mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-7-18

. Mr. Chair, in rising to support my colleague, Mr. Denham, on this amendment, I note that the California State Water Board is contemplating their next water grab, and how disconnected from reality these regulators are. prgtoken In the latest plan, they want to take 40 percent of the flows from San Joaquin. Concurrently, they have a pending proposal to also increase the volume of flows from the Sacramento River, in my region, that washes out to the ocean, all under the guise, the failing guise of protecting fish. They are contemplating 45 to 65 percent of unimpeded flow. prgtoken We already know that when it comes to protectin people or fish, Sacramento always decides to choose the latter. This plan defies even basic common sense or fairness. prgtoken Instead, it relies on questionable science to impose arbitrary restrictions, with no solutions to address the loss of habitat for native species, or even the predators in the delta, which we already know to be a major threat to the fish population. Up to 90 percent of the affected species are devoured by these predator fish. prgtoken It offers no recourse for the devastating impact it will have on jobs and local economies. prgtoken I would like to remind the regulators, California voters overwhelmingly supported the effort to direct $2.7 billion for water storage projects, recognizing the need to invest in infrastructure such as Sites Reservoir. prgtoken If that project already existed, the reservoir would be nearly full right now, providing enough water to serve 3.6 million Californians for an entire year, and relieve the stress on the Sacramento and Central Valley water systems. prgtoken Mr. Chair, we need some common sense. I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Denham's amendment.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-7-18

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in support of the amendment. It would prohibit funds from being used to advance guidance or make rules that rely on -era social cost of carbon guidance. prgtoken I have heard from folks in Montana who cannot get a permit to expand a coal mine because they didn't account for the carbon released by the trains that would carry the coal. I have heard of the difficulties of building railroad bridges because they might allow more coal to be transported. prgtoken We must stop relying on metrics that were designed by the keep-it-in- the-ground crowd. Similar language passed, on a bipartisan vote, here in the House last September. I urge adoption of the amendment.
Commemorating the Negro National League (Executive Calendar)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-7-18

. I think that is an important part of the history. prgtoken There were a couple of players there last night who had played in the league, and of course there are fewer of those players all the time. I have had a chance, as you have had, to meet and talk to them over the years--to talk about the excitement of that kind of baseball and their ability to entertain both with their sportsmanship as well as just with their talent as sportsmen. prgtoken I think it was a great league, and it is a great story. I don't know if the Senator has had a chance to go to the museum in Kansas City, but as a guy who knew those players and appreciates what that league was all about, I would certainly love to go there with the Senator sometime.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-7-18

are we or are we not a sovereign Nation? I think that most people would agree that we are, and, as such, we don't take issue with the Congress, with the administration doing its job to keep our air clean and to make treaties and provisions with other nations. prgtoken But what we do take issue with is other nations working with, potentially, this administration, any administration, that comes up with an agreement not ratified by the American people, not ratified by this body or the body on the other side of the Capitol to encroach upon the constitutional rights of States to regulate their own environmental emissions, as provided. prgtoken So it is not a question of whether we think that the climate isn't changing, man has something to do with it, or whether it should be regulated or how it should be regulated. It is a question of the authority vested in the Constitution, in these bodies, and the ones that are not. prgtoken It is not the place of unelected bureaucrats or individuals to make an agreement with some other nation, then to impose itself on the States individually. That is all we are saying here. It has passed on numerous occasions because it is good. prgtoken The President got us out of the Paris climate agreement, but that doesn't mean that some other administration in the future might make another agreement that, yet again, the American people had no part in; neither did this body. So this just ensures that if that is the case, we have the protection that this body should provide. prgtoken , .
Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-7-18

it has been a little more than a week since President announced his nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the impending retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy. In that short period of time, we have seen some of our friends across the aisle run through an almost impressive set of rhetorical calisthenics in an attempt to tank Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation before it even had a chance to begin. ``He will overturn this case or this law,'' they claim. ``He will not be a check on the President,'' they have tried to say. They have even suggested that he charged too much for baseball season tickets on his credit card--horror of horrors. Multiple fact-checkers have debunked each of these claims, so they have moved on. prgtoken More recently, we have heard from some of our ic colleagues that they want to review every single piece of paper--every email, every memo, every document that has passed across Brett Kavanaugh's desk at any point in his career. prgtoken Reviewing relevant and important documents is a perfectly normal part of confirming a judicial nominee, but using that as an excuse to delay, foot-drag, and obstruct is not acceptable. We know that the effort to get every memo from the White House during the time he served as Staff Secretary there is really laughable and is only a fishing expedition designed to delay his confirmation until after the Supreme Court begins its work the first Monday in October. prgtoken For example, as Staff Secretary, he would have had the responsibility to basically manage the paper flow across the President's desk. These aren't just documents that he, himself, has generated. In fact, I suspect that with the overwhelming majority of them, he would have had nothing to do with creating them. He wouldn't be the author. He wouldn't be making policy recommendations. Basically, he would have navigated all of the documents that went across the President's desk to make sure that they had been reviewed by the appropriate person and that they would have been checked for accuracy. The ideas that every single piece of paper that went across President 's desk should be somehow relevant and that we should delay confirmation until we have all had a chance to read it are ridiculous. Is what President had for dinner 14 years ago relevant to Judge Kavanaugh's fitness to serve on the Supreme Court? Obviously not. prgtoken Just as, in 2010, the committee quickly processed Justice Kagan, who spent many years in the Clinton White House, I am confident we can expeditiously and efficiently review Judge Kavanaugh's relevant background materials to make sure the vote on his confirmation occurs before the Supreme Court reconvenes in October. prgtoken Under Chairman Grassley's leadership, the Judiciary Committee will work to produce as many documents as are relevant and possible so that every Senator can do th
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-7-18

. Madam Chair, I would like to thank Chairman Calvert for his great work on this bill, and my colleague Mr. Olson for his support of this amendment. prgtoken My amendment would simply reduce the National Recreation and Preservation account by $20 million, and then increase it by the same amount with the intent of using these funds to increase the budget of the National Maritime Heritage grant program. prgtoken This program provides federal funding for local and state operated maritime educational exhibits and preservation projects. prgtoken The United States has a rich history of maritime excellence that has played an important role in the U.S. becoming the powerful nation that it is today. prgtoken It is important that we preserve these great ships rather than let them fall into disrepair. prgtoken It is an insult to their legacy to let them sink rather than help them stay afloat. prgtoken For example, right outside my district back in Texas floats the Battleship Texas, the last great dreadnought. prgtoken But maybe not for long. prgtoken Growing up, I always looked forward to visiting the Battleship. prgtoken My best friend and I would climb from top to bottom, firing every gun and squeezing down every port hole. prgtoken When commissioned in 1914 she was the most powerful war ship the world had ever seen. prgtoken She was the first of her kind to mount anti-aircraft guns, use commercial radar, and launch an aircraft. prgtoken As the flagship of the U.S. fleet, she battered the Nazi defenses during the D-Day invasion at Normandy and also helped the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. prgtoken Then, at the end of the war, she made three trips to bring American servicemen back home. prgtoken Today, she serves as a museum and a reminder of wars long past. prgtoken Nearly 70 years after school children used nickels and dimes to pay for her move to her namesake state, here she still floats, but maybe not for long. prgtoken The Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife has jurisdiction of the battle wagon, but state funding has been sporadic and federal funding non-existent. prgtoken That is where this amendment comes into play. prgtoken We owe it to the Texans who served to save the Battleship Texas. prgtoken This battleship, like so many battlefields and sacred, historical landmarks across our country, is consecrated with the blood of Americans. prgtoken Without the Texas, things might have gone a little bit differently for us at D-Day or in the Pacific Theater. prgtoken And that's just the way it is.
PAYING TRIBUTE TO DR. MACK MORRIS ON 50 YEARS OF MINISTRY
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2018-7-18

I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Mack Morris on his 50 years of ministry. Dr. Mack Morris currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Woodridge Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. prgtoken Dr. Morris, a native of Dothan, Alabama, has faithfully served the Lord, our local community, the people of Alabama, and beyond for over half a century. Dr. Morris felt the call of the Lord and surrendered to the ministry at Maple Avenue Baptist Church in Geneva, Alabama in 1967. He was licensed to preach at the White House Baptist Church in Bay Minette, Alabama in 1968. prgtoken Within his period of dedicated service, Dr. Morris was called and served faithfully at all the following churches in Alabama: White House Baptist, Bethel Baptist, Tillman's Corner Baptist, Heritage Baptist, Old Spanish Fort Baptist, Jubilee Baptist, and Woodridge Baptist. Dr. Morris has been a supportive, faithful, and loyal advocate for his community throughout his ministry. prgtoken Dr. Morris has served on the Alabama State Board of Missions and Executive Board of the Alabama Baptist State Convention, as Moderator of the Mobile Baptist Association, as the first president of the Board of Regents at the University of Mobile, and as a trustee at the University of Mobile for eleven years. prgtoken During his 50 years of ministry, Dr. Morris has spread the Word of the Lord and His Saving Grace by officiating over 165 weddings, conducting over 547 funerals, and has seen the salvation and baptism of over 2,500 men, women, and children. prgtoken On behalf of Alabama's First Congressional District and the countless people his ministry has impacted, I want to recognize and share my deep gratitude with Dr. Mack Morris for his tireless service to our community.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Lee M. Zeldin (Republican, NY) \u2014 2018-7-18

I rise today in support of my important bipartisan amendment to halt the sale and marketing of Plum Island, New York, by the General Services Administration. prgtoken Situated at the gateway of the Long Island Sound, Plum Island is a treasure for our local community in both New York and Connecticut. As a critical resource for research, approximately 90 percent of the land on Plum Island has been sheltered from development, protecting the diverse ecosystem of Long Island Sound and critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants. With recorded history dating back to the 1700s, Plum Island is also an essential cultural and historical resource. prgtoken Since World War II, Plum Island has been utilized as a resource laboratory. The facility, which has been under Federal jurisdiction since 1899, has since grown to become what is known today as the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. prgtoken In 2005, the Department of Homeland Security, which currently has jurisdiction over the island, announced that the Animal Disease Center would be moved to a new Federal facility in Kansas. To offset the cost of this relocation, a law was enacted in 2008 that called for the private sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder. prgtoken The traditional interagency consultation process regarding the disposal of Federal property was bypassed, fast-tracking the potential sale of this island without consulting the local community or other Federal agencies. This statutory mandate was also based on a false assumption that a sale could offset the cost of the new facility, when the true value of the island, including cleanup costs, still are not clear. prgtoken The town of Southold, New York, has local jurisdiction over the island and has passed ordinances preventing any private development. This factor, coupled with the significant cleanup and environmental mitigation costs associated with closing this facility, gives Plum Island little to no commercial value. prgtoken Furthermore, according to a DHS report issued in April of 2016, the new site in Manhattan, Kansas, is already fully paid for through a combination of Federal appropriations and State funding. prgtoken Allowing for continued research, public access, and permanent preservation of the island is a priority shared by elected officials, conservation groups, and local residents on both sides of the sound. prgtoken The GSA must stop advancing the sale of this island and stop wasting taxpayer money on retaining expensive real estate firms in violation of the will of the people and in spite of pending litigation over this proposed sale. prgtoken This amendment allows Congress to use the power of the purse to stop the GSA from marketing or selling the island while we continue the fight for a permanent solution that will preserve the island for conservation and education. prgtoken , this amendment passed the House on a bipartisan vote in 2016
NATO (Executive Calendar)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-7-18

thank you. prgtoken Last week at the NATO summit in Brussels, the leaders of all 29 member states, including the United States with President , signed a declaration reaffirming the purpose of the alliance--collective defense and the importance of article 5, which regards being attacked against one ally as an attack against all others. prgtoken There may be a growing sense here in the United States that NATO is no longer useful to our interests and that it is a burden that is not worth the cost. prgtoken I recently traveled to Moscow, Oslo, and Helsinki with members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, many of us on the Subcommittee on Defense. We had meetings with U.S. Embassy officials, our Ambassadors, and foreign government officials--people within the ministries of foreign affairs, ministries of defense, and with legislative leaders in that region. prgtoken At my meetings in Moscow, we worked to begin a dialogue with Russian counterparts. Everything I heard in those meetings reinforces my belief that Russia remains a threat to European stability and that a united NATO is essential to countering the threat and preserving American peace and prosperity. prgtoken Two wars in Europe last century resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of American lives who fought the forces of tyranny. To prevent a third war against this Communist menace, Western European powers, still weakened by World War II, formed an alliance with America and Canada to deter the Soviet Union's massive conventional forces from invading beyond what became the eastern bloc. prgtoken Not only did NATO successfully deter the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991--and in my view, NATO contributed to the Soviet Union collapse in a significant way--but in that process, America's commitment to European security allowed these allies to recover from the war economically, strengthened democratic governance, and enabled them to stop fearing one another. prgtoken We would be naive to believe that threats critical to North Atlantic security have faded along with the Soviet Union. Indeed, my recent interactions in Europe confirmed that Russia remains a revisionist power intent on continuing Russia's disruptive activities in Europe, the Middle East, and here at home in the United States. prgtoken In every meeting I attended, I made clear that the Russians must end their election-meddling here in the United States and Europe in order to open doors to rebuilding our relations. I brought up Russia's destabilizing support for separatists in Ukraine and its illegal seizure of Crimea after Ukraine democratically chose a President who sought closer ties with the West. prgtoken Supporting and admitting that they share intelligence with the Taliban undermines the democratic government in Afghanistan and undermines our Nation's military as we continue to fight the Taliban alongside the Afghan National Security Forces. prgtoken In each circum
UPDATE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-7-18

when the Endangered Species Act was signed into law in 1973, its goal was simple: safeguard endangered species and assist in the recovery of their population. prgtoken Until last week, no recent attempts have been made to reform this essential piece of legislation. Over the past several years, the Congressional Western Caucus has been working together to determine what parts of the Endangered Species Act are broken and to develop solutions to repair this law. prgtoken The Endangered Species Act is in dire need of modernization and reform, which is why, last week, the Western Caucus, which I am proud to belong to, rolled out some solutions; among them is to address the broken litigation process that incentivizes litigation for profit at the expense of the taxpayer, address the lack of clear listing and delisting criteria, addressed the lack of transparency in Endangered Species Act decisionmaking and data collection, consider the needs of States more seriously, and address the unnecessary impediments to economic development and land management that affect endangered species. prgtoken , as far as statutes that require costly litigation, the Endangered Species Act was the third most expensive for the Department of Agriculture and the most expensive for the Department of the Interior. prgtoken Endangered Species Act litigation cost the Department of Agriculture and the Federal taxpayers $1.63 million from 2000 to 2010. It cost the Department of the Interior $22 million from 2000 to 2010, all at the expense of the taxpayer. These frivolous lawsuits have severe consequences on local economies. prgtoken Additionally, the absence of State consultation weakens the overall data that can be used to justify the Endangered Species Act listings and recovery plans, a complete lack of transparency. State and local expertise is needed to strengthen and streamline the Endangered Species Act listing and delisting process. prgtoken I am happy to say that these issues are addressed in some of the bills that were introduced last week. I proudly cosponsored a number of the bills that will make progress on this front, including the LOCAL Act, which was introduced by my colleague Scott Tipton. This bill would set up new incentives and opportunities for voluntary conservation by establishing a private party conservation grants program and a habitat conservation planning loan program for State and local governments. These programs will save the taxpayers money while boosting conservation. prgtoken , we know that the majority of the recent species that have been delisted happened not as a result of the Endangered Species Act or the Fish and Wildlife Service, but through voluntary conservation with the leadership of the Department of Agriculture. prgtoken The LAMP Act, introduced by my colleague Congressman Don Young, permits the Secretary of the Interior to enter into cooperative management agreements with States, local governments,
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mark Meadows (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-7-18

. Mr. Chair, before I get into my amendment, I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee and the entire staff for not only a very thoughtful bill that really requires very few amendments, but really working with Members of all different ideological stripes in our conference. And I look forward to being able to support this when it comes up for a vote tomorrow. prgtoken My amendment prohibits funds from being used by the Office of Personnel Management, better known as OPM, to administer the Care's multistate program. prgtoken Care required OPM to contract with health insurers to make multistate plans available to consumers in all the States, and D.C by 2017. prgtoken Now, there is only one problem with that. There is only one State participating. And yet, here we continue to fund it. prgtoken The multistate plan program has failed to meet its statutory requirements. It has failed to generate competition in the healthcare marketplace. And it has failed to lower health insurance premiums. prgtoken According to OPM, the government has spent $53 million on administrative costs for this failed program. The evidence is clear: This program doesn't work and it is a waste of taxpayer dollars. prgtoken In fact, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation said eliminating funding for this plan will not affect the levels of competition or premiums in the insurance markets, nor would it affect any Care subsidies. prgtoken So my amendment does not take funds away from OPM. It leaves more money for OPM to continue its other mission-critical programs without having to waste the time and resources on a poorly-functioning multistate plan program. prgtoken I have got letters from the OPM, Office of Personnel Management, who administers the plan, supporting the elimination of this program. I also have a letter from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, better known as NARFE, who represent the interests of more than 5 million Federal employees and retirees and their survivors, supporting the elimination of this program. prgtoken So finally, this program is widely viewed by analysts on the both the left and the right as either a de facto public option or a plausible foundation for a future public option. prgtoken The House should vote overwhelmingly to do away with this, and I urge my colleagues, both and s, to do so. prgtoken .