mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2019
Russ Fulcher (Republican, ID) \u2014 2020-2-12

the balance of my time. prgtoken , it was alluded to once, but I want to underscore that passage of this would add massive new burdens on Federal agencies. We need to be using those resources to better manage what we have already got as public land and public resources. prgtoken As a reminder, we are $2.3 billion in debt. What that means is the Federal Government is way over its head. We can't afford to manage land, and we can't afford to take care of it. prgtoken So guess what? prgtoken It doesn't do it. Then we all pay, typically, when things go on fire. prgtoken , in my State of Idaho, because of all that massive amount of Federal land, we are really more like tenants than we are landlords. But to make an analogy, our landlord can't afford to fix a broken roof. That is what we have got with responsibility on these government agencies unable to take care of these resources. prgtoken , you have heard testimony from my colleagues that many of the local communities impacted have raised significant concerns ranging from loss of access, recreation, elimination of constructive and wise management, and threats to rural economies. In addition to the concerns and opposition raised by local stakeholders and counties, some of the provisions in the package are opposed by the actual Members who represent the areas affected. It is troubling. prgtoken This effort is also funded in part by some special interest groups, and they sometimes will call themselves environmentalists. To those people, I just want to communicate: I live in this area. All too often you don't. We are the real environmentalists because we take care of a fabulous resource. prgtoken Public lands decisions should be made with local collaboration and input. This set of bills does not do it. They have real consequences on real people. Sound, proven, and scientific management are critical. prgtoken , God gave us a fabulous resource here, but he also gave us a brain. We need to use our brain. prgtoken Now, I am not naive. I know my colleagues across the aisle have got to vote for this thing. Part of that is that some people's DNA says that wilderness is good and human involvement is bad. prgtoken I would just close by saying this: Facts are stubborn things. The first fact is this set of bills is going nowhere. prgtoken The second fact is wise management--that is using our mind--is much better than stagnating this resource. prgtoken Fact number three is when this stalls--and it will--those of us on this side of the aisle and those of us who live in the West will still be here asking for your cooperation in working with us. prgtoken , please don't let pride blind you. Work with us on putting some intelligence and some wisdom into managing this resource. prgtoken , I include in the Record a Statement of Administration Policy recommending a veto of this bill package.
PRESIDENT ON PATH TO BALANCED BUDGET
Andy Harris (Republican, MD) \u2014 2020-2-12

no wonder Americans elected a President who struck a chord with voters disappointed with business as usual in Washington and with the fake news media. prgtoken This week, after the President released his budget plan, his opponents here on the floor and in the media breathlessly are spouting fake news, falsely claiming that the President's budget cuts Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But just like seeing the impeachment phone call transcript for themselves that exposed the impeachment as a hoax, every American should look at the budget for themselves and see how fake the claims are that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are cut. prgtoken In fact, what they would see is a budget that doesn't touch Social Security and Medicare benefits, and they would see a Medicaid budget that not only isn't cut but increases 3.1 percent per year. prgtoken By controlling other spending, the President's budget, like all of his three previous budgets, actually sets us on a path to finally balancing our budget. prgtoken That is much better than the last administration, which, in 8 years, never, ever submitted a budget that would balance.
Nomination of Joshua M. Kindred (Executive Session)
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2020-2-12

I rise today in support of the vote that the Senate is going to take on here in a few minutes on Joshua Kindred to be Alaska's next Federal district court judge, and I commend this body, particularly Leader McConnell, for prioritizing putting good, solid, young Federal judges in seats in districts and circuit courts all across the country--188 so far since the administration took office, and now it is Alaska's turn. prgtoken That Federal judge seat that we are looking at filling here in a couple of minutes has been empty for almost 4 years, and in our State, in the great State of Alaska, we don't have too many opportunities for Federal judges. For example, Alaska only has 1 active judge on the entire Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals out of 29 active judges. So this is an important vote, certainly, for my State. prgtoken I want to talk a little bit about Josh Kindred. I have known Josh since he was a young assistant district attorney for the State of Alaska when I was attorney general. We talked about how we were going to work together to make Alaska's judicial process more efficient and more effective for Alaskans during his confirmation process. I certainly was impressed then, but I was impressed when I first met Josh many years ago and continue to be impressed with his fierce commitment to upholding the law, the concept of equal access to justice for all, and his keen awareness of Alaska's unique legal landscape. prgtoken Josh was unanimously rated as ``qualified'' by the ABA and is a lifelong Alaskan with a broad and impressive legal background. prgtoken As I mentioned, after clerking on the Oregon Supreme Court, he came back home to Alaska and was promoted to violent crimes supervisor after a number of years working in the Anchorage District Attorney's Office, where he worked to punish perpetrators of crimes and with victims of some of the heinous crimes, unfortunately, that we have in too high numbers in Alaska, particularly as it relates to sexual assault and domestic violence. In his career, he has been committed not only to prosecuting those kinds of crimes but to doing pro bono work to stem this very significant crisis that my State has with these heinous crimes of sexual abuse. prgtoken Rounding out his legal experience, Josh served as the environmental counsel for the Alaska Oil and Gas Association and, most recently, as the regional solicitor for Alaska for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Now, when the Federal Government controls over 60 percent of the lands in Alaska, the solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior position in Alaska is actually a really important one and is incredibly important in terms of qualifications for a Federal judge. prgtoken This wide-ranging experience will be incredibly valuable as a district court judge in Alaska because he is familiar--very familiar-- with the numerous Alaska-specific laws that this body passes year after year, decade
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-2-12

when the Senate begins its debate, as it has been doing today on the War Powers Act, in considering this resolution, we are considering whether to do our duty to the Constitution. prgtoken The debate over war powers is bigger than any one Senator, bigger than any one President, and bigger than any political party. The debate over war powers is a fundamental constitutional debate, and the Constitution and our Founding Fathers were clear: The power to declare war lies in the legislature. prgtoken Madison put it this way: The executive is the branch most prone to war. Therefore, the Constitution, with studied care, vested the power to declare war in the legislature. prgtoken Yet we have increasingly deferred and delegated the war powers back to the executive. We have abdicated our role as the body that should be deciding with the people when to go to war. prgtoken While the President may have the power to repel an attack, Congress has done little to stop increasingly bold arguments that everything is in response to an imminent attack. prgtoken I will never forget President coming to speak to the caucus a few years ago, and he said: Well, they were under imminent attack, and we were like: Who, in the Libyan war, and he said: Well, Benghazi. And it was like: For goodness' sake, we thought imminent attack was of America, not of a foreign city. That is how far afield we have come, that a President would come to us and say: I can do whatever I want if there is an imminent attack of a foreign city. How ludicrous. prgtoken Given Congress's inaction, it should come as no surprise that administration lawyers increasingly argue that everything is imminent and that statutes limiting their authority actually don't limit their authority; that the statutes actually say they can do whatever they want. prgtoken Presidents actually argue that article II of the Constitution--this is what gives the President power. Article I is the congressional power; article II is the President. They argue that the article II section of the Constitution lets the President do anything he or she wishes; that there are no limits on Presidential authority. That is absurd. prgtoken Under President , we droned hundreds of people in Pakistan; we bombed Libya to help defeat Qadhafi; we put military personnel in dozens and dozens of countries around the world fighting militants and regional thugs here and there, but with each passing year it had less and less to do with 9/11. It is hard to explain to someone how a goat herder in Mali has anything to do with the attacks of 9/11. Yet every President comes back to us and says: Well, you voted for this proclamation in 2001. It gives me the power to do whatever I want wherever I want. prgtoken In our Republic, if we are going to go to war, the Constitution says you must come to Congress, not for consultation but for permission. prgtoken Today's vote is not a vote for or against t
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2020-2-12

I rise to support the remarks of my colleague from Missouri, Senator Blunt. I thank him for his leadership. He is in an important position as the chairperson of the Health, Education, and Labor Appropriations Subcommittee, which is responsible for appropriating funds to the Department of Health and Human Services. I serve on that subcommittee with him. He is a leader in so many ways. prgtoken I am so pleased that we are allies in this issue of life and death for Kansans and Missourians. To my colleagues on the Senate floor, it is really a life-and-death issue for many of your constituents across the country but particularly in rural areas, in the Midwest, and in the South. prgtoken The decisions that are being made have huge consequences that will affect families, individuals, and their lives today and for years to come. I express my concerns and my deeply held belief that the Department of Health and Human Services is failing to do its job. Their harmful actions will damage the liver allocation policy in this country in the way I just described. prgtoken The policy discussion we are having here today is important. It is important any day, but it is relevant since National Donor Day is this Friday, February 14. prgtoken I want to take a moment to thank those across Kansas and Missouri and around the country who have donated their organs to give that gift of life. Senator Blunt is right. I think there is a tendency on the part of people to donate an organ knowing that somebody--maybe they don't necessarily know them, but somebody who might live down the street or live in the same community or live in the same State. There is a sense of community across this country that is being destroyed. The end result of that is there will be fewer donors donating organs for the lives of others. prgtoken These changes to the United Network for Organ Sharing's distribution policy will redistribute the organs from States and regions that have high organ donor rates to areas that have historically underperformed. This results in patients in Kansas and those in the Midwest and Southern States to wait a much longer time for the organ. prgtoken I have spoken on this topic on the Senate floor before, as this destructive policy was pushed forward. I spoke in 2018. We are still here today. The lack of interest and concern exhibited by those involved in this process is appalling to me. I stand here today because of the outright refusal of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to halt the implementation of this damaging and unfair health policy that has not withstood examination by either medical experts or our Nation's judicial system. In fact, the U.S. district court has been forced to place multiple injunctions on the implementation of this policy last year as HHS tried to force this policy upon patients across the Nation, despite a lawsuit from a collection of our Nation's best transplant centers. prgtoken The o
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-2-12

I rise today to recognize the newest members of the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. prgtoken Arkansas native Olivia Farrell is a shining example of what a lifetime of hard work and devotion looks like. After graduating from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1978, she joined the Arkansas Writers Project, selling ads for the Arkansas Times. Shortly after, the Writers Project also created Arkansas Business, which was later purchased by Farrell and became the Arkansas Business Publishing Group, where she served as CEO. prgtoken Not only did Farrell find personal success in business, but she also sought to help bring more women into the business community. As such, Farrell created and promoted an annual magazine highlighting the top 100 women in Arkansas. This list encouraged companies and their stakeholders to bring more women into their ranks. Furthermore, she created the Women's Foundation of Arkansas to promote increased investment in women's education, business opportunities, and philanthropy. prgtoken Some of her most notable awards include being inducted in the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame, as well as being the recipient of the Business and Professional Leader of the Year award by the Rotary Club of Little Rock. Her leadership and kindness have been the subject of much deserved praise. prgtoken Reynie Rutledge was born in Smackover, AR. Growing up in a small Arkansas town taught him the value of hard work and doing the right thing. He earned an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas prior to earning his MBA in 1973. Upon leaving school, he was hired as a loan officer at Worthen Bank in Little Rock. A few years later, Rutledge took a gamble in purchasing First Security Bank, which at the time had only three branches and $46 million in assets. Under his leadership, the small Searcy, AR, bank grew into a $5.9 billion dollar holding company with over 77 locations across 17 counties and 34 communities, with more than 1,000 employees across the State. prgtoken Rutledge has always given back to the Natural State. He has been an active member of Searcy's First United Methodist Church since 1977 and also serves on the Searcy Water Board. Rutledge has also served as a member of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, chairman of the selection committee of the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame, and chairman of the Arkansas Bankers Association. Some of the many accolades he has received over his career include the University of Arkansas 2000 Volunteer of the Year, 2012 University of Arkansas Distinguished Alumni Award, and 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Walton College of Business. prgtoken Gerald B. Alley was born in Pine Bluff, AR. As the son of a businessowner, he saw firsthand the hard work and commitment required to produce a thriving business that maximizes a person's ability to give back to their community. After finishing his educati
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2020-2-12

I rise today to support my colleague, Senator Kaine, in support of this resolution before us, a resolution that would prohibit the United States from conducting offensive military strikes against Iran unless or until some time as Congress may authorize it. prgtoken This is how security policy in our constitutional Republic is supposed to work. It is how decisions like these are supposed to be made. Congress authorizes the use of military force and the President-- as Commander in Chief--directs the military as it undertakes the effort to complete its missions. prgtoken This arrangement gives the American people the best of both worlds--a deliberative, representative legislature to declare war and a single, decisive Commander in Chief to lead the troops. prgtoken Unfortunately, Congress has not upheld its end of this responsibility. Our system of checks and balances--while very beneficial to the American people and while giving us the greatest opportunity to protect our freedom, our liberty, and our system of government--imposes a degree of rigor and accountability on Congress, which its Members, unfortunately, sometimes are inclined to shirk whenever possible. This trend has sadly gained momentum for decades, and it has done so under Presidents, House of Representatives, and Senates of every conceivable partisan combination. Now, nearly two decades into multiple wars without clear missions or paths to victory, it is time for Congress to reassert, on behalf of our constituents, our vital constitutional role in American warmaking. prgtoken Before addressing the merits of this particular resolution, let me first dispel two very mistaken assumptions being made about it. prgtoken First, it is not about defying President . Quite to the contrary, this resolution supports President and his particularly deferential approach--one that defers to the American people, one that accepts, at the outset, the fact that we can't fight wars all around the globe in perpetuity, and we certainly can't and shouldn't do that without the consent of the American people and that of their elected representatives in Congress. Indeed, on this issue, President is the most restrained and the most Constitution-minded Commander in Chief we have had in decades. I believe he is the most restrained and Constitution-minded Commander in Chief we have had in my entire lifetime. He is exactly the kind of partner Congress needs in order to get the Constitution's warmaking process back on the rails--back on the same rails that were designed in 1787. prgtoken Second, this resolution is not about condemning the strike against General Soleimani last month. After all, the strike against Soleimani worked. He was an enemy of the United States, with the blood of hundreds of Americans and thousands of Iraqis, Syrians, and even other Iranians on his hands. Everything we know about him and his work of terror confirms that he was plan
HONORING MR. JAMIE WILLIS FOR HIS SERVICE TO OUR NATION
Roger Williams (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Madam , I rise to honor a great Texan and United States Army veteran, Jamie Willis of Copperas Cove, Texas. Since 2016, Jamie has run Canes for Veterans Central Texas, an organization that creates free walking sticks for veterans in need. While serving our country overseas as a cavalry scout in Operation Desert Storm, Jamie was involved in an accident that left him briefly paralyzed and now disabled, and wrestling with severe depression and PTSD. When he returned home, he would travel to the local VA for treatment where he was issued a cane to use that never held up. So, he decided to make his own out of repurposed Christmas trees. An effort that started out as a necessity three years ago has now grown to a team of 60 volunteers who have made more than 220 canes. Jamie says crafting these canes is his true calling and they have brought him back from the brink of taking his own life--and he has changed the lives of those around him. I want to honor Jamie today and thank him on behalf of the 25th District of Texas for his continued service to our nation. In God we trust.
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS--MOTION TO PROCEED
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-2-12

during the State of the Union, President called on Congress to rebuild America's infrastructure. He specifically asked Congress to pass America's Transportation Infrastructure Act ``to invest in new roads, bridges, and tunnels all across our land.'' The Senate is ready to answer President 's call. prgtoken America's roads and bridges are important to every State, every community, and every Tribe in the Nation. The quality of our roads affects everyone. Our economy is built on a well-functioning road system that allows products from rural areas--like Utah, like Wyoming-- to get to our population centers. Interstates like I-80, in my home State of Wyoming, are critical arteries of commerce. America's roads create American jobs, move American products, and they fuel America's economy. prgtoken In 2015, the U.S. transportation system moved a daily average of roughly 49 million tons of freight. That is an average of $53 billion worth of freight every single day. The quality of our roads has to keep pace. We must maintain and upgrade and, where necessary, build America's highway infrastructure. prgtoken Last July, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which I chair, unanimously passed America's Transportation Infrastructure Act. The vote was 21 to 0. I introduced this bipartisan bill with fellow leaders on the committee--Ranking Member Carper, Senator Capito, and Senator Cardin. This legislation will make a historic investment in our roads. prgtoken America's Transportation Infrastructure Act authorizes $287 billion over 5 years from the highway trust fund. That is the largest investment in prgtoken America's roads included in any highway bill ever passed by Congress. Our bill is going to help the entire country. Senators on our committee represent rural areas like Wyoming, Iowa, and Alaska and urban areas like New York, Chicago, and Baltimore. America's Transportation Infrastructure Act is a win for them all. prgtoken Over 90 percent of the money in our legislation will go to States through highway formula funding. Formula funding gives each State the flexibility to address its specific surface transportation needs. The formula-based approach has been very successful in the past. It effectively and efficiently delivers infrastructure money to States, and they can make decisions as to which projects to pursue. America's Transportation Infrastructure Act maintains this important approach so States get the funds they need. prgtoken America's Transportation Infrastructure Act also expands successful Federal loan leveraging programs. A single taxpayer dollar in one of these Federal loan programs can leverage 40 times that much in actual infrastructure spending. prgtoken Between new authorizations, leveraging programs, State-match requirements, and input from other communities, our bill's total impact on infrastructure will be nearly half a trillion dollars. prgtoken America's Transpor