mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-12-12

let me talk a little bit about yesterday afternoon. Yesterday, Leader Pelosi and I met with President about funding the government past next week. We gave the President two options to keep the government open. The first option: Pass the six bipartisan appropriations bills and a 1-year CR for the Department of Homeland Security only. And, if they don't like that one, a 1-year CR for the rest of government. prgtoken We told the President that both of these options would pass both Chambers. It was his choice to either accept one of those two options or shut the government down. Yesterday, unfortunately, it was clear that the President is clinging to his position of billions of dollars for an unnecessary, ineffective, border wall. President will soon realize that his position will not result in a wall but will result in a shutdown, and he seems to relish the idea, amazingly enough. prgtoken The President has called for a shutdown at least 20 times since he came to office. You can add at least five or six more times to that number from our meeting. Here is a direct quote from President yesterday: ``If we don't get what we want, one way or the other . . . I [President ] will shut down the government. . . . `' prgtoken President said: I am proud to shut down the government. . . . [so] I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not going to blame you [meaning ] for it. . . . I will take the mantle of shutting it down. prgtoken It was astounding that any President, even this one, would say that. No President should ever say that he or she would be proud to shut the government down. No President should so glibly use the American Government and the millions of workers who work so hard as a bargaining chip, but that is where President is headed. prgtoken President made clear that he will hold parts of the government hostage for a petty campaign pledge to fire up his base. That is all it is. He never researched the wall. He talked about it on the campaign and he said: Oh, Mexico will pay for it. If President holds to this position--that unless he gets his wall, he will shut down the government--who will suffer needlessly? The American people. prgtoken Of course, Leader Pelosi and I had to spend much of the meeting trying to untie the knots in logic the President was tying himself in. President started by bragging about how great border security is going under his watch. That, by the way, is with no wall. If it were truly the case as the President said, that border security is better than it has ever been, what is wrong with another year of the same funding? If things are going so great, why does he have to threaten to shut down the government for his $5 billion wall? It makes no sense. None of it is based on fact. prgtoken , there is no wall. prgtoken , Mexico has not agreed t
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-12-12

I acknowledge that Ranking Member Collin Peterson on the committee has done a good job balancing many special interests that are profoundly affected by the farm bill; solving a delicate series of political problems; and holding firm, protecting vital nutrition programs and things that I care about, that I have been working on for years, like hemp. But unfortunately, the bill is not addressing the crisis in American agriculture. prgtoken I published a book earlier this year. The Fight for Food had an alternative farm bill. Some of the provisions have found their way into it. But this bill does not affect the crisis that we are facing in American agriculture; having small and medium-sized producers prgtoken being squeezed out; the battle in terms of the chemical warfare in parts of America with Monsanto products that are threatening agriculture production; and we are actually seeing violence break out in terms of being unable to deal with this. prgtoken We have a profound problem in terms of the environmental context that farmers face. Only one in four farmers are going to get access to the environmental programs they need. prgtoken Now, there are some improvements in there, things I have been working on for years, but the fundamental problem, by flatlining it, we are not meeting the needs and, in fact, it is going to represent a reduction in absolute terms. prgtoken It does nothing to address the crisis that agriculture is facing because of climate change and carbon pollution. We have a crop insurance program that doesn't work for most farmers and ranchers, and it is grotesquely expensive. prgtoken We have had efforts in Congress, committees, outside experts, that point to ways we can rein in these unjustified subsidies, save money, and have a program that works for most farmers and ranchers. But sadly, that will have to wait for another day. prgtoken We are not investing in the future. We are not investing in farmers and ranchers who need the help the most, accelerating research, accelerating environmental programs, accelerating and investing more in beginning farmers. prgtoken , it is not good enough to be able to solve the political problem, to solve the bill, and prevent the worst abuses that were being proposed. We need a farm and food bill for Americans who eat, who pay taxes, and for farmers and ranchers who want to practice on a sustainable basis on the smaller scale, not massive agricultural industrial production. prgtoken This bill is a missed opportunity. And even though it has got some good things in it, I am going to vote against it because it is not nearly good enough.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TO RETURNS BY EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS AND RETURNS BY CERTAIN NON-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-12-12

the Senate is now opening the crucial debate on our proposal to throw out the pro-dark money campaign rule under the Congressional Review Act. prgtoken At the outset, Senator Tester for his leadership on the issue of bringing sunshine to American elections. prgtoken The fact is the State of Montana is the poster child of campaign finance reform--a textbook case of the sort of transparency and accountability that American elections need to all be about, and no Senator embodies that tradition more than Montana's own Jon Tester. prgtoken If you know anything about the history of the State and the Montana Copper Kings, you know why Montanans and Jon Tester always lead this fight. That is why I am so glad, as the ranking on the Finance Committee, to be able to partner with him on this critical issue. The administration's dark money rule makes it easier for foreigners and special interests to corrupt and interfere in our elections. Senator Tester and I have filed this Congressional Review Act proposal because we want to make it harder. prgtoken I believe deeply that when you are facing down secret money that is shifting between shadowy groups that want to buy our elections, sunlight is the best disinfectant. If you are concerned about foreign actors who are hostile to our country and who are illegally funding candidates who will do their bidding, sunlight is the best disinfectant. If you are worried about anonymous political insiders who have deep pockets that are tightening their grips on Washington, DC, sunlight is the best disinfectant. I hope, today, we will prove that sunlight should not be a partisan proposition. prgtoken Yet the rule change the administration pushed through this summer is not about sunlight; it is all about darkness. It is about secrecy. It is about giving the well-connected even more of a say in how American Government works. You can see that pretty clearly just by going back to the day the rule was announced. That alone shows how out of whack these policies are, how wrongheaded they are. prgtoken On July 16, 2018, a Monday morning, the American people woke up to the news of the arrest of an accused Russian spy in Washington, named Maria Butina. She had come to our country years earlier and had set out to infiltrate conservative organizations, especially the NRA. She cultivated relationships with political insiders. She worked to organize back channel lines of communication for the benefit of the Russian Federation, and she set up a shell company in North Dakota with a very prominent NRA political operative. For months, her lawyer claimed she was nothing more than a typical college kid who was enjoying life in the Nation's Capital. prgtoken It has been a few years since I have been in college, but I don't know of many students at Portland State or Southern Oregon who cross State lines to set up shell companies and organize lines
OPEN ENROLLMENT
Elijah E. Cummings (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-12-12

I rise today to remind everyone that the enrollment period to sign up for 2019 health plans on healthcare.gov, and in many States like my home State of prgtoken Maryland, ends in just 3 days. That is Saturday, December 15. prgtoken I have often said that voting for the Affordable Care Act was the most important vote of my career. When Congress passed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, we enshrined into law the promise that all Americans have a right to accessible and affordable health insurance coverage in this great country. prgtoken By strengthening the individual health insurance market, protecting people with preexisting conditions, and expanding Medicaid, we brought this promise closer to reality. We promised that individuals would not have to worry about affording health insurance or paying outrageous rates because of preexisting conditions. We safeguarded access to care for people who need it by preventing health insurance providers from placing limits on their coverage. prgtoken Because of the ACA, individuals and families across this country do not have to live with the daily fear of financial disaster they could face if they got sick while they were uninsured. In total, approximately 20 million Americans gained health insurance coverage as a result of the ACA. prgtoken During the November election, the American people reminded us that they want their elected officials to protect their access to affordable healthcare. In my home State of Maryland, the uninsured population is at an all-time low of 6.1 percent. As more people have gotten coverage, the cost of uncompensated care in Maryland hospitals has gone down by $400 million from 2013 to 2017. prgtoken The open enrollment period that is quickly coming to a close in many States is the only time during which people can act to protect themselves and their families by purchasing coverage through healthcare.gov or their State health insurance marketplace. prgtoken Quality health plans for 2019 are more affordable than many people may realize. Eight in ten people using healthcare.gov qualify for financial assistance, meaning that most people can find a health plan with a premium of less than $75 per month. prgtoken According to data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through December 1, enrollment is down 11 percent on the Federal exchange compared to last year. prgtoken I am proud that Maryland has embraced the ACA to help people in our State secure the coverage they need to keep their families healthy and safe. I am proud of all the hard work the Maryland Health Connection continues to do to make it easier for people to get enrolled. prgtoken The administration has focused their efforts on sabotaging the ACA by making it harder for Americans to sign up for coverage through actions such as shortening the enrollment period, slashing funding for marketing and outreach programs, and lowering spending by more than 80 percent on local
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-12-12

. If my friend the distinguished chairman of the committee will yield for a moment, let me just say first that I appreciate his good intentions and commitment to having a process in which the Sanders-Lee resolution could move forward. To keep it within a germane sphere, I know that was one of the things the Senator said very early on, which I embrace, and I am glad for his leadership in that regard. I think passing this will be important, and I urge all of our colleagues to vote for it. prgtoken I look forward to when he presents the resolution he has talked about with reference to the Crown Prince. I do think that if he brings that forward, it is likely something I will support because I think it is important to make it very clear that you cannot kill with impunity just because you are our ally and that human rights and democracy are still values that we--at least in the U.S. Senate--believe are an integral part of our foreign policy. Countries that observe human rights and democracy and share our deepest values at the end of the day are our most reliable allies and are less likely to drag us into conflicts in other places. So I look forward to that debate and discussion when the distinguished Senator offers that. prgtoken But I will reiterate--and I appreciate the Senator's somewhat endorsement with some reservations. It is critical--I know Senator Young is standing; I will cease in a moment--that we need to do more-- even though I will probably embrace what the Senator is doing--than just say we are outraged that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is complicit in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. prgtoken There is a long list of things the Crown Prince has already done beyond that, some of which I mentioned in my remarks. But at the end of the day, if all we do is express our outrage, then anybody in the world, any leader in the world, any country we have a relationship with could say: Well, they will publicly slap us on the wrist, but that will be the total consequence. prgtoken If that is the total consequence, then at the end of the day, people will act with impunity. When they do that, we go down a dangerous path, not just for those who live in those countries and may be subjected to those types of indiscriminate executions and other gross violations of human rights; we send a global message that is a downward spiral. That is what I and some of my colleagues I am going to join briefly to talk about--we intend to pursue this in the next Congress--want to see happen. I appreciate that the Senator supports that sentiment, and I look forward to continuing to work with him until the very end of this session.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Alma S. Adams (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2018-12-12

I want to thank Ranking Member Peterson for yielding, also Chairman Conaway for all of his support. prgtoken I am proud today to speak on behalf of the 2018 farm bill. This bill is a strong, bipartisan piece of legislation. It works for families, for farmers, and for all communities. prgtoken The farm bill now avoids disastrous cuts to SNAP, a program which helps put food on the table for 44,000 people in Mecklenburg County alone, many of whom are children. prgtoken Additionally, the bill now avoids the mean-hearted, unreasonable work requirements that had been in the previous version of the House farm bill. prgtoken As founder and cochair of the bipartisan HBCU Caucus, I am particularly proud to have helped secure key resources for 1890 land- grant universities in this bill. The farm bill authorizes $50 million to create three centers of excellence at 1890s and it ensures equity between land grants by removing provisions that strip away unspent extension funds for 1890 schools, and mandating a report that outlines research and extension funds for all land-grant institutions. This is a major legislative win for our land-grant HBCUs. prgtoken These are the reasons why I founded the HBCU Caucus, to bring together a coalition of s and to fight together for greater funding and equity for all of our schools. prgtoken , I want to thank all of my colleagues on the conference committee, and I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill later today.
GIFT TO AMERICAN PEOPLE
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-12-12

today, I remind my colleagues of a President who reminded us of the shining city on a Hill. I remind our colleagues of a President who led us to a kinder and gentler society. So I am stunned to hear the President speak of claiming to be asking for the government to be shut down. prgtoken This is a season where many in our Nation draw together with families and worship and celebrate. It is a very honored time. People of the Christian faith are engaged in the recognition and acknowledgment of the birth of baby Jesus. It is a holy time. It is a time when families need resources. Government workers need to ensure that their families are provided for, but also we must ensure that our government is provided for. I thank the -elect and the ic leader in the Senate, the other body, for recognizing that we do not want a shutdown. prgtoken To those who speak of the necessity of a wall, let me speak as a Representative of a border State who has been to the border so many times, I cannot count. I count those on the border, among many of the States, as friends, having been to every border State. I will say to the American people: There is no foreign war or attack at the southern border. prgtoken We have a northern border as well, and I have been there. There is no wall there. prgtoken The only thing that is at the southern border are mothers and children living in desperate, devastating, and disgusting conditions, and unaccompanied children fleeing from the decapitation of their brothers or fathers, fleeing politically because they disagree with the viciousness of cartels and refuse to accept their membership. prgtoken That is where America's best angels come in, when we rise to the higher occasion of giving refuge and opportunity to those who are fleeing political persecution. Here is how we do it. We process asylum seekers. We do not undermine their process. They are fleeing for their lives. prgtoken To juxtapose a stagnant wall to the lives of those fleeing political persecution is untenable. It is crucial that we design a comprehensive immigration reform policy. It is crucial that the acknowledgment that barriers of certain kinds--technology and personnel--can be a successful formula to ensure the safety and security of the American people. But at the same time, I insist that we regulate or bring into regular order Dreamers, who are firefighters, soldiers, lawyers, doctors, and family members throughout the Nation. Where is the call for that? prgtoken It is important that we remain a nation that people flee to because of the wonderful values of democracy, the underpinnings of the dignity of all people. It is sad at this time that we have not come to that conclusion in a bipartisan manner. prgtoken So I extend the olive branch. What are we doing for the Dreamers? Why is it not reasonable to construct a funding process or scheme or formula that ensures that kind of bipartisanship and security? prgtoken Let me al
THANKING STAFF
Heidi Heitkamp (Democrat, ND) \u2014 2018-12-12

before I depart the Senate, I want to again recognize my staff in my Washington, DC, and State offices for their hard work and service to North Dakota, the Senate, and the Nation. prgtoken As I said in my farewell remarks, I have the best staff in the Senate, and I ask that their names be included in the Record: Tessa Gould, Abbie McDonough, Connor Joseph, Ian Jannetta, Jesse Overton, Jared Pfliger, Robert Chester, Beth Nielson, Tracee Sutton, Megan DesCamps, Craig Radcliffe, Matt Squeri, Libby Marking, Jared Henderson, Ryan Tvedt, Jon Cheatwood, Libby Schneider, Anna Diederich, Jacob Westlin, James Feinstein, Kevin George, Alec Buckley, Guneev Sharma, Santiago Gonzalez, Jeesue Lee, Virginia Hagerott, Prescott Robinson, Stacy Austad, Olivia Cox, Patrick Brende, Bryce Hample, Eric Bursch, Ashley Poling, Anthony Papian, Jared Lennon, Allison Tinsey, Dean Williams, Ross Keys, Jane Opdahl, Joanne Beckman, Megan prgtoken Carranza, Shirley Meyer, Aimee Kittilson, Aaron Krauter, Chris VandeVenter, Gail Hand, Matthew Leiphon, Renae Aarfor, Justin Hanson, Amy Long, Megan Edwardson, Raechel Heuer, Laura Dronen, Norman McCloud, and Maggie Laducer.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TO RETURNS BY EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS AND RETURNS BY CERTAIN NON-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-12-12

we will soon be voting in this Chamber on S. Res. 64, which is a Congressional Review Act resolution looking at a Treasury Department rule that I believe will promote dark money in politics. prgtoken Since the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, our political system has been flooded--absolutely flooded--with money from special interest groups. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, independent expenditures on campaigns went from $203 million in 2010 to $1.48 billion less than 10 years later, in 2016. So it went from $203 million in 2010, after the Citizens United decision, to $1.48 billion in 2016. prgtoken This massive influx of money into our elections undermines the confidence of the American people in our political system. It creates an environment that is ripe for corruption and inappropriate influence. It sows further disenchantment among the electorate and impacts participation in our democracy. It allows voters to believe that their votes are less important than businesses with a bigger checkbook. prgtoken That is why it is so important that we ensure transparency and accountability in campaign financing through robust disclosure requirements and oversight. prgtoken Unfortunately, instead of making it easier to identify individuals and organizations who are funding campaigns, the Treasury Department has issued a rule that will increase the amount of dark money in the political process. That is money that comes in, and we have no idea where it comes from and who is behind it. This ill-advised rule change from the Treasury Department will eliminate the requirement that social welfare organizations, or 501(c)(4)s, and business leagues, or 501(c)(6)s, report donor information to the IRS. That basically gives a blank check for anyone to come in and spend any amount of money, and we are not going to know who it is or who is behind the money. prgtoken The change risks impeding law enforcement efforts to track money laundering in our political system, and it makes it more likely that foreign money will illegally influence our elections. Under this new rule, organizations that made over $197 million in independent expenditures during the 2016 election cycle would now be totally exempt from disclosing who those donors were to the IRS. prgtoken The door will now be open to hundreds of millions more in dark money from secret groups with hidden agendas, trying to buy an election with money and influence. These dark money groups have increased in size and scope since the Citizens United decision, as they recognize the opportunity to influence elections with no accountability. prgtoken Malicious actors at home and abroad will likely exploit the increased secrecy in this process, and the proliferation of these dark money groups will further influence our political system. prgtoken This Congress has a duty to ensure the integrity and security of our electoral process. We have to elimina