mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Yucca Mountain (Executive Calendar)
Dean Heller (Republican, NV) \u2014 2017-5-9

I rise to speak on an issue that is vitally important to the well-being, safety, and security of Nevadans; namely, Yucca Mountain. I have said it before--and I will say it again--that Yucca Mountain is dead. Let me repeat myself. Yucca Mountain is dead, and I will continue to come to the floor until we, as a country, move past this ill-conceived project. prgtoken Last week, I had the opportunity to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Environment Subcommittee regarding draft legislation to effectively restart the licensing process for Yucca Mountain. While I appreciate having had the opportunity to testify in order to ensure that Nevadans' voices on this issue are heard, I am concerned that we are using valuable time and taxpayer resources to hold a hearing on a closed issue. prgtoken Let me say this one more time. Yucca Mountain is dead. prgtoken Instead of focusing our efforts on reviving failed proposals of the past, I will continue to encourage my colleagues and the administration to focus on policies of the future. The failure to do so will have real economic, environmental, and national security implications for all Nevadans. This afternoon, I will focus on the economic impact that resuming licensing activities, with regard to Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository, will have on my home State. prgtoken As many of you know, Yucca Mountain is located just 90 miles from the world's premier tourist, convention, and entertainment destination--Las Vegas, NV. Last year, Las Vegas welcomed nearly 43 million visitors. Over the past decade, the Greater Las Vegas area has been one of the fastest growing in the United States, with a population that now exceeds 2.1 million people, according to an estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. Any issues with the transportation of nuclear waste to the site or issues with storage there would bring devastating consequences to the local, State, and national economies. prgtoken It begs the question, Would you want to go to Las Vegas knowing that high-level nuclear waste was being transported, very likely, through the heart of the strip? prgtoken Let me outline the vitally important role tourism plays in the Greater Las Vegas area. prgtoken This industry accounts for close to 44 percent of the local workforce and provides close to $17 billion in local wages. Moreover, tourism has an estimated $60 billion in local impact. Without tourism, every household in Southern Nevada would pay close to $3,000 more in taxes. That is a significant amount of money to individuals and families who are working to make ends meet. People visit not only as tourists but as business professionals who attend conferences, meetings, and trade shows, which generate another $12 billion in local economic impact. Las Vegas has 3 of the 10 largest convention centers in North America, and it has been the No. 1 trade show destination for 23 consecutive years. prgtoken This eco
Drug Epidemic (Executive Calendar)
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-5-9

I congratulate the Senator from Ohio not just on his speech and his remarks but on his leadership on the opioid epidemic in our country and its progression into other areas. He speaks passionately about it publicly and privately to his colleagues, just as he did today at our lunch as we discussed healthcare. He was a leader last year when we passed the 21st Century Cures Act to try to move these medical miracles that we know are coming through the regulatory and investment process more rapidly and into medicine cabinets and doctors' offices. prgtoken Senator Portman and Senator Whitehouse and others, in a bipartisan way, worked to add at least $1 billion more funding for States to deal with opioids after they had passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act earlier that year. So the opioid epidemic and the families who suffer from it have no more effective spokesman and advocate than the Senator from Ohio, and I am glad I had an opportunity to hear his remarks today. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the time until 4:30 be equally divided in the usual form; further, that all postcloture time on the Gottlieb nomination expire at 4:30 p.m. today; and that, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.
VENEZUELA
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-5-9

I rise to speak briefly this afternoon on the ongoing crisis in Venezuela. There is a growing interest in the matter here among my colleagues in the Senate and the White House and other places--certainly, in the press--and thankfully so. This has been going on now for a significant period of time. prgtoken Just to put it in context, a lot of times, when we talk about these sorts of showdowns around the world--these sorts of internal strife-- there is this notion that there is this government in place and there is this group that does not like the government and that they are arguing with each other about the future of the country. What is interesting in Venezuela is that both the opposition and the ruling party are in government. The government, obviously, at the Presidential level is controlled by someone who has turned himself into a dictator. He is a successor of Hugo Chavez's--he is the President, Nicolas Maduro--and those who surround him. Then there is the National Assembly that is elected by the people of Venezuela, the majority party in their legislative branch. prgtoken What has happened over the last year and a half is that the President of Venezuela, Maduro--the now dictator--has nullified the legislative branch. He basically refuses to recognize the laws they have passed and has stopped allowing transfers. So, basically, today, those in the National Assembly in Venezuela are not getting paid. They have no funds for offices, and they have no funds for material. They will pass a law, and those laws are ignored. That is the ongoing crisis. prgtoken The second part of it is that, under their Constitution, Venezuela's Constitution, if you had collected a certain number of signatures by December of this year, by the end of the year, they had to hold a referendum on the President, a recall referendum. They refused to certify the signatures even though the people who collected them turned in four times as many signatures as were necessary. prgtoken The third is that they are supposed to have a Governor and legislative elections this year in Venezuela. Maduro has canceled those, and there is no telling, but it does not seem as though they are going to have a Presidential election either. prgtoken Here is the bottom line: The strife in Venezuela that is going on today can be solved by having an election of the people of Venezuela, by basically following their existing Constitution, but that is not what they have allowed to have happen. On the contrary, not only are they not allowing these elections to happen, but anyone who protests against them has been jailed; press has been kicked out of the country; CNN has been kicked out of Venezuela, as an example. Now we are seeing reports of there being escalating violence in the streets, and it is extraordinary. What is interesting, though, is that fissures are beginning to develop. prgtoken The message we send here today--first of all, to those who a
Russia Investigation (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-5-10

this is a photograph taken today of our President and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. This photograph was taken in the Oval Office today, where President met with Mr. Lavrov. The meeting was closed to the American press. The photo was released by the Kremlin in Moscow. prgtoken The second photo is of Mr. and the Russian Ambassador to the United States. His name is Sergey Kislyak. He was also in the Oval Office today to meet with President , and this picture was also released by Moscow and the Kremlin. prgtoken Ambassador Kislyak's name is familiar to many Americans now--it is familiar to me--because President 's National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, resigned because of communications he had with Ambassador Kislyak which he tried to keep secret and misrepresented not only to the American people but to the Vice President of the United States. prgtoken The warm smiles and hearty handshakes President gave to these Russian officials stand in stark contrast to the way the White House has treated three American Department of Justice officials: Sally Yates, Preet Bharara, and James Comey. prgtoken After President was elected President, he asked Ms. Yates to serve as Acting Attorney General, and he asked Mr. Bharara to stay on as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and indicated that Mr. Comey could stay on as Director of the FBI. But then it appears that each of these three Justice Department officials were in charge of investigations that started to become a concern in President 's White House. prgtoken We heard on Monday from Sally Yates how she had informed the White House Counsel's office on January 26 this year that Michael Flynn, the National Security Advisor to the President of the United States, had been compromised and could be blackmailed by the Russians for lies he had told publicly. President kept Michael Flynn on for 18 days after that express warning by the Acting Attorney General to the White House Counsel. He only asked for his resignation hours after the Washington Post reported on General Flynn's false statements about his Russian communications. prgtoken The President fired Sally Yates, the Acting Attorney General, on January 30--4 days after she warned the White House about this connection between General Flynn and this Ambassador. prgtoken Then there was Preet Bharara, whom the President invited to Tower to tell him he wanted him to stay on as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Mr. Bharara's jurisdiction, of course, included Tower. The President then, in a sudden Friday evening announcement on March 10, fired all the U.S. attorneys, including Mr. Bharara. Mr. Bharara said he was blindsided. Why was he fired? We don't know. But we do know that Mr. Bharara was well known as a dogged and independent prosecutor. News reports indicate that Mr. Bharara was investigating one
Congressional Review Act Resolution (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-5-10

. Thank you, . prgtoken First, I want to thank my colleague from Colorado for his outstanding remarks and, even much more important, the work on the methane CRA. Much is happening today, and not many people paid much attention, I guess, because they were so busy, but this is the first CRA to go down, and it is probably the most important one that came before us. So the fact that it wasn't voted on means the people of America and the people of the world can breathe a sigh of relief because methane--one of the great causes of global warming--will not be released into the atmosphere as easily.
NOMINATION OBJECTION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-5-10

today I am placing a hold on the nomination of Sigal Mandelker to be Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. I will maintain that hold until the Treasury Department provides the Senate Intelligence Committee and Senate Finance Committee information and documents related to Russia and its financial dealings with President and his associates. As announced by Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Warner on Tuesday, May 9; the Intelligence Committee has made a request to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, FinCEN. prgtoken I have stated repeatedly that we must follow the money if we are going to get to the bottom of how Russia has attacked our democracy. That means thoroughly reviewing any information that relates to financial connections between Russia and President and his associates, whether direct or laundered through hidden or illicit transactions. prgtoken The office which Ms. Mandelker is nominated to head is responsible for much of this information. The Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence marshals the Treasury Department's intelligence and enforcement functions to combat financial crimes and threats, including money laundering.
Firing of James Comey (Executive Session)
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-5-10

I am here today to speak on a different topic, but before the Senator from Minnesota leaves, I want to thank him for his statement and for his observations, which are dead-on about the need now more than ever to have an independent special counsel take a look at what has happened here. I am very grateful for that, and I believe that is the conclusion others in this Chamber, s and working together, will reach as well, as they let sink in what has actually transpired over the last 24 hours.
Congressional Review Act Resolution (Executive Session)
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-5-10

I am proud that the Senate voted to reject an effort to overturn commonsense protections to reduce methane waste. It was 3 years ago that satellite images from NASA revealed that there is a giant cloud of methane--about the size of the State of Delaware--sitting over the Four Corners region in Northwestern New Mexico and Southwestern Colorado. prgtoken Although evidence had shown that there was methane air pollution in the Four Corners as early as 2003, the image of NASA data is truly striking. This is a warning of a potentially major threat to public health for communities in the region. prgtoken The San Juan Basin in the Four Corners region has long been a leading producer of oil and natural gas. With the natural gas boom of the mid- 2000s, production in the basin grew by leaps and bounds, and that created hundreds of new high-paying jobs and a major new domestic source of an important energy resource. prgtoken Unfortunately, amid all this growth, some producers developing natural gas on our public lands and on Tribal lands released harmful air pollution and wasted these publicly owned resources by allowing methane to leak into the air from faulty equipment and pipes, and even by burning off valuable natural gas in the process called flaring. prgtoken Following the discovery of the methane hotspot, researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory joined Caltech and University of Michigan scientists to conduct a detailed study into the cause of the methane cloud. Some producers claimed that the hotspot was caused primarily by natural seeps of gas from underground geologic formations and by gas venting out from an old coal mine in the region. prgtoken The NASA researchers, using instrumentation mounted on aircraft that flew close to the ground and throughout 1,200 square miles of airspace in the Four Corners region, identified leaks from natural gas wells as the major methane emitters contributing to the methane air pollution. prgtoken As greenhouse gas, methane has over 80 times the global warming potential as carbon dioxide over the short term. We have a moral obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to mitigate our contributions to climate change. prgtoken Even absent its consequences for climate change, methane leaks waste valuable energy resources, and they harm public health. When methane leaks from oil and gas wells, harmful carcinogens such as benzene leak into the air alongside it. prgtoken Because of the air pollution over the Four Corners region, the American Lung Association gave San Juan County in New Mexico an F rating for ozone pollution in 2016. That means children suffer more asthma attacks and seniors have more difficulty breathing. prgtoken I want it to be clear that this is not a case of pitting development of our energy resources against human health. We have a golden opportunity to apply innovative, existing technologies to this problem, grow our economy, and improve air
Firing of James Comey (Executive Session)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-5-10

I join in the minority leader's remarks and his plan for moving forward, which is a bipartisan plan and a plea for our colleagues to work together. prgtoken America is not like some countries where people are all of the same ethnic background or practice the same religion. America is an idea. America is an ideal. America is something that is grounded in our democracy. prgtoken Way back centuries ago, our Founding Fathers were concerned about foreign influence on our democracy. They were concerned at the time about Great Britain. Well, now we have another concern, and that concern is Russia. It is not just the ' concern. As one of our colleagues, Senator Rubio, has noted in the past, maybe this election was an attack on one political candidate in one party, but next time it will be the other party. That is why we must join together and handle this correctly and in the spirit of our democracy and our Constitution. prgtoken I have known Director Comey for a long time. We were classmates at the University of Chicago Law School. He was well liked in our class, and he earned the respect of the agents he supervised and the law enforcement he worked with. I made it clear to him that I didn't agree with how he handled the email investigation regarding Secretary Clinton, but nevertheless this man is a hard worker and someone of integrity. Just because someone doesn't agree with how an investigation is handled, even if it is in a big way, doesn't mean this person should be fired. prgtoken FBI Directors have 10-year terms for a reason; that is because we want them to be independent from political influence. prgtoken All Americans, including those who have criticized Director Comey for whatever reason in the past, should be very troubled by the timing of this firing. prgtoken Let's look at the past week. We started the week on Monday, when Former Director Clapper testified in great detail about the Russian threat to our democracy and the fact that the Russians feel empowered and that he believes they will do it again and again. We also were on the heels of the French cyber attack, where their elections were attacked and where Russia was trying to get involved in their elections. prgtoken Former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates testified, and she made very clear that she had not just given a heads-up to the administration that their National Security Advisor was compromised by the Russians-- no. She had two formal meetings over at the White House. She outlined in detail how she had gone over to the White House and voiced her concerns. prgtoken When I asked both Former Director Clapper and former Acting Attorney General Yates whether this was material for blackmail--when you have a high-ranking official saying one thing on a tape recording that the Russians knew he had said and then another to the Vice President of the United States--if that was material for blackmail, they said yes, definitively yes
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2017-5-10

today I wish to remember the life of Don Dunwell--journalist, husband, father, and community leader. prgtoken Don was known for his thoughtful interview style, creative storytelling, and ability to connect with the thousands of viewers who entrusted him to deliver the news. prgtoken It was common to find Don teaching and mentoring young reporters about the ins and outs of journalism. prgtoken He believed fiercely in the free press and the strong ethics that were required to be a trusted source of information. prgtoken He never took his platform for granted and used it to make Montana and this Nation a better place. prgtoken Outside the newsroom, he was a proud father to John, working hard each day to ensure that his son had every opportunity possible. prgtoken Don was immensely proud of his wife, Mary Ann, who charted her own path as a public servant. prgtoken Today we remember the life and legacy of Mr. Dunwell and aim to follow in his ever fervent footsteps.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-5-10

it is perhaps a providential happenstance that I should be giving this particular speech while the Senator from Louisiana is presiding because we are both from coastal States. I am sure he will find things that are familiar in my Rhode Island remarks, particularly given that his Governor has declared the Louisiana coast a state of emergency due to sea level rise. prgtoken As the Presiding Officer knows, one place where the effects of climate change are most evident is in our oceans and along our coasts. Rhode Island is the Ocean State, and we have almost 400 miles of beautiful coastline. Everyone in Rhode Island lives less than a half hour from the shore. We count on a healthy ocean and vibrant coast. Our ocean economy, including fishing, tourism, and shipbuilding, amounts to nearly $2.5 billion every year--perhaps not what Louisiana's coastal economy is but pretty good for our small State. prgtoken It employs over 42,000 Rhode Islanders. Warming, acidifying, and rising oceans are a clear and present danger to many aspects of our Rhode Island way of life. Sea level rise now threatens to remake our Rhode Island coast, swallowing low-lying land, widening existing inlets, eroding beaches, and stranding higher shorefronts as new islands. prgtoken For my 166th ``Time to Wake Up'' speech, I want to show the Senate what this new island chain, the new Rhode Island Archipelago, would look like. The latest modeling software allows us to visualize these projected changes, and the latest science shows that they may be coming sooner than we thought. How soon and how much? Well, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a new report in January updating global sea level rise estimates based on the latest peer- reviewed scientific literature. prgtoken Ice sheets, it turns out, and glaciers, are melting faster than expected, raising the so-called extreme scenario for average global sea level rise in this century, the ``we do nothing on climate change scenario,'' by around 20 inches. prgtoken When NOAA and its partners applied these findings to America's coasts, taking into account things like regional variations in ocean circulation, in gravitational pull, and in landside conditions like erosion, settling, and depletion of groundwater, the news was particularly harsh for the northeast Atlantic coast--from Virginia through Maine, including Rhode Island. prgtoken Our Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council is now telling us that for planning purposes we need to face the possibility of 9 to 12 vertical feet of sea level rise along our shores by the end of the century. A little girl born today at Rhode Island's Women and Infants Hospital will likely actuarially live to see all of these changes. That invasion of our shores by the rising oceans will leave Rhode Island's map unrecognizable. prgtoken Early explorers to Rhode Island found our coastline looking much like it does today. Before t