mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO DENISE LOWERY
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-3-25

. I thank Chairman Alexander and join him in commending Ms. Lowery for her many years of dedicated and outstanding service to the HELP Committee, the Senate, and the American people. I greatly appreciate the sacrifice that Ms. Lowery has made over the past 16 years in assisting the HELP Committee by applying her expertise in editing, printing, and memorializing our important work. We wish her all the best in her well-deserved retirement. prgtoken We hope our colleagues will join us in thanking Ms. Lowery for her service.
EUROPEAN ENERGY SECURITY AND DIVERSIFICATION ACT OF 2019
Albio Sires (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-3-25

such time as I may consume. I want to thank, again, Mr. Kinzinger and Mr. Keating for their work on this bill to bolster our allies in the face of Russian pressure. prgtoken This is a good measure that addresses Russia's use of energy to exploit and blackmail countries around the world, and I urge my colleagues to support it. prgtoken , .
RUSSIAN-VENEZUELAN THREAT MITIGATION ACT
Tom Malinowski (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-3-25

such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. prgtoken , I would once again like to thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz for authoring this important legislation and for her leadership on behalf of the Venezuelan people. prgtoken As we all know, Vladimir Putin is seeking to expand Russia's nefarious influence in many parts of the world, always against democracy, always in opposition to the idea that ordinary people have the right to stand up for human rights and against corruption, including in Venezuela. prgtoken This is the struggle of our time. This legislation makes it clear that we stand united with our allies in Latin America and across the world in rejecting the Kremlin's support for the corrupt Maduro regime. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and .
HONORING TIMOTHY V. CHAMBERS
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2019-3-25

. Madam , I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant. Mr. Timothy V. Chambers. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology from Alcorn State University. He later pursued further studies in the education program at Jackson State University and received his standard teaching certificate. Mr. Chambers earned his Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from Jackson State University. prgtoken He started his education career teaching in Canton, Mississippi where he spent seven years collectively between Canton Elementary School, Nichols Middle School and the Canton Career Center. Mr. Chambers served as assistant principal at Canton Elementary School, Nichols Middle School and principal at Canton Educational Services Center. From there, Mr. Chambers traveled to Leake County to serve as principal for Leake County High School. While at Leake County High School, he successfully improved the school's rating from a failing school to a successful status. He then journeyed back home where he served as principal at Canton High School and director at the Canton Career Center. prgtoken Mr. Chambers' educational experiences have afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of people to meet the common goal of increasing student achievement and well-being. His educational philosophy is based on his uncompromising belief that all students can learn, given a positive learning environment, strong and knowledgeable leadership, a committed and focused educational team, an encouraging community, and a supportive family. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Timothy V. Chambers for his dedication to serving.
Climate Change (Executive Session)
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-3-25

revolution is deeply embedded in the character of this Nation. prgtoken More than two centuries ago, delegates from across the American colonies gathered in Philadelphia to take what was audacious action. They risked everything, including their lives, by declaring independence from the greatest and strongest power in the world at that time, the British Empire. prgtoken I am proud to say that my forefather served in George Washington's army, and he was called to risk his life and serve in the Continental Army to fight for an idea--that freedom and liberty would reign in this country. prgtoken As Americans, throughout history, we have been called to service. Sometimes we are called to service by clear and present danger, such as the bombing at Pearl Harbor. Sometimes we are called to greatness by stretching our imagination like, when we went to the Moon, and sometimes we are called to unity by necessity because the stakes of inaction are simply too high. prgtoken Today the United States faces such a challenge, and I believe we can once again prove our greatness. It is an undeniable fact that climate change, caused in large part by humans, is a threat to Michigan, our Great Lakes, our country, and our planet. Climate change poses a threat not only to the lands and waters that we all depend on but also to our health, our economy, and even our national security. prgtoken It is also undeniable that the United States, unified in purpose, can meet the challenges and defeat the threats caused by climate change, but we need to take action now. Time is simply not on our side. prgtoken Without question, taking action involves political risk, but doing nothing is simply not an option. The longer we prgtoken wait, the risks to our planet only grow more challenging and difficult to solve. prgtoken Our planet is showing clear, unequivocal evidence of climate change, according to an overwhelming scientific consensus. Our ice caps are melting. Our oceans are warming. Severe weather is becoming the new normal. Land temperatures are rising. prgtoken Just last week, an alarming new report found that the Great Lakes are warming more quickly than other parts of the country. This change will negatively impact fish species, lead to more algal blooms, cause flood damage to communities, homes, and businesses, and irreversibly alter a sensitive ecosystem that provides drinking water for 40 million Americans. I represent the Great Lakes State, and climate change threatens our economy and our way of life. prgtoken I am disappointed that instead of working together on commonsense efforts and treating climate change with the seriousness that it deserves, the Senate majority leader has chosen to waste limited floor time on a political stunt. prgtoken What we should be doing is having a thoughtful debate on the need to address a significant threat to our country. Rather than playing partisan games, it is time to find unity a
IN RECOGNITION OF EFRAIN JESUS ``E.J.'' LAUREL
Henry Cuellar (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-3-25

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate the life of Efrain Jesus ``E.J.'' Laurel. prgtoken Mr. Laurel was born and raised in Laredo, Texas. He began his career as a U.S. Customs agent and later became a DEA agent. He eventually served Webb County Precinct 4 as a constable and briefly served as Chief of the Laredo Police Department before leaving in 1991. prgtoken Mr. Laurel's colleagues considered him an intelligent, accomplished, and passionate worker. He was revered by many in his community for his hard work and dedication to the citizens of Laredo. He truly loved working in law enforcement and was well-respected in the field. Mr. Laurel had also earned a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and was said to have a great knowledge of historical facts. He had many interests and passions including the Houston Astros. prgtoken Mr. Laurel is survived by his children, grandchildren, great- grandchildren, siblings, and mother-in-law. He was a beloved father, friend, and public servant. He was a well-respected hero in his community and leaves a legacy of serving his country and protecting those at home throughout his career of more than four decades.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-3-25

it is my great honor and pleasure to be joined on the floor today by my senior Senator from Rhode Island, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed. We are here today on the Senate floor to speak about the perils that climate change poses to America's national security. prgtoken I am going to frame my remarks around a fact and a proposition. prgtoken The fact, as reported in the 2017 climate science report, is that the oceans of the world are absorbing more than 9 zettajoules of heat energy each year. prgtoken The proposition is one that I think most of us agree with--that America is and remains the world's indispensable Nation, exceptional and exemplary. prgtoken Let's unpack that fact a little bit. More than 9 zettajoules of heat energy go into the ocean every year. prgtoken First, what is a zettajoule? A zettajoule is sextillion joules, or 10 to the 21st power joules. That is a lot of zeros. More practically, 9 zettajoules is around a dozen times humankind's total annual energy consumption. prgtoken More kinetically speaking, the added heat in our oceans is equivalent to four Hiroshima-sized nuclear bombs exploding in the oceans every second--every second. So every minute, 240 Hiroshima blasts in the ocean--in the time of my remarks, probably 3,000 Hiroshima explosions-- with the oceans capturing all of that heat energy. prgtoken Let's go back to the proposition that America is the world's indispensable and exemplary Nation. Years ago, Daniel Webster probably said it best, describing the work of our Founders as having ``set the world an example.'' His was not a unique vision of America. From Jonathan Winthrop at the beginning to Ronald Reagan recently, we have called ourselves a city on a hill, set high for the world to witness. From President Kennedy to President , inaugural addresses have noted that the glow of our ideals ``light[s] the world.'' President Clinton argued that ``[p]eople the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power.'' prgtoken When Daniel Webster said that our Founding Fathers had set the world an example, he went on to say this: ``The last hopes of mankind, therefore, rest with us; and if it should be proclaimed that our example had become an argument against the experiment, the knell''-- meaning the death nail--``of popular liberty would be sounded throughout the earth.'' prgtoken How does the fact of 9 zettajoules and the proposition of America's role relate to each other? First is the climate chaos mankind will increasingly have to bear. A recent study published by Nature found with 99.9999 percent confidence that Earth is warming due to human activity. I could give you any number of risks, such as global sea level rise or increasing wildfires and droughts or the unprecedented CO2 concentrations in our atmosphere. All of this affects human health, human agriculture, and human eco
CELEBRATING THE LOVE BETWEEN MICHAEL AND ESPERANZA
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-3-25

. Madam , I rise today to offer my greatest congratulations to Michael Ortiz Ayala and Esperanza Padilla Ayala for their 70th wedding anniversary. prgtoken On this special anniversary, I'm delighted to know Michael and Esperanza are surrounded by their loving family including their three children: Carlos, Dolores and Teresa; and their nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. They join this lovely couple in celebrating the love and partnership they have shared for nearly three quarters of a century. The love shared between these two continues to inspire their friends and all their loved ones in Fort Worth. prgtoken I'm delighted to wish them many more years together.
The Green New Deal (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2019-3-25

I rise to speak this afternoon on the upcoming vote on the majority leader's Green New Deal resolution, a resolution that, ironically, he apparently does not support. prgtoken First I want to say this about the Green New Deal: Even our friends cannot deny that this resolution has sparked a national conversation and generated a great deal of enthusiasm among the American people, especially among younger Americans. prgtoken It reminds me of the time when I was a young naval flight officer stationed at Moffett Field Naval Air Station just south of San Francisco, waiting to be deployed to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam war. I joined millions of Americans across our country that year and celebrated our Nation's very first Earth Day. prgtoken As I listen to the rising chorus of voices calling for climate action today, I hear the sounds of that day in Golden Gate Park. I remember the urgency we felt then to address the environmental challenges facing our Nation and our world, and I feel an even greater sense of urgency today. That is why it is so disappointing to me that our colleagues--not all of them but a number of them--are trying to make a mockery of the very real concerns and the passionate calls for action we are hearing from people all across this country and, indeed, all around the world. prgtoken This is not a time for derision. This is not a time for division. On an issue as serious as this one, we ought to be serious about addressing it. However, it has become clear that some--not all but some--of our friends would rather have some fun and talk, maybe, about hamburgers and cheeseburgers and that kind of thing. Worse, some have conflated meaningful action on climate change with socialism. prgtoken With the death of our late colleague John McCain, I am the last Vietnam veteran serving in the U.S. Senate. I served 5 years in a hot war in Southeast Asia to oppose the expansion of communism. Shortly after we celebrated that first-ever Earth Day in 1970, I was sent on the first of three deployments in Southeast Asia before eventually serving another 18 years until the end of the Cold War as a Navy P-3 aircraft mission commander in the Naval Reserve and retiring as a Navy captain after chasing Soviet submarines in all of the oceans of the world. prgtoken I am not a socialist. Like most of our colleagues here, I am an American patriot and proud to be one. I care deeply about this planet, and I know we can have cleaner air and water while creating jobs. Those two things are not mutually exclusive. Our colleagues know better than that, and they owe our country better than that. prgtoken In recent weeks, our colleagues have thrown around a $93 trillion number. That wildly overestimated number primarily refers to provisions in the Green New Deal that are not directly related to climate change. prgtoken At a time when our country is looking to Cong
TERMINATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-3-26

. Madam , my colleague on the other side of the aisle said this was a partisan whack job. prgtoken Yet, Congress has come together, which is rare to see these days, on a bipartisan basis, in the House and in the Senate, to vote to terminate this alleged crisis that is happening at the border. prgtoken This is a constitutional issue. This is about the separation of powers. This is about Congress' ability to appropriate money and the President saying he wants something, Congress doesn't give it to him, and him going around Congress. prgtoken Again, this is not a partisan issue. This should not be a partisan issue. prgtoken My colleague in the Senate said: Never has a President asked for funding and then had Congress not provide the funding, just to have the President come right back to use the National Emergencies Act to get around Congress. prgtoken This is a dangerous precedent. This is not a messaging vote. prgtoken Again, on the House and on the Senate side, on a bipartisan basis, our colleagues are arguing today that we should stand with the President. prgtoken I urge my colleagues: Stand with the Constitution. Stand with the Constitution. Let's override this veto. prgtoken A wall will not stop the drugs that are coming in, the majority, through the ports of entry; a wall will not stop migrants who are coming to present themselves for asylum, legally, at the ports of entry; and a wall will not stop the inhumane treatment that migrants are receiving at the ports of entry. prgtoken Let's work together on a comprehensive immigration bill. Let's work together to address this problem, not to fund a wall against the will of Congress which is being done on a bipartisan and a bicameral basis.
TRIBUTE TO COLONEL THOMAS VON ESCHENBACH
Doug Jones (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2019-3-26

today I pay tribute to a great leader and an exceptional officer of the U.S. Army, COL Thomas von Eschenbach, now serving as the director, Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, AL, as he prepares to retire from military service on May 31, 2019. prgtoken COL Thomas von Eschenbach has served our Army and our Nation for more than 28 years. He has been a true professional; a dedicated soldier, leader, and officer. Throughout his career he has commanded our great soldiers at many levels; he has deployed to combat numerous times in defense of the Nation; and he has been assigned critical positions in our military. Colonel von Eschenbach has provided outstanding leadership, advice, and sound professional judgment on numerous issues of enduring importance to the Army, Congress, and this Nation. prgtoken A native of Alabama, Colonel von Eschenbach was commissioned a second lieutenant of aviation upon graduating from Auburn University ROTC as a Distinguished Military Graduate. His first assignment after flight school was at Fort Bragg, NC, where he served as a platoon leader, company executive officer, and battalion staff officer. He next served in Germany as a troop commander and division staff officer. prgtoken Upon his return from Germany, Colonel von Eschenbach served as a small group leader and later company commander in the Aviation Branch Captains' Career Course and Warrant Officer Advanced Courses at Fort Rucker, AL. As a field-grade officer he returned to Fort Bragg and served as the battalion executive officer and operations officer for an attack battalion, and later brigade operation officer in the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade to include a deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom. prgtoken After an assignment in Army Human Resources Command, Colonel von Eschenbach commanded an Air Cavalry Squadron Task Force during a deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. After this command, he served on the Army staff as the Deputy Director for Army Aviation. prgtoken For the past 4 years, Colonel von Eschenbach has served as the director of the Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate at the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence. In this role he was responsible to the development of future doctrine and concepts, force structure, and capability requirements for Army aviation to ensure our aviation forces and soldiers prgtoken have the right concepts and equipment to prevail in future conflicts. prgtoken On behalf of the State of Alabama, the 116th Congress, and the United States of America, I thank COL Thomas von Eschenbach, U.S. Army, and his entire family for their commitment, sacrifice, and contributions to this great Nation. I join my colleagues in wishing Colonel von Eschenbach future success as he transitions to other opportunities to serve the Army and our country.
The Green New Deal (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-3-26

I rise today to join my ic colleagues in lifting up the voices of countless people in my home State of Washington and around the Nation who are calling out for Congress to truly address the climate change crisis. prgtoken I am glad the s have decided to take at least a short break from their hurried ideological campaign to pack our Federal courts with as many conservative judges as possible. It is inexcusable that they are now choosing to play silly political games instead of working with us to make progress on the many challenges our constituents are facing right now. prgtoken Let me be clear. welcome a robust, fact-based discussion on the Senate floor about what we as a nation must do to combat climate change. That is not what today's vote is, nor what it was meant to be. From the beginning, this vote was scheduled by s to throw red meat to their rightwing base and an extra bone to Big Oil and Gas. But, if anything, what today's vote makes painfully obvious is that while are here at the table ready to get to work to tackle one of the most urgent issues of our time, s don't have a vision, much less any solution for how we are going to reverse the course of climate change and prevent future damage to our planet. On the contrary, many s won't even admit this is a problem, even after the administration itself released its own report detailing how climate change has damaged our planet and will continue to do so if unaddressed. prgtoken are all on the same page. We believe in the science, we believe climate change is one of our planet's most urgent crises, and we all believe that now is the time to take action before our planet suffers even more irreparable harm. have long recognized climate change is a threat not just to our environment but to our economy, our community, our health, and even our way of life. prgtoken As a voice for Washington State, whose residents are being threatened summer after summer with ever-worsening wildfires that destroy more property and cost more money to contain prgtoken and prevent every year, and as a grandmother who wants to leave a better world for the next generation, this is personal to me. But it is not just me or Senate ; our families back in our States understand the risk of climate change, too, and they are very eager for their government to take action against the immediate threat that it poses. prgtoken I was back home last week meeting with leaders in our State capital of Olympia. They are working on a suite of progressive policies aimed at tackling climate change. Every day, I hear from young people all over my State about how they want to inherit a clean, healthy planet. The only way we can ensure that happens is by listening to the science and working to do something now while we still can make a difference. prgtoken I am inspired by my constituents--es
TERMINATION OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY DECLARED BY THE PRESIDENT ON FEBRUARY 15, 2019--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-3-26

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Just in response to the gentleman, if he had been listening, he might have heard the gentleman from Texas listing bases in Texas which are going to lose funds for critical military construction projects, yet he launches off into some fantasy about Iraq--I didn't even quite get that part--and also that we are proposing open borders. I am not aware of anyone on this side of the aisle who is proposing open borders. prgtoken We are proposing effective, 21st century border security at the real threats to America, like drug importation through our legal ports of entry and maritime drug imports that we can't intercept because we don't have the resources, and we are wasting money on a stupid, static wall. prgtoken Madam , I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Barragan).