mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--Continued
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-6-12

I rise to speak on the NDAA bill that is before us today. prgtoken I think most people know that we have been engaged in some tariff discussions with other countries through the administration. We have a trade act of 1974 and one of 1962 that have laid out provisions as to how we would go about dealing with tariffs. In section 232 there is a place which states that the President of the United States can declare something a national security issue. When he does that, it keeps him from having to go through the normal process that one goes through in dealing with tariffs. prgtoken Typically, when the President chooses a section of the trade act, he has to go through a process. When he decides that he wants to put a tariff in place on another country, he has to go to the ITC or some other entity to show that, somehow or another, the United States has been harmed as the reason that he would be putting tariffs in place. prgtoken What our President has chosen to do in recent times is to declare that almost everything that he is dealing with relative to tariffs is a national security issue. When he does that, it means that he does not have to lay down grounds for having done that. He can just determine that it is in our national security interests to put in place tariffs on other countries, whether it is automobiles, whether it is steel, whether it is aluminum, or whether it is some other issue. He can just wake up one morning, without going through prgtoken any of those processes, and decide that, on national security grounds, he is going to put tariffs in place. prgtoken Article I of the Constitution declares that Congress is the determiner on tariffs. Congress, per the Constitution, has been charged with the ability--actually, the responsibility--to deal with tariffs and to deal with revenues. It is the responsibility of the Congress. prgtoken Because I have been somewhat concerned that we are using this national security issue just as an ordinary course of business, I have offered an amendment to deal with that, since this is a national security bill, which says that the President can continue to deal with these other countries and he can continue to try to work through trade agreements, but, at the end of the day, if he actually decides to put tariffs in place, he would have to come to Congress to get an up-or- down vote. prgtoken Because we don't want to slow the administration's ability down too much in this regard, we have actually put in this amendment an expedited process so the President would know that we are not going to drag this out forever, so that when he comes to a conclusion, we will have acted on it in a timely fashion. prgtoken I have done this for another reason; that is, if we as a country begin claiming that every single item is a national security issue, other countries will do the same. What they can then do is to avoid the processes that take place generally in international organ
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--Continued
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-6-12

one of the great honors in this body is to bring a contrasting point of view to the topic of the day. I hope to do that today. prgtoken Many colleagues in this body have voiced concerns on both sides of the aisle, frankly, about President --what President is doing to try to create a more level playing field for our workers and businesses. They are nervous about his negotiating style, about things he says, what he is trying to do with our allies, our adversaries, and all around the world. People in this body worry sometimes it is going to create a trade war. prgtoken Colleagues, I have worked in the trade environment internationally most of my career. I have sourced products all over the world. I shipped products all over the world. I can tell you, for a fact, that for the last 40 years we have been in a trade war. prgtoken In that time, America has helped develop the Third World and reduce poverty largely because of an imbalanced trade agreement that we made with pretty much each country around the world, and we did that intentionally, not by accident. It was out of our good will that we set up trade deals that granted access to our markets while denying access to other markets around the world. prgtoken Why did we do that? When China was a $1 trillion economy, that made sense. We wanted to help them develop economically. Now that they are a $12 trillion economy, it no longer makes sense. When Japan was rebuilding after World War II, of course we wanted to help them rebuild. We spent billions of dollars behind the Marshall Plan to do just that with Japan and all of East Asia. We set up trade deals that we knew would help their economy grow, and that made sense then. prgtoken It no longer makes sense to have an unlevel playing field with the rest of the world just so they can develop. Let me give you a reason why. One of the reasons is, because of the American consumer and taxpayer, global poverty over the last 50 years has been reduced dramatically; by some estimates, over 60 percent. Let me say that again. Global poverty, because of the American taxpayer and the American worker, has been reduced over 60 percent. Unfortunately, during that same period of time, American poverty since 1965, when the Great Society was signed into law and when the great War on Poverty was initiated, we spent $67 trillion trying to eradicate poverty in America. prgtoken Unfortunately, today we know poverty is basically the same as it was in 1965. So this imbalance we have lived with for the last half decade that partially helped the development of the Third World, pulling hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, begins to not make sense when it damages our well-being here at home. prgtoken Like me, President is an outsider to this political process. He is just a business guy who spent his career successfully negotiating deals all over the world. For years, he has seen how America has often been
COMPREHENSIVE OPIOID RECOVERY CENTERS ACT OF 2018
Brett Guthrie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-6-12

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today in support of my bill, the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act, a bipartisan bill that will establish treatment centers that offer a full range of treatment for people suffering from opioid use disorder. prgtoken Over the past several months, I have been holding public events in each of the 21 counties in my district. In every county I continue to hear about the awful effects of our Nation's opioid crisis. Each story is a little different, but they are all heart-wrenching due to the deadly effects of opioid use disorder and addiction. prgtoken Right now, most patients are going to the center that is most convenient to them, but those centers might offer only one type of treatment. What if that treatment doesn't work for that person? prgtoken That is why I introduced the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act, so that people can show up at one facility and have full wraparound treatment services and succeed in beating addiction. prgtoken I want to especially thank my friends, Congressman Gene Green, Congressman Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, and Larry Bucshon of Indiana for introducing this bill with me. This is a bipartisan bill. It will make a difference in people's lives, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--Continued
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-6-12

first of all, let me state how much I appreciate the passion the Senator from New York has on this issue. She has been so outspoken on this in committee, and I think most of us agree that there are problems out there that need to be addressed. prgtoken In 2014, a congressionally mandated, independent panel of experts determined that there is no evidence that removing the authority to convene courts martial from commanders would reduce the incidence of sexual assault, increase reporting of sexual assaults, or improve the quality of investigations and prosecutions in sexual assault cases in the Armed Forces. prgtoken The Department of Defense opposes this amendment on the grounds that doing so will endanger military readiness and combat effectiveness without promoting the goal of eliminating sexual assault. prgtoken I don't know what the intentions of the Senator from New York are on this amendment, but in all fairness, I have to state that I will be opposing it. We did consider this in committee, and I have never seen a stronger advocate for a cause or an amendment than the Senator from New York. For some of us who have been in military service--I do have a problem with taking away the authority that has always historically been with the commander and feel that would not be to the benefit of the overall system. prgtoken Two years ago, Congress passed extensive military justice reform, which will come into effect next year. I think that is correct. Rather than imposing additional reforms, I think we ought to allow the DOD to work on implementing the previous legislation to see if that resolves some of the problems that are articulated very effectively by the Senator from New York. prgtoken .
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2018-6-12

today I wish to offer my congratulations to Dr. Matt Jones, the 2018 American Optometric Association Young Optometrist of the Year. prgtoken As the American Optometric Association, AOA, notes, there are young optometrists--those who have been in active practice 10 years or less, including residency or fellowship--who often show remarkable leadership skills when serving their profession, their patients, and their community. prgtoken Dr. Matthew Jones graduated from the University of Evansville in 2005 with a bachelor of science in biochemistry. From there, he attended my alma mater, the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN, where he graduated with honors in 2009. Dr. Jones lives in Blytheville, AR, along with his wife and daughter, and practices in Blytheville and Osceola. prgtoken He also serves as president of the Arkansas Optometric Association. Dr. Jones received the Arkansas Young Optometrist of the Year Award in 2012 and serves on many committees in the organization, including State legal legislative, national legal legislative, convention, career guidance, and AOP-PAC. He is also a member of the board of directors for the AOA's charitable foundation, Vision Arkansas. prgtoken In the community, Dr. Jones is a member of the Blytheville Rotary Club, where he previously served as treasurer. He is currently chairman of the Blytheville Rotary Foundation, in addition to being secretary/ treasurer of the Great River Charitable Clinic board of directors where he provides free eyecare services and materials for the under-served. prgtoken We are so proud of Dr. Jones and his accomplishments. He is a great care provider, leader, and member of the community. This recognition is yet another example of the respect and admiration his peers have for him. prgtoken Congratulations to Dr. Jones on this well-deserved honor, and I look forward to his continued leadership in the coming years.
EXPRESSING CONCERN OVER THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF TOMMY ROBINSON
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-6-12

I rise for the following purpose. prgtoken I want to share my concern about the arrest and conviction of Tommy Robinson in Great Britain. I am well aware that England does not share our free speech values and does not have the equivalent of a First Amendment. Indeed, the restrictive practices of England led directly to the birth of this great nation and the freedom we enjoy here. prgtoken Mr. Robinson, a British activist and journalist, was arrested and jailed for simply filming outside a public courtroom, and was sentenced to 13 months for this ``crime.'' His real crime is not taking pictures; His real crime is his refusal to agree to the government's efforts to cover up crimes by Muslim gangs who are raping British girls, almost with impunity, and with little apparent regard by the British government. prgtoken If this act violated a term of probation, it would mean the court system in England is a key part of the problem, covering up for criminals by imposing gag orders as terms of probation. prgtoken Dissent is patriotic when the ruling class are illegitimate and oppressive. The ruling class in England appears fearful of the truth. When it bans discussion, and when it criminalizes the truth, any such government can fairly be labeled as both oppressive and tyrannical. I object to the suppression of the truth. prgtoken England has a proud history and America is its progeny, but it needs to take back its liberty and freedom. ``It's all for nothing if you don't have freedom,'' Braveheart (1995).
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--Continued
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-6-12

I think it is important to listen to what you heard and analyze what you heard because apparently, if you are defined as an enemy combatant, it would be OK not to have a trial and not to have a lawyer. You wouldn't be presumed innocent; you would be presumed guilty. But the question you have to ask is, Who gets to define the enemy combatant? If the government gets to define you as an enemy combatant, is it not conceivable that you could be an enemy combatant because you are a minority either of skin color or of ideology? Has it happened in the past? The Japanese citizens were a minority, but there was no evidence--no one presented any evidence that they were a threat or had done anything wrong. prgtoken The Non-Detention Act attempted to fix this. There were people like this back in the time of World War II. There are people like this in every war, people who are frightened of those who would attack us, so they want to give up the Constitution to make it simpler to get to guilt. You don't have to have a trial; you just proclaim people guilty. If you proclaim someone an enemy combatant, there will be no trial, but it begs the question: Who gets to decide? Are we going to let one person decide, or are we going to have a jury? Imagine how important this is to our country. We should be alarmed that there are people trying to prevent a trial by jury in our country. It hasn't been used so far, thankfully. We have actually 386 times taken terrible, awful, rotten people who have tried to attack us, and we tried them in courts with juries. We presumed they were innocent. We found them guilty, and we punished them. prgtoken See, the problem isn't about how terrible terrorists are or terrorism is. Murderers are equally as bad. We had somebody go in a nightclub in Orlando and kill 125 people. He is as evil as any terrorist out there. Yet he will get a trial, not because anybody condones what he did, not because anybody doesn't want to punish him, but we will give him a trial because it is part of who we are. It is part of America to have trials. prgtoken You will short-circuit America, you will short-circuit American history if you get rid of a trial by jury, if you get rid of presumption of innocence. It doesn't mean we have any sympathy for the guilty, but we have to make sure we get the guilty. We can't just prosecute people because they have brown skin, because they have black skin, because we don't like the way they act or we don't like their religion. That is what becomes of a country that doesn't have trials. Look around the world. There are countries that don't have trials. That is not who we are. We cannot be so frightened of terrorism that we are going to presume guilt and have no trials. It will end up in tyranny. prgtoken So I ask again and again--and I won't ask it now because the Senator from South Carolina has left, but I ask again and again, will this body not allow a vote? This isn't ev
TRIBUTE TO CHRIS FIELDER, MAYOR OF LEANDER, TEXAS
John R. Carter (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-6-12

I commend the extraordinary work of Chris Fielder, Mayor of Leander, Texas who will retire on June 21 after serving his beloved community for eleven years. Chris' leadership, vision, and commitment to doing what's best for his city have made Leander a great place to live and work. prgtoken Chris served the growing city of Leander as a councilmember from 2007 to 2012, and Mayor from 2012 to 18. During his tenure, he unselfishly gave many hours to the good citizens of his community. As a true leader, he has always shown great respect and support for both staff and colleagues as well as a willingness to make tough decisions. He championed property tax rate reductions, obtained voter approval for general bond election propositions, improved local government transparency, oversaw large capital projects, and initiated the development of Veterans Park. No one can doubt that Chris has made a real difference in the lives of residents. His work is a model of sensible governance that puts people first. prgtoken While Chris isn't tired of the privilege of serving as Leander's mayor, he knows that everything has its season and that it's time to allow the next generation of leaders to take to the stage. Retirement from office won't give him much idle time. He'll fill his days managing his small business and spending time with his beloved wife MaShon and their two children. prgtoken I'm glad civic-minded leaders like Mayor Chris Fielder are working hard to improve their communities. He's led Leander to new heights and positioned his beloved city to progress into a bright future. I salute his work, congratulate him on his retirement, and wish him nothing but the best for the years ahead.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--Continued
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-6-12

a very disastrous thing happened 10 years ago in Iowa. The whims of Mother Nature tested the State of Iowa 10 summers ago when deadly tornadoes, storms, and floods caused more than $10 billion in damage to communities, homes, and businesses. It caused a lot of distress. prgtoken National disasters test the mettle of humanity by every measure. Iowans were tested in 2008. Unfortunately, parts of Iowa, like Mason City, are experiencing flooding once again, almost 10 years to the day. prgtoken Ten years ago, 88 of our 99 counties were declared a natural disaster. Epic floods and EF5 tornadoes ripped holes through the center of many neighborhoods. Thanks to civic leadership and thanks to bootstrap mentality, tireless volunteers and members of the National Guard answered the call to survive and thrive from the crisis. The rallying cry to rebuild and recover has driven a decades-long drive to restore and revitalize these Iowa communities hurt 10 years ago by these massive natural disasters. prgtoken It was a tough row to hoe. Orchestrating the massive cleanup is one thing; paying for it is another. Congress, as we often do for natural disasters, approved nearly $800 million in Federal block grants within the first year to help homeowners with restoration and buyout efforts. However, the wheels of the Federal bureaucracy too often are painstakingly restrictive to navigate. From Housing and Urban Development to FEMA and the Army Corps of Engineers, local residents got a firsthand taste of the Federal alphabet soup. prgtoken When community leaders, businesses, and homeowners got mired in bureaucratic molasses, I worked with our entire congressional delegation to take care of these immediate needs and to help develop long-term planning for the flood plain, such as levee improvements and flood protection systems to avert future catastrophes. prgtoken In addition to directing Federal disaster assistance to recovery and rebuilding efforts, I wrote the Heartland prgtoken Disaster Tax Relief Act to give flood-ravaged homeowners and businesses a fresh start. Just as Congress acted to help victims from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, 3 years before the disaster in the Midwest, I made sure that midwesterners also received a much needed break similar to what we provided at Katrina time. prgtoken Moving forward after a natural disaster isn't easy. Volunteers affirmed Iowa's treasured heritage of neighbor helping neighbor, rescuing residents and pets from flood-ravaged neighborhoods. prgtoken Voters across the State voted on measures to help their communities rebuild, and the State legislature passed laws to help areas mitigate against future disasters. City planners developed a strategy to revitalize their cities and towns. prgtoken Recovery efforts stumbled along the way, to be sure. It takes time to see sunshine and rainbows after one of the State's worst disasters in history. Collaborating and finding consensus isn't easy.
SPECIAL REGISTRATION FOR TELEMEDICINE CLARIFICATION ACT OF 2018
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2018-6-12

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , many patients have limited access to mental health and substance use disorder services, particularly Americans who live outside of metropolitan areas. To increase access to specialized care, this legislation requires the Attorney General to issue waivers to healthcare providers to prescribe medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, for emergency situations, like the lack of access to an in-person specialist. prgtoken Under a previous version of the bill, the DEA would have had up to 90 days to complete this task. At their request, this committee favorably reported an amendment extending this window to 1 year. prgtoken Finalizing the rules for the special waiver process is on the unified agenda of the Justice Department at DEA. That is a signal that they understand the need to implement this provision of law. prgtoken We have the opportunity to consider this bill today because of the faithful dedication and thoughtful legislating of Representatives Buddy Carter of Georgia and Cheri Bustos of Illinois. prgtoken , I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Carter) to speak on this legislation, our resident pharmacist, the only one, I believe, in the entire U.S. House of Representatives, who has prgtoken been a terrific asset as we have dealt with these issues of drugs and drug abuse and addiction, or addiction treatment, and trying to find the best paths forward.
IN REMEMBRANCE OF MR. BENJAMIN HENRY BASCUM HUBBARD
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-6-12

I rise today in solemn remembrance of the life of Mr. Benjamin Henry Bascum Hubbard, or ``B.H.'' as he was affectionately known. B.H. served as a dedicated lawyer in the Northern Neck, and was a tireless advocate for his community as a member of numerous boards and organizations that greatly benefited the region. prgtoken B.H. was born January 19, 1946 in White Stone, a small town in Virginia's Tidewater. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in English and earned his J.D. from the University of South Carolina. He was a founding member of the firm Hubbard, Terry, and Britt, in Irvington, and demonstrated total dedication to his clients through his work. Beyond his firm, B.H. was always striving to improve the quality of life for his neighbors and the community he loved dearly. Most notably, he was chairman of the board of Rappahannock General Hospital and a member of the Board of Directors of Chesapeake Health Services. He also served on the Board of Directors for Bon Secours Richmond Health System. One of his greatest achievements was the successful merger of Rappahannock General Hospital with Bon Secours. Beyond his work, he was known by all for his compassion, his deeply caring spirit, and his incredible capacity for service. prgtoken I am fortunate to have called B.H. a friend and I extend my deepest condolences to his wife of over 50 years, Terry; daughters Emory and Elizabeth; son, Beau; and the rest of his family. B.H. leaves a lasting legacy in the Northern Neck that has been felt by all of its residents. As it says in the book of Matthew, ``Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'' prgtoken , I implore you and my colleagues to join me as we honor the memory of Mr. B.H. Hubbard.