mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-12-12

I want to begin by thanking a number of my colleagues who have contributed so much to bringing us to this point on S.J. Res. 54. I have been very pleased and honored to work with them in cosponsoring these measures in the past--most recently in March and now today--to end all U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen that is killing innocent civilians and murdering children and committing, arguably, war crimes. prgtoken The United States should have no complicity in these actions that betray our values and our national interest, so this resolution would direct the removal of all U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities. prgtoken There are many to thank--Senators Sanders and Lee, Senator Menendez, and my colleague from Connecticut, Senator Murphy--but I want to thank some people who have not been mentioned during this proceeding prgtoken Before Yemen and before the killing of Khashoggi--that is, before the civil war in Yemen and the Saudi involvement in it and before the brutal, heinous killing of the American journalist Jamal Khashoggi-- there was 9/11. The victims and loved ones of those victims are remembered by me. They are friends. They are heroes. They have fought relentlessly to hold the Government of Saudi Arabia accountable for its culpability--not yet proven in court, but they are seeking to hold the monarchy accountable for its possible involvement. prgtoken They have been largely absent from the discussion on this floor, but they are the original champions of holding the Saudis responsible for any and all possible involvement in supporting the 9/11 attack on our Nation. Make no mistake--their loved ones were victims, but it was an attack on our Nation, on the Twin Towers, on our Defense Department, on a plane that was forced to crash in Pennsylvania. prgtoken I am pleased that the U.S. Senate is pursuing justice for Jamal Khashoggi. He was a journalist, an opinion writer for an American newspaper with two young children who are U.S. citizens. prgtoken The United States has a moral obligation to end support for a government that engages in this kind of heinous, murderous action. There is intelligence that points directly to the highest levels of the Saudi monarchy--namely to the Crown Prince, Muhammad bin Salman. prgtoken The United States ought to end its support for the humanitarian crisis caused by the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Make no mistake--it was and is a Saudi-led attack, and the Kingdom is responsible for it, but this monarchy was doing bad things and engaged in bad behavior well before the Yemen civil war and Khashoggi's tragic death. The Saudis have a long record of violating human rights and international norms. They have funded extremism that led to the rise of terrorism. They may well have provided financial support and even training for the Saudis who went to the United States and thereafter enabled and led and participated in the attack on this Nation. prgtoken We should never
TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF RONALD G. RATLIFF, JR.
Harold Rogers (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise today to pay tribute to Chief Ronald G. Ratliff, Jr for his life of service to our nation in the United States Navy. Chief Ratliff, coming from a family of coal miners in Elkhorn City, Kentucky, raised his right hand to enlist in the United States Navy in 1995. For the last 23 years, Ronnie has served with distinction--both here at home and around the world, charging forward as his career in the Navy legal field took him from Kentucky to Rhode Island and California to Guam, with deployments in between. Following the completion of Navy legal training in Rhode Island, his first assignment was in San Diego, where he provided critical legal assistance to our sailors and marines. He was then sent to Guam, where he handled all military justice matters for the command. Chief Ratliff returned to San Diego to serve as a Discipline Officer and paralegal to the Commander of the Navy Region Southwest, before volunteering to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He served two additional deployments, and was promoted to Chief Petty Officer. Given his great success, Chief Ratliff was given the opportunity to attend the United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer's Academy in California, representing the Navy and maintaining the strong relationship with the Coast Guard. He was then sent to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he served as Staff Judge Advocate LCPO and Discipline Officer. In 2014, Chief Ratliff was selected as the U.S. Navy's first enlisted member of its prestigious Defense Fellow program with the Office of Legislative Affairs. Chief Ratliff first served in the office of my friend from California, Congresswoman Susan Davis. During his time in Congresswoman Davis's office, Chief Ratliff provided critical counsel and assistance in helping Congresswoman Davis achieve her goals on the House Armed Services Committee. Upon completion of the fellowship in 2016, Chief Ratliff joined the Navy Office of Legislative Affairs as a Congressional Liaison Officer. In this role, Chief Ratliff has served as a critical resource, helping members of Congress and their staffs understand the critical issues facing the U.S. Navy and its sailors. He has also escorted countless Members of Congress, personal staff and professional staff on Congressional Delegations or Staff Delegations within the United States and around the world, advancing the mission of the U.S. Navy. As a fellow Kentuckian, I could not be more proud of the career of Chief Ronnie Ratliff. It is honorable servicemen like Chief Ratliff who inspire us each and every day, and I wish him all the best as he enters into retirement. Congratulations, Chief Ratliff, and God speed.
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-12-13

the joint resolution before us today will impact U.S. operations with allies beyond the Saudi-led coalition; it will affect our relationships with allies beyond the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi forces in Yemen, which is literally a proxy battle against Iran. prgtoken Members of this Chamber assert that this resolution is confined to Yemen and sends a strong message to Saudi Arabia. I disagree with that. This resolution also sends a message to our allies that question the reliability of the United States as a partner. It brings into question valuable U.S. intelligence-sharing operations around the globe, including with Israel and other regional allies, like Jordan, Japan, South Korea, and NATO. prgtoken Further, it risks emboldening Iran and global adversaries who intend to fill the voids left by our absence. Russia and China have been actively expanding their presence in the region and will see this as an opportunity to fill the vacuum. prgtoken Senator Inhofe and I offer this amendment to reassure Israel and our regional partners that the United States intends to honor our commitments as the leader of the free world.
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-12-13

thank you. prgtoken We all are surrounded by exceptionally dedicated young men and women who work side by side with us and whose lead we sometimes follow on issues--our staff. I am honored to have such a capable, dedicated, and loyal staff--to me but more importantly, to Kansans and to Americans. prgtoken Today I want to take just a moment to recognize the contributions of a member of that staff, U.S. Army CPT Mark Bedrin, who has spent the last year working in my personal office as part of the U.S. Army Congressional Fellowship Program. prgtoken Before Mark departs from my office to return to the Army, at the Pentagon, at the start of the new year, I rise to express my admiration and appreciation to Captain Bedrin for all the hard work and dedication in his service to our Nation. prgtoken Exactly 1 year ago, when I first learned that Captain Bedrin would be joining our office and our team, I called and welcomed him to the office, and I immediately was struck by his determination and his sense of duty. Since that first conversation with Mark, I knew he would be an asset to our team, and he absolutely has never disappointed. prgtoken Mark's nearly 9 years of service in the U.S. Army have developed his leadership capabilities and shaped his perspective on defense issues that are of such national significance, making him a unique asset to our team who, as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, helps us work to serve Kansans and their families. prgtoken Mark's assignments have taken him and his wife, Katie, and their children, prgtoken Elizabeth and Patrick, around the world in service to our country. Mark has completed two combat deployments encompassing more than 22 months in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, as a rifle platoon leader during the Afghanistan surge and as regimental battle captain overseeing most of the Regional Command South. He also completed a peacekeeping deployment to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, where he commanded a rifle company supporting the Multinational Force and Observers maintaining the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel. Mark planned and completed multiple missions supporting Atlantic Resolve in Central and Eastern Europe as well. prgtoken Although Mark is a native of New York and he had never been to Kansas prior to his working in my office, he immediately got familiar with issues that Kansans face each day and made it a priority to spend time in Kansas and to see firsthand our way of life. prgtoken Following his trip to our military installations and equities in Kansas, I was grateful to learn of his impressions at each stop along the way. Like many in the military who visit our State, Mark returned to Washington, DC, with an appreciation for the quality of life that Kansans ensure that their servicemembers have in our State. We take care of their families. I appreciate Mark's noticing that, and it is so true. prgtoken Over the past year, I have continually been impressed
FAREWELL TO CONGRESS
Luke Messer (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-12-13

I appreciate the opportunity to greet the House today. My speech today is intended to be my farewell to this Chamber after serving in this Chamber, proudly representing Indiana's Sixth Congressional District, over the last 6 years. prgtoken I rise today at a time of tragedy in Indiana's Sixth Congressional District. At Dennis Intermediate School in Richmond, Indiana, there was a shooting today. On behalf of everyone in Indiana's Sixth Congressional District, I prgtoken would like to express our condolences for the deaths that occurred there. Our hearts, prayers, and minds go out to all the families and kids in the school who are there. prgtoken This is, frankly, an epidemic, , in our country. It is a great tragedy. Every kid in America ought to be able to go to school where they feel safe. We need to do more with school security and more to handle mental health challenges. We need to do more to repair the moral fabric of this society, , so that our kids can go to school and feel safe. prgtoken Now to my final greeting to this Chamber and to the people of Indiana's Sixth Congressional District. prgtoken I today rise first to say thank you and also to provide maybe some thoughts about a compass forward. prgtoken First, and most importantly, after both 6 years here in this Chamber, time serving in the Indiana General Assembly, and working very hard over most of the last two decades for the people of Indiana, I want to say thank you, first, to God, who gave our family great peace and strength through all of this time and all of these incredible journeys together. prgtoken Secondly, I say thank you to my family. When you serve in something like the United States Congress, you tend to have yard signs that have your name on it, but it takes a family, a team of people, to help make this happen. prgtoken I want to thank my wife, Jennifer, for all of her patience and incredible wisdom throughout our service and time together. prgtoken I want to thank my kids--Emma, Ava, and Hudson--for all their incredible support and inspiration. prgtoken Certainly, I want to thank my mother, Chris, who raised my brother and me on her own when I was a kid growing up in Greensburg, Indiana. She recently retired from the Delta Faucet factory and has been an inspiration to me throughout my life. prgtoken I want to thank my father, who certainly has shown love and has been rooting for me all along the way; my grandparents who are a great inspiration to us as well; my brother, Rich; and just so many others. prgtoken I want to thank my team, two of my teammates, the two real leaders of our team. They don't know I am going to give them a shout-out today, but Doug Menorca and Amy Burke, I thank them for all their incredible work and the dozens and dozens and dozens of people who have been a part of our efforts. Again, it takes a team to get this work done. prgtoken I want to thank the people of Indiana and the people of Indiana's Sixth Congressiona
COMMEMORATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDIAN CHILD WELFARE ACT OF 1978
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise in memory of Fred M. Fehsenfeld, a Hoosier, an innovator, a philanthropist, and a true American hero. prgtoken Fred was born in Indianapolis in 1924, and he graduated from Shortridge High School. As a sophomore at Purdue University in 1942, he left school to enlist in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Fred flew 89 missions in Europe with the 354th Pioneer Mustang Fighter Group. He was awarded the Air Medal with three silver clusters and a Silver Star. He also led the 353rd fighter squadron on the last official flight in the European theatre, where he barrel-rolled over an Austrian POW camp to signal that the war in Europe was over. prgtoken After the war, Fred returned to Indiana and married Midge, his college sweetheart. He graduated from Purdue in 1948. The couple had seven children. He was married to Midge for 57 years before she passed. In 2003, he married Barbara, his lovely second wife. prgtoken Upon entering the workforce, Fred was operating Crystal Flash Petroleum, which owned gas stations around the State of Indiana, when he decided he needed a new adventure. So, in 1960, Fred went to the library and taught himself how to manufacture asphalt. His companies literally began paving what we in Indiana call the Crossroads of America. prgtoken Over the years, Fred gave his company his all. He grew The Heritage Group to more than 6,500 employees worldwide, and he tackled real-world problems along the way. In fact, Fred is credited with creating and promoting separate lanes for cars and trucks to save lives, reduce pollution, and alleviate congestion. His companies detoxified waste from circuit boards and solved environmental problems facing the steel industry. prgtoken Fred asked that his tombstone simply read ``I tried.'' I am here to report that Fred Fehsenfeld did far more than try--he succeeded. Fred's forward-thinking leadership has truly made America a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous nation. For that, I recognize him today. prgtoken Fred will be dearly missed by all who loved him and all who came to know him. He was a great Hoosier and a great American. prgtoken . prgtoken .
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS-- Continues
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-12-13

I wish to associate myself with the comments of my colleague from Georgia, Senator Isakson, who chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee. prgtoken I have the privilege of chairing the Senate Commerce Committee. Senator Heller has been a very active and important voice on our committee on countless issues. Our committee has a very broad, wide jurisdiction. We heard him speak about his passion for veterans, and everybody knows that and how hard he has worked to make life better for veterans in the State of Nevada. But I would say, also, on issues like rural broadband and transportation, many of which, as I said, fall under the jurisdiction of the Senate Commerce Committee, I can't think of anybody who has been more passionate, more representative of his State and his people, more conscientious, more hard-working, and, frankly, just rock solid when it comes to the way he stands up for and represents the State of Nevada here in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken So I, too, am going to miss him and his voice and his excellent work and that of his staff on the Senate Commerce Committee. As those who have spoken before me have said, we know that his contributions not only to the people of Nevada but also to the people of this country will continue because he is someone who not only has great talent but also tremendous character. prgtoken As I think about the future that he and Lynne are going to enjoy, hopefully it will include a little more time together and more time with those grandkids, which we talk about all the time. prgtoken The other thing I appreciate about Dean Heller is that no matter how tough the going was, he always had a smile on his face. People talk about his optimism. That is a virtue that, to me, really matters around here. We deal prgtoken with weighty and serious issues. It is important that we see the lighter side and that we appreciate the humor in what we do, too; that we approach it with a sense of purpose but also a sense of optimism. That is always evident whenever you encounter Dean Heller in any circumstance. The thing I think I will miss the most about him is that whenever I see him, I see that smile, and I appreciate that. prgtoken I wish him and Lynne and his family the best in the days ahead. I thank him for his great work here, and I thank his family for the sacrifice they have made to enable him to be here to represent Nevadans in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken So, Senator Heller, God bless you and your family in the days ahead. prgtoken .
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-12-13

while our colleagues show their affection for Senator McCaskill, let me talk a little bit about my relationship with her and her service to our State. She chose not to do that, but she has served Missourians at every level of government--as a county legislator, as a State legislator, as an extraordinary prosecutor, and as the State auditor, when her particular talent to find out exactly what was going wrong and point it out was maybe at its best use, and 12 years in the U.S. Senate. prgtoken I know that not too long ago Claire and Joe took their family on a vacation to a ranch in the West. I was thinking about that, and thinking about her reminded me of a story I had heard about a wrangler at one of those ranches, who was just perfect on a horse. Somebody who was visiting asked: How do you get that good riding a horse? prgtoken He said: Well, first of all, you get on the horse and you put your boot in the stirrup. You put your heel right up against the back of the stirrup. You sit easily in the saddle, and you ride for about 30 years. You ride for about 30 years. prgtoken If you had paid any attention to either the last Senate campaign in Missouri or the one I was involved in before that, you heard a lot about 30 years. In the case of Senator McCaskill and me, we have our own 30 years. About that long ago, she was starting her second term in the Missouri legislature--smart, well-prepared, all she always is. I was the first elected secretary of state in 52 years and only a couple years older than her. In fact, we never had much of a fight about who was going to be called a senior Senator because neither wanted to be the particular senior anything at this point, but we began to work together. prgtoken Claire was smart, she was quick, she was funny, she was insightful, and she was always well-prepared. She was also, by the way, on the Appropriations Committee that I had to report to. The questions were always tough and usually I could answer them. Even then, I often wondered how somebody as smart and well-prepared as Claire could so often wind up on the wrong side of the issue of the day based on my view of the issue of the day. We still have that--the 8 years we were here together. prgtoken Let me tell you, on anything that involved Missouri, I think you would have a hard time finding an exception where we didn't get to the same place, where we didn't get there quickly, and where we didn't do everything we both could do to figure out how to reach a conclusion. prgtoken In fact, all week I was thinking, is there any way I can get to St. Louis to where the property transfer will be made for the new NGA, the National Geospatial West facility--$1.3 billion facility--right where Pruitt-Igoe used to be, something new that will be the center of activity and something that was built at the site of a really bad government decision. We worked very hard to get that done. I was thinking, I am go
TRIBUTE TO JEFF FLAKE
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-12-13

at the end of each session of the Congress, we, the Senate, take a moment to express our appreciation and acknowledge the efforts of those Members who will be retiring in just a few weeks. This year, one of our colleagues who will be leaving is Senator Jeff Flake. prgtoken Jeff will be leaving us after a career of nearly 20 years in Congress. He has impressed many of us with whom he has worked with the strength of his views and determination to fight for those things in which he truly believes, both as a Senator and a proud husband to his wife Cheryl and father to his five children. He has been a reliable advocate for what he sees as the best interests of Arizona and the future of the Nation. He leaves behind a legacy of which he should be very proud. prgtoken Jeff was born in Snowflake, AZ. His family name was well known to the people in his neighborhood in part because it was named for his great- great-grandfather, William J. Flake, an early pioneer. His family played an important role in the founding and day-to-day life of their town, and Jeff always embodied the pioneering spirit through his work in Congress. prgtoken After graduating from Brigham Young University with a bachelors of arts in international relations and a master of arts in political science, he took a 2-year leave of absence to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Africa. prgtoken Jeff's early career work as the executive director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia and executive director of the Goldwater Institute helped prepare him for the House of Representatives. He became a strong voice for the political views of the people from back home. prgtoken Several years later Arizona's Senate seat was open and Jeff took up the challenge. The people of Arizona and our Nation were fortunate to have him to rely on for so many issues. He has been a steady and dependable force for tackling difficult, complex, and occasionally unpopular issues in the Senate while remaining respectful of his fellow colleagues and loyal to Arizona. prgtoken As a Senator, Jeff worked tirelessly to reduce the deficit and control government spending. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I sincerely appreciate his efforts and share the same goal of reducing waste and ensuring the government operates efficiently. His keen insight and attention to these critical issues will surely be missed in Congress. prgtoken While serving with him in the Senate, I also learned that Jeff is an avid survivalist. It was a pleasure to read about his excursions to small, distant islands with only a few key survivalist tools in tow. As an Eagle Scout, I understand how important these skills are to have, and it is always fun to hear about others putting these critical skills to use and what they learn along the way. If he would like to continue participating in survivalist adventures after leaving Congress, I would be h