mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Andrew Wheeler (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-2-27

this week the Senate is debating the nomination of Andrew Wheeler to serve as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. prgtoken I am going to make this short because this is bad news for anybody who wants the Environmental Protection Agency to live up to its fundamental mission; that is, to protect the public health so our citizens, from sea to shining sea, can breathe clean air and drink clean water. prgtoken In my view, Andrew Wheeler is Scott Pruitt without an appetite for luxury travel on the taxpayers' dime--yet another appointee doing the bidding of the dirtiest, most powerful industry in America, no matter what physical harm it might do to the people of our country. prgtoken To me, the fundamental obligation of an EPA Administrator should be to make sure we don't compromise our health and the environment. Regrettably, Mr. Wheeler has spent his career doing essentially the opposite. prgtoken Given what he has done during his time as acting head of the Agency, he has already proven what sort of backward-thinking Administrator he will be. In fact, I think it would be fair to say Andrew Wheeler is sure to be ``Administrator Rollback.'' prgtoken During his time as Acting-Administrator, he's rolled back fuel economy standards that reduce pollution and help drivers save money at the pump. Not even the car companies support him on that. He is rolling back the rules designed to stop dirty powerplants from belching toxic gases into the air. He is rolling back rules designed to protect workers from exposure on the job to dangerous chemicals that can cause heart attacks, for example. He is rolling back EPA enforcement--basic enforcement--of a host of safeguards that are already on the books. prgtoken Civil penalties against polluters are now at their lowest since 1994. Inspections of potentially toxic industrial sites amount to half of what they were just in 2010. Civil fines have plummeted on his watch. Judicial enforcement cases that have begun and are concluded have been cut in half. The Wheeler EPA is already letting environmental criminals off the hook. It is my view that these criminals are not creating victimless crimes--what they are doing is poisoning our communities, our workplaces, our air, and our water. prgtoken Perhaps what is most alarming about his appointment is that he essentially waves a hand of dismissal to the existential threat of climate change. prgtoken I have a lot of open-to-everybody townhall meetings in my State. We have now had more than 920. Just last week, I held five in different parts of our State. In counties where won and in counties where Hillary Clinton won, the issue of climate change comes up everywhere. prgtoken At the root of the questions I get in communities that span the philosophical spectrum is that people are terrified--terrified--of what climate change is going to bring. They see the news coming out of Washington. The
BIPARTISAN BACKGROUND CHECKS ACT OF 2019
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-2-27

. Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 8, The Bipartisan Background Check Act of 2019. This prgtoken common sense bipartisan legislation would expand the current firearm background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales nationwide. prgtoken Our nation is currently enduring a crisis that is putting families and communities at risk. Gun violence has become so commonplace in our society that we no longer seem to flinch whenever these events occur. Gun violence threatens national security and inflicts a toll. 125,000 people are shot every year and more than 36,000 people die as a result of these shootings. A 2018 report conducted by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention revealed that there were 3,353 firearm-related deaths in my home state of Texas. 352 of these were children and teenagers under 19 years old. Texas unfortunately has played host to some of the most viscous recent mass shootings, such as the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, the Dallas police officer shooting in 2016, the Plano and Sutherland Springs Church shootings in 2017, and last year's Santa Fe High School shooting. prgtoken We have high levels of gun violence in this country because we have weak laws that are riddled with loopholes. This bill will not only eliminate those loopholes, but it will do so without infringing upon second amendment rights. Implementing universal background checks is supported by 97 percent of Americans, including 97 percent of gun owners. prgtoken The reality is that gun safety laws will reduce violence and we must do everything in our power to prevent the reoccurrence of unnecessary tragedy and loss of life in this country. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
GUN VIOLENCE
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-2-27

for decades, lobbyists have stifled our national conversation about gun violence and Congress has refused to act. prgtoken Since Parkland, Thousand Oaks, and so many others, new voices have broken through. Student activists have marched, organized--alongside moms--and insisted that we take their safety seriously. prgtoken This week we do just that, by passing H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112. This will be a sea change. prgtoken And it shouldn't be controversial 97 percent of Americans support background checks--that is and s--including 94 percent of gun-owning households. prgtoken Six years ago, I was there when the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee held its first hearing on background checks. prgtoken In her courageous testimony, Sandy Hook mother Francine Wheeler described losing her son Ben. She said: When this happens to you--when my child was murdered, I no longer have the fear to stand up and to say what is right and what I believe. prgtoken And then Francine asked a crucial question: If we all agree dangerous individuals shouldn't have guns, then shouldn't we at least take the most basic steps to make sure they don't? prgtoken I look forward to the passage of these bills.
Nomination of Neomi Rao (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-2-27

I am delighted to join the Senator from Michigan today, to add to her comments about the replacement for now- Justice Kavanaugh after he was confirmed to the Supreme Court last year, and I want to remind my colleagues about the people who spoke up during Justice Kavanaugh's nomination and the critical issues that they spoke about. prgtoken Women stood up. They rallied. They marched. They made clear they do not want to go back to the days before the Roe v. Wade decision affirmed their right to make their own healthcare decisions. prgtoken Incredibly brave survivors, such as Dr. Ford and so many others, said they wanted to be heard and believed, not silenced. prgtoken Families across the country said they wanted a Justice who would interpret the law fairly and objectively, without partisanship--someone whose priority is the Constitution and people across the country, not President and his extreme agenda. prgtoken Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, it is clear that President and s in Congress aren't listening to women or survivors or families, because the next nominee for the DC Circuit Court fails on each and every count I just listed. prgtoken As we speak, Neomi Rao is enacting the agenda in her role as the head of the Agency that reviews and approves the administration's changes to regulations impacting so many people in communities who stood up to oppose Justice Kavanaugh's nomination. prgtoken Under Ms. Rao's leadership, the administration finalized a rule that prevents healthcare providers from even informing patients who come to title X-funded health centers about where to go to get safe-- safe--legal abortions and places new, burdensome, medically unnecessary requirements on title X-funded health centers, designed specifically to prevent Planned Parenthood from receiving these funds, meaning millions of patients may lose a source of quality, affordable, basic healthcare they trust. prgtoken Ms. Rao has helped put forward rules that would make it harder for members of the LGBTQ community and women to get the care they need by allowing providers to turn them away simply because of who they are or because they want birth control. prgtoken I also want to take a few minutes to address Ms. Rao's deeply concerning comments about rape and sexual assault. While in college, she wrote that ``a good way to avoid a potential date rape is to stay reasonably sober.'' prgtoken Let's be clear. It is never a survivor's fault, ever, that someone raped or sexually assaulted them. prgtoken Ms. Rao was given an opportunity to explicitly reject those comments and failed to do so. She then sent a letter attempting to walk them back, but her actions speak louder than a letter sent during a nomination process, and her actions on this issue have been harmful. prgtoken In her role within the administration, Ms. Rao has helped Secretary DeVos to roll back protections that help surv
Nomination of Andrew Wheeler (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-2-27

I come to the floor in opposition to Andrew Wheeler's nomination to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. prgtoken Americans across this country depend on EPA to protect their public health, yet under this administration, EPA has failed again and again to reassure my constituents that their basic rights to breathe in clean air and sip clean water are being prioritized. prgtoken Listen, I am proud that EPA's Region 5 office is headquartered in Chicago. Region 5 has led the country in enforcing the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and other bedrock environmental policies that Congress has passed. But under Mr. Wheeler and this administration, EPA has made it harder for the scientists, engineers, and public health experts in Region 5 to do their jobs. prgtoken EPA is severely understaffed and underfunded, and in 2018, major enforcement actions dropped to their lowest levels in more than 10 years. Last year, EPA competed fewer than 11,000 inspections and evaluations of polluters across the country--the lowest number in almost two decades. prgtoken In 2018, EPA sent just 123 civil pollution violation cases to the Justice Department for prosecution. That is about 40 percent less than the annual average during the administration. So, sadly, it should come as no surprise that a report from the Environmental Integrity Project this month found that communities across the country are now being put at risk of exposure to dangerous contaminants. prgtoken To make matters worse, the EPA's enforcement workforce has been shrinking for years, and the administration wants to cut it back even further. prgtoken These cutbacks are leaving communities, especially low-income communities and those of color, exposed to public health risks. Meanwhile, polluters are being let off the hook for serious violations of the law. prgtoken I have seen firsthand what happens when EPA fails to enforce our laws and protect public health. It causes fear and confusion. For months, residents in Willowbrook, IL, have lived in fear that the air they breathe in has been making their family sick. prgtoken Here is a little background. A facility in their community has been releasing cancer-causing emissions for decades. Unfortunately, even since EPA discovered just how toxic this chemical was years ago--years ago--they have refused to issue new regulations updating safety standards based on the latest science. prgtoken Making matters even worse, EPA officials refused to notify local public health or elected officials about their discovery, leaving communities in the dark even while their health is at risk, leaving more families more likely to get sick, leaving more children more likely to die. prgtoken As a mother, this is heartbreaking. As a Senator, this is outrageous. prgtoken When Willowbrook residents first started to raise concerns, EPA wasn't the least bit transparent. The Agency had to be pushed by Senator Durbin, other
Climate Change (Executive Calendar)
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2019-2-27

I thank my distinguished colleague from Rhode Island. prgtoken I could not help but think--as I saw the picture of John Chafee, with whom I had the honor of serving here in the Senate--of John Chafee's close friendship with Robert Stafford, who was my senior Senator when I came here, both having served in World War II, both with a naval background, both people who cared first and foremost about the country and the environment. I am going to speak a little bit further about Bob Stafford as we go. prgtoken When we laid John Chafee to rest in Rhode Island, I remember sitting there and listening to the eulogies. Both s and were speaking about this man. prgtoken Also, referring to what the Senator from Rhode Island has said, more than 30 years ago we had cooperation and bipartisanship. It was a hallmark of the U.S. Senate. It was a bipartisan group of Senators who sounded the alarm about climate change. They made a very modest request to the Office of Technology Assessment. They said: Study the issue of climate change and make recommendations to avert global disaster. prgtoken Those Senators, s and alike, were concerned that human activity might directly cause permanent, destructive, and widespread changes to our planet's climate system--changes that would put our entire economy, ecosystem, and, our very own existence at risk. prgtoken As I said, one of these Senators was my senior Senator, my mentor, when I came here and one of the finest Senators who ever served-- Robert Stafford, from Vermont. prgtoken Today, led by Senator Whitehouse, I think that what many of us are trying to do is what Senator Chafee and Senator Stafford did. We want to recall that moment in 1986 and renew the warning those Senators issued 33 years ago. prgtoken Let me speak about Senator Stafford. When I came here at the ripe old age of 34, I was the only ever elected in my State. Robert Stafford was ``Mr. .'' He took me under his wing. He had been a Congressman. He had been a Governor. He had been an attorney general. He served in World War II and in Korea. He was a mentor, but he was also an example. His legacy is one of sensible, pragmatic Vermont values that he brought to Washington for decades. They weren't or ic. prgtoken Senator Stafford was--like most Vermonters--a champion for the natural environment. With his work on landmark environmental legislation, like the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Superfund program, Senator Stafford represented the best of Vermont's commitment to sustainability. prgtoken His appeals to reason and for common ground, and his belief in sound science resonate even more today than when he left this body three decades ago. If he were here today, I believe he would be calling on both sides of the aisle to act now to ensure that we can pass on a secure and livable planet for generations to come and to
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-2-27

I am so proud to stand here today as we work to pass gun violence prevention legislation. prgtoken I would like to share a letter from a fifth grader constituent of mine, Alex, from Northfield, Illinois, that perfectly explains why we must pass H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112. prgtoken Alex writes: ``I don't want to see innocent people dying for no reason. I want all children to feel safe at school. I want all adults to feel safe at work. I want all people to feel safe in their city. I think stronger gun laws will help and also make sure that everyone that buys a gun has to have a thorough background check.'' prgtoken Well, Alex, you are absolutely right, and we are about to finally ensure that everyone who purchases a gun undergoes a comprehensive background check. The next step is banning assault weapons. prgtoken This fifth grader and students around the country are telling us to do something real to make them safer, and finally, at long last, the House of Representatives will take action today.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2019-2-27

in many ways, Andrew Wheeler is a perfect example of a Cabinet appointment in the era--conflicted, unethical, and hostile to the mission of the Agency he was nominated to lead. prgtoken He shouldn't have been confirmed to this position as Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the EPA, and he certainly shouldn't be confirmed to lead the Agency on a permanent basis. prgtoken Prior to his service at EPA, Mr. Wheeler spent 8 years lobbying for many of the special interests that he is targeted or charged with regulating. For example, in his work for Murray Energy, whose president, Robert Murray, was among the largest donors to 's 2016 campaign, Mr. Wheeler worked to kill a rule that would have prevented coal companies from dumping mining waste into American streams and waterways. prgtoken As a lobbyist for Murray Energy, Mr. Wheeler also fought tooth and nail against President 's Clean Power Plan, a forward-looking initiative that would have substantially reduced carbon emissions from power generation. prgtoken Mr. Wheeler's client, Robert Murray, was present front and center as former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt signed an Executive order to begin the process of dismantling the Clean Power Plan. I don't think that was a coincidence. prgtoken After Mr. Wheeler's confirmation as the EPA's Deputy Administrator, he assured Bloomberg News in June 2018: ``If I lobbied on something, I don't think it's appropriate for me to participate [in policymaking].'' prgtoken Of course, he was lobbying on a lot of things for years. In fact, Mr. Wheeler participated in meetings with three former clients with interests before the EPA. Holding these meetings with former clients is a clear conflict of interest and ethical lapse. Andrew Wheeler fits right in with 's version of ``draining the swamp,'' which is more like ``come on in, the water's fine.'' prgtoken We have already had one EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, resign in disgrace over ethical lapses and potentially illegal behavior in office. We don't need another. prgtoken Mr. Wheeler's work at the EPA is also consistent with the hostility of Cabinet officials to the core mission of the Department or the Agency that they are appointed to lead. prgtoken The EPA is the primary Agency charged with safeguarding the environment and protecting public health from dangerous and toxic chemicals. At its core, the EPA is tasked with making sure we have safe air to breathe and clean water to drink. prgtoken Yet, during his time as Deputy Administrator, Mr. Wheeler has championed a deregulatory agenda that fundamentally undermines the EPA's core mission. Under Mr. Wheeler's leadership, the EPA has proposed undermining the legal authority of the mercury and air toxics standard to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic air emissions from coal and oil burning powerplants. prgtoken According to the Union of Concerned S
MELISSA OTAVA
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-2-27

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and applaud Melissa Otava for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Melissa Otava is a student at Standley Lake High School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities. The dedication demonstrated by Melissa Otava is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives. I extend my deepest congratulations to Melissa Otava for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.
REMEMBERING NORMAN W. DESCHAMPE
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-2-27

I would like to acknowledge the contributions and legacy of Norman W. Deschampe, the longtime chairman of the Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, who recently passed away on February 9, 2019. prgtoken Norman Deschampe was born on February 26, 1953, and lived with a commitment to improving the lives of the people of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. For more than 40 years, Norman Deschampe served the people of the Grand Portage Band, first as a Tribal council member and later as secretary-treasurer and, for 27 years, as chairman. He also served for 6 years as vice president and 22 years as president of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. prgtoken Norman Deschampe's legacy includes a longstanding commitment to supporting the health, education, and economic development of the Grand Portage Band. He promoted environmental stewardship and fostered relationships with local, State, and Federal governments to encourage conservation on the reservation and beyond. Norman Deschampe encouraged the appreciation and preservation of the traditions and customs of the Grand Portage Band and is remembered by many for his kindness and generosity. prgtoken Norman Deschampe made a lasting contribution to the Grand Portage Band and the State of Minnesota, and I am proud to recognize his legacy as Minnesota celebrated Norman Deschampe Day on Tuesday, February 26, 2019.
GUN VIOLENCE
Donna E. Shalala (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2019-2-27

in June 2016, a gunman opened fire in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people, including Jerry Wright, a Miami Heat fan who loved to dance. prgtoken Jerry Wright's parents, Fred and Maria, know that their son's death was preventable but, more than that, that it was not unusual. prgtoken Nearly 40,000 people die because of guns every year, and that is why Fred and Maria lead the local Moms Demand Action group in my district. I am so proud to learn from them and work with them on commonsense gun safety in Miami-Dade and around the country. prgtoken By mandating universal background checks for every gun sale, we can be a step closer to ensuring that, when our children go to school, to concerts, to movie theaters, to clubs, they do so safely, they do so without worrying that this dance might be their last. prgtoken Fred and Maria Wright aren't asking for an overhaul of the Second Amendment; they are just asking for the adoption of commonsense solutions. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join us in preventing firearms from falling into the wrong hands by supporting H.R. 8.