mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IRAN
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-1-15

last week we were very close to an act of war between the United States and Iran. I must tell you, we have been talking about this potential threat for a long time. I am a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. We have held numerous meetings in our discussion about the fact that there is no authorization for the use of military force by the United States against Iran that has been approved by Congress. I remember, during hearings, listening to administrative witnesses who said: Well, there is no intent to use force against Iran. prgtoken Well, Congress did not act. Even though, I must tell you, several of our colleagues, including this Senator, had urged us to take up an authorization for the use of military force in regards to the problems in the Middle East, there was no action taken. I want to applaud Senator Kaine, who has been working on this for several years, and our former colleague Senator Flake, who did everything they could to bring a bipartisan discussion and action in regards to exercising congressional responsibility on the use of force by our military. prgtoken Well, we now know that this is a real threat, that we may be going to war without Congress's involvement, which is contrary not only to our Constitution but to the laws passed by the U.S. Congress. So I want to thank Senator Kaine and Senator Lee for filing S.J. Res. 68, a bipartisan resolution. I hope it will receive the expedited process that is envisioned in the War Powers Resolution, and I hope that we will have a chance to act on this in the next few days. It is our responsibility--Congress's responsibility--to commit our troops to combat, and it rests squarely with the legislative branch of government. prgtoken Let me first cite the Constitution of the United States. You hear a lot of discussion about the Constitution here on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Article I, section 8, of the Constitution says that Congress has the power to declare war. prgtoken Now, that was challenged in the 1970s, after Congress had passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution in regards to our presence in Vietnam. prgtoken It was passed in an innocent way to protect American troops and ships that were in that region, but as we know, that resolution was used as justification by President Johnson and others to expand our involvement in Vietnam and, ultimately, led to a very active and costly war for the United States--and lengthy war, I might add. prgtoken In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Act. It wasn't easy. President Nixon vetoed it. We overrode the veto in a bipartisan vote in the U.S. Congress. We did that because of the abuse of power during the Vietnam war. prgtoken Let me read what the War Powers Act provides because it is very telling in regard to what we saw last week in regard to Iran, a little over a week ago now. It requires consultation with Congress by the President ``in every possible instance before committing troops
APPOINTING AND AUTHORIZING MANAGERS FOR IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-1-15

. Madam , . prgtoken Madam , the resolution before us today appoints managers to prosecute the Senate impeachment trial of President . prgtoken This trial is necessary because President gravely abused the power of his office when he strong-armed a foreign government to announce investigations into his domestic political rival. He betrayed our country when he used powers of his office, including withholding vital U.S. military assistance, to pressure that government to help him win reelection. prgtoken He invited foreign interference into our elections again. He jeopardized our national security. He did all of this for his personal political gain. prgtoken And then he violated the Constitution by stonewalling Congress' efforts to investigate, ordering an absolute blockade of evidence. Despite that, the House was able to uncover powerful evidence that demonstrates, beyond a doubt, the President's betrayal and violations of the Constitution. prgtoken But we still have not heard the whole truth because the President has refused to allow a single document to be turned over to the House in response to our impeachment subpoenas, and he prgtoken has prevented us from hearing key witnesses as well. This is unprecedented. prgtoken Our has led our fight to a fair trial in the Senate. Above all, a fair trial must include additional documents and all relevant witnesses. prgtoken The American people have common sense. They know that any trial that does not allow witnesses is not a trial; it is a coverup. prgtoken The 's insistence on this point has gotten results. Just yesterday, we received critical new evidence from the President's former associate, Lev Parnas, that further proves Mr. 's scheme to pressure Ukraine to go after his personal political opponents. prgtoken New witness testimony has become available as well, including John Bolton's announcement that he would honor a Senate subpoena. prgtoken Under today's resolution, the managers also have broad authority to submit to the Senate any additional evidence the House may acquire on its own, and we will do so. prgtoken The Senate is on trial. We will see whether they conduct a fair trial and allow the witnesses or conduct a coverup. Today's resolution is the next step in this serious and solemn constitutional process. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the resolution, and .
IRAN
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-1-15

I rise today to discuss U.S. policy regarding Iran. We know that in 2009 the new administration came into office at a time when the Iranian regime was racing to develop a nuclear weapon. The prospect of the Iranian regime with a nuclear weapon would present a substantial threat to America and to our allies. At the same time, Iran was engaged in a host of other malign activities, but the most urgent and significant threat was nuclear. prgtoken In 2013, Iran was 2 to 3 months from being able to build a nuclear weapon. The administration decided to use hard-nosed diplomacy resulting in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known by the acronym JCPOA. This agreement was entered into with a number of countries, three of them our allies--the United Kingdom, France and Germany. We also had two partner countries--countries with which we have a lot of tensions and conflict. We were partners with China and Russia. So this agreement stretched from one end of the world to the other. prgtoken The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon by, among other steps, authorizing some of the most intrusive inspections that have ever been put into place. This agreement, the JCPOA, did not cover several other nonnuclear malign activities that the Iranian regime was and is engaged in. The JCPOA isolated and largely solved the most dire threat, that of a nuclear- armed Iran in the near future. prgtoken This agreement, from its signing in 2015 through 2018, worked. Until recently, Iran was complying with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. That is the considered judgment of the International Atomic Energy Agency, known as IAEA. The considered judgment of the U.S. intelligence community was that Iran was complying with the agreement. It was also the judgment made by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Defense in both the administration and the administration. prgtoken The determination that Iran was complying with the agreement is also the assessment of our allies and partners with whom the administration worked to bring into a coalition. prgtoken Here is a sampling of assessments prior to recent events. In September 2017, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that Iran is in ``technical compliance'' with the JCPOA. prgtoken Second, in October 2017, then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis stated that Iran was ``fundamentally'' in compliance with the JCPOA. ``Overall our intelligence community believes that they have been compliant and the IAEA also says so,'' said General Mattis, then Secretary of Defense. prgtoken In March 2018, IAEA Director Amano stated: ``Iran is implementing its nuclear-related commitments. . . . If the JCPOA were to fail, it would be a great loss for nuclear verification and for multilateralism.'' prgtoken Finally, No. 4, in January 2019, former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, a former Rep
HEALTHCARE
Jennifer Wexton (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-1-15

before coming to Congress, I served for 5 years in the Virginia General Assembly, and the proudest vote I ever took in Richmond was to pass Medicaid expansion in Virginia. prgtoken Today, as a result of that expansion, more than 375,000 Virginians now have coverage under Medicaid. It has been a win-win for everyone involved--for those who would otherwise go uncovered and for the hospitals and healthcare providers who often provide service to the uninsured without compensation. A recent study has even suggested that Medicaid expansion has saved thousands from opioid overdoses. prgtoken Medicaid expansion saves lives, and the success we have seen in Virginia is thanks to the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Americans need to know that while my colleagues and I are fighting to protect and strengthen the ACA, and the congressional s are in court right now working to strike down the ACA with no plan or replacement. prgtoken Without the ACA, Medicaid expansion, which covers 17 million Americans, is in jeopardy, and so is coverage for more than 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions. With so much at stake, I urge my colleagues to end their attacks. In the meantime I will continue to fight back.
PROTECTING OLDER WORKERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ACT
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-1-15

this is, as my colleague has indicated, a distraction. This has nothing to do with truck drivers or the PRO Act. We are talking about discrimination against older workers. We are talking about victims of discrimination, not who gets to discriminate against them. prgtoken We have a problem that older workers are facing discrimination, and everybody knows it. National organizations representing senior citizens, advocacy groups, and civil rights groups, including the AARP, have all written letters asking us to protect workers against discrimination. prgtoken We are correcting the Supreme Court case and the Gross decision, which makes it very difficult, if not impossible, for older workers to prove their cases. We need to defeat this distraction and pass the bill to protect older workers against discrimination. prgtoken , I hope we can defeat the motion and pass the bill.
JUNE PARKINSON REMEMBRANCE
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-1-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor my constituent and friend, June Parkinson. June passed away on January 4 at the age of 64. prgtoken June was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother, a gifted artist and special education teacher, and a true community leader. She devoted her life in prgtoken service to others sharing her talents for the betterment of us all. prgtoken June was a longtime committee-person of the Greater Glenside Patriotic Association and chairperson of the Glenside Fourth of July Parade. The annual parade is the longest continuous Independence Day parade in America and the pride of our hometown of Glenside. June made it her mission each year to ensure this treasured tradition continued. prgtoken June was an environmental activist best remembered for spearheading the yearly Earth Day clean-up of Keswick Avenue. prgtoken Even though June was born in Boston and was a Red Sox fan, all of us Phillies fans in Glenside embraced and thanked her for her kind heart, her giving spirit, and her dedication to community. prgtoken I join June's friends, family, and the wider Glenside community in mourning her loss. I am thankful for June's example of quiet acts of service, and I am better for having known June.
PROTECTING OLDER WORKERS AGAINST DISCRIMINATION ACT
Andy Levin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-1-15

I remind everybody that this is a bipartisan proposal, and it has undergone substantial debate since it was first introduced over a decade ago. prgtoken Over the past 10 years, Congress has deliberated on this bill through four legislative hearings, including two hearings in the Education and Labor Committee. Both the House and the Senate have introduced and gradually improved this legislation in the 111th, 112th, 113th, 114th, 115th, and now the 116th Congress. It is long overdue that we take action. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge all colleagues to oppose this amendment, and .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-1-15

a lot is happening right now across our country and in Washington, DC, and in the House and the Senate--and across the globe, for that matter. There are a lot of issues. There is one that has not received the attention it should, which is about a group of Americans who have suffered enormous calamity in the last few days who deserve our attention and our focus. prgtoken I am speaking, of course, about the devastation in Puerto Rico. Seismologists report that over 1,200 tremors, earthquakes, and aftershocks have struck the island since January 1. More prgtoken than 70 of these were of a magnitude 3.5 or greater. Residents on the island have felt at least 100 of these earthquakes. The largest of the quakes, a magnitude 6.4, struck last Tuesday, taking one life and injuring many others. prgtoken More than 2 weeks after the Earth started shaking, these quakes and aftershocks are still going on. In fact, this last weekend, the island was struck by an earthquake with a 5.9 magnitude. Yesterday morning, a 4.6-magnitude tremor could be felt. This morning, there was a 5.1- magnitude quake. prgtoken The damage from these quakes is so severe, it can be seen from space. According to NASA, the satellite shows the land in parts of Southern Puerto Rico, near the epicenter of the quake, has moved 5\1/2\ inches. That is a very dramatic change in the landscape. prgtoken You don't have to be in space; you don't have to have those images or be orbiting the planet and looking down to see the damage because the damage is everywhere. There is $110 million in damages estimated by the Governor's office. Other estimates from the Geological Survey now have the damage approaching $1 billion. prgtoken Power has been restored to most of the island, but periodic outages are still happening in different parts of the island, and severe energy conservation is in place. prgtoken The Costa Sur plant in the town of Guayanilla was so severely damaged, they are telling us that it will take over a year to get it up and running. That island needs 500 megawatts of emergency generation until that plant is fixed. prgtoken As of last Thursday, hundreds of thousands were without water. The world-renowned chef Jose Andres' relief organization World Central Kitchen has served tens of thousands of meals in just the last few days. Buildings and homes have collapsed and been destroyed. Thousands are living outside of their homes, both with the damage done and the damage feared. prgtoken It is reported that a total of 559 structures are affected. Look at this picture. Look at this pile of rubble lined up and crossing the street of collapsed buildings, hundreds of piles like that where building, or parts of buildings, once stood. There are 4,000 to 6,000 residents in shelters, thousands sleeping in hammocks or inflatable mattresses and in tents because they are afraid to sleep in their homes. prgtoken My heart goes out to the people of Puerto Rico who a
HONORING MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
Antonio Delgado (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-1-15

. Madam , I rise today to honor one of my heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr who was born on this day, 91 years ago. prgtoken Next Monday, the Nation will pay tribute to this incredible man and his life, as well as his enduring legacy, a legacy rooted in unconditional love. prgtoken In these difficult and divided times plagued by the rise of hate, I can't think of a better legacy to reflect upon as we embark upon this year. prgtoken The road ahead will be difficult for our Nation, but I am encouraged by and find great hope in the following words once spoke by Dr. King: ``We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued the self-defeating path of hate. . . . `Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damming choice of death and evil. Therefore, the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.' ''
CONGRESSIONAL PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS
Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-1-15

I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken I rise in support of the resolutions presented by my friends from California, Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Khanna. They are long overdue. prgtoken The actions of this President over the last few weeks are an escalation of the reckless, arrogant, and ignorant foreign policy of this White House, if you can even call these hasty decisions a policy. The President's actions lack a coherent strategy. He lacks an understanding of history, and he lacks the foresight to see the consequences of his actions. prgtoken Last week, the House and the Senate received briefings that failed to answer our questions about the basic facts behind the decision to kill Major General Qasem Soleimani. Senators themselves said the briefing was so poorly presented that they left more opposed to the President's actions than before they were briefed. prgtoken In other words, the more we learn about this debacle, the less faith anyone has in the White House's ability to make these decisions. prgtoken Some of the questions asked by Members of Congress in that briefing went unanswered for so-called security reasons. Yet they were later addressed in interviews and press conferences by members of the administration as they tried to cover for the President's lies and obfuscations. prgtoken That is why I will join , and hopefully any Member of the House unwilling to watch us enter another endless war, in voting for these bills to limit the President's ability to engage in further aggression with Iran and keep American troops out of harm's way. prgtoken The President has spent the days since his ill-advised attack blustering to reporters and on twitter, including threatening to attack cultural sites, a war crime of which the only outcome would be maiming and killing civilians. prgtoken Just last week he ticked off a list of Iranian aggressions that he claimed were the result of the Iran deal. In fact, each event he cited occurred only after his foolish decision to pull out of the deal. These resolutions are critical to curtailing any further misguided action by President . prgtoken The fact is, this action that he has taken makes Americans less safe. It threatens our diplomats abroad with retribution, it threatens our military personnel in the region, and it threatens Americans working in the region. prgtoken Many, many years ago, Senator George McGovern said: ``I am fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.'' Well, I am fed up too, and so are the American people. prgtoken Reports suggest the President thought this move would be celebrated by Americans. But I speak for myself and the hundreds of constituents who have messaged me when I say: No more, Mr. . We don't want this war. We don't want war with Iran. No continuing escalation, no more killings, and no more sending our daughters and sons into harm's way to appease the fragile
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-1-15

as we all know too well rates of suicide have risen to epidemic levels in the United States, with suicide now the 10th leading cause of death in the country. On average, there are 129 suicides every day, roughly one every 11 minutes--a staggering statistic. That is why I am pleased to be introducing bipartisan, bicameral legislation to provide new resources to help turn the tide on this increasingly dire situation. I am joined in introducing the Suicide Prevention Act by Senator Kennedy, with Representatives Chris Stewart and Doris Matsui introducing companion legislation in the House of Representatives. prgtoken This legislation would authorize new funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, to partner with the State and local health departments to improve surveillance of suicide attempts and other incidences of self-harm. Current data collection efforts regarding suicide are often years after the fact, which limits the ability of State and local health departments, as well as community organizations, to recognize trends early and intervene. This new effort would enhance data collection and sharing, as appropriate, in real time to help save lives. prgtoken Recognizing that emergency healthcare providers are at the frontlines of responding to suicide attempts, this bill would authorize funding for a grant program within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA, to fund suicide prevention programs in emergency departments, ED, to better train staff in suicide prevention strategies, screen at-risk patients, and refer patients to appropriate followup care. The legislation would also require SAMHSA to develop best practices for such programs, so that healthcare providers are able to provide their patients with the best possible care and advice. Approximately 37 percent of individuals without a previous history of mental health or substance abuse who die by suicide make an ED visit within the year before their death. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, the risk of suicide is greatest within a month of discharge from the hospital. prgtoken In 2017, 47,173 Americans lost their lives to suicide. That same year, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts. We must renew our efforts on suicide prevention. In 2004, working with my colleague Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, we authored the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act. This law authorized new youth suicide prevention programs in honor of Senator Smith's, son, who tragically died by suicide just a couple of weeks short of his 22nd birthday. For over a decade, these programs have funded college campus, State, and Tribal efforts to prevent suicide among our youth and young adult populations, who are particularly at risk of suicide. During this time, youth suicide rates have decreased significantly in my home State of Rhode Island, however, nationwide, suicide rates have skyrocketed over the
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-1-15

. I saw this when Senator Wyden and I announced the success of getting Brown-Wyden into the bill. I heard from a lot of--shall we say--pro-, pro-corporate lawmakers in this body, mostly on that side of the aisle but all over. They were pretty angry because they thought this was going to be another trade agreement--USMCA was going to be another trade agreement written by corporations, mostly written in secret, that will serve corporate interests, that will pad the bottom line, that will help million-dollar-a-year executives make multimillion dollars a year, that will help their major stockholders and will ignore workers. prgtoken They were fine with that because that is too often what this body does. They found that--oh, my gosh--this trade agreement actually puts workers at the center. That was, I know, your goal and my goal. That is why people at your town meetings in Eugene and Portland and Bend and all over Oregon are going to hear from you about how this will help the middle class, fundamentally. prgtoken I appreciate the time.