mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Border Security (Executive Session)
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-7-11

I rise to address one of the most pressing crises the American people are facing today. Our refusal to address the border crisis is inexcusable. prgtoken Right now, Texas and other border States are being overwhelmed by thousands upon thousands of illegal immigrants who are flooding into small communities monthly. The inaction of the U.S. Congress leaves these communities responsible for paying for where these illegal immigrants will stay, for how they will receive medical care, and for where they will go when they are released. prgtoken From Brownsville to McAllen, to Laredo to Eagle Pass, to Del Rio, to El Paso, and beyond, Texas communities are at their breaking point in terms of resources and manpower in dealing with this crisis. I am hearing from elected officials throughout South Texas-- and s--that the crisis has reached a breaking point. prgtoken Our hard-working Border Patrol agents are also struggling with the enormous influx of illegal immigrants. It has been reported that there are now more illegal immigrants in custody than Border Patrol agents on the southern border and thousands more being apprehended daily. prgtoken Since last October, over half a million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at our southern border, many of them having traveled through Mexico from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Over 200,000 of these illegal immigrants were single adults, and over 56,000 of them were unaccompanied children. prgtoken During this time, the Border Patrol also apprehended nearly 700 gang members trying to illegally enter the United States. In the month of May alone, the Border Patrol apprehended over 144,000 people coming through the southern border--144,000 in a single month. If that pace were to continue for a year, we would be looking at nearly 2 million apprehensions in just 1 year. That is a staggering number of illegal immigrants for Texas and other border States to take in. prgtoken Instead of acknowledging that this crisis exists, instead of doing the responsible thing and taking action, congressional instead have stubbornly clung to open-border fantasies. Pelosi has called the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants coming through our border a ``manufactured crisis.'' Some of our colleagues on the Presidential trail have called it a ``fake crisis'' and ``fearmongering of the worst kind'' or have said that climate change is a more serious crisis. All I can tell them prgtoken is to go to the border. The crisis at the border is very real, despite what the ic talking points say. prgtoken Last week, I visited the Rio Grande Valley, as I have done many times in representing the State of Texas in the Senate. I have toured the Rio Grande Valley Centralized Processing Center, the largest immigration processing center in the United States. I also traveled to Rincon Village, which is ground zero for illegal border crossings near Mission,
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL MICHELLE HEATH
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-7-11

today I wish to recognize the service of an Oklahoma native and proud Marine officer upon completing 22 years of dedicated service to our great Nation. Lt. Col. Michelle Heath was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps in April 1997 and has dedicated her career to the selfless service of our country. prgtoken Throughout the course of her career, Lieutenant Colonel Heath supported numerous operations both stateside and overseas. During her first tour at Camp Lejeune with 8th Motor Transport Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Heath deployed as the motor transport detachment commander. After completion of this deployment, in May 2000, she was assigned as the assistant logistics officer to Marine Aircraft Group- 14, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. prgtoken Follow-on assignments included duty as the 2d Marine Aircraft Wing Antiterrorism Officer, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point followed by time with Mobilization Plans and Policy, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Marine Corps Base Quantico. During this time she was directly involved with the mobilization of Marine Corps Reserve units in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In June 2006, prgtoken Lieutenant Colonel Heath deployed to Iraq to serve with Marine Wing Support Squadron-473 as a logistics officer. prgtoken In 2013, Lieutenant Colonel Heath attended the Naval Command and Staff course at the Naval War College. Upon graduation, she served as the operational sponsor for Marine for Life, Manpower and Reserve Affairs in Quantico, VA. In this capacity, she sought to ensure that all Marines maintained a connection to the Corps, regardless of their stage in life. Lieutenant Colonel Heath continued her service to the Nation when she joined the operational sponsor for the Readiness Support Program, Marine Corps Individual Reserve Support Activity, Marine Forces Reserve, New Orleans, LA. prgtoken Since 2016, Lieutenant Colonel Heath has served in the Office of Legislative Affairs, Headquarters, Marine Corps, Pentagon. In this capacity, she has worked tirelessly while balancing military, political, and budgetary priorities for the Congress. prgtoken Upon retirement, Lieutenant Colonel Heath will return to the great State of Oklahoma and will reside in Norman, OK. On behalf of my colleagues and the entire U.S. Senate, I want to personally thank Lieutenant Colonel Heath for her more than two decades of service to the Marine Corps and our Nation, and I wish her well in her future endeavors.
NEVER FORGET THE HEROES: JAMES ZADROGA, RAY PFEIFER, AND LUIS ALVAREZ PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND ACT
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , we are here today to have the backs of our first responders, especially those who stood up to terrorists that morning and ran directly into the burning buildings on 9/11 and stayed for the weeks and months that followed. They are our heroes, and they need our help. prgtoken Hundreds of New Jersey and New York law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, and others answered the call and rushed toward the pile as others ran out. prgtoken If you ask how they were able to summon the courage, they will tell you they were simply doing their job that day. And Congress now has the opportunity to do ours. prgtoken Too many first responders are still suffering from illnesses and cancers from 9/11 exposure to toxins, smoke, debris, including too many people who are still suffering in my district. prgtoken Congress set up the Victim Compensation Fund to help cover 9/11 injuries and medical expenses. Those who were exposed back in 2011 are, sadly, first developing symptoms now. prgtoken More than 47,000 claims have been filed with the fund, and more than 11,000 district claims are expected by 2020, when the fund is set to expire. We must act today. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the bipartisan H.R. 1327, Never Forget the Heroes. prgtoken I thank Chairman Nadler, Representative Carolyn Maloney, and Representative Peter King for their leadership and the Problem Solvers Caucus for strongly supporting it. prgtoken We have an obligation to do everything we can to stand by our first responders and survivors of those horrific attacks.
CELEBRATING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF LAW LIBRARIES
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , I rise today in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the American Association of Law Libraries' legislative advocacy program. The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), representing more than 4,100 members, is the only national association dedicated to the legal information profession and its professionals. Founded in 1906 on the belief that everyone--lawyers, judges, students, and the public--needs timely access to relevant legal information to make sound legal arguments and wise legal decisions, AALL members are problem solvers of the highest order. prgtoken In 1989, the AALL Executive Board appointed AALL members Robert L. Oakley of Georgetown University Law Library and Joanne Zich of American University Washington College of Law Library as the first Washington representatives for the Association. Since that time, AALL's advocacy efforts ranged from the creation and dissemination of government information to copyright to the privacy of library users. Its successes include ensuring permanent public access to official, authentic government information by advocating for the essential work of the Library of Congress, the Law Library of Congress, and the U.S. Government Publishing Office; contributing to the enactment of transparency laws including the E-Government Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-347) and updates to the Freedom of Information Act; and, most recently, supporting my own legislation to provide public access to Congressional Research Service reports that resulted in language included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of2018 (P.L. 115-141) directing the Congressional Research Service to make its nonconfidential reports available to the public on the internet. prgtoken The AALL Executive Board and its members will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Association's legislative advocacy program by convening on Capitol Hill today, July 12, 2019, for AALL Day on the Hill. AALL members will meet with their elected officials about the Association's legislative priorities that include greater access to government information, access to justice, government transparency, balanced copyright laws, and privacy for library users. prgtoken I congratulate AALL on three decades of effective advocacy and wish them many more years of success.
NEVER FORGET THE HEROES: JAMES ZADROGA, RAY PFEIFER, AND LUIS ALVAREZ PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND ACT
Val Butler Demings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , I retired from law enforcement 8 years ago, but I am still amazed by and grateful for the men and women who rush towards danger with little regard for their own safety. prgtoken First responders already do so much, but when there is a true emergency, a crisis, there is no one else who can do the job. That is why, when America was attacked on September 11, off-duty firefighters, law enforcement officers, and medical professionals showed up, and they joined their brothers and sisters on the front line, rushing into burning buildings. prgtoken Being a first responder is not just what they do, it is who they are. They have earned our unwavering and timely support. We cannot ask our first responders to do this job while failing to cope with the consequences. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation. Let us never forget our heroes.
RECOGNIZING HER HOLINESS MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI DEVI
Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , today I rise to recognize Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, known simply as ``Amma'' to her many admirers over the world, prgtoken for her exemplary humanitarian and conservation efforts and her work to build bridges of love, peace and understanding not only to the people of India, but to all nations. prgtoken Amma was born in 1953 in a small, coastal village in the South Indian state of Kerala. Drawn from a very early age to a life of service to others, Amma began her lifelong practice of trying to alleviate suffering by sharing food and clothing from her home while still a young girl. This devotion to service was not always appreciated by her family, who faced their own economic challenges and could ill afford to give away any of the little they had, but Amma persisted and soon began her practice of embracing those in need of comfort and support. prgtoken As she matured, Amma grew to understand that hugging and personal acts of kindness were not sufficient to heal our world, and she began to speak publicly on the importance of selfless service, compassion towards all beings, conservation, the importance of inter-religious harmony, and against human trafficking and slavery. She founded two important charitable organizations, Mata Amritanandamayi Math and Embracing the World, which have provided essential disaster relief, food, clean water, housing, health care and education to thousands of needy men, women and children in India and in Mexico, Costa Rica, France, Spain, Kenya, Brazil, Slovenia and Australia. prgtoken Amma is beloved by many as their guru and has a large following in my district. Her humanitarian efforts have been recognized and celebrated by, among others, the United Nations, the Parliament of World Religions, and Rotary Club International, and she has been awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the State University of New York in Buffalo. prgtoken Amma continues to share her vision of peace, understanding and love through speaking programs, meditation retreats and her willingness to embrace all in need of blessing. Madam , I want to recognize Amma's selfless and compassionate devotion to all people, the work of her charities to relieve poverty and provide health care and education, her outspoken advocacy against human trafficking, and her efforts to encourage sustainable practices and protect our shared ecosystem.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Daniel T. Kildee (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam Chair, for her leadership on this issue, and for yielding. prgtoken This amendment is really simple. It requires polluters who have contaminated drinking water with PFAS chemicals to clean it up. The amendment has the support of the Armed Services Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I thank the chairs of those committees for their help. prgtoken It also has the support of the International Association of Firefighters and the National Farmers Union because they know how important it is to clean up PFAS. prgtoken Communities like the community of Oscoda, in the northern part of my district, have waited too long for the Defense Department to act. This is a step toward getting these dangerous chemicals out of the ground and out of our groundwater. prgtoken I do understand that some groups are concerned about this amendment, utilities and airports. We pledge to work with them as this legislation moves through conference to make sure that we deal with the concerns that they raise. prgtoken But this is simple. This says that we are going to protect public health. Every day that we fail to act, the cost of PFAS cleanup just gets more expensive. prgtoken I encourage my colleagues to support this important amendment and to support the underlying bill.
DEFEND AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO OVERTURN ACA PROTECTIONS
Lauren Underwood (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , currently, 20 -led States are suing to overturn the Affordable Care Act and the protections that it provides. prgtoken Rather than defend the law, the administration is siding with these States and arguing the entire law should be overturned. This is an attack on every single American with a preexisting condition, including 300,000 people in Illinois' 14th Congressional District. prgtoken If the ACA is overturned, insurers will, once again, have the power to refuse coverage to people with preexisting conditions, like cancer, asthma, heart conditions, and diabetes. prgtoken This is a fear for many of my constituents, including Mike DeBow of Shorewood, Illinois, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age. Mike wrote to me because he is ``deathly afraid''--his words--of losing his insurance. prgtoken Under the ACA, Mike doesn't have to worry about being denied coverage for his preexisting condition. He can even stay on his parents' plan until he turns 26. But if the s' lawsuit succeeds, 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions, including Mike, won't have that peace of mind. prgtoken I am proud that my first vote in Congress was to protect the ACA by defending it in court so that Americans like Mike can focus on leading fulfilling lives, not whether their healthcare needs are covered.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Mark Pocan (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of Amendment No. 439 which is based upon legislation that I have introduced every Congress since I was elected in 2012, the ``Restore Honor to Service Members Act''. prgtoken This amendment will require the Department of Defense to correct the military records of service members discharged solely because of their sexual orientation. Importantly, amending service members' discharge characterizations to an honorable discharge will enable impacted individuals to access the benefits they earned and to which they would otherwise be entitled. It is a significant moment for the more than 100,000 Americans estimated to have been discharged from the military since World War II due to their sexual orientation. prgtoken I thank Chairman Smith for his strong support of this amendment, Paul Arcangeli--Staff Director of the House Armed Services Committee--for his assistance, and Leslie Zelenko of my staff who has worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the amendment before us today. prgtoken Additionally, I would like to extend my deep gratitude to the Human Rights Campaign, the Modem Military Association of America, and VoteVets, for supporting this amendment, and Representatives Katie Hill, Chris Pappas, Mark Takano, Seth Moulton, Jamie Raskin, Chuy Garcia, Alan Lowenthal, Barbara Lee, Bill Foster, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Sean Patrick Maloney, Brian Higgins, Ed Case, Paul Tonko, Denny Heck, Jan Schakowsky, Veronica Escobar, Robin Kelly, Julia Brownley, Kurt Schrader, Steve Cohen, Ilhan Omar, Sheila Jackson Lee, Suzan DelBene, Anthony Brown, Joe Kennedy, Donna Shalala, Suzanne Bonamici, and Katie Porter for cosponsoring. I would also like to recognize Senator Brian Schatz and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for championing this legislation in the Senate. Without this outpouring of support, today would not have been possible. Again, I thank them. prgtoken Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support the Restore Honor amendment, and I urge a yes vote in favor of the en bloc amendment into which it has been packaged.
PROVIDING HEALTHCARE IN INSULAR AREAS
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (Democrat, MP) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , good news for the Northern Mariana Islands and all the insular areas: The Territories Health Care Improvement Act was introduced on Tuesday, addressing the Medicaid cliff our areas face when special Care funding ends this year. prgtoken Thursday, the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee reported the bill without dissent. ``Let's keep it moving,'' Chair Eshoo said. I believe full committee Chairman Pallone intends to do so as well. prgtoken I thank them both and Ranking Members Burgess and Walden for understanding the urgency of the Medicaid crisis in the insular areas. I also thank Mr. Soto and Mr. Bilirakis, who led the bill along with myself and seven bipartisan cosponsors. prgtoken It provides exactly what the Northern Mariana Islands Medicaid director testified she needed: $60 million per year. No local match is required as we recover from last year's typhoons. After 6 years, we will get the FMAP any State is offered. prgtoken There are new program integrity requirements that I support because every Federal dollar should go to those intended, without fraud or waste. prgtoken So, healthcare in the insular areas can be as good as healthcare anywhere in America. That is good news.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Adam Smith (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for offering this amendment. prgtoken I do agree with the opponent on this issue, that we have tried to hold Saudi Arabia accountable. As the gentleman mentioned, we have countlessly showed them how to better target. prgtoken We have tried various things legislatively. We have introduced legislation. We have done a bunch of different things to try to say we don't like what Saudi Arabia is doing. prgtoken But we have never actually done any of it, because the administration has decided--and, as the gentleman points out, it wasn't just the administration--that we are basically all in on Saudi Arabia. We are simply going to support them no matter what. prgtoken The murder of Jamal Khashoggi was appalling, and the fact that Saudi Arabia felt that they could do it and get away with it is the most alarming thing. Well, it is not the most alarming thing. The thing that is more alarming is they were right. prgtoken They figured that this administration would do nothing, just like as they bombed the schoolbus, as they bombed the funeral, as they bombed all of those civilian targets. As many times as we told them that we didn't want them to do that, they knew there would be no consequences, that, at the end of the day, the U.S. was not going to hold them accountable for that. prgtoken And the consequences are grave. As the gentleman points out, it actually empowers Iran because it sends a message to the world that we are willing to bomb and kill civilians and participate, however good intentioned, in what has become the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. prgtoken And it drives people into terrorists' arms because, yes, Iran is a problem, but ISIS and al-Qaida, I would submit to you, are a larger problem. prgtoken And they use this. They use our blind support for Saudi Arabia and for this war in Yemen against us. prgtoken Madam Chair, this is a good amendment, and I urge its adoption.
NEVER FORGET THE HEROES: JAMES ZADROGA, RAY PFEIFER, AND LUIS ALVAREZ PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH VICTIM COMPENSATION FUND ACT
Eric Swalwell (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-7-12

. Madam , I was a congressional intern on Capitol Hill when September 11 happened, and I saw my colleagues go to the Capitol steps and sing, in a bipartisan fashion, ``God Bless America.'' I saw a generation of people go into service because of what they saw our first responders do in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C that day. prgtoken I am heartened to see today on this floor that we are uniting again to stand up for every victim of what happened that day. I hope we can get that passed in the Senate. prgtoken I want to honor and thank James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez for their work, as well as Jon Stewart. I thank him for bringing attention to this. Also, I thank our colleague Carolyn Maloney. prgtoken I really want to thank our chairman. This was Chairman Nadler's district, and this has been continuing casework that the gentleman has worked on. It has affected the gentleman, his staff, and his constituents. I think it is fitting that the gentleman is the chairman presiding over this today. prgtoken I am grateful the chairman has put the emotional effort and the force of his office into making sure this happened. It means a lot to the gentleman's constituents and us as colleagues to see his leadership.