mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PFAS ACTION ACT OF 2019
Elissa Slotkin (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-1-10

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of my amendment to the PFAS Action Act, which would require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with other relevant government agencies, to report to Congress on efforts to identify viable alternatives to PFAS firefighting foam and other related equipment containing PFAS. prgtoken PFAS contamination hits particularly close to home for me and my constituents. We in Michigan are confronting widespread PFAS contamination in our water, chemicals that we know are linked to cancer and other diseases. prgtoken This past summer, I toured Strawberry Lake, part of Livingston County's beautiful chain of lakes in my district, where foam resulting from PFAS buildup is visible in plain sight. prgtoken I held a forum focused on PFAS contamination in Pinckney, Michigan, a community that has been under a ``do not eat fish'' advisory for over a year and a ``do not touch foam'' advisory for many months. The more than 200 attendees expressed deep concern about the impact of PFAS contamination on their health, safety, and livelihoods, and had simple questions about how to know whether their water is safe to drink, eat fish from, or even touch. prgtoken In September, I met with Brighton Fire Chief Michael O'Brien and fire chiefs from across Livingston County and discussed their concerns about exposure to firefighting foam that contains high concentrations of PFAS. prgtoken PFAS presents alarming health risks. According to the CDC, exposure to PFAS can affect growth, learning, and behavior in infants and older children; lower a woman's chance of getting pregnant; increase the risk of cancer; and impact the immune system. In prgtoken fact, one of my constituents, who spent his career as an auto mechanic and was exposed to PFAS-contaminated materials on a daily basis, is now connecting his diagnosis of MS, or an autoimmune disease, to his exposure to PFAS at work. prgtoken In Michigan, the high levels of PFAS have been detected in 34 sites, including at Diamond Chrome Plating in my district. prgtoken In addition, these chemicals have been found at some level in municipal drinking water serving more than 2 million people across the State. prgtoken PFAS has been detected in 54 Michigan schools, including 5 schools in my district. prgtoken Last summer, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued an emergency ``do not eat'' advisory regarding all fish from sections of the Huron River in my district after fish from Kent Lake were discovered to contain very high levels of PFAS. prgtoken Let me be clear: I believe that access to clean water out of your tap is a right and not a privilege. prgtoken I believe that environmental security is homeland security. If it is threatening the safety and security of your family and preservation of your way of life, that is homeland security. prgtoken When Michigan families can't be confident that the water they are giving th
UNJUST IRANIAN AMERICAN DETENTIONS
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-10

America is less safe when the words and actions of our leaders cast unnecessary suspicion on our fellow citizens. America is less safe when families, including children, are targeted by government officials based on their ethnicity or by their country of origin. prgtoken Reports of unjust, prolonged detentions of Iranian Americans and permanent residents at our borders should be alarming to everyone. It calls to mind the unjust internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. prgtoken My own parents were toddlers in Japanese American internment camps, and they, along with 120,000 others, were unjustly incarcerated, having committed no crimes or acts of disloyalty. prgtoken What happened to my family was the result of a failure of political leadership. All of us in this body have a duty to remain vigilant and to defend the dignity of all citizens. To do nothing is to be complicit in violating the spirit of our Constitution and the individual liberties it guarantees.
PFAS ACTION ACT OF 2019
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-10

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken Too often our communities of color are left behind. Too often, they are on the front lines of environmental injustice. That is why I am proud to cosponsor this bill with Representatives Tlaib and Ocasio- Cortez. prgtoken Our amendment makes sure that help gets to the people who need it the most. It requires the newly established PFAS community water systems grant program to prioritize communities that are disproportionately exposed to environmental harms and public health impacts from pollution. prgtoken Many of those communities are communities like my very own district. Communities of color and low-income communities are disproportionately exposed to PFAS contamination. They often face a variety of environmental threats, such as: exhaust from congested highways, water runoff or air pollution from toxic chemical facilities, and close proximity to landfills. prgtoken When a grant application to address PFAS contamination is under consideration, these communities that have exposure first and worst should get priority. It shouldn't be an afterthought. That is why this is a critical first step to ensuring the Safe Drinking Water Act prioritizes environmental justice. prgtoken .
UNITED STATES' RELATIONSHIP WITH IRAN
Madeleine Dean (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2020-1-10

over the last week, our relationship with Iran has fallen to its most difficult period since 1979. The United States killed Major General Qasem Soleimani, a bad man whom we do not mourn, and yet it was a provocative and disproportionate event. prgtoken Iran responded with missiles on two of our military bases. I am grateful, thankful that none of our soldiers were in that attack and that tensions between our countries appear to be easing. prgtoken I hope we can use this moment to assess where we are, how we got here, and find the better path that lies ahead. prgtoken First, I call on the administration to share the intelligence with Congress about the timing and rationale for the strike. prgtoken Second, I urge continued de-escalation. We stand less safe in heightened tensions with Iran. It is essential that we emphasize diplomacy once again. prgtoken Third, I ask that we treat this moment as an opportunity to redefine our relationships with foes and friends alike and how we act as a nation. prgtoken We will always defend America's security, but we should never create needless provocation. As Matthew tells us: ``Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.''
ADDRESSING THE URGENT PRIORITIES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-1-10

I just returned from overseas. I led a delegation of our colleagues, a bipartisan delegation, to visit our troops during the Christmas holiday; and, of course, we all were struck by the extraordinary service of these brave men and women who are serving our country. prgtoken One of the things they shared about was, of course, their concerns about things back at home with their families. It reminded me that the agenda that we develop to address the urgent priorities of the American people remains important: to drive down the cost of healthcare, to raise family incomes and rebuild the crumbling infrastructure of our county, to take on the corruption and self-dealing in Washington, and to get the government working for the people again. prgtoken That is what have been working on in a bipartisan way. We have passed over 400 pieces of legislation; 275 of those bills are bipartisan. Sadly, 80 percent of those bills are stuck on Mitch McConnell's desk. prgtoken So, as we return from this trip, I am reminded that this is an opportunity to call on the Senate majority leader. We are working hard to prevent war with Iran. We are working hard to hold the President accountable for his misconduct. But our most important priority is to deliver on those promises we made to the American people: to drive down the cost of healthcare, to raise family incomes, to rebuild the infrastructure of our country, and to get government working for the people again. prgtoken It is time for the Senate majority leader to take those bills up and give them a vote. Our men and women deserve nothing less.
Impeachment (Executive Calendar)
Kamala D. Harris (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-13

just across the street from where I stand today is the U.S. Supreme Court. That building has four words etched in marble above its entrance: ``Equal Justice Under Law.'' prgtoken The promise of those four words is that in our country, our system of justice must treat everyone equally regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status, but too many people in our country grow up knowing and experiencing that in America we have two systems of justice--one in which certain people are held accountable and another in which powerful people like escape accountability altogether. prgtoken This has been true from the first days of our Nation's history, when a group of men gathered in Philadelphia to debate lofty notions of justice and equality, yet produced a document that literally counted Black Americans as fractions of a person. prgtoken In the Declaration of Independence, we were told that ``all men are created equal,'' but we know that in our Nation's founding at that time, the policy of our Nation was to rob indigenous people of their land and their livelihood and to exclude women from the right to vote. prgtoken So to make true the promise of America and move us toward a more perfect Union, people have organized and fought and marched for justice. From the suffragettes to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr those fights have won us progress toward a more just and inclusive nation, but, clearly, there is still more work to be done to achieve equal justice under law. prgtoken When the determination of whether you sit in jail before trial is too often based on the size of your bank account prgtoken rather than the size of your crime, we have not yet achieved equal justice under law. There is more work to be done when young people selling drugs on the corner too often become felons for life, while white-collar criminals face no accountability. prgtoken There is more work to be done when regarding the sexual assault of women, the current President has said: When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. prgtoken There is work to be done when the American people know that the rules aren't equally enforced against powerful people. Unless we acknowledge these truths, too many Americans will remain distrustful of our institutions and cynical about our government and our leaders. prgtoken This is the point, my colleagues: We now face a choice. Will we insist that we have one system of justice that applies equally to all or will we continue to have two systems of justice in which some are above the law? prgtoken Later this week, the Senate will likely begin the impeachment trial of President . This moment in our history will have consequences. The Senate is charged with deciding whether the President of the United States, with all his power and supposed wealth, will be held accountable for his actions a
APPROVING REQUEST OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS FOR WAIVER UNDER SECTION 1703E(f) OF TITLE 38, UNITED STATES CODE
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-13

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken As we welcome the new year and a new decade, I also want to take a moment to recognize my colleague and ranking member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Dr. Phil Roe, who has announced he will be retiring at the end of this Congress. prgtoken I salute my friend as a Vietnam veteran, as a doctor, and as a tireless advocate for veterans across the country. I have served with Dr. Roe since I was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2013, and I am proud of the bipartisan work we have done since then to ensure we honor our Nation's commitment to our veterans. prgtoken Madam , this Congress alone, we have passed 40 bills out of this committee with 36 passed out of the House and five signed into law. Despite the political rancor, which takes up much of the oxygen in Washington, D.C this committee has set the standard for bipartisanship in this body. prgtoken In 2015, though I was still fairly new to this committee, then- Chairman Roe invited several Members to join him on a congressional delegation to Afghanistan to meet with servicemembers over the Thanksgiving holiday. He set a great example, and I have worked to replicate that example during my time as chairman. This past Thanksgiving, we did just that. I took freshmen Members to spend the holidays with those away from their families in service to our country. prgtoken During Dr. Roe's tenure as chairman of this committee, he was gracious in approving travel to the border so I could better understand the issues facing deported veterans. Following that trip, I, along with fellow members Ranking Member Tim Walz and Representatives Vargas and Coffman, requested additional information from the Department of Homeland Security on this veteran population. prgtoken As a result, we learned that ICE did not know how many veterans it had deported and failed to follow policies already in place that could have shielded veterans from deportation. prgtoken Dr. Roe also has built on the hard work of former Ranking Member Walz and helped lay the groundwork for our success in finally passing the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. He helped me bring this long-overdue legislation across the finish line, and I trust that he will continue to work with me to ensure our true intent of the law is implemented. prgtoken Madam , we have always worked to find common areas of agreement. Because of his agreement to include key protections for whistleblowers in the last Congress' VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017, I reluctantly supported that legislation, but it is clear today that these protections are nowhere near as strong as they should be. I hope Dr. Roe will join me in pressing this administration to implement these to their true intent and help ensure whistleblowers can come forward when they need to, free from retaliation. prgtoken Madam , I thank Dr. Roe for supporting thi
8-K TRADING GAP ACT OF 2019
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-1-13

. Madam , I rise in strong support of this bill, the 8-K Trading Gap Act. I thank Mr. San Nicolas for yielding and for his leadership on the committee, and, of course, Chairwoman Waters. prgtoken This bill would fix a loophole in our current law that allows corporate executives to trade on information before it is disclosed to the public and to their own shareholders. prgtoken Right now, when there is a significant corporate event in a public company, the company has to disclose that event to the public by filing a form 8-K within 4 days of the event occurring. Of course, during this 4-day gap, executives at the company know about the significant event, but other investors do not. prgtoken There has been research from academics at Columbia Law School and Harvard Law School that shows that executives do actually trade in this 4-day gap and profit significantly from it. In fact, one of the authors of this study was Robert Jackson, who is now an SEC Commissioner. prgtoken Commissioner Jackson brought this issue to my attention when he was still an academic, and I would like to thank him for his hard work on this issue. prgtoken My bill would address this problem by simply prohibiting executives from trading during this 4-day gap that they know about and the public doesn't, which is clearly illegal. prgtoken When SEC Chairman Clayton testified before the Financial Services Committee, I asked him about this bill. He said that he thought it was ``good corporate hygiene that, once a determination has been made that there is a material event to disclose, that the company's insider trading policy . . . would have a control in there where the senior executives would not be allowed to trade.'' prgtoken This is basically an endorsement of this bill. That is exactly what my bill would do, and I think it is just plain common sense. prgtoken I very much want to thank Ranking Members McHenry, Huizenga, and Hill for their work with me on this bill, and I would also like to thank Chairwoman Waters for her support. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support it. It is a commonsense, good- government bill. It will help investors and help the entire system.
HONORING CARY JONES' 44 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE
Kurt Schrader (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-1-13

. Madam , I rise today to recognize and honor the career of Cary Jones of Oregon for his 44 years of public service to our nation and our Veterans as he retires on January 31, 2020 from the Department of Veterans' Affairs. prgtoken Cary began his service to our nation when he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and served honorably for twenty-six years before retiring as a Senior Chief Yeoman. On July 1, 2001, Cary started working with VA Portland Health Care System as Personal Support Assistant in the Public Affairs, Release of Information and Patient Advocates, Release offices. It was during this time that Cary began working with members of the Oregon delegation and responding to congressional inquiries. prgtoken During my time in Congress, Cary has always been the point of contact for my office. He was responsible for helping the countless veterans who reached out to my office for assistance, often out of pure desperation, to get a response to grievances with their care. I will always be grateful for Cary's approach to the job. His professionalism and dedication to our men and women in uniform showed in the way he treated every inquiry with the utmost urgency they deserved to ensure our veterans concerns were addressed. prgtoken The VA Portland Health Care System, our Veterans, and the Congressional delegations of Oregon and Washington will be losing an institution on January 31st when Cary officially retires. I would like to once again thank Cary and wish him and his wife Linda a well- deserved retirement after forty-four years of dedicated federal service. I hope he can finally enjoy some much-earned time in his workshop.
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2020-1-13

. Madam , the conventional wisdom that Pelosi and the gained nothing from the delay in sending the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate is contradicted by the results. Some Senators are said to be working to assure witnesses, as Pelosi demanded. prgtoken There are 53 Senators and 47 . Notwithstanding where they stand on impeachment itself, it would benefit moderates and even others to avoid the stigma of unprecedented unfairness by at least allowing witnesses, which requires only a 51 percent majority. Witnesses would help mitigate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's undisguised unfairness in working directly with the White House. prgtoken As a result of the Pelosi delay, even Senator McConnell now says he will follow the Clinton impeachment process. Depositions from witnesses were ultimately allowed there.
CYBERSECURITY AND FINANCIAL SYSTEM RESILIENCE ACT OF 2019
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-13

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken In closing, cybersecurity is a major issue facing all aspects of our economy, including the financial sector. It is an important issue for both private companies and government agencies. prgtoken H.R. 4458 will enhance congressional oversight of our banking regulators to ensure that they are maintaining strong cyber defenses of their own systems, as well as the banks and credit unions they regulate. I urge Members to support this important legislation. prgtoken I thank the ranking member for his leadership and for the way that he reached across the aisle in working with us. prgtoken Madam , .
Cloture Motion (Executive Calendar)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-1-13

it is a pleasure to join Senators Whitehouse and Sullivan on the floor today to thank our colleagues for passing the legislation that we have all coauthored to combat the environmental crisis of plastic waste in our oceans. prgtoken Our partnership represents both the geographic and political urgency behind this growing crisis. Save Our Seas 2.0 is a multifaceted effort that will help the United States to better prevent plastic pollution, respond to marine debris emergencies, and leverage U.S. foreign policy and international engagement to prevent and clean up foreign sources of plastic pollution. prgtoken We have a responsibility to protect the health of the world's oceans, which regulate our climate, produce half of the Earth's oxygen supply, and provide food to 2.6 billion people worldwide. prgtoken The environmental health of our world depends on healthy oceans, and plastic pollution and marine debris are like cholesterol clogging global ecosystems in countless ways. The reality is that plastic waste in our ocean knows no borders. What may be a plastic wrapper floating down a river in China today could be microplastic in your tuna salad tomorrow. prgtoken Let me thank Senator Whitehouse, who has been so much engaged in our oceans since his coming to the Senate--well, even before that, but, certainly, as a leader in the Senate--and Senator Sullivan for their longstanding bipartisan leadership on this issue and cooperation on the bill. prgtoken I was happy to have supported the original Save Our Seas Act in the 115th Congress. Last year, when several international news stories exposed the tragic environmental impact of plastic on our marine environment, I began working on legislation to enhance U.S. international engagement on this truly global crisis, which served as the basis for title II of our bill. At the time, I was not immediately aware that Senators Sullivan and Whitehouse were planning a second act, so to speak, and I dearly appreciate being a part of the Save Our Seas team. prgtoken I also want to thank Chairman Risch for supporting and advancing the international components of this bill through the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as all of the chairs and rankings who have already been mentioned. prgtoken I think that advancing three component parts of the bill through all of these respective committees, which is no small feat, and the 20 bipartisan cosponsors shows the Senate's broad support for action on plastic waste. prgtoken New Jerseyans know all too well the threat of plastic pollution. Our pristine beaches attract millions of people to the Jersey Shore each year, and our coastal waters support everything from fishing and recreation to the flow of trade, to our ports and harbors. No one wants to swim in plastic or eat fish that fed on microplastic. That is why 25 New Jersey townships have passed local ordinances banning or phasing down disposable plastic products, and <|p|