mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
16TH ANNIVERSARY OF 2001 AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF MILITARY FORCE
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-9-13

I rise today to really challenge my colleagues to restore Congress' constitutional oversight on matters of war and peace. Tomorrow marks the 16th year since Congress has passed an open- ended blank check for endless wars. That is the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. prgtoken First, I just have to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends, and communities who lost loved ones, and our deepest gratitude to the first responders who so bravely saved lives. We will never forget you. prgtoken Three days after this horrific attack--actually, September 14, 3 days--I couldn't vote for this blank check because it surrendered Congress' constitutional authority and paved the way for perpetual war, the authorization to use military force. It is deeply disturbing to me that 16 years later this Congress has failed to revisit this war authorization and have an informed debate on the cost and consequences of endless war. prgtoken I opposed the 2001 AUMF because I feared it would become a blank check for any President to wage war anywhere in perpetuity. In those tragic days in the wake of 9/11, I was just as devastated and outraged as everyone. I wanted to protect our country from further attacks against terrorism. I wanted to bring the terrorists to justice. But looking at the authorization to use military force, I knew then that such an open-ended resolution would not make us any safer. prgtoken The resolution was 60 words, it was overly broad, and it set the framework for perpetual war. It was passed just 3 days after the attacks, with little debate, and has been used to wage endless war around the globe. In the 16 years since its passage, that is the only input, really, that Congress has provided. prgtoken This is just disgraceful. prgtoken Three hundred Members of the United States House of Representatives today were not serving when we voted on the 2001 AUMF, two-thirds of this Chamber that has never had an opportunity to cast a vote on going to war. For years, I have been trying to change that. prgtoken While Congress has been missing in action, these wars have spiralled out of control, just as I feared. A recent report from the Congressional Research Service shows that this authorization has been used more than 37 times in 14 prgtoken countries to justify military action. These include operations at Guantanamo Bay, warrantless wire tapping, and recent military actions in Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and many more. This report only looked at unclassified military actions. How many more military actions are happening without the knowledge of the American people? prgtoken In the 16 years since the AUMF was enacted, three Presidents have used this legislation to wage endless war; and as long as this AUMF stays on the books, any President will be able to use this blank check to wage war anywhere, anytime, in perpetuity. prgtoken I have been trying to end this AUMF for years, and this summer we
DACA
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-9-13

I rise to express my profound disappointment in the President's decision to repeal the DACA program. prgtoken This repeal is destroying the lives of nearly 800,000 young people. In my home State of Washington, there are over 17,000 Washingtonians who have been granted this deferred action status. One of them is Larissa Reza Garcia who came to the United States when she was 3 years old. Larissa works with underrepresented young people to connect them with opportunities to pursue their dreams within the education system. DREAMers like Larissa strengthen the fabric of our country. prgtoken , I also want to express my disappointment that the House will take up H.R. 3697 tomorrow, a bill that would promote racial profiling, expand mandatory detention, and criminalize immigrants without any due process protections. prgtoken We should be voting on the Dream Act, not legislation to criminalize immigrants. We have the votes to pass the Dream Act if it were brought to the floor, and I hope and call upon Ryan to have the courage to bring it to the floor
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-9-13

. Mr President, today I wish to recognize the Elgin Fire Department's 150th anniversary and congratulate the brave men and women who protect the 100,000 residents living in Elgin, IL. prgtoken For more than 100 years, the Elgin Fire Department has worked to preserve the safety and well-being of Illinoisans. Firefighters are the first responders who often put themselves in danger to rescue citizens from emergency situations involving extensive smoke and fire. The medical treatment responders save numerous lives, which may have been lost without prehospital care. prgtoken The Elgin Fire Department continues to serve its community by providing fire safety education, fire inspection, and domestic preparedness planning, among other community outreach efforts, to increase community readiness. The department's stellar service ensures that the families and friends of Elgin are prepared for any emergency. prgtoken I extend my best wishes for a remarkable and memorable anniversary. Thank you for your selfless work to Elgin, IL.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-9-13

I thank the managers of this legislation. prgtoken , any Member of Congress or any elected official has had the sad duty of going to a child's funeral. Most of us in the Christian faith have heard maybe the same words said often in the place of worship and in the funeral service, no matter who it is, and that is that a child should not go before their parents. We have seen the brokenness and, of course, the absolute despair of that family that has lost a child. prgtoken Unfortunately, as we have found in Hurricane Harvey, when people have looted victims of the hurricane, it is unfortunate that bad things can happen to good people. prgtoken So the families of deceased children are victimized. They are saddened by the loss of their child, whether it is an accident that is tragic or a sickness; and then, because those names are printed and become public, they are victimized again. prgtoken Alexis Agin was 4 years old when she died last year from a brain tumor. As her parents grieved from their daughter's loss, someone else paid attention to the details of her death, too. An identity thief was easily able to get Alexis' personal information after she died. Her parents had no inkling until they went to file their taxes, then to their astonishment and despair, they learned that someone else had already filed a tax return using Alexis' Social Security number and claiming her as a dependent. prgtoken The Agins soon learned they were one of many. They said: ``Within an hour of learning that my daughter's Social Security number had been compromised and stolen, no fewer than 14 other parents whose children passed away due to cancer contacted us and advised us that their children's Social Security numbers, likewise, had been stolen.'' prgtoken Americans are told to jealously guard their Social Security numbers, but after one dies, the government goes public with that coveted information. It is included on the Death Master List. prgtoken , I include in the Record an article from ABC News entitled ``When Loved Ones Die, Their Identity is There for the Taking.'' [From ABC News, May 8, 2012] When Loved Ones Die, Their Identity Is There for the Taking (By Lisa Stark) Alexis Agin was 4 years old when she died last year from a brain tumor. As her parents grieved their daughter's loss, someone else paid attention to the details of her death too. An identity thief was easily able to get Alexis' personal information after she died. Her parents had no inkling until they went to file their taxes. Then, to their astonishment, they learned that someone else had already filed a tax return, using Alexis' Social Security number and claiming her as a dependent. The Agins soon learned they were one of many. ``Within an hour of learning that my daughter's Social Security number had b
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Derek Kilmer (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-9-13

. Mr. Chair, when I am at home, I don't hear anyone say, Let's make it easier for folks to use big money to influence elections, and yet there are provisions in this spending bill that would do just that. prgtoken My colleagues across the aisle are putting these provisions into this spending bill because they know that shocking our political system with even more money is incredibly unpopular, and these provisions would never pass if they were given an up-or-down vote in their own right; therefore, I am standing up today for restoring accountability for campaign spending and highlighting the two provisions that should not be in this bill. prgtoken First, we need some sunlight in this murky world of campaign spending. 501(c)(4) groups can play fast and loose in our elections, and I want to be sure that they are actually working on issues that impact the people I represent, not trying to get their preferred candidates elected. And yet this legislation that we are voting on ensures that the IRS will not have the authority to look into groups that might be flouting the rules, and that is wrong. prgtoken Unfortunately, secondly, we have also seen the Federal Election Commission struggle to enforce our campaign finance laws. This was a body that was created after Watergate to make sure politicians don't cheat. The Commission was designed to be the people's advocate in our elections, and yet, unfortunately, it has seen more gridlock than Congress. prgtoken The Federal Election Commission is once again undermined in this bill because the bill says that the Commission cannot enforce any rules regarding how certain special interests are able to raise money. We should not be making it easier for political action committees to raise additional money from a few wealthy individuals without Federal Election Commission oversight. prgtoken We should be voting on campaign finance laws that strengthen the integrity of our elections, not bills like this that weaken it. So my hope is that we can chart a new course, a better course, and one that brings people power back to these hallowed Halls rather than, again, giving more power to the deepest pockets and to special interests.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-9-13

as the Senate considers the annual authorization of our military and national defense programs, I am here for my 178th ``Time to Wake Up'' speech, to discuss the security risks climate change presents to our Nation. I urge my colleagues to heed the warnings from our national security experts, not just the self-serving propaganda of the fossil fuel industry that blankets us. What are these national security risks? prgtoken A first order of security risk is the physical damage climate change is causing in our atmosphere, oceans, and environment. Science and our senses are already perceiving this damage, indeed already measuring this damage. This order of security risk--risk to the Earth's natural order--will hurt farming communities, coastal communities, fishing communities, and anyone vulnerable to wildfires and extreme weather all around the world. Of course, the poorer you are, the more vulnerable you are to this risk. prgtoken The second order of security risk from climate change is the consequences in human society from those physical, biological, and chemical changes in our Earth's environment. As farms or fisheries fail, people are impoverished and dislocated. Scarcity of resources leads to conflicts and confrontations. Storms and fires and floods can make the suffering acute. People who are hungry or dislocated or prgtoken torn from their roots can become desperate, can become radicalized and violent. That is why the Department of Defense has for many years called climate change a ``catalyst of conflict.'' prgtoken Researchers from NASA and the University of Arizona determined that drought in Syria was very likely the worst in a thousand years. Massive crop failures and livestock losses moved farmers into stressed cities, where popular protests met brutal violence from the Assad regime. The tide of refugees from that chaos swamped Europe. To the extent the droughts in Syria were a root cause of the discontent that led to the conflict, and ultimately to the flight of refugees, European governments have seen this second order of security risk up close. prgtoken There is a third order of security risk, and that is damage to the keystone institutions of our present world order--market capitalism and democratic government. We depend for the quality of life we enjoy on market capitalism and democratic governance, and those institutions-- capitalism and democracy--in turn depend on popular approval and confidence. But if you are a person whose livelihood has been harmed by the first-order environmental effects of climate change or if you are a person swept up in the second-order societal effects of climate change or even if you are simply a person who is dismayed as you witness the suffering and harm caused by climate change around you, you will want answers. It is human nature to want answers. When people are hurt, they want a reckoning. When that reckoning comes, the discredit to institutions
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-9-13

we have seen the chaos and confusion created by the President's rescission of DACA that has created a humanitarian crisis in our country. That statement may seem like an exaggeration, but, for me, it is very clearly a statement of fact. I know it because I have seen it. prgtoken I held an emergency field hearing on Monday morning, and I listened to the stories of Dreamers--young people brought to this country, many of them before they could even say their own names, let alone know where they were going. This country has given them education, a place to live, a sense of freedom, and a sense of future. That future now is cut short. They have been threatened with deportation in just 6 months. Their employers, their universities, their communities have no idea whether they can stay and continue their lives, productively and importantly to them and their communities, those workplaces and schools where they currently give back. They not only live and work here, but they give back. prgtoken Maybe, most importantly, there is the promise that has been made to them--the promise that was made to them when they came forward and they provided the United States of America with information--some of the most personal information that exists--about their Social Security number, their birth date, their address, and their family. The promise to them was that information would never be used against them and that they had a place here for the time that DACA guaranteed it. That promise now is about to be broken. prgtoken Great countries do not break promises. The United States is the greatest country in the history of the world. It should not be breaking promises to innocent young men and women who know only this country, speak only this language, have friends here alone, and actually families here. This rescission of DACA threatens to tear apart families, decimate lives, and create disarray and derailed futures. We are a country that is better than this rescission. We are and remain a country that keeps its promises. prgtoken At our hearing, I heard from young men and women like Carolina Bortolleto, originally from Brazil, brought to the United States when she was 9. She has lived in Connecticut for 19 years. She knew she was undocumented, but what she didn't know was that getting a job after school, a driver's license, applying for scholarships and financial aid for colleges would be out of bounds for her. prgtoken Seven years ago, she graduated from college with a degree in biology, but she was stuck. She had a diploma but couldn't use it. To fight for others like her, she cofounded CT Students for a DREAM. That organization has grown and become a formidable and powerful advocate for Dreamers. prgtoken When DACA was adopted in 2012, it changed the lives of young people like Carolina. It opened a new vista. She could get a driver's license and a job at a nonprofit where she was volunteering. She testified that sh
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-9-13

first, let me once again commend the chairman for working collaboratively and cooperatively to include in this legislation over 100 amendments that have improved a very good piece of legislation. It also represents the input of the vast majority of our colleagues in the Senate. But I think, too, that we should have opportunities to debate and vote, which was typical in previous considerations of the National Defense Authorization Act. We are still considering the possibility of such votes, and I hope we can reach an appropriate conclusion to have votes and debates. But to this point, again, let me thank the chairman for his leadership and take his wise advice to think seriously about how we proceed forward with this legislation. prgtoken , .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-9-13

first let me lend my support to efforts to bring amendments before the floor later today or later this week with respect to strengthening our Nation's ``Buy American'' laws. This has been a cause that I have been working on for almost my entire career in the U.S. Congress, and it is about time we start making sure that when we are spending billions of dollars for the U.S. military, we prioritize American companies so that we don't allow for those dollars to flow overseas when we have companies in Connecticut, North Carolina, and Illinois that can do the work. This is important, and I hope we take some votes on these measures that I think will draw bipartisan support either this week or next. prgtoken I do rise, though, to lend my voice, as well, to the amendment being offered by Senator Paul. Let me stipulate that this is an extraordinary amendment to sunset an authorization of military force that currently provides the legal authorization for our continuing military efforts to take out al-Qaida as they try to plan attacks against the United States and our allies. It is time for extraordinary measures because we have simply not done our constitutional duty in declaring and authorizing war. prgtoken I would argue, as many of my colleagues do, that no matter how necessary it is for the United States to take the fight to ISIS, as we have in Iraq and Syria and other places around the world, that is not currently authorized by the U.S. Congress, and it is a fairly extraordinary leap of statutory interpretation to think that an authorization to attack al-Qaida, the perpetrators of the attacks on 9/ 11, allows you then to conduct a global war with almost no limits against this new enemy. prgtoken To me, if we don't reauthorize military action against ISIS, perhaps against other foes that we confront, then I am not sure the Congress will ever again authorize war. Why? It is a lot harder to authorize military action today than it was a century ago or 50 years ago. We aren't marching conventional armies across a field against one another. We aren't signing neat peace treaties that provide a clear end to hostilities. The enemy is shadowy and diffuse and perpetual, and victory now is harder to define than ever before. It is very easy for the U.S. Congress to just step back and say that authorizing military force is too hard. It is too difficult, so we outsource it to the executive branch to decide who we fight, where we fight, when we fight, and how we fight. That is not what the Founding Fathers imagined, and, in fact, there is very good reason to vest in the Congress the sole authority to declare war. If I thought that we were going to do this without the sunsetting of the existing AUMFs, then I wouldn't support this extraordinary measure. I have been here long enough to know that it is far too easy and convenient for this Congress to allow for an Executive, whether it be a or ic E
CONGRATULATING JOE AND ELAINE GIALLANZA UPON THE OCCASION OF THEIR 60TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-9-13

I rise today to commemorate the 60th wedding anniversary of Joseph and Elaine Giallanza, which will be celebrated on September 21, 2017. prgtoken Born in the 1930s Depression-era times, Joe and Elaine were married on September 21, 1957. Once married, Joe and Elaine employed a tremendous professional and personal work ethic, eventually founding the Giallanza Corporation, which developed and built residential housing throughout Western New York. prgtoken But from their home in Elma, Joe and Elaine enjoyed their most prized possessions--the members of the large family they were proud to call their own. Joe and Elaine raised six children: Michael, Theresa, Thomas, Mary, Peterson and the late Joseph Giallanza. Theirs was a warm home full of laughter and affection, bound together by the examples of love, faith and hard work that Joe and Elaine set for their children. Today, Joe and Elaine are the proud grandparents of 13 grandchildren who will help them celebrate their anniversary on September 21. prgtoken , I ask that you join with me and all of our colleagues to wish Joe and Elaine Giallanza a very happy and healthy 60th wedding anniversary, and to extend to the Giallanza family the very best of health and happiness in the days, months and years to come.