mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT OF 1989
Elijah E. Cummings (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-4-10

. Madam , thirty years ago today, on April 10, 1989, one of the most critically important federal ethics laws in our history, the Whistleblower Protection Act (WPA), was enacted. As we mark the anniversary of the WPA, I would like to give special recognition to this federal statute that has empowered Congressional oversight and assisted our work over the years. The WPA protects whistleblowers who work for the federal government from retaliation for reporting activity constituting a violation of law, rules, or regulations, or mismanagement, fraud, waste, and abuse, or substantial danger to public health and safety. A federal agency violates the WPA if it takes or threatens to take a retaliatory personnel action against an employee who makes a protected disclosure. On this 30th anniversary of the WPA, we honor the contributions of the brave men and women who report wrongdoing despite great risks to their careers and personal lives as a result of retaliation. Without the WPA, very few whistleblowers would be willing to come forward. Congress relies on the WPA to fulfill its Constitutional duty to provide checks and balances on the Executive Branch--the very root of our democracy. This past February, my Committee issued an interim staff report raising serious concerns about White House efforts to rush the transfer of highly sensitive U.S. nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia in potential violation of the Atomic Energy Act and without Congressional review as required by law. The Committee's investigation was based on information that we received from multiple whistleblowers. We also rely on the WPA to help safeguard our national security. Recently, a whistleblower working inside the White House Security Office was interviewed by the Committee about the dysfunctions in the White House that presented dangers to national security. This whistleblower ``informed the Committee that during the Administration, she and other career officials adjudicated denials of dozens of applications for security clearances that were later overturned.'' She explained the reason she came forward, stating: ``I would not be doing a service to myself, my country, or my children if I sat back knowing that the issues that we have could impact national security.'' My Committee would not have been able to conduct these oversight investigations without these whistleblowers, and these whistleblowers would not have come forward if they did not have the protections of the WPA. We have made significant progress in protecting public servants who shine a light on corruption in the federal government, but we are not satisfied with the status quo. Congress must continue to ensure that agencies are following the existing law and also identify ways to improve the law to better serve the needs of our country.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE INAUGURATION OF DR. ADELA DE LA TORRE
Susan A. Davis (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-4-10

. Madam , I rise to recognize an important milestone in the history of San Diego as Dr. Adela de la Torre is set to be inaugurated as San Diego State University's (SDSU) ninth President on April 11, 2019. prgtoken Her inauguration is taking place at a unique juncture in the history of San Diego State University and has the potential to impart a significant impact on higher education throughout San Diego County. prgtoken SDSU is, and always will be, a major driver of San Diego's economy. With an annual economic impact of over $5.67 billion dollars, it is important that we continue to support SDSU and the thousands of students who graduate from the institution every year; more than 60 percent of whom stay in San Diego and put their degrees to work in our local communities. prgtoken Dr. de la Torre is a graduate of UC Berkeley, and holds a master's degree and Ph.D. in agricultural and resource economics. She has been a dedicated leader in the higher education space for over 30 years. prgtoken Dr. de la Torre was appointed as SDSU's first woman president in June of 2018. Throughout her first year in this position, she has spent significant time ``listening and learning'' to stakeholders in the region and embarked on a listening tour throughout San Diego County to ensure she has an intimate understanding of the unique needs of the students SDSU serves. prgtoken As she assumes control of SDSU, Dr. de la Torre has an opportunity to establish her vision for the future. At a time when the University is planning a major expansion in Mission Valley, it is important that its leaders clearly articulate their plans for growth and development. prgtoken Under Dr. de la Torre's leadership, SDSU embarks on a journey to increase its local footprint and establish the infrastructure necessary to support students over the next century. By engaging with the community, she has positioned herself well for success. prgtoken As I reflect on Dr. de la Torre's past accomplishments, and on her vision for the future, I am inspired by her dedication to social justice, and to improving higher education for the good of all students. I believe that her experience has prepared her well for achievement of SDSU's lofty goals. prgtoken I am pleased to be able to welcome Dr. de la Torre as SDSU's new president, and look forward to seeing her vision for SDSU take shape. Under her guidance, SDSU stands poised and ready to greatly expand its impact, and emerge as a mecca for innovative higher education in California and beyond. prgtoken I extend my congratulations to her on her appointment and inauguration. In the short time she has been in San Diego orienting herself to every opportunity here, she has epitomized the future of our community. Dr. de la Torre is SDSU and will surely touch lives.
Climate Change (Executive Calendar)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-4-10

. Thank you very much. It is not often that the distinguished ranking member on the EPW Committee gets to say he is from a bigger State and give his advice in those terms. I appreciate that we from Rhode Island were able to give him this moment. prgtoken I also want to thank him for his leadership in trying to fight for strong fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for our automobiles. prgtoken The story of what is going on cannot be properly understood without understanding the oil industry's role in all of this. They are up to their usual mischief. prgtoken Our offices obtained a draft letter to the Deputy Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, urging her to weaken the auto emission standards. Well, we were able to look at the metadata on this document, and guess who wrote it. It was written by one of Marathon Petroleum's in-house lobbyists. prgtoken Marathon shopped this letter, which their lobbyist wrote, around to Members of Congress, convincing several to send similar letters in favor of weakening the standards. We took those letters, and we ran them through plagiarism software, and this is what we got. The red text is the text that is identical to the language of the Marathon lobbyist's letter. The black is where, in this case, Members of the Pennsylvania delegation added a little local information about Pennsylvania. It is an 80-percent match in the plagiarism software to the letter written by the Marathon Oil company lobbyist. prgtoken Marathon and the oil industry weren't just recruiting Members of Congress to copy their lobbyist language into letters to the administration; they got their trade associations involved as well. The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association lobbied, for instance, to weaken the standards, according to their lobbying disclosure reports. It is always better to have your trade association do your dirty work. What company really wants the public to know it lobbied to lower fuel economy standards so that consumers could pay more at the pump? It is not a good look. prgtoken In addition to cranking up its trade associations, the fossil fuel industry also cranked up its constellation of front groups that it has developed and funded over the years to kill laws and regulations that would reduce the carbon pollution that is driving climate change. The industry launched those front groups against the fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission auto standards. These front groups provide a veneer of fake public support for the oil industry's anti-climate campaign. prgtoken Take Americans for Prosperity, for instance. It is a lovely, benign- sounding name. Who could possibly be against prosperity? Yet, in reality, Americans for Prosperity is a front group that is funded by the fossil fuel billionaire Koch brothers, whose company, by the way, also lobbied against the standards. Americans for Prosperity doesn't disclose its donor
SUPPORTING UNITED STATES-REPUBLIC OF KOREA ALLIANCE
Thomas R. Suozzi (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-4-10

I rise today in support of H. Res. 301, which expresses the importance of our country's alliance with the Republic of Korea. prgtoken A hundred years ago, the Republic of Korea declared itself sovereign, formed a provisional government, and set the wheels in motion for it to become the vibrant, prosperous, and free society that it is today. prgtoken The United States and South Korea have developed a special bond formed in shared strategic interests and cemented by a commitment to democratic values. Our alliance is central to advancing democracy, free markets, human rights, and the rule of law in the Asia-Pacific region and throughout the world. prgtoken South Korea is now home to around 30,000 American military personnel who are sworn by our mutual defense treaty to help our ally defend herself from external aggression. South Korea is also one of our largest trading partners. prgtoken Trade and security are not the only cornerstones of our relationship. Nearly 2 million Korean Americans live across our country, enriching all aspects of the fabric of our society. prgtoken , I call on my colleagues to continue to strengthen the diplomatic, economic, and security ties between the U.S. and our vital ally, South Korea.
Socialism (Executive Calendar)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2019-4-10

thanks very much. Before I talk about the auto industry, the strength of our economy, and climate change, I want to say a word about socialism. prgtoken I am a . I am not a socialist. I was a naval flight officer for 23 years, plus 4 years as a midshipman before that. I had three tours in Southeast Asia, and I am the last Vietnam veteran standing. prgtoken I have no interest in supporting a socialist agenda--none at all, none at all. In fact, I don't know if many of my colleagues feel that way, either. prgtoken I do know this, though. I know an election was held in November of 2008. We were in the worst recession since the Great Depression. Banks stopped lending money. The unemployment rate reached 10 percent. Banks were not lending money to people to go to school, to start businesses, to buy cars. It was a terrible time. prgtoken We had an election. The voters of this country decided to change horses, and succeeded . was elected Vice President. prgtoken They started at the bottom. It hadn't been that bad in this country in terms of our economy since the Great Depression. Eight years later, we had another election, and the new administration inherited the longest running economic expansion in the history of this country. prgtoken I will say that again. The administration inherited in January of 2017 the longest running economic expansion since the Great Depression. prgtoken Add to that the tax bill that pumps up the economy, and now we are 10 years into an economic recovery. That is the good news. It has been 10 years. prgtoken The unemployment rate is low. I think one of our earlier speakers said that GDP growth from last year was 3 percent. That was actually a little bit under 3 percent. He said it hadn't been that low for a long time. I think that low was reached maybe in a couple of quarters of the last year or so of the administration. prgtoken But what I am concerned about are two things. One, a lot of money that goes to businesses through the tax bill--a lot of it--has been used for stock buybacks. It pumps up the value of stocks. It pumps up the value of the stock exchange, and it gives us a feeling of elation and jubilation. But we need to temper that a little bit with something else, and that ``it'' is called a deficit. prgtoken We had 4 years of a balanced budget. We hadn't been able to balance our budget from 1968 to about 1998. We couldn't balance our budget. The last 4 years of the Clinton administration, we had four balanced budgets in a row. prgtoken We also had a great recovery from an economic recession inherited in 1993, beginning with the Clinton administration, and we turned over a strong, robust economy to the administration in 2001. He also turned over to him a balanced budget--about four in a row. prgtoken Eight years later, we didn't have a balanced budget anymore. We had a huge deficit, and we were in the wo
CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE CONCERNS
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-4-10

and s support the Corporation for National and Community Service and all of its volunteer organizations like AmeriCorps, VISTA, and Senior Corps. President 's 2020 budget eliminates the Corporation and all the volunteer activities our communities rely on. prgtoken As we speak, the Corporation's CEO is executing a plan to close all 46 State offices in the next 90 days, which they are calling the Sustainability and Transformation Plan. Contrary to its name, this plan is a step towards accomplishing the administration's ultimate goal of eliminating national service and abandoning local volunteers and stakeholders. prgtoken Last month, the Corporation's own inspector general reported to Congress: ``Aspects of this plan present heightened risks of fraud, waste, and mismanagement that warrant particularly close oversight.'' prgtoken So now it is time for Congress to act to protect national service, not fund a plan that promotes fraud, waste, and abuse. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor H.R. 1458, the Keep Community Service Local Act, which prohibits the closing of State offices.
NOMINATION OF DAVID BERNHARDT
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-4-10

President has nominated David Bernhardt to be Secretary of the Interior. prgtoken The Department of the Interior has broad management responsibilities over our public lands and waters, wildlife, and is also responsible for maintaining the trust responsibilities on behalf of the United States with Indian Country. They also have over 70,000 Federal employees. prgtoken There have been significant questions raised about Mr. Bernhardt's decisions and priorities in his position as Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary that have directly benefitted his former clients, while harming our public lands and wildlife. prgtoken There are a number of troubling issues with Mr. Bernhardt's record on the critical issues before the Department of the Interior, but there are two that are of particular concern to me. prgtoken First, I am particularly concerned about Mr. Bernhardt's role in the Solicitor's Opinion, M-37050, on the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, MBTA. The Solicitor's Opinion, or M-Opinion, on the MBTA was released on December 22, 2017, without any public or scientific input or environmental analysis, abruptly removing longstanding protections for migratory birds. These protections have been implemented in a bipartisan manner from every administration since the early 1970s. It is likely that millions of birds have been saved thanks to this law and the leadership of the Department. The MBTA has significantly reduced the number of birds killed from oil waste pits and other threats, and it has provided accountability and recovery funds after oil spills such as Deepwater Horizon. This change has been opposed by 17 former Interior officials from every and ic administration since the early 1970s, as well as Flyway Councils representing nearly every State wildlife agency in the country. prgtoken In letters exchanged between me and the Department of the Interior, they have admitted that due to the M-Opinion on the MBTA, they will no longer be able to secure fines or penalties for violations of the MBTA from companies responsible for an oil spill that non-intentionally kills migratory birds similar to the British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010, which killed an estimated 1,000,000 migratory birds. prgtoken Furthermore, despite the MBTA's strong record in saving birds through reasonable enforcement, one of Mr. Bernhardt's former clients, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, IPAA, urged the Department of the Interior to gut the MBTA and remove protections for birds and any requirements to take actions to minimize impacts to birds from their activities. prgtoken Just this week, we learned that there have been at least three oil spills recently that appear to have killed migratory birds, in which the Department of the Interior admitted in internal emails they can't respond to due to the MBTA M-Opinion. prgtoken So in the case of the MBTA, we see a dramatic change in t
Nomination of John P. Abizaid (Executive Session)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-4-10

I rise in strong support of General Abizaid's confirmation to be our Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It took this administration nearly 2 years to even nominate someone to this critical position, and, unfortunately, we have seen the results of the absence of serious, experienced U.S. leadership. prgtoken I was pleased that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expeditiously moved his nomination. In the past 2 years, we have seen Saudi leadership take actions that have seriously strained the U.S.- Saudi relationship and that have run fundamentally counter to basic international norms. prgtoken Saudi Arabia has detained and reportedly tortured members of its own royal family and has effectively abducted the Lebanese Prime Minister. In Yemen, the Crown Prince's coalition has led an offensive that has been responsible not just for breeding the world's worst humanitarian crisis but also for potentially opening the door to more malign Iranian influence. To this day, we still also seek accountability for the brutal murder of American resident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi. prgtoken With the White House's having conducted freelance diplomacy, the American people have had little faith that there has been serious pressure on the Saudi leadership for it to correct course. Worse, we continue to learn that the administration appears to be rewarding the Kingdom with secret side deals in support of its nuclear program--far outside the scope of legally prescribed processes. prgtoken Amidst all of this, we must find a way to get the U.S.-Saudi relationship back on course, for we do continue to share some common challenges and interests. Yet U.S. alliances are strongest with partners with whom we share values and with whom we can have honest conversations. prgtoken General Abizaid faces a tall challenge, but I believe he is up to the job. He has the experience and leadership necessary to both manage a large mission and get the currently fraught relationship with Saudi Arabia back on track in a way that advances our security interests and stays true to our ideals. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support General Abizaid's confirmation. His leadership, deep regional expertise, management skills, knowledge of Arabic, and experience in having served in conflict areas will make him an effective U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Nomination of David Bernhardt (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-4-10

later this week the Senate will vote on the confirmation of David Bernhardt, a longtime lobbyist, to the position of Interior Secretary. An oil and gas lobbyist will be entrusted with our sacred--sacred--inheritance, the great lands of America. prgtoken I urge Senators to oppose this nomination. prgtoken The Department of the Interior is the Agency entrusted with protecting our Nation's public lands, our water supplies, our wildlife, and our energy resources. It grapples directly with some of the biggest questions our country faces: how to respond to climate change, how to protect endangered species, and how to care for our precious natural resources. Yet to lead our Interior Department, President has nominated Mr. Bernhardt, an oil and gas lobbyist who has made a career harming the environment, subverting environmental protections, and helping polluters sidestep Federal regulation. prgtoken As former Secretary Zinke's deputy, he has paved the way for even more polluters to run rampant without accountability. Under his watch, the Department of the Interior has already opened a colossal 17 million acres of Federal land for oil and gas leases, generating millions in revenue for energy companies, all while Bernhardt recklessly managed our national parks during the government shutdown. prgtoken I am especially troubled this morning because POLITICO reported that under Mr. Bernhardt's watch, the Department of the Interior might even greenlight offshore drilling off the coasts of Florida--a prospect both parties in the State say they oppose. This should be a wake-up call to my colleagues all up and down the coast--Atlantic, Pacific, and the gulf. If they can't find a reason to oppose this nominee based on the other serious and troubling issues that have been raised, maybe this is reason enough for them. prgtoken It is hard to imagine someone whose background is so at odds with the Department's mission as Bernhardt's. For all his talk of draining the swamp, President wants to add yet another Washington swamp creature lobbyist to his Cabinet. prgtoken By the way, our resources--our oil and gas resources--are large. The motivation here to spoil public lands for oil and gas drilling--it is the power of the oil companies. It has nothing to do with the plan for natural resources. Bernhardt is an exemplary example of the power of these oil companies. prgtoken Gravely troubling is the long list of conflicting interests that Bernhardt brings to 's Cabinet. Up to 20 of his former clients have lobbied the Department of the Interior since his arrival, and the New York Times reported last week that he very likely has been less than forthcoming about when he stopped lobbying. No other Cabinet-level nominee in the era has so many conflicts of interest, and that is a low bar. It is a distinction no one should be proud to hold. prgtoken Worst of all, Bernhardt is a hardened enemy of climate science