mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-9-18

. Thank you, Senator Casey, for speaking out on such an important issue. prgtoken He and I talked yesterday about the number of people who now have insurance in our States. In his State it is over a million; in my State it is over 900,000 because of the Affordable Care Act, because of Medicaid expansion, because of other things. prgtoken Seniors have more. Seniors are getting more preventive care, and the cost of drugs is less in spite of the fact that this institution and the President do nothing to keep the prices of drugs down. We know the White House looks like a retreat for drug company executives, so this body has not done nearly what it should. prgtoken The Affordable Care Act is so important. I appreciate Senator Casey always standing up for kids and standing up for Medicaid and standing up for the Affordable Care Act and the impact it has made on our States. prgtoken .
200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CONGDON STREET BAPTIST CHURCH
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-9-18

today I wish to celebrate a milestone for Rhode Island's oldest Black church. In August, the Congdon Street Baptist Church on the East Side of Providence celebrated its bicentennial. From its inception at the nearby African Union meetinghouse and schoolhouse in 1819, Congdon Street Baptist Church has been a centerpiece of spiritual and community life for generations of African Americans in Providence. prgtoken The Congdon Street Baptist Church has weathered racial injustices to flourish as a place for worship and education. Its founding members left the First Baptist Church in America, where they were made to worship in a segregated space. They formed their own congregation in Providence so that people of color could worship in dignity and secure a fitting education for their children. prgtoken Fulfilling that mission did not come without adversity. The original church was demolished in the 1860s at the behest of White neighbors. Unbowed, the congregation rebuilt. The new church, completed in 1875, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1960s, the church served as a sanctuary for Rhode Islanders involved in the civil rights movement. Today, education and empowerment remain hallmarks of the church community. prgtoken Rhode Island was founded on the principles of religious freedom and tolerance. I am proud to have Congdon Street Baptist Church as a cornerstone of that tradition, and I wish the congregation centuries of peaceful worship to come.
VAPING IS QUICKLY BECOMING A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
Julia Brownley (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-18

recently, it was reported that a seventh person has died from a vaping-related illness in the United States. prgtoken In response, the CDC recently announced that it has activated its emergency operations center to investigate what is quickly becoming a public health crisis. It is becoming abundantly clear that e-cigarettes are causing harmful health impacts among both teens, approximately 2.4 million students, and adults who use them. prgtoken While more research is needed, I believe this public health emergency requires swift action by Congress to prevent the marketing of these products to young people. That is why I have introduced the Stop Vaping Ads Act, which will close the loophole in current law and would ban e- cigarette advertisements on broadcast media. prgtoken I invite my colleagues to join me in support of this commonsense bill that will help curb the onslaught of harmful and dangerous e-cigarette ads.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2019-9-18

I rise to urge this body to protect the Constitution, to defend the separation of powers, and to prevent an unauthorized, unconstitutional war with Iran. prgtoken The Constitution is clear. Under our article I powers, the Constitution spells out that Congress shall have the authority to declare war. prgtoken The Founders debated which branch of government should be given the solemn power to wage war. Entering into battle had been the personal prerogative of Kings, and Kings had shown that they would bankrupt their countries and risk lives because of self-serving, power-seeking feuds. prgtoken Therefore, our Constitution's Founders placed the decision to go to war with the people's representatives. They wanted any decision to wage war to reflect the will of the people. They deliberately rejected giving this most consequential decision only to the President. prgtoken Yet, despite the clarity of the Constitution, President insists--without any equivocation--that he does not need congressional approval to engage in military hostilities against Iran, and now, instead of working with the U.S. Congress, he is publicly deferring to the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our President said we are waiting for Saudi Arabia to say ``under what terms we would proceed.'' prgtoken When discussing retaliation for the attack on a Saudi oil-processing facility, our President has praised the Saudis as good customers who ``[pay] cash.'' prgtoken President explained further as follows: [T]he fact is that the Saudis are going to have a lot of involvement in this if we decide to do something. They'll be very much involved, and that includes payment. And they understand that fully. prgtoken Does this Congress think the patriotic men and women of our military are mercenaries at the service of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? I reject that idea completely. When a President is threatening a military attack because of a foreign King's oil interests, it is well past time for Congress to assert its institutional authority. prgtoken Congress needs to make it clear: The President cannot begin a war with Iran without coming here first, coming here to the Congress. prgtoken In June, we voted on a bipartisan amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that prohibited any war with Iran unless authorized by Congress. prgtoken Getting a vote on the Udall-Kaine-Paul amendment was historic, and a bipartisan majority of Senators voted to support our amendment that day. prgtoken The House of Representatives has sent us its NDAA, which includes a bipartisan provision prohibiting war against Iran without congressional approval. The NDAA is now going to a Senate-House conference committee. The conference committee must adopt our amendment that prohibits unauthorized war against Iran. prgtoken Since our vote in June, tensions with Iran have not subsided; they have only increased. The threat of mis
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020, AND HEALTH EXTENDERS ACT OF 2019
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-9-19

I also rise in support of this continuing resolution. prgtoken As an appropriator, and you have heard it from all of us, this is not the best choice--it is not our first choice--to do continuing resolutions. But this short-term CR is necessary to give the Senate time to move its appropriations bills through the process. prgtoken In the meantime, , this legislation is absolutely critical for our men and women in uniform, for our first responders, for our air traffic controllers, and so many other public servants who keep us safe each and every day. prgtoken This legislation also has a limited number of provisions that are, frankly, important to Members on both sides of the aisle. Let me just give you a couple of examples. Disaster response tools are in this CR and extension of flood insurance and relief for the men and women who help put the food on our table, the American farmers. prgtoken Most importantly, , this legislation gives us the opportunity to complete our full-year appropriations bills by November 21. prgtoken I am absolutely confident that we can finish our bills by this date because we have a bipartisan budget deal that was signed by the President. I am particularly looking forward to working with Chairman Price to finalize a T-HUD bill to address the infrastructure, safety, and housing needs of our great country. prgtoken I also know that because of Chairwoman Lowey and Ranking Member Granger, they will lead us through this process in a transparent, clear way, as they always have. prgtoken , again, we need to pass this bill. I urge a ``yes'' vote.
HONORING FLORIDA SHERIFFS YOUTH RANCHES
Neal P. Dunn (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-9-19

I rise today in support of the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches and similar community care centers for at-risk children across our Nation. prgtoken Founded in 1957, the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches have been improving the lives of at-risk children throughout our State with its comprehensive programs in six Florida locations, including one in my district, Live Oak, Florida. prgtoken The Sheriffs Youth Ranches are credited with helping more than 152,000 children and families in Florida alone. I have visited them, and I admire their work. It goes well beyond basic care and provides a sense of security, guidance, and belonging to these children who are coming from incredibly difficult circumstances. prgtoken Without action by this House, on September 30, the title IV-E child welfare waiver will expire, adversely affecting the support provided to children's homes across the country. prgtoken It is our responsibility to ensure that vital services to vulnerable children and families are not interrupted. We must guarantee that the system has the same amount of resources necessary to achieve safety and permanency for all of these children.
HONORING PEYTON COMSTOCK
Sam Graves (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-9-19

. Madam , I proudly pause to recognize Peyton Comstock. Peyton is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 1180, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Peyton has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Peyton has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Peyton has contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Madam , I proudly ask you to join me in commending Peyton Comstock for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 1044
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-9-19

I want to commend my good friend from the great State of Utah, Senator Mike Lee, for his work on putting this bill together and pulling the people together to support this bill. prgtoken I support this bill. We have some language that needs to be clarified, and I still have some concerns about the impact this legislation would have on prgtoken some specific industries in not only my State but in the country. I want to work with Senator Lee in addressing these concerns and come to a resolution on this very quickly. I commit to working with him and his team to make sure we get to a resolution because we want the exact same thing, and this is totally consistent with what President is trying to do in his long-term work to fix our broken immigration system. prgtoken With that, I object.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020, AND HEALTH EXTENDERS ACT OF 2019
Michael K. Simpson (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-9-19

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the continuing resolution before us today. prgtoken I think we can all agree that continuing resolutions aren't the ideal solution to funding our government. In fact, most of the people on the Appropriations Committee hate continuing resolutions. prgtoken Ideally, all of our 12 appropriations bills would be enacted by October 1. Last year, we were able to complete several bills on time, including the energy and water bill. prgtoken But sometimes we need more time to complete our negotiations. Considering that a budget deal was not enacted before last month, there simply isn't enough time to complete work on these bills before the new fiscal year. prgtoken So while continuing resolutions aren't ideal, supporting a short-term CR to keep our government functioning is the only responsible vote today--I will say that again. It is the only responsible vote today, for our national security, for our economy, and for the general welfare of the American people. prgtoken For instance, this bill will ensure the Department of Energy can maintain our nuclear weapons stockpile and the Corps of Engineers can dredge our ports and waterways so goods and materials can move freely. prgtoken I also appreciate that this bill recognizes our farmers. Agriculture faces uncertain times and the temporary relief provisions, while not a solution, do help. prgtoken I would also like to applaud the inclusion of a provision related to the specialty crop initiative. This program is vital to the success of potato farmers in Idaho. prgtoken We must avoid disruptions to these vital activities by passing this continuing resolution before us today and then working towards completing our work on the final appropriations bills, as the majority leader said, by November 21. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this continuing resolution.
CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020, AND HEALTH EXTENDERS ACT OF 2019
Jeff Fortenberry (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-9-19

I thank Ranking Member Granger for the time but also for her important leadership on this important bill. prgtoken I thank Chairwoman Lowey for her continuous work and leadership in seeking common ground on this continuing resolution. prgtoken , as Ranking Member Granger noted, we find ourselves in a difficult position today, so we are deliberating a continuing resolution instead of passing full-year appropriations. It is important, though, that we follow our constitutional duty to maintain government operations. prgtoken This bill will keep the government open. It will support essential public policies, and it will minimize the drama in the budgetary process. prgtoken One of our constraints is that the Senate did just start marking up its bills, as has been noted, last week. prgtoken , I will focus my comments on the agricultural portion of the bill. On a positive note, in that regard, the Senate Appropriations Committee's Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee passed its bill out of the full committee just this morning. prgtoken Until the majority leader decides to bring the Agriculture appropriations bill to the floor, and it passes, we have no option other than to wait for the bill to move through the process. Until that time, Chairman Bishop and I will be ready to start conferencing the Agriculture appropriations bills with our Senate colleagues. prgtoken We look forward to House and Senate leadership decisions on the respective allocations for each of these individual appropriations bills, and on that note, I would strongly recommend that the House and Senate leaders keep in mind the critical needs of the agricultural and rural communities, as well as food and medical product safety, when arriving at the final number for allocations. prgtoken As ranking member of the Appropriations Committee's Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I was surprised to learn that in the initial draft of this bill, it would have halted desperately needed payments to our farmers and ranchers in rural communities. prgtoken The White House had requested an anomaly, consistent with prior years, that the continuing resolution carry a noncontroversial provision to reestablish the funding mechanism for farm bill programs that support conservation, risk mitigation, as well as temporary trade payments to farmers and ranchers so hurt by unjustified retaliatory tariffs. The majority did recognize the harm of not including this provision, and for that, I am very grateful. prgtoken I would like to make a plea to keep farmers and ranchers out of any political disputes. America's farmers are hurting, and now is the time for further bipartisan solidarity. prgtoken Second, , this bill corrects an oversight in the disaster spending bill to help sugar beet farmers in the Midwest. These hardworking farmers have been devastated by
ACT NOW ON IMMIGRATION CRISIS
Ted S. Yoho (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-9-19

. Madam , I would like to take this time to honor one of my constituents, John Lankenau. prgtoken As the anniversary of 9/11 just passed, we must always remember those who we have lost and honor the heroes who sacrificed their lives for others. prgtoken On September 11, 2001, Mr. Lankenau was assigned as a hazardous material specialist in Albany, New York. On that tragic day, as the second plane flew into the towers, Mr. Lankenau was requested to respond to New York City to assist first responders at Ground Zero. prgtoken Upon arrival, Mr. Lankenau was requested by name to conduct the first hazard surveys of Ground Zero. He worked until early morning, taking air and soil samples on the wreckage site. prgtoken Mr. Lankenau remembered how dangerous it was, maneuvering through the wreckage and fearing that there was a possibility that one of the adjacent buildings could collapse, causing more fatalities. prgtoken He spent the next couple of weeks going back and forth from home, continuing to assess the hazards and the conditions at Ground Zero. prgtoken It is my greatest pleasure to represent men like Mr. John Lankenau in the United States Congress. I commend him and the rest of the first responders on 9/11 for their character, their courage, and their commitment to serving others. I thank them, these true heroes, for their service. Congratulating University of Florida on Its Ranking
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 1044
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-9-19

it is that time of the week--the end of the week in the Senate--when I come to the floor and recognize someone special in the great State of Alaska, someone who is doing something important for their community, for the State, for the country. It is the highlight of my week, and I know it is for our pages. prgtoken We have some new pages here. It is commonly recognized as the favorite speech of the week for the pages because they get to hear stories about real people, particularly people in Alaska. prgtoken You will hear a lot of these speeches as you are here working hard in the Senate. prgtoken We are glad the new pages are here. prgtoken As you know, my State is certainly one of the most interesting, imagined States in the whole country. By the way, people watching in the Gallery--my friend Scott Lee is up there--watching on TV, come up to Alaska. You will love it. I guarantee you, it will be the trip of a lifetime. No one comes to Alaska and is disappointed. prgtoken I like to talk about Alaska on the Senate floor. People see a lot of what is going on in the State on the nature channels and the adventure channels. There is a story about Alaska on cable TV, it seems like, daily, almost hourly. Not nearly enough of these stories focus on the people who live there--independent, patriotic, generous men, women, and, yes, kids, children, who call Alaska home. prgtoken Today, I want to recognize 13-year-old Alaina Vik, who lives in Eagle River, AK. That is a beautiful community, about 15 miles north of Anchorage. prgtoken Alaina is a young woman with a big heart. She lives with her mother, Amy, who owns her own real estate company, and her father, Curtis, who is an Alaska State trooper. He is someone I know well because he and I served together with the very outstanding Marine Corps Reserve unit based in Alaska, Echo Company, 4th Recon Battalion. prgtoken Trooper Vik, semper fi. prgtoken To you and Amy, great job on raising such an exceptional daughter. prgtoken Why is she so exceptional? Let's get into what Alaina has done for us. But, first, let me talk a little bit about what is going on in Alaska because I always like to update what is happening in this speech. prgtoken I was home for the whole month of August--actually, almost 5 weeks. I did a week of my own on Marine Corps Reserve duty. It was great to be home. I got to travel all over the State. When I say ``travel all over,'' we are talking hundreds, if not thousands, of miles, literally, between communities. There was a lot going on. prgtoken Unfortunately, as it happens in so many summers in Alaska, fires were taking their toll, but the weather was amazing, with beautiful blue skies. For the most part, the sun was out. It was perfect for fishing, hiking, and camping--all the things that so many people in Alaska who come to visit and live here do in the summer. prgtoken Now we are heading into the fall. Leaves are starting to turn. It is moose huntin
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 1044
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-9-19

I am reserving the right to object. prgtoken The Senator from Alabama is a valued member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Ensuring that historically Black colleges and universities have continued funding is something we all want to do. However, instead of the short-term patch, I favor a long- term solution. prgtoken I am ready to do this, along with a few other bipartisan higher education proposals that also have bipartisan support. Such a package could include permanent mandatory funding of $255 million for historically Black colleges and universities and reduction of the number of questions on the FAFSA that 20 million families fill out every year for their Federal aid, as Senators Bennet and Jones have proposed. I would like to see the Senate pass again the legislation Senator Murray and I persuaded the Senate to pass that reduces the current FAFSA to 22 questions. Senators Schatz, Lee, and Durbin have proposed Pell grants for prisoners. There is a proposal by Senators Portman and Kaine and many other bipartisan Senators on short-term Pell grants for job training. We could expand Pell grant eligibility. We could increase the maximum Pell grant award. prgtoken These are all things we should be able to agree on, including funding for historically Black colleges and universities. I have been talking with Senator Murray now for several years about reauthorizing the Higher Education Act. I intend to discuss this all with her and with our committee members next week. prgtoken We have the time to do it because, while the legislation expires at the end of this month, the money doesn't for several more months. So, in the meantime, I hope we can work together, as we often do in our committee, to pass a smaller package of higher education proposals, including a long-term proposal for historically Black colleges and universities, while we continue to work on the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.