only applies to initiatives and events outside of the curriculum. prgtoken The American Psychological Association has confirmed what common sense already tells us, which is that parental involvement in education is vital. Students with parents who are involved prgtoken have a higher chance to get better grades and test scores, have better school attendance, and even better social outcomes. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tommy Tuberville (Republican, AL) \u2014 2023-3-23

. The headline reads: ``Colorado [] threatens to hold Pentagon nominees over Space Command [Headquarters].'' That Colorado happens to be my colleague opposite me as we speak. prgtoken He has given us emotion and opinion. Let's talk about the facts. prgtoken Last summer, the Supreme Court returned the decision to regulate abortion to the States. In response, the Department of Defense claimed that this was a threat to the readiness of our Armed Forces. They said this without any evidence at all. prgtoken On July 15 of last year, members of the Armed Services Committee asked Secretary Austin how the Department came to this conclusion. It wasn't until November that the Department scheduled a briefing with Senate offices to give us some answers. However, minutes before the briefing was scheduled to begin, the Department canceled. prgtoken On December 5, 2022, I sent a letter to Secretary Austin letting him know I would hold all civilian and general and flag officer nominees until we got some answers. Less than 24 hours later, we got answers. The answers were disturbing. prgtoken We learned the Pentagon intended to go well beyond what has been authorized by Congress. Federal law only allows the military to provide abortions in three very narrow circumstances: rape, incest, and threat to the life of the mother. Yet the administration has turned the DOD into an abortion travel agency. They did it by using just a memo. prgtoken The administration wants abortion-on-demand for not just those enlisted in our military but their family members as well. This would expand the policy to millions of people. Now, the American taxpayers are on the hook to cover nonchargeable paid time off and travel costs for abortions for our military and their families. Again, nobody voted for this. This goes beyond the law. prgtoken We still have a Constitution in this country to go by, and the Constitution is clear: Congress makes the laws. The executive branch enforces the laws. prgtoken Secretary Austin seems to think he can make a change in the law without going through Congress. It would be irresponsible for the U.S. Senate to allow an administration to walk all over the legislative branch. Secretary Austin cannot change the law by memo. Congress cannot be replaced by a post on the Department of Defense website. prgtoken In December, I warned the Department that I would hold their nominees if they tried to force abortion-on-demand on our military, and they did it anyway. The Department knew what the consequences would be. It was clear. This was their choice. prgtoken I will continue to hold these nominees until the Department of Defense follows the law or Congress changes the law. In the meantime, we should do our job and vote. If these nominees are so important to the , then the ic leader can find time to get them on the floor. prgtoken Frankly, I wish were this concerned about our
PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS ACT
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2023-3-23

I appreciate the esteemed gentlewoman from North Carolina for allotting me some time here today. prgtoken I rise in support, strong support, Mr. Chair, of H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. prgtoken As parents, we put trust in our local schools and teachers and expect that our children are receiving an appropriate education, and in most cases, they do. prgtoken We have all had great teachers that have positively impacted our lives, and our children have, and we are very grateful for that and we will remember them forever. prgtoken In recent years, for varying reasons, there have been well-known instances where the trust between schools and parents has been eroded, in fact, broken, and primarily those issues stem from parents being excluded or having their participation in the educational process removed, such as curriculum review being very limited. prgtoken Everyone agrees that such instances, whether they occur often or infrequently, should not happen, and when they do, they are unacceptable. prgtoken As a father, I know that to a mom and dad there is nothing more precious than their children, and being included in the education process should be a parent's right, especially as taxpayers. Any rational adult, whether parent or educator, knows what the reasonable level of involvement should be. prgtoken Parents should have the right to be heard and to know what their child is being taught. Parents should have the right to see the school budget. Parents should have the right to be alerted if there are instances of violence or problems in the child's schools. Parents are not asking too much. They are simply asking to be involved, which helps create a strong family and a better educational environment for all. prgtoken It is our responsibility as elected officials to honor their requests and guarantee they will be included in the education process and school activities. That is why this majority has put forth the Parents Bill of Rights Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2023-3-23

fellow Senators, I rise today to present this amendment as part of the process, as we process this repeal of the 2002 AUMF matter before the Senate right now. prgtoken This particular exercise that we are doing, the amendment process is frequently fraught with political messaging. I am happy that so far the amendments that we have been processing have not been that sort of amendment and that is that it was intended to be a political message. This one is not. Prior ones are not. The ones that are pending really are not. prgtoken And the reason for that is what we are doing here in discussing the 2002 AUMF repeal is taken seriously by every single Member of this body--, , everyone is acting in good faith as they process this. prgtoken This is one of the most important things each of us do as a U.S. Senator, that being the question of committing our young men and women to actual kinetic force on the field. prgtoken When this was put in place, it was considered deeply and seriously by this body, and as we look to repeal it, the same is true. And I think everyone is headed toward the same objective and that is to see that this is done properly. prgtoken That is the purpose of this amendment to the actual repeal that is in front of us. This amendment would conditionally repeal on a certification from the Secretary of Defense that detention authorities and the litigation position of the United States with respect to detention would not be weakened. prgtoken And this is offered in good faith. It is offered because yesterday, just as an example--yesterday we had a hearing with the Secretary of State. And I asked him three questions about this, about whether they actually use it, whether it was important, and whether repealing it would weaken our position on detention and on litigation regarding detention, and the Secretary of State said that it would. prgtoken So the purpose of this is to clear up what I think is a flaw here. It certainly isn't intended by anyone. I think everyone would want us to have as strong a position as we possibly could when we are in detention or litigation. So this simply requires us to replace the language with some other language, and then we would get the certification or a determination by the lawyers. prgtoken So I offer it in good faith. I think it is an absolutely correct thing to do if indeed the body is going to move to actually repeal the 2002 AUMF. prgtoken Again, I want to congratulate every Member of this body for working on this very important issue in good faith. I think this moves the issue further to a better position. prgtoken .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2023-3-23

we are abdicating our constitutional duty. Sometimes we do this when we delegate law-making power to the executive branch. Sometimes we do this when we shirk in our responsibility to declare war. prgtoken Today, I want to focus on the latter. By passing my amendment, we have the opportunity to ensure that all Americans have a voice in matters of war and peace. prgtoken For decades, Presidents of both parties have used authorizations for use of military force to conduct military operations without meaningful oversight or accountability to Congress. prgtoken The Founders jealously guarded war powers and the power to authorize military force. They understood what it meant to be subjected to an executive with unfettered military authority. And, indeed, this is one of the essential distinguishing characteristics between our system of government and that of England. prgtoken Prior to the American Revolution, our Founders became very familiar with the British system, under which one person, the Monarch, could take the entire country to war. It was up to Parliament, at that point, to fund it and up to the people to fight it. But one person could take the country to war. prgtoken The Founders understood this, and they understood that unchecked and unaccountable wielding of military force is, in fact, the stuff of Monarchs, of dictators and tyrants, which is exactly why the Founders entrusted this authority only to the people's representatives, in the branch of the Federal Government most accountable to the people at the most regular intervals. prgtoken Throughout history, when Kings waged war, it was the people who fought and died. One of the many things that makes our system of government unique is this principle our Founders enshrined into our Constitution, which gave every American a voice when they were faced with the prospect of sending their sons and daughters to war. Unfortunately, we have strayed from our founding principles. prgtoken My amendment, which can pass today, is a recognition that we, as elected representatives, have a duty and an obligation to reclaim the authority to declare war that rightfully belongs to the American people. My amendment does precisely that. It implements a 2-year sunset for all future authorizations for use of military force, absent renewal by Congress. prgtoken In no way would my amendment hinder military planning or weaken our national security posture. To the contrary, it would induce a proactive approach rooted in the present day and time. It would reaffirm our resolve and strengthen our military planning. It would show that we, as representatives of the American people, are committed to conducting military operations with oversight and accountability. prgtoken It accomplishes this by requiring a joint resolution of extension to renew future AUMFs each Congress. Under this process, Congress may choose to let an AUMF expire or renew it under a joint resolution of e
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2023-3-23

I congratulate the Idaho Environmental Coalition that currently manages cleanup operations at the Idaho National Laboratory, INL, Site and Department of Energy, DOE, Office of Nuclear Energy contractor Battelle Energy Alliance for completing the transfer of all spent nuclear fuel from wet to dry storage more than 9 months ahead of the 1995 Idaho Settlement Agreement milestone. This is the culmination of more than two decades of work by DOE and many partners and contractors. It further reinforces DOE's commitment to meeting its agreements with the State and following through on its promises to the citizens of Idaho. prgtoken Importantly, the completion of the wet-to-dry project ahead of schedule means risks are reduced, security is improved, and the environment is better protected earlier, rather than later. Dry spent nuclear fuel storage is considered safer than wet storage, as it reduces proliferation concerns and potential risk to area natural resources. Dry storage of spent nuclear fuel also better prepares it for transport to long-term storage when a permanent repository becomes available. prgtoken DOE has now met more than 90 percent of the Idaho Settlement Agreement milestones and more than 97 percent of all regulatory milestones with the State of Idaho. The completion of the wet-to-dry project frees up cleanup resources to further advance the next stages of the nuclear fuels mission. Thank you to all those involved in this momentous achievement, especially the exceptional and highly skilled employees involved in this project, for advancing and accelerating the cleanup at the INL and protecting Idaho's citizens.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5, PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS ACT
Erin Houchin (Republican, IN) \u2014 2023-3-23

the balance of my time to close. prgtoken , we made a commitment to America, and delivering for parents is an important part of that promise. prgtoken We must empower parents to be in the driver's seat with respect to their children's education. This isn't about banning books or politicizing education. prgtoken How parents having a right to be informed about and involved in decisions regarding their own children's academic experience is being misconstrued by some is lost on me. prgtoken , we did have a robust committee markup on this bill that I was part of. We were in committee markup, hearing and debating amendments on this bill, from 10:00 in the morning until 2:30 in the morning. In those many amendments, what I heard over and over again was: there is nothing to see here and that this bill is not necessary and that most schools in America are doing just fine. prgtoken Well, most schools, , are not all schools. Our parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening in the classroom without having to file a public records request to find it. If things are going so well that our colleagues across the aisle believe that this bill is not needed, then they should stand and join s in support of parents across America. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill.