mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2018-8-16

it is an honor to recognize Emily Holmes for her diligent service through the U.S. Senate Page Program. prgtoken During her placement, Ms. Holmes has been critical to the daily operation of the Senate. prgtoken Senate pages work long hours, dutifully delivering legislative material throughout the U.S. Capitol complex and assisting Senators and staff on the Senate floor. prgtoken Through her work, Ms. Holmes has demonstrated excellent professionalism and a commitment to the work of this legislative body. prgtoken Ms. Holmes's passion for public service is evident from her extensive involvement in her local community through organizations such as Los Alamos Teen Court and student council. prgtoken Ms. Holmes also participates in Model United Nations because she believes understanding both local and global issues is the best way to affect change in her community. prgtoken During her time as a Senate page, Ms. Holmes learned about the legislative process and experienced new ideas and perspectives. prgtoken I especially appreciate Ms. Holmes's commitment to bring what she learned in Washington back to New Mexico as she continues her education. prgtoken As part of the next generation of changemakers, Ms. Holmes will play an important role in the trajectory of our State's future. prgtoken I am grateful for thoughtful young people like Ms. Holmes who seek opportunities to develop as both a citizen and a leader. prgtoken I commend Ms. Holmes for her excellent work in service of our Nation as a Senate page and for her dedication to public service. prgtoken It has been a pleasure to have Ms. Holmes working in the U.S. Senate, and I wish her the best in all of her future endeavors.
Reaffirming the Vital and Indispensable Role the Free Press Serves (Executive Session)
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-8-16

we swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, including its First Amendment, which says, in part, ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment, or religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.'' prgtoken We can't let statements by the President declaring the press is the enemy of the people go unchallenged. Both parties complain about the media, but who can argue with Thomas Jefferson, who wrote that ``our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost,'' or with James Madison, who said that ``the freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by despotic governments,'' or with President Reagan, who said that ``freedom of the press is one of our most important freedoms and also one of our oldest,'' or with Justice Kennedy, who wrote that ``the First Amendment is often inconvenient. But that is beside the point. Inconvenience does not absolve the government of its obligation to tolerate speech.'' prgtoken These words of past leaders should inspire us to act, to send a message that we support the First Amendment, and we support the freedom of the press. prgtoken Senators Schumer, Blumenthal, and I have introduced a resolution that does just that. It affirms that the press is not the enemy of the people, and it reaffirms the vital and indispensable role of the free press, serving to inform the electorate, uncover the truth, act as a check on the inherent power of the government, further discourse and debate and advance our most basic and cherished democratic norms and freedoms. prgtoken This resolution also condemns attacks on the institution of the free press and views efforts to systematically undermine the credibility of the press as a whole as an attack on our democratic institutions. prgtoken As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 607, submitted earlier today.
WILDFIRES
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-8-16

I thank Senator Whitehouse not just for today, as we talk about wildfires, but because, year after year, he has been on this floor, prosecuting the consequences--playing out the consequences of the failure of dealing with climate change. Certainly, it is hotter and dryer in the West. What I am going to do is to spend some of this short period we have together in describing these wildfires. prgtoken They are not your grandfather's wildfires. They are bigger, they are hotter, and they are more powerful. prgtoken In my home State last summer, we saw a fire leap the Columbia River. The Columbia River has always been a break in terms of fire, and the fire just leaped over it. We are seeing that around the country. It is getting worse. The fires are so bad today and the smoke is so thick that people in my home State are fleeing their communities to find pockets of breathable air. In Portland, residents are being warned against spending time outside and are being advised to wear respirators if they must. Those without homes to provide safe air are being told to seek shelter from the smoke in public places, like libraries and government buildings. prgtoken So I would say to my friend and to the Presiding Officer, who is also a westerner and a friend, that this is not the stuff of fiction. This is real life--right now--for communities across the West that are just getting clobbered by fire. This is climate change at work. prgtoken As Senator Whitehouse and I speak today, there are more than 100 large wildfires that are destroying homes and businesses across Oregon and the West, burning almost 1.8 million acres. Farmers have watched as crops have burned to the ground. Families who are located in evacuation zones have fled their homes. Choking smoke throughout my State has left children and seniors afraid to go outside, and schools have canceled sporting events because of the unhealthy air quality. prgtoken I remember when I began in public service that westerners would prepare for individual fire seasons and that some would be a bit worse than others. Yet now we are basically in a situation in which we have infernos raging throughout the year. In California, for example, the Thomas fire set the all-time record--wouldn't want to have it--as the State's largest recorded wildfire in December. It was not exactly a Christmas gift. The record didn't stand long, as my colleague just mentioned last week's fire in Mendocino. prgtoken In Oregon, the Taylor Creek fire and the Garner Complex fire led agencies to issue evacuation notices to more than 1,000 people. This is the second year in a row that the air quality in southern Oregon has ranked among the worst in the Nation. When I was driving to southern Oregon recently in order to get a briefing from fire officials, the smoke, in effect, was going north, drifting 100 miles north of Medford. In my hometown of Portland, now--this week--air is at unhealthy levels. <|
NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-8-16

on the Supreme Court, as we return from the State work period, the majority continues to steam forward on President 's nomination to the Supreme Court, announcing that hearings will begin on September 4. That is just 12 business days from today. Yet the Senate remains unable to do its due diligence on the nominee because we have access to only a tiny percentage of his record. prgtoken Why is this? Senate s are in the midst of a blatant and historic obstruction of a Supreme Court nominee's record, denying the Senate and the American people critical information about this potential Supreme Court Justice. prgtoken The entire record of Judge Kavanaugh's 3 years as Staff Secretary in the White House--the most senior position he held before joining the bench--is being deliberately withheld from the Senate and from the public. The majority has unilaterally declared those papers irrelevant even though Judge Kavanaugh himself has testified to the importance of the position and the work he did there. prgtoken Meanwhile, the small percentage of documents the Judiciary Committee will get to see are being prescreened by a political operative named Bill Burck--a longtime lawyer and former deputy to Brett Kavanaugh when he worked in the White House. A deputy to Brett Kavanaugh is now determining what Brett Kavanaugh's record should be there--somebody who was a lawyer for Steve Bannon--notorious Steve Bannon--a lawyer for Reince Priebus, a lawyer for McGahn, White House Counsel. prgtoken Mr. Burck and his team have already started delivering documents to the Judiciary Committee, but they are refusing to provide a privilege log. Why are they giving us this document and not that one? Aren't we entitled to know what their reasoning, at least, is? So the Judiciary Committee cannot understand how many documents are being held back and on what basis. A privilege log has always been provided in previous Supreme Court vetting processes, and without it, we have no idea whether the basis for Mr. Burck's withholding all of these documents is legitimate. prgtoken Where is our chairman of the Judiciary Committee? He says: Oh, this is the best ever. Then why aren't we getting such a log? What is his answer to that? I know he will come to the floor and rail and rail, but the process--the actual facts--is much worse than we have seen. prgtoken Here is something new--also being done by the chairman of the Judiciary prgtoken Committee. One-third of the documents we are getting, which is a small percentage of the total documents, are being deemed as ``committee confidential'' by the majority and have not been released, stacking an additional layer of secrecy on top of multiple layers of existing secrecy. prgtoken Why are I and my staff and the other 79 Senators not on the Judiciary Committee being denied the ability to review so many of these documents that have been given to the J
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL FOREST
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-8-16

I rise today in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the White Mountain National Forest. prgtoken In 1911, Congress passed the Weeks Act, which authorized the Federal Government to purchase forest lands at the head of navigable streams to protect the health of our waterways. This landmark legislation paved the way for President Woodrow Wilson's Executive order in 1918, a century ago this year, which formally established the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine. Today, these public lands cover nearly 800,000 acres of woodland and attract millions of visitors each year who camp, hike, ski, and explore some of the most breathtaking natural beauty in New England. In fact, the region attracts more guests than both Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. prgtoken If you were to visit the forest today and take in the lush, healthy woodland, it may surprise you that the environmental and economic success of this region was once in serious jeopardy. At the beginning of the 20th century, 80 percent of the White Mountain region had been depleted of its trees. Then-Governor Chester Jordan of New Hampshire said that the single greatest challenge facing the Granite State's future was excessive and unrestrained timber cutting. In his words, ``Our forests are fast becoming despoiled, their scenic beauties marred and destroyed, the public health endangered'' and the State's agriculture, tourism, and even lumber industry threatened with ruin. Without action, he warned, New Hampshire's forests were headed toward extinction. prgtoken In 1901, the year Governor Jordan issued his warning, Granite Staters began a remarkable effort to save our woodlands, efforts that continue to this day and have helped create a rich prgtoken and vibrant forest ecology. Organizations like the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Society of American Foresters have worked for over a century to protect our woodlands and foster appreciation for the natural world. Through their tireless work, the commitment of Granite Staters, and the efforts of local, State, and Federal governments, New Hampshire is now the second most heavily forested State in the U.S. The White Mountain National Forest, one of the greatest successes of the State's conservation efforts, has become a major part of the Granite State economy, supporting a $9 billion statewide tourism and outdoor recreation industry and nearly 80,000 jobs--proof that environmental and economic success can go hand-in-hand. prgtoken This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act. This important legislation, signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson, established a national network of public trails that expanded access to outdoor recreation across the United States, including nearly 350 miles of public trails in the White Mountain National Forest. prgtoken As we celebrate the National T
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-8-16

as a number of my colleagues did, last week when the Senate wasn't in session, as I always do, I returned to my beloved State of Ohio and went home to Cleveland and spent much of last week going around the State. prgtoken I love Pope Francis's comment when he exhorted his parish priests to go out prgtoken and smell like the flock. That says to me how important it is to go out and listen to people and listen to people's concerns. prgtoken I was in Lima talking to workers about pensions and about their work manufacturing. I was in Findlay with the mayor and a number of providers, and we listened to people talk about what they are doing to address the opioid crisis in Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, and around the State. prgtoken What strikes me perhaps more than anything is the dignity of work; that whether you see someone waiting tables in a diner, whether you see someone at a plant working on an assembly line, whether you see somebody doing construction, whether you see somebody in a school or in a hospital, taking care of children in a school, taking care of patients in a hospital, what comes through to me is just the dignity of work. prgtoken What concerns me is, this body doesn't really understand that. They don't understand people want a chance to make a living, they want a decent wage, they want a chance to raise their children in a safe neighborhood, and they want access to housing. prgtoken We know one out of four people who rent in this country spend more than half their income for housing, and we know what that means if something goes wrong in their lives, if their car breaks down, if their child gets sick, that they can lose their apartment, they can be foreclosed on, they can be evicted. prgtoken To me, what came through this trip around the State this week more than anything was how this body is so out of touch with what work means; the honor, the dignity of work, how honorable it is; that people, whether they work with their brains or their hands or their brains and their hands, as most people do, that work should be rewarded. prgtoken We are seeing workers work harder than ever before. We are seeing corporate profits go up. We are seeing executive compensation explode. We are seeing productivity rise. Yet workers' wages are flat. prgtoken In fact, during the last year and a half, while the stock market is up and the President brags about job growth--and we all are happy with job growth--what we don't hear said, which is true, is that workers' wages have been stagnant or have gone down. Workers are actually making less than they were a year and a half ago. prgtoken We know that since 2010, since the auto rescue, we have seen job growth every quarter, every month since 2010. We saw greater job growth 3 years ago than we have the last 2 years, but we have not seen wage growth, and I will give you one of the reasons for that. prgtoken Congress passed a tax bill less than a year ago, and that tax b
WILDFIRES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-8-16

it is terrific to be joined here today by my colleague from Oregon, Senator Wyden, to address some of the devastating effects of a changing global climate from the shores of Rhode Island and our beautiful Narragansett Bay to the forests of southern Oregon. prgtoken Rhode Island is looking at losing significant territory to storms and sea level rise. Oregon is seeing ancient forests go up in smoke. For most of the country, this summer has been a scorcher. July was nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit above average, and, before that, the contiguous United States experienced its hottest May and third hottest June on record. prgtoken It is oceans too. Just last week, the Rhode Island organization Save the Bay recorded ocean surface temperatures in Little Narragansett Bay, off the coast of Westerly, RI, at nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit--the highest in over a decade of data and, perhaps, the highest ever in Rhode Island's history. prgtoken The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently released its report ``State of the Climate in 2017.'' The 500 scientists from 65 countries who contributed to this peer-reviewed report, which was published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, reported ominous records broken: the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, a new high; heat in the upper ocean, a new high; sea level rise, a new high; sea ice coverage in the Arctic and in Antarctica, both new all-time lows and all headed in the wrong direction. prgtoken Out West, the NOAA report called out 2017 as an extreme western wildfire season that burned over 4 million hectares. The total costs of $18 billion tripled the previous U.S. annual wildfire cost record set in 1991. prgtoken Right now, in the summer of 2018, blazing temperatures and drought conditions have contributed to wildfire outbreaks worldwide in the U.S Canada, Australia, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The raging Mendocino Complex fire recently became the largest wildfire in the history of the State of California, the previous record being last year's Thomas fire. prgtoken , I again want to thank the distinguished ranking member on the Finance Committee, and I salute his years of passion on environmental issues and in the defense of his State, which is now suffering so many fires. prgtoken We actually have an answer to the question that Senator Wyden proposed rather rhetorically--why this is happening out in the Mendocino fires, for instance. The assistant deputy director of Cal Fire, Daniel Berlant, who is at the state department of forestry and fire protection, has said this: ``Let's be clear: It's our changing climate that is leading to more severe and destructive fires.'' prgtoken Climate change has doubled the area consumed by forest fires since 1984. According to a report by Climate Central, ``[c]ompared to the 1970s, the annual average western U.S. wildfire season is now 105 days longer, h
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-8-16

I rise to pay tribute to a woman whose voice and whose soul truly was larger than life. prgtoken Aretha Franklin was known, first and foremost, as a singer, and what a singer she was. For so many of us, her voice provided a soundtrack to the highs and lows of our lives. prgtoken A couple of things happened on April 29, 1967. For one, it was my 17th birthday. For another, that was the day Aretha Franklin released ``Respect.'' Let me tell you, that song felt like a gift that day, and it has felt like a gift every time I have heard it ever since. Her voice really was a gift, not just to me but to the whole world. She won 18 Grammys, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, was the 1994 Kennedy Center Honors awardee, and was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the highest civilian honor in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A panel of music experts convened by Rolling Stone magazine in 2008 named her the greatest singer of all time--not bad for a preacher's daughter from Detroit. prgtoken All those awards are important; however, they don't begin to measure how she made us feel. I will never forget the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, which saluted my friend and singer-songwriter Carole King. Aretha strolled onstage in her jewels and her furs, and she was pure magic. Her soulful rendition of ``Natural Woman'' made Carole King dance in her seat, and she made President tear up. Those final, magnificent notes--when she tossed her coat on the stage and raised her arms in triumph--brought every single person in that audience to their feet, including me. prgtoken Her voice was remarkable--so remarkable, in fact, that in 1986 the Michigan Legislature declared it to be a precious natural resource. That remarkable voice of hers wasn't limited to songs, however. Aretha also used her voice--sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly--to speak up for justice and to make a difference in Detroit and across the country. That is probably no surprise, given her roots. prgtoken Aretha was the daughter of Pastor C.L. Franklin of New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, and she first found her soulful voice singing and playing the piano in church and in other places in Detroit. The Reverend Franklin was active in the civil rights movement, alongside leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and Aretha was there to fund the work. Her longtime friend, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, shared his memory with the Detroit Free Press last week: When Dr. King was alive, several times she helped us make payroll. On one occasion, we took an 11-city tour with her as Aretha Franklin and Harry Belafonte . . . and they put gas in the vans. She did 11 concerts for free. prgtoken He added: Aretha has always been a very socially conscious artist, an inspiration, not just an entertainer. prgtoken We certainly know this in Michigan, where she
Reaffirming the Vital and Indispensable Role the Free Press Serves (Executive Session)
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-8-16

I rise to express my disappointment that my colleagues are not making better use of our legislative days in August. We could be working together to pass strong bipartisan bills that secure our elections and punish foreign nations and companies that hurt our national security. We could be working on healthcare and protecting people with preexisting health conditions and reducing the cost of prescription drugs. We could be working on legislation to strengthen our Nation's guns laws. My colleague, Senator Nelson, introduced emergency legislation to prevent the Administration from allowing 3-D gun plans to be posted on the internet. We spoke on the floor and asked unanimous consent to have a vote on his bill, and s blocked that effort. prgtoken Instead, we are here, voting on Judge Quattlebaum's nomination to the Fourth Circuit. Judge Quattlebaum was confirmed to his present seat, as judge on the district court a mere 6 months earlier. s think it is more important to promote a novice judge than to work on legislation to secure our elections, protect our national security, or prevent dangerous people from accessing guns. prgtoken I urge Senator McConnell to reconsider the August legislative agenda and bring substantive bills to the floor for a vote.