mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AMERICAN SPACE COMMERCE FREE ENTERPRISE ACT
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2018-4-25

I rise in support of H.R. 2809, American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act. This legislation grants the Office of Space Commerce (OSC) in the Department of Commerce the power to allow U.S. nationals and NGOs to operate objects manufactured or assembled in outer space, with or without human occupants, and all items used on these objects. To obtain an operation certification in outer space, all activities must include a clean-up plan for any debris that may result from their activities. This legislation will also establish an advisory committee within the OSC that will evaluate space activities and provide guidance on the U.S. prgtoken private industry in outer space. Additionally, this bill abolishes the Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and establishes the Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing to advise U.S. commercial space- based remote sensing industries. prgtoken I believe that protecting our environment and natural habitats is critical, and outer space is no exception. As we venture further into the cosmos, making sure that the U.S. creates legislation to limit our space debris should be a priority for Congress. We are already facing the consequences of pollution on our planet and we must do better in this new frontier than we have done on earth. This legislation will provide the proper support and oversight that the space industrialization will need to ensure we are exploring the universe responsibly. We must build a solid framework for future space activities in order to create a proper path for exploration.
REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF AUSTIN MEYER
Ruben J. Kihuen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2018-4-25

today I rise to remember the life of Austin Meyer. prgtoken Austin moved to Reno, Nevada, to study transportation technology at Truckee Meadows Community College. He had a passion for cars and sports. He loved to watch basketball, especially the Boston Celtics. prgtoken Austin was excited to watch his favorite band perform at the Route 91 festival on October 1 in Las Vegas. Austin went to the festival with his fiancee, Dana Getreu, to celebrate his birthday and their anniversary. prgtoken Austin dreamed of opening up his own auto repair shop after graduation and was excited to get married to Dana and start a family. He always had a smile on his face and made people laugh. prgtoken Austin's friends and family remember him for being ambitious, smart, and hardworking. prgtoken I would like to extend my condolences to Austin Meyer's family and friends. Please know that the city of Las Vegas, the State of Nevada, and the whole country grieve with you.
RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE INVESTIGATION
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-4-25

I hold out hope for all of the Members of this body to want to have the truth and allow this investigation to run its course. And I hope and expect that the Members-- and s--will support and protect the special counsel, the Department of Justice, and the FBI so that the lawyers and the cops on the beat can finish this investigation. And that is what is key. prgtoken So I hope that it turns out that there isn't anything else, that it is 5 guilty pleas, it is 17 indictments, and that is it; we are done. But I don't expect that to be the case either. prgtoken , .
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-4-25

as with many of my colleagues here today, I stand before you to voice my deep concern over the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be our next Secretary of State. prgtoken President has tweeted about Senate that it is ``hard to believe obstructionists may vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State.'' Others have accused of playing politics, pointing to past Secretary of State confirmation votes that have faced less opposition in the Foreign Relations Committee and on the Senate floor, but this inference that we simply should rubberstamp Secretary of State nominees is misplaced. prgtoken Like all of my colleagues, I take my article II advice and consent responsibility very seriously, so I would like to state why I oppose Mr. Pompeo's nomination to be Secretary of State. prgtoken My opposition is not about politics. It really isn't about policy either. While I disagree vehemently with many of Mr. Pompeo's positions on issues such as human rights, climate change, and the Iran nuclear deal, these differences alone are not enough to disqualify him or any nominee, for that matter. Fundamentally, my opposition to Mr. Pompeo's nomination is about whether he can credibly fulfill his duties as our Nation's chief diplomat. Can he effectively and faithfully advocate for American diplomacy at home and abroad? prgtoken In this regard, as one of my esteemed colleagues said while introducing Mr. Pompeo before the Foreign Relations Committee, ``Your background does matter.'' prgtoken So this is what concerns me about Mr. Pompeo's past. Mr. Pompeo was OK characterizing an Indian-American political opponent as ``just another `turban topper' we don't need in Congress or any political office that deals with the U.S. Constitution, Christianity and the United States of America.'' With a viewpoint like that, how can he credibly represent the millions of Indian Americans in the United States? Equally important, how can the United States be viewed credibly by India's 1.3 billion people, the world's largest democracy and a critical American partner in promoting American values and ideals in Asia in the face of a rising and ever more aggressive China? Sadly, that display of intolerance wasn't Mr. Pompeo's only past offense. prgtoken Mr. Pompeo has suggested homosexuality is ``perversion,'' an insinuation Mr. Pompeo ever so cleverly did not address when questioned by my colleague Senator Booker. At the CIA, he also canceled a Pride Month event which featured a discussion on the importance of diversity and an appearance by the parents of Matthew Shepard, a young man beaten, tortured, and left to die in Wyoming on account of his sexual orientation. How can the United States stand with the LGBTQ people of Chechnya who have been the victims of violence simply because of whom they love if our Nation's top diplomat has disparaged who they are? prgtoken The offenses continue. Following the horrific Patriots D
Dark Money (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-4-25

it is hard to find the words that will truly reflect what an abomination the campaign finance system in America has become. The fact is, the only people who seem happy with the current state of campaign finance are billionaires who have phones full of contact information of the most powerful people in the land. Otherwise, if you are a typical American--putting in a hard day's work, supporting your family--you probably have the sense the campaign finance laws are rigged for the big and the powerful. prgtoken There was an era when running for office was as simple as putting your name out for the public, getting a few local civic groups in your corner, and bringing in a few modest donations to get your campaign off the ground. Certainly, it is not that way anymore. It has now been well chronicled how a wave of money--particularly from a few secretive powerful individuals like the Koch brothers--has flooded American politics in the last few decades. That has grown exponentially in the years since the Citizens United decision. The fact is, there has been a tidal wave of dark money buying influence across America's political system. prgtoken This isn't just about too many political ads on television and radio. Voters know that unless they unplug entirely and settle for a life out in the woods, they are going to see a lot of ads. Even beyond ads in the election season, there is this deluge of money buying the support of beltway think tanks, currying favor among lobbyists, funding so- called social welfare organizations that, frankly, aren't doing a whole lot of social welfare. prgtoken The bottom line is, for those like the Koch brothers, having deep pockets means you can buy the right to grab hold of the levers of power of the American Government. You can create a whole lot of noise that virtually drowns out the constituents back home. prgtoken I am heading home tomorrow. I have about nine townhall meetings scheduled in rural communities. They are always amazed that we are having those kinds of discussions--my colleague Senator Merkley does them as well--because it seems that in most of the country, everything that resembles the government we know so well, direct contact, open to all town meetings, is getting drowned out by a deluge of dollars that creates all of this noise--fake noise, to use the language of the times--that drives out real discussion about substantive issues. prgtoken I am going to talk about an example, one that has certainly generated some real concern over the last few months. If you want to see what is wrong with the election system, in my view, you don't have to look much further than some of the letters I have exchanged recently with the National Rifle Association. A few months ago, there were news reports of a potential financial relationship between a Russian oligarch close to Vladimir Putin and the NRA. The big question was whether the Russian money had been funneled into t
GENOCIDE PREVENTION AND AWARENESS MONTH
Linda T. Sánchez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-4-25

I rise today during Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month to honor and remember the countless lives lost in unforgiveable genocides and tragedies across the world. prgtoken Just yesterday we commemorated the 103rd anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, and earlier this month we recognized Holocaust Remembrance Day. While these are somber occasions marking some of the darkest times in our world's history, we must commemorate them because we cannot allow the world to forget what happened. prgtoken Millions have died and suffered at the hand of cruelty and injustice. I am deeply saddened that today there are still those who refuse to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and the atrocities that occurred in 1915. Their denial is disrespectful to the 1.5 million Armenian--men, women and children--who died and the millions more who risked their lives to escape the violence. prgtoken We can't undo what happened. But we must learn from history and make sure this never happens again. This month we honor those who had their lives stolen at the hands of evil and hate. We can do better, and we must do better.
Dark Money (Executive Session)
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-4-25

in his confirmation hearing last January, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said there was evidence that climate change had actually leveled off over the past two decades. prgtoken In response to Mr. Pruitt's comments, an atmospheric scientist in California named Benjamin Santer pulled together some colleagues to study satellite data from around the world. They found that Mr. Pruitt was in fact wrong, and they prepared to publish their findings in Nature Scientific Reports. prgtoken Then something pretty weird happened. A few of the scientists came forward and said that they didn't want their names listed on the research. They were worried about their ability to get a green card in the United States. Mr. Santer told the New Yorker that this was the first time in his life that he had seen his colleagues fear putting their names on research because they were worried about the negative consequences for themselves and their families. prgtoken In this country, scientists should not work in fear. They should not worry about their work being politicized. But this is where we are, and it is a moment that has been carefully planned by a small group of people who do not want the United States to act on climate. Because of these groups, the United States is home to the only major political party that opposes climate action. Because of these groups, Scott Pruitt--a man who denies that climate change is real and that it is caused by humans--is running the Federal Agency charged with dealing with climate change. prgtoken For too long, these groups have gone unchallenged, their web of deceit untouched. So I am joining with my colleagues to shine a light on these groups and how they have warped our ability to make good choices. prgtoken The Heartland Institute was started in 1984, ostensibly by a group of Libertarians. Each of their positions boils down to the idea that the government has no role--not to work on ending tobacco use or to define what health insurance should look like. But they are especially focused on keeping the government from doing anything about climate change. prgtoken The Heartland Institute denies that climate change is happening, and I disagree with them. Ninety-seven percent of all climate scientists disagree with them. But they are not playing by the average think tank rules because they are not your normal think tank. Over the years, the Heartland Institute has gained a reputation for, as one website put it, being a mouthpiece for the corporations who fund it, and their funders are very, very hard to track because Heartland keeps its donations secret. But we know that donors like the Koch brothers, ExxonMobil, and the Mercers are some of Heartland's biggest funders, and these donors just so happen to benefit from American inaction on climate. prgtoken If the government does what Heartland wants and stops protecting the environment, these people will profit. It is almost as if the Heartland
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-4-25

I come to the floor to speak on the pending nomination of Mike Pompeo to be the Secretary of State. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I opposed the nomination in committee, and I will oppose it on the floor. prgtoken I have said publicly that this was not an open-and-shut case for me. Frankly, I would submit that I have probably voted for more of the President's nominees who have come before the Senate than have many of my colleagues. I do believe in giving a substantial amount of deference to the President in the choices that he makes of those who are to serve him in his administration. There have been a number of applicants for Cabinet posts whom I have supported even though I have had grave misgivings about the policies that they were going to be articulating and that they were going to be carrying out. prgtoken I also believe Director Pompeo when he talks about the morale crisis at the Department of State and his sincere desire to try to remedy that and address it. There was a morale crisis at the Department of State after Secretary Tillerson waged an assault on diplomats in his trying to push out as many as he could for over a year, changing work requirements to make it harder for people to live in very difficult places around the world and continuing a hiring freeze well past the point at which it was justified. There are a lot of people who serve in this country here in Washington and abroad who need to be told that their work is valuable again, and I believe Mike Pompeo when he talks about the need to try to engage in that morale-building project. prgtoken I think there are check marks on the side of the ledger that would argue for Mike Pompeo's confirmation, but I am going to vote no because, unfortunately, I think there are far more check marks on the other side of the ledger. prgtoken I want to talk today about the issue of qualifications. I don't argue with the fact that our choices, as those in the Senate, when it comes to those who are picked for the Cabinet, shouldn't really be about policy differences. Sometimes the policy differences will be so serious that Members of the President's opposing party may have to cast a ``no'' vote. By and large, I do think that we should be evaluating candidates based on their qualifications and based on whether their views are at least between the 20-yard lines, within the mainstream conversation about the portfolio of issues that they are going to undertake to oversee. prgtoken So I want to talk today about my belief that Director Pompeo is not qualified to be our next Secretary of State. I think that is the appropriate conversation for us to be having, and I want to talk about it through the prism of three qualifications that I would argue any Secretary of State has to meet. prgtoken One is that a Secretary of State who is going to be advising the President on matters of war and peace and on questions of military operations overs
RECOGNITION OF BARBARA JOHNS DAY
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-4-25

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today to join my colleague from Virginia, Congressman Garrett. I want to thank him for organizing this evening's Special Order, but first I want to commend him for his work as a Virginia State senator for making April 23 Barbara Johns Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia. prgtoken This April 23, Monday, marked the first official recognition of this important day in the Commonwealth. prgtoken Almost 64 years ago, the Supreme Court struck down lawful school segregation in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. What few people know is that Virginia was one of the four cases decided that day. There were three other States, and Washington, D.C had another case that was decided the same day. prgtoken Virginia's involvement in Brown v. Board of Education stood out because that effort was led by a student, namely Barbara Johns. She was only 16 years of age. This stalwart figure in the struggle for equal education stood up to challenge the notion that African Americans should receive separate and unequal education under the law. prgtoken Barbara Johns grew up in Farmville, Virginia, and attended Robert Russa Moton High School, an all-Black school serving more than 450 students despite the fact that the facility was designed for only 180. prgtoken She described the inadequacies of the school as having shabby equipment, no science laboratories, no separate gymnasium. Conditions were so bad at the high school that, in 1947, even in Jim Crow Virginia, the State offered money to improve the school, yet the all- White Prince Edward County School Board refused to accept the State's funding. prgtoken Barbara took her concerns about the school to a teacher, who responded by asking her to do something about it. prgtoken After months of contemplation and imagination, she began to formulate a plan. Seizing on the moment, on April 23, 1951, Barbara Johns, a 16- year-old high school student, led her classmates on a strike to protest the substandard conditions at Robert Russa Moton High School. prgtoken Her leadership and advocacy ultimately garnered the support of NAACP lawyers Spottswood Robinson and Oliver Hill to take up her cause and the cause of more equitable conditions at Moton High School. prgtoken After meeting with the students and the community, they filed suit in Federal court in Richmond, Virginia. prgtoken The Virginia case was called Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, and, in 1954, Davis became one of the four cases decided in the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education. prgtoken There is a saying that ``courage is not the absence of fear, but the assessment that something else is more important.'' Her courage led to the powerful language in the Brown decision that still rings true today. prgtoken In the case, the Court said: ``Today, education is perhaps the most important function of State and local governments. Compulsory school attendance la
PAKISTAN'S SUPPORT OF TERRORISTS
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-4-26

Pakistan has been betraying the international community and is supporting terrorism. The Financial Action Task Force officially placed Pakistan on its grey list of countries not doing enough to counter terror finance. Not only does Pakistan provide safe haven for all stripes of terrorist groups, it also turns a blind eye to so-called Islamic charities tied to terrorist operations and other terrorist financiers. Pakistan has paid lip service to the fight against terrorism, while supporting the very criminals that kill Americans and our allies. prgtoken , I was just at the White House where the President honored many of our wounded warriors, some of them wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. Pakistan's intelligence services have fostered working relationships with the Haqqani network, al-Qaida, and the Taliban--terrorist groups. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Government has received over $30 billion of American aid. prgtoken Pakistan is a Benedict Arnold unfaithful ally. We need to stop paying Pakistan to betray us. They will do it for free. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
WELCOMING CHAPLAIN PHIL CRENSHAW
Jodey C. Arrington (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-4-26

the Good Book says, ``a righteous man's prayers availeth much.'' prgtoken What a prayer, Mr. Crenshaw; what a man; what a great American. prgtoken , I rise today to recognize our guest chaplain and my dear friend, Mr. Phil Crenshaw. prgtoken Mr. Crenshaw's life has taken him across the globe, from serving our country in World War II to spreading the Gospel of Jesus in places like Norway, Israel, Russia, and India. At every stop on his journey, Mr. Crenshaw's mission has always been the same: simply to love God and serve others. prgtoken While stationed in Okinawa, he ministered to marines, soldiers, and airmen, as well as over 4,000 Japanese POWs, living out God's commandment not just to love our neighbors, but to love our enemies as well. prgtoken Over the years, following his return from war, Mr. Crenshaw, along with his late wife, Ruth, to whom he was married for 66 years, opened up their home and their hearts to more than 50 young people who were in need of a place to stay, some of them orphans. prgtoken At 95, Mr. Crenshaw is the last living chaplain's assistant from World War II, and he still lives every day to the fullest, serving our community and serving the Lord with all his body, soul, and strength. prgtoken Mr. Crenshaw, your life of personal sacrifice and faithful service to our country and to the Kingdom of God is an inspiration to all of us. We are all honored to have you here this day. prgtoken God bless you, Mr. Crenshaw; God bless the country you fought for and served; and, go, West Texas.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-4-26

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to the Grenell nomination be withdrawn; that the time until 1:45 p.m. be equally divided in the usual form; and that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on the nomination with no intervening action or debate; further, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.