mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mike Gallagher (Republican, WI) \u2014 2018-6-27

. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment to restore $24 million for Navy AIM-120 Delta AMRAAM procurement to match House-passed NDAA levels. prgtoken When he rolled out the National Defense Strategy, Secretary Mattis was clear: ``Great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of U.S. national security.'' prgtoken Nowhere is this competition more intense than in the Indo-Pacific, where the ``fight tonight'' mission has never been more urgent, given threats from both great powers and rogue regimes. prgtoken Pentagon leaders have been clear: addressing critical munitions shortfalls such as the AMRAAM is a top priority. prgtoken During his confirmation, the new Indo-PACOM commander, Phil Davidson, listed critical munitions stockpiles as one of his top two capability and capacity challenges to addressing threats in the Indo-Pacific. Admiral Davidson went on to list advancements in air-to-air munitions-- and the AIM-120D in particular--as his top solution to challenges presented by anti-access area-denial capabilities. prgtoken Unfortunately, our AMRAAM inventory is currently at only 50 percent of the requirement--50 percent. We cannot afford to cut any further. prgtoken It is no surprise, then, that the Statement of Administration Policy on this bill singles out munitions reductions as an area of special concern. To quote the Statement of Administration Policy: ``DOD still has shortfalls in preferred munitions needed to achieve successfully the operational plans identified in the National Defense Strategy.'' And the very first munition mentioned is the AIM-120D AMRAAM. prgtoken Let's be clear about the implications here. The NDS is about great power competition. Our ability to win--or, much preferably, deter a great power war--comes down to our ability to execute these plans and impose our will on our adversaries. prgtoken These same adversaries are watching American defense spending debates right now, looking for signs such as failing to address publicly reported shortfalls, that America is not serious about long-term competition. Decisions like this, here and now, may seem small, but they all add up to tell a story that our friends and our foes, alike, receive loud and clear. prgtoken Last year, on a bipartisan basis, we were able to help address key Mark 48 torpedo shortfalls in this appropriations bill in order to address a critical war-fighting need. I hope we can build on this success this time around. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to match the House-passed authorization level as well as the administration request, and .
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2018-6-27

earlier in this debate, we thanked all the members of the staff who made this great bill a reality through their good efforts: the professional staff, associate staff, and all those who work in our personal offices. Again, I would like to do that on all of our behalf. prgtoken , I especially thank Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky for their leadership, and the involvement of all those on the floor in the production of this bill. But, at this time, I would like to offer special recognition to one in particular: the late Stephen Sepp, the Appropriations Committee's resident budget expert. prgtoken Sepp, as he was known by all, died earlier this month, but he left his mark on this bill and on our committee. His funeral was held today at St. Peter's Catholic Church, in Olney, Maryland, and attended by hundreds of Members and his friends from Capitol Hill and the appropriations family. prgtoken Among many things, Sepp was the caretaker of the all-important 302(b) sub-allocations. Through his careful work from his desk in the Capitol, upstairs here, and from home, in the final months of his illness, he ensured that the Congress provided adequate funding--may I say well over $1 trillion--not just for the Department of Defense, but for all 12 Appropriations bills. prgtoken This, of course, required a deep understanding of the policy and budgetary needs of each and every aspect of these bills, and a base of knowledge and situational awareness of all the various political factors at play. He expertly maneuvered this huge responsibility with skill, savvy, and an immense amount of poise. prgtoken Sepp embodied strength, facing both professional and personal challenges equally with grace and fortitude. In short, he made a difference in the lives of all he touched--literally millions--as well as the lives of Americans in every part of the country. prgtoken We extend our love to his wife, Diem; his two children; and family. We will always remember him. prgtoken , .
FARM BILL
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-6-27

I am here on the Senate floor this afternoon to discuss, really, the farm bill but, more importantly, to discuss the current state of the farm economy in the place I call home, Kansas. prgtoken Every 5 years, we have an opportunity to develop farm policy, and this is my fourth time, I would guess, in being involved in farm bill discussions and negotiations and the passage of a farm bill. Each farm bill is developed at a time at which agriculture faces unique challenges, and rural America is in a different circumstance. Yet the farm bill is important to us. It is important to Kansans, and it is important to Kansans whether they are farmers or not. This is a way in which we provide certainty, security--a future--for the places that many of us call home. prgtoken The challenges farmers and ranchers face today are significant. They are tremendous. The ag economy is struggling, and commodity prices are low. Over the course of the 2014 farm bill--the one we are soon to replace--farm revenues have fallen by over 50 percent, and there continue to be those low commodity prices today. prgtoken In addition to low commodity prices, weather has not been our friend in Kansas and in many places across the country, especially in the Midwest with its continuing drought. So you end up with the worst of circumstances--low commodity prices and not much production. prgtoken It is important that we pass the farm bill. It is important that we provide certainty. It is important that we provide a safety net to those who struggle every day to feed, clothe, and provide energy to us and the rest of the world. prgtoken A primary motivation for which I asked Kansans to represent them here in the U.S. Senate and to represent them in Congress is the belief that rural America is a place worthy of keeping around for a while longer and I hope a long while longer. But when agricultural interests struggle and when farmers and ranchers are in difficult circumstances, every community across Kansas struggles, and, in fact, the United States of America faces tremendous challenges. prgtoken Again, you don't have to be a farmer or rancher in our State, but your community's future depends upon whether the farmers and ranchers are successful. The extended downturn in the economy has forced more and more ag producers to look for off-the-farm income. Many farmers and I would say most farmers in Kansas no longer earn a living solely by farming. Husband, wife, or both have to find off-the-farm income to keep the farm intact. prgtoken The Wall Street Journal indicates that 82 percent of income for U.S. farm households is expected to come from jobs off the farm this year. I highlight that because it is that struggle that farmers face every year, all the time, every day, to keep the farm intact. prgtoken I visit with farmers and ranchers on a regular basis, and it is apparent that the stress they are encountering is taking its toll. Many farm fami
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-6-27

I would like to talk today for a few minutes about food stamps and the farm bill. Let me preface it by saying, it has been my experience that the American people are the most generous people in the world. prgtoken We spend about $1 trillion of taxpayer money at the Federal, State, and local levels helping our neighbors who are less fortunate than we are. In America--and I am very proud of this--if you are homeless, we will house you. If you are too poor to be sick, we will pay for your doctors. If you are hungry, we will feed you. That separates our country from a lot of other countries prgtoken that exist and have existed in the world, and I am very proud of those principles as an American. So I do get upset when people suggest that the American taxpayer is not generous with his or her money. We are the most generous people in the world. prgtoken In that regard, I know that for many Americans, the Food Stamp Program--we call it the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, some people call it SNAP--means the difference between an empty stomach and a warm meal, and that is just a fact. I am talking about the men and women, many of whom are hard-working, who do all they can to provide for their families, but they need just a little extra help to put food on the table. The American people are happy to provide it. prgtoken Each and every year, the Federal Government spends more than $68 billion to make sure no American has to wonder where his or her next meal is going to come from. It is the generosity of the American people that pays for those meals. prgtoken If the Food Stamp Program is going to continue to provide food to the 42.2 million Americans who use their benefits every month--and I want you to think about that number--42.2 million Americans out of a country of over 120 million, including one in five Louisianians, we have to do our part to ensure our program's integrity. prgtoken This is a natural fact. The Food Stamp Program is rife with fraud and criminal activity. Every year more than $1.2 million of SNAP benefits are stolen or misused by criminals. So it is no wonder Congress has been discussing requiring photo identification at the point of sale for the Food Stamp Program since the 1970s. prgtoken As early as 1981, our GAO testified--and GAO, they are not politicians, not s, and not . I don't mean this in a pejorative sense, but they are bean counters. GAO testified that such efforts would be effective in reducing overissuance, but we have not acted. prgtoken Reform is long overdue, and the time to act, it seems to me, is right now when we are considering the farm bill. If SNAP is going to be available to the people who depend on it most of the years to come, we have to do more to ensure that taxpayer dollars are going where taxpayers intended them to go. prgtoken That is why I have offered an amendment to the farm bill which will help protect our precious SNAP doll
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-6-27

. Thank you, . prgtoken I appreciate that endorsement. Again, I thank you for your hard work and that of your staff in helping to structure this in a way that we could get the broad support you mentioned from the commodity groups and the wildlife groups. I think this is a win-win for conservation and certainly a win-win for the CRP program and for the farmers and ranchers in South Dakota who--and not just in South Dakota but all across the country who make use of this important and vital resource. prgtoken , .
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-6-27

I have 8 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation prgtoken The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Lieutenant General Stephen R. Lyons, USA, to be general and Commander, United States Transportation Command, Department of Defense. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions prgtoken The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``How to Reduce Health Care Cost: Understanding the Cost of Health Care in America.'' Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 10:30 a.m to conduct a hearing entitled ``Medicaid Fraud and Overpayments: Problems and Solutions.'' Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 10:30 p.m to conduct a hearing entitled ``FAST-41 and the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council: Progress to date and Next Steps.'' Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing entitled ``Examining the Eligibility Requirements for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program to Ensure all Downwinders Receive Coverage.'' Committee on Veterans' Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 2:30 p.m to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Robert L. Wilkie, of North Carolina, to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 2:15 p.m to conduct a closed hearing. Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights prgtoken The Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights of the Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 2:30 p.m. to
OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-6-27

we talked a little about the growing economy, and we talked about the fact that one of the weaknesses we have is, in spite of a growing economy and lower unemployment--all this good news coming with the tax cuts and tax reforms and investments--we have a problem, which is that many people are outside the workforce altogether. prgtoken Historically high levels of labor force participation are not being part of the workforce, but instead people are being sidelined. How do you get those people back to work? There are 8.5 million men between 25 and 55, as an example, who are not working. They are not showing up on the unemployment numbers because they are not looking for work. prgtoken There are a number of reasons for that. The one I think that is most significant today, that puts us at this high level of people outside the workforce, is the opioid epidemic. I am talking about the fact that we have data on this from the Federal Reserve. We have data on this from the Brookings Institute and data from the Department of Labor and the administration showing this is a huge problem. prgtoken About half the people, for instance, outside the workforce altogether are taking pain medication on a regular basis. This opioid crisis is affecting us in every way. What is Congress doing about it? prgtoken We have made progress. In the last couple of years, we have made unprecedented progress to combat addiction with legislation like the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, a bipartisan bill I coauthored with my colleague Senator Whitehouse. We have the 20th Century Cures Act, which has been very important in getting funding out to the States to deal with this crisis. We just passed legislation that provides more funding for the kind of treatment and prevention in longer term recovery programs that are proven to work, that have evidence-based results behind them. prgtoken That is all very important. We need to continue to push back against this addiction by helping people get the care they need and the treatment they need to overcome their dependency. prgtoken By the way, I have been with three community roundtables in the last few weeks talking specifically about how this funding is being used. It is exciting because it is being used on innovative new ideas that will make a big difference going forward, in terms of getting people who are addicted and overdosing. We are getting them the Narcan they need to save their lives and then not allowing that gap to occur where they go back to that same environment but getting them into treatment. There are quick response teams--a combination of law enforcement, social workers, and treatment providers getting in immediately saying: OK. You overdosed. Your life was saved by this Narcan--this miracle drug that reverses the effect of the overdose. Now, instead of going back to your old community where, unfortunately, many of those people are overdosing again and agai
PRAYERS FOR KATIE ARRINGTON
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-6-27

South Carolinians extend sincere thoughts and prayers to State Representative Katie Arrington, who was injured in a tragic auto accident on Friday. We are grateful to learn that Katie will make a full recovery. prgtoken On June 12, Katie achieved the nomination for Congress for the historic First District of South Carolina. When successful in November, she will be the first Federal elected official in the history of South Carolina, in the tradition of Ambassador Nikki Haley who was South Carolina's first female Governor in 340 years. prgtoken Also, yesterday, s nominated Pamela Evette to be the first female Lieutenant Governor ever, and Lexington s selected Paula Rawl Calhoon for the South Carolina State House. prgtoken Katie served as an executive with military defense contracts, ensuring servicemembers will have the tools necessary to succeed. She is on the board of many organizations, including Women In Defense, Charleston Defense Contractors Association, and South Carolina Cyber. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism. prgtoken Congratulations on yesterday's primary victories by Governor Henry prgtoken McMaster, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and congressional nominee William Timmons.
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-6-27

. Thank you, . prgtoken I know the Presiding Officer is a cattle farmer, as I think they are referred to in Mississippi. It is an honor to be prgtoken here on the floor with you to talk about important work for Mississippi. prgtoken Colorado is an incredibly diverse State. When it comes to our economy, we are the--if you look at jobs per capita, we have more aerospace jobs per capita than any other State in the country. We have the second highest number of jobs outright, second only to California. Our tourism industry is world renowned--our first-class ski resorts, our gold medal trout fishing streams. It is incredible, all that we have. We are also one of the country's biggest agricultural producers. In fact, the ag economy in Colorado remains the fundamental foundational building block of our economy. prgtoken I grew up in a part of Colorado that looks more like Kansas. Most people think it is in Kansas instead of Colorado. This is my backyard. This is where I live. I live in town. This is a farm, a pivot irrigation system that I grew up with. In fact, our family sells farm equipment. I have told stories about that to everybody here--everybody who will listen--so many times that they have probably stopped listening. I grew up selling farm equipment. prgtoken I can remember, when I first ran for office, going around eastern Colorado and introducing myself to farmers. I would introduce myself. I would say: Hi, I am Cory Gardner, and I am running for the State legislature. I have met most of you at the implement dealership. I have sold half of you the wrong parts. I quit using that line when everybody would shake their head--yes, you have. So I grew up knowing a lot of great people in agriculture through that business. prgtoken Water is the lifeblood of our area. Agriculture is the lifeblood of our area. There is an old saying that sometimes if there is a downturn in agriculture, then our community will feel it next week. Well, that is not true anymore. If we have a downturn in agriculture, our community feels it that day. That is how connected we are to global commodity prices and what it means for us. prgtoken I am fifth-generation Coloradoan. Our entire family has been all agriculture. It is the heart and soul of who we are as a country, and that is why this farm bill debate is so important. prgtoken In Colorado, we have tremendous crop opportunities, livestock opportunities. We have some of the best hay operations in America. In fact, several of our counties--Yuma County, which is the county I am from, over the years has been ranked and rated one of the top corn- producing counties in the Nation. We are a leading wheat exporter. Eighty-seven percent of the wheat that is produced in the 4th Congressional District--my old 4th Congressional District in Colorado-- gets exported overseas. prgtoken The research we are doing out in eastern Colorado on dryland cropping systems is pretty remarkable--the Akron
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-6-27

I don't even know where to start. The Senator from Ohio is a friend of mine. We came in together at the same time. He has written books on labor and trade, and I respect the fact that he knows a great deal about the topic. We serve together on the Banking Committee, and I respect him. prgtoken Much of what he just said was focused on China. I have never heard of a trade policy where you have a country like China, which is, in fact, dumping steel around the world because it is in their interest--I have never heard of a trade policy where you punish your friends in order to get at someone who is doing something to you. So we are punishing Canada and Mexico. prgtoken We are fortunate to live in the neighborhood we live in, to have the neighbors we have. We are punishing our European allies, who have been with us for centuries, in order to get at China. It makes no sense. prgtoken As a matter of fact, I haven't heard a person who has gone to the White House to talk about what they are putting in place--a trade policy--come back over here and be able to articulate anything coherent about that policy. I haven't heard a single soul be able to explain to me why we would punish our allies in Europe and our neighbors next door in order to get at China. prgtoken Section 232 has nothing to do with China. That is absolutely not true; it has nothing to do with China. China is being punished by 201 and 301, and we are punishing our allies by abusing a national security section called 232. So I don't know what to say.