mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Jeff Flake (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-6-13

the events of last week--the baffling, inexplicable attacks on our closest allies by the administration one day and the appalling praise for perhaps the most brutal dictator on Earth the next--are not normal. This behavior is not normal. These upside-down values are not normal. prgtoken These actions mistake disruption for dynamism. They are empty bravado for bold displays of leadership. These actions are not serious or sober. They represent the opposite of statecraft, and the implications of such thoughtlessness for America, her allies, and the world could be lasting and grave. prgtoken In many ways, the President is a steward of America's foreign policy--shaping it during their time, yes, but also understanding it is based on relationships and norms that have existed since long before they took office and will continue to exist long after they exit the political stage. prgtoken Over the past several months, I have spoken of our abandonment of the international rules-based order that we took the lead in establishing. I have spoken of the profound implications of this abandonment, what it means to our economy, to national security, and to our relations throughout the world. prgtoken This administration's dangerous dance with protectionism and its unwarranted besmirching of our allies, such as Canada, are illustrative of precisely the kind of harmful implications I feared would become reality. prgtoken This is not a matter of one instance of a poor word choice or a single moment of absentmindedness; this attitude of contempt for those nations that share our values and respect for those who do not has been a common thread throughout the administration's actions over the past 18 months. prgtoken It is disturbing when the American President and his administration are going on about the ``great personality'' of the murderous dictator, Kim Jong Un, or how Kim ``loves his country very much,'' while at the same time calling the Canadian Prime Minister ``obnoxious, weak, and dishonest'' for merely pushing back on imposed tariffs or declaring that the European Union is ``solidly against'' the United States when it comes to trade policy. prgtoken Consistently ridiculing our allies by suggesting they are somehow abusing us, while voicing admiration for despots and dictators, represents a fundamental departure in behavior for American administrations. It represents a prgtoken fundamental misunderstanding of our relationship with our allies. prgtoken It is understandable that we will have disagreements with our allies, but that does not justify upending the international framework and foreign relations painstakingly constructed and cultivated by previous generations of leaders. prgtoken Issues we have with allies ought to be addressed through constructive dialogue, not bellicose taunts or bombastic tweets. Such behavior is beneath the Presidency, and it is destructive to the position of global leadership this Nat
RECOGNIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD TRAUMA RELATED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE ACT OF 2018
Dave Brat (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-6-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 5889, Recognizing Early Childhood Trauma Related to Substance Abuse Act of 2018. prgtoken Last year, we lost more Virginians to opioid overdoses than any other year in the last decade. For 5 years now, fatal drug overdoses are the leading cause of unnatural death in Virginia. prgtoken In 2017, the average overdose rate across Virginia was 14 per 1,000 people. But in Henrico County, the rate has increased from 11.5 in 2015 to 19.6 in 2017. In fact, 87 percent of inmates in Henrico County identified drug involvement as being a direct or an indirect reason for their incarceration. That is 87 percent. Out of the 1,007 inmates jailed for drug involvement, a plurality began using at age 13. prgtoken The largest overdose rate last year was in Culpeper County, which increased from about 22.5 per 1,000 people in 2015 to 38 in 2017. We are losing friends, family members, and neighbors every day. prgtoken Last November, the Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing to examine how opioids are impacting communities across America. During the hearing, members heard testimony from Ms. Toni Miner, a family support partner for Child and Youth Leadership who uses her own past struggle with drug abuse to help other families and children who need help overcoming addiction. In her testimony, Miner told members that: ``Addiction is a family disease, and if the whole family is not treated, history will continue to repeat itself.'' prgtoken One of the unintended consequences of the opioid epidemic is that addiction has devastated not only the lives of users, but the lives of their families as well. Maybe the most tragic reality of this epidemic is it has devastated the lives of our children. prgtoken Half of opioid overdose deaths occur among men and women ages 25 to 44, and many of these individuals are parents. The number of children in the U.S. foster care system is increasing, and a recent study showed almost one in three children who were placed in the foster care system in 2015 entered at least partially due to parental drug abuse. prgtoken In Virginia, there were 5,295 children in foster care as of April. These children, and those living with an addicted caregiver, experience unimaginable hardship and trauma and, thus, have unique needs. When these tragedies occur, the children need the community's help. prgtoken The professionals working at child care homes and centers, Head Start programs, faith-based organizations, camps, doctors' offices, and many other places are in a special position to identify and assist children affected by substance abuse. However, they may not have the preparation and education needed to recognize the risk factor associated with childhood trauma due to an adult's substance abuse. prgtoken Information and resources from the Department of Health and Human Services could help educate child care and early educ
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-6-13

I wish to speak for a moment about an amendment I offered, the Due Process Guarantee Act amendment. This is based on a bill Senator Feinstein and I have introduced together. It has one purpose: to protect American citizens and lawful permanent residents on U.S. soil from being apprehended here and indefinitely detained. prgtoken In Federalist No. 84, Alexander Hamilton appropriately referred to arbitrary unlawful imprisonment as one of the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyrants. If our country is to make sure that it avoids this mistake, our country needs to undo a decision that was made in section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act passed by this body for fiscal year 2012, which is still in effect today. prgtoken This amendment does one thing, and it is very simple. It simply says that if you are a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident, you may not be indefinitely detained on U.S. soil without trial, without charge, without access to a jury or to counsel. These are not radical concepts. These are simply fundamental American concepts. These are concepts required by the Constitution itself. prgtoken It is not too much to ask to suggest that we should have a vote on this year's National Defense Authorization Act, given that it was a National Defense Authorization Act passed 7 years ago that put this in place to begin with. In the following Congress, a virtually identical version passed by a supermajority vote of 67 votes. For reasons I have never been able to understand, it was stripped out in the conference committee later. prgtoken Today we have the opportunity to undo the wrong that was placed into law then. We must prohibit indefinite detention of American citizens apprehended on U.S. soil. That is what this amendment does. prgtoken We should be voting on it. We should not be blocked from getting a vote. I, therefore, implore you, with all the energy I am capable of conveying, to vote no on this motion to table.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-6-13

I want the same 30 seconds. prgtoken I implore you all to understand the difference between fighting a crime and a war. The Senator's amendment, as drafted, applies outside the United States. prgtoken Remember Anwar al-Awlaki, the American citizen who hid with al-Qaida in Yemen? We killed the guy. If we had captured him, the last thing I would have wanted him to hear is, ``You have a right to a lawyer,'' because he is now part of the enemy force. prgtoken The case law is very clear here. You had saboteurs from Germany marry up with American citizens in Long Island to commit sabotage in America. In re Quirin, the Court held that an American citizen who joins the enemy force can be an enemy combatant under law of war and tried by the military. prgtoken We have a case where a man was held at Charleston for 5 years--Mr. Padilla, who sided with al-Qaida. The court said it doesn't matter if you are captured in the United States. Your activity matters. prgtoken Here is what I want. I don't want to read these guys their Miranda rights because they are recruiting in our own backyard. American citizens are high on the list of al-Qaida and ISIS to use against us. When we capture them, I don't want to read them the Miranda rights. prgtoken We don't have to hold them indefinitely. If an American citizen is suspected to join the enemy, let's have a hearing about whether or not they have given up their citizenship. That way, we don't have to read them their Miranda rights and lose the ability to interrogate a person who has joined the enemy. prgtoken What you are doing is incentivizing ISIS and al-Qaida to find an American because they have protections other people would not have in their own backyard. It is insane to say America is not part of the battlefield. Ask people in New York if America is part of the battlefield. Ask people in the Pentagon if America is part of the battlefield. If you think America is not part of the battlefield, vote with him. If it is, table this amendment.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-6-13

I want to talk about a couple of issues that are wrapped up in the NDAA. prgtoken First of all, there is a National Guard issue. prgtoken As we all know, the men and women who serve our Nation in the Armed Forces are among the absolute best of us, and I thank the Presiding Officer for his service. When the Presiding Officer and his fellow citizens volunteered to serve, they did so by committing themselves to defending our families, our Nation, and our way of life. Through their service and sacrifice, they earn our respect and our honor. As a grateful nation, we strive to demonstrate that respect to them. Certainly, we should demonstrate our appreciation for our military on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but, every day, we understand that we can never truly repay the sacrifice that many Americans have made--the ultimate sacrifice. prgtoken One of the customary and powerful demonstrations is when we pay our respects through a display of military honors during a servicemember's funeral. These honors include an honor detail that presents an American flag to the deceased's family and includes a bugler, who ceremoniously plays ``Taps'' and puts a lump in everyone's throat and tears in our eyes. Unfortunately, an Army audit found that in 2014, 88 deserving veterans' funerals did not receive those military honors as they should have. One service without its deserved honors is one too many. prgtoken Even more disappointing, based upon a recommendation from that audit, we learned that the National Guard Bureau has a plan now to eliminate in eight States the coordinator position for the military funeral honors. The National Guard Bureau is claiming a marginal cost savings as the excuse to eliminate these coordinator positions; however, a cost savings is an unacceptable justification, especially if losing these positions leads to more servicemembers not receiving military honors as our final demonstration of respect for their service. prgtoken The coordinator position is a vital link between the military and the veteran's surviving family. The coordinator's primary responsibility is to determine the eligibility and appropriate honors for deceased veterans. The coordinator also trains servicemembers who perform military honors, coordinates with units and veterans service organizations within the State, and provides immediate attention to families who are in need of assistance. prgtoken Common sense would tell one that if military honors are not being rendered when they should be, as this audit found, the NGB--the National Guard Bureau--should do everything possible to make certain to reverse that terrible outcome. Instead, it is seeking to eliminate the positions that are responsible for handling the care and coordination of military honors. prgtoken Even if the National Guard Bureau reverses course, the Military Honors Program deserves protection and preservation for all of those who served. Therefore, I dra
STOP ILLICIT DRUG IMPORTATION ACT OF 2018
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2018-6-13

I say to my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee on both sides of the aisle, thanks for your great work on this bill. My colleague, Congresswoman Blackburn from Tennessee, this is an issue she has worked on for a long time--we will just say a long time--with great passion and great diligence. prgtoken We had the subcommittee chair of the Health Subcommittee, Dr. Burgess, go up to the facility in New Jersey recently and observe firsthand what happens, what transpires there. prgtoken My colleague, Mr. Green, and others have talked about the number of packages that go through the facility versus the number that are actually inspected. prgtoken Then, I know we have all had pretty good conversations with Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the now-Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, and he has done marvelous work with the limited tools that he has to really ramp up their ability to try to stop these shipments of illegal fentanyl. prgtoken For those here in the Chamber, you have to understand illegal fentanyl. If you took a salt shaker and put, I don't know, half a dozen grains of salt on prgtoken this podium and put your finger on it, it would likely go through your skin and you would pass out and die, unless my colleague from Texas or Tennessee here, or the House Physician, had some naloxone they could come and revive you. It is that potent; it is that dangerous; it is that deadly; and that is what is getting cut into heroin. prgtoken By the way, you can always trust your local heroin dealer to get the right mixture. They are good chemists, I am sure. No, not. But that is what is getting cut in. prgtoken That is what we are trying to stop with this legislation, this illegal fentanyl coming in through the mail system from foreign countries, mainly China, stop it from getting into our country. prgtoken That is why I want to commend Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Green, and others, everybody who was involved in this legislation. prgtoken , I also take the floor because, over the course of this week and next week, we will deal with more than 57 different opioid- related bills. We have heard from s and . This is an epidemic that doesn't check your party registration before it sickens or kills or addicts somebody in your family or your community. Throughout all this, we have had terrific support, not only from our Members, but also from our staff and on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken There is somebody I want to single out today on our side of the aisle who, unfortunately, has decided to pursue other endeavors. Paul Edattel has served as the chief counsel for our Health Subcommittee since 2016 under then-Chairman Fred Upton. prgtoken Prior to that, he served our Health Subcommittee on an abundance of healthcare issues, as well as being hired to be Boehner's top health policy staffer. But timing has a funny way of getting in the way of things, and following Boehner's decision to leave the Congress,
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-6-13

. Thank you, . As the Presiding Officer well knows, last December, s voted to cut the taxes that American families pay. We simplified the tax system. We made it fairer and cut the rates. prgtoken Every single in the Senate voted against giving Americans this tax relief that they needed--every single one of them. claimed that only rich people would benefit and that businesses would never share their savings with workers. The ic Leader, Senator Schumer, actually said that tax cuts such as these only benefit the wealthy and the powerful, to the exclusion of the middle class. prgtoken So what happened? What have we seen all across America? The American people know that the were wrong. The very day the tax bill passed the Congress, AT&T came out and said they were giving their workers a bonus. The company said that 200,000 hard-working employees were going to get an extra $1,000 each directly because of the tax relief law. Over the next few weeks, more than 4 million Americans got similar good news: They were going to get bonuses too. They learned that they would be getting a bonus or a pay increase because of the tax law. prgtoken More than 500 companies have said that because their taxes went down, they were sharing the savings with their workers. In my home State of Wyoming, these are people who work at places like Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, and Starbucks. It is also people who work at small businesses, like Taco John's and the Jonah Bank in Casper, WY. It is people who work at the Bockman Group in Sheridan, WY. That is a local business that specializes in fencing and excavation. I had a chance to meet with all of those people. They said the employees would be getting raises for one reason, and that is because of the tax law. The owner actually said that with this tax cut, he would now move ahead with starting two new businesses this year, employing more people. That means more jobs and more economic opportunities for people in northeast Wyoming. prgtoken Another thing that we had a chance to talk about when the tax law was passed was how this would affect people's utility bills. It started happening right away. Americans noted that their utility bills starting going down. There are more than 100 utility companies across the country that have cut the rates they charge for electricity as a direct result of the tax law. And it is not just electricity; it is gas bills, water bills, all of the above. prgtoken Look at the number. One hundred and two utilities cut their rates across the country. How much money does that add up to? How much money did people actually save because bills are going down for families all across the country because of the tax cuts? The tax rate cuts amount to a savings of $3 billion for American families who are paying less money for utilities. That is an incredible savings for American families. prgtoken sai
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2018-6-13

I rise this morning to speak in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act. We are currently negotiating with Members of the and ic Parties on how to consider amendments. We will eventually get there, as we do every year, because the NDAA bill has passed Congress--the Senate and the House-- and has been signed by the President for 57 years in a row on a wonderfully bipartisan basis. I expect, when it is all said and done, that will happen again this year. prgtoken As a matter of fact, I was just speaking to a group of Hawaiians who were gathered together under the leadership of Senator Mazie Hirono. Senator Hirono is the ranking member of the subcommittee that I chair, the Seapower Subcommittee. We were able to make the point and have been able to make the point at several forums about what a bipartisan issue this is, to protect our country through a strong Navy and through the provisions that we will enact under the Seapower title. Of course, this bipartisan exercise is a very important fulfillment of our constitutional responsibility. It is right there in the preamble--to ``provide for the common defence.'' And that is what our subcommittee has done. prgtoken The bill this year authorizes $716 billion for national defense. This is an increase from last year, and we finally got rid of the notion that we can somehow be a safe and secure nation and have this defense sequestration that had come upon us due to our inability to deal with the budget. Last year we authorized and appropriated $700 billion for national defense, and this bill would up that a little to $716 billion. My position is that we need every penny of that. The top line matches the figures we have set in the 2-year budget. That was passed by the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis and signed into law by the President of the United States, President . prgtoken Secretary Mattis says this defense spending is essential at these levels to keep America safe and to support our men and women in uniform. Secretary Mattis authored the new national defense strategy, and it prioritizes preparing the Armed Forces for long-term strategic competition with China and Russia. We would like to be on a friendlier basis with China and Russia, but sadly, at this point, we are not. We are in a long-term strategic competition. I believe Secretary Mattis, when he says we need to do this, and the NDAA, which is the subject matter before us on the floor right now, recognize that. Strategy is driving the budget this year, not the other way around. prgtoken As I noted, I am chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee. Senator Hirono is my ranking ic member. We both recognize that upholding our maritime interests is becoming more and more critical. We are a maritime nation, and Americans need to understand this. The Seapower title recognizes this. It positions the Navy and Marine Corps to retain superiority over rapidly mode
RECOGNIZING PATROL OFFICER ANTHONY CHRISTIE
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-6-13

I rise today to recognize Savannah, Georgia, Police Department Patrol Officer Anthony Christie, who lost his life in the line of duty on May 25 at the age of 37. prgtoken He is remembered as a passionate person who was deeply devoted to his fellow officers and community while simply loving his job. Before joining the police force, Officer Christie served in the United States Navy, where he earned a number of accolades, including the Navy Good Conduct Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal. prgtoken He carried this excellent work with him from the Navy over to the police force. In one mission, he rescued a child who was abducted and abandoned in the woods. His fellow officers always wanted to work with Officer Christie because of his calming presence and their respect for his work. prgtoken Officer Christie's passing is a reminder to us all of the danger officers must endure when they go to work to keep us and our families safe. I encourage everyone to thank our first responders on a daily basis, not only in the times when we need them the most. prgtoken To Officer Christie and his family, we offer our deepest condolences. Thank you for your service. prgtoken May God bless.
ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-6-13

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 9:30 a.m Thursday, June 14; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. Finally, I ask that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 5515, with the time until the cloture vote equally divided between the two managers or their designees.