mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING GEORGE H.W. BUSH
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-12-4

the Presiding Officer knows I spent a little time in the Navy. So did my father. My father enlisted in the Navy right before World War II broke out. He was not 18. prgtoken George Herbert Walker , I think on his 18th birthday, just out of high school, enlisted in the Navy as a seaman second class. About a year later, he was off to Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, where I earned my wings as a naval flight officer a long time ago. He became an ensign, I think at the age of 19, and became, maybe, the youngest Navy pilot around that time that they had in the Navy, if you can believe that. A year or so later, I think in September of 1943, he was on the USS San Jacinto in the Pacific and flew avenger bombers with the 3rd Fleet and 6th Fleet. When you think about it, at that point in time he must have been about 20 years old, flying avenger bombers. That is pretty amazing. prgtoken When I was 20 years, I was a sophomore or junior at Ohio State. The idea of flying missions, as we did stuff in the summers with Navy ROTC in Corpus Christi, flying airplanes and so forth--to be flying missions in the Pacific theater in the middle of World War II is pretty astounding. prgtoken In 1944, he would have been maybe 20 years old, not quite 21. He was a lieutenant JG. I think I made lieutenant JG when I was 22 or so. But later that year, in 1944, when he was still about 20 years old, he was shot down off the coast of Chichijima by a Japanese anti-aircraft flier while flying a mission to bomb an enemy radio site located on the Bonin Islands about 600 miles south of Japan. In some of my missions during the Vietnam war, we flew by there. He was rescued by the U.S. submarine Finback after he had floated around the ocean for a while in an inflated raft. God bless the folks on the Finback. They somehow found out he was out there and found him. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. I have done a fair number of search and rescue missions out of a P-3 airplane. To find somebody on a little dingy from an airplane is hard enough, but to find them from a submarine is even more difficult. It is miraculous to me that on September 2, 1944, they found him and saved him. prgtoken In November of 1944, he returned to his ship, the USS San Jacinto, and participated in operations in the Philippines until his squadron was sent home. I have some fond memories of operating missions in the South China Sea out of the Philippines and off the coast of Southeast Asia. But his career took him there. I think at that time he was about 21, an old guy, in the Navy. prgtoken A year or so later, in September of 1945, he was discharged from the Navy. He had served 58 combat missions during World War II, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. You don't get much better than a Distinguished Flying Cross. So there were three air medals--I had one, and this guy had three--and the Presidential Unit Citation awarded to his <|p
REMEMBERING GEORGE H.W. BUSH
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-12-4

I rise today to recognize former President George H.W and I want to thank my colleague Senator Portman from Ohio for those personal memories. I now will always remember that baseball story. It is an example of what he stood for, and that is that he actually cared that there were people of both parties who would sign that baseball. I want to thank Senator Portman for carrying on that torch of working across the aisle. prgtoken President dedicated his entire life to the United States. His first service was as a decorated Navy pilot, as we know, who risked his life during World War II and in 1944 was shot down prgtoken in the Pacific. That selfless sacrifice was not enough. He went on to spend 40 years in public service as a Congressman from Texas, as an Ambassador to the United Nations, as U.S. Envoy to China, as Director of the CIA, and then, of course, as Vice President and then as President. prgtoken He wore so many hats during his time in service, but through it all he was a true statesman who treated both his friends and his rivals with grace and dignity. prgtoken He also viewed the world through the lens of history, which was often the guiding force in his approach to diplomacy in dealing with the rest of the world. prgtoken As President, he helped to bring an end to four decades of the Cold War and the threat of nuclear engagement as democracy spread throughout Eastern Europe, and he signed the bipartisan Americans with Disabilities Act, which has had a lasting impact in expanding the rights of Americans with disabilities. prgtoken His commitment to his country was unshakable, and he instilled this value in his own children. prgtoken For George H.W patriotism was bigger than political rivalries. In 1993, as he departed the White House, he left a note, which many of us saw for the first time this week. It was a note that he left for President Clinton, who had defeated President in the Presidential election just two months before he signed that letter. President said: You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success is now our country's success. I am rooting hard for you. prgtoken He wrote that note just as he was turning over the keys to the Oval Office to someone who had just defeated him in an election campaign. President was someone who fought hard on the campaign trail, but once the votes were cast, he understood the underlying truth of America--that people with different political views are not enemies, and when all is said and done, we can come together to advance the cause of America, not tear it down. prgtoken As Senator Portman noted, President 's death comes less than 8 months after the passing of former First Lady Barbara , his wife of over 73 years. Never one to be a shrinking violet, she was fiercely loyal to her family and an outspoken advocate for causes she believ
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-12-5

today I wish to recognize the 100th anniversary of Highland Park, MI. Situated in Wayne County of southeast Michigan, Highland Park is endowed with a rich history of innovation as the ``birthplace of mass production.'' It is also the site of the Nation's first urban highway, and was fondly referred to as the ``City of Trees'' for its beautiful foliage. prgtoken In its infancy, the settlement that would eventually become Highland Park underwent two name changes, Nabor and then Whitewood, respectively, before it was incorporated as a village in 1889 and then as a city in the early 20th century. prgtoken The small farming community experienced an economic boom in 1910, when Henry Ford opened his first Model T factory, now recognized as a historical site. The opening of the plant paved the way for new infrastructure, which changed the rapidly growing Highland Park Village's landscape from rural to urban. The news of abundant economic opportunity in the village spread nationally and internationally. Immigrants came to Highland Park aspiring to earn the impressive $5-a- day wage that Henry Ford's factories offered, while new residents traveled from across the Nation to the village in hopes of becoming newly minted members of the middle-class. The population grew from a little under 500 residents at the top of the 20th century to over 50,000 in 1930. prgtoken The city of Detroit, Highland Park Village's southern neighbor, also began to expand. From the early 1800s and into the early part of the 1900s, the city of Detroit's footprint increased as the city moved to annex surrounding townships. To prevent annexation by the bustling city of Detroit, Highland Park officially incorporated as a city in 1918. Detroit continued to enlarge its boarders, ultimately encircling the city of Highland Park, leading to the city within a city phenomenon seen today. prgtoken Before Highland Park became the epicenter of production, with the presence of Ford and later Chrysler, it was appropriately named the City of Trees, for its abundance of elms, reminiscent of a forest. Beautiful arrays of elm trees lined neighborhood streets as trees were planted in front of every home. Unfortunately, the once striking display of greenery diminished toward the 1970s, due to the spread of Dutch elm disease, which impacted surrounding cities as well. prgtoken In another historic first, Highland Park was the site of the country's first urban highway, the Davison Freeway. Construction began in 1941 and was expeditiously completed in 1942 to ease transport for Defense manufacturers assisting in the Nation's ``Arsenal of Democracy'' during World War II. The Davison Freeway greatly improved the flow of traffic to and from the city of Detroit. prgtoken The Highland Park community includes a diverse and hard-working population, and many notable figures in government, sports, and popular culture have called Highland Park home. prgtoken Some forme
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-12-5

I rise to urge the majority leader to bring to the floor S. 3649, the First Step Act, which I have cosponsored. This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Grassley and Durbin, includes positive prison reforms that the House passed by a 360-59 vote, combined with Senate-added provisions on sentencing reform that have passed out of the Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan basis. prgtoken Senators on both sides of the aisle agree that our criminal justice system is broken and badly needs repair. prgtoken In my own State of Maryland, we know the importance of criminal justice reform after the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore Police Department custody in 2015. Baltimore is a good example of the necessary Federal and State partnership we need in order to reform the criminal justice system. When I am talking about the criminal justice system, I am not only talking about the so-called back end of the system, which involves sentencing, corrections, and release from prison. I am talking about the ``front end'' of the system, which involves relations between the community and police and often the first interaction between our citizens and law enforcement. prgtoken In Baltimore, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated a Federal ``pattern or practice'' inquiry at the request of the city of Baltimore and the Federal congressional delegation. This investigation led to a comprehensive report finding a pattern and practice of unconstitutional arrests and policing in Baltimore that disproportionately affected minority residents, particularly the African-American residents of Baltimore. prgtoken Baltimore City and the Justice Department ultimately agreed to a consent decree and are now under supervision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. This will entail a multiyear process of overhauling the police department to finally give the citizens of Baltimore the police department they deserve, using the ``guardian'' and not the ``warrior'' model, as recommended by President 's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. prgtoken This fall I visited the headquarters of the Baltimore Ravens in Owings Mills, MD, in Baltimore County. I am a Baltimore resident and live in Baltimore County and, of course, am a proud Ravens fan. On that day, I had come to discuss criminal justice reform. I wanted to hear directly from the Ravens players about their insights into the criminal justice system, and they shared their stories involving their friends and family with me. prgtoken I am pleased that several Ravens players and team executives wrote a letter earlier this week to Senator McConnell asking him to bring this critical legislation to the floor. The letter reads: ``The undersigned players and executives of the Baltimore Ravens write to voice our support for the First Step Act, a bill which has the potential to bring transformative and much needed change to our criminal justice system. Criminal jus
CLOTURE MOTION
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-12-5

I am here today to express my extremely grave concerns about the person we have just begun to move to a vote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He would be Commissioner McNamee if we were to confirm him. This is in an administration that has distinguished itself with terrible energy appointments--conceivably the worst. It is too important to our country to have an independent and reality-based Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to allow an industry plant like Mr. McNamee--who will never be independent, who will always have his thumb on the scale for the vested interests--get onto the Federal Regulatory Commission. prgtoken In addition to the bad decisions he will make because he will be trying to throw decisions for the fossil fuel industry, he will also create an enormous amount of litigation because people who come before a Federal administrative agency are entitled to an honest look at their claims, and if the regulatory agency is incapable of giving them that honest look, that is grounds for appeal. prgtoken McNamee is a walking failure of any honest look at any question in which the fossil fuel industry--and specifically the coal industry--has an interest. Sadly, his position isn't just a question of a personal failing; he comes out of a system, and I am going to take some time to describe the system he comes out of. prgtoken No one less than our late friend Senator John McCain was once asked in an interview: Why has it taken so long for Congress to address climate change? Katie Couric was the interviewer. She asked: Why has it taken so long, Senator? prgtoken Here was John McCain's answer: Special interests. It is the special interests. It is the utility companies and the petroleum companies and other special interests. They are the ones that have blocked progress in the Congress of the United States and the administration. That is a little straight talk. prgtoken The way these industries work is kind of interesting. They figured out pretty early on that if they are a big power company or a big coal company or any big fossil fuel polluter and they come forward into a debate and make their argument as ExxonMobil, as Koch Industries, as Murray coal, people will immediately discount what they are saying because people will understand that the companies have a massive conflict of interest, that they have the massive conflict of interest of wishing to continue to pollute for free. So they have set up this whole array of front groups to disguise that it is truly the fossil fuel industry whose hands are pulling our strings. prgtoken We came to the floor some time ago--a considerable number of the ic Senators--to point out this coordinated, phony, false-front, fossil-fuel-funded operation, and we made the phony front group so mad that they actually sent a letter disputing that they were a coordinated group of phony fronts by putting all thei
Remembering George H.W. Bush (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-12-5

this morning, the life and career of the 41st President of the United States was celebrated at the National Cathedral. Friends, family, former leaders of our country, and leaders from around the world gathered to pay tribute to a life spent in joyful service to our country and unfailing dedication to his family. I was there. It was a very moving and wonderful ceremony. prgtoken The Senate now joins the rest of the country in mourning President George Herbert Walker .
CLOTURE MOTION
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-12-5

I rise today to speak about a very special child, whose photo you see here on my left. Her name was Scarlett. Scarlett and her mother Stephanie are the people whom I will mostly talk about tonight. prgtoken Stephanie was a former staffer in my Senate office, and Scarlett was, as you can tell from the photograph, a ray of sunshine for her parents, Stephanie and Ryan, and also for her extended family and for her many friends. That is how they describe Scarlett. She was their sunshine. prgtoken Tragically, Scarlett passed away on January 8, 2017, at just 16 months old. Scarlett's mom Stephanie said the following about her daughter: Our little Scarlett lived up to her name. She was a little spitfire, strong and determined. She took in the world around her with such wonder. Her favorite things were books, blueberries, and our pets. Her favorite song was ``You Are My Sunshine.'' She was our sunshine. We lived and breathed for her, but shortly after midnight, very early on Sunday, January 8, all that ended. It didn't just end; it was shattered. Every shred of happiness we had and any semblance of the lives we knew before was demolished shortly after I entered her room to check on her that night. prgtoken That is what Scarlett's mom, Stephanie, said in that horrific moment. prgtoken In the time since Scarlett's death, as I and my current and former staff members who know Stephanie can attest, Stephanie and Ryan have been consumed--consumed--by the loss of their little girl. They did what any grieving parent would do. They sought answers about what caused Scarlett's death. Sadly, despite an autopsy and genetic testing, the only answer they got was that her death was ``unexplained''-- unexplained. They still don't know what caused her death. prgtoken Stephanie and Ryan have endured so much pain--first, of course, because of their grief over losing Scarlett and, second, because they still don't know what caused her death. prgtoken That means that Scarlett's death falls in the category known as sudden unexplained death in childhood, known by the acronym SUDC. Many people have never heard of sudden unexplained death in childhood, but it is estimated to be the fifth-leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 and 4 years old. prgtoken We are not doing enough to learn why these children are dying, and it is time that we take action. prgtoken Sudden unexplained death in childhood too often has been ignored. Of course, the acronyms can be very confusing. Many of us are already familiar with SIDS--s-i-d-s--or sudden infant death syndrome. After the ``back to sleep'' campaigns of the 1990s that taught parents how to put their babies to sleep safely on their backs, we learned a lot more about that category as well. prgtoken SIDS is part of a broader category of sudden unexpected infant death as opposed to unexplained. Unexpected is the broader category.
CLOTURE MOTION
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-12-5

I am here to talk for a few minutes about Major House and the work he has done in our office. We have benefited for the last several years from a military detailee being on the Intelligence Committee and on the Defense Appropriations Committee and having significant military installations in our State, as many of us do, but we certainly have those in Missouri. It has been valuable having MAJ Aaron House with them. prgtoken Major House has been a great resource on a number of important national security issues in our office. The knowledge and experience he has gained as a U.S. Army Reserve officer have helped inform our discussions on defense issues critical to Missouri and critical to the country. prgtoken Aaron was born in Plattsburgh, NY, on the shores of Lake Champlain. He joined the Army in 2001. He first served as an enlisted soldier for 3 years and then as a commissioned officer after that. He has served in both the Engineer Corps and the Finance Corps. He deployed to Iraq, where he conducted rapid crater repair, route clearance, and construction operations. His most recent assignment before joining our office was with the joint staff working as an analyst for the Office of the Comptroller in Defense. prgtoken He is extremely well educated and holds a bachelor of science in manufacturing management from Clarkson University in New York, a master of science in human relations and business from Amberton University in Texas, and he has both a master of business administration and a master of public administration from Syracuse University in New York. prgtoken He comes with all of that background. Combining that with his background in finance, he has been critically important to us as we move through a number of important projects this year. He has been able to devote a lot of time to gathering and analyzing data on historical military construction projects as we move forward on those projects. prgtoken He has provided knowledgeable recommendations on a host of foreign policy issues as well. He was very involved in the last year in Colombia, where Senator Cardin and I cochaired an effort with the Atlantic Council to look at moving Peace Colombia to Plan Colombia and then looking at that again now that the Colombian Government has changed. We have looked at some things that involved Australia and China and Russia, just to name a few of the areas where Major House has been helpful in our office. prgtoken On veterans issues, he has been helpful as we try to connect veterans with the resources they need and the benefits they have every right to have, but they sometimes have a hard time accessing those benefits. prgtoken Having him in the office has been an asset. It has been a pleasure for me and our entire staff. I certainly wish him all the best in the next chapter of his military career. prgtoken He and his wife Mindy have three daughters. They have a newborn son. So even in that year he was with
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-12-5

I want to take a moment to honor an American hero and a fellow Louisianan. In just a few days, Charles Davis, from Toledo Bend Lake, LA, will celebrate his 93rd birthday. Charles is a World War II veteran who gave many years of his life in the service of his country. prgtoken Charles Davis was 16 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed. Like many Americans, the attack on Pearl Harbor led Davis to serve his country by enlisting in the Navy. While just a teenager, his service in the military took him around the globe, fighting for the country he loves. prgtoken During his time in the war, Charles served on a ship that was bombed while out at sea. He spent 37 hours adrift alongside 1,200 soldiers, with nothing to keep them alive other than their life vests. Charles thought he was going to die that day, but after 37 hours in the ocean, he was rescued. Nearly 300 of the men in the water with him did not make it. Among the men who died that day was another American hero, Charles's brother, Albert Anthony Davis. prgtoken Charles served in the military for 8 years and after the war returned to Louisiana to serve as a firefighter. As Charles celebrates his 93rd birthday, I want to honor his life and dedication to his country. He risked his life in service to his country and lost a brother and many comrades during the war. prgtoken Mr. Davis, we are grateful for your service, and I would like to wish you a very happy birthday and many blessings in the years to come.