mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO RUSSELL JAMES
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2019-2-14

this week I have the honor of recognizing Russell James of Missoula County for his impact on the Whitewater community. prgtoken A third generation Montanan, Russell was born and raised in Ovando, MT. Mr. James graduated high school from Thompson Falls, where he went to the University of Montana. Directly after graduation in 1980, Russell dove into the workforce, taking a job as a professional truck driver. prgtoken Russell has been a professional truck driver for 38 years and has accumulated over 1 million accident-free miles. He has won numerous awards during his tenure as a driver, including the 2008 YRC employee of the Year Award and the 2018 YRC Road to Excellence Award. He has represented YRC every year at the Montana Truck Driving Championships since 2005, as well as the National Truck Driving Championships in 2011 and 2014. Russell is active in the community, volunteering with the Blackfoot River Preservation Group and environmental quality improvement and wildlife habitat. He is also an avid outdoorsman and enjoys tending to his small family farm. prgtoken I congratulate Russell on his lifetime of outstanding achievements and willingness to give back to his community. A tried and true Montanan, I look forward to seeing his success in his future endeavors.
BORDER SECURITY
Mo Brooks (Republican, AL) \u2014 2019-2-14

in fiscal year 2018, more than 2,000 prgtoken illegal aliens were apprehended by Federal agents for homicides committed on American soil. In addition, over 70,000 Americans are killed each year by poisonous drugs, much of which is shipped illegally into America across our porous southern border by illegal aliens, MS- 13, and other drug cartels. prgtoken Stronger border security, which must include wall construction, will save thousands of American lives each year. prgtoken Unfortunately, in the worst betrayal of America in history, socialist , motivated by a lust for political power, selfishly elevate illegal aliens over American citizens because illegal alien families overwhelmingly rely on welfare, thus making them highly reliable voters who elect socialist politicians by diluting the votes of American citizens. prgtoken Inasmuch as socialist refuse to protect American lives from illegal alien homicides, drug deaths, and America's porous southern border, I urge President to secure our borders and build the wall under existing law and Presidential powers. prgtoken For example, title 10, section 284 of the United States Code empowers Presidents to order America's military to assist Federal drug and law enforcement agencies in the fight against drug and transnational organized crime. prgtoken Pursuant to this law, the President may deploy active military and National Guard troops to establish and operate bases of operations; detect and monitor surface traffic in Mexico and in the United States within 25 miles of the southern border; construct roads, fences, barriers, and lighting to block drug smuggling corridors across the southern border; and use aerial and ground reconnaissance. prgtoken For emphasis, this Federal law empowers President to order America's military to construct walls and barriers to block drug smuggling corridors, with the side benefit of stopping illegal aliens. prgtoken , another example of existing Presidential authority is the power to declare a national emergency and divert congressionally appropriated money to border security and wall construction. prgtoken America invaded Iraq and Afghanistan based on 9/11 terrorist attacks that killed roughly 3,000 people. In response, America spent trillions of dollars and lost thousands of lives in military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. prgtoken While 9/11 was horrific, 9/11 deaths pale in comparison to hundreds of thousands of Americans who are dead or will die over the years because of illegal alien homicides and overdoses caused by deadly drugs shipped across America's porous southern border. prgtoken For emphasis, a minimum of 50 Americans die each day we delay securing our southern border. That is a minimum of 15,000 dead Americans each year. This death rate easily justifies a Presidential declaration of a national emergency. In fact, not one of the 58 national emergencies declared by a President
Government Funding (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-14

late last night, we received the text of the appropriations agreement to fund the remaining portions of the government through the end of this fiscal year, which is through the end of September. prgtoken We were successful in doing something that we had not done in a long time previously, which was to fund 75 percent of the Federal Government, leaving 25 percent remaining. Unfortunately, the remaining 25 percent was held hostage to this unreasonable and unnecessary debate over whether we should fund border security. I say the debate was unnecessary because I thought that we all shared a conviction that it was important to secure our border. prgtoken It is important to note that most of the bill that we will vote on later today has been out in the public domain for more than 6 months. It is the product of bipartisan deliberation by the Appropriations Committee and has been available to any Senator who might want to be acquainted with the details. prgtoken The part that is relatively new is the detail relative to border security. I am pleased that, notwithstanding Pelosi's statement that physical barriers are somehow immoral, this does authorize and fund up to 55 miles of additional fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. prgtoken I believe that border security consists of three components: physical barriers in hard-to-control locations; technology, which is important as a force multiplier; and then, of course, the boots on the ground-- the Border Patrol agents, who are absolutely essential. I am pleased to say that this piece of legislation incorporates all prgtoken three of those components of what makes up smart and sensible border security. prgtoken I am also happy to see that the initial demands made by our colleagues across the aisle that we limit the number of detention beds are not in this bill and that law enforcement can continue to detain people with criminal records who happen to be illegally in this country so that we can discourage and deter further illegal immigration. prgtoken One of the worst aspects of our broken immigration system is this notion of catch-and-release. During the administration, I remember talking to Secretary Chertoff about this huge upsurge in Brazilians coming across our border. I asked Secretary Chertoff why we were seeing all these Brazilians coming. He said it was catch-and- release. They knew that if there were no penalty associated with coming across or if they wouldn't be detained, there was no deterrence. prgtoken I am glad to see that this appropriations bill, which will prevent another government shutdown, contains no cap on detention beds to detain criminal aliens and others who are exploiting vulnerabilities in our immigration system. prgtoken I would say, though, one of the things that is notably absent in this bill is an extension of the Violence Against Women Act, which provides resources to assist women who are victims of domestic violenc
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VETERANS HISTORY PROJECT
Will Hurd (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-14

I rise today to celebrate the outstanding achievement of the San Antonio Christian School swim teams for winning both the girls and boys Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Division 2 State Championships last week. prgtoken This achievement is truly a testament to their dedicated work ethic and incredible talents. What a fantastic way to end an undefeated season. Hard work and practice paid off. Their parents, peers, and community are proud of them. prgtoken Included in this group is a former intern of mine, a gifted athlete and rising star--Michael O'Brien of San Antonio, Texas. Well done, Michael. prgtoken Enjoy these great moments. You will treasure them for the rest of your lives. Go Lions. Running Start
RECOGNIZING IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-2-14

along with my colleagues Senator Mike Crapo and Representative Mike Simpson, I recognize an important anniversary being celebrated at the U.S. Department of Energy's, DOE, 890-square-mile site in eastern Idaho. prgtoken On February 18, 1949, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission decided to build the National Reactor Testing Station in Idaho. prgtoken For 70 years, work done by the scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff at Idaho's lab has helped prgtoken promote American prosperity and contributed to our national security. prgtoken Since 1967, research conducted at Idaho National Laboratory's, INL, Advanced Test Reactor has powered and modernized the U.S. Nuclear Navy. prgtoken Fifty years ago, the Navy had to refuel its nuclear fleet frequently, an expensive and time-consuming process. prgtoken Today, as a result of experiments conducted at the Advanced Test Reactor, ATR, the Navy's nuclear fleet can run the lifetime of the ship--more than three decades--without refueling. That saves American taxpayers millions of dollars and ensures that our fleet is actively defending U.S. national security instead of sitting in port waiting to be refueled. prgtoken Roughly a decade and a half ago, Congress designated INL as the Nation's lead nuclear energy research and development laboratory. This is fitting because on December 20, 1951, INL first demonstrated nuclear fission could be used to generate power to light our homes and cities. Throughout its history, INL has built and operated 52 original nuclear reactors and helped establish an American industry that today produces approximately 19 percent of our Nation's electricity and more than half of our carbon-free electricity. INL has become a world leader in cyber security research and works actively with government and industry to protect and make the Nation's most critical infrastructure more resilient. INL has advanced broader clean energy research, informing electric vehicle deployment and developing bioenergy solutions that benefit the environment and our Nation's farmers. Even as we celebrate INL's 70 years, the lab's leadership and staff are looking ahead. Those seven decades of service provide a foundation upon which today's INL will help this Nation build a brighter future. INL leads the effort to maintain and extend the lives of America's nuclear reactor fleet, while helping industry develop advanced reactor designs, including small modular reactors and microreactors. INL's vital national and homeland security work grows more important every day as our systems become increasingly automated and interdependent. prgtoken As we eye the energy systems that will power U.S. prosperity into the future, INL's clean energy research is developing breakthroughs that will help integrate renewables into the power grid and allow our manufacturing and transportation systems to operate more efficiently and with less environmental impact. prgtoken It is ou
Government Funding (Executive Calendar)
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2019-2-14

before I begin with my remarks, I would like to take a moment, as I think everybody here in the country should, to remember and honor all the lives lost 1 year ago today during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. It was a horrible act, as the Presiding Officer of the Senate is well aware, and its reverberations are still felt deeply today, especially among those who lost friends and loved ones, many of whom work day in and day out to keep their memory alive. prgtoken We have before us on the floor today a bipartisan government funding measure, and as the chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I rise in support of the conference agreement to secure our border and fund our government and end any possibility of a shutdown at the same time. This agreement is a compromise between s and , between the House and the Senate, and because it is a compromise, none of us really got everything we wanted. prgtoken When you are working to reach an agreement, whether you are in government or in a family, it is important to understand the difference between compromising on details and compromising on your principles. While this agreement may compromise on some of the specifics, it does not compromise on our commitment to our Nation and to secure our Nation. That commitment is also shared by our President, who has been unwavering in his promise to strengthen our border. It is a goal we must achieve in a smart and informed way to address the real and ever- changing challenges we face as a nation. prgtoken On the border itself, I have been very clear that our agreement had to include three critical elements, three legs of the stool: physical barriers, technology, and personnel. prgtoken There were a few sticking points with our ic colleagues. We did hear from the of the House that there would be no wall or there would not be $1 for the wall. Instead, this agreement provides almost triple the money for new wall construction that we appropriated last year. In fact, we will pay for 55 new miles of wall in the Rio Grande Valley where Customs and Border Protection has told us it is desperately needed. This agreement will build twice as many miles of new wall as last year's appropriations, despite the fact that we were negotiating with those who didn't want to have any wall. prgtoken Would I have preferred more money for the wall? Of course. But this bill provides the most money ever in a single appropriations bill for a barrier. I drafted legislation--passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee last June--that would have fully funded the President's budget request for the wall. I would have voted for higher amounts--and did, actually, in committee--of funding for the wall. That is prgtoken because I believe strongly that physical barriers are a vital part of securing our border. I saw it myself when I toured the borders in California
USPS INTERPRETATION OF RSIA
Don Young (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-2-14

. Madam , it was my pleasure as Dean of the House of Representatives to swear you in at the beginning of this Congressional Session. I pledge to work with you on all matters affecting our Nation and my home State of Alaska. prgtoken I want to bring to the attention of my colleagues, and the United States Postal Service (USPS), which receives a certain level of federal funding for forgone revenue due to free and reduced rate mail under the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Title of the appropriations package, an issue that is critical to safe and stable passenger air service in Alaska. prgtoken Alaska is unique in comparison to other States within our Union in that we have special mail service to provide roughly the equivalent of universal postal service, on par with the rest of the country, to remote Alaskan communities throughout my State which are not connected to the U.S. road system. By way of aviation, vital ``bypass'' mail service is provided via air carriers to towns and villages all over Alaska. This service is critical to the State of Alaska and to my constituents. USPS has jurisdiction over this program and, from time to time, has implemented its interpretations that diverge from Congressional intent of the Rural Services Improvement Act (RSIA)--a law that I helped develop with my former Senate colleague Ted Stevens, and which governs the USPS mail-delivery system for Alaska. prgtoken The intent of RSIA is very similar to the intent of the USPS funding included in the Financial Services appropriations bill--to ensure that rural postal delivery is maintained at prior year levels and to prevent the closure of important rural post offices. prgtoken There is only one airline in Alaska that now delivers mail and passengers ``from the first to the last mile'' to the far reaches of the State--to Native communities, to communities on the Aleutian chain, and the northern-most towns and villages in the State. This airline, Ravn Air, has been disadvantaged by the USPS's interpretation of RSIA that does not grant the air carrier the status as an ``existing mainline carrier'' under the statute. This status will help further ensure that viable passenger service and mail delivery is maintained throughout the State. prgtoken From time to time, it is fair and appropriate for USPS to objectively reevaluate its interpretation of RSIA to provide an updated application of the law and to consider Ravn for this status. prgtoken I intend to follow up with USPS and its new Commissioners regarding this request. The entire Alaska Congressional Delegation has previously written USPS on this matter and I will continue to reach out to my Senate Colleagues for review of this with USPS in light of changes within USPS itself, and changes in the airline industry and marketplace in Alaska. prgtoken s and with that I will vote for passage of the Financial Services bill as part of the final FY '19 Approp
IN RECOGNITION OF THE McMATH MIDDLE SCHOOL TIGER JAZZ BAND
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-2-14

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the notable achievements of Denton ISD's Carroll McMath Middle School Tiger Jazz Band. prgtoken This past year, the McMath Jazz Band was named the top middle school jazz ensemble in the state by the Texas Music Educators Association. Recently, they had the honor of playing at the University of North Texas's Kenton Hall, home of the Grammy-nominated One O'Clock Lab Band. The McMath Tigers are the first middle school jazz ensemble to perform in this famed music venue alongside UNT's acclaimed faculty. prgtoken In recognition of the students' music proficiency, the McMath Jazz Band will perform at the Texas Music Educators Association's annual convention in San Antonio on February 14, 2019. prgtoken The ensemble musicians include: Eli Adams, Tajalli Baugher, Aaron Borges, Vahid Baugher, Jaydan Chavez, Evan Chuah, Nicole Cygan, Isaac Dean, Ethan Desjardins, Rowan Eshbaugh-Soha, Alexander Evangelopoulos, Lily Fosmire, Caleb Harold, Travis III, Nicholas Iaia, Gerald Jones, Elliot Kensinger, Jake Meyering, Jesse Mumford, Kaien Oliver, Josiah Panter, Nicholas Salas, Amari Toney, Jonathan Weaver, Daniel Wen, Jeremiah Williams. prgtoken These young student musicians, under the leadership of Band Director Mr. Travis and Assistant Band Director Mrs. Kelsey Gaskill, have worked as a team to reach their goals. I congratulate these North Texas students on their success, and wish each of them the best in their future endeavors.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.J. RES. 31, FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, 2019
Harold Rogers (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-2-14

I rise in support of this legislation, but first, I want to congratulate our committee's distinguished chair and ranking member on their masterful work in shepherding this compromise to the floor. This is a historic dynamic duo that we have in charge of our committee, and they have produced the historic product that we have before us tonight. prgtoken , we have a crisis at our southern border, period. There is no denying that our Nation's security is threatened by the seemingly unending flow of drugs that find their way into nearly every American community, as well as the violence of the brutal cartels that profit from this trade. prgtoken Where does it take place? On that border. So we do have a problem. It is an emergency. President is absolutely correct that we can't allow this ruthless criminality to continue unchecked. prgtoken This bill takes important steps to secure this country: $1.3 billion for further construction at the border for a wall and additional resources for DHS to hire more personnel and deploy advanced technology in the region. prgtoken In addition to the security crisis, there is also a very real humanitarian crisis that we simply can't ignore. Thousands of vulnerable women and children are seeking a better, safer life in the confines of this country. It is not the American way to turn our backs on these people, and that is precisely why we have processes under Federal law to facilitate legal entry into our country. prgtoken This bill also takes important steps to enforce our current immigration laws. The bill funds an expansion of the Alternatives to Detention program. It also increases attorney and courtroom staffing to reduce the backlog of currently pending immigration cases. prgtoken While the challenges at our border have rightly grabbed headlines, the bill also funds a number of other important Federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year. Importantly, it ensures that our dedicated public servants can continue to show up to work without fear of losing another paycheck. prgtoken In my Kentucky district, for example, hundreds of Federal prison employees showed up to a dangerous, difficult, often thankless job for over a month, not knowing when the next paycheck would come, if at all. I thank them, and I am pleased to support this bill that will continue to support the Bureau of Prisons. prgtoken Also for Kentucky, this bill continues our momentum in combating the opioid epidemic by fully supporting community prevention efforts and drug courts to get people into treatment. prgtoken This bill also provides $115 million for the abandoned mine lands pilot program, which helps create economic development in Appalachian coal communities. prgtoken Finally, , as the ranking member of the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee, I am especially pleased that this bill includes significant funding to secure our diplomatic posts and to support critical allies l