mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
GENERAL LEAVE
Adam B. Schiff (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-14

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) for yielding and for his sponsorship of this important legislation. I rise in strong support. prgtoken Special Counsel Robert Mueller was appointed in May 2017 to oversee the ongoing criminal and counterintelligence investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election. Over the nearly 2 years since his appointment, the special counsel has indicted 34 individuals and three companies, and secured guilty pleas or convictions from eight individuals. prgtoken We do not know when the special counsel will complete his work, but there are indications that it could occur in the near future. prgtoken Notwithstanding the overwhelming public interest in the special counsel's report and findings, I am deeply concerned that Attorney General Barr may attempt to withhold Mueller's full report from the public and the underlying evidence from Congress and could instead seek to provide only a CliffsNotes version of the report to Congress. prgtoken As this resolution makes clear, Congress will not accept any attempt by Mr. Barr or the President to bury the report and the findings of the special counsel. Withholding this information would be untenable in light of the intense public interest and need for transparency, but particularly so when the Department has provided voluminous production to Congress at the demand of the previous majority, including sensitive FISA materials and other classified and law enforcement-sensitive materials related to the Mueller investigation and the Clinton email investigation. prgtoken Last year, I repeatedly warned Department leadership that, in providing these materials to Congress, they were establishing a precedent and one that they would have to live with in the future. They did so anyway. prgtoken While anonymous sources at the Department have attempted to publicly blame James Comey for the provision of this information, in fact, the Department has turned over more than 880,000 pages of documents from the Clinton email investigation to Congress, all of them--all of them-- pursuant to congressional subpoenas issued after James Comey was fired. They have produced highly sensitive records, including FISA materials, directly related to ongoing investigations at the core of the special counsel's charter. prgtoken To be sure, something far more serious than precedent is at stake. Disclosure is uniquely imperative here because the special counsel reportedly is investigating whether the President himself engaged in misconduct. If the special counsel has indeed uncovered evidence of serious wrongdoing on the President's part, then that evidence must be furnished to Congress and ultimately to the American people. prgtoken Withholding the full report or underlying evidence would only heighten concerns over a coverup or a pernicious or partisan double standard. prgtoken The special counsel's regulations were written, above all, to ensure public conf
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-3-14

I come to the floor today to plead on behalf of Liberians who face the immediate threat of deportation from the only home many of them have known. prgtoken I have come to the floor many times over the last two decades to highlight the plight of Liberians, who, after fleeing civil wars, political turmoil, economic instability, and deadly disease, were given the ability to stay in the United States and work, pay taxes, and contribute to our country and local communities by successive and ic administrations--that is, until last year, when this President terminated deferred enforced departures, DED, the most recent status offered to Liberians. I urge the President to reconsider his decision and reinstate DED by March 31 to save Liberians from being forced to leave their jobs, their families, and their homes. prgtoken Moreover, the Liberian community deserves a long-term solution. That is why I also urge my colleagues to take up S. 456, the Liberian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, to end the perpetual limbo for Liberians here in the United States and ensure our national security interest in fostering Liberia's recovery. This bill provides legal status and a pathway to citizenship for qualifying Liberians. I have introduced similar legislation continuously since coming to the Senate and have worked to include its key objectives in comprehensive immigration reform bills that passed the Senate in years gone by, only to die in the House of Representatives. prgtoken I have been joined in this mission by countless advocates and many colleagues, including my Rhode Island colleague, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, as well as Senators Klobuchar, Smith, Durbin, Cardin, Van Hollen, and others. I thank them for their support and urge the rest of our colleagues to join us in supporting the Liberians who are hard at work enriching our communities. prgtoken Today, I met with several Liberians from Rhode Island. I hope my colleagues similarly meet with Liberians from their States so they can hear firsthand about what would be lost if these members of our communities are deported. prgtoken Beginning with its founding in the early 19th century by freed American slaves, our country has had deep ties with Liberia. It goes without saying that when Liberians faced tragedy, with their country engulfed by a civil war that would last from 1989 to 1997, claiming the lives of thousands, displacing more than half the country's population, halting food production, collapsing the economy, and destroying its infrastructure, that our country would open its arms. prgtoken By 1991, an estimated 14,000 Liberians had fled to the United States. In March of that year, the Attorney General under President granted them the opportunity to register for temporary protected status, TPS. prgtoken Before the prospects for a safe return could be realized, Liberia plunged into a second civil war from 1999 to 2003. This horri
GENERAL LEAVE
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-14

I thank Chairman Nadler for his leadership. prgtoken , I rise in support of this resolution requesting that Special Counsel Mueller's report be made available to the public. prgtoken There are three reasons why this must happen. prgtoken First, the taxpayers paid for this report. The American people funded this investigation. They have a right to see the contents of the report of the investigation. prgtoken Second, internal bureaucratic Department of Justice policies do not apply to Congress, especially on matters of national importance. prgtoken And third, if we don't get this report, it could amount to a cover- up. prgtoken The United States Constitution does not say that a sitting President cannot be indicted. There is nothing in the Constitution that would prevent that. prgtoken Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has taken the policy position that they are not going to indict a sitting President, which means that the only institution that can hold the President accountable is Congress. If we do not get this information, we cannot effectively do our jobs, we cannot hold the President accountable, and it is something that the American public wants to see. prgtoken Over 87 percent of respondents in a recent poll say that this report should be made available to Congress and to the American public. If the Department of Justice does not do this, we all need to ask: What are they trying to hide?
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-3-14

I want to congratulate the Presiding Officer on being in the Senate and presiding over the Senate. prgtoken I come to the floor to remind us how we got here. President told us over and over and over again during his campaign that Mexico would pay for the wall. He said it at the beginning of the campaign. He said it in the middle of the campaign. He said it at the end of the campaign. prgtoken He made that promise over and over again. The U.S. Congress didn't make that promise. There is no way for Congress to force Mexico to pay for the wall. We cannot force Mexico to pay for the wall. It is not Congress's fault. It is the President's fault, and it is his promise he has broken. prgtoken Instead of going to Mexico to get them to pay for the wall, as he said he would do over and over again, he has now asked Congress to pay for it. He has now asked the American taxpayer to fulfill his broken promise. prgtoken By the way, that is after 2 years of having a majority in the Senate and a majority in the House who said: We don't want to build your wall. We are not going to help you keep your promise. In fact, you promised Mexico would pay for the wall. Go get Mexico to pay for the wall is what the Senate and the House said. prgtoken So he was frustrated. He said how frustrated he was. He went out to the American people during the 2018 election, and the people rewarded him by electing to be the majority in the House of Representatives. prgtoken Then, last December, those offered the President $1.3 billion for border security. It wasn't for his medieval wall. It is for what he now calls steel slats. prgtoken Instead of accepting that fact--the fact that nobody here wants to fund the wall he said Mexico would pay for--he shut down the government for 35 days. Then, after all the misery he inflicted, after the billions of dollars he cost our economy, to say nothing of what he did to the Federal workers, he basically got exactly the same deal as he got before he shut down the government, making the shutdown pointless, making the billions of dollars of lost wages and economic activity in America pointless, all a casualty of his inability to keep his promise that Mexico would pay for the wall and his inability to get majorities in the House and the Senate to build his wall. prgtoken So having failed to get Mexico to pay for the wall, having failed to get a Congress to pay for the wall, he now says he is going to declare a national emergency to pay for the wall. prgtoken We should ask ourselves--we must ask ourselves--whether this is an appropriate use of emergency power. By the way, if it was an appropriate use of emergency power, why didn't he just declare an emergency before he shut the government down for 35 days? Why cost the economy billions and billions of dollars if you can just do this by declaring an emergency? The e
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2019-3-14

this is a debate worth happening. I appreciate the comments from my New England neighbor. It is an important matter for us to consider. prgtoken President declared a national emergency, citing a ``crisis'' at the southern border, but it has become more and more evident he did it for one reason, to do an end run around Congress and the Appropriations Committee, and use taxpayer money to build a wall on the southern border that Congress has refused to fund. prgtoken For 3 years, he failed to convince Congress--a -controlled Senate and a -controlled House--that his wall was a good idea. For 3 years, he requested that Congress fund his cynical campaign promise to build a ``big beautiful'' wall on the southern border, and for 3 years, the -controlled Congress refused. Even when his own party controlled both Chambers of Congress, he could not convince enough Members that it was a good idea. Certainly, nobody accepted his pledge that Mexico would pay for the wall. We all knew the U.S. taxpayers would have to pay for it. prgtoken So instead of accepting that we are in a democracy, and he is not a monarch, instead of accepting that we are in a democracy and there are two other coequal branches of government that could constrain his actions, the President has decided to ignore the Constitution and the will of Congress and go it alone. Actually, Congress alone has the power of the purse. Congress having exclusive power over our government spending priorities is one of the most critical checks and balances in our constitutional system. prgtoken Anybody who goes back and reads the history of the founding of this country knows that the reason we are the oldest existing democracy currently in the world, is that we believed in checks and balances. prgtoken The President, of course, could propose funding for whatever projects he wants, but it is the job of Congress to decide where to invest the American people's hard-earned tax dollars. In a democracy, every President from George Washington to now is supposed to respect those decisions. After not getting what he wanted, this President has invoked the National Emergencies Act. He is stretching the powers given to him in that act beyond all recognition. He has declared a national emergency on the southern border. prgtoken We are not responding to a national emergency. There is no crisis on our southern border requiring such extreme action. What kind of national emergency is declared only after you lose a 3-year funding fight with Members of your own party? What kind of national emergency is resolved by a vaguely defined, multiyear construction project? The truth is clear. He is trying to use this authority as a means to a political end. prgtoken When Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act in 1976, it conveyed certain powers to the President to use in the event of a true emergency that required quick action. I remember. I w
GENERAL LEAVE
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2019-3-14

I thank the chairman for his leadership and for introducing this incredibly important resolution. prgtoken , the investigation currently under way by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is incredibly important: an open investigation into incredibly serious allegations, potential obstruction of justice, corruption, and possible links of coordination between President 's Presidential campaign and the Russian Government, efforts to meddle in our democratic process, and mislead and manipulate American voters. prgtoken The allegations at the center of this investigation, as I said, are serious, they are credible, and they are unprecedented. With 37 indictments and counting, it is of paramount importance that the special counsel's report and the underlying evidence be made public for the sake of transparency and trust in our government. prgtoken As a nation, as a Congress, and as a Republic, we need to know all of the facts about this investigation and what unfolded between players in the President's campaign and Russia in 2016. We must protect and respect the work of Special Counsel Mueller, and his report must be released, in full, for the Congress and for the American people to see. prgtoken , again, I thank the chairman for introducing this resolution, and I encourage my colleagues to support it.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Motion to Proceed
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-3-14

. Now, why did every vote for this? That is because there is no good reason that the special counsel's report should not be made public. The American people are overwhelmingly for making the report public. They have a right to see it. No one should stand in the way of that. In fact, in the House, no one did. The only reason to not make this report public would be to cover up what is in it. What a shame that would be. prgtoken The Senate should pass this resolution with the same unanimity that the House did. The special counsel has been investigating one of the greatest affronts to our democracy--the deliberate interference by a foreign power in our elections. The American people have an undeniable right to see the results of that investigation for themselves, and so this resolution should pass. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 24, expressing the sense of Congress that the report of Special Counsel Robert Mueller be made available to the public and to Congress, which is at the desk; further, that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Motion to Proceed
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-3-14

I rise to speak on the need to vigorously protect the Great Lakes. prgtoken The Great Lakes are a vital natural resource not only for my home State of Michigan but for the entire Nation. In addition to providing drinking water for nearly 40 million people, the Great Lakes serve as an economic engine for our entire country. This freshwater system is associated with adding nearly $6 trillion to the U.S. GDP while supporting millions of jobs. It accounts for more than 50 percent of all U.S.-Canadian border trade and facilitates the shipping of over 200 million tons of cargo every year. prgtoken But ask Michiganders what the Great Lakes mean to them, and they will tell you that they are a great deal more than simply a source of commerce; the Great Lakes literally define our State. They not only define our borders but who we are among the States. We are, in fact, the Great Lakes State. We love to spend our summers on or near the lakes and, in the process, form the family memories that we hold for a lifetime. It is no exaggeration to say that for Michiganders, the Great Lakes are part of who we are. It is in our DNA. prgtoken Over the years, and s alike have understood the importance of maintaining the vitality of the Great Lakes. That is why, in 2004, President signed an Executive order to promote a Great Lakes regional collaboration. prgtoken Then, in 2010, President built on his predecessor's leadership. In his very first budget request, President called for the funding for what would later be known as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. The GLRI today remains a bipartisan success story because it provides a platform for Federal Agencies and States to come together to address the biggest threats to our lakes. prgtoken Let me give you a few examples of the positive impact that the GLRI has had in my home State of Michigan. prgtoken In Deer Lake, near Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula, GLRI funds were used to successfully eliminate mercury runoff that had contaminated local wildlife. Over just a few years, these funds were used to restore the natural habitat, and as a result, Deer Lake was no longer considered a Federal area of concern. prgtoken Thanks to the support of the GLRI, sufficient improvements were made to prevent runoff at the Gloede Drain in the Clinton Township of Macomb County, reducing flooding and soil erosion in an area that many Michiganders call home. prgtoken In Detroit, 30 steel mills, oil refineries, chemical manufacturers, and other plants discharged pollutants into the Detroit River for decades. However, with the implementation of $89 million worth of GLRI waterway cleanup projects, the water quality has improved, and Detroit now has a thriving and vibrant downtown RiverWalk that has become an economic engine for small businesses. prgtoken There is no question the GLRI is a proven success and has been vital to Michigan's environmen
RELATING TO A NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-3-14

I rise in strong opposition to President 's so-called emergency declaration of a crisis and invasion on our southern border, an attempt to misappropriate funds to build the President's border wall. The President's actions here are an affront to the constitutional separation of powers, our checks and balances, and the congressional power of the purse to set appropriation levels. prgtoken The very nature of how President decided, finally, to declare a so-called emergency at our southern border shows that he, too, knows that there is no real national emergency at our southern border. President himself admitted, in announcing this so-called emergency in the Rose Garden: I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn't need to do this, but I'd rather do it much faster. prgtoken It doesn't sound like a national emergency. We know that a medieval border wall would be a tremendously wasteful expenditure of resources, as opposed to smarter border security technology that would enhance screening at our ports of entry and specifically target transnational criminal operations smuggling contraband into the United States. prgtoken The Constitution gives Congress, not the President, the power of the purse. prgtoken Article I, section 9, clause 7 provides that ``No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.'' prgtoken Article I, section 8, clause 1 provides that ``the Congress shall have Power To . . . provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.'' prgtoken Additionally, the presentment clause of the Constitution requires that the President either approve or veto a bill, and it does not give him the power to change the text of a law or appropriation levels or to cast a line item veto for certain provisions. prgtoken The Supreme Court held in the line-item veto case of ``Clinton v. City of New York'' in 1998: There is no provision in the Constitution that authorizes the President to enact, to amend or to repeal statutes. . . . Our first President understood the text of the Presentment Clause as requiring that he either ``approve all the parts of a bill, or reject it in toto.'' prgtoken The courts have regularly upheld the authority of Congress by statute--and not the President by fiat--to set funding levels. As the Supreme Court said in Hooe v. United States, in 1910, ``it is for Congress, proceeding under the Constitution, to say what amount may be drawn from the Treasury in pursuit of appropriations.'' prgtoken The Ninth Circuit held in United States v. McIntosh, in 2016, that if the executive branch spends money in violation of appropriations law, ``it would be drawing funds from the Treasury without authorization by statute, and thus violating the Appropriations Clause.'' prgtoken The Supreme Court held in the Office of Personnel Management v. Richmond, in 1990, that ``any e
WISHING SUPREME COURT JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG A HAPPY 86TH BIRTHDAY
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-14

I rise today to honor Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and to wish her a happy 86th birthday this Friday. prgtoken During this Women's History Month, we celebrate visionary women like Justice Ginsburg, whose work ethic and achievements have motivated me and many women across this country. prgtoken Throughout her career, Justice Ginsburg has been a pioneer for gender equality. As a first-year Harvard Law student, she was one of nine women in a 500-person class and became the first female professor to have tenure at Columbia. prgtoken She would later cofound the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, paving the way for groundbreaking work around issues like pregnancy and parenting, education equity and equal pay. prgtoken Undoubtedly, Justice Ginsburg has set a precedent for women everywhere and continues to do so as a Supreme Court Justice. prgtoken I wish Justice Ginsburg many more years of health and happiness. She truly is an American hero.