mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REMEMBERING KAY HAGAN
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2019-10-31

today I rise to pay tribute to former Senator Kay Hagan, who left us this week, much too early, at the age of 66. Kay and I entered the Senate together, in 2009. Our class of freshman ic Senators was very close, and I spent a lot of time with Kay. She was warm and vivacious and 100 percent committed to her home State of North Carolina. prgtoken Kay was the first woman ic Senator elected from North Carolina, and she beat a formidable incumbent. By the time she entered the Senate, she had already gained a reputation in her State as a leader and a fighter, having served in the State senate for 10 years. prgtoken Kay was a woman of great strength, grace, and accomplishment. She was a lawyer, a banker, a legislator, a mother of three, and grandmother of five. Kay came to the Senate to get things prgtoken done for North Carolina and the Nation. To be effective, she worked across the aisle to find solutions to the everyday problems facing Americans. When she entered the Senate, she said, ``We have a Congress now that is kind of divided, and I want to be one of the ones that helps bring people together.'' prgtoken Kay was a woman of principle. She was a key vote in support of the Affordable Care Act--that resulted in millions of Americans gaining access to health care. She stood in favor of choice for women, gay marriage, equal pay for women, the Violence Against Women Act, and expanding background checks on gun sales. prgtoken She was a fierce defender of military families, of which there are so many in North Carolina, and served on the Armed Services Committee. In hearings, she pressed the Army on the unexplained deaths of 11 infants at Fort Bragg and pushed for full disclosure of documents related to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. And before many others, she supported women serving in combat zones. ``Anybody's who qualified should be able to serve,'' she said. prgtoken Kay fought for the ``little guy.'' She used her banking expertise to fight against payday lending. She wanted a fairer minimum wage, so families can support themselves. She supported job creation and small business. ``For me in North Carolina, it's jobs, jobs, jobs,'' she said. prgtoken She understood that big money in politics was drowning the voice of regular Americans and that access to the ballot box is being blocked. After her Senate loss, Kay went on to serve as resident fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University with a focus on money in politics and voting rights, saying, ``We need to encourage young folks across the country to go exercise their constitutional right to vote. It is something that our Constitution gives us, but not enough people exercise it.'' prgtoken Kay wanted to inspire young people--especially young women--to vote, to be informed, to run for office. Kay did inspire. And she leaves us with a legacy of integrity, commitment, and civility. I was proud to be her colleagu
RISE AND MAKE TOMORROW BETTER THAN TODAY
Katie Hill (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-31

. Madam , this is the last speech that I will give from this floor as a Member of Congress. I wasn't ready for my time here to come to an end so soon. It is a reality I am still grappling with, and I will be for a long time to come. prgtoken I expected, or I at least hoped, to be here for as long as the voters of California's 25th District deemed me worthy of the honor of representing them. I thought I could make a difference here in making our community, our great country, and the world a better place for generations to come. prgtoken I, like so many of my colleagues, ran for office because I believed that our political system was broken, controlled by the powerful and the wealthy, ignoring and failing the regular people that it is supposed to serve. I came here to give a voice to the unheard in the halls of power. prgtoken I wanted to show young people, queer people, working people, and imperfect people that they belong here because this is the people's House. I fell short of that, and I am sorry. prgtoken To every young person who saw themselves and their dreams reflected in me, I am sorry. prgtoken To those who felt like I gave them hope in one of the darkest times in our Nation's history, I am sorry. prgtoken To my family, my friends, my staff, my colleagues, my mentors, and to everyone who has supported and believed in me, I am sorry. prgtoken To the thousands of people who spent hours knocking on doors in the hot summer Sun, who made countless phone calls, and who sacrificed more than I could ever know to give everything they could in every possible way so that I could be here, I am so, so sorry. prgtoken And to every little girl who looked up to me, I hope that one day you can forgive me. prgtoken The mistakes I made and the people I have hurt that led to this moment will haunt me for the rest of my life, and I have to come to terms with that. prgtoken Ever since those images first came out, I barely left my bed. I have ignored all the calls and the texts. I went prgtoken to the darkest places that a mind can go, and I have shed more tears than I thought were possible. prgtoken I have hidden from the world because I am terrified of facing the people that I let down. But I made it through because the people who loved me most dragged me back into the light and reminded me that I was stronger than that. prgtoken To those of you who were by my side in my worst moments--you know who you are--I love you. I am so grateful, and I will never forget. prgtoken And I am here today because so many of the people I let down--people close to me, supporters, colleagues, people I have never even met--told me to stand back up and that, despite all of my faults, they still believed in me and they were still counting on me. And I realized that hiding away and disappearing would be the one unforgivable sin. prgtoken I will never shirk my responsibility for this sudden ending to my time here, but I have to say more because this is bigger t
DIRECTING CERTAIN COMMITTEES TO CONTINUE ONGOING INVESTIGATIONS INTO WHETHER SUFFICIENT GROUNDS EXIST FOR THE IMPEACHMENT OF DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-10-31

. Madam , 10 seconds. prgtoken The gentlewoman wants to talk about a sham process; let's talk about a sham process. prgtoken Instead of respecting the constitutional authority of the House of Representatives, the White House has obstructed our investigation, ignored our duly authorized subpoenas, withheld key documents, prevented witnesses from testifying, and intimidated witnesses. They have tried to disparage Members of Congress who are trying to fulfill their responsibilities under the Constitution of the United States. prgtoken Article I of the Constitution gives the House the right to investigate the President, and we are taking our responsibility seriously. prgtoken Madam , I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), the chairman of the ic Caucus.
COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING AND URBAN...
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-10-31

today we come to an inflection point in the appropriations process this year. Leader McConnell has scheduled a vote on the Defense appropriations bill, which comes with a certain irony. A bill that is supposed to provide resources for our troops and their families actually steals money from them and puts it toward a border wall that President promised Mexico would pay for. prgtoken will not vote to proceed to a bill that steals money from our troops and their families. s know it is a nonstarter. Yet Leader McConnell has scheduled a show vote this afternoon to demonstrate something that everyone already knows: There is nowhere close to the necessary votes in the Senate for President 's border wall and, of course, there is not in the House. So this is just a show vote. prgtoken Leader McConnell, a few weeks ago, got on the floor and railed against show votes. He said: I only want to put things on the floor that are going to pass. But we all know this ain't passing. I understand memories in politics can be short, but the exercise we will go through today is absurd, even by those low standards. prgtoken Senate s, by pursuing a partisan process, by doing President 's bidding on the wall--they know he is wrong, most of them. They are just so afraid of him they just say ``Yes, sir'' whenever he proposes an absurd idea. They repeat the same failed strategy that led to the longest shutdown in our Nation's history. I warned Leader McConnell and our friends that if they continue down this path, they will lead us straight to another government shutdown, and their party and President will shoulder the responsibility. The last time, they had to retreat from that position after the longest shutdown in history with their tails between their legs. Isn't history teaching them anything? We know it will not teach President much, but we would hope the s in the Senate would have more sense. prgtoken Instead of standing up and defending their own position that they want the money for the wall--however indefensible in my judgment-- Senate s have resorted to bogus attacks against . Senate s accuse of delaying a pay raise for our troops, even though, first, the pay raise is strongly bipartisan, and, more important, the standing law of the land dictates it will go into effect regardless of whether we pass the Defense appropriations. prgtoken Our friends are so desperate to divert attention from their prgtoken holding up these bills for President 's wall that they come up with completely false arguments, such as the statement that if we don't pass this, the troops will not get a pay raise. prgtoken Yesterday, Leader McConnell and President repeated a slightly less specific but even more outrageous charge, claiming that are not supporting the fight against ISIS due to the disa
NOMINATION OF LAWRENCE VANDYKE
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2019-10-31

I rise today to join my friend and colleague Senator Cortez Masto in opposing the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Nevada. prgtoken Our Federal courts make decisions every day that affect consumers, immigrants, small businesses, not to mention our right to equal treatment, education, and healthcare. As such, our Federal judges must be serious, fairminded, and nonpartisan. We want women and men on the Federal bench who will look at the facts of a case, apply the law, and work hard to reach a just result regardless of who the parties are in front of them. The Federal bench must reflect our country in all its diversity of experience and background. prgtoken Even though the Constitution gives the President the power to nominate Federal judges, it also requires the advice and consent of the Senate, and historically the President consults with home state Senators when there is a vacancy. As the representatives to our States, we are better equipped to identify qualified lawyers and judges to serve on the Federal bench who have done good work and who have good reputations in our home communities. prgtoken We have numerous qualified, nonpartisan individuals working in the Nevada legal community who would make excellent additions to the Ninth Circuit. There are a number of amazing Nevada lawyers whom Senator Cortez Masto and I would have gladly considered supporting for a seat on this prestigious court. We have litigators, magistrate judges, law professors, prosecutors, public defenders, and existing district court judges with stellar reputations from the State, lawyers and judges from Nevada. They know our State, and they have respected nonpartisan records. But the White House didn't nominate any of these individuals for the Ninth Circuit. Instead, the President nominated Lawrence VanDyke, a Washington, DC, lawyer. He wasn't born in Nevada. He didn't grow up in Nevada. He didn't go to school in Nevada. He doesn't live in Nevada now. prgtoken Mr. VanDyke, a Montana native who ran for office there and also worked in Texas, came to Nevada for a job a few years ago, in 2015. When the person he worked for lost a political race in 2018, Mr. VanDyke quickly sold the house he briefly owned in Nevada and moved to Virginia to work in Washington, DC, and as of last week, by his own admission, he hasn't even been back to Nevada since then. prgtoken He is a DC lawyer and a failed political candidate from Montana who shares this White House's extreme political views. They are imposing him on Nevada despite the fact that we have so many qualified people in our own State who enjoy broad support across the political spectrum. prgtoken Nevada has a vibrant community, and we take pride in knowing each other, respecting each other, and most importantly, putting partisan politics aside when it comes to working together for the betterment of our State. So if someone is a good judge or la
REMEMBERING KAY HAGAN
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2019-10-31

I have been privileged to serve, and this my 19th year here in the U.S. Senate. A long time ago, I served as a naval officer in the Vietnam war and as later State treasurer, Congressman, Governor of Delaware, and now I serve as U.S. Senator. I have had the privilege of serving with literally hundreds of people here, in the House, as Governor, and certainly in the Navy and the armed services during the Vietnam war. prgtoken Among my all-time favorite colleagues of all of those, whether it was in the military service, the State of Delaware, or here in Congress, one of my all-time favorite people to serve with was a woman from North Carolina, from a place called Shelby. prgtoken My wife is from North Carolina, from a place called Boone. Her family is from North Carolina. She has her father down there. Boone is up in the mountains. She has sisters. She has sisters in Raleigh, and some of her family has actually lived in Shelby, NC. prgtoken There was a woman born there on May 26, 1953, named Kay Hagan. I don't know that she was born Kay Hagan, but she became Kay Hagan, and maybe that was after getting married. But she was the daughter of a homemaker named Jeanette, and her dad had a tire business. Later, he worked as a real estate broker. Apparently, politics was in her blood. Her dad also served as mayor, later on, of Lakeland, FL. That was where Kay Hagan spent most of her childhood. prgtoken Lakeland, FL, is near to me because it is the spring training camp for the Detroit Tigers. I have been a Detroit Tigers fan since I was 9 years old. So it has been a while. For the people watching the World Series, three of the best pitchers in baseball used to pitch for my Tigers. They went through training camp in Lakeland and ended up with other teams that took them into the World Series. prgtoken Kay was not around to watch any of those former Tigers pitch because she passed away just about 3 days ago. prgtoken Her uncle was a former Governor of Florida, with whom I served. Lawton Chiles was one of the sweetest, best guys I have ever known. He served here in the U.S. Senate for many years--sort of a centrist . He was beloved in his State and beloved here as well. prgtoken Both Kay's dad and her brother served in the U.S. Navy. I did 23 years prgtoken in all, Active Duty and Reserve, in the Navy, and I treasure those days. prgtoken Apparently, Kay also spent summers on her grandparents' farm. They had a farm not in North Carolina but in a place called Chesterfield in South Carolina. Chesterfield used to be a tobacco brand, It was called Chesterfield. She spent summers on her grandparents' farm in Chesterfield, SC, and there she helped to string tobacco and harvest watermelons. prgtoken I grew up in Danville, VA, the world's biggest tobacco market. The kids in my classes at school--the really cool kids, apparently--strung tobacco and probably havested watermelons, as well, as Kay did. prgtoken She graduate
REMEMBERING KAY HAGAN
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-10-31

today I rise to honor and pay tribute to my good friend Senator Kay Hagan. prgtoken When I think of Kay, I will always think of joy, as reflected by the bright colors she used to love wearing. Regardless of how things could get at times, her wonderful spirit would make it all seem better. prgtoken You could always count on Kay to look out for people, whether it was restoring a program to pay tuition for Active-Duty servicemembers, establishing stronger protections for victims of domestic violence, or passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to stop pay discrimination. prgtoken Kay made history. She was the first woman ic Senator from North Carolina and the State's second woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. I have always thought that the women of the Senate work harder, work together, and get things done. Kay was definitely one of those women. prgtoken In fact Kay, in her inimitable way, summed it up best when she said, ``There are only two types of senators: those who'd spend all day on their hair . . . and the women senators.'' prgtoken Kay loved to swim, and when she arrived as a new Senator in 2009, she went down to the Senate pool only to find a sign outside that said ``Men Only''--a fact that she mentioned during one of her first speeches as a Senator without realizing media was present. When the press started calling around to various offices asking about the ``men only'' Senate pool, some were quick to push back on Kay's claim, so Kay asked them to meet her down at the pool to see for themselves. Within a day, the sign was changed to ``Co-Ed Aquatic Facility: Please Dress Appropriately.'' As it turned out, four male Senators had been swimming naked. But because of Kay Hagan, now all Senators can enjoy the pool, and everyone wears ``appropriate attire''. prgtoken That is what I loved about working with Kay. She always looked out for her colleagues. And so when Kay left the Senate, the women Senators had a special farewell party for her next to the pool. prgtoken Kay's drive to get things done came in part from her family. Born in Shelby, NC, as the second of three children and the only daughter, Kay once remarked ``being the girl in the middle . . . I had to fight for everything I got.'' prgtoken And fight she did, rising from an internship in the U.S. Capitol in the 1970s, where she operated the elevators for U.S. Senators, to eventually becoming a Senator herself. In between, Kay served as State senator for 10 years and was named as one of North Carolina's ``Ten Most Effective Senators'' three terms in a row. prgtoken My friend, former Vice President Walter Mondale, once told me that when elected officials gain power, they ``either grow or they swell.'' Kay was a Senator who grew. prgtoken Kay was one bright yellow ray of sunshine for everyone she touched-- the Senate, her beloved State of North Carolina, her friends, and her family. As she struggled with her illness the last few year
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, DEFENSE, STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020-- Motion to Proceed
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2019-10-31

today, the Senate is going to vote on whether to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to a package of appropriations bills that will include the Senate Defense appropriations bill, and the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill. prgtoken There are many things in these bills that I support, but I am going to strongly urge all Senators to vote no. I am disappointed that the majority leadership has taken this step. They bowed to demands by President , and that is continuing to delay funding for our troops. prgtoken They insist on including in this bill authority for President to raid American tax dollars from our military and their families. President wants to raid that money to pay for his wall, after he had given his solemn word that Mexico would pay for it, and that is not acceptable. Because he cannot keep his word, he has already raided $6.2 billion from the Department of Defense this year alone for his border wall. prgtoken He did all of that without congressional approval of either s or . He diverted $2.6 billion from the fiscal year 2019 Defense Appropriations Act. Then he took another $3.6 billion from military construction projects for his southern border wall. prgtoken That money came from projects that would have improved the lives of our troops and their families: military schools, childcare centers, and improved training facilities, many of which have been damaged by hurricanes and other natural disasters. prgtoken On this side, we oppose this bill because we are fighting to protect funds that are meant for the women and men of our military and their families. We oppose this bill because we stand with those patriotic Americans, and we refuse to place the President's failed campaign promises on their backs. prgtoken That alone should convince every Member of this Chamber to oppose this package. Yet the Labor-HHS appropriations bill that is tied to this Defense bill also shortchanges the domestic priorities of the American people by stealing even more money to pay for President 's vanity wall. prgtoken If all things were equal, the Labor-HHS appropriations bill--our largest domestic funding bill--would receive a 3-percent increase in fiscal year 2020, but the bill provides less than a 1- percent increase for Labor-HHS, while the Department of Homeland Security's appropriations bill receives a 7-percent increase to cover the cost of the President's demand for his wall. It doesn't add up to me, and it doesn't add up to most Americans, who broadly oppose President 's wall. prgtoken If, in the House and Senate, we were to have an up-or-down vote on the wall, I suspect it would fail. So now, they are trying to do it through a backdoor way--a shortsighted cash grab directed by President . This is a bill that fails to cover even the annual costs of inflation in public health, Head S