mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS
Gary J. Palmer (Republican, AL) \u2014 2018-12-19

today I rise to call upon this body to fulfill its duty to protect the American people. prgtoken Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to claim that strengthening border security is about separating families or preventing them from immigrating to the U.S. In reality, it is about protecting the American people by stopping the flow of dangerous individuals across the southern border. prgtoken Department of Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen has confirmed that ISIS has produced written materials that encourage ISIS followers to cross our Southwest border, given the loopholes that they are also aware of, and that, on average, her department now blocks 10 known or suspected terrorists a day from traveling to or attempting to enter the United States. prgtoken The four individuals shown here, one of whom had been previously identified and flagged for insurgency/terrorism, were stopped in Panama while trying to make their way to the U.S. Thanks to a fortunate tip and coordination between U.S. and Panamanian law enforcement, these individuals were stopped. prgtoken This should be alarming to every American, especially concerning the dangerous individuals we may have missed and will continue to miss due to our lack of robust border security. prgtoken I am proud of the job our Border Patrol and law enforcement officers are doing to protect their country, and I urge my colleagues to do our duty to protect the American people from dangerous individuals by taking border security seriously and fully funding the President's proposal for border security.
PUBLIC LANDS PACKAGE
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-12-19

I want to share some comments on what we saw happen here tonight as it relates to the public lands package. We saw a glimpse here tonight of, on the one hand, how this institution can really come together--years of bipartisan work, years of collaboration on the ground back in our respective States--and come together to put together a lands package and ask for a simple up-or- down vote tonight in the Senate. prgtoken I am very confident that had we had the opportunity to have voted here tonight, you would have seen this lands package pass the Senate by at least a 2-to-1 margin. It would have gone to the House, and it would have passed. It would have gone to President 's desk, and I am confident he would have signed it. prgtoken We have been fighting for permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund because of what happened right here tonight-- the uncertainty of this institution, where 98 Senators can say ``Let's move ahead for a vote''; 2 Senators say no, and we weren't able to have a vote tonight. prgtoken It is OK to oppose legislation. That is the American process--for each of us to come down here and express our respective opinions. Some will say yes; some will say no. What we were asking for here tonight is to have that debate on the floor. Let's have that vote on the floor, and let the Senators respectively speak on behalf of the people who sent them here in the first place to represent their interests. prgtoken The Land and Water Conservation Fund--the reason we need to permanently reauthorize it is that tonight you could see that we didn't get it done. In fact, it expired on September 30, and here we are, halfway through December, and we still do not have the reauthorization of LWCF. That is why we need to make it permanent; you can't depend on this institution. prgtoken So often, for the transaction required back in our home States, where we use LWCF funds to access our public lands with a checkerboard-nature ownership structure of many, many places out West, it takes years to put together these deals--private landowners, the State, the Federal Government coming together. When the Federal Government--the U.S. Congress--can't get its job done, it creates uncertainty. Consequently, who loses when there is uncertainty? The American people lose. prgtoken That is why we need to permanently reauthorize it. It actually creates more certainty in taking care of a lot of these complex land issues out West, and it saves taxpayers' dollars. prgtoken By the way, as Senator Burr has said over and over again, LWCF doesn't cost the taxpayer anything. It doesn't cost the taxpayer anything. prgtoken That was in this bill tonight to permanently reauthorize it. It didn't get done. prgtoken As you read through the titles of these various bills, you hear the stories. There may be what looks like one little line item here in section 1009, S. 1219. There is some little obscure title that a g
BUILDING OUR LARGEST DEMENTIA INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALZHEIMER'S ACT
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2018-12-19

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of S. 2076, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. prgtoken I would like to thank Representative Brett Guthrie from Kentucky for his work to bring this bill to the House floor and for his terrific partnership as a member and real leader on our Energy and Commerce Committee. prgtoken Now, the BOLD Act is another bipartisan bill. It will enhance our Nation's public health infrastructure. It will improve lives for patients. prgtoken More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's. It is the most expensive disease in our country. It costs our health system hundreds of billions of dollars each and every year, and those numbers are only going up. prgtoken This legislation before us now will help us address those trends by establishing centers of excellence to improve coordination of care with local prgtoken public health departments for patients in our communities. These centers will increase data collection, analysis, and timely reporting to better inform researchers and policymakers across the country. prgtoken For patients and their families, early intervention and coordination of care provided at these centers can make the burden of Alzheimer's just a little bit lighter. prgtoken I have heard about the importance of the bill from Marya in Medford, who, in 2012, became one of the 180,000 Oregonians who serve as unpaid Alzheimer's caregivers for a loved one. In her case, that loved one was her father. prgtoken When her father was diagnosed, she was faced with not only a daunting system and difficult choices to make without information, but also an unexpected cost of care of $342,000, on average. prgtoken According to Marya, if passed, the BOLD Act would ensure States such as Oregon have the resources necessary to support earlier detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer's and help healthcare givers like her to grapple with this devastating disease. prgtoken , on behalf of patients and their families across our Nation, I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this important legislation as well. prgtoken , .
HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-12-19

I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for yielding. prgtoken , a study came out earlier this year that said the opioid epidemic today is deadlier than the Vietnam war in 1968. That study found that opioids had cost our country more than 1.7 million years of life. Those are moments of joy, family, and community that are lost irrevocably. And as we move into the Christmas season, it is worth thinking about the millions of American families dealing with addiction and overdose tragedies. prgtoken We have done a great deal in Congress to try to fight the epidemic, from beefing up grants, to tougher law enforcement, to fixing the pain medication guidelines, to cracking down on bad actors in the pharmaceutical industry. But we have not addressed the immigration issue, which is central to the crisis. prgtoken The book, ``Dreamland,'' written by veteran L.A. Times Reporter Sam Quinones, provides one of the most definitive accounts of how we got to this grim place we are today. It details how Mexican nationals south of Arizona pioneered a new model of drug distribution, decentralized and customer centric, that successfully flooded our towns and cities with black tar heroin just as the availability of prescription opioids was ebbing. prgtoken Our porous border was the lynchpin of that model in two ways: prgtoken One, it allowed traffickers to be caught by police, to be deported, and to reenter the country, ensuring an unbroken stream of illegal labor for trafficking organizations; prgtoken Two, it allowed drug dealers to display their ill-gotten gains at home in Mexico, gaining status in their towns by poisoning our people. prgtoken That is above and beyond the simple fact that an insecure border allows massive amounts of drugs to be smuggled into our country. prgtoken Make no mistake, we are under chemical attack. Fentanyl is so potent that even a small amount, the equivalent of a few grains of salt, can be lethal. Earlier this year, police seized enough fentanyl to kill 26 million Americans. prgtoken Securing the border is a matter of life and death. We have got to build the wall. This amendment that we are talking about here would provide the $5 billion that the President has asked for and ensures that he has the legal authority he needs to get it done. prgtoken Let's back the President and the American people here in the House today and put the wall money in the funding bill. It is not going to happen under Nancy Pelosi, that much is certain. Now is the time. This is the bill, and this is the body, and we are at the right place. The American people can't afford any more delay.
STRENGTHENING AND ENHANCING CYBER-CAPABILITIES BY UTILIZING RISK EXPOSURE TECHNOLOGY ACT
Will Hurd (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-12-19

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the SECURE Technology Act. This is a bill that I introduced with the majority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and Representatives Ratcliffe, Lieu, Vela, and Langevin. prgtoken This bill includes two bipartisan proposals to strengthen Homeland Security. First, it requires a vulnerability disclosure policy and establishes a bug bounty program at the Department of Homeland Security. Second, it establishes requirements for supply chain security in products purchased by the Federal Government. prgtoken Title I of the bill incorporates H.R. 6735, which is the Public- Private Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, which was introduced by Leader McCarthy and passed by a voice vote by this House in September. It is cosponsored by myself and Representatives Ratcliffe, Langevin, and Khanna. prgtoken Senator Portman introduced the Senate companion to this bill, S. 3707, with Senator Hassan. prgtoken This title seeks to protect the information systems of the Department of Homeland Security by establishing a program to report security vulnerabilities discovered on these systems. This program allows DHS to learn about security risks from private-sector experts and requires DHS to fix these at-risk systems. prgtoken DHS operates many of the systems and services other agencies use to protect their networks, so DHS should set the example for securing its own information systems. prgtoken Title I also includes S. 1281, the Hack the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2018, which was introduced by Senator Hassan with Senators Portman, McCaskill, , and Gardner. prgtoken Representative Lieu introduced the House companion to this bill, H.R. 2774, with Representative Taylor. It is cosponsored by Representatives Meehan, Khanna, Jayapal, Kilmer, Kelly, and Evans. The bill authorizes DHS to create a bug bounty pilot program to compensate people who report security vulnerabilities to DHS. prgtoken Bug bounties are widely seen as an effective and inexpensive way to identify vulnerabilities in IT systems. prgtoken Title II of this bill incorporates S. 3085, the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, which was introduced by Senator McCaskill and cosponsored by Senators Lankford and Johnson. prgtoken This bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent last night. This title helps ensure the integrity of information technology and communications equipment purchased by the Federal Government by addressing supply chain risks that are government-wide. prgtoken The bill sets up an interagency council to identify products that pose unacceptable risk to these systems and to set policy on information sharing and risk mitigation in Federal IT systems. prgtoken The bill recognizes the need to move away from an ad hoc approach to dealing with unacceptable products offered to the Federal Government by companies such as Kaspersky, ZTE, and Huawei. It also authorizes exclusion
LIVER TRANSPLANT POLICY
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-12-19

I am here to speak tonight because something is not right. I want to express my real concern with the recent decision of the national liver allocation policy made by the Organ Procurement Transplant Network made on December 4. prgtoken This sounds like something that is far away and perhaps of no real consequence, but the decision that was made has huge consequences on every American and should be receiving more attention than it has to date because the number of organs that are available for transplant and where those organs will be available is being determined by this small group of people. prgtoken The decision they made throws aside expert advice from transplant surgeons and hospitals on best practices. It also carries the risk of decreasing organ donation rates, as donors learn their organs will not be used in their own communities but will be shipped someplace in the country. Places in the country today have donor programs designed to encourage donors to donate their organs, and part of that is the understanding that those organs are going to be available for your family, your friends and neighbors, and people within your community. prgtoken This decision limits the availability and access to donated organs in areas that currently have low wait times and damages the ability of our major transplant hospitals to perform these services for patients. In December of 2017, following two rounds of public comment period and extensive deliberation by the OPTN board, that board approved a compromise allocation policy that served the transplant community's best interests. This served as a policy reform that was worked out over years to better benefit the entire country based upon compromise by transplant experts, patients, and stakeholders. prgtoken However, the next year in 2018, a lawsuit was filed based upon the HRSA allocation policies, and in the face of that single voice of criticism, they disregarded years of work and compromise that was reached the year before. It is unfortunate that the basis for this policy change was litigation, not a determination of how best to improve the Nation's organ transplant, procurement, and allocation process. HRSA has rushed to respond to this lawsuit by abdicating their duty to implement good policy, instead allowing a single case to divert liver allocation policy across the entire United States. prgtoken In October, I had a meeting with Dr. George Sigounas, the Administrator of HRSA. He described to me the importance of the comment period on these policies and how seriously his Agency would take them, especially considering that they were the very institutions and doctors who would go on to perform these transplants. prgtoken Shortly thereafter, I was disappointed to learn these comments were not comments made by the public, by these institutions, the doctors who perform transplants--that these comments were not even considered by the individuals tasked with
PRESIDENT MOON IS GOING SOFT ON LITTLE KIM
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-12-19

it's been a year since North Korea tested a nuclear-capable ballistic missile. After successive years of increasing missile and nuclear weapon testing, the fact that none occurred in 2018 is remarkable progress. Even more so when we recall that talk of imminent war on the Korean Peninsula was echoing throughout the media just a year ago. This retreat from the nuclear brink would not be possible without President 's bold diplomatic efforts. However, with negotiations to achieve verifiable denuclearization still ongoing, the maximum pressure campaign that brought Kim Jong-Un to the table must continue. Unfortunately, it appears at risk due to South Korea's dovish president. prgtoken The current talks with North Korea are a game of nuclear chicken. President 's approach ties intense international sanctions with diplomatic engagement that, if successful, provide the North Korean regime an economic life-line if it commits to irreversible dismantlement of its nuclear weapons program. But success hinges on comprehensive sanctions remaining in place until Kim Jong-Un formally makes that pledge and demonstrates verifiable steps towards denuclearization. Until now, Kim has only agreed to further talks and taken minor steps to show good faith, such as halting weapon tests, closing the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, and releasing American hostages. While encouraging, negotiations continue with the hope of achieving more substantive action, including a declared inventory of its full nuclear program. Here, intelligence reports seem to indicate that the North's nuclear and missile programs may actually be continuing to develop in secret. prgtoken President , therefore, has kept sanctions in place as negotiations continue. Withdrawing some sanctions too early would disincentivize the regime from agreeing to complete dismantlement--a mistake that was made in past negotiations. The President has also permitted talks to continue so long as the North Koreans engage in constructive dialogue. In August, when Kim's regime appeared to be stalling, he canceled a planned meeting between the regime and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. This action sent a clear signal that we won't be gamed and that the regime risks losing its only opportunity towards having sanctions removed. Negotiations have since resumed, with the North agreeing in October to allow inspectors to visit the Punggye- ri nuclear site. Conditioning talks and standing firm on sanctions ultimately is the only way this process will work. Kim, on the other hand likely believes that he can wait-out the negotiations by alternating between stalling and piecemeal concessions until the U.S. and its allies tire or agree to a softer deal that removes sanctions. The regime will then quietly cheat, as they have before. prgtoken This time, however, it appears that South Korea's President Moon Jae- in will be the first to blink. In October--just a week after negotiat
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 299
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-12-19

reserving the right to object, my apologies to those on the floor who wish to speak. We have spoken a couple of times about this on the floor. I want to do it one more time. prgtoken I appreciate the motion by the gentleman who had been my ranking member on the committee for 2 years before this current session of the Senate. The blue water Navy has been an issue that has been controversial. It has almost been passed a few times, and it has been defeated a number of times. prgtoken Our veterans, today, who served in Vietnam and who have ended up contracting cancer--non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and things like that--do not have the luxury of presumption of cause on their service in Vietnam unless they served on the land. If they served on the land in the battlefield, they get the benefit, but if they served at sea, where most of this napalm and all of the other agents were delivered--on those ships--they don't have that benefit. prgtoken The VA bifurcated a benefit of healthcare to our veterans--many of whom contracted cancer and many of whom have died--and said: If you are on the land, you get it. If you are on the sea, we will not let you have it. prgtoken It is the wrong thing to do. No veteran who served on the land is more important or less important than the one who served at sea. We have a chance to do this, and we ought to do it. I am going to vote in favor of adopting the motion by the gentleman from Connecticut. prgtoken Let me just say one other thing. There is a letter floating around about the cost of this and about the cost estimates we had. We got a new cost estimate yesterday after our having spent years in the committee trying to get a better cost estimate. We got one yesterday that was higher than the day before. I don't know what its credibility is. I am not going to cast aspersions on the credibility of the CBS. Obviously, nothing should surpass a promise we have made for healthcare coverage to our veterans that they are not getting. That is what we owe to them, and I hope everybody will vote to support the blue water Navy benefit with regard to the motion by the Senator from Connecticut. prgtoken .
HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-12-19

I thank the chairman for recognizing me tonight. prgtoken , we know our immigration system is broken and desperately in need of reform. No sovereign country in the world is scrutinized the way America is just for simply wanting to secure our borders. prgtoken For decades, the United States has taken in millions of immigrants. In fact, that number is about a million per year, and that is something we are going to continue to do. prgtoken Immigrants, historically, have been a major asset to the growth and prosperity of our country. However, the issue before America is not legal immigration but illegal immigration. prgtoken It is interesting to me that, throughout the years, have supported securing our borders. In 2006, the Secure Fence Act was signed into law by President authorizing 700 miles of border fence and $50 billion in total maintenance. That is a far stretch from the small $5 billion, in comparison, that President is asking for today. prgtoken We should remember that the Secure Fence Act passed through Congress with bold and broad support. prgtoken So in 2013, we should also remember that Senator Schumer himself sponsored a bill that invested $46 billion in border security improvements that added 700 miles of border fencing. That is $41 billion more than what President is currently asking for. prgtoken So what changed, , between now and then? Simply, politics. Politics is the only thing that has changed. But, to me, securing our country's borders and making sure people feel safe should be above politics. prgtoken Our ICE agents and Border Patrol need the necessary resources to do their jobs effectively and with confidence. It is hard to plug a leak when you are working with the wrong tools. The solution is simply to shut off the water at the source. prgtoken In closing, I would pose these questions to my friends across the aisle: If now is not the time to secure our border, then when is? If not today, then when? And where do we go from here? prgtoken If we can't come together to solve a problem that both s and know exists, I worry that our tribal political environment will hold the security of American citizens hostage for years to come. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to turn back the clock and remember a time when putting the country first was more important than putting the party first. prgtoken , I thank the chairman for his friendship and for his time.