mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of William Barr (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-2-13

I come to the floor this afternoon to express my deep opposition to the nomination of Mr. William Barr to be our Nation's next Attorney General. prgtoken His nomination comes at a very trying time for our country. As our own President frequently twists the truth and constantly pushes the limits of the law, the American people deserve to know that the Attorney General--the top law enforcement officer in the country--is committed, above all else, to seeking truth, defending their civil and constitutional rights, administering justice on their behalf, and safeguarding our country against threats to our democracy. prgtoken I wish Mr. Barr were the person who could right the ship and stand up for the American people no matter what. I wish he were the person who could help guide our country through this critical juncture when questions about illegal payments involving both the campaign and the inaugural committee and Russia's interference in our elections and its attempts to influence millions of our friends and families must be fully explained to the public. prgtoken We know this is an administration that finds it so difficult to follow the law that it is being investigated in multiple jurisdictions at the Federal level--all of which would be overseen by Mr. Barr. prgtoken Sadly, it has become abundantly clear that Mr. Barr is incapable of being the impartial Attorney General people in communities across our country need and deserve and someone who stands up to the President when he is wrong. prgtoken Based on what I have seen over the past 2 years and despite the critical time we are in, I don't expect many of my colleagues to join me on the floor today in order to defeat this nomination. Although people across the country have been raising red flags on this nomination, my colleagues have been busy building the glidepath for Mr. Barr's nomination. In fact, just last week, the majority leader, standing here on the Senate floor, left little doubt about whether the majority would try to get this nomination sewn up. The leader referred to Mr. Barr as a ``tried and true public servant'' and a ``proven professional'' who was applying for the same job he got in 1991 under President George H. W. . The job description, the majority leader said, ``remains exactly the same as it was years ago.'' But that is the problem. Senate s are still operating as though it is the early 1990s, as if the world around them has not changed, as if what we have experienced for the past 2 years is normal. prgtoken Well, on behalf of the American people, I urge us all to wake up. For the past 2 years, we have had a President whose only consistent agenda items are self-preservation and self-dealing, whether that means flouting the law or disregarding ethics, acting with impunity, violating norms and destroying relationships with our allies, firing those who challenge him and bullyin
Nomination of William Barr (Executive Session)
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-2-13

. First of all, , I want to thank my colleague from West Virginia, Senator Capito, for her comments. I know shortly we are going to hear from the Senator from Pennsylvania. We heard from the Senator from Ohio. prgtoken This is sometimes hard for me to say as a former Governor of Virginia to a former Governor of West Virginia, but I want particularly those who are following this issue to know that no one in this body has fought for miners harder, longer, more passionately, more consistently than Joe Manchin. prgtoken It was only through his repeated efforts--and this man is like a dog with a bone in his mouth who will not let it go. At times he is stiff in the spine with folks on this side of the aisle when they wanted to say: Well, maybe no. We ought to move to something else. He has come back and back and back again. prgtoken So I am honored to stand with him one more time. Let me again say that it is with some challenge that someone from the Commonwealth of Virginia has to say these many nice things about somebody from West Virginia, but the folks in the Gallery ought to know there has been no one who has been a better advocate for miners than the Senator from West Virginia. prgtoken I don't think there is a Member of the Senate--I know at least on this side of the aisle--who has not heard at least a half dozen times about the promises Harry Truman made to the miners in 1946 and how it is our obligation to keep that word and to keep that promise. prgtoken The Senator from West Virginia has indicated why this is timely. Again, it is because we have the challenges around the pension fund. We have other challenges, but we have a crisis right now. prgtoken We talked about Westmoreland--the Westmoreland bankruptcy, 1,200 miners, 500 of those live in Virginia. If we can't get a solution on this deal right now on the American Miners Act, then a lot of those miners and their families are going to go bankrupt because their day of reckoning is already upon us. prgtoken I want to echo what the Senator from West Virginia said to urge the majority leader and, for that matter, the minority leader that there is a way--if we do the rational, sensible thing and not shut down the government on Friday, we ought to take advantage of making sure the American Miners Act is part of that provision. I can think of nothing better, as we go into the work period, than to try to give miners some certainty. prgtoken Let me just mention one other item that the American Miners Act had, and that is the strengthening of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund. This is also an issue that, if we don't get it resolved, the amount of contributions that go into that trust fund will drop in half. prgtoken I don't think many folks realize--and I think this is particularly the case in West Virginia and Southwest Virginia--black lung is still a real, enormous medical challenge. As a matter of fact, we have now seen growth in large populations i
RESTORE AMERICA'S FAITH IN OUR DEMOCRACY
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-2-13

last week I received a peculiar invitation from prgtoken the Kuwaiti Government to celebrate Kuwait's independence at the Hotel. prgtoken While Kuwait is a close ally of the United States, I feel compelled to decline the invitation. We must reject the culture of corruption that surrounds President and his family. prgtoken President promised he would drain the swamp. He promised to put the interests of the American people before his own. Yet he has used his office to enrich himself further. prgtoken According to USA Today, the President earned--get ready for this--$40 million from his Washington hotel just in 2017. This includes $350,000 in campaign funds and events hosted by the National Committee. prgtoken As we press foreign nations to better their own governments, it is clear that President has reduced America's moral authority. prgtoken I remind the President of Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, which prohibits the President from receiving gifts from a foreign power without the consent of Congress. prgtoken We must restore America's faith in our democracy. That is why I look forward to working with my colleagues to hold the administration fully accountable for their misdeeds.
REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-2-13

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 37, which would end U.S. involvement in the Yemen conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and will soon enter its 4th year. prgtoken The humanitarian situation in Yemen is grave and deteriorating. Since the conflict began in 2015 between the Saudi-led military coalition and the Houthi militias, Yemen has faced what is widely recognized as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. prgtoken The conflict has displaced millions of Yemenis, shattered the country, and triggered a famine that has 13 million men, women and children facing starvation. prgtoken Additionally, the country is facing an outbreak of cholera of unprecedented scale, with over a million cases of this disease because of the destruction of Yemen's water and sanitation infrastructure. prgtoken The United States has provided weapons, targeting assistance and refueling support to the Saudi-led coalition since the conflict began. However, this support was never authorized by Congress and is not covered by any existing Authorization for the Use of Military Force. prgtoken In addition, the coalition's bombing campaign has caused significant numbers of civilian casualties, and the conflict continues with no end in sight. prgtoken My district is home to a large Yemeni-American community, and I constantly hear stories of the suffering caused by the Yemen conflict and the dire humanitarian situation on the ground. prgtoken The breadth and magnitude of the humanitarian crisis is almost unimaginable, and we must take action to address this without delay. prgtoken This begins with ending our nation's involvement in the Yemen war. U.S. involvement in the Yemen conflict has undermined our nation's moral authority and has never been authorized by Congress. prgtoken I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, which will send a strong signal that this Congress will not stand idly by in the face of such actions. prgtoken H.J. Res. 37 will help bring an end to the suffering of the Yemeni people and reassert Congress's authority as a coequal branch of government. It is my hope that passage of this resolution will be the first step toward healing Yemen and ending this brutal and senseless conflict.
PROTECT BABIES BORN ALIVE
Carol D. Miller (Republican, WV) \u2014 2019-2-13

I rise today to stand for life. prgtoken I am a wife, a mother, and a grandmother. I have felt life quicken in my womb. I know the blessing of children, all of whom are created in God's image. And that is why I am so saddened by the pro-abortion discussions taking place around the country and in places like New York, Virginia, and others, where State legislatures are debating and legalizing abortion all the way up to birth and, in some cases, after a child is born. prgtoken I am sickened that laws are being written which allow for a baby who survives an abortion attempt to no longer receive support and care once they are born. This is infanticide. There is no other way to say it. This is an affront to life. prgtoken We must demand more from our country and our citizens. We must ensure protections for the youngest and most innocent of our citizens, both inside and outside the womb. We must take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. We must take care of our children. We must take care of and respect and cherish life.
MOMENT OF SILENCE IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE LATE HONORABLE WALTER B. JONES
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-2-13

I thank Mr. Price for yielding and for his wonderful comments remembering Walter. prgtoken On behalf of the Members of the North Carolina delegation--indeed, all the Members of our Conference--we remember our long-serving colleague, Walter B. Jones, already miss him, and express our prayers for him and his family. prgtoken Walter asked to be memorialized on the floor by his dear friend Thomas Massie, and Mr. Price will yield to him in a moment for that purpose.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Brad R. Wenstrup (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-2-13

. Madam , on February 8, 2019, I was unable to be in attendance for votes on the House floor due to the funeral of my constituent, Detective Bill Brewer of the Clermont County Sheriff's Department, who selflessly gave his life in the line of duty on February 2, 2019. prgtoken Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 72; YEA on Roll Call No. 73; YEA on Roll Call No. 74; and YEA on Roll Call No. 75.
PROTECT BABIES BORN ALIVE
John H. Rutherford (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-2-13

I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for yielding, and I appreciate this opportunity to speak for life. prgtoken , I rise today because there are actually elected leaders in this country, in the United States of America, who believe a baby can be left prgtoken to die after having been born alive. How is this even a debate in the United States of America? prgtoken When did murder become a partisan issue? prgtoken Some on the other side of the aisle call this ``parental choice'' and ``healthcare.'' prgtoken But, , I tell you that infanticide is murder, not healthcare. And abortion is not the answer to a pre-born child's physical or mental disability. prgtoken But don't just take it from me. Listen to the words of Mr. Frank Stephens, who was actually born with Down syndrome and leads a remarkable life, a life worth living. prgtoken He had this to say about abortion: ``On abortion, I don't want to make it illegal. I want to make it unthinkable. Politicians change laws. I want to change people's hearts.'' prgtoken , I want to partner with Frank Stephens because I believe that we can do both, making late-term abortion unthinkable, and illegal.
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-2-13

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 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.
REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
David Kustoff (Republican, TN) \u2014 2019-2-13

this is the final amendment to the bill. It would not kill the bill nor send it back to committee. If adopted, the resolution will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken , the attack in October last year against the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh was a devastating assault on the Jewish community. By inflicting violence on a neighborhood congregation's Shabbat morning service, the gunman sent a bone-chilling message; even in 2018, hate-filled individuals will attack Jews simply for being Jewish. prgtoken The Anti-Defamation League believes that this is the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the history of the United States of America. This tragedy is merely one part of an upsetting development that has emerged in recent years, a resurgence of anti-Semitism around the globe. prgtoken The Anti-Defamation League reported a 60 percent rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the United States from 2016 to 2017. prgtoken In December, the European Union released a survey of over 16,000 European Jews, which reported that ``anti-Semitism pervades everyday life,'' undermining European Jews' feelings of safety and security. prgtoken , we should all be alarmed by this international trend. No one should be forced to live in fear of violence, or be deterred from participating in their faith community. prgtoken The United States must remain a global leader, not only in speaking out against anti-Semitism, but in holding those who enable these vile beliefs accountable. prgtoken Our motion to recommit adds language to H.J. Res. 37 that affirms that it is in the national security interest of the United States to combat anti-Semitism around the world. It states that we must make combating anti-Semitism a priority in all of our diplomatic relationships; and we need to ensure that Jews around the world feel safe in their communities. prgtoken , I remain deeply concerned by the measure the have called up today on Yemen, but if this resolution is going to move forward, it should do so while making a strong statement that the United States has no tolerance for anti-Semitism. prgtoken I urge all Members to stand in solidarity with Jews around the world and support the motion to recommit. prgtoken , .
RECOGNIZING JL MARINE SYSTEMS, INC.
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-2-13

it is my privilege to honor a Florida small business that exemplifies innovation and how thinking outside of the box to solve problems can create technological breakthroughs. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize a small business that embodies the unique American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my distinct privilege to honor JL Marine Systems, Inc as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Located in Tampa, FL, JL Marine Systems is known in fishing communities throughout the country as the manufacturer of the Power- Pole shallow water anchor. John Oliverio, the creator of the Power- Pole, has been an angler for all his life and used this experience to create a more practical approach to shallow water fishing. As a flats fisherman, he was frustrated that bringing his boat to a stop with a push pole or an anchor required him to lose sight of fish. In 1998, John devised the concept for an anchor that he could lower from anywhere, allowing him to keep his eyes on fish. Today, the Power-Pole is a premier shallow water anchor, featuring sophisticated technology for more effective shallow water fishing. prgtoken JL Marine Systems' Power-Pole technology is available in five different models, at more than 3,500 dealers, manufacturers, and retailers. These quality products have helped JL Marine Systems to build strong partnerships in the boating and fishing industries and has earned accolades at professional fishing tournaments, in magazines, and on television shows. The Power-Pole won Best New Boating Accessory at the International Convention of Allied Sportsfishing Trades in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and won awards for its electronics at the International Boatbuilders Exhibition and Conference in 2017. prgtoken JL Marine Systems' commitment to a higher standard is not only seen in their innovative products and customer service, but also in how the company gives back to its community. JL Marine Systems is a proud supporter of the Florida Aquarium, the Coastal Conservation Association, the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, and numerous other organizations. The company also supports its community by hosting hurricane relief fundraisers and by sponsoring Tampa-area youth sports teams and high school and college fishing teams. prgtoken John Oliverio's work to develop and produce the Power-Pole shallow water anchor represents the innovation that Floridian entrepreneurs are known so well for. Through hard work and perseverance, John and his team at JL Marine Systems have revolutionized the shallow water anchor and have set an excellent example of ingenuity. I would like to congratulate John and the entire team at JL Marine Systems for being named the Senate Small Business of the Week. I wish them good luck and look forward to watching their continued growth and success.
Border Security (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-13

on Monday, I was in El Paso, TX, to talk with some of my constituents about the challenges that exist along our southwest border and how we can work together to address them. prgtoken It is almost surreal to have people here in Washington, DC, who have never been to the border and whose, perhaps, only supposed knowledge is from novels they have read or movies they have seen. Having spent quite a bit of time along the border of Texas and Mexico, myself, I can tell you it is a unique part of our country and certainly a unique part of my State. prgtoken The people you learn the most from are not the elected officials who serve here in Washington but rather from the Border Patrol, the sheriffs, the mayors, and countless others who live and work along the border. They can provide, I think, the kind of expert knowledge that we need in order to address the challenges that exist. prgtoken What they tell me and what I have learned is that there is no one- size-fits-all, because you can look at urban environments, like El Paso, or you can go out to Big Bend, which has thousands-of-feet-high cliffs overlooking the Rio Grande. Obviously, a physical barrier in one place, like in highly trafficked urban areas, is one situation, but putting it atop a 3,000-foot cliff is another. So no one-size-fits-all solution works. prgtoken That is why it is important to listen to the stakeholders who live and work in these communities, and this is key to actually doing something with the feedback they provide. What I have constantly been reminded of is that border security is a combination of three parts: physical barriers in some hard-to-control locations, personnel, and technology. What is best for a high-trafficked urban area, as I said, is probably much different than what is good for the vast expanses between the ports of entry. Figuring out what we need or where we need it is not a decision that ought to be micromanaged in Washington. It should come from the experts who know the threats and challenges along every mile of the border. prgtoken While I was in El Paso, we also talked--as we must--about the important role the border plays with our economy. Border communities in Texas depend on people and goods moving legally through our ports. prgtoken For example, in Laredo, TX, alone, about 14,000 trucks pass each day through the ports of entry. It is one of the largest if not the largest land-based port in the United States. These goods need to move legally through our ports, and any disruption in legitimate international commerce can have a swift impact on these communities. prgtoken For the people of El Paso, for example, border security means much more than just safety. It means economic security as well. Just as it is important to keep the bad actors out, it is equally important to promote efficient transit through our ports for legitimate trade and commerce. prgtoken On Monday, I also had a chance to reconnect with my