mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Whistleblowers (Executive Calendar)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-11-6

before I get into the substance of my remarks on a very serious subject, I want to thank my dear friend from Kansas for his nice words about Johnny Isakson. prgtoken There is no word short of ``beloved'' that you would affix before Johnny Isakson's name in terms of this Chamber, and I think that would probably be true for every single Member--certainly the Senator from Kansas and certainly the Senator from New York. prgtoken On July 30, 1778, the Continental Congress passed unanimously the following resolution: ``Resolved, that it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States . . . to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states.'' prgtoken That was in the Continental Congress before our Nation was even formed--a duty of citizens to protect the American people from those in government who might conduct misconduct, fraud, or misdemeanors. prgtoken From the earliest days of our Republic, our government has acknowledged the vital role that whistleblowers play in ensuring good governance and rooting out corruption, malfeasance, and self-dealing. prgtoken Two nights ago, appallingly, at a political rally, President and a Member of this Chamber, the junior Senator from Kentucky, publicly and explicitly urged the press to disclose the identity of the Federal whistleblower whose complaint triggered an impeachment inquiry in the House of Representatives. prgtoken A few days later, the same junior Senator threatened to reveal the identity of the whistleblower himself. prgtoken I cannot stress enough how wrong and dangerous--dangerous--these efforts are. prgtoken The United States is a nation of laws. Whistleblower laws have existed since the founding of our Republic to protect patriotic Americans who come forward and stand up for our Constitution. We don't get to determine when these laws apply and when they don't. We don't get to decide if the law applies whether you like what the whistleblower said or whether you don't. These are laws. No person--no person--is above the law. prgtoken This whistleblower, whose complaint was deemed credible and urgent by a appointee, is protected by these statutes. There is no legal doubt about that. Every single Member of this body--every single one-- should stand up and say that it is wrong to disclose his or her identity. That is what my colleague Senator Hirono will ask us to do in a moment. prgtoken Before she does, I want to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who have spoken up in defense of whistleblower protections. Some of my colleagues have spent their careers defending whistleblowers. We need them today. We need these colleagues, who should be here standing up for the protection of whistleblowers. prgtoken The threats we have seen over the last few days are so egregious-
Testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman (Executive Calendar)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-11-6

. Thank you, . prgtoken First, I want to briefly recognize this afternoon the brave public servants who have testified in the House in recent weeks in defense of national security, the rule of law, and our democratic institutions-- most recently, LTC Alexander Vindman. prgtoken Despite Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's two decades of military service and a Purple Heart for his sacrifice to our country in Iraq, his character has faced brutal attacks from cable news and from some current and former Members of Congress. These comments about him are reprehensible attacks with no basis in fact. prgtoken Verbal abuse of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman not only disrespects his integrity and his service but undermines our institutions and ultimately makes our Nation less safe--less safe. So questioning the character, loyalty, or patriotism of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is an attack on all veterans and is also an attack on our military. prgtoken Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul put it this way in a Washington Post column just last week, and I will quote part of the column: Such smear tactics are revolting and un-American. Vindman has served our country with honor and distinction, both on and off the battlefield. . . . And he is a patriot--as you would expect from someone with his outstanding resume. . . . The idea that Vindman might have dual loyalties with another nation is preposterous. Vindman was born in the totalitarian Soviet Union, not ``the Ukraine.'' His family, which is Jewish, fled religious persecution. He is not Soviet or Ukrainian or Ukrainian American: He is simply an American. Using birthplaces or hyphenated adjectives to disparage fellow Americans is always wrong. It is especially so in the case of Lt. Col. Vindman. prgtoken That is the op-ed from a distinguished Ambassador. prgtoken When I reflect upon Lieutenant Colonel Vindman's service to our country and his integrity, I am reminded of one of the lines--we could use many--from ``America the Beautiful'': Oh, beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years That is what he was doing when he testified, just like that was what he was doing when he was serving our Nation in Iraq and when he was wounded in Iraq, and what he has done as a member of our national security team as part of the work he has done in this administration--seeing beyond the years. Part of the dream of a patriot is thinking about the impact of your actions on future generations. prgtoken We need to make sure that we are very clear about where we stand on his character, on his commitment to the country, and on his courage in coming forward.
Introductory Statement on S. 2801
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-11-6

along with Senator Collins, I am reintroducing legislation that would eliminate the sunset date for the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (the Council) so that this agency can further build upon its success in helping to prevent and end homelessness. prgtoken The Council was launched under the Reagan Administration as part of the landmark McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. Since then, it has worked across the Federal government and private sector to coordinate homeless assistance nationally. In 2009, the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing, or HEARTH Act, which I introduced along with Senator Collins and others, expanded the Council's role to work with stakeholders to develop a national strategic plan to end homelessness, which has guided its work to develop effective strategies to prevent and end homelessness. prgtoken Since 2010 when this national strategic plan was first developed, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reports that overall homelessness has decreased by 13%, chronic homelessness by 16%, and family homelessness by 25%. In addition, we have seen veterans' homelessness drop by 49%. This progress is not only a result of the more than $600 million federal investment in housing and supportive services through programs like HUD-VASH, but is also because of the direction the Council provides to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and HUD, as well as public housing agencies administering assistance at the local level. Specifically, the Council helps diverse partners align their resources, efforts, goals, and measures of success for serving homeless veterans. According to the Council, it ``has led a process to confirm that 78 communities and 3 entire states have effectively ended Veteran homelessness. 35 states now have at least one community that has ended Veteran homelessness. Some recent confirmations include: Abilene, Texas, Lexington, Kentucky, Little Rock, Arkansas, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and the 71 counties in Mississippi that make up the Mississippi Balance of State Continuum of Care.'' In order to further these efforts and also tackle veterans' homelessness on the front end, the Senate's fiscal year 2020 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations bill includes language I authored directing the Council to improve the coordination between the Department of Defense, the VA, the Department of Labor, and HUD in order to prevent servicemembers from being discharged into homelessness. prgtoken In addition to addressing homelessness in our communities, the Council has also helped to save money. We know that people experiencing homelessness are more likely to use expensive health care services and spend more time in incarceration--which are extremely costly to taxpayers, States, and local governments. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness
Whistleblowers (Executive Calendar)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2019-11-6

if you work for the Federal Government, you work for the people. You have a duty by law to come forward to report misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, and other crimes going on in government. prgtoken This duty has been on the books since 1778. Why? Because people working in government are in a pretty good position to see when something is not right in their workplace. prgtoken We want a government that is doing right by us. prgtoken It is not easy for whistleblowers to come forward to report wrongdoing in government. That is why we have laws that protect a whistleblower from intimidation, discrimination, and retaliation, and laws that protect their identity. prgtoken On August 12, a whistleblower--and we don't know whether this was a man or a woman, so for ease of reference, I will refer to the whistleblower as ``she''--came forward, as the law required, to file a complaint with the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community. prgtoken The complaint alleged that the President was ``using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.'' prgtoken The inspector general, also as required, determined that the complaint was credible and involved an urgent concern. prgtoken The House, on learning of the whistleblower's complaint, began to ask questions. What did the House investigation uncover? That the whistleblower's complaint was right. prgtoken Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine; Tim Morrison, the top Russia and Eastern Europe expert on the National Security Council; and others have corroborated the whistleblower's complaint about the President. prgtoken Just yesterday, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, confirmed that security assistance for Ukraine was dependent on the Ukranian Government's launching an investigation into the President's political opponents. prgtoken Let's face it. What did was wrong. It is wrong for the President of the United States to shake down the Ukrainian President to get dirt on his political rivals in return for almost $400 million in U.S. military aid to help Ukraine fight Russia. Faced with growing evidence of 's wrongdoing, what happens? What happens is a President and his minions attack the whistleblower, suggesting that she was spying and guilty of treason. prgtoken has threatened the whistleblower with ``Big Consequences''--capital B, capital C--and put her safety at risk with comments such as: ``I do not know why a person that defrauds the American public should be protected.'' Guess what, he wasn't talking about himself. prgtoken 's devoted rightwing allies have been quick to echo and amplify the President's attacks. The whistleblower's own attorney warned Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire that the President's threats are compromising her personal safety. Just last Sunday, said: ``There have been stor
S. RES. 150
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-11-6

this week, the United States House of Representatives made history. For the very first time, an overwhelming majority of its members--more than 400--adopted a resolution recognizing the Armenian genocide. I rise today to urge my colleagues in the Senate to do the same thing--the right thing--and pass S. Res. 150. prgtoken It has now been 104 years since the Armenian people became targets of the most evil and hate-filled campaign of violence that the world had ever seen. From 1915 to 1923, a million and a half Armenian men, women, and children were murdered at the hands of the Ottoman Turkish Government. It was so atrocious that no word yet existed to describe what was happening--not until the creation of the word ``genocide,'' the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group. prgtoken Unfortunately, nobody has ever been held accountable, and the events surrounding the Armenian genocide continue to be denied, but the truth is simple: What happened to the Armenian people was absolutely genocide, and the Armenian community is right to insist that it be described that way. prgtoken This is why I have always supported Senate resolutions calling for the recognition of the Armenian genocide and urged my colleagues to join me. prgtoken We know that the deeper the wound, the longer it takes to heal, and nothing cuts deeper into the collective consciousness of a people than genocide. prgtoken At the same time, we know now that the Ottoman Empire's determination to exterminate the Armenian people was no match for their will to survive, and those who survived embodied the best qualities of the human spirit: hope, resilience, perseverance, and love. prgtoken Some survivors made their way to America, and many of them built their new lives in Michigan. They have created thriving communities, built businesses, raised families, founded schools, and contributed their rich culture to the fabric of our State. prgtoken The more than 20,000 Armenians who are living in Michigan today have not forgotten what happened--none of us should, for we know that, if we do not recognize the atrocities of the past, we risk blinding ourselves to atrocities in the future. prgtoken Recognition of the Armenian genocide is long overdue. A crime like this casts a long shadow, and this shadow can be conquered only by light, the light of truth that comes from fully acknowledging the full scale of the horror that the Armenians endured. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to take up and support this resolution. prgtoken Thank you.
Unanimous Consent Agreement--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-11-6

I come to the floor today to express my concern and my disappointment over the decision by the President to formally withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. prgtoken Though the President announced this decision over 2 years ago, this past Monday marked the first day his administration could send a letter to the United Nations formalizing the year-long withdrawal process. Of course, we know that they did that. prgtoken American leadership on climate action is being ceded to other countries before our very eyes. With this move, the President is betraying the trust of the American people and betraying the trust of our international allies in the fight against climate change. prgtoken Climate change is a very real and present threat to our environment, to our national security, to our economy, to our health, and to our very way of life. That is why I introduced the International Climate Accountability Act, to prevent the President from using funds to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. This bipartisan bill would also require the administration to develop a strategic plan for meeting the commitments we made in Paris in 2015. prgtoken We can see on this chart that the House passed legislation over 6 months ago. It has been 188 days since the House passed their legislation, the Climate Action Now Act. Yet in the Senate the majority leadership has refused to call up this bill for a vote. prgtoken The administration's withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement and the general refusal to bring climate change legislation to the floor is out of step with the desires of the American people. prgtoken Approximately two out of every three Americans believe it is the job of the Federal Government to combat climate change, according to a recent poll from the Associated Press. The same poll found that 64 percent of Americans disapprove of the President's climate change policies. prgtoken Unfortunately, the Senate majority leadership continues to refuse to act on climate change. Yet what we hear from our scientists and experts is that they tell us that we need to act and act now on climate change before it is too late. This poll shows us, as others have, that a supermajority of the American public wants us to do just that. prgtoken I have come before this body a number of times in the past to highlight the impact of climate change in my home State of New Hampshire. We see very directly the effects of climate change. The farther north you go, the more you see those impacts. Our fall foliage season is shortened. Our maple syrup production season is disrupted. Our outdoor recreation industries are hampered. Our ski and our snowmobiling industries are hampered. Our lobsters are moving north to colder waters. Our moose population is prgtoken down 40 percent, and Lyme disease is on the rise. prgtoken But today what I really want to highlight are the revelations that have been made
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-11-7

from Pennsylvania for his leadership on this issue. prgtoken I think Senator Toomey's proposal is an eminently reasonable, commonsense proposal in that we take up the SECURE Act with an equal number of amendments from the s and the and that we vote on the amendments on the Senate floor. prgtoken Now, everyone expects, in a few minutes, we are going to see the stand up and object to that proposal and say: No, we don't want amendments. We are not willing to vote on amendments. We are going to see the hold the SECURE Act hostage because they are unwilling to vote on amendments. We are going to see the hold hostage bipartisan reform that would improve retirement savings and also hold hostage tax relief for Gold Star families that should have passed a long time ago. It is cynical for the to hold this hostage, but because they are afraid to vote, they are getting ready to object and say that Gold Star families don't get their tax relief. The are afraid to have a vote in this body, and they are willing to hold the Gold Star families hostage. prgtoken One of the proposals they are afraid to vote on is that of commonsense education reform that has bipartisan support. It concerns what are called 529 savings plans, which are immensely popular tax advantage savings plans. Over 18 million Americans use them right now. The vast majority of those who use 529 savings plans are middle-class Americans. What 529 savings plans allow is for parents and grandparents to save for the educational expenses of their kids. prgtoken In 2017, as part of the tax reform, I introduced an amendment to expand 529 savings plans not just to college but to K-12 education. The Senate took up that amendment, and it became the only amendment the Senate adopted on the floor of the Senate that added anything to the tax cut. It passed this body at about 1 o'clock in the morning, by a 50-50 vote, with the Vice President's having broken the tie. prgtoken It has become the most far-reaching and significant Federal school choice legislation that has ever been enacted, benefiting up to 50 million school kids across this country. That legislation is already done, and it is actually not what this fight is about. That fight was about expanding 529s to K-12 education. The American people won that fight, and the ic opposition lost that fight. prgtoken This amendment is, instead, a much more modest amendment that takes 529 savings plans and expands them to three groups of people. prgtoken No. 1, it allows the parents and grandparents of kids with disabilities to use 529s to save for educational therapies for kids with disabilities and to save for the additional assistance those kids with disabilities need. That is an eminently commonsense proposition. prgtoken No. 2, it allows homeschooling families to participate in 529 savings plans. In 2017, the Democr
Tribute to Perry Green (Executive Session)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-11-7

it is Thursday afternoon, and that means it is one of my favorite times in the U.S. Senate because I get to come to the Senate floor and recognize an Alaskan who has done something that is great for our State, great for the community, great for the country--you name it. I come here and brag about somebody I represent in Alaska, and I call this person the Alaskan of the Week. I know the Presiding Officer likes it, and the pages certainly do. prgtoken What I like to do when I am starting this speech each week is talk to our visitors in the Gallery and people who are watching on TV to give a little update on what is going on in Alaska and encourage a visit. You will have the visit of a lifetime, guaranteed, if you come to Alaska. prgtoken Right now, as you can imagine, the great white north winter is coming in parts of the State. It has definitely arrived in other parts. Winter is a great time to be in Alaska, not just the summer. You can ski, snowboard, and at the end of the day sit back, drink something warm, and watch the northern lights dance in our sky. So come visit. You will love coming to visit Alaska. prgtoken What is really nice to do if you come and visit now is to wear a fur in Alaska. We have some great furriers in Alaska, but David Green Master Furrier in Anchorage is one of the oldest, most well respected, and certainly one of the best in our State and, I think, in the country. It is an Alaskan institution, and our Alaskan of the Week, Mr. Perry Green, one of the kindest, most generous, most patriotic, hard- working Alaskans, has worked throughout the decades to keep this great institution that way. prgtoken Let me tell you a little bit about Perry Green. His father David was from New York. He was enthralled with Alaska, a huge fan of the characters that Alaska attracts, as well as Jack London's ``Call of the Wild.'' So David moved to Washington State to be close to Alaska, where he eventually opened stores many, many years ago. prgtoken Perry Green, David's son, was born in Seattle on March 17, 1936. That is St. Patrick's Day. How great is that? I always knew Perry had a little Irish in him. He recalled: My father would come back from Alaska with such great stories, and all the Alaska sourdoughs would come to visit him. They sat at the dinner table and I was enthralled with their tales. prgtoken Anyone who knows anything about Alaska knows those stories, has heard about them, read about them--bear attacks, moose charges, frostbite, crossing perilous rivers, traversing vast landscapes under the dancing skies, wolves howling in the distance, fires barely starting at 40 below, and countless stories about being saved by the kindness of strangers out on the trail. prgtoken Perry also came of age during World War II. His father made fur ruffs for the soldiers' parkas, which set the stage for Perry's enduring patriotism and support for our troops. He said: I re
VETERANS DAY
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-11-7

this year on Veterans Day, I will join all Americans in honoring those who have served in our Armed Forces. As a nation, we owe those who have served a debt of gratitude for the sacrifices they have made to protect our country, our way of life, and the principles of liberty and natural rights. Too often, we forget to thank the families who are left behind while they are in service. They deserve our consideration as well. prgtoken The least we can do in return is work to ensure that all veterans have the healthcare and benefits they have earned. We owe it to veterans to ensure that they are never forsaken, nor forgotten. prgtoken .