mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-7-11

the balance of my time. prgtoken I think the intelligence sharing point the gentleman from Arkansas made is very important. Let me say, there are multiple countries involved in this coalition in Yemen. prgtoken In working with the UAE, for instance, they actually do take steps to minimize civilian casualties and are reasonably successful about it in the operations that they have conducted, both from the air and the ground. prgtoken Saudi Arabia has not. And believe me, I certainly understood the malign influence of Iran and their relationship with the Houthis. But Saudi Arabia, time and time again, regrettably, has not used this intelligence sharing in a way that minimizes civilian casualties. prgtoken I had cited the instances earlier of the school bus that was bombed; the funeral party that was bombed; the civilians who are continually hit. They are not using this intelligence sharing in a way to minimize civilian casualties. And I think we need to make a statement that they are going to have to change their ways before we continue to do this. prgtoken On the broader issue, and that is really what Yemen is about for U.S. policy purposes, is Iran's influence in the region and, also, the role that Saudi Arabia plays in the violence. And the problem I have with the administration's policy right now is it would do nothing to contain what Saudi Arabia is doing, which only exacerbates the violence and creates openings for Iran. So we need to balance that. prgtoken As far Iran is concerned, right now it is hard to say where the administration's policy is going. It is a maximum pressure campaign. We have seen Iran lash out since we abandoned the nuclear deal. They are now moving more in the direction of developing a nuclear weapon than they were before we abandoned the nuclear deal. prgtoken The administration is now saying that they want to force Iran to the table to stop them from getting a nuclear weapon. prgtoken We need a better policy in Iran. I urge support for the amendment. prgtoken .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-7-11

I thank the gentleman for his thoughts. I would only say that the best way to assist Cyprus in weaning itself from the reliance of Russian weaponry is to lift the arms embargo, and this is something that both Cyprus and the United States have studied for a very long time. The best way to strengthen this partnership and alliance is to repeal this embargo. prgtoken I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, for cosponsoring this amendment and for his leadership on this issue. prgtoken , .
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to offer this amendment with Representatives Khanna, DeFazio, Omar, and Pressley. prgtoken What this amendment would do is freeze fiscal year 2020 defense spending in the NDAA to 2019 levels by reducing the overseas contingency operations account by $16.8 billion. prgtoken Now, by restoring defense spending to the levels authorized in last year's NDAA, this increase would be even more modest than the $700 billion top-line figure publicly embraced by the President just 9 months ago before he reversed course and requested an outrageous $750 billion. prgtoken Mr. Chair, just last year, the Department of Defense failed its first ever agencywide audit, something that I have long called for, along with my colleague Representative Burgess. prgtoken I want to thank Chairman Smith for including our bipartisan language on audit readiness to ensure that the DOD is acting to address waste, fraud, and abuse at the Pentagon and ensure that it has a plan in place so it can pass an unqualified audit. prgtoken If the Department of Defense cannot even keep track of its current funding, it is truly outrageous that Congress would reward the Pentagon with a massive spending increase. This amendment is simply about reining in the bloated Pentagon budget. prgtoken At the minute-by-minute level, American taxpayers are already spending nearly $2 billion a day at the fiscal prgtoken 2019 NDAA enacted levels this amendment seeks to cut funding to. prgtoken The $16.8 billion to the top-line funding level, what this amendment would do would require the fund to fund 6.8 million Head Start slots for 1 year, 1.63 million veterans receiving VA medical care for 1 year, and providing 7 million low-income children healthcare for 1 year. prgtoken Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney called OCO a slush fund and a sham when he served in Congress, and there is growing bipartisan support urging Congress to significantly cut OCO. That is why I urge ``yes'' on this critical amendment to rein in our out-of- control defense spending. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), my colleague.
Recognition of the Minority Leader (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-7-11

first, let me thank my friend from Missouri for what he and Senator Stabenow are trying to do on mental health. I know some States were included and other States were not, so I support that aspect of what he was talking about. 2020 Census prgtoken , later today, President will give a news conference in the Rose Garden about his attempts to create an Executive order to add citizenship questions to the 2020 census. That is outrageous. It is outrageous substantively, and it is outrageous because this President has so little respect for the rule of law. He thinks he can just issue Executive orders and go around the Congress, go around established law, and try to bully the courts. I believe he will be thwarted by the courts, and this will be a real test of John Roberts and the Supreme Court, whether they stand for the rule of law or are always looking for an excuse to move the country rightward. We will see. prgtoken Today, the administration has provided no legitimate legal rationale for adding this question to the census. Just yesterday, the New York Times reported that Justice Department lawyers ``resigned from the lawsuit out of ethical concerns and a belief that the suit was unwinnable.'' prgtoken Well, we all know what is going on. The administration doesn't have a legitimate legal rationale. The true motivation was even clear before the papers of that deceased designer of this question came to light. The true rationale is blatantly political and self-serving. President wants to include the citizenship question to intimidate minorities--particularly Latinos--from answering the census so that it undercuts those communities and s can redraw congressional districts to their advantage. prgtoken The Census Bureau itself determined weeks ago that including such a question would result in a significant undercount. That alone is enough for disqualification. That is not what the Constitution says-- manipulate the census so you don't get an accurate count. The President knows this. Yet he continues to pursue a cynical idea--typical of the President--cynical and against minorities, with no respect for the rule of law, mores, and values that made this country great. Day by day, he destroys them. Day by day. prgtoken The President's action is nothing more than a naked political power grab, which is one of the few things he is good at as President. It shows once again just how little respect the President has for our democracy. It is also one prong in the administration's multifaceted attack on communities of color. They are doing another one today in addition to this, which I will speak about in a minute. prgtoken Let's not forget that the census is a constitutional mandate. It has been conducted impartially by ic and administrations alike since 1790. It should be beyond the reach of partisan politics
HONORING THE BERETTA FAMILY
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam , I rise today with the Honorable Jared Huffman to honor the Beretta Family as the recipient of the 2019 Sonoma County Farm Bureau Luther Burbank Conservation Award, which recognizes an individual, business, or family that is committed to environmental stewardship. The Beretta Family Dairy has become increasingly environmentally friendly over the last 70 years. prgtoken The Beretta Family started focusing on their farm's impact on the environment in the 1950s. They stopped using chemical fertilizers, focused on pasture management, and committed to growing as much of their own feed as possible to reduce the amount of food that had to be trucked long distances. They currently produce 60 percent of the feed required for their 350 dairy cows, which not only helps the environment, but reduces the cost of feed as well. Starting in 1981, the Beretta family has used recycled water from the City of Santa Rosa to water the hay and silage on their 200 acres. By using recycled water, the family is conserving the groundwater in the aquifer underneath the Santa Rosa Plains. In 1992, the Beretta Family developed their prgtoken fertigation system which combined the cows' manure with the recycled city water and kept the manure from contaminating waterways. After they started using this system, their crop yields increased by one ton per acre. The Beretta Family Dairy was one of the first farms to collaborate with the City of Santa Rosa and the Sonoma Resource Conservation District on a nutrient offset project. The Beretta Family has hosted students from the Sonoma Resource Conservation District's FARMS (Farming, Agriculture, and Resource Management for Sustainability) Leadership program. They have provided opportunities to students that otherwise may not get to experience a working dairy. prgtoken The Beretta Family Ranch is currently operated by Doug and Sharon Beretta and their children Jennifer, Lisa, and Ryan. Lisa's son Brayden has shown an affinity for agriculture and may be the fifth generation of the Beretta Family to continue the family dairy business. In 2015, Doug Beretta, and the whole Beretta Family, were given the Water Quality Stewardship Award by the North Coast Water Quality Control Board in recognition of the family's management of water and resources on their dairy. Doug Beretta is the current Director and past President of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau and the Sonoma County Fair and is a member of the 4H Replacement Heifer Committee and the Youth AG and Leadership Foundation. prgtoken Madam , the Beretta Family is dedicated to environmental stewardship and has worked to make their dairy environmentally friendly over the last 70 years. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor them here today.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman. prgtoken I think the process that the gentlewoman is advocating in this amendment, which I support, is not militarizing the immigration system, particularly since the immigration system is mostly civil. prgtoken Most of the migrants who are coming across the border are asking for asylum. If we would simply put in place a process to be able to process the asylum seekers and to increase the legal process for them, then we wouldn't have to militarize the border by a deployment of troops or by incarcerating individuals in military facilities. prgtoken That can be a bipartisan effort. If we join with my colleague to do comprehensive immigration reform, then we will not need to utilize these facilities. I agree that immigration does not equal defense or criminalization.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Jennifer Wexton (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. prgtoken My amendment, No. 401, would examine the feasibility of piloting a workforce transition program for Active-Duty servicemen and -women who are currently in counterintelligence roles to give them the opportunity to obtain additional security clearance credentials upon their separation from service. prgtoken A problem that many servicemembers in counterintelligence face upon separation from the military is that they are unable to transition their security clearances to be eligible to start work immediately for, or in support of, a Federal intelligence agency. prgtoken The wait time to transition a security clearance can take over a year, and many of these individuals are forced to consider taking a lower paying job while they wait for the process to move forward, or we lose these individuals entirely when they take jobs in the private sector outside the intelligence community. prgtoken These are members serving in roles that are in critical needs areas for our intelligence areas, such as cyberspace operations, cyber electronic warfare, and military intelligence. prgtoken Because of these difficulties, our intelligence agencies are losing out on a highly qualified and diverse talent pool whose skills and training have already been paid for by the Federal Government. prgtoken Madam Chair, my amendment would help ensure that those veterans who have service in our military's intelligence fields, can continue to use their abilities to protect our Nation well beyond their military service.
Border Security (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-11

. The net result of this has been the announcement by the administration that, come Sunday, we will see mass arrests and deportations in this country. Reports from the New York Times are that thousands will be rounded up, arrested, and deported. When possible, they say, family members will be arrested together and will be held in family detention centers. prgtoken Have these people committed crimes since they have been in the United States? There is no evidence of it. It is simply the fact that they are undocumented at this moment, and many of them may have lived here for years. These arrests and mass deportations are going to create fear in communities across the United States, including in the city of Chicago, which I am honored to represent. For what? It will not make America safer for us if we deport these people. Sadly, it is going to mean that their families will be torn apart and that there will be more children and families in detention. prgtoken We were told there was a humanitarian crisis and that we needed to apply ourselves and make certain that we had billions of dollars to deal with it, and we did. Now the administration has turned around and announced a new wave of splitting up families and deporting them from the United States. This is not what America is all about. There is a way for us to deal with immigration in a sensible, thoughtful, rational way. Cruelty has no place in the history of this country, and it has no place when it comes to the treatment of those who are in the United States today. prgtoken .
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam , on roll call no. 437, I mistakenly voted ``nay'' when I intended to vote ``aye.'' I was a cosponsor of H.R. 1044 in this and the previous Congress. I firmly believe that our immigration system needs comprehensive reform and this legislation is a small but important first step to alleviate the decades-long backlogs in our outdated employment and family-based immigration systems.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Chris Pappas (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment on behalf of all the children and families across our Nation who have been impacted by the harmful effects of PFAS contamination. prgtoken As of August 2017, the Department of Defense identified over 400 Active and BRAC installations in the United States where there ``is a known or suspected release of PFOS/PFOA.'' prgtoken The Environmental Working Group estimates that 475 industrial facilities may be discharging PFAS directly into bodies of water, some of which are used as a drinking water source. It also estimates that more than 100 million Americans may be drinking PFAS-tainted water. prgtoken This should be concerning to all of us because science has linked PFAS with developmental delays for children and serious health conditions, including cancer, immune system disorders, and thyroid problems. prgtoken To date, however, the EPA has yet to act to set standards under the Clean Water Act. That is why this amendment is needed. prgtoken In my home district in New Hampshire, we are grappling with this issue in a number of communities. In the town of Merrimack, industrial pollution from a manufacturer has contaminated drinking water that thousands relied on. At Pease Air Force Base on the seacoast, PFAS chemicals have been used by the military for decades and have been detected in the surrounding environment as well as private and municipal wells. prgtoken My constituents have become far too familiar with the impacts of living in communities where these toxic chemicals are present. This is more than just a matter of tests, data sets, and parts per trillion in the abstract. The burdens of these chemicals are carried by real people. I hear their stories firsthand. prgtoken A woman who has taken an active role on the front lines of this fight and who contacted my office recently prgtoken worked at Pease Air Force Base for almost 10 years. Her son was exposed to PFAS prenatally and for 5 years while attending preschool and kindergarten by drinking water from an affected well. He was sick often as a child, and his mother has ongoing concerns about his health and immune system stemming from that early exposure. Not only is her family dealing with these physical impacts, they are dealing with the uncertainty and lingering questions about the facts and difficulty with testing and diagnosis, and they are left to wonder if and when things may get worse. prgtoken It is for reasons like this that I have been committed to advocating for families like these in my district and why I have joined the bipartisan PFAS task force to help come up with solutions. prgtoken While there are countless questions we must answer, due to the relentless work of advocates, community leaders, and concerned citizens, the all too pervasive issue of PFAS contamination has been brought to light. prgtoken The dedicated work of family, friends, and neighbors band
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-7-11

I would just like to add a personal perspective. prgtoken I was raised in Washington, D.C and I remember fondly my father and mother packing the six kids in the station wagon with the blankets, but it was never a partisan affair. It was about and s and families in our Nation. prgtoken I had hundreds and hundreds of my constituents at the Lincoln Memorial say that this was the most egregious display of personal ego they have ever seen.
HONORING THE LIFE OF MICHELLE ``MISSY'' LANGER
Elaine G. Luria (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam , I rise today to honor and recognize the late Michelle Langer, who was senselessly murdered in the Virginia Beach Municipal Center shooting. Virginia Beach lost Michelle far too soon. prgtoken For 12 years, Michelle, also known as Missy, was a faithful administrative assistant for the Department of Public Utilities for the City of Virginia Beach. She had plans to retire soon. An Ohio native, Missy's heart was drawn to Virginia Beach and she decided to call it home. Missy's life of hard work and service to the community will forever be remembered. prgtoken Missy will be missed by all her loved ones. Hampton Roads significantly benefited from her presence; she made our community a better place. Today we remember and honor her life.
HONORING THE PORT CHICAGO 50
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the Port Chicago 50. prgtoken In 1944, a cargo vessel exploded at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine, located in my district, resulting in the deadliest home front disaster of World War II. The men loading ammunition at the site were African American. When the surviving African American 258 sailors understandably refused to return to those unsafe conditions, 50 were discriminately charged with and convicted of mutiny. prgtoken Congress and the Administration have repeatedly recognized the injustice the Port Chicago 50 suffered. Congress directed the creation of a memorial, the Executive branch pardoned one of the 50, and then- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recognized the ``well-documented challenges associated with uniformed service by African Americans during that era'' and said he ``strongly support[s] executive action in favor of'' the Port Chicago 50. prgtoken An amendment I filed to the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2500) calls for the Navy to exonerate them, a process used in prior NDAAs for wrongfully convicted service members. prgtoken As we near the 75th anniversary of the explosion, let us follow President 's Port Chicago tribute: ``may we carry forward their legacy by renewing our resolve to tackle injustice in our time.'' prgtoken I would like to particularly thank the Friends of Port Chicago, including Reverend Diana McDaniel, Professor John Lawrence at the University of California Washington Center, former Congressman George Miller, and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for all of their work and support for this cause. prgtoken I am grateful to my colleagues for their support of this amendment and look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to ensure this important provision remains in the bill that is ultimately signed into law.