mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tornado in Sioux Falls (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-9-11

as I begin this morning, I need to mention the tornado that tore through my hometown of Sioux Falls last night. Thankfully, there appear to have been no fatalities, but there has been a lot of structural damage. I am grateful to all of the emergency responders, the electric crews, and all of those who worked through the night to keep the residents safe. My thoughts are with Sioux Falls today and with all of those who are dealing with the tornado's aftermath. prgtoken I had the opportunity this morning to speak with Mayor Paul TenHaken, of Sioux Falls, who, as you would expect, was up throughout the night with his team. I just expressed our support to him, to his team, and to our community as they begin the process of the cleanup and recovery from what was a very damaging storm. prgtoken I also talked with my wife and older daughter, who lives in Sioux Falls, both of whom were in their basements last night as, I think, most residents were. I am glad to hear that people took the necessary steps to keep themselves and their families safe. prgtoken As I have reported, so far--knock on wood--we are not aware of injuries that have been associated with this. Yet I will continue to monitor the situation, and my staff and I are available to help with whatever will be needed as a result of this storm.
HONORING THE LIFE OF DIET EMAN
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2019-9-11

I rise today to honor the life of a very special hero who risked her life to care for others and left a remarkable legacy. prgtoken Diet Eman was a longtime west Michigan resident who was born and prgtoken raised in the Netherlands. At 20 years old, she found herself in the middle of the crisis that had overtaken Europe during World War II. prgtoken Recognizing the injustices against the Jewish people in Holland, Diet and her fiance, Hein Sietsma, formed the Dutch resistance group called ``Help Elkander in Nood,'' which means ``helping each other in need.'' prgtoken Throughout the course of the war, Diet organized shelters and provided assistance to Jews in need, reported on German troop movements, and helped downed Allied pilots. prgtoken Eventually, she was actually captured by the Germans and spent 3 months in a concentration camp. However, her spirit and will could not be broken, and she outsmarted her interrogators, bluffed her captors into releasing her, and quickly returned to her work within the resistance movement. prgtoken Diet was personally recognized by President Eisenhower for her contributions, as well as by Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who deemed her a national hero for her courage and sacrifice. prgtoken Meeting her in person last year was a very special memory for me and my entire family. Diet never wavered in taking a stand for what is noble and lived a life full of bravery, compassion, and purpose. prgtoken Through her efforts, Diet helped change the world and make it a better place. prgtoken May her memory be eternal.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT
Ron Estes (Republican, KS) \u2014 2019-9-11

I thank all the Members who have joined us tonight. prgtoken As President has often pointed out, many of our trade deals have not always created the best outcomes for American workers and products, but by approving the USMCA, we can take one giant step in overhauling one of the most fundamental trade deals with our closest neighbors. We can also create a great template for success, especially if we turn our focus to improving trade relations with China and other countries. prgtoken As we stated tonight, there is no time like the present to get started moving this process forward, making sure that every provision of the deal is enforceable so we can get the USMCA across the finish line. The cost of delay is too great for our farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families. prgtoken Again, s for joining me tonight, and I ask this body to pass the USMCA now. prgtoken , .
RECOGNIZING RETHREADED
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-9-11

as chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize a small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of our economy. It is my privilege to honor a Florida small business that not only produces outstanding products but also assists survivors of human trafficking by providing dignified work and a second chance at life. This week, it is my pleasure to recognize Rethreaded of Jacksonville, FL as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Rethreaded was established in 2011 following founder Kristin Keen's return from India where she worked with victims of human trafficking. Realizing that there was a need in her own community to provide opportunities to survivors, Kristin sought to create a safe haven where women could learn skills while also earning a living. Many Rethreaded employees are survivors of human trafficking, and since its launch, Rethreaded has employed 40 women. The company has raised awareness about the horrific realities of human trafficking in the immediate community and beyond as well. prgtoken Rethreaded sells conscious gifts and handcrafted accessories such as purses, scarves, and jewelry at its storefront in Jacksonville, as well as online. Their website not only provides nationwide customers access to their products, but it also serves as a platform from which they promote human rights issues that are foundational to Rethreaded's purpose. prgtoken Over the years, Rethreaded has partnered with more than 300 companies, including Southwest Airlines, which provides airline seat leather for various ``upcycled'' products such as keychains and earrings. Since the beginning of this partnership, Southwest has provided more than 5,400 pounds of leather to Rethreaded, saving 2.8 tons of waste from entering our Nation's landfills. This partnership provided national exposure, but it was not the first time Rethreaded has received acclaim. The company appeared on ``Project Runway All Stars,'' an opportunity which gave their brand yet another chance to promote their mission. Additionally, Rethreaded has established relationships with numerous strategic partners, named Freedom Partners, which supply ready-made products from around the world. Selling these ready-made products in the Rethreaded storefront and online supports like-minded enterprises that also strive to end human trafficking. prgtoken Rethreaded not only creates sustainable products for a good cause but also provides a supportive community for women who are in need of hope and healing. In addition to providing employment, Rethreaded has established programs to assist employees in the recovery process. Programs such as its warm-line telephone crisis support service, mental health group services, care management services, and individual counseling services target the unique challenges facing trauma victims. prgtoken Congratulations to Kristin and the entire
COASTAL AND MARINE ECONOMIES PROTECTION ACT
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-9-11

I rise today to offer an amendment that allows the section 2 moratorium in this bill to go into effect when the Department of the Interior, in consultation with the Department of Labor, certifies that the offshore energy moratorium in the bill will not kill a substantial number of minority and women jobs. prgtoken Under the current administration, unemployment has reached record lows. In August, the national unemployment rate sat at 3.7 percent, with the unemployment rate for African American workers sitting at 5.5 percent, breaking the previous record of 5.9 percent which was set in May of 2018 under the same administration. prgtoken According to a recent jobs report from The Washington Post--hardly a bastion of conservative credentialing--nearly 90 percent of the jobs added under this administration have gone to minority communities. This is astounding. This can be attributed to the first time a majority of new hires are people between the ages of 25 and 54, and they are from the minority communities. prgtoken According to statistics published by the American Petroleum Institute, minorities will comprise one-third of the total workforce in the oil and gas sector by 2030. Women already comprise more than 15 percent of the oil and gas workforce. These are good-paying jobs, paying $90,000, that hardworking families depend upon. prgtoken This legislation puts these employment opportunities at risk by putting off limits potentially viable and valuable offshore energy opportunities in the eastern Gulf of Mexico that are the property of the American people. prgtoken For the first time since the 1950s, the United States will soon be a net exporter of oil and natural gas, something that at one time was unthinkable. America's energy renaissance has boosted the economies of previously left-behind towns throughout the country and turned them into vibrant communities. prgtoken , this commonsense amendment protects minority and women jobs and puts the interests of the American workforce first and foremost. It is very clear-cut, something that the American people can fully understand. prgtoken , .
Remembering September 11th (Executive Calendar)
Mike Braun (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-9-11

I rise to honor those who lost their lives tragically 18 years ago and to make sure that we never forget what happened then. prgtoken I vividly remember that morning. I was in my own office in Jasper, IN. I didn't have a TV. Somebody there brought it up on the internet. The second plane flew into the building. I will never forget that image because we didn't know what had happened with the first one. We knew what had happened with the second. prgtoken Over the summer break, Senator Rick Scott and I took a trip to Israel and saw all of that which goes into its preparedness against the evil that lurks around the world. I saw it again up close, and it always makes me wonder: How can they live like that? How can they be prepared when they know there are always individuals and countries out there just like in 1941 and just like in 2001? Imagine living in a country in which your entire border is surrounded by a fence or a wall in order to keep people out--where, in the tough places, there is another barrier and where, in the really tough places, there is a dirt berm. prgtoken That drove home again how important it is to be prepared and to always be strong when it comes to defending this country and the liberty and freedoms we all enjoy every day. I never thought it could happen in 1941, and I didn't think it could happen in 2001. It can happen again because that is the world we live in. prgtoken When I came here as a U.S. Senator, I always knew the most important thing this body should do was foster the defense and the security of this country. When you see it has slipped so precariously over the last few years--and thank goodness that we have built it back up to a level that makes sense--it is because we always need to be prepared. If we are going to truly honor all of the lives that were lost in 1941 and 2001 and will be inevitably lost down the road, we need to be strong; we need to be prepared. We always need to be aware of the fact that we are blessed just as the State of Israel is blessed--despite all of that--with a thriving economy. They live with that danger every day, and they find a way to get through it. Let us never let our guard down or drop our defenses here. Our freedom and our liberty depend upon it. prgtoken .
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-9-11

I thank my friend from Kansas who represents my wife's family. prgtoken Hopefully, I won't take a couple of minutes, but there were a couple of things as we were doing some economic numbers before. prgtoken The modeling right now says if USMCA passes, it is another half a point on GDP growth. In a $21 trillion economy, that is real money, but it is also hundreds and hundreds of thousands of jobs. prgtoken But there is even another complexity that I am going to ask for folks to think about. Think of the issues we have, particularly with China. So many of us would love to have a healthy relationship with China, but we don't believe they are playing by the WTO rules. They are breaking the rules. prgtoken So we are seeing a world right now where lots of manufacturers are thinking about moving parts of their supply chain. Wouldn't it be an amazing thing that we do our job here, we get this trade agreement passed, and those components, those issues, parts of those supply chains are back here in North America? Our ability to say our continent, our trading block, our ability to not only have robust economies for ourselves, but these labor provisions. prgtoken And this is the last thing I really wanted to hit on. The gentleman and I are on the whip team for passing this. We have had a number of visits with our brothers and sisters on the left. With a lot of them, I will get this: Well, David, I am concerned about the enforcement of the new labor standards that the Mexican Government has passed. prgtoken Remember, their legislature has passed this. Their President has signed it. There are dramatic changes in their labor rules. I will bring them a copy and say: But you don't understand, it is not the 1940s and 1950s anymore. You don't send in a team of union representatives to go inspect one of the 70,000-some facilities and inspect and then write up a report saying we don't think you are--in today's world, we have that thing called the internet. prgtoken The law the Mexican Congress passed actually has provisions in there for privacy and secrecy and the ability to use technology that if you believe your labor rights are being abused in a Mexican factory, you can actually document it. You can actually put it on a blog and those things. prgtoken So how do we drag our brothers and sisters from the left to actually walk away from the excuse of the labor improvement enforcement, and get them to understand that it is not the 1950s anymore; that now we are going to use technology and the ability to have these new labor standards in Mexico which can be enforced on a very large scale using technology? prgtoken This is incredibly important to our economic growth, and our entire regions. Let's get this done.
Nomination of Michelle Bowman (Executive Session)
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-9-11

I rise to speak on the nomination of Governor Michelle Bowman to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the nomination of Thomas Peter Feddo as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Investment Security in the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. prgtoken First, I will speak about Governor Bowman. Michelle Bowman currently serves as a Governor on the Federal Reserve Board and was the first person to fill the Federal Reserve's community banking seat, after her confirmation last year by a bipartisan vote of 64 to 34. Her current term expires on January 30, 2020, and President has renominated her to the same position for a full 14-year term. prgtoken Prior to serving as Governor, she was the State bank commissioner of Kansas from January 2017 to November 2018. She also served as vice president of a Kansas-based community bank, Farmers & Drovers Bank, between 2010 and 2017 and served in a number of government roles. prgtoken Confirming Governor Bowman to a new 14-year term will provide the needed stability on the Board. prgtoken During her current term as Governor, she has played a crucial role at the Federal Reserve by providing the community banking perspective and highlighting their importance to people, households, and small businesses across this Nation, as well as the U.S. economy broadly. She has also contributed meaningfully toward appropriately tailoring regulations in accordance with S. 2155. prgtoken If confirmed, I am confident her experience and skill will continue to benefit the Board in promoting the effective operation of the U.S. economy and serving the public interest. I will be voting in support of Governor Bowman and urge my colleagues to vote in support of her nomination, as well, today. prgtoken Turning for a moment to another important issue regarding the Federal Reserve, I want to reinforce that maintaining the independence of the Federal Reserve is of the utmost importance in this country. prgtoken The recent remarks made by former New York Fed President Dudley urging the Federal Reserve to sway an election by using monetary policy are incredibly troubling. The job of the Federal Reserve is to provide this Nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system. I continue to encourage the Federal Reserve to conduct its monetary policy while remaining independent of politics.
Order of Procedure
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-9-11

I ask unanimous consent that at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, the Senate vote on the Bowman and Nordquist nominations and that, if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that following disposition of the Nordquist nomination, the Senate resume consideration of the Feddo nomination; finally, that at 1:45 p.m. the Senate vote on the Feddo nomination and that, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT
Kenny Marchant (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-9-11

if innovation is the lifeblood of our nation's economy, then the Dallas-Fort Worth region might very well be considered our country's heart. World-class research hospitals and several leading pharmaceutical companies call DFW home, where they create life-saving treatments while keeping our local economy strong. Their continued success, however, depends on their access to international marketplaces, especially those in Canada and Mexico. That is why passing the United States Mexico Canada Agreement, or ``USMCA,'' is so important. prgtoken One of the biggest concerns that I hear from innovators in my district is the protection of their intellectual property (IP) rights in the international marketplace. President and Trade Ambassador Lighthizer have delivered on this issue by installing robust IP protections into this trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. The USMCA provisions that strengthen patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets protections mean that innovators can spend less time worrying about protecting their IP rights and more time creating products and Texas jobs. prgtoken Not only will this job creation boost the American and Texan economies, but it will also benefit two of our country's strongest trading partners. In 2017, Texas alone exported $127 billion in products to Canada and Mexico, with 72 percent of the materials imported by Texan manufacturers coming from those same countries. The Texas economy flourishes from its trade relationship with these countries, and in the end, trade with Mexico and Canada supports 948,900 jobs in our state. prgtoken Many Americans are already living in the strongest economy of their lifetimes, and the USMCA is critical to ensuring that our country's industries can continue to prosper and sell their goods freely and fairly across the globe. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage and ask that it be brought up for a vote as soon as possible.
REMEMBERING 9/11
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2019-9-11

. Madam , I rise today to remember the nearly 3,000 people who were killed on this day in 2001. At dawn, September 11, 2001, was a morning like every other, that is until everything changed. Terrorists, who were intent on destroying our country and our way of life attacked. prgtoken But through this tragedy we saw our country unite. We saw unmatched courage and bravery from our first responders, servicemembers, and everyday citizens. Now, 18 years later, we find ourselves with a new generation that did not experience the horrors of that day. They only know a post-9/11 world. That makes it all the more important that we teach them what happened that day, honor the victims, and discuss the impact those terrorist attacks have had on our world. prgtoken But today, we remember. Today, we pray. Today, we honor Americans of every background who, in the aftermath of that fateful day, united under our flag, bound together by a sense of unflappable courage, duty, and patriotism.
Remembering September 11th (Executive Calendar)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-9-11

18 years ago today, in my office in Oklahoma City, a fellow staff member poked her head into the office and said to me: There is a freak accident that has happened in New York. A plane flew into the World Trade Center. prgtoken She went down the hallway and pulled in a rolling cart--the younger generation will have no idea what that is--but a rolling cart with a TV on top of it, and we plugged it in and watched it. As the second plane flew in, both of us stood there silently, thinking: That is no accident. That is murder on a massive scale and terror like I have never witnessed with my own eyes. prgtoken What I didn't know at that moment is how many thousands of lives would be affected and how much our Nation would be changed. That morning, 18 years ago, seven Oklahomans died, but prgtoken our Nation was forever changed. Common terms we think about today like ``TSA,'' or ``terror watch list,'' or ``Department of Homeland Security,'' or ``Global Entry,'' or ``body scanners,'' or ``PATRIOT Act''--those didn't exist on September 10, 2001. They have all come since then as our Nation learns how to do more security, learns how to engage, and has learned a painful lesson that what people think in an isolated village in a remote country--what they think matters to us because what they may carry out, if left alone and ignored, could kill our family members and our fellow Americans. prgtoken Almost 3,000 Americans died that day, but since that time period, we have pushed back not against the people of Afghanistan or the people of Iraq, not against Muslims or a faith but against a specific ideology that intensely hates the freedom of America and who intentionally plans to kill Americans they have never met. prgtoken We learned a new ideology as a nation that day; that we have to not only take it seriously but that we must not wait until they carry out a fight. If they are planning it, if they are preparing it, if they have the capability, we should assume they are actually going to do it. prgtoken Since that time period, American men and women have taken the fight to people who want to come and kill more Americans, but it has also been at a great cost of American blood and treasure: 4,432 Americans have died in Iraq; 2,353 Americans have died in Afghanistan. Fifty-one of those are my fellow Oklahomans in Afghanistan; 72 of those are my fellow Oklahomans in Iraq. prgtoken Today, I pulled out of my closet a specific tie that I rarely wear. It was a tie given to me by a Gold Star Wife who never ever wanted to be a Gold Star Wife. She just wanted to be the wife of Chris Horton, whom she intensely loved, who went to Afghanistan to serve his country in the Oklahoma National Guard and died for our freedom. Two years later, she handed me this tie and said: He hated wearing ties, but you have to wear them all the time. Just remember him. prgtoken We, as Americans, will not forget, and we have not forgotten. There are