mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
John W. Rose (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , I rise in strong opposition to this partisan impeachment spectacle that seeks to accomplish what President 's opponents failed to do at the ballot box in 2016. The bedrock of this country is our Constitution. Article II of the United States Constitution grants our President the necessary authority to deal with other nations and their leaders. prgtoken This President was lawfully elected by the American people. When President was sworn into office, he assumed the role of our nation's Commander-in-Chief. And, as Commander-in-Chief, he has done absolutely nothing illegal. The impeachment votes today are a sad continuation of the efforts that have been underway since President was elected. prgtoken The majority has wrongly denied President the fair process that was afforded to President Clinton and President Nixon at every stage of this investigation. I am also profoundly disappointed that the House Judiciary Committee refused to hold a minority day hearing in compliance with Clause 2(j)(l) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House. prgtoken It should also greatly concern all Americans that co-equal subpoena authority was not granted to the minority during this hyper-partisan process. Co-equal subpoena authority for both the minority and majority has been a bedrock of past impeachment investigations. I am disappointed that my resolution, H. Res. 667, which would have granted co-equal subpoena authority to the minority and majority, was not adopted. prgtoken Instead of working to combat rising prescription drug prices, securing our southern border, protecting religious freedom, and reining in out-of-control government spending, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have been laser-focused on removing President from office for purely political reasons. prgtoken I want to remind those who are leading this ridiculous waste of taxpayer resources that there will be another election in 2020. The next election is the avenue for deciding a new president, not this. Throughout the history of this country, impeachment has been a rare process. With today's impeachment, I worry that in the next 230 years of our republic, it will be rare that a president is not impeached. prgtoken On behalf of my fellow Tennesseans, and on behalf of my constituents in the Sixth District of Tennessee, I stand with our President and Commander-in-Chief and will vote ``no'' on both articles of impeachment.
Hostage Negotiations (Executive Calendar)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-12-18

I rise today to talk about one of our most complicated areas where diplomats have to engage when brutal regimes and terror groups seize Americans and use them as hostages, hoping to extract concessions from our government. These are situations that are infuriating, and they are heartbreaking. At the same time, they are immensely complicated. There are no easy solutions when dealing with hostage-takers. prgtoken We know what doesn't work. We know that paying ransom for hostages, as the administration did with Iran to the tune of billions of dollars, only incentivizes more hostage-taking. It is exactly the behavior you would expect from hostage-takers, and it is exactly the behavior we have seen played out over and over. My colleagues and I, along with the administration, have sought other ways of securing the release of American hostages. prgtoken Sometimes what is called for is diplomatic pressure. So early in my tenure in the Senate, the very first bill that I passed into law was legislation that kept Iranian regime figures who had seized American hostages in 1979 from receiving diplomatic visas to come into the United States. prgtoken I also recently joined with Senator Cotton to introduce the Global Hostage Act, a bill that would require the President to impose sanctions on foreign government officials responsible for taking Americans hostage. prgtoken The administration recently secured the release of Americans held hostage in Iran without the need for pallets of cash flown in the darkness of night. Nevertheless, all of these solutions are imperfect. So it is no surprise that even in countries where we enjoy successes, those successes are often heartbreakingly partial, with hostages left behind. prgtoken Today, I want to talk about two countries, specifically, where Americans from my home State of Texas are languishing today. prgtoken In Syria we have seen some Americans released while others remain away from their families. This summer, American Sam Goodwin and Canadian Kristian Baxter were released by captors in Syria, which were joyful developments on their own and encouraging signs of progress. But Austin Tice remains in captivity after more than 7 agonizing years. Austin is a Texan and a veteran Marine Corps captain who served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was working as a freelance journalist to inform Americans about the horror of the Syrian conflict when he was captured. prgtoken I have repeatedly had the opportunity to sit down and visit with Austin's parents, Marc and Debra. Austin's picture sits on my desk in my Senate office, and I remain committed to working with President , with the administration, with my colleagues in Congress to bring Austin home. prgtoken I joined with 51 Senators, 120 Representatives to write a letter to President affirming that ``the Tice family and your own administration are confident that Austin is alive'' an
Impeachment (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-12-18

all eyes today are on the House of Representatives. The country is waiting to see whether these House will give in to the temptation that every other House in modern history has managed to resist and misuse the solemn process of impeachment to blow off partisan steam. I will have more to say on this subject if House do, in fact, proceed. prgtoken Yesterday I came to the floor to discuss one initial aspect of this that concerns our Senate process. Over the weekend, my colleague the ic leader began asking the Senate to break from precedent, break with the unanimous template from 1999, and begin choreographing the middle of a potential trial before we have even heard opening arguments. prgtoken Back in 1999, all 100 Senators agreed on a simple pretrial resolution that set up a briefing, opening arguments, Senators' questions, and a vote on a motion to dismiss. Senators reserved all other questions, such as witnesses, until the trial was underway. That was the unanimous bipartisan precedent from 1999. Put first things first, lay the bipartisan groundwork and leave midtrial questions to the middle of the trial. prgtoken I have hoped, and still hope, that the ic leader and I can sit down and reproduce that unanimous bipartisan agreement this time. His decision to try to angrily negotiate through the press is unfortunate, but no amount of bluster will change the simple fact that we already have a unanimous bipartisan precedent. If 100 Senators prgtoken thought this approach was good enough for President Clinton, it ought to be good enough for President . prgtoken I hope House see reason to pull back from the precipice, but if they proceed, I hope the ic leader and I can sit down soon and honor the template that was unanimously agreed to the last time. prgtoken , on another matter, in the meantime, the Senate is busy completing the legislation our country actually needs. Yesterday the Senate passed the NDAA conference report and put it on President 's desk. Thanks to the diligence of Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed, this critical legislation to support our armed services will become law for a 59th consecutive year.
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard Shooting (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-12-18

I rise briefly today to thank a number of my colleagues--first, the senior Senator from Mississippi, Roger Wicker, who has offered a bill called the 5G Spectrum Act. prgtoken I have offered a bill pertaining to the 5G spectrum, as well, and my two ic friends, Senator Schatz and Senator Cantwell, have offered a bill on that subject as well. prgtoken We have been working enthusiastically and in good faith for some time to try to work out our differences on this legislation so that we could pass it this calendar year. I regret that we are not going to be able to work out our differences for the moment, but we are going to continue our efforts in good faith. prgtoken The good news about all this legislation is that we all agree that the FCC should conduct a public auction of the 5G spectrum. prgtoken What does that mean? We all have heard about 5G. It is extraordinarily fast internet--100 times faster than we have right now. But in order for 5G to work, there is a certain part of our spectrum, or our radio waves, if you will, that the telecommunications have to use to deliver the 5G service. It is called the C-band. prgtoken Of course, when we communicate between and among each other on the internet or by cell phones through wireless technology, all we are doing is sending electromagnetic radiation or radio waves from my device to your device. It is obviously more complicated than that, but at its fundamental level, that is what it is. prgtoken These radio waves and the airwaves through which though radio waves travel--this electromagnetic radiation--belong to the American people. It is called spectrum, and that is what we mean when we talk about 5G spectrum. We can't lose sight of that fact. prgtoken The wireless telecommunication companies provide an extraordinary service. They are going to make 5G possible with the help of the U.S. Government and our other forms of government, but we cannot lose sight of the fact that none of this would be possible without that spectrum, and that is owned by the American people. That spectrum is essential. prgtoken As a result of the efforts of some swamp creatures both in and out of government, we came that close to having this spectrum, which belongs to the American people and is worth as much as $30 billion to $60 billion, given away in a backroom through a private auction to three satellite companies that happen to be domiciled in foreign countries. prgtoken The excuse given was that these three foreign satellite companies can conduct an auction themselves and allocate it to the American telecommunication companies that need it for 5G faster than the FCC can, even though the FCC has only conducted about 100 of these public auctions generating about $123 billion for the American people. Why? Because the American people own the spectrum that is being auctioned off. It is theirs. But there was a proposal that came that close to passing the FCC to just give th
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Tyranny rarely appears full borne. It arises, it encroaches as freedom ebbs. Our Nation's great Founders sought to protect us from tyranny with a carefully crafted system of checks and balances. prgtoken But now along comes a President who actually says he is constitutionally empowered to do whatever he wants, that he can neither be prosecuted nor even investigated for any crime, and that he can totally ignore any impeachment proceeding of which he disapproves. prgtoken These are the claims of a wannabe tyrant who has extolled the virtues of tyrants and autocrats from Manila to Moscow. prgtoken To advance tyranny, he adopts an open-border policy inviting foreigners to come into our country and intrude in our elections. Foreign nations have their own agendas, especially adversaries like Russia and China. prgtoken American citizens should be the only ones determining the fate of America. If the President continues demanding more foreign interference, we will never have truly free elections, and we will not be free. prgtoken We act today, recognizing the solemn responsibility to safeguard our security and Constitution. We pledge allegiance to the flag and the Republic for which it stands, not to one man who would be king.
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , my father fled Nazi Germany for America because he saw what happened when a despot became untethered. He fled because he believed in democracy, the rule of law, and the right to vote. Before he died, he asked to be buried in a simple pine box with an American flag to symbolize his love of this country. prgtoken Today, we are called upon to do our duty out of love of country. The President stands accused. We must judge him as we judge any of our fellow citizens: on the facts and on the law. prgtoken The facts show that the President's North Star is Russia, not the Constitution. prgtoken There is no question that President delayed military aid to Ukraine, our ally, as they were under attack by Russia, our adversary. prgtoken There is no question the President withheld a meeting with President Zelensky at the White House, giving Russia the upper hand in peace negotiations with Ukraine. prgtoken There is no question that President promoted the Russian hoax that Ukraine attacked our election in 2016, a canard that has been proven to be a lie, a Russian lie. prgtoken The only question is his motive. The fact is, his conduct and crimes are reprehensible and unquestionably impeachable. prgtoken When I vote today, my father's legacy is deep, very deep, within me. My father loved America, and I love America. That is why I will vote to impeach the President of the United States.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 755, IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , 30 seconds. prgtoken I think it is important to correct the Record that there were zero points of order that lie against H. Res. 755. prgtoken We are here to talk about the President's behavior, and that is what I think we all should be focused on, not just process. But I want to just say that I am proud of the process. prgtoken and s have had equal opportunity to participate in the months-long impeachment inquiry. Members of both parties have been involved at every stage of this process, from sitting in and asking questions in closed-door depositions to questioning witnesses in open hearings. prgtoken The committees took more than 100 hours of deposition testimony from 17 witnesses and held seven public hearings, which included - requested witnesses. They produced a 300-page public report that laid out their findings of evidence. prgtoken The Judiciary Committee then took that report and conducted two public hearings evaluating the evidence and the legal standard for impeachment before reporting out the two articles.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 755, IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Lori Trahan (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , today, I rise to defend our democracy. prgtoken In this Chamber, we debate the Nation's most pressing issues, and often, reasonable people can draw different conclusions. But not today. prgtoken The facts are black and white. President abused the power of his office for personal and political gain, and then he engaged in a coverup. It is up to us to confront those facts and vote to preserve and protect our democratic Republic. prgtoken This is not a fight I or my colleagues sought out when we ran for Congress, but it is one we pledged when we raised our right hand and swore an oath to defend our Constitution. prgtoken Anything other than a vote to impeach will be read as a vote endorsing a future President without rules or consequences, an ``anything goes, no holds barred'' brand of executive branch authority that will leave us weaker and surely undermine what the Framers passed down. prgtoken We owe it to future generations to transcend personal interests and party loyalty and to vote our conscience for what is really at stake here today, the sanctity of our Constitution and the sanctity of our democracy.
TRIBUTE TO PAULA PENEBAKER
Gwen Moore (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , I rise to pay tribute to the career and ongoing legacy of Milwaukee's own Paula Penebaker. Ms. Penebaker, the President & CEO of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Southeast Wisconsin, is retiring on December 31, 2019. prgtoken Paula enjoyed a successful career in the for-profit sector in the Management Systems Division at The Procter & Gamble Company and later with First Wisconsin Bank in Training & Development, departing as the Vice President & Diversity Manager, prior to joining YWCA. She decided to take her talents to the non-profit sector and joined YWCA as the Chief Human Resources and Facilities Officer in 1999. Five years later, she was appointed Executive Director and later designated the President & CEO of the agency. prgtoken As the head of this prestigious organization, Paula was dedicated to eliminating racism and improving the lives of all women. Under her leadership, the YWCA strategically promoted and advanced racial justice, economic empowerment, and health and safety for women and girls of color. The programs offered included High School Equivalency Diploma and GED Preparation & Testing, Employment Readiness, Personal Financial Management, as well as resources and programs that created lasting and meaningful change to their clients. prgtoken Even while performing her duties as President & CEO of the YWCA Southeast Wisconsin, Paula found time to serve on the board of directors for the Rotary Club of Milwaukee and Milwaukee World Festival, Inc and as a member of the Milwaukee Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and the Milwaukee Chapter of The Links Incorporated. She was also a trustee for the Public Policy Forum and Milwaukee County Federated Library System. Furthermore, her devotion and commitment to service has been recognized with awards from the Milwaukee Business Journal, Community Brainstorming Conference, North Central Service Club, the Medical College of Wisconsin, BizTimes, Professional Dimensions and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. prgtoken Paula is a pioneer who has spent her life carrying a torch of justice to ignite and empower generations of women to fight back. She changed her career trajectory because she wanted to ensure that each day she was using all her might to fight and eliminate injustices toward women and people of color in this country, not for personal recognition. prgtoken Madam , Paula Penebaker has made the 4th Congressional District, Wisconsin and the nation a better place. She is a staunch defender and advocate for justice, and I applaud her contributions. As she embarks upon a new chapter of her life, I know that her fight and quest for justice will not end.
CONDEMNING THE TERRORIST ATTACK AT NAVAL AIR STATION PENSACOLA ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2019, HONORING THE MEMBERS OF THE NAVY WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE ATTACK, AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT AND PRAYERS...
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-12-18

I rise today because I am very glad to see the Senate moving forward in taking up the nomination of Stephanie Davis to be the district court judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. prgtoken Judge Davis was nominated by President back in March to be a U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. Our bipartisan Eastern District Judicial Nominations Advisory Committee strongly supported her. She was reported out of committee by a voice vote on May 22, and no one has expressed any concerns about her record, nor would they have a reason to express a concern. She is exceedingly qualified. prgtoken Judge Davis has been working in the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Michigan since 1997. During her time there, she has served in both the civil and criminal divisions. She has prosecuted fraud, bank robbery, embezzlement, violent crime, public corruption, and criminal conspiracies involving drug trafficking and money laundering. We are very lucky to have someone of her experience stepping forward and wanting to serve in this position. She has also overseen community and law enforcement initiatives and led the office's diversity efforts. prgtoken I have had the opportunity to meet with Judge Davis. I came away from my very first meeting, as well as subsequent conversations, being very impressed with her background and her commitment to public service. She will be an excellent addition to the Federal judiciary, and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination. prgtoken . Nomination of anuraag singhal
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2019-12-18

I was not among those who supported impeachment before Ukraine, but I have called for impeachment today because our President is, as we speak, abusing his power and placing himself above the law. prgtoken President 's attempt to sabotage the 2020 election is a clear and present danger on our democracy. prgtoken We the people know this, and more Americans support impeachment today than at any time since Richard Nixon's final weeks in office. We know that it is wrong to enlist the help of foreigners in interfering in our elections. We know it is wrong to cheat, and we know what is at stake. It is not just that our elections were attacked; our elections are under attack right now. prgtoken The very day the Judiciary Committee voted out Articles of Impeachment, President welcomed Rudy Giuliani back to the White House. prgtoken President is still at it. He is doubling down. He doesn't think he can win an election fair and square, so he is trying to cheat. To ignore these crimes is not just giving the President a pass; it is giving him a green light. Those who vote against impeachment are not just endorsing President 's past actions but his future ones as well. prgtoken If you think I exaggerate in warning that our elections can be undermined, I would urge my colleagues to come down to Georgia and find a Black man or woman of a certain age. They will tell you that the danger is real. And they will tell you of brave Americans--patriots-- willing to risk far more than a political career who marched, struggled, and sometimes died so that we could have fair and free elections. We are not asked to possess even a fraction of their courage. We are simply called upon today to do what is right. I am proud to vote ``yes'' on impeachment.