mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
National Security (Executive Session)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-7-18

to my colleagues, let me just say that we must speak out and act. prgtoken President 's appearance with Russia's President Putin--a U.S. President capitulating to a strongman dictator, unprecedented in American history--compromised America's national security and brings into question whether America can be relied upon as the leader of the free world. prgtoken With Mr. standing with Mr. Putin while he discredited America's investigation into Russian meddling--this is an American President, with a dictator, challenging the investigation being done against Russia--the President questioned the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies. He left unchallenged Mr. Putin's lies and illegal military invasions. prgtoken In short, Mr. did Mr. Putin's bidding. In Russia, they are smiling; at the White House, they are scrambling. prgtoken Congress must speak out and act. Congress must repudiate the President's actions to make clear to the American people and the world that Russia, directed by Mr. Putin, attacked our free election system in 2016 and tried to tip the scales in favor of Mr. . prgtoken Russia illegally invaded the sovereign state of Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea, which the United States must make clear we will never recognize. Russia, under Mr. Putin, murders its political opponents and journalists. Russia has interfered in the politics of several European democratic states. prgtoken Six months ago, I authored, on behalf of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , a report entitled ``Putin's Asymmetrical Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe: Implications for U.S. National Security.'' prgtoken I sent a copy of that report to President and hoped that he would absorb it and use it in his meeting with prgtoken Mr. Putin. Unfortunately, he either didn't read it or didn't heed the advice in that report. prgtoken That report spells out in detail the asymmetrical arsenal that Mr. Putin uses. Yes, he uses his military, propaganda, and cyber; he supports organized crime and corruption, weaponizes energy, and supports fringe political groups, all to attack our democratic system of government. prgtoken The report spells out numerous recommendations for steps we should take to protect our national security against what Russia is trying to do to us. The report spells out several recommendations I just want to underscore today. We urge the President to assert Presidential leadership and launch a national response, an interagency response, so we make it clear that we will not tolerate this. prgtoken Mr. has done just the opposite. He has downplayed any significance to what Russia has done, has not allowed us to have a coordinated effort with the executive branch, and has fought what Congress has tried to do in giving him additional resources in order to prepare us against what Mr. Putin is doing. prgtoken The report goes on to further recommend that we expose and
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Jerry McNerney (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-7-18

. Mr. Chair, I understand my colleague's position on this. Water is a scarce commodity. You want to have access to water. You want to plant your trees. You want to feed your stocks and all that. prgtoken But what you are not saying is what is going to happen if you continue to take more water from the delta. The delta is a finite water supply. The more you take water from the delta, the more saltwater from the ocean comes in and poisons our facilities, our docks, our fishing, it changes the whole environment. And we are going to cost jobs if you do that, so it is really a balance. prgtoken Now, I think it is okay to work together to find a proper amount of water to ship out and a proper amount of water to stay in the delta. When we have bigger rain events, the water pushes the saltwater back out toward the ocean. It clears out water a little bit. prgtoken So, I mean, it is not like we are just trying to save water to hurt you guys. That is not what is going on here. We have our own interests to take care of. prgtoken This is always a fight. What we need to do is sit down and compromise and find some way to get through this so that we don't end up hurting one another, which is what happens. prgtoken Again, I understand the position you are in. I understand the need for water. California is a dry State. We have years and years of drought. But continuing to demand access to water when there is only a finite supply, every year you want more, that is not going to work. It is just not going to work.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Ruben Gallego (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2018-7-18

. Mr. Chair, let's face it: Ranchers who refuse to pay what they owe the Federal Government are freeloaders, pure and simple. If you don't pay your taxes, you go to jail. If you don't pay your mortgage, you get your house taken away. Ranchers are not more special than any other Americans. They are freeloaders, and they should pay for their freeloading. Congress should not stand for it. Let's pass my amendment. prgtoken .
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-7-18

this resolution being offered by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is a partisan political stunt to distract the American people from the crisis created by 's zero tolerance policy. prgtoken Almost 3,000 children were ripped from the arms of their parents and traumatized by the President's cruelty. prgtoken Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee had a closed-door briefing with officials from the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Homeland Security. The American people deserve to hear from these officials in public and under oath. All these officials provided at this briefing--not under oath--was more obstruction and obfuscation. The witness from Immigration and Customs Enforcement even claimed that they ``did not mess up here.'' prgtoken Separating almost 3,000 children from their parents, not meeting judicially set deadlines for reunifying these children--the trauma continues. Is there anybody in America paying attention to this issue who actually believes there was no mess-up? prgtoken We need a public hearing to hear from these officials under oath. prgtoken is weaponizing fear to pursue his anti-immigration agenda, and we are not going to be party to that. We should be focused like laser beams on reuniting the children with their parents.
Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-7-18

I come to the floor today to join my colleagues in making it clear just how prgtoken high the stakes are when it comes to our Nation's highest courts--for our families, for our communities, for our country, and for our future. prgtoken Since the day he took office, President has made one move after another to turn the White House and the entire executive branch into a tool for those who have the most power, the most money, and the most influence to get even more power, more money, and more influence. From our public schools to our public lands and more, it is hard to find any administration decision where the bottom line didn't come first. prgtoken But it is not just his administration. President has systematically worked to roll back decades of progress through our courtrooms, from the Supreme Court on down, which will have long- lasting impacts stretching far beyond his time in the White House. prgtoken I know some of my colleagues were here last night to talk about the absolutely egregious circuit court nominees who would do everything they can to whittle away at our rights and freedoms as Americans. I want to talk about that for a bit as well, but I want to take some time first to talk about a nominee who would sit above those circuit court nominees in our Nation's Supreme Court and who, if confirmed, would overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminate protections for patients with preexisting conditions, reverse settled law and precedent, and give these extreme circuit court nominees even more room to do damage to our Constitution, our laws, our freedoms, and our way of life. prgtoken It is telling that President and his and special- interest allies are desperately trying to make the case that Judge Kavanaugh isn't well outside the mainstream, far outside the bounds of reasonable, and deeply opposed to what people across the country want when it comes to their rights and freedoms being protected. They may try, but they will not succeed because the record is clear and the facts are clear. Judge Kavanaugh is an extreme pick who would be devastating for our country if he is confirmed, and we need to do everything we can to stop it. prgtoken So I am standing here right now, on behalf of the families in my home State of Washington and across this country, to be very clear about what is at stake if President and his enablers continue to try to turn our judicial system into one that works for massive corporations and special interests and against regular families. prgtoken Earlier today, a number of my colleagues stood in this spot to sound the alarm on what is at stake for our environment and our public health if the balance of this Court swings toward President and his extreme special interests. I want to expand on those concerns, and I want to talk about just a few of the many issues that Judge Kavanaugh would impact should he be confirmed and how awful this would be
SEXUAL ASSAULT ON OUR CAMPUSES
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-7-19

I wish to address the House, Members of Congress, and the Chair about what I consider one of our most serious things that is happening in our country, and it has to do with sexual assault on our campuses, our universities, our colleges, and what is taking place there while students, our children, our grandchildren, go to these universities. prgtoken I want to recognize a group of individuals who have started a program, a cause is really the right word, that they call the 12th Woman. They are all members, students, former students of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. prgtoken The 12th Woman is a phrase that is a takeoff on another phrase that that university uses, calling the 12th Man. I look at the 12th Woman as a team, 11 on a team, and there is one more. It makes it 12, all 12 supporting each other in their cause to eliminate sexual assault on campuses, not just Texas A&M, but all the universities and colleges through the United States. prgtoken So these remarkable ladies started using social media to see if other people, students, former students, had encountered sexual assault on campus and what happened and what didn't happen after that was reported. Then they formed this organization called the 12th Woman. prgtoken Several of those members of the 12th Woman are here today watching Congress, and later today, they are going to go to their respective Members of Congress and talk about some of the things that are on their heart. prgtoken Constituents in the State of Texas, the reason for this request of time is that there are bad things that are happening on our university campuses. It happens because of a lot of reasons. We are talking about a lot of people, a lot of kids, in my opinion, going away from home and spending time trying to get an education at one of our universities. prgtoken I believe wholeheartedly that our universities in this country are the finest educational institutions anywhere in the world. That is why we have people from all over the world coming to our universities. prgtoken So I am going to start by telling some of their stories, things that happened to them, things that they have made public. They have been bold to talk about the bad things that happened to them while they were in school. prgtoken , it takes a lot for a crime victim, especially a sexual assault victim, to come forward and publicly talk about these things. For the last, I guess, 30 years before I came to Congress, I was a prosecutor in Houston, Texas, and then I spent 22 years on the criminal bench hearing only criminal cases. And I have met, unfortunately, a lot of sexual assault victims who have come my way either when I was prosecuting their cases or as a judge. prgtoken It is tough, really, it is tough to make those statements public and come forward. But I want to read a few of these statements and these stories that happened to some of our ladies that they call the 12th Woman. prgtoken Abbie's f
COMMEMORATING THE DUNLAP HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS TRACK TEAM
Darin LaHood (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-7-19

today I'd like to take the opportunity to recognize the work of the Dunlap High School Girls Track Team and their phenomenal Coach, Pat Garst, for their second straight Class 2A state title. prgtoken The young women who make up Dunlap High School's track team serve as an inspiration of what hard work, dedication, and perseverance can bring. Dunlap won the State Championship with a resounding 102 points and qualified in 16 out of the 18 events held, making it to the finals in 14 of those events. They came into the season wanting to prove themselves as true champions, not just a one-and-done team. This spectacular performance throughout the season not only earned them the state title, but also the Peoria Journal Star's 2018 Best of Preps team of the year award. prgtoken Of course, none of this would have been possible without Coach Pat Garst. Coach Garst has dedicated countless hours to improving the lives of student athletes. It is no surprise that his devotion to the betterment of these young athletes has earned himself his second straight Illinois Girls Track and Field Coach of the year award. Coach Garst is now in consideration for the National Track and Field Coach of the year award. We are proud to have Coach Grant as one of the final contenders for this distinct honor. prgtoken The achievements of Coach Garst and the Dunlap Girls Track Team reminds us all of that through time, hard work, and dedication we can achieve all our goals, whatever they might be. I would like to once again congratulate Coach Garst and the Dunlap Girls' team, and thank them for being an inspiration to many across the community.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-7-19

reserving the right to object, let me first thank the Senator from Arizona and prgtoken the Senator from Delaware for expressing all of our concern about Russian interference in the 2016 election. It is absolutely clear they did, and the President has said as much on a number of occasions. prgtoken Now, I agree, in Helsinki he was less than clear about that, but he came back and said that he misspoke and reaffirmed his earlier position that, yes, the Russian Government had attempted to interfere in the election, although nobody disputes the fact that they were unsuccessful in changing a single vote or affecting the outcome. Ironically, the very same investigation which has made clear that the Russians did attempt to disrupt the election has also made clear there is no evidence of collusion that anybody has uncovered to date. prgtoken My concern with this resolution is that it is purely a symbolic act, and what we need to do is not just offer symbolic resolutions on the floor. We need to do the hard work Senators have to do through regular order. In other words, our committees that have jurisdiction over these issues ought to be permitted to call the witnesses and ask the hard questions and develop the record before we go on record as to a resolution like this. prgtoken I would point out that the indictments that were referred to, apparently, according to published reports, Rod Rosenstein, the Deputy Attorney General, asked the President before Helsinki if he should withhold the announcement of those indictments or go ahead and release them before the summit. The President said: No, go ahead. prgtoken Anybody who read the 29 pages of the indictment, issued at the request of Robert Mueller by a grand jury in the District of Columbia, knows there is chapter and verse of how Russians attempted to interfere with the election. It is a good and important read. The President knew that before he went to Helsinki. That gives me some confidence that he did, indeed, misspeak, especially in light of his subsequent affirmations of Russian interference in the election. prgtoken I happen to be privileged to sit on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. We have been conducting a bipartisan investigation of the Russian matter for the entire time the President has been in office for the last year and a half. We already issued some preliminary reports. The way to do our work is through bipartisan committee work--have the witnesses come and testify, ask them hard questions, and render our judgment. prgtoken I know Secretary Pompeo is coming before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sometime next week. He ought to be asked hard questions. I am confident he will respond to those questions. That is how we get the information we need. prgtoken Let me just say that I think we should consider sanctions--not some sort of sense-of-the Senate resolutions that have no sting or no impact, certainly no deterrent effect
HONORING RETIRED DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF STU CAVUTO, JASON WHEELER AND MELANIE MASCATO
John Katko (Republican, NY) \u2014 2018-7-19

I rise today to honor retired Deputy Fire Chief Stu Cavuto, Jason Wheeler, and Melanie Mascato, for their actions to help save the life of a young father on Father's Day. While running an errand this Father's Day, Deputy Fire Chief Cavuto and Mr. Wheeler were alerted to an emergency situation when their vehicle was flagged down by Ms. Mascato. After pulling over to the side of the road, the two learned that a young father was without a pulse after overdosing on heroin inside a nearby car. Acting immediately, the trio called for an ambulance and began to prepare the man for CPR by extracting him from his car and bringing him to the adjacent lawn. However, before they were able to begin administering CPR the man's pulse and breathing suddenly returned. Shortly thereafter, paramedics arrived on the scene and transported the man to a local hospital. Hearing of the actions taken by these three individuals reaffirms my belief in the inherent kindness of strangers and further motivates me to work with my colleagues in Congress to pass legislation that combats the opioid epidemic. Today, I am proud to honor Stu Cavuto, Jason Wheeler, and Melanie Mascato for taking actions to save the life of a young father. In the future, I hope that we can look toward these good Samaritans as inspiration and rally around all efforts to help those struggling with opioid addictions.
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF JACK EDWARD SCHURMAN
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-7-19

I rise before you today to speak about Mr. Jack Edward Schurman, a longtime resident of Shelbyville, Illinois, in my 15th Congressional District, a disabled veteran, an advocate for former military men and women throughout the Nation, and chairman of my Veterans Advisory Committee, and, I am proud to say, my friend. prgtoken Born in Iowa in 1939, Jack joined the Navy in 1959 and rose to the rank of yeoman third class before a disability cut short his service in 1964. prgtoken Jack made his way to Illinois, and, in 1976, he married Nancy Ellen Cranford. They raised two daughters, Kelli Ann and Kim Marie. prgtoken As chairman of my Veterans Advisory Committee, Jack has led our meetings for years, bringing valuable experience and perspective. Unfortunately, Jack's health has declined to a point where his mobility is limited, and doctors have declared that he should no longer live on his own, which is what he has done since his beloved wife passed away in 2016. prgtoken Jack is now in Mississippi, thanks to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which located a suitable residence for him near the home of one of his daughters. prgtoken , members of my Veterans Advisory Committee and I will miss Jack. We want to thank him for his tremendous service throughout the years and wish him the best of health and happiness in this next chapter of his remarkable life.
CONGRESS SHOULD STAY IN SESSION UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-7-19

I am disappointed that Congress plans to adjourn for August recess without addressing critical issues important to the American people. I appreciate that district work periods allow Members to visit with folks back in their community, but it is now becoming a habit for Congress to abandon a long ``to do'' list in the rush to get out of town. This August is no exception. Unfortunately, Congress has not done its job. It has not completed the work of the people; including budgeting and critical national security legislation. Our constituents expect us to stay and finish the job. As I requested of the in June, let's clear our schedules and--in the strongest possible terms--and stay in Washington for the month of August to finish the business of the people. As I have said in previous years as we approach the August recess, I'm prepared to stay in Washington as long as it takes. These issues are too important to delay.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Executive Session)
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-7-19

derangement syndrome has officially come to the Senate. The hatred for the President is so intense that partisans would rather risk war than give diplomacy a chance. Does anybody remember that Ronald Reagan sat down with Gorbachev and that we lessened the nuclear tensions? We need to still have those openings. prgtoken Nobody is excusing Russia's meddling in our elections. Absolutely we should protect the integrity of our elections. But simply bringing the hatred of the President to the Senate floor in order to say ``We are done with diplomacy. We are going to add more and more sanctions''--you know what. I would rather that we still have open channels of discussion with the Russians. At the height of the Cold War, Kennedy had a direct line to Khrushchev, and it may have prevented the end of the world. prgtoken Should we be so crazy about partisanship that we now say ``We don't want to talk to the Russians. We are not going to have relations with the Russians''? We should stand firm and say ``Stay the hell out of our elections,'' but we should not stick our head in the ground and say we are not going to talk to them. prgtoken I would like to see the Russians leave Ukraine. I think we could do it through diplomacy. We are not going to have it if we don't talk to them. prgtoken I would like to see the Russians help more with North Korea, with denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We are not going to have it if we just simply heap more sanctions on and say that we are not going to talk to the Russians and that anybody who talks to the Russians is committing treason. prgtoken For goodness' sake, we have the former head of the CIA, John Brennan, gallivanting across TV--now being paid for his opinion--to call the President treasonous. This has to stop. This is crazy hatred of the President. Crazy partisanship is driving this. prgtoken For goodness' sake, we don't excuse Russia's behavior in our election, but we don't have to have war. We can still have engagement. We have engaged Russia throughout 70 years, while also acknowledging the imperfections of their system, the parts of their system we vehemently disagree with--the lack of freedom, the lack of human rights. Yet we had open channels of negotiation, open channels of communication. prgtoken I could not object more strongly to this. prgtoken , I object.