mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-8-21

the administration's so-called Clean Power Plan offered a typical story from that era, an innocent- seeming name, a pleasant-sounding objective, but underneath, an intrusive regulatory regime built not on effective policy but on far- left ideology. That is why I am so grateful today that the administration is unveiling its plan to pare back this unfair, unworkable, and likely illegal policy. prgtoken Remember, the far left tried to push through radical legislation like an energy tax through the last Congress. Well, enough of us knew it would have hurt American competitiveness, victimized the poor, and done little to actually give the American people a cleaner environment, but instead of learning from those failures, the administration tried to go it alone and impose their radical agenda unilaterally. prgtoken The so-called Clean Power Plan they dreamed up would have had no meaningful effect on global emissions. It would, however, have packed up middle-class American jobs and sent them right overseas. It would have piled a heavier burden onto the most vulnerable families. Lower income Americans are hit the hardest when energy costs take off, and this plan was projected to yield double-digit percentage increases in electricity costs of 40 States, of course, including Kentucky. prgtoken Unfair, ineffective, unaffordable, more than likely illegal. That is quite the pedigree. prgtoken That is why I fought the administration's entire War on Coal, which was centered around this regulation, tooth and nail. I submitted an amicus brief to the courts when this was challenged for exceeding the scope and intent of the Clean Air Act. I championed legislation to cancel it entirely. On two occasions, I wrote to every Governor in the Nation asking them to not be complicit in implementing this outrageous overreach until the courts had ruled on its legality. prgtoken My colleagues and I have been at this for quite some time. prgtoken That is why the President's actions today are so encouraging. Today's proposed rule is the first step in the process. I look forward to engaging in this process as it moves forward toward a better outcome for Kentucky and for the entire country. Appropriations prgtoken , on another matter, the Senate is considering the eighth and ninth of 12 appropriations measure for fiscal year 2019. They will deliver on most of the important promises we make to the American people. prgtoken First and foremost is our promise to defend the Nation and to meet our obligation to the brave men and women who do so, to ensure that if we send them into battle, they will be prepared and equipped to prevail. prgtoken Secretary Mattis and our Nation's top military commanders have made their assessments perfectly clear. Our security and our interests are challenged every day across the globe by a wide array of threats, whether nation states or
RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE EDWARD A. PEASE
Larry Bucshon (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-8-21

I rise today to recognize the Honorable Edward A. Pease for his tireless commitment to the Boy Scouts and continued leadership within the Terre Haute community. prgtoken Pease, a former member of this House representing the Hoosier state, has been extensively engaged in the betterment of his community, holding many positions on the boards of local, state, and national organizations most notably the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. prgtoken He has been involved with the Boy Scouts for more than five decades, earning the Eagle Scout Award in 1965 and was selected as the Boy Scouts of America Alumnus of the Year in 2015. Pease has not only served as the chairman of the organization but has also received the Distinguished Eagle Scout, Silver Antelope, and Silver Beaver awards in recognition of his outstanding volunteer service. prgtoken Congratulations on another well-deserved recognition of service to our community and for leading by example.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-8-21

the Senate has developed a bad habit. That bad habit is treating Presidential nominees as innocent until nominated. I hope to see better behavior during the next few weeks as the Senate begins hearings on President 's nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to be a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. Instead of treating Judge Kavanaugh as someone recently released from San Quentin prison, I hope we treat him with dignity and respect so Americans can better understand his temperament, his intelligence, and his character. That is what we should want to know about a Presidential nominee for the Supreme Court. prgtoken The current rudeness is a recent phenomenon. Historically, Senators have recognized that bipartisan approval of qualified nominees helps improve the esteem of the Court. It confirms its impartiality. It strengthens it as an institution. For example, conservative Justice Antonin Scalia was confirmed unanimously by this body even though he was perhaps the most conservative Justice on the Court. On the other hand, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed with only three votes against her even though she may arguably be the most liberal Justice on the Court. Both were obviously well qualified, of good character, high intelligence, and good demeanor, and therefore the Senate--unanimously in one case and with only three ``no'' votes in the other case-- confirmed the President's nominees. prgtoken More recently, half the ic Senators voted to confirm President 's nominee Chief Justice John Roberts. In 2014, I voted to confirm President 's nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, not because I agreed with her but because I thought she was obviously well qualified for the position. prgtoken Some Senators insist that Judge Kavanaugh should tell them how he might decide a case. That reminds me of a story from Senator Howard Baker, the former majority leader of the U.S. Senate, who was a practicing lawyer in the mountains. He said he was once before a mountain judge who told the lawyers right before the case: ``Boys, just give me a little bit on the law. I had a telephone call last night, and I pretty well know the facts.'' Judges aren't supposed to decide a case in advance. That is why we have judges--to create an impartial judicial system. prgtoken Justice Ginsburg said during her confirmation that she would give ``no hints, no forecasts, no previews'' of what her legal views might be if she were to be confirmed. This rule is now known as the Ginsburg rule. Justices are supposed to follow the law and decide cases when the cases are presented, not before Justices are confirmed or while they are being confirmed. prgtoken Of course, a Justice's opinions and decisions can be surprising. That has been true throughout the history of the Supreme Court. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was often surprised by Justice Felix Frankfurter. Justice Scalia once ruled that a government ban on flag-burning viola
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019--Continued
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-8-21

. After the announcement that was made this morning--it was a great announcement, long awaited--I think it is appropriate that we talk a little bit about it. When withdrew from the Paris Agreement and pulled back from the Clean Power Plan, we heard from the environmental extremists and the liberals declaring that the administration's actions will ``endanger public health, our environment and our economic prosperity.'' That was Governors Brown and Cuomo. They further declared that ``if we don't decarbonize our future, people are going to die.'' People are always going to die. That is what the extremists always say. I guess there must be a population out there that actually believes that. prgtoken However, the opposite is happening even without a one-sided international agreement or the punishing Clean Power Plan. In effect, in 2017, the United States led the world in CO2 reductions, while China and India led the world in increasing CO2 emissions. How many people know that? All you ever hear about is that we are the guilty one in terms of our emissions. That is not true at all. Just think, both China and India led the world in increasing CO2 emissions. These are the guys our previous President, , would have us believe were actually making great sacrifices, and here they are leading in increasing CO2 emissions. prgtoken When we passed tax reform, the claimed we would experience ``Armageddon''--Nancy Pelosi said that--and taxes on middle-class families would increase. As we have seen, tax reform has been a resounding success, with 4 percent unemployment and nearly 4.1 percent GDP growth in the last quarter. prgtoken Right after Congresswoman Pelosi made the statement that taxes would increase on all middle-class families, the Washington Post fact-checked the ic claims, giving them four Pinocchios, as 80 percent of middle-class families are paying less in taxes. In other words, 80 percent of middle-class families are paying less in taxes now than they were. Yet she was saying that taxes on all middle-class families were going to have to increase. prgtoken You hear these things--they can't look at success and see what is happening and really appreciate it without rousing everyone on the other side with extreme accusations. With every Executive order and Congressional Review Act resolution that rolled back regulation after burdensome regulation, we heard that the end of days was coming. prgtoken Let's pause here for a minute and see how you get rid of some of these regulations. There are two ways of getting rid of regulations. One is you do it with an Executive order. Sometimes that doesn't work. You can't use an Executive order in certain types of regulation, so you have to go with the Congressional Review Act. prgtoken It is kind of interesting because we started the Congressional Review Act over 20 years ago. Prior to this administration, it had been used successfully only once
TRIBUTE TO KEN FLANZ
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2018-8-21

today, I wish to salute Ken Flanz, my longtime legislative director and senior-most legislative policy adviser who is retiring from the Senate, for his nearly 30 years of devoted congressional service. prgtoken Next month, he joins his loving wife, Meghan, in her hometown in southern California. I was honored to attend their wedding in 2003 at St. John's Church near the White House, with their families and friends. prgtoken Ken has been an integral part of my legislative team since he became part of my staff in 1997 during my service in the U.S. House of Representatives. He joined my staff after working for former Representative Martin Hoke, from 1993-1997 and former Representative Bill McCollum, from 1990-1991. His tenure on Capitol Hill has a wide range, having worked in both legislative bodies, in every Congress stretching back to the 101st Congress, five Presidential administrations, leadership shifts, and staff changes. His integrity, dedication, and longevity have served my State and our Nation well throughout. prgtoken Beyond his leadership on my senior management team, Ken has taken on tremendous responsibilities, as I have counted on him to cover many different issues over the years. He has been a trusted counsel, providing detailed work and advancing my policy agenda on diverse matters, including appropriations, international trade, intelligence, foreign affairs, energy, the environment, government reform, and the Federal judiciary. This includes his work covering my role as a Commissioner on the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform and leadership with the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group for many years. Ken understands the nuance, skill, and discretion needed to effectively navigate work with other countries and differing viewpoints, and he has taken on the challenges with tact and diplomacy. prgtoken Ken also assisted with my assignments on at least six committees, including Senate Finance; Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Senate Environment and Public Works; Senate Judiciary; Senate Indian Affairs; and the Joint Select Committee on Solvency of Multiemployer Pension Plans. During my tenure in the House, he also assisted me on the House Energy and Commerce and Agriculture Committees. prgtoken He has always been ready and able to fill gaps and cover what needs to be done as he has supported and filled out the staff. In addition to his principal issue assignments, he has covered taxes, healthcare, and education when staff vacancies occurred or the need required. Simply put, the complete list of policy issues he has handled throughout his time in Congress is extensive and likely too long test. prgtoken Ken can also point to achievements in helping me enact legislation relating to environmental protections, defense initiatives, Tribal sovereignty, land conveyances, and delivering assistance to Idaho communities and institutions. He was also instrumenta
RECOGNIZING STEVE CRONIN
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-8-21

the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is home to America's first volunteer fire company founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1736. Every day residents across Pennsylvania rely on the 72,000 volunteer firefighters serving communities across the commonwealth to save lives and protect property. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of these men and women. prgtoken Today, I rise to honor one exceptional volunteer firefighter in Pennsylvania's eighth district, Mr. Steve Cronin. Mr. Cronin served the Midway Volunteer Fire Company as chief from 2008 through 2011. In 2013, Mr. Cronin was recognized as Firefighter of the Year by the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce and the Burpee Family. prgtoken Steve's commitment takes him well beyond responding to fire calls. Steve is recognized by his fellow volunteers from Midway Volunteer Fire Company and the Bucks County Fire Chiefs Association for his leadership and expertise. prgtoken So today, on behalf of the constituents residing in Buckingham Township, Bucks County and surrounding area, I would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Steve Cronin, and thank him for his years of dedication and heroism; answering the call of duty and carrying out the mission of the Midway Volunteer Fire Company.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-8-21

pending before the U.S. Senate today are two of the biggest appropriations bills we will consider this year. As Senator McConnell, the leader, mentioned, they are the eighth and ninth bills we will pass. prgtoken One of those bills I have had a direct interest in as the ranking on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. We are about to break a record. This spending bill for the Department of Defense is one of the largest increases we have seen in any given year. This bill is $607 billion for day-to-day operations of the Department of Defense and another $68 billion for something known as Overseas Contingency Operations, which is just another category of spending. This one bill-- one bill of the Department of Defense--comprises 49 percent of all of discretionary spending of the Government of the United States of America. Almost half of our discretionary budget is going to be spent in this bill. Accompanying it is the bill on health and education, which is the second largest appropriations bill we consider. So between the two of these bills, we are talking about a massive government expenditure. prgtoken Let's reflect on that expenditure for a moment. prgtoken There is no replacement for a strong national defense, but we should ask ourselves why. Why does it cost the American taxpayer so much to defend America? prgtoken The last budget deal, under which we are working here, provided a near-record increase for the Department of Defense. Going back almost 50 years, you can only find two or three other increases comparable. We are talking about a massive expenditure and a substantial, historic increase in the Department of Defense. prgtoken Why? Because we face enemies in this world. I am not naive about that. I believe it. When it comes to superpowers threatening us, at the top of the list is Russia, and second on the list is China. prgtoken How much do they spend, when it comes to the defense budgets of those two countries--our two hard targets, the most threatening nations when it comes to the United States? That is where you have to step back and shake your head and say that can't be true. But it is true. prgtoken The Russian defense budget from 2017 to 2018 is $78 billion. Remember my earlier figures? We are going to be spending $700 billion, and their annual budget is $78 billion. prgtoken How can there be such a disparity? Some people have argued that it is because of the accounting methods. It is the fact that Russian soldiers are paid dirt wages and ours, thank goodness, are paid just compensation and are given benefits. I accept all of that, but it still doesn't explain an almost 10-to-1 ratio of spending in the United States against spending in Russia. prgtoken What about China? There is another nation that we are worried about in terms of our national defense. China is believed to spend about $175 billion a year, about one-fourth of our total defense spending. prgtoken Her
IN MEMORY OF GENE CONNOLLY, CONCORD HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-8-21

I rise today to honor and remember the life of Gene Connolly, the beloved former Concord High School Principal, who inspired his community through his unmatched strength and grace in the face of adversity. Connolly epitomized the slogan ``Connolly Strong''. Despite his diagnosis with ALS in 2014, Connolly constantly showed persistence, humility and courage, continuing to greet his students every morning as they arrived at school. Even after retiring in 2016, Connolly remained an educator at heart, dedicated to teaching and serving as a trusted mentor to many Concord High students. prgtoken While Connolly commonly cited the Concord community and schools as sources of consistent and loyal support throughout his battle with ALS, I know that his fighting spirit and openness about his struggle also inspired and elevated the entire Concord community. The 2017 documentary, Mr. Connolly has ALS, highlights how Connolly inspired his students, colleagues and friends. The documentary, revolving around questions submitted by his students, tells a powerful story of how disabled members of our society can still live fulfilling lives and give so much to their communities. prgtoken As a proud alumna of Concord High School and the Concord public schools, I express my profound gratitude for Connolly and his many years of devoted service to New Hampshire's students. He will be greatly missed, but his memory and spirit will live on in the students and the community he loved so deeply. I extend my deepest condolences to his family and wish them and the entire Concord High School community comfort during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1968 SOVIET INVASION OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-8-21

I rise in remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. prgtoken Even at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was struggling to maintain order in its brutally enforced communist bloc. prgtoken Czechoslovakia, a vibrant democracy prior to the Second World War, had been annexed by the Nazis then subjugated by the Russians in the postwar Soviet takeover in 1948. prgtoken For 20 years, the pro-Soviet government installed in Prague stifled public dissent and maintained the charade of communist paradise amidst a crumbling economy. prgtoken But in early 1968, conservative leader Antonin Novotny was ousted as the head of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and he was replaced by Alexander Dubcek. prgtoken The Dubcek government ended censorship in Czechoslovakia, and in April, the Czech Government issued a formal plan for further reforms. prgtoken Recalling the 1956 uprising in Hungary, leaders in Moscow worried that if Czechoslovakia carried reforms too far, other satellite states in Eastern Europe might follow, leading to a widespread rebellion against Moscow's control of the Warsaw Pact, the eastern bloc of nations created by the Soviets to rival the NATO alliance. prgtoken These fears, rising from the Kremlin's determination to maintain totalitarian control of its subjugated peoples, was the chief reason for Russian aggression 50 years ago today. prgtoken In addition, the Kremlin guessed--correctly--that given past U.S. pronouncements on non-intervention in the Eastern Bloc, the United States would condemn the invasion but might refrain from intervening. prgtoken An emboldened Soviet government under Leonid Brezhnev asserted as justification for the invasion ``the Brezhnev Doctrine,'' which held that Moscow would intervene in any nation where a communist government was under threat. prgtoken , I hope to have spoken today of these egregious Russian violations of sovereignty and self-determination as a recollection of times past; an episode consigned to the annals of history. prgtoken But this history provides a lesson that we dare not ignore. prgtoken In 2008, Vladimir Putin's Russia invaded the nation of Georgia in coordination with separatists in South Ossetia and Abkhazia. prgtoken Putin's Kremlin claimed that it was protecting Russian nationals in the region, but the American intelligence community accurately assessed that Moscow's involvement in South Ossetia and Abkhazia was a gambit to prevent Georgia's accession to NATO. prgtoken In Crimea and the Donbas, too, the Kremlin pursued its aggressive violation of international laws to illegally occupy those territories under the pretense of protecting Russian nationals and Russian interests. prgtoken The emboldened Putin regime continues its efforts to destabilize not only Georgia and Ukraine, which have expressed interest in joining the Western Alliance, but also linchpins of liberalism in Europe--from supporting populist n