mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-1-19

it is unusual to be here on a Saturday morning in Washington, DC, but recognizing that we have been in the midst of a partial government shutdown for now 29 days, it seems to me that this is an absolutely appropriate place where we should be. We should be here working. We should be here trying to figure out how we get back to the business of governing. prgtoken I think it is fair to say that there has been a great deal of frustration. I think the four Senators who are assembled in this Chamber today are part of a group with whom I have shared that frustration on a daily, if not hourly, basis. prgtoken I think there have been very good-faith efforts to try to advance discussions on a bipartisan basis and a bicameral basis, trying to allow for a process that would allow us to consider the work and the legitimate request of a President who has clear priorities when it comes to border security and what we need to do and how we might need to do it, but it is very difficult to do it when we are not fully governing, when you have a partial government shutdown, when you have men and women who we are asking to do the work within their Agencies, but then they are not being paid. They are being told they will be paid when this is all over, but the uncertainty of when that ``all over'' is is very heavy on them--very heavy on them and their families. prgtoken Today, I want to share with colleagues the view from one community in Alaska. Alaska is a State that relies heavily on our Coast Guard. We have about 3,000 active Coast Guard in this State--2,972 exactly, and 285 civilians. We are proud to host the largest Coast Guard Air Station in the country on Kodiak. prgtoken I thought Kodiak was the largest island in the country. It is not. Hawaii beats us. The Big Island beats us. Kodiak is a large, large island off of the southeastern, southwestern, and south central part of the State of Alaska. There are about 6,000 people in Kodiak--6,013 based on the last census. prgtoken Within that Coast Guard community of Kodiak, you have 1,141 Active Duty, 102 civilian employees, and 1 Coast Guard reservist. This is a community. When they say that we are a Coast Guard town, Kodiak is truly a Coast Guard town. It is about one-third of the economy that is based off of the Coast Guard there. prgtoken This is an island that--I don't know. I probably should have checked air prices before I came to the floor, but it seems to me the last time I flew down there, going out of Anchorage to Kodiak, you are probably spending $400 to $500 for an airplane ticket. prgtoken So you are geographically removed. You are removed certainly from a financial perspective in terms of your ability to move back and forth. Jobs are challenging in a community like this. December, January are usually the highest months of unemployment, but in December, so just last month, we were at 8.8 percent in Kodiak. You compare that to last January of 2018, it w
TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-1-22

. Madam , I rise in strong support of the FY 2019 Transportation and Housing Appropriations Bill, which provides more than $71 billion to partially re-open the government. prgtoken Families living in housing supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deserve to know they will have a roof over their heads. prgtoken This bill will ensure that struggling families are not evicted from their homes because of the Administration's incompetence and cruelty. prgtoken There was a report this week that thousands of families could be evicted because HUD officials forgot about Section 8 contracts that expired last month. prgtoken Let me reiterate: families could become homeless--in the depths of winter--because these officials couldn't keep track of this program. prgtoken Madam , this is just downright unacceptable. And it's hurting people across the country. In my home district, renovations on an affordable housing project has been put on hold because of this shutdown. prgtoken There is an affordable housing crisis in this country, Madam . A delay in projects like this will mean fewer people have a place to rest their heads at night. prgtoken These families deserve better. prgtoken Madam , the shutdown is hurting real families and it's hurting our economy. prgtoken Let's pass this bill to reopen the government, and make sure families can stay in their homes. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote yes
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-1-22

the shutdown is now in its 32nd day. Essential government services are straining under the lack of resources--airport security, food safety, our Federal courts, our national parks. The economy is taking a serious hit. It was even revealed today that FBI investigations--law enforcement--are being curtailed, and, of course, 800,000 public servants who are dedicated to their jobs and their country continue to languish without pay. prgtoken The personal financial crisis President is inflicting on these patriotic Americans is worsening by the day. He is hurting the 800,000 dedicated public servants, the millions who depend on them, and the entire country. This must stop. The government shutdown must end. President and Leader McConnell need to come to their senses and reopen the government. Instead, over the weekend, President made a televised address to outline an immigration proposal that is going nowhere fast. prgtoken It is clear that the President has realized he has put himself and the country in an untenable position. Everyone knows the President said he would be proud to shut down the government. Everyone knows that he and Leader McConnell are the only obstacles to opening it back up. Across the board, the polling shows it. Even a good chunk of s is getting disillusioned with the President and the Senate because they persist in keeping the government shut down because they demand that they get their way or else. The leader's attempts--that I just heard on the floor--to blame the for the shutdown are futile. They are so far from reality that no one takes the leader seriously when he says it. The American people know President is responsible for the shutdown, and now they have learned Leader McConnell is a coconspirator in the shutdown. prgtoken In his realizing he is hurting the public and hurting the economy and in the underlining of the fact that his Presidency has far too much chaos and too little order, direction, and certainty, the President has had to make a proposal to try to shake things up. It is not a good- faith proposal. It is not intended to end the shutdown. The President's proposal is one-sided, harshly partisan, and has been made in bad faith. prgtoken The President single-handedly canceled DACA and TPS protections. He did it himself, on his own, a while back. Now the offering of some temporary protections in exchange for the wall is not a compromise--it is more hostage-taking. When the President says: ``I will give you DACA and TPS partially''--even though he created the problem on his own-- ``in exchange for the wall,'' it is like bargaining for stolen goods. The President didn't offer the DACA protections in good faith. The President's team sold the DACA protections as the BRIDGE Act--a temporary fix originally proposed by Senators Durbin and Graham. It turns out the actual legislation is even more limited than
HONORING DAWN PEASE BRYANT
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-1-22

. Madam , I rise today to honor Dawn Pease Bryant for her efforts as a homeschool educator and a military spouse. This recognition is well-deserved and most timely in light of her son's recent high school graduation and on the eve of her husband's promotion to Colonel in the United States Army. The education of our children is one of the most important undertakings we have as parents, and it is an impressive accomplishment when this responsibility is balanced with the homeschool setting. Dawn Pease Bryant has excelled as a homeschool educator, having educated her son from first grade through high school. The milestones and experiences during these formative years include completion of over 75 junior-ranger programs at our National Parks, participation in state envirothon competitions and oratory programs, and a special attention to domestic and international history and culture. Beyond the education of her own child, Dawn routinely led group classes and events for homeschool groups in her community, mentored and supported other homeschool parents, and served as President of the regional homeschool cooperative. These efforts have all been accomplished in tandem with Dawn Pease Bryant's dedication and service as a military spouse. The sacrifices endured by servicemember spouses often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Balancing an education in the home is particularly challenging when a spouse is required to work late, weekends, or deploy around the globe. Dawn's unwavering support of her husband undoubtedly enabled his promotion to the rank of Colonel. Madam , the recent achievements of Dawn Pease Bryant's son and husband are in no small part due to her many sacrifices and devotion. I commend this remarkable mother, educator, wife, citizen, and friend on her efforts, accomplishments, and service. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in honoring her today.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-1-22

here is what happened this weekend with respect to the continuing disagreement over funding the government. Two things happened over the weekend. prgtoken On Saturday, the Senate was in session, and Members of both parties came to the floor to speak about the urgent need for a bipartisan compromise to reopen the Federal Government for the sake of Federal workers who need certainty, and for the sake of the American people who need their Nation's government fully online. prgtoken Also on Saturday, President rolled out a bold, comprehensive offer to do just that. It would break through this stalemate and would reopen government swiftly and deliver on a number of other policy priorities that are seen as important on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken That is where we are on day 32 of this partial government shutdown. That is where we are as this new week begins. We have heard Members of Congress on all sides demanding a resolution to the impasse and a plan to quickly restore full funding to the Federal Government. We now have a plan from the President that would do exactly that, and quickly, while incorporating both the bipartisan work of the Appropriations Committee and bipartisan proposals on current immigration issues. prgtoken The opportunity to end all of this is staring us right in the face. That is why we will vote on this legislation on the Senate floor this week. All that needs to happen is for our ic friends to agree that it is time to put the country ahead of politics, take ``yes'' for an answer, and vote to put this standoff behind us. prgtoken To be clear, the proposal outlined by President that we will consider in the Senate is the only proposal before us that can be signed by the President and immediately reopen the government. prgtoken First and foremost, it is the only proposal that would reopen the government fully and immediately. But it is not merely a continuing resolution. It wouldn't kick the can down the road. Instead, it would fulfill Congress's responsibilities--without footnotes, without caveats, without hitting the snooze button. This measure would wrap up last year's historic progress on appropriations. It would pass all seven remaining regular-order funding bills and deliver supplemental funding for disaster recovery. prgtoken Importantly, it is also the only proposal that would deliver a comprehensive investment in our Nation's border prgtoken security. To be clear, that is comprehensive by the standards of Border Patrol experts themselves--the men and women actually on the ground. prgtoken The bill would provide funding for each of the CBP's top 10 priority investments for border security, including a substantial investment in enhanced surveillance technologies, funding for the recruitment and training of 750 new Border Patrol agents, and $5.7 billion for the construction of the physical barrier along the highest priority areas of the southern border. <|p
ISSUES OF THE DAY
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-22

I was going to ask Congressman Norman if he would reflect. We heard from a lot of landowners. Individually, we talked to a number of folks on a separate basis. prgtoken But, yes, we see here the end of that barrier, all you have to do is just go to the end. prgtoken , after all the folks we talked to in the last few days, I would like to ask Mr. Norman his thoughts about what needs to be done. We have some of our friends across the aisle who say we don't need any kind of barrier. We just need the technical equipment, the cameras, the drones. We don't need a wall. prgtoken After what he has seen and heard, I would like to hear his thoughts regarding that.
RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAMAR STATE COLLEGE ORANGE
Brian Babin (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-22

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Lamar State College Orange on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. prgtoken Lamar State College Orange is a unique campus on the Sabine River in Orange, Texas, composed of re-purposed buildings that revitalized the downtown area creating a beautiful campus. LSCO opened in the fall of 1969 as an extension center of Lamar University and first held classes for 362 students in the vacant Tilley Elementary School located on the site of the former naval base in Orange. That structure burned in 1971, prompting community leaders to raise funds for the purchase of a new facility. The fund raising campaign produced $250,000 that allowed for the purchase of a building located on Front Street in downtown Orange. That same year the Texas legislature approved the operation of a two- year educational center in Orange and appropriated $125,000 to support the operation of the center then known as Lamar University at Orange. prgtoken Dr. Joe Ben Welch played a key role in the early growth and development of the college. He served as director, dean, provost and president during his nineteen-year tenure at the institution. The initial class offerings focused on academic courses that would transfer and count toward a baccalaureate degree. Welch, however, saw the need to offer career-oriented programs that would prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce, and he began to add programs such as vocational nursing and welding. This mix of academic and career- oriented programs defines the campus mission to this day. Dr. Welch retired in 1989 after nineteen years of service to Lamar. prgtoken In 1994, the Board selected Dr. J. Michael Shahan as President of LSCO. Under Shahan's leadership, the campus has grown to over 2,000 students and made significant improvements to the campus infrastructure. The Ron E. Lewis Library was completed in 2001, the first new construction in the college's history. A new nursing school and classroom building was added in 2013. Dr. Shahan saw Lamar through hurricanes and floods and still managed to continue the growth that led to an enrollment of more than 2,600 students today. After twenty-four years, Dr. Shahan retired in 2018 with the honor of having the new Cypress Event Center being renamed the J. Michael and Bridget Shahan Event Center. prgtoken In 2018, Dr. Thomas Johnson was selected as President, and under his leadership Lamar State College Orange will no doubt continue its legacy of two-year academic programs, numerous technical programs and customized training programs to meet the needs of local business and industry playing a key role in southeast Texas' growth and development. prgtoken Madam , it is my distinct honor to recognize Lamar State College Orange on this important anniversary. May God continue to bless and grow LSCO and the community and students it serves.
BORDER SECURITY
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-1-23

it is a pleasure to be here and to speak and report to the American people about what we saw and learned on the Arizona-Mexico border over the weekend. prgtoken We spent Sunday and Monday putting a lot of miles on cars, traveling within 30 miles of the border all the way from the New Mexico line through about two-thirds of the State of Arizona. It becomes kind of interesting because, quite frankly, there are so many people who do not appreciate the breadth and the wide open space of that country. prgtoken Let me just take a few minutes and tell you that we had nine Members of Congress there. We met with Border Patrol agents, Customs agents, Border Patrol management. We met with ranchers, residents along the border. We met with numerous people, all who have an interest in the immediate impacts of illegal border crossings. prgtoken One ranch that we happened to visit in Arizona, right on the border, you could look out and you could see the vastness of what our Border Patrol agents are dealing with. You could literally see many miles into Mexico. The Sierra Madres are coming down from their height, leveling down, and then you have two other additional mountain ranges that come on the Arizona side, right through it, kind of tapering into the Chiracahua Mountains, beautiful mountains. prgtoken You can see the vastness of this open space, and it is many hundreds of miles, and even thousands of miles square. We have two or three Border Patrol agents there and no fence, really, to speak of. prgtoken So we talked with some of the ranchers who live along there and their experience. We walked through some of the hills and on the paths that illegal aliens and drug traffickers pass through and walk. We talked with some of them. prgtoken One gentleman explained to us that he has had four home invasions-- four home invasions--more than 15 burglaries, and, every day, trespassers on his property. prgtoken Imagine that as your lifestyle, knowing that you will have home invasions, knowing that you are going to have people trespassing on your property consistently. prgtoken We moved over to the wall in Douglas, Arizona. It sits on the border with Agua Prieta. We took pictures. We talked with Border Patrol agents. And then we could see where that border wall, how long that goes. prgtoken It is bollard fencing, which is slatted steel fencing that goes anywhere from 10 to 15, 18 feet high. But it was so ineffective in some places that they have started putting concertina razor wire to keep people down. prgtoken In a minute, I will tell you how that doesn't really work. prgtoken And then they put up a third or second barrier there in some parts of Douglas, but not enough money. It just kind of runs out. And you can see how far that border wall goes in Douglas, and it is the bollard fencing. prgtoken We then kept moving in Cochise County in Arizona, and we ended up, we were able to talk to some local law enforcement and some of the Angel Pa
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
David P. Joyce (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-1-23

I thank the ranking member from Texas for yielding and the chairwoman from New York. prgtoken , I am honored to be speaking here today as the newly appointed ranking member of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. I am honored to be paired with the newly appointed chair of the subcommittee, my friend and fellow Great Lakes advocate, Congresswoman Betty McCollum from Minnesota. I am thrilled to be working with her in this capacity, and I look forward to many years of bipartisanship and collaboration on behalf of our constituents, our States, and our country. prgtoken The Interior division of the omnibus bill before us today was negotiated in good faith by both House s and House . It reflects bipartisan priorities and represents many months of hard work by the House Appropriations Committee. prgtoken I am pleased that the bill includes $3.9 billion for the Department of the Interior and the United States Forest Service to fight devastating wildfires; $9 billion to increase the Federal commitment to our treaty and trust agreements with American Indians and Alaska Natives; over $3\1/2\ billion to improve our Nation's aging water infrastructure and improve public health; and $1.9 billion to reduce maintenance backlogs in our Nation's parks, trails, and wildlife refuges. prgtoken However, the Interior piece of this bill was negotiated as part of a comprehensive package funding numerous critical government functions, including securing our Nation's southern border. House s conditionally agreed to drop several high priority provisions in the Interior bill in exchange for other priorities in this comprehensive package, including strengthened border security. prgtoken We were so close to finishing that package last year before the holidays, which would have fully funded our government, addressed the crisis at our southern border, and ensured all our Nation's Federal workers would continue receiving their paychecks, but, sadly, that is when the negotiations on border security broke down, and, shortly, thereafter, the government shut down. prgtoken There is an old saying in negotiating that nothing is agreed to until everything is agreed to. And since a compromise has not been found on border security, this Interior bill and the other bills before us today are not a true conference agreement. To suggest otherwise would be to mislead the public in an attempt to gain political high ground on an issue that most of our constituents expect us to instead find common ground. prgtoken We all agree that strengthening our borders is necessary, not only for our Nation, but also for the welfare of those willing to risk everything to enter this country illegally in pursuit of a better life. Let us be willing to risk the criticism that too often gets in the way of compromise. Let us have the courage to meet each other in the middle. prgtoken Our constituents have b