mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING DEVIN RICH AND KIERSTEN BARE FROM KALISPELL
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise today to honor siblings Devin Rich and Kiersten Bare of Kalispell for helping victims of the Woolsey and Camp fires recover from the devastation. A graduate of Flathead High School, Devin lives in Marina del Rey, California. While the nearby Woolsey Fire roared in early November, he volunteered to help with the support efforts. Wearing protective gear and working in difficult circumstances, Devin helped victims of the fire search through the ash and rubble where their homes stood to salvage items dear to them. Driven by her compassion for animals, Kiersten, who lives in Kalispell, worked to reunite lost pets with their owners. Kiersten spent hours online studying photos of the displaced animals to identify potential matches to help pet owners in their search. The Woolsey and Camp fires devastated California this year, claiming nearly 90 lives and destroying more than 14,000 homes. Devin and Kiersten are among the generous Americans who answered the call to serve others in their time of need. I commend all the firefighters, first responders, support workers, and volunteers who saved lives and helped those impacted by these catastrophic fires for their compassion for the victims of California's disastrous Woolsey and Camp fires and their commitment to helping in the recovery, I recognize Devin Rich and Kiersten Bare for their spirit of Montana.
HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-12-19

I thank my friend from North Carolina for recognizing me tonight. prgtoken , we all know that immigration continues to be one of the most pressing issues that we are facing in our country today. The question of illegal immigration is not going away. In fact, it is growing. It is getting worse. It is getting more complex with each passing day, and Congress has repeatedly failed to take any action whatsoever. prgtoken We have the opportunity now in this spending bill to finally deliver results for the American people--again, something that we have not done over and over and over again. prgtoken The Department of Homeland Security has reported that, roughly, on average, 2,000 illegal aliens are crossing our southern border every day. Now we learn from Border Patrol that, in recent months, there has been an increase of 90 percent attempted illegal individuals crossing our borders compared to this time last year. prgtoken The border crisis is for real, and it is time for us to act. prgtoken The President has requested $5 billion. That is really not a whole lot of money compared to the $1.3 trillion that we spend in discretionary spending every year. prgtoken Look, the wall is not the whole answer, but it is the first step, because walls work. Wherever there have been walls put in place, there have been great results that have been produced: for example, a 92 percent drop in illegal traffic in San Diego since a wall was there; 95 percent decrease in El Paso; 90 percent decrease in Tucson. Walls work. prgtoken Now, look, there are other things we need to do, some practical steps, from closing the asylum loopholes, stopping chain migration, making E-Verify mandatory. There are other things, but I hear, right now, the voices of millions of Americans from my district and across the country, as we have all heard the chant: Build the wall. Build the wall. Build the wall. prgtoken We are standing here tonight as a voice for millions of Americans who feel like they have lost their voice in Washington, and we are saying it is time right now. Build the wall. Let's do it.
HONORING DARIUS ANDERSON
Jeff Denham (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise today to acknowledge and honor Darius Anderson for his outstanding business acumen and host of contributions to his community. prgtoken Darius Anderson is a founder and contributing member of a variety of businesses. About 20 years ago, he became the Founder and CEO of Platinum Advisors, a government affairs firm that works all throughout California. He also is the Founder and CEO of Kenwood Investments, a California Opportunity Fund that has been a fixture in many communities since 2000. On top of that, he is a Managing Member of Sonoma Media Investments, a newspaper publisher. He also served as the Chief of Staff for the Yucaipa Companies and was the Vice President of External Affairs for Ralphs Grocery Stores, Inc. between 1993 and 1998. prgtoken Darius Anderson has dedicated years of hard work and his own personal time for the betterment of his community. He was the prgtoken Chair of the National Advisory Council for the UC Berkley Institute of Governmental Studies, and is now a member of the Board of Directors of the George Washington University Graduate School of Public Management's Council on American Politics, California Building Bridges, Sonoma State University Green Music Center and is a Co-Chair of the Friends of the UCSF Center for Reproductive Health Advisory Board. prgtoken Darius Anderson has no plans to slow down. His next big undertaking is the Treasure Island Development Project, an effort to redevelop the former Naval Station Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay. prgtoken , please join me in honoring and recognizing Darius Anderson for his lifetime of success and positive contribution to dozens of California communities.
SYRIA
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-12-19

. One of two things will happen. No. 1, the Syrian ic Forces had a very ethical view of treating prisoners. I was astonished at the compliance with law and their desire to take their enemies and treat them better than they were treated. The jail was, quite frankly, very impressive. prgtoken Here is what is going to happen. They are going to shoot them or they are going to get out. If Assad takes over before Turkey gets there, they will kill everybody in the jail. So what does it matter if a bunch of ISIS fighters get killed? It is about us. Once they are captured, it matters how we treat them. I want them tried. I want them held off the battlefield. We are not executioners. But the most likely scenario is that ISIS reemerges and they break out. prgtoken I promise the President this--and I told President the same thing--if you will stick with it and listen to the generals, no matter whether it hurts me or not, we will be with you. We will give you the political support a can give a to see this thing through. I promise the President one thing: I will help you where I can, but I am going to hold you accountable. I am going to do everything in my power--if you don't change this decision--to make sure you own it, so the next President will learn from your mistakes. prgtoken I yield.
SOMEONE PLEASE WAKE ME UP
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-12-19

I want to thank my friend, Tom Garrett, for arranging this Special Order. He is on his way out, and he cares so deeply about this country and this country's allies that he would put his life at risk and go and spend time with another American hero. prgtoken In fact, Dave Eubanks is a hero, and he is someone who has dedicated his life as a Christian, as an American, trying to make the lives of others in the world better, and I thank my friend, Congressman Garrett, for spending that time with him. We shouldn't turn our back on our friends. prgtoken Sometimes it seems that Mr. Erdogan is not our friend, but we certainly have had a tremendous amount of friendship and lives lost in the Kurdish community, standing up for us, with us, in defense of freedom. prgtoken That is important. And I also want to address the issue of the wall on our southern border. It appears clear, since we lost over 70,000 American lives last year--that is more than all of the precious American lives we lost in the whole time of the Vietnam war--and we lost those in 1 year from drugs. prgtoken Most of those drugs coming across our southern border in the form of opiates and other hallucinogens, including fentanyl, are coming from Mexico. So if you want to see another 70,000 Americans die again next year, you don't want a wall. Let's not build a wall. prgtoken If you would like to have illegal aliens continue to pour into this country in the hopes that they will be able to vote illegally, you don't want a wall, even though you supported one in the past. You don't want one now because you may get those votes if you can stop a wall from being built. prgtoken If you want Mexico to remain as a country with so much incredible potential whose people are suffering and keep the people of Central America suffering at the hands of the drug cartels, you don't want a wall. Because if we build a wall where we need it, we build a fence where we need it, we totally secure the border, what happens? The money, by the tens of billions, pouring into the drug cartels south of the border dries up. prgtoken That means the corruption in Mexico and south of there dries up. That means Mexico, with its incredible national resources--the natural resources of that Nation are incredible. Its location, actually, for commerce is even better than the United States. prgtoken It sits between two continents. It sits between two oceans. Its potential is unlimited. But what limits it is the corruption from the drug cartels that America is continuing to fund. prgtoken So do you want that to continue? prgtoken Yeah, you don't want a wall. prgtoken Our elected leaders in the House and the Senate--the elected leaders in the House and Senate--were not in favor of a wall or total border security in the last election in 2016. It was unfortunate. prgtoken The President knew and heard the voice of the American people, and he echoed it. But that is why back in September of this yea
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-12-19

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record at this point the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 1677
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2018-12-19

I come here today to talk about an issue that has been talked about quite a bit here on the floor today, and that is the situation in Syria. I know there has been a lot of debate today about what is happening there and what happened today in Syria. prgtoken But I bring to the floor today something that I think should get the unanimous consent of everyone. The House passed this resolution some time ago. It was by voice vote--no recorded ``no'' votes. It was essentially a unanimous consent bill. prgtoken When I am through with this, I am hoping everyone here will agree with me that this is the right thing to do and something that will actually address the situation that is taking place in Syria. prgtoken This bill declares that it is U.S. policy to use all diplomatic and economic means to compel the government of Bashar al-Assad to stop the slaughter of the Syrian people and work toward a democratic government. The use of sanctions are a critical tool of U.S. foreign policy, and that is what we are talking about here today--the implementation of additional sanctions. They often allow the United States to have a strong impact on a country and serve the U.S. national security interests without having to implement military measures and put U.S. troops in harm's way. prgtoken I believe--and most of us believe--that H.R. 1677 helps meet those interests. How does it work? Here is how it works. First of all, it imposes fresh sanctions on entities conducting business with the Assad regime and its military and intelligence agencies. A number of regime- controlled industries--including in the airline, telecommunications, and energy sectors--will also be targeted. prgtoken It aims to encourage negotiations by allowing the President to waive sanctions if the parties are engaged in meaningful negotiations and the violence against civilians has ceased. prgtoken The bill also authorizes the Secretary of State to support entities that are collecting and preserving evidence for the eventual prosecution of those who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria from March 2011 to the present and requires the President to report to Congress on the identity of those who are responsible for or complicit with gross violations of human rights of the Syrian people. prgtoken There is no doubt that we are going to get to that point. It is not going to happen tomorrow, and it is not going to happen the next day, but no one on Earth can do the kinds of things that Assad has done to his own people. prgtoken We all know that there have been poisonous substances used and weapons of mass destruction used by Assad against his people. Eventually, those who are responsible are going to have to face the music for that, and they are going to have to be prosecuted for that. prgtoken This bill helps to preserve the evidence and the identity of those who are involved in that. As I noted, the House passed this some time ago, and v
PUBLIC LANDS PACKAGE
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-12-19

. And you bet the permanent Land and Water Conservation Fund is in here tonight because, guess what, it has the majority support of this body. If we had a vote on it tonight, it would have passed. s and would have voted yes. It would have passed. prgtoken Not only that, we have boundary adjustments in here because people died, and they wanted to give it to the national monument. That is not controversial. Somebody wanted to do the right thing, and doggone it, we can't even vote on it here. prgtoken I give compliments to the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee who struck a deal. Yes, it was yesterday. We got the bill as fast as we could. And so many of these doggone pieces of legislation we have already heard. We had committee hearings on them, and we voted them out unanimously. Bipartisan support. We offered deal after deal after deal to try to get a deal arranged and made so that we could have a vote tonight. prgtoken Go tell the people of Minturn, CO, that they don't have a water system that they can fix because Congress has decided we are not going to allow that to come to a vote. Sportsmen back home--tell them we are not going to have a sportsmen's package because we decided not to bring a bipartisan bill to the floor for a vote. prgtoken When we come back to this body next year, we have an agreement--I believe that is correct; and I will defer to the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee--that this will be one of the first actions this Chamber addresses. When that happens, there will be a chance to file cloture, there will be a chance for open debate, and we will have that vote. We will have it next year. There will be different leadership in the Senate, so different negotiations will have to take place, but I have no doubt that we will get this done. prgtoken It is frustrating to me that some of these bills have languished for year after year after year after year that received unanimous support out of committee. prgtoken I remember coming to this floor a year ago offering a unanimous consent agreement. It was objected to because somebody didn't get what they wanted, somebody else didn't get what they wanted, and somebody else didn't get what they wanted, so everything was objected to. It created a whole domino effect, so they said just wait for the lands package. prgtoken So here we are waiting for the lands package. We had a chance to do it. And we tried and tried and tried to make offer after offer to get something agreed to. prgtoken I have great respect for my colleague from Utah. We are a public lands State too. Yes, our agencies need to make better decisions about how they conserve that public land. The people of Colorado have great support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Great support. They would like to see it made permanent. I would like to see it made permanent. My guess is, next year, it will be made permanent. prgtoken Why can't we
STIGLER ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2018
Tom Cole (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-12-19

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I certainly want to thank him and Chairman Bishop for their assistance through this whole process. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 2606, the Stigler Act Amendments of 2018, and on the Senate amendments to that legislation. prgtoken I also speak on behalf of the citizens of the Cherokee Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, commonly known as the Five Civilized Tribes. This bill only addresses and affects those Tribes and lands of their citizens within the State of Oklahoma. The passage of this legislation is critical to maintaining the inherited land of our Native citizens' ancestors. prgtoken This legislation seeks to amend the original Stigler Act of 1947 and remove the one-half degree requirement of Native American blood. prgtoken The original Stigler Act provides that, upon probate, if the heirs or devisees of an original allottee from the Five Tribes have passed out of one-half degree of Native blood, the allotment loses its restricted fee status. prgtoken This bill ends that practice. It provides the opportunity for the heirs and devisees to take title to the land and allow the parcel to maintain its restricted status. prgtoken This legislation will also create parity in Federal law in the treatment of Native American-allotted land by removing minimum blood degree requirements. Currently, these minimum requirements apply only to the citizens of the Five Tribes. prgtoken The House has already passed this legislation this Congress by voice vote, and it was passed in the Senate with an amendment by unanimous consent. The Senate amendment provides clarifying technical language, which I fully support. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to once again support and pass H.R. 2606 to remove this outdated and discriminatory law and to preserve what Native-held land is left in Oklahoma's Indian Country. prgtoken , I want to again thank the chairman for his help in this matter. It partially rights an historic wrong.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT ACT
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-12-19

I thank my friend, the gentleman from Ohio, for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 7279, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act. prgtoken Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have worked on legislation to give our Nation's communities more flexibility to comply with costly regulations in regards to their wastewater infrastructure improvements. In each Congress since 2008, I have introduced legislation that addresses these issues and provides relief to our local communities. prgtoken I have heard from many villages, towns, and cities across my district over the years that struggle to meet wastewater and stormwater improvement demands. This legislation is a key step to build on the work I have previously done to provide relief to our constituents by allowing them to more effectively and efficiently meet their specific water needs. prgtoken There are billions of dollars worth of water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needs in the State of Ohio. It is critical to provide communities with the ability to meet their obligations in a more cost-effective manner. prgtoken This legislation will codify the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Integrated Planning Framework and provide additional tools and flexibility for communities to comply with mandated wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. prgtoken This is important because it allows municipalities and clean water utilities to decide how best to spend their limited resources. Integrated planning allows communities to allocate funds in a targeted manner, allowing them to focus on the most effective water quality improvements. prgtoken , again, I want to thank my colleague Representative Gibbs, as well as Representatives Chabot, Napolitano, Fudge, and Bustos for working together to get this bipartisan piece of legislation passed. I will continue to work with my colleagues in both chambers to ensure that this bipartisan bill reaches the President's desk in order to help improve our Nation's water infrastructure and protect the ratepayers. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to support this measure, and, again, for introducing the legislation.
FAREWELL TO WILSON TEAM FELLOWS
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-12-19

I am grateful for the dedicated staff work of Major Jonathan Grabill, who served as a military fellow, and Drew Nickels, who served as a foreign policy fellow, in the office of the Second District. prgtoken Major Grabill has had a distinguished career in the Army for more than 16 years. He provided key insight in developing the National Defense Authorization Act. He has been deployed to Germany, Iraq, and Kuwait. His background has been vital to reverse the decline of readiness in our military. prgtoken A leader on foreign policy issues, Mr. Nickels has worked tirelessly to develop legislation for the Foreign Affairs Committee. He previously served as intelligence briefer for two Secretaries of Energy. Before that, he was an intelligence analyst with the Foreign Nuclear Programs Division at DOE. prgtoken , their service will always be appreciated, with congratulations for being members of the Wilson team. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism. prgtoken Our sympathy to the family of Diane Wells; her husband, Joey; and children Eli, Maya, and Emma.
RECOGNIZING DREW AND LIZ WHITE
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-12-19

I rise today to congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Drew and Liz White of Union County, Kentucky, for recently being named Kentucky Farm Bureau's 2018 Outstanding Young Farm Family. This award recognizes young farmers between the ages of 18 and 35 who have shown strong leadership potential and farm management skills and have achieved consistent financial success in their farming operations. prgtoken Drew and Liz come from families with rich histories in farming. Drew is the fourth generation to live and work on his family's farm, established by his great-grandfather during the Great Depression. Under Drew's management, the farm has grown and experienced success with raising cattle and a multitude of crops. prgtoken Liz also grew up on a family farm and enjoyed showing saddlebred horses during her youth. She worked at a local winery throughout her high school and college years before becoming an occupational therapy assistant. prgtoken The couple have both been extensively involved in the local agricultural community through the Future Farmers of America organization, the 4-H, and the Kentucky Farm Bureau. Their efforts have not only benefited Union County, but are a model for other young farmers throughout the Commonwealth. prgtoken On behalf of the First District of Kentucky, I congratulate Drew and Liz White on their outstanding success and wish them the best as they continue to grow their farming operation and their family.