mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
The Green New Deal (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-3-26

you either believe it or you don't believe it. prgtoken Is there such a thing as climate change? Are we going through some change on our planet today? I think so, and 98 percent of the scientists who report on the subject believe the same thing. The evidence is everywhere, isn't it? The extreme weather events that we are seeing are, I think, an indication that something is happening on this Earth that we call home. prgtoken The obvious question is this: Do we have anything to do with it? Does the fact that we are alive, functioning, building things, and dealing with traveling by plane and other means have anything to do with what is happening to our planet? I think so. prgtoken Can we do something about it? Sure, we know we can. If we are dealing with greenhouse gas emissions that somehow in the atmosphere are raising the temperature of planet Earth, what can we do about those greenhouse gases? We know there are a lot of very simple and obvious things. prgtoken I can remember a debate on this floor when we talked about making cars and trucks more fuel efficient and when the folks in Detroit, who are the smartest people running the automobile companies, said: Impossible. You can't do it. Americans will never buy those cars. It just will not work. prgtoken Thank goodness we ignored them. We established standards and regulations. Do you know what? Like it or not, we drive more fuel- efficient cars and trucks today, and, frankly, I like it. It was a step in the right direction. It took governmental, congressional prodding to take place, and it made this a cleaner, safer place to live in the United States. prgtoken There are other things we can do as well, but, first, we need a basic agreement that there is a problem, that human conduct--the way we live, the way we work, and the way we produce things--has something to do with it, and that we are committed to changing it. prgtoken How many nations in the world have agreed with that conclusion? All of them. Wait. All of them except one--this country, this President, who decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. It is a universal, global decision by every nation on Earth except the United States that we do have a climate problem, that we are the cause of some part of it, at least, and that we should do something to change it. This President says he doesn't buy it and doesn't think the science proves it. He and he alone, on behalf of this country, stepped away from this agreement. I think that was a serious mistake. prgtoken I am happy to report that Governors across the United States--at least the ic Governors--have said they are going to ignore the President when it comes to this, and they are going to set up their own policies. I salute my own Governor, J.B. Pritzker, in Illinois. He is not part of this denial camp that is trying to ignore the problem. He is trying to do in our State, as others are, something to make sure that this planet is
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS NOT UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Matt Cartwright (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-3-26

. Madam , I read with dismay this morning that the Justice Department and the current administration has decided to continue to treat the Affordable Care Act as an unconstitutional wrong committed by the House and the Senate and signed into law by the last administration. I can't believe that they are taking this position. prgtoken This has been a long national struggle that we have gone through. We have had this debate, we have had this discussion, and we have had this fight. And to say now that it continues to be unconstitutional, the way that they have said all along, we don't need to do this again. We have 10 to 20 million prgtoken Americans with preexisting conditions that depend on the workings of the Affordable Care Act to keep covered so that they don't have to file for bankruptcy when they get sick, so that they can move from job to job without worrying about their healthcare coverage. Let's not do this again. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues here in the House to reject the idea that the ACA is unconstitutional.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2019-3-26

I stand today with my colleagues on the ic side of the aisle to talk about the real impacts of climate change. prgtoken Climate change is real. It is happening in our communities, and it is harming our country. It is impacting our economy, and it is threatening the future of our kids. prgtoken You can see it clearly in my home State of Nevada. The last 4 years have been the hottest ever on record, and we are on track to break that record again in 2019. In Nevada, we are seeing longer, more dangerous heat waves, prolonged droughts, and more severe wildfire seasons. Just this past year, more than 660,000 acres of private, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service land burned in 138 fires starting in June of 2018. The biggest fire in our State's history and also one of the biggest in our country's history happened just this past year. The Martin Fire burned more than 439,000 acres. That is an area about five times the size of Las Vegas. prgtoken I have heard from Nevada ranchers who are facing the tough choice to abandon the land their families have worked for generations due to the cost of recovery and the threat of even worse fire seasons. I have met with parents in Las Vegas and Reno who are worried about the impact that worsening air quality, because of climate change and these wildfires, will have on the health of their children. prgtoken It is not happening just in Nevada; throughout our country, Americans are being displaced and communities are being ravaged by devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and floods that are causing millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses, and local economies. Worldwide, carbon emissions levels reached a record high last year, increasing 3.1 percent in the United States alone, despite evidence that high emissions are driving changes in our climate and fueling extreme weather patterns. Yet this administration and the leader have done nothing to act despite overwhelming support from Americans who want us to protect our planet and our communities. prgtoken In my home State, Nevadans know the stakes. In 2016, Colorado College polled voters in six Western States about their views on climate change. At the time, 58 percent of Nevadans expressed concerns that climate change was a serious problem. In January, Nevadans were polled again. This time, almost 75 percent of Nevadans expressed serious concerns about climate change. That is a 16-percent jump in 3 years and comes months after 60 percent of Nevadans supported a ballot initiative to expand Nevada's renewable energy portfolio to 50 percent by 2030. prgtoken Across the country, Americans are worried about the impacts of pollution and carbon emissions on our climate, health, and our economy. They have seen the harm it has caused just over the last decade, and they are afraid it is getting worse. prgtoken You don't have to look far to see that our climate is changing. It is
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-3-26

. My friend from Wyoming said I said: ``Bring on the vote on the Green New Deal.'' I did, not because I think it is a smart thing to do--it is a stunt--but it will finally get us to talk about climate change, something the other side has not done. prgtoken I would ask my colleague three questions. I was gratified to see Leader McConnell answer them for the first time in his press conference. Does the Senator from Wyoming believe climate change is real? Does he believe it is caused by human activity? And does he believe Congress ought to do something about it? Those are my three questions. I hope I can get a direct answer, since my name was invoked.
WELCOMING REVEREND TONY LEE
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-3-26

. Madam , let me begin by wishing you a very happy birthday on behalf of the 435 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. prgtoken Madam , it is my honor to introduce Reverend Tony Lee. He is the founder and senior pastor of the Community of Hope AME Church. prgtoken Reverend Lee is a pillar of our community in Prince George's County and the entire region, not just as a faith leader, but as an advocate for those in need. prgtoken I have had a longstanding relationship with him, partnering on a wide variety of issues, including domestic violence, building trust between the community and law enforcement, tackling poverty, and moving forward on social justice issues. And, during the month of January and February, we worked together during the government shutdown, serving working families who were struggling to make ends meet. prgtoken I have had the privilege of worshipping at Community of Hope many times over the years. The name of the church reflects its character: a community where we live and raise our families, where we pray and teach hope as a critical ingredient necessary for faith and our daily lives. prgtoken He is a preacher who speaks to people in a language they understand. He draws people into church who would not otherwise do so, going into every neighborhood and going down every street. prgtoken Reverend Tony Lee is the son of proud parents, Orlando Lee and Reverend Nancy T. Lee, who are joining us in the Capitol today.
The Green New Deal (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-3-26

I rise to speak about the urgent need for the United States to take action to confront climate change. I think it is pretty clear from the evidence and from the science right now that the following is true: climate change is real, and it is a threat to human life; second, that climate change is caused by human activity; and third, we must take action against it by reducing substantially greenhouse gas emissions. prgtoken We have an obligation, all of us--in both Houses of Congress and in both parties and in both branches of government, the legislative and executive branches--we all have an obligation to care for and protect God's creation. We don't have time. We don't have time for cynical political games. We need to be serious about this challenge. prgtoken According to the World Food Program, over 120 million people face ``crisis-level food insecurity'' worldwide. Too often we don't focus on that challenge. prgtoken Developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America have been hardest hit by frequent and intense floods, droughts, and storms. These climate events can quickly spiral into full-blown food and nutrition crises. prgtoken The U.S. intelligence community, the intelligence agencies of the United States of America, have linked global food insecurity to instability that can lead to a rise in violent extremism and international crime that puts the United States at risk. The January 2014 ``Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community'' reported that the ``lack of adequate food will be a destabilizing factor in countries important to United States national security.'' prgtoken We know the following is true: Climate change leads to humanitarian crises; humanitarian crises lead to hunger, death, and insecurity; hunger, death, and insecurity lead to desperation, instability, extremism, and terrorism. Inaction on this issue predicated on denial or indifference will result in millions around the world suffering extreme hunger resulting from climate-related disasters, which in turn leads to a rise in extremism and terrorism. Ignoring climate change undermines U.S. national security. prgtoken Similarly, failure to address climate change will have negative consequences here at home. In one example--among many--a 2015 paper titled ``Growing Stronger: Toward a Climate-Ready Philadelphia'' reports that since 2010, Philadelphia has experienced the following: the snowiest winter on record, the two warmest summers on record, the wettest day on record, the 2 wettest years on record, and two hurricanes. That is just in 5 years, in one city, in one State. prgtoken The same paper projects: Philadelphia may experience four to 10 times as many days per year above 95 degrees, and as many as 16 days a year above 100 degrees by the end of the century. Up from the 1950 [to] 1999 average of fewer than one. prgtoken Fewer than one. prgtoken All of these changes have ne
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-3-26

I rise to discuss climate change, which is a great crisis currently facing our country and our planet. prgtoken Let me start with a statement that is sometimes controversial in this Chamber: I believe in science. prgtoken Here are three simple scientific facts: Climate change is real; it is caused by humans; and we are running out of time to fix our troubles. prgtoken Here are three more scientific facts: The ocean and the air are getting hotter; storms are getting stronger; and flooding is getting worse. prgtoken These facts are widely accepted throughout the world, but the President and Senate s refuse to acknowledge these basic truths. Together, they routinely dismiss the impacts of climate change and deny the clear evidence that we must take action. They refuse even to say the words ``climate change.'' That is not leadership. prgtoken Here is the thing about the facts: Refusing to believe them doesn't mean that they will go away. While a small handful--a tiny minority--of my colleagues across the aisle acknowledge that maybe climate change is real, they say that actually doing anything about it would just be too expensive, that the problem is too big to solve, and that we should just give up now--close our eyes and plug our ears again. prgtoken Yet ignoring our problems has a much bigger price tag than the commonsense solutions we should already be pursuing. Our coasts are threatened by ever-stronger storms that can destroy our homes and devastate our largest cities. Our food supplies and forests are threatened by an endless barrage of droughts and wildfires. Even our naval bases are under attack, not by enemy fleets but by rising sea levels. prgtoken To my colleagues, I say that our biggest problems have to be our top priorities. Instead of protecting big fossil fuel companies that continue to guzzle the polluting fuels of the past, we need bold vision and forward-looking leadership. I support a green new deal that will aggressively tackle climate change, income inequality, and racial injustice. and my friend and good partner, Senator Markey, for leading the fight on this issue. prgtoken This is not the first time America has faced a so-called impossible challenge. Over half a century ago, President Kennedy said: ``No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in this race for space.'' He added that ``we mean to lead it.'' prgtoken President Kennedy challenged our Nation to lead the space race, and less than 7 years later Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The impossible had become a reality, and America had led the way. prgtoken It is time not only to challenge our country to tackle climate change head-on but also to lead the world in doing so. If we do not lead, then others will. China and other countries will win the race to define the green economy of the future, and we will lose those jobs forever. prgtoken I
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-3-26

the on this side believe that climate change is a real and urgent problem. The leader seems to believe it is not a problem at all. prgtoken The majority leader has scheduled votes today on a version of the Green New Deal. I was proud to be a cosponsor of that. prgtoken I want to make sure that nobody believes what is happening today on this floor is part of a serious debate. The fact is, it is a sham debate about the growing and urgent problem of climate change. prgtoken The Green New Deal is all about offering a mission statement--a statement of direction on the urgency of climate change. It is about recognizing the staggering threat and encouraging everybody to come forward to bring up good ways to tackle it. As the ranking on the Finance Committee, I will outline just one of them this afternoon. It is not a bill; it is a resolution. That is why it is a head- scratcher to hear all these far-fetched attacks on the Green New Deal in the media and here on this floor. prgtoken Let's be clear about what this resolution, the Green New Deal, says. Nobody is out there banning cheeseburgers. If you want to eat an ice cream sandwich and wash it down with a milkshake, nobody is going to be taking that milkshake out of your hands, either. I don't know what this anti-food legislation is that I keep hearing opponents talk about, but it certainly isn't the Green New Deal. I will tell you that my son, William Peter Wyden, age 11, is specifically going to make sure that his papa doesn't sign on to something like that. There is no building trains to Hawaii. Nobody is banning airplanes, and nobody is trying to take people's cars. The Green New Deal is about bringing good ideas to bear in the fight against climate change. That is what the American people are demanding action on. prgtoken I will tell you that this issue comes up at every townhall meeting I hold. Just over the last week, I was in rural counties where won by an enormous percentage, and people understood what climate change was all about because of the wildfires we had. prgtoken These are not your grandfather's wildfires; these are infernos. We have had them leap the Columbia River. They are more powerful. They are more dangerous. Fire season isn't for just a couple of months in the summer; it is almost year-round. In my home State, we have had to get used to what amounts to the idea of clean air refugees when fires burn near populated areas. This is where folks--particularly folks who are of modest income--have literally nowhere to go and can't go outside. Anybody who hasn't been to the Columbia River Gorge should know that when a fire leaps the Columbia River, you are talking about something very different. Rivers have historically blocked the spread of wildfires but not anymore. Last year, dozens of people were killed and more than 10,000 structures destroyed by the Camp Fire, the most destructive fire i
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-3-26

I rise to join my colleagues in sharing my concerns and all of our concerns that we have--and really the concerns of a nation--about the announcement last night from a Department of Justice that works for this administration, which announced its plans to literally invalidate the Affordable Care Act and strip healthcare coverage away from millions of Americans, including those with preexisting conditions. prgtoken Before this time, it was a bit unclear, despite a court filing in Texas, what the intentions were. Some of our colleagues were saying, ``No, we don't really want to repeal the Affordable Care Act,'' but last night we learned the truth, and the truth was very clear. The Justice Department took a hardline approach that they want to repeal the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken The President tweeted today that the Party ``will soon be known as the party of health care.'' In fact, yesterday's filing--in which the administration changed its previous position and argued in support of affirming the decision of a district court judge in Texas-- ensures exactly the opposite; that this administration will break the promise it made to the American people that they can have healthcare insurance; that if they have a preexisting condition, they will not lose their healthcare. That was what the situation was before we had the protections in place in the Affordable Care Act, before you were able to keep your kids on your insurance until they were 26. That was a huge positive development. prgtoken Then we also put in place protections that said you couldn't be kicked off your insurance for preexisting conditions. All over the last year, we had a debate about this in this Nation. I still remember being in a smalltown parade in Northern Minnesota, where a mom was pushing a stroller. She brought me over and pointed to her toddler in that stroller, to her young boy who had Down syndrome. She said: This is what a preexisting condition looks like, and I will do everything to protect my child. Guess what. Last night, the administration announced they wouldn't protect that child because they will do everything to repeal the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Let's start with the absurd ruling the administration is basing its actions on. The Texas ruling last December came more than 6 years after the Supreme Court, in an opinion written by Justice Roberts, upheld the law's constitutionality, which also found that parts of the law can be severed from the rest of the legislation. It also came after prgtoken the administration's refusal to defend the law. Instead of going in to put out the fire when the house was burning down, they just stood there. They just stood there and poured lighter fluid on, in terms of tweets and rhetoric. prgtoken If this ruling takes effect, the consequences of just this ruling alone from Texas will be devastating. To start, protections for people with preexisting conditions will be g
RECOGNIZING MASON DAUGHERTY AND ELI SCOTT
Van Taylor (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-3-26

. Madam , I rise today to recognize two great constituents of mine, Mason Daugherty and Eli Scott from McKinney, Texas, on winning the 2019 C-SPAN Video Documentary Competition. prgtoken Their documentary, ``What It Means to Be an American: Citizen Accountability in Government,'' highlights how the United States Constitution intended to instill power with the American people and how corruption in our system of government diverts power away from those very individuals. prgtoken Like these impressive 11th graders from Imagine International Academy of North Texas, I, too, believe power must rest with the people. Working together, we can bring real change in Washington. prgtoken Madam , I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in congratulating Mason Daugherty and Eli Scott on their achievement.