mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Ukraine (Executive Calendar)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-11-27

I rise today, as I have many times before, to stand up for a free and independent Ukraine. prgtoken I come to the floor to unambiguously call out and condemn the Russian Government's escalation of aggression and the increasingly dangerous situation in Ukraine. prgtoken Over the weekend, Russian forces sharply escalated their campaign in Ukraine by attacking and seizing 3 Ukrainian vessels with 23 crew members and temporarily shutting down commercial shipping through the Kerch Strait. Ukrainian sailors were injured and required medical attention. prgtoken This was an outrageous violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, so I want to say this clearly and unequivocally: The Kremlin must immediately return the vessels and sailors to Ukraine. The Kremlin must not obstruct the free passage of shipping through the Kerch Strait moving forward. prgtoken We here in the United States must take the Kremlin's actions seriously in word and in deed, for the Russian Government's actions on Sunday marked a sharp escalation in Putin's ongoing assault on the international rules-based order, this time on the freedom of navigation in the high seas. Indeed, this was an act of war, and Sunday's attack comes in the context of ongoing Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine for the past 4 years. prgtoken For the past 4 years, Ukrainian forces have endured an unrelenting assault, rendering the Donbas economically shattered and ungovernable. prgtoken For the past 4 years, 1.5 million displaced people have lived lives of uncertainty, not sure when and if they will ever be able to return home. prgtoken For the past 4 years, Ukraine has struggled to rebuild its economy and reform its institutions while fighting a hot war and suffering regular casualties. prgtoken For the past 4 years, Ukraine has been on the frontlines of a struggle against the Kremlin's vision of a world that is not guided by ic values, not buttressed by fundamental freedoms, not governed by a rules-based international order but, instead, ruled by Mr. Putin and a corrupt cabal of oligarch insiders. prgtoken Despite years of aggression, Putin's latest escalation marks an even more insidious turn. Apparently, the Kremlin no longer seeks to hide behind lies of little green men or Russian-backed separatists. The Russian Government, with no pretense or obfuscation, fully admitted to directly firing on Ukrainian forces and seizing their ships. prgtoken Beyond the military component, this attack tells us that Putin is ramping up an economic war on Ukraine. Since the spring, Russian vessels have blocked Ukrainian commercial ships from sailing through the Kerch Strait, costing Ukraine millions in lost revenue from exports and blocking imports critical to the Ukrainian economy. This weekend, Moscow opened up a new front in the war, one that could ultimately do the most damage to Ukraine's viability as a state. prgtoken Russia's actions show that its leaders are emboldened, u
Nomination of Thomas Farr (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-11-27

Ron Chernow is well known as a historian and prolific writer who has written biographies of some of the most amazing people who have lived in our country. One, of course, is on the Founding Father, George Washington, and another which received acclaim even on Broadway in New York is the well-known biography of Alexander Hamilton, which inspired Mr. Miranda to write a musical, which is probably the most successful musical of our time. prgtoken Mr. Chernow has also written another book, which I am working my way through very carefully, the biography of Ulysses Grant. It is about 900 pages long. It is a heavy book to carry prgtoken from one living space to another as a U.S. Senator but well worth the effort. It tells the story of this man who came to lead the Union Army to victory in the Civil War and ultimately became President of the United States. As I have read this biography of Ulysses S. Grant, I couldn't help but be struck by the fact that one issue emerged after the Civil War, which was probably one of the most challenging of all, the issue about the right of African Americans to vote in the South after the Civil War--the so-called period of Reconstruction. prgtoken I also commend to those who are interested in the issue this book by Carol Anderson, entitled ``One Person, No Vote.'' Carol Anderson is a professor at Emory in Atlanta, GA. She wrote an earlier book, which I also recommend, called ``White Rage.'' This book, ``One Person, No Vote,'' really tries to describe throughout history, particularly after the Civil War, efforts at voter suppression and their impact on our democracy. prgtoken Professor Anderson was kind enough to ask me to write the forward to this book, which I was happy to do. I am happy to read this book as well because it went into the detail about what happened after the end of the Civil War, when African Americans were legally and constitutionally declared to be citizens of the United States and then set out to exercise their right to vote. Initially, there was some success, but over time the White population in the South started suppressing that right to vote, passing laws that demanded literacy tests of those who would show up to vote, constitutional tests, poll taxes, and the like. Over time, it dramatically diminished the African- American vote in the South, and that diminishment led many Blacks to pick up and leave in the great migration north. Their departure from the South to the North was to the benefit of States like Illinois, where many thousands came to find work and an opportunity to exercise their own freedom, which they thought had been won by the Civil War. prgtoken How important is this right to vote? Well, in the words of John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, at his hearing in 2005, he said that the right to vote is ``preservative of all other rights''--preservative of all other rights. It is that fundamental to our democracy that we
Yemen (Executive Calendar)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-11-27

I want to express my strong support for the bipartisan resolution--54--that is before us today. The strong, bipartisan support we are seeing on the floor--most recently from my colleague Senator Lee of Utah--shows how necessary and important this resolution is to end the complicity of the United States in the murderous war waged by Saudi Arabia in Yemen. prgtoken The United States is complicit because we are providing fuel, intelligence, and other support that is only increasing the barbaric power of the Saudis in that civil war--murderous activities that are taking a toll on civilians. The blood will be on our hands if we continue to support the Saudis in this brutal effort. prgtoken The resolution before us is carefully crafted to preserve our national security and our national interests while at the same time removing our involvement from the Saudi war crimes. There seems to be no other word for what we are seeing the Saudis do. The arguments made by the administration for our support and participation carry no weight. We should never compromise our national value for the sake of arms sales. In fact, the arms contracts are a pittance or a fraction of what the administration claims. So I am proud to support this measure. It will do too little and too late what should have been done long ago: Renounce our moral and legal responsibility, as well as our practical involvement for the murderous and brutal Saudi attacks on civilians and others in Yemen.
General Motors (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-11-27

first, I would like to talk about the unfortunate news we heard from General Motors. prgtoken Yesterday, General Motors announced it was closing five factories and laying off 15,000 workers. The news is a gut punch to workers in Ohio, Michigan, and Maryland. Our hearts go out to them and their families. Many of these people have labored for decades, and many in their families have worked at GM. I know this from our GM plants in New York. To lose your job when you have put so much into it, only to wake up in the morning and say, ``my job is to make the best car possible,'' is a gut punch and worse. prgtoken We need to do more--a lot more--to encourage investments in American jobs, in American infrastructure, and to bring back manufacturing. What we don't need is more rhetoric from the President, who has made a whole lot of promises but who has, unfortunately, failed to deliver for these workers. prgtoken Here is what President said last year about manufacturing jobs in Ohio: They're all coming back. . . . Don't move. Don't sell your house. . . . We're going to fill those factories up or rip them down and build new ones. prgtoken Here is what else he said: If I am elected, you won't lose one plant. . . . You're going to have jobs again. You won't lose one plant. I promise you that. prgtoken President promised people in the campaign that we would not lose one plant. A lot of people voted for him for that reason. Guess where he said we would not lose one plant. Guess where President promised the people we would not lose one auto plant--in Warren, MI. It is one of the plants that is now slated to close. The words are a painful reminder of just how bankrupt many of President 's promises turn out to be. prgtoken Do you remember Carrier? The President swept into office and promised that Carrier would stay open, thanks to him. He had done a big rally, and 6 months later, Carrier had laid off hundreds of workers in Indiana and had moved its positions to Mexico. prgtoken This is what the President does. He makes big, bold, impossible promises without having much care for the results. Instead of overpromising, the President should roll up his sleeves and work with GM to prevent it from cutting jobs. prgtoken The American taxpayer has supported GM through tough times. Last year, the s handed GM a windfall of $150 million in its tax bill so GM could bring back money from overseas. It said it would do it and employ people. Well, it is bringing back money from overseas, but it is not employing people. That is what American companies are doing. GM pocketed the tax break we gave it and is closing up shop anyway-- with nary a word from the President until after the fact. prgtoken I see my friend from Illinois here. We believe you don't give tax breaks to big companies unless they do something for their workers--not stock buybacks, but empl
CLIMATE CHANGE
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-11-27

in the gentleman's discussion, Mr. Payne hit upon a really important issue, and it relates to this. I brought this up because this is where I am coming from on public policy. prgtoken When FDR said that it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little, normally we think about this in terms of economics, we think about in terms of wages, living standards, and the like. But you hit this squarely, because it is those who have little who are going to be the first and most terribly impacted by climate change. prgtoken You talked about the vulnerable. You talked about the elderly, the young, the working class, and communities of color. Those who have the least will be the least able to adapt. They won't be able to afford the additional electric bill for air-conditioning. They are the most likely to get sick from the various new illnesses that will work their way into the American healthcare system. As the climate warms, we can expect to have more tropical, hot weather illnesses coming. We see it already. West Nile virus is the example that you gave. prgtoken So this is very, very relevant. I don't think FDR had in mind climate change when he talked about this. This is what prgtoken he talked about during the Great Depression. This is relevant today in the era of climate change not just here in the United States, but you look at the poor around the world. prgtoken For the population of Bangladesh, one of the poorest countries in the world, it is likely that 50 percent or more of that population will have to move because of sea level rise. prgtoken Ethiopia, where Patti and I served as Peace Corps volunteers, has always been plagued by famine as a result of the climate moving back and forth. It will get worse. prgtoken So do we provide enough for those who have too little? Across the world this is a key issue. prgtoken Joining me now is my colleague from California. He and I get to share the great Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the greatest estuary on the west coast of the Western Hemisphere. prgtoken Before I come to Mr. McNerney, I am going to put up one of your favorite things here for him to look at, because I know this is what gets him really excited--clean energy systems. This has been his life's work, and he can talk about it. When he finishes, we will talk a little bit more about some of these. prgtoken , from California (Mr. McNerney).
NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2018
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-11-27

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today to support S. 1768 to reauthorize the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. prgtoken I want to thank Senators Feinstein and Murkowski for developing this good legislation. I also would like to thank my colleagues, Representatives Rohrabacher and Jayapal, for introducing a House companion, and the chairs and ranking members of the authorizing committees for working to arrive at the consensus legislation we are considering today. prgtoken The years 1964 and 1994 mark two of the worst earthquakes in U.S. history. Hundreds of people lost their lives, and thousands sustained injuries in these earthquakes that hit Alaska and the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles. prgtoken Economic losses were in the billions of dollars resulting from earthquakes and tsunamis. While our Nation has been in the path of many disastrous natural events lately, we have been spared from a big earthquake for many years. But we should not become complacent, because another big earthquake will happen, and the human and economic toll will be felt far beyond the immediate disaster zone. prgtoken S. 1768 makes Federal investments in research and preparedness activities that will help mitigate earthquake risks for Americans from coast to coast. Specifically, S. 1768 reauthorizes funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to continue to carry out research and other activities under the NEHRP program. prgtoken Under NEHRP, NSF and USGS carry out fundamental research in the earth sciences. Both agencies have extensive networks of instrumentation that record seismic activity and advance our understanding of the onset, propagation, and intensity of earthquakes. Such research helps advance our early-warning capability and helps communities make informed decisions for earthquake preparation. prgtoken NIST is the lead agency for NEHRP and also carries out applied research that provides the scientific basis for earthquake resilient building codes and design guidelines. This bill aims to help communities survive a catastrophic event and continue with critical operations, such as emergency services, utilities, and communication networks. prgtoken FEMA provides earthquake training and awareness to States and territories and assists communities in creating seismic mitigation plans in the event of a high-impact earthquake. These activities are invaluable in preparing communities for an earthquake and its aftermath. prgtoken The last NEHRP reauthorization was nearly 15 years ago, and the authorizing law needs several updates to ensure it is keeping pace with the state of the science on earthquakes and translating that science into saving lives and property. prgtoken The bill before us today includes those much-needed updates and, importantly, provides NEHRP a
Nomination of Thomas Farr (Executive Calendar)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-11-27

I rise today on two matters. I wish to begin by expressing my opposition to the nomination of Thomas Farr to the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. prgtoken As a Senator from a State with a tradition of high voter turnout--in fact, in the last Presidential election, with the highest voter turnout in the country--in the election a few weeks ago, nearly 64 percent of Minnesota voters cast their ballot. This isn't just registered voters; it is eligible voters. We are talking about an issue that, in my State and in so many places around the country, is fundamental to our democracy--access to the polls. It is the central pillar of our democracy. If people can't vote, they can't have a say and we don't have a real democracy. It is that simple. That is why I am here to voice my opposition to Thomas Farr--because of his long record of defending discriminatory voting laws and redistricting plans. prgtoken In North Carolina, Mr. Farr defended one of the most restrictive voting laws that we have seen, which, in addition to establishing a discriminatory voter ID requirement, eliminated same-day voter registration. prgtoken By the way, I have spent a lot of time on this and have a bill to institute this across the country. Same-day voter registration is really the key. When you look at the top 10 States for voter turnout-- some are red, some are blue, some are purple--what do they have in common? They have same-day registration. It makes it easier for people to vote. As long as they can prove where they live--with a neighbor, with a gas bill, you name it--they are able to register that day. That is the key when you look at all the numbers. prgtoken What did Mr. Farr do? He actually defended one of the most restrictive voting laws, eliminating same-day voter registration. He reduced early voting and did away with voter registration for 16- and 17-year-olds. How did he do it? He did it by defending those laws. prgtoken When the law was challenged in court, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals found that it was enacted with the intent to discriminate against minority voters. In its ruling, the court said that the law targeted minority voters. This is a quote from the circuit court, which is actually one of the more conservative circuits. They said that they did it with ``almost surgical precision.'' prgtoken Mr. Farr also defended North Carolina's redistricting plan against claims that it used race as the predominant consideration in drawing two congressional districts. A district court found that the plan constituted an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which agreed with the district court's decision. prgtoken So you don't have just one incident of someone maybe getting on a legal brief or writing something or doing a law review article or writing a paper in college or in high school. This is a long, consistent, systematic record o
Nomination of Thomas Farr (Executive Session)
Kamala D. Harris (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-11-27

a key component of our democracy is access to the ballot. The Supreme Court acknowledged in Reynolds v. Sims that ``the right of suffrage is a fundamental matter in a free and democratic society. Especially since the right to exercise the franchise in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other basic civil and political rights, any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must be carefully and meticulously scrutinized.'' prgtoken I always say that your voice is your vote and your vote is your voice. In the recent midterm elections, we saw that there are still powerful forces in our country willing to go to incredible lengths to deny Americans their right to vote. It is indeed outrageous that some voters in Georgia had to wait 4 hours to vote, and a candidate for Governor was the one responsible for overseeing his own election; that Native Americans and their IDs were not accepted at polling places in North Dakota; that nearly 20 percent of North Carolina early voting locations were closed this year. prgtoken Five years ago, in Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act. Congress is the only body that has authority to restore and should therefore be taking steps to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act and to expand early voting and automatic voter registration. Why? Because the more people who can readily participate in our democracy, the more our government will be responsive to the people we are elected to represent. prgtoken Yet, instead of Congress acting to strengthen access to the ballot, the Senate is considering Thomas Farr for a lifetime appointment to the District Court of the Eastern District of North Carolina--a nominee who has consistently and for decades put limits on the ability of Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote. Just look at the facts. prgtoken Mr. Farr actually defended North Carolina's 2013 voting restrictions law--a law that would have required photo IDs, which disproportionately impacted Black voters. At the same time, they prohibited certain IDs, such as student IDs or public employee IDs. This law also reduced same- day registration and early voting--a law that was so clearly unconstitutional that the Fourth Circuit described the law as targeting Black voters with ``almost surgical precision.'' The Fourth Circuit went on to call it ``the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow.'' prgtoken The facts also include that Mr. Farr represented the North Carolina Legislature in multiple challenges to its 2011 congressional and legislative redistricting. This was an attempt to draw congressional boundaries in ways that disadvantaged Black voters for partisan gain. Those maps were later struck down as unconstitutional and racially discriminatory. prgtoken Mr. Farr has also repeatedly represented powerful employers against the rights of workers and customers to be