mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-6-20

earlier this week, the administration, through the EPA Administrator, Andrew Wheeler, issued what was called the Clean Power Plan rule. That replaces the -era Clean Power Plan rule that dealt with carbon emissions from our powerplants. I am very prgtoken concerned about this proposed rule, and I want to share some of my concerns with the Members of the Senate and the American people. prgtoken The Clean Power Plan rule was aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 30 percent by the year 2030 compared to the 2005 level. It was a strong proposal, but it gave maximum discretion to the States on how they could meet those targets. Those States that relied more on coal-burning power generation were given different standards than those States that had already transitioned to cleaner energy sources. It was a fair rule, a tough rule, and a rule that would significantly reduce carbon emissions in this country. prgtoken Powerplants are the largest single source of carbon pollution, and we know how harmful carbon pollution is to our environment. Nearly 40 percent comes from power generation. prgtoken We need strong Federal regulation. We were moving in that direction under the previous administration. Now we demote the current emissions standards to a mere suggestion. That is wrong, and I hope that does not become the case. prgtoken There are many reasons that we should be concerned about this rule. We should be concerned about what we are doing about carbon pollution. Let me cite a few. prgtoken In the area of public health, we know that if we don't control carbon emission, we will have more premature deaths. The New York Times estimates that there would be 1,400 annual premature deaths as a result of not properly regulating the carbon emissions coming from powerplants. prgtoken We also know that because of the impact carbon has on public health, the failure to regulate it means more children will miss schooldays because of their respiratory challenges and more parents won't be able to work because they have to take care of their children. So the result is lost schooldays and lost workdays because of the failure to regulate, which affects our economy and our educating workforce. prgtoken We know that children who are vulnerable to respiratory ailments, such as asthma, are particularly at risk, and there will be more days that they will be confined to some form of air-conditioning rather than being able to go out in the neighborhood. prgtoken It is also a matter of our economy. We know that clean energy produces more jobs. That is where we are headed, and the faster we get there, the better it will be for our economy. prgtoken We also know, as a matter of energy security, the faster we move in this direction, the more secure we will be. America has taken steps to wean ourselves off of imported energy, but our allies around the world are still too dependent, as we know from the way Russia uses energy a
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Ann Kirkpatrick (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Madam Chair, I was absent today due to a family medical emergency. prgtoken Had I been present I would have voted: NAY on Roll Call No. 368; NAY on Roll Call No. 369; YEA on Roll Call No. 370; NAY on Roll Call No. 371; NAY on Roll Call No. 372; YEA on Roll Call No. 373; YEA on Roll Call No. 374; NAY on Roll Call No. 375; YEA on Roll Call No. 376; YEA on Roll Call No. 377; YEA on Roll Call No. 378; YEA on Roll Call No. 379; YEA on Roll Call No. 380; NAY on Roll Call No. 381; YEA on Roll Call No. 382; NAY on Roll Call No. 383; NAY on Roll Call No. 384; NAY on Roll Call No. 385; NAY on Roll Call No. 386; NAY on Roll Call No. 387; NAY on Roll Call No. 388; NAY on Roll Call No. 389; NAY on Roll Call No. 390; YEA on Roll Call No. 391; YEA on Roll Call No. 392; YEA on Roll Call No. 393; YEA on Roll Call No. 394; and YEA on Roll Call No. 395.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-6-20

I also rise today with my colleagues to talk about the rumors of war we have been hearing in this body and in the news. I want to advocate for a very simple amendment whose timing is, I think, propitious as we discuss the National Defense Authorization Act. Why wouldn't we discuss what we are hearing from the White House and others? Why wouldn't we discuss the events that are happening on the ground in the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East? prgtoken The amendment Senator Udall has prepared that is a bipartisan amendment that is before the body--and we hope for a vote early next week--is a straightforward one. No funds would be used to prosecute a war against Iran unless this Congress has a vote to authorize it, to authorize such a war. As my colleague from Oregon mentioned, that is what the Constitution suggests, and that is the debate we should be having. prgtoken Part of the reason I feel so strongly about this is because I am a Virginian. We are the most connected State to the military mission of the United States. All States are connected and all States are Patriotic, but if you just add up the kind of per capita in Virginia-- our Active Duty, our Guard, our Reserve, our DOD civilians, like the nurses who work at the Fort Belvoir Hospital, the DOD contractors like the shipbuilders in Newport News, our military families--we are the most connected to the Nation's military mission. I am personally connected to this with a son in the U.S. Marines. So as a Virginian I feel very strongly about this, and I also feel strongly about it because we are proud of the Virginians, Madison, Jefferson, and others, who are among the Founders who crafted the Constitution. They tried to do some things that were pretty revolutionary then, and they are still revolutionary. Some of our Constitution was a great borrowing exercise--taking wonderful ideas from other constitutions and laws and assembling them together in a wonderful document they put together in 1787, but there were a couple of ideas in the Constitution of 1787 that were not chosen from elsewhere, that were really unique to our country and are still unique. One of the unique ideas is this: War is not a matter for the Executive, the King, the Emperor, the Monarch, the Sultan, the Pope. No, war is a matter that needs to be declared by the people's elected legislative body. prgtoken That was revolutionary in 1787, and it is revolutionary today. The balance of power that was struck was that Congress would declare war, and then once declared, there would only be one Commander in Chief--535 Commanders in Chief would be a disaster. The decision to initiate war would be for Congress, and then the President, working in tandem with military leadership, would be the Commander in Chief to prosecute a war if declared, but there should be no shortcut and no substitute for the debate in this body before the initiation of war. prgtoken The amendment that will be
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Fifty years ago this Saturday, in Cleveland, OH, about 7 miles from where my wife and I now live, sparks from a railcar traveling over the Cuyahoga River near Lake Erie ignited debris in the water below, lighting our river on fire for what would be the last time. It wasn't the first time the river had burned. It wasn't the biggest fire ever on the river, but it surely had the most impact. prgtoken Soon after that fire, Time magazine published a story calling the Cuyahoga River one of the worst rivers in the country. It was hard even for us who live in Ohio to argue otherwise. prgtoken I remember how polluted the river was and the lake was when I was growing up. Even to a child, it was obvious that most of what was in the river didn't belong in that river. Industry used the river as an open sewer, and oil coated the Cuyahoga River. prgtoken We knew that for generations Ohio's industry powered our country, making the steel that won our wars, built our skyscrapers, and went into the cars and trucks that carried our products and workers around the country. But our river--the Cuyahoga River--paid the price. prgtoken The city's own wastewater system was outdated and ill-equipped for what was then America's tenth largest city. Americans were horrified by the scenes of that burning river. It was a wake-up call to people all over our great country that industrial pollution had real costs. prgtoken People were becoming more and more aware of the scope of our environmental problems--polluted air, dirty rivers and lakes, oil spills off our coasts. prgtoken Citizens woke up. Citizens demanded that their government take action. Our mayor in Cleveland, Carl Stokes, helped to lead the charge, pressing this Congress for Federal help. prgtoken Congress passed the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency. The country celebrated the first Earth Day, and we made real progress. prgtoken The city of Cleveland, the State of Ohio, and citizen activists transformed prgtoken the Cuyahoga River Valley. Representatives Ralph Regula, a , and John Seiberling, a , led efforts to create the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, which later became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. prgtoken Think of that. There aren't that many national parks east of the Mississippi River--a national park in the Cuyahoga River Valley. prgtoken Today our river is home to more than 60 species of fish. Families canoe and kayak and fish. The industrial river valley in downtown Cleveland, what we call the Flats, has been transformed into a center for recreation entertainment. prgtoken NPR this week said that the cleanup ``has been such a success that environmental officials travel from around the world to take notes.'' prgtoken All the cleanup we have done has not hurt our economy--far from it. We know the talking points. We hear from lobbyists in this building. We know the talking points we hear from cor
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken I appreciate the comments that the gentleman from South Carolina made. I don't mean to speak for his State, but I have to say, I was in Savannah and then went for a couple of days over to Saint Helena island, Hilton Head, and some of the areas where the Gullah people are. On another occasion, in May, I was in Charleston, and I went to James Island and a few other places. prgtoken I find it very hard to believe that the people who live in those coastal areas don't share the same concerns that we have in New Jersey about the impact of an oil spill on our tourism and recreational fishing industry. prgtoken Again, I am not going to speak for the gentleman's State because that wouldn't be proper. prgtoken But let me say this: When my colleague on the other side says that we can drill safely, I have to disagree. prgtoken When we had the BP spill 9 years ago, there was a bipartisan commission that was set up, and they made certain recommendations about drilling. Those recommendations were not followed by the leadership in Congress. prgtoken The fact of the matter is that the BP spill was in relatively shallow water, compared to the type of drilling that is proposed off the coast of the Atlantic. What is happening is that, as we go further and further off the Outer Continental Shelf, the possibility of spills and the inability to take proper safety precautions become even more of a problem. prgtoken That was what the BP commission recommended. They pointed out that as we go deeper out, the technology doesn't exist to protect the coastal areas from a spill. prgtoken So I have to take issue with the gentleman. I would point out that the recommendations of the BP commission were never met. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to stand united by voting in favor of protecting the health and economic vitality of the coastal communities of all 14 States along the Atlantic Coast and the District of Columbia. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
WORLD REFUGEE DAY
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2019-6-20

tomorrow, I will be back home in Burlington, VT, to take part in a joyous occasion. In an afternoon ceremony at the Ethan Allen Homestead, I will attend a naturalization ceremony in which 14 new Americans from 11 countries will be administered the Oath of Allegiance. The participants will be surrounded by family and friends as they stand proudly next to the American flag and formally became U.S. citizens. It will be an honor to stand with them. prgtoken As we celebrate these immigrants who will join our ranks as American citizens, today, on World Refugee Day, we must not forget the plight of millions of refugees who have not been as fortunate. Right now, there are over 70 million people across the globe who have been forcibly displaced from their home countries by the horrors of persecution, war, famine, and chaos. In 2018 alone, nearly 13.8 million people were newly displaced, meaning that 25 people were forced to flee their homes every single minute of 2018. Nearly half of all refugees are children under the age of 18, many of them just infants and toddlers. prgtoken On World Refugee Day, we must recommit ourselves to the hallowed American tradition of being a refuge for the persecuted and the oppressed. Welcoming refugees with dignity is not a ic or a priority; it is the American way. We are a better country for it. No single administration will ever be able to erase that from our DNA as a nation of refugees and immigrants. prgtoken I couldn't think of a better way to highlight the indelible contributions of immigrants and refugees to our society than to share a personal story that my good friend, U.S. District Court Judge Bill Sessions, recently offered at a naturalization ceremony at Vermont's State House marking the 17th anniversary of 9/11. Judge Sessions' remarks came just months after he suffered a life-threatening injury, only to later discover that the medical professionals who helped save his life were the very same immigrants he had sworn in as American citizens years earlier. prgtoken I for one, am most grateful that they were here in America to save his life. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that Judge Sessions' statement be printed in the Congressional Record.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Bill Foster (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-6-20

. Mr. Chair, s for supporting en bloc No. 2, which included two of my amendments. prgtoken The first amendment directs NASA to work toward the development of a low-enriched uranium space power reactor. NASA has been developing a low-enriched uranium propulsion system, but some of the funding for this has been used on other projects, including a power reactor using weapons-grade uranium. prgtoken The problem is that if all the spacefaring nations of the world start using large amounts of weapons-grade material in their space reactors, then it will be difficult to ensure that this material would not be diverted to weapons programs in space and on Earth. prgtoken If the U.S. develops a low-enriched uranium space power reactor design, it is likely that this type of reactor design will be adopted as a de facto standard by other spacefaring nations, making Earth and space a safer place. prgtoken The second amendment directs $6.5 million of the space technology account, which is currently funded at $1.29 billion, to be used by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts, or NIAC, program. That will put the total budget for NIAC at $15.2 million. prgtoken The NIAC program nurtures visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions with the creation of breakthroughs that could dramatically lower the cost of space travel while simultaneously engaging America's innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey. prgtoken The nation that first demonstrates such technologies will own the future of space travel. prgtoken At $15.2 million, NIAC is still less than a tenth of a percent of NASA's overall $22 billion budget, but this is a small step in the right direction. prgtoken Mr. Chair, s for their support of these amendments.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-6-20

I rise today to speak about the Drought Resiliency and Water Supply Improvement Act, which Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced today. I am the lead ic sponsor on the bill, and Senators Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) are also original cosponsors. prgtoken Drought--increasingly severe and prolonged drought--is a stark reality for California and the West. Climate change presents a triple threat to our water supply: prgtoken Higher temperatures causing a dwindling snowpack, increased evaporation and other effects that will reduce our natural storage and runoff. This could decrease flow in the Colorado River by 20% or more by mid-century and as much as 40% by the end of the century. prgtoken Longer and more severe droughts, including perhaps as much as an 80% chance of a megadrought of 20 to 50 years' duration in the Colorado Basin during this century. prgtoken Although this is more uncertain, the possibility of reduced overall precipitation, perhaps 10-15% less in California's Sierra Nevada mountains within the next 20-30 years. prgtoken We must respond to this challenge. The bill we are introducing today does so in three fundamental ways: prgtoken It significantly increases funding for an ``all-of-the above'' solution to improve our water supply, including surface and groundwater storage, conveyance, water recycling and desalination; prgtoken It reforms the Bureau of Reclamation's outdated project delivery system to more quickly approve and more cost-effectively fund new projects; and prgtoken It significantly invests not only in water supply projects, but also in environmental restoration to help imperiled species adapt to climate change as well. prgtoken Climate Change and Drought: I would like to say more about the effects of climate change on two critical areas for California: the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Colorado River Basin. prgtoken Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists project that climate change will cause a 54 percent drop in the Sierras' snowpack within the next 20 to 40 years and a 79 percent drop by the end of the century. This change alone could be devastating for California, because we absolutely depend on this snowpack. The Sierra snowpack provides 30% of our water supply and is our biggest reservoir. We need to start now to provide substitute ways for storing precipitation in the Sierras, whether through surface storage, groundwater storage, or improved infrastructure to transport floodwaters to the best recharge areas. prgtoken This enhanced storage in its many forms will be helpful not only for water users but also to maintain enough cold water for salmon. Cold water reserves are critical to prevent salmon runs from being wiped out during years of devastating droughts. prgtoken The outlook for the Colorado Basin is perhaps even more challenging. The Colorado River provides a critical part of the water supply for 19 million people in southern
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2019-6-20

this Saturday is June 22. It is not just any June 22. It marks 75 years to the day that Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law one of the most significant pieces of legislation in our Nation's history. It was called, and is called, the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944. We know it today as the GI bill. prgtoken Since 1944, the GI bill has helped literally millions of not just servicemen but a lot of servicewomen. When you look at our Armed Forces today, there are a lot of servicewomen who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and in the Coast Guard. I remember being a midshipman at the Ohio State Navy ROTC in the 1960s, and we had no women in our unit. There were no women in any ROTC unit in colleges across the country, as far as I know. There were no women who were nominated to attend armed service academies--the Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Merchant Marine Academy. None of them had women. I got to my squadron on the west coast during the Vietnam war, and we had about 300 men in my squadron. About 10 percent were officers. The others were enlisted men. We had no women in my squadron. prgtoken All that has changed. When you go to any college that has a ROTC unit today, they are allowing women in. In the academies, you find women. In my old squadron, we find women. They are not just E-1s, E-2s, and E-3s; they are O-4s, O-5s, O-6s, and they are doing a great job. The GI bill is for them too. prgtoken Since 1944, the GI bill has helped millions of World War II veterans purchase a home, pay for a higher education or obtain job training and, in turn, transformed our Nation's economy. prgtoken Our Presiding Officer, who has served our country in uniform, knows of what I speak. I was just off of Active Duty at the end of the Vietnam war and in Delaware when I finished up my MBA, which is financed in part by the GI bill. I had scraped enough money together to buy a house. I think it cost about $35,000. I didn't have $35,000, but with the help of the GI bill, I was able to get a mortgage and buy my first home, all those years ago. prgtoken In the years since World War II, the GI bill has continued to change the lives of millions of veterans by spurring economic opportunity and helping to create the middle class as we know it today. That is why earlier this week I was proud to reintroduce a bipartisan resolution in the Senate, alongside my colleagues Senators Johnny Isakson of Georgia and Jon Tester of Montana. They are the chair and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which designates this week as National GI Bill Commemoration Week, celebrating the historical significance of the GI bill and renewing our commitment to improving the lives of our Nation's veterans for years to come. prgtoken I want to share with you a couple of reasons why the GI bill is oftentimes referred to as the ``greatest legislation'' and share with you how it changed my life and re