mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Chris Jacobs (Republican, NY) \u2014 2021-11-18

. Madam , claim their bill will cost $1.7 trillion. That number, by itself, should cause alarm. But this number is reached through budget gimmicks. prgtoken If succeed in making the provisions of this bill permanent, as they have publicly said they intend to do, then the cost will be much, much higher. prgtoken The Penn-Wharton Budget Model estimates total spending for this bill would be $4.6 trillion over 10 years if the provisions are made permanent. The Committee for a Responsible Budget estimates the cost at $4.9 trillion. prgtoken If are going to spend this kind of money, they should at least be honest about the true cost to the American people. I urge my colleagues to reject this reckless spending.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Daniel Meuser (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-11-18

I thank my friend, the esteemed gentleman from Texas very much. prgtoken , this break business' backs bill is the latest iteration of an upside-down--in fact, inverted--economic agenda, ignoring today's problems and doubling down on what we see are failed policies. prgtoken What is in this partisan reconciliation bill says more about 's Big Government agenda than people's actual needs, and it will exacerbate challenges currently facing working families and small businesses. It is an $80,000 tax break for wealthy individuals and $400 billion tax hike on small businesses, with a total of $800 billion in new taxes. That is a fact. prgtoken It subsidizes green energy but it has a new tax on natural gas, making heating your home more expensive. That is a fact. prgtoken It disincentivizes work with new unaccountable entitlements while business owners are desperate to fill nearly 10 million jobs. It will increase costs on domestic businesses and manufacturers and make products overseas more attractive. And it is big spending that everyone agrees is not paid for; will increase debt to somewhere in the neighborhood of--I don't know, what is the debt ceiling request going to be?--$34-, $35-, $36 trillion on something that was said was going to cost zero? Decrease GDP, reduces wage growth, and drives inflation higher. We need to make our country better not make government bigger.
PROVIDING FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5376, BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Kat Cammack (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-11-18

. Madam , I thank my good friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler) for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I am going to read a statement from one of my ic colleagues here today. ``Because of last-minute late-night changes to the latest version of the Build Back Better Act, two-thirds of millionaires would get a big tax cut for the next 5 years under the bill. That is one reason that I refuse to vote for the bill without time to review the changes made to it a little over a week ago. Now we know. The tax benefits to prgtoken these millionaires over 5 years could be 50 times as large as the benefit of the child tax credit for a typical low- or middle-income family. The bill spends more on tax breaks for millionaires than on childcare assistance, education, seniors, and even more than all of the healthcare provisions combined.'' prgtoken This is from one of our ic colleagues. If one of our ic colleague is stating this, then we know that there is bipartisan opposition to this bill, a bill that we know is going to kill every single American's American Dream. This is a socialist nightmare that we can simply not afford. prgtoken One in 25 people in this country is here illegally, and this bill will create a pathway for amnesty and all of the social welfare programs that go with it. We cannot afford this. We cannot agree to bankrupt our children and our grandchildren because of a political agenda. It is unfair. It is not right. It is un-American. I urge all of my colleagues, consider your children, your grandchildren. prgtoken Madam , 10 years ago, I, myself, was homeless, and under this bill, had these programs been in place, I probably would have never been able to be standing here today because the American Dream is bankrupted under this bill. prgtoken Madam , I urge every single one of my colleagues, think with your hearts and your heads rather than the political agenda that you have been tasked with executing. Vote for the American people.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2021-11-18

reserving the right to object, border security is national security. That is why I rise today to speak on my amendment No. 4236, to block President 's outrageous taxpayer- funded handouts to illegal immigrants who broke the law and entered our country illegally. prgtoken At a time when American families are struggling because of flation, when families are paying more for everything from gas to groceries, to heating their homes, the President wants to give up to hundreds of millions of your taxpayer dollars to illegal immigrants as a reward for breaking the law. prgtoken Don't forget, we still have a crisis on our southern border, and we should be doing all that we can to secure our southern border, not incentivize illegal immigration. prgtoken These taxpayer-funded handouts to illegal immigrants are outrageous, and I would urge my colleagues to allow a vote on my commonsense amendment. prgtoken Therefore, I ask unanimous consent to modify the request to include my amendment No. 4236.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-11-18

2 years ago, I authored bipartisan legislation sanctioning any company that participated in building Nord Stream 2. That legislation passed Congress overwhelmingly, and and s overwhelmingly supported it. That was passed on the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken A year ago, I authored a second set of bipartisan sanctions on Nord Stream 2. That second set of bipartisan sanctions again passed overwhelmingly with the support of and s in this Chamber. That second set of bipartisan sanctions likewise passed on the National Defense Authorization Act. prgtoken Today, the are objecting to passing sanctions on Nord Stream 2. prgtoken What has changed? prgtoken Two things have changed. No. 1, today is President and not . And the were more than willing to stand up to Russia when was President, but when is President, suddenly it is untenable for to stand up to Russia. prgtoken But, secondly, it is even worse because what has also changed is that has utterly and completely capitulated to Vladimir Putin. He has waived the mandatory sanctions that this body passed. He has given a multibillion-dollar generational gift to Putin. This strengthens Russia. Decades from now, successor dictators in Russia will reap billions of dollars that they will use for military aggression against Europe, against America, and it will be because utterly and completely capitulated. prgtoken So why are Senate objecting to a vote on Nord Stream 2? prgtoken Because they cannot defend 's surrender to Putin on the merits. They don't want to vote on it because it would be politically inconvenient for this White House that has undermined the national security of the United States and has weakened our allies. Right now, energy prices are skyrocketing in Europe because surrendered to Vladimir Putin. prgtoken We have twice passed Nord Stream 2 sanctions on the NDAA. After 's surrender to Putin, we should do so again. My ic friends who have given speech after speech after speech against Nord Stream 2, against Russia, should demonstrate they mean what they say and that they are not simply interested in being political protectors for a ic President. prgtoken Accordingly--and I would note, by the way, in response to every amendment that has been called up, the have not seen fit to provide even a word of substantive argument in response. So I am going to predict you are not going to hear the President, , surrender to Russia. You are not going to hear any defense of Nord Stream 2. You haven't heard any substantive defense. You are going to hear two words--``I object''--because the are afraid of taking this vote. prgtoken I believe we are elected here to represent our constituents and the interests of the
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2021-11-18

the border crisis continues to rage. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection encountered 164,303 individuals attempting to illegally cross our southern border. That is more than twice the number of encounters Customs and Border Protection had the previous October and the highest October number ever recorded by Customs and Border Protection. In all, more than 1.7 million migrants were apprehended attempting to cross our southern border in fiscal year 2021--the highest number ever. prgtoken We are in the midst of a very serious crisis, and the response from and the administration? Well, mostly crickets. seem to hope that ignoring the border situation will make it go away or at least ensure that no one pays attention. I am pretty sure the President and his administration spent more time earlier this year fighting against the use of the word ``crisis'' to describe the situation at the border than they did actually thinking about how they might deal with the influx. Apparently, the administration is still--still--trying to avoid the ``crisis'' label judging by a recent hearing wherein the President's nominee to head Customs and Border Protection seemed to carefully avoid referring to the situation at the border as a ``crisis.'' prgtoken If the highest number of border encounters ever recorded isn't a crisis, I am not sure what is. The situation at our southern border is out of control. It is a security crisis, it is a manpower and enforcement crisis, and it is a humanitarian crisis--although, again, you would never guess it from the ' behavior. prgtoken Despite the fact that this crisis has been raging for the best part of a year now, and the administration have taken essentially no meaningful action to address the situation, and that is not the worst of it. The ' policies are actually making the situation worse. prgtoken Among other things, the President has significantly limited the ability of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection to enforce immigration laws, and arrests in the interior of the country dropped steeply under this administration. The Washington Post recently reported: Immigration arrests in the interior of the United States fell in fiscal 2021 to the lowest level in more than a decade. prgtoken The practical effect of the President's immigration policies has been to encourage new waves of illegal immigration. It is hardly surprising. If you think that your chances of staying in the United States are good, even if you are here illegally, you are likely much more inclined to undertake the journey in the first place. prgtoken The administration's actions--or lack thereof--have been compounded by the actions of in Congress who have been doing their best to guarantee widespread amnesty. have repeatedly attempted to include some form of amnesty in their t
HONORING ANTIBIOTIC AWARENESS WEEK
A. Drew Ferguson IV (Republican, GA) \u2014 2021-11-18

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Antibiotic Awareness Week as we work to combat a looming public health and national security crisis that may one day be our next pandemic if left unaddressed: antimicrobial resistance (AMR). prgtoken Applying the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic by investing in pandemic preparedness now will save lives later. That is why I am spearheading bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance Act, also known as the PASTEUR Act. prgtoken Through a partnership between the federal government and industry, this bill encourages innovative drug development to target the most threatening infections, improves the appropriate use of antibiotics, and ensures domestic availability when needed. prgtoken Madam , as we tackle this next medical frontier, we must bring together the unique capabilities and resources of the public and private sectors to solve the market failures impeding the development of new lines of antibiotics. prgtoken The PASTEUR Act accomplishes this, and I'm encouraged our legislation is included in a groundbreaking package introduced this week--Cures 2.0 that builds on the 21st Century Cures Act of 2016--taking another important step toward addressing antimicrobial resistance.
TRIBUTE TO GENERAL JOHN E. HYTEN
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2021-11-18

I rise today to congratulate Gen. John E. Hyten on his retirement from the U.S. Air Force. I also want to extend my congratulations to his wife, Laura, and note the remarkable bond they share. Their partnership in life has enabled his success in uniform, and his achievements are truly theirs. prgtoken Across four decades of service, General Hyten has risen through the ranks to become one of the most respected voices in our military, and many in this Chamber rely on his deep knowledge and expertise. This is especially true on matters relating to space and nuclear deterrence. prgtoken I got to know General Hyten when he became a Nebraska constituent following his appointment to be the commander of U.S. Strategic Command in 2016. This was actually General Hyten's second tour of duty at Offutt Air Force Base, having previously commanded the 6th Space Operations Squadron there in the late nineties. prgtoken During his 3 years as the commander of STRATCOM, I was privileged to work closely with him, not just as the senior Senator from Nebraska, but also the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee's Strategic Forces subcommittee, which directly oversees STRATCOM's mission areas. prgtoken During this span, we witnessed a marked shift in the strategic landscape, with worrying trends with respect to adversary behavior in space and investment in nuclear arms greatly accelerating. This elevated the importance of STRATCOM's mission and meant that, as its commander, General Hyten was on the front line of some of the most daunting security challenges facing our Nation. prgtoken During his tenure, he played a key role in the Department of Defense's response to these evolving threats. As space transformed into a warfighting domain, his candid advice was invaluable in Congress reorganization of the Department of Defense's space enterprise, including the creation of the Space Force and elevation of Space Command to a full-fledged unified combatant command. prgtoken He was also an extremely effective advocate for our Nation's nuclear forces, which continue to be the bedrock of our national security. As a vocal champion of nuclear modernization, he helped make the case for renewing the triad and broadening the modernization conversation to increase focus on nuclear command, control and communications--or NC3-- systems, as well as National Nuclear Security Administration's nuclear complex. prgtoken He played an important part in drafting the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, which marked the first time since the end of the Cold War that an NPR occurred against a backdrop of growing nuclear threats and therefore had to confront the uncomfortable reality that Russia and China had not followed our lead in reducing nuclear stockpiles. prgtoken He explained the problem with his customary candor: ``When we started de-emphasizing nuclear weapons, what did the rest of the world do? The rest of the world did exactly the opposite.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Jay Obernolte (Republican, CA) \u2014 2021-11-18

. Madam , 2 weeks ago, I led over 200 Members of this House in sending a letter to the , urging that we do not vote on this bill until the CBO had issued a cost score for this bill. Yet, here we are, debating what is likely the largest spending package in the history of this country, paired with the largest tax increase in the history of this country. I say ``likely'' because we really don't know what the bill will cost. Apparently, we are supposed to pass the bill before we are allowed to know what it costs. prgtoken Madam , that is crazy. Here is why that matters. Our national debt right now stands at about $29 trillion. Although we don't have a CBO score on this bill, what we do have is an analysis by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania which says that this bill would add $300 billion to that debt, at least, and that is if all the programs in this bill sunset on time, which we know is not going to happen. Further, the analysis says if they don't sunset, this bill could add $2.5 trillion to our national debt. prgtoken Madam , here is the real tragedy: We run about a $2 trillion deficit this year, and even in a good year it will be over a trillion dollars. The tax increases alone in this bill would almost get us to balancing the Federal budget, which would allow us to avoid leaving a legacy of debt to our children and our grandchildren. prgtoken Madam , this bill is bad for our country, and it is bad for our economy. I urge a ``no'' vote.
RECOGNIZING THE 2020-2021 NATIONAL FFA OFFICER TEAM
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2021-11-18

I rise today to recognize the 2020-2021 National FFA officer team who recently retired at the 94th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis, IN. Team members include president Doster Harper of Georgia, central region vice president Paxton Dahmer of Missouri, eastern region vice president Miriam Hoffman of Illinois, western region vice president David Lopez of California, southern region vice president Artha Jonassaint of Florida, and from my home State of Arkansas, National FFA secretary Anna Mathis. prgtoken The Future Farmers of America was founded in 1928 by a group of young farmers with dreams of developing an organization to address the challenges of feeding a growing population. Their leadership was founded on their experience and passion for agricultural pursuits. Now known as the National FFA Organization to represent its diverse membership, FFA grows the next generation of leaders, builds communities, and strengthens agriculture. There are 735,038 middle and high school FFA members in 8,817 chapters in all 50 States and Puerto Rico. prgtoken Each year, six student members are elected to represent FFA as a national officer. They serve the organization at the highest level, promoting FFA and inspiring members, advisers, staff, teachers, alumni, and supporters. These individuals pause their educational pursuits and other commitments for an entire year in order to fully dedicate themselves to bettering the organization and the agricultural industry. National FFA officers spend time attending, speaking at, and facilitating FFA camps, conferences, and conventions and often meet with donors, stakeholders, and alumni. Additionally, national officers serve as members of the National FFA board of directors, a testament to FFA being a student-led organization. It is no secret that these young leaders have a profound impact on the future of the organization and agriculture. prgtoken The 2020-2021 National FFA officer team led the organization with character, determination, and grit in the midst of a global pandemic. During this year and a half when many schools moved online and extracurricular activities at school, such as FFA, were unable to meet and continue normally, it is remarkable that, under this team's leadership, the number of FFA chapters in the organization increased despite the hardships faced. Their tenure as a national officer concluded after planning and leading the 94th National FFA Convention and Expo. The largest youth convention in the country, this year's convention drew over 60,000 registered attendees. prgtoken Behind every great team are hosts of people who support them. I commend the families, staff, advisers, teachers, mentors, students, alumni, and others who supported these leaders and FFA. Their tenacity and leadership is encouraging to those they serve and to myself. I had the opportunity to visit with these national officers during their year of service.
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Randy Feenstra (Republican, IA) \u2014 2021-11-18

. Madam , I thank Ranking Member Smith for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in strong opposition to this reckless social spending bill. It is simply wrong that, rather than funding mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare--which are on the verge of insolvency over the next 10 years-- instead are adding 150 new programs to this bill. Think about that, seniors. Your money that is coming to you every day is on the verge of bankruptcy, and yet the are adding another 150 programs. prgtoken Academic economists all over our country are saying that this bill is a complete disaster for all Americans because it will dramatically increase taxes. The Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates that the new programs will dramatically increase the debt by $4 trillion every year. Families and businesses can't continue to go down this path of continuing to see increases in our gas, our groceries, and our hardware supplies all because of this reckless spending that continues to happen by the .
BUILD BACK BETTER ACT
Carol D. Miller (Republican, WV) \u2014 2021-11-18

since President has taken office, he has tried to increase taxes on everyone. His Build Back Better Act--or as I like to call it, build back broke--is the latest example of his radical tax and spend agenda. prgtoken This bill includes $4.5 trillion in new spending, $1.5 trillion in new taxes, and will cause $3 trillion in new debt. prgtoken I introduced two amendments in this legislation, one that would ensure Americans still have access to lifesaving cures and one that would ensure Members of Congress do not benefit from ' SALT deduction. rejected both. prgtoken If passed, this reconciliation package will negatively affect all facets of our day-to-day lives. It will make energy more expensive, tax small family businesses, ship American jobs overseas, and make the inflation crisis worse.