mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NOMINATION OF BERNARD L. McNAMEE
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-12-6

President has nominated Bernard McNamee to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC. prgtoken FERC is an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas, LNG, terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines, as well as licensing hydropower projects. prgtoken Historically, FERC has been independent and nonpartisan. I am concerned that, if confirmed, Mr. McNamee would threaten the nonpartisan independence of FERC. prgtoken Mr. McNamee has a long-standing history of being an opponent of clean energy and led Texas's efforts to challenge the administration's Clean Power Plan. prgtoken In remarks before the Texas Public Policy Foundation, TPPF, and sponsored by Koch Industries in February 2018, Mr. McNamee said fossil fuels are ``key to our way of life,'' but renewable energy ``screws up the whole physics of the grid.'' He also portrayed industry lawsuits with environmental groups as a ``constant battle between liberty and tyranny.'' prgtoken While at the Department of Energy, Mr. McNamee was a key player in the agency's failed attempt to bail out the coal industry and upend wholesale energy markets. prgtoken Furthermore, I am very concerned that Mr. McNamee will take us backwards in the fight to combat climate change. Just recently, the administration tried to bury the release of the Fourth National Climate Assessment report and its alarming statistics on the realities of climate change. The report found that annual average temperatures in the United States are projected to continue to increase in the coming decades and that human health and safety, our quality of life, and the rate of economic growth in communities across the U.S. are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In my home State of Maryland, the report found that one of Maryland's crown jewels, the Chesapeake Bay, will experience stronger and more frequent storms, an increase in heavy precipitation events, increasing bay water temperatures, and a rise in sea level. prgtoken FERC's independence is critical to its mission, and Mr. McNamee, if confirmed, would be a significant departure from that. prgtoken His history as being a supporter of the fossil fuel industry, an opponent of clean energy, and an opponent of progress to combat climate change are alarming. I oppose his nomination to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC.
IN RECOGNITION OF CHARLIE BRONITSKY
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-12-6

I rise to honor Charlie Bronitsky upon his departure from the city council of Foster City and the governing board of the Estero Municipal Improvement District. During his service, Charlie has been a well-reasoned, principled voice for smart change in a city undergoing significant transformation. prgtoken He was born in Brooklyn and moved to California in 1980 to finish his education in Berkeley. He is a graduate of the U.C. Berkeley School of Law, as it is now known, and practices real estate law focusing on transactions and litigation, including construction litigation. He brings to the city council a vast knowledge of land use law, mediation, and the intricacies of how every level of government operates. After he served on the planning commission for 3\1/2\ years, the residents of Foster City wisely selected him to serve on the city council, starting in 2009. prgtoken Of course, 2009 was an extraordinarily bad year for our economy. Foster City finances cratered and the council had to make very difficult decisions. City staff endured layoffs and the public endured service reductions. During this time, Charlie supported the consolidation of fire service with surrounding communities. He also supported partnering with San Mateo to deliver park and recreation services. By 2013, the city's finances were stabilized but challenges remained. An economic plan, written in part by Charlie and a colleague on the council, was passed and the city's growth since has largely followed its outline. prgtoken Charlie represents Foster City on the board of the regional water agency which guarantees clean, reliable water at a fair price to all ratepayers. He is a leader on infrastructure issues, supporting renovations of the wastewater treatment plant and levee repairs to protect residents from catastrophic flooding. The construction of a senior residence development near city hall was due to a significant degree to the leadership of Charlie Bronitsky. Throughout these times, he's been a champion for sustainability initiatives. During his second term as Mayor, the city was one of two that received a Platinum Sustainability Best Practices Award from the Institute of Local Government. prgtoken With the economy now recovered, major companies, such as Illumina and Gilead, are creating or adding to their corporate campuses in Foster City. Startups are once again moving into the office complexes in the city. Science and its bounty are powering the growth of this community that offers products and services around the globe. prgtoken Foster City is also coping with enormous traffic that travels through the city on its way to surrounding communities. Councilmember Bronitsky has repeatedly advocated for the city to experiment with measures to deal with traffic rather than conducting lengthy studies or trying half-hearted measures. He has also cautioned residents to be mindful of the way a city's budget is financed in modern-day Califo
HONORING ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY'S FOOTBALL TEAM
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2018-12-6

I rise today to honor the Alcorn State University's Football Team on becoming the 2018 SWAC Champions. prgtoken On Saturday, December 1, in Lorman, Mississippi at the Jack Spinks Stadium, Alcorn State's Football Team contested against Southern University for the SWAC Championship. This made their fifth consecutive SWAC Championship visits since 2014. The Braves have competed for the title winning three of the five, years 2014, 2015, and 2018. prgtoken The SWAC Championship Game is an American college football game that is held annually on the first Saturday in December by the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Eastern Division against the champion of the Western Division in a game that follows the conclusion of the regular season. prgtoken From 2015 onward, the winner of the game has represented the SWAC in the Celebration Bowl. Since 2013, Toyota has been the title sponsor and the contest is officially named the Toyota SWAC Football Championship. prgtoken In brief, Alcorn State University, formally known as, Alcorn A&M is a historically black university located northwest of Lorman, Mississippi. The university was founded in 1871 by the Reconstruction-era legislature to provide higher education for freedmen. It is the first black land grant college established in the United States. prgtoken One of the institution's most notable alumni was Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist, who graduated in 1952. The university is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. The student body has grown from 179 mostly male students to an enrollment of almost 4000 as of Fall 2018. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Alcorn State University's Football Team for becoming the 2018 SWAC Champions.
CLOTURE MOTION
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-12-10

reserving the right to object and to take a couple minutes to give the Members the facts they need to make a decision tonight, I want to say a couple things. prgtoken I am chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. There are many Members in this Chamber who know their responsibility to that committee is greater than any other. I come down tonight to speak on an issue that has been bothering me and has been festering for years, but nobody has ever done anything about it. Nobody has ever done the hard work of saying this is what we need to do, and this is why we need to do it this way. prgtoken Well, the House has finally done it this year, and we have done it. prgtoken Granted, this is a UC motion and not a debate on the floor. It is because we finally addressed all the issues everybody said about the blue water bill that they didn't like, except that some people would like to say it differently. prgtoken Some people want another study even though we have studied it enough to do it. Some people want to wait until the VA says they need to do this, that, or the other. Some people say the VA could call and will tell you the other. Somebody said we don't even have the right numbers of how many people this might affect. Nobody has the right number about how many people will get sick in the future from a disease we don't know exists until the time they contract it. prgtoken What happened in this case is very simple. The Veterans' Administration, years ago, decided if someone contracted one of the cancers of which a contributing factor was napalm and Agent Orange, they qualified for benefits, except if they served on the blue water, which is not the rivers, and didn't serve on the ground, then they didn't. So in other words, we have ground troops who fought in Vietnam. We have river fighters in Vietnam who get the benefit. If you served on a Navy ship carrying napalm, but you never touched the ground and only stayed on the blue water, you are not eligible. So we have two classes of victims who are veterans of the United States of America who fought and risked their lives who have been trying for years to get an equal treatment with their other brothers. prgtoken This was done for many. I am not going to go over the things I have heard because some of them are outrageous. Nonetheless, everybody looked for a way to try and get some of the benefit back once the VA had it taken over. prgtoken What the Congress is about to do--and the House has now passed a bill unanimously this year that will benefit this motion. The Senate has had two hearings, and we have done a lot of work on it. I have done a lot of work on it because I knew how big the issue was. I talked to the people in the VA. I realize everybody in here can go find somebody who says they don't like it. There are people at the VA who don't like it, but let me tell you what I don't like: I don't like having two classes of beneficiaries for disease
CLOTURE MOTION
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-12-10

reserving the right to object, I appreciate my colleagues' work on this legislation. I am pretty sure I have never opposed a bill that Senator Isakson was involved in. If you are looking for thoroughness in legislation, he is the epitome of it, but on this bill, many of us have been recently made aware of the potential cost growth and budget-sharing and operational pressures that would happen at the VA. They are having a lot of problems anyway, but the VA's analysis shows that the cost could be nearly five times what Congress assumed it was when the House of Representatives passed it--and they did pass it by those strong numbers. prgtoken A recent letter from the Congressional Budget Office estimated an increased cost from their first estimate of about $1.3 billion. So there is clearly more work to do just on figuring out the spending and the administration of this and the deficit impact this bill will have, while we still want to make sure the veterans who are having the problems get the solutions they need. prgtoken There will be a report out in June that is going to maybe narrow down the risks. I am not that excited about any studies, but another concern I have heard from veterans is the pay-for. There will be an increase in the interest rate for housing for some veterans who are trying to buy a house. That isn't enough money to cover the renewed estimates of how much this is. prgtoken I think the bill can be made more specific--which is really tough for Johnny because he has been working on it, and it will be specific--but we need to get some way to justify the numbers that range between 63,000 people and 440,000 people. That is a pretty big gap on whom we let in. If they have a problem, and we need to take care of it, I think we need to spend a little bit more time doing it. I know that is difficult at the end of a session, but as a result I am going to object.
BORDER SECURITY
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-12-10

I have spoken on the Senate floor on a number of occasions recently about the migrant crisis on our southern border and tried to shed a little more context and light on what is happening there and why this is so important not only to the United States but to our neighbors to the south, as well as Central America. prgtoken I know there is this idea out there that all we need to do is build more infrastructure along the border, and somehow this problem will be resolved. I am here to say that is not the case. The border infrastructure that some people such as the President call a wall, others call a fence, is certainly a critical piece of the puzzle, but it is much more complex than that, and it affects not only public safety in the United States, it affects our economy and jobs in the United States. prgtoken While the focus happens to be on what is happening in Tijuana or another flash point across the border, what I would encourage us all to do is not just take a narrow focus but pull back to, let's say, a 30,000-foot perspective and try to understand all this in context. We know, unfortunately, sometimes in the political arguments that are given, the facts get missed or misconstrued, and sometimes political expediency is inconsistent with our need to do the hard work necessary to find a right solution. This, of course, is part of the general debate we have about what should be our immigration policies in the United States. prgtoken I, personally, believe legal immigration has been to the benefit of our country. Virtually all of us came from somewhere else at some point in our family history, but the important point is, legal immigration is very different from uncontrolled illegal immigration, which is what we are seeing still flooding across our southern borders, when the public is paying attention and when things like the migrant crisis in Tijuana has occurred. The fact is, this is a daily occurrence. It is not just large caravans of migrants from Central America. We have minicaravans showing up on a daily basis, and these problems certainly aren't going away. prgtoken I have the honor of representing about 28 million Texans, 40 percent of whom are Hispanic, but I also represent a large number of Indian Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Chinese Americans, and Korean Americans. In prgtoken other words, we are a very diverse State. I know many people are not aware of that, but it is absolutely true. When I tell people the third most commonly spoken language in Texas is Vietnamese, it usually surprises people. Of course, like every Member of the Senate, I consult with my constituents on a regular basis to try to learn from them what they think we ought to be advocating for on their behalf. The border communities I represent have experienced very real consequences-- negative consequences--from the migrant crisis, and they have also seen the humanitarian consequences of people making this treache
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CONGRESSMAN MAC COLLINS
A. Drew Ferguson IV (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-12-10

I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Congressman Mac Collins. Mac represented the good people of Georgia's Third District, including myself, in this Chamber for a decade. prgtoken He was a real champion for the working men and women of America, and his life was an example of the American Dream. He started with nothing and built an amazing business and a wonderful life for his family. prgtoken In 1964, Mac enlisted in the Georgia Army National Guard and, like so many brave men and women before him, he donned the uniform to defend the freedoms we hold so dear. prgtoken From there, Mac went on to serve Georgians at the local and State level before coming to Washington to represent the Third District of Georgia. prgtoken After this lifetime of service, Mac passed away shortly before Thanksgiving at the age of 74. As we reflect on Congressman Mac Collins' life and mourn his passing, let us strive to follow his example and honor a lifetime of public service. prgtoken He lived the scripture, Luke 22:26: ``The greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.''
HONORING PRESIDENT GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH
Randy K. Weber, Sr. (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-12-10

George Herbert Walker asked all of us to be light in this world, to be gracious, to be diligent, and to be honest. And then he led the way by example. prgtoken His patriotism was innate. It was his guiding light, . And Barbara was his soulmate, his compass, and part of his true north. prgtoken , George H.W. was one of our last great statesmen, a member of the Greatest Generation. His love for his Nation was bested only by his love for his family. This enduring love for both is how we will long remember George H.W , and, oh, that we would emulate him. prgtoken President could walk into a room and make everyone feel like they belonged. He was the epitome of the true Southern gentleman, even though he wasn't born in the South. The South did adopt him, however, I might add, . His mannerisms and his convictions gained him respect far and wide--worldwide, in fact. prgtoken This great and good man brought us together and led the way, once again, prgtoken in that, during our time of mourning his passing, his example quieted some of the divisiveness that is on display all too often, . prgtoken We have a lot to learn from his mission and his life. Oh, that we would emulate him in that. prgtoken Last week, George H.W. arrived at his final, kindest, gentlest resting place with Barbara and Robin. He is home. prgtoken Mission accomplished, . prgtoken George Herbert Walker , , is worth emulating. Oh, that we would all do so.
IGNORANCE OR EVIL
Thomas A. Garrett, Jr. (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-12-10

over Thanksgiving, I had the amazing opportunity to accompany some impressive individuals and thought leaders from the Freedom Research Foundation, on my own dime and my own time, into Iraq and northeastern Syria. prgtoken There was a debate that ran between myself and one of these individuals over what was more dangerous, ignorance or evil. Ultimately, I suggest that perhaps ignorance is dangerous and evil is dangerous, but the most dangerous thing might be the ignorance of evil itself. In order to vanquish evil, we must first vanquish ignorance. We must recognize the evil that exists in order to correct it. prgtoken Tonight, to that end, I will speak to the realities on the ground, not only in the Middle East, but in so many parts of the world, but specifically in Iraq and Syria right now as I speak. If we don't get this right, not only will innumerable lives vanish, but entire cultures will vanish. prgtoken To my left is an image of individuals restrained and then set on fire, one of many barbaric acts that I could have chosen to visually depict the horrors that have been visited upon this region since the rise of ISIS and the Syrian civil war began. prgtoken Edmund Burke once said--and I will paraphrase, ``The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.'' I might submit that the only thing worse than doing nothing is doing the wrong thing. All too often in the Middle East Western governments' policies are some combination of the two: nothing and the wrong thing. prgtoken There are any number of ways to illustrate this, but one might be this depiction of an individual who was actively committing atrocities against prgtoken their fellow man and who was later welcomed into a Western nation as a refugee. That he went through a vetting process and was deemed to be a refugee from the very horror which he perpetrated is an anecdotal but very real evidentiary indicator of the fact that sometimes governments get it wrong. prgtoken We have gotten it wrong enough in this part of the world recently that we have seen not only ethnic cleansing but genocide on a scale that really and truly is hard to imagine the mirror of--perhaps Cambodia, certainly during the Second World War. In fact, I spent the better part of a year living in a tent in the former Yugoslav Republic of Bosnia because of ethnic cleansing and genocide. But let's put this in light. prgtoken We look the other way or do nothing so often that it becomes almost second nature. In 70 years, as civil war has raged in Burma, minority peoples--the Chin; the Kachin; the Wa; the Shan; and now, finally, receiving some attention, the Rohingya--are persecuted, exterminated, and displaced by a raging government. prgtoken And the West is quiet, perhaps not because we condone it but because we are not aware of it. prgtoken In Rwanda, over a period of 100 days, we lost about 10,000 lives a day. That is a million people. prgtoken In Bosnia, 8,
CELEBRATING THE OPENING OF THE NEW LANIER TECHNICAL COLLEGE CAMPUS
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-12-10

I rise today to recognize the opening of the new Lanier Technical College campus. prgtoken In the words of Dr. Ray Perren, ``This campus was built not only for the students of 2018 but for those who choose technical education in 2078.'' The new campus includes six buildings for technical education instruction, an economic development and campus support building, instructional building, and an administrative building and student center. prgtoken Lanier Tech's new campus was specifically designed to serve students by offering flexible training requirements, workforce training, and appropriate skills for an evolving job market. The $150-million campus will be open for classes in January 2019 and will accommodate more than 5,000 students, nearly doubling Lanier Tech's current capacity. This will, undoubtedly, improve upon their stellar job placement rate. prgtoken Throughout the nation, communities have grown tired of paying astronomical prices for degrees that quickly become outdated. A technical education provides stability in an ever-changing economy, in industries that regularly create meaningful career opportunities. prgtoken , I celebrate this investment in technical education for our local community, and I look forward to the positive impact this will have throughout Northeast Georgia.
RECOGNIZING HOWARD GARRETT OF EDMONTON, KENTUCKY
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-12-10

I would like to recognize my friend, Howard Garrett of Edmonton, Kentucky. In addition to serving as mayor since 1993, he has served as an officer of the Kentucky State Jaycees, a member of the local Industrial Board and 9-1-1 Board, and a deacon of the Edmonton Baptist Church. As an officer of the Barren River Area Development District and the Barren-Metcalfe Ambulance Board, his influence was felt throughout the region. prgtoken In his personal life, Mayor Garrett is an avid University of Kentucky and Yankees fan. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Teresa, and they are the parents to three children and grandparents to five grandchildren. Mayor Garrett has much to be proud of in his life. On behalf of the First District of Kentucky, I thank him for his years of achievement and compassionate service to the Edmonton community. Recognizing Monroe County Judge-Executive Tommy Willett