mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ZACHARY CRESS
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-1-17

today I wish to recognize Lieutenant Commander Zachary Cress of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration--NOAA--Commissioned Officer Corps, who has served as a fellow on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for the past year. prgtoken I want to thank Lieutenant Commander Cress for his hard work from which the committee greatly benefited. His expertise as a ship driver and manager of our Nation's marine resources has meaningfully informed the committee's efforts. He has worked on several pieces of legislation that have become law, including the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018. His contributions have enabled NOAA to carry out its missions more effectively. prgtoken Again, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Lieutenant Commander Cress for all of the fine work he has done and for his continued service to our nation. I wish him success in the years to come.
MARCH FOR LIFE
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-1-17

. Madam , I thank Mr. Smith for yielding. prgtoken Today I affirm that pro-life is also pro-science. Advances in science, especially ultrasound technology in medicine, make this clear, not just to parents, but to anyone who will see the live baby human growing inside a mother's womb; that we are talking not about a clump of cells as some like to refer to them, but indeed a baby human. As a result, the country is becoming increasingly pro-life. prgtoken Every single life has purpose and dignity. As Pope John Paul, II, stated: Human life has dignity not because of the work people do, but because it is imprinted with God's image. prgtoken This week, I am proud to welcome pro-life leaders and friends from Ohio's Eighth District traveling to Washington, D.C for the March for Life. prgtoken Today, we look forward to the day when Americans will contritely turn away from abortion, perhaps as vigorously as they have rejected the abhorrent etiology that led to the three-fifth compromise. prgtoken Knowing women who have experienced abortion, I also hope that everyone will show kindness and mercy to those who wrestle with the enduring trauma with repentance. May God have mercy on them and on all of us.
NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION AND ABORTION INSURANCE FULL DISCLOSURE ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2019-1-17

this week, folks from all over the country--all ages, all backgrounds, and all walks of life--are coming together to celebrate and highlight one of the single most important priorities of this Nation, and that is protecting the unborn. prgtoken In fact, tomorrow, nearly 100,000 of these folks will march right here in Washington, DC, at the March for Life rally. In fact, I will be speaking at that rally tomorrow. prgtoken As American citizens, I believe in our founding principle that all men and all women are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Every human life must be valued. Every human life must be protected from conception until prgtoken death. We must stand to protect the most vulnerable in our society, and that includes the unborn. prgtoken I am grateful that under President 's leadership and the -led U.S. Senate, we have delivered some of the strongest pro-life results in history. In fact, in the last Congress, this -led Senate confirmed 85 conservative judges. That includes a record-setting 30 circuit court judges. We also confirmed 53 district court judges and two new Supreme Court Justices. prgtoken I remember when I left the private sector to come to public service that when the Senate put a judge on the bench, that meant these were lifetime appointments. We can pass laws here. Laws can be changed in the current Congress. Laws can be changed in a future Congress. But these judges are lifetime appointments. prgtoken Despite the great progress we have made over the last couple of years, there is plenty of work to be done. In fact, just this week, I was grateful and thankful to see 48 of my Senate colleagues join me in sending a letter to President urging him to stop any legislation--any legislation--that is coming out of the House that would erode pro-life protections. prgtoken The good news is, this is a battle we are winning, and this is a battle we must absolutely win. prgtoken Thank you. prgtoken .
FURTHER ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Kay Granger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-17

my motion to recommit amends this joint resolution, changing the date of the continuing resolution to January 15. prgtoken This will ensure that Federal employees will get the retroactive pay they deserve, consistent with the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, that the President signed yesterday. prgtoken The Senate will not take up, and the President will not sign, a continuing resolution through February 28. The President has made clear that he will not open the government until our Nation's border security is addressed. But, the refuse to negotiate with s. They refuse to come to the table. prgtoken This shutdown has caused real-world consequences for Federal employees, people who keep us safe and protect our borders, like the TSA, the Border Patrol, the air traffic controllers, and the Coast Guard. My motion will allow Federal employees to get the paychecks they recently missed. prgtoken This resolution provides some relief to Federal employees, while we wait for to come to the negotiating table. We need to start working on legislation that can be enacted into law. prgtoken Federal employees should not suffer because of the ' refusal to negotiate. prgtoken , I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion, and .
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2019
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-1-17

I ask unanimous consent that when the prgtoken Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m Friday, January 18; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1.
HONORING SANCTITY OF LIFE
Russ Fulcher (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-1-17

. Madam , I am often asked why I came to Congress, and I have asked myself that very same question. It is certainly not for the money, and it is not for the notoriety or the scrutiny that comes with that. prgtoken Ultimately, for me, it comes down to the honorable purpose of supporting the divinely inspired principles behind our Nation's founding, being a voice for those unavailable or unable to speak. prgtoken There is none more vulnerable or unable to speak than the unborn, and there is no more noble cause than protecting or promoting life. prgtoken Madam , I stand today, during this week honoring the sanctity of life, to ask every Member of this body to use any and all influence to return to our Nation's legal environment that promotes life and to return to a cultural environment that promotes life as well. Our unborn would ask the same, if they could.
NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION AND ABORTION INSURANCE FULL DISCLOSURE ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-1-17

I rise to talk about an issue that is very important to my constituents in my State of Indiana. It is also an issue that is very close to my heart--the sanctity of life. prgtoken Tomorrow we know thousands of pro-life advocates from around the country, including many Hoosiers, will convene in Washington for the March for Life. This is the world's largest annual pro-life demonstration. prgtoken You may not be able to tell this by watching today's television or movies, but there is bipartisan agreement among most Americans that we must protect human life. This is no old-fashioned point of view. In fact, a recent survey of millennials showed that 70 percent supported limits such as parental notification, blocking abortions at 5 months of pregnancy, and ending government funding for abortion. prgtoken In Indiana, concerned citizens from all corners of the State are fighting tirelessly to protect pro-life principles. These are the unsung heroes of the pro-life movement--those who have dedicated their lives to saving innocent children. These and other Hoosiers, of course, elected me to represent their interests in the Senate, but they also elected me to represent their values. I have been proud to work on legislation that reflects those values. prgtoken Already in this new Congress, I have joined dozens of my Senate colleagues on a letter to President asking for a public commitment to only support pro-life legislative and administrative policies. To be clear, this President has indeed been supportive of pro-life policies, but House have already indicated they intend to move forward with pro-abortion legislation this Congress. We would like the President to let the House know that he is going to veto any kind of legislation that doesn't respect the sanctity of life. prgtoken I have also joined several of my colleagues this week to sponsor the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act of 2019, which we just voted on. This bill would have established a governmentwide statutory prohibition on taxpayer subsidies for abortion or abortion coverage. Federal taxpayer dollars should absolutely not be used to fund abortion. prgtoken I am incredibly disappointed that my colleagues didn't join me in voting to pass this important legislation today. I will continue looking for ways to advance this needed reform. prgtoken I am also a cosponsor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which ensures that a baby who survives an abortion will receive the same treatment as any child naturally born premature at the very same age. We must do all we can to protect innocent life. prgtoken Before being elected to the Senate, I sat on the board of directors of the Hannah House in Bloomington, IN. This is a maternity home that offers women loving support during their pregnancy. I also spent 2 years as a smalltown attorney in Southern Indiana. During that time, I offered free legal services to parents who wante
NO TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR ABORTION AND ABORTION INSURANCE FULL DISCLOSURE ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-1-17

a couple of days ago I came to the floor to talk about the partial government shutdown, how it is impacting different parts of my State--the Great State of Alaska--and, in particular, how it is impacting the men and women in the U.S. Coast Guard. prgtoken I think we all recognize as we are trying to work through this partial government shutdown that a lot of Federal workers are being impacted, but let me talk about the Coast Guard because I think it is a little different than almost any other group of Federal workers. prgtoken On Tuesday, these brave men and women did not receive a paycheck. They didn't receive a paycheck, and they are the only branch of the U.S. military right now, out there around the world and around the globe, risking their lives for the American people, who are not getting paid. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines--we love them all. They are working hard. They are getting paid. The men and women of the Coast Guard are not getting paid. That is wrong. That is particularly wrong. They can't leave the Coast Guard. They would get court-martialed. They are working hard, saving lives in my State, certainly--in Alaska--all the time, and they are not getting paid when the other services are getting paid. prgtoken So what did we do? A number of us, and s--almost one-quarter of the Members of the U.S. Senate--cosponsored a bill that says: Let's pay the Coast Guard. Let's pay the Coast Guard right now so they are treated fairly, like the other men and women serving in our military. prgtoken That was a good start. I was optimistic then. It has been a bit of a roller coaster ride, but, to be honest, I couldn't imagine that this bill wouldn't sail through. We are not going to be able to fix everything right now, but this is one we can start working on, on these individual issues, and there is a lot of talk of doing it. prgtoken Last week, I had the opportunity to raise this with the President and his administration and the Secretary of Homeland Security, and we continued to press this issue all week with the OMB Director, the Chief of Staff of the White House, and the President himself, and he said this week that he was going to support the bill. That is important. Now you have the executive branch, the President of the United States, and he will sign it. He said it. I was in a meeting with him yesterday, and he said he is 100 percent supportive of this bill. It is bipartisan. There are actually more than s on the bill right now. prgtoken What we did, trying to move this quickly, is we said: All right, the President is going to sign it. We have a quarter of the Senate. It is a bipartisan bill. Let's move it. prgtoken We moved to hotline it. What does that mean? To try to get this bill to be moved through unanimous consent through the Senate, a hotline means you are going to try to move it real fast and everybody is going to vote on it. That started
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 28, FURTHER ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF MOTIONS TO SUSPEND THE RULES
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-1-17

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time to speak on this important issue. prgtoken Madam , I oppose this rule. I think we are talking past each other, as the previous gentleman from Maine just indicated. We want the government to reopen, but we want something called border security. I am told that this bill has $1 billion in it for border security, but we are not going to build a wall. prgtoken Now, here is the thing that happens. Down in Arizona, where we live-- we don't live 2,000 miles away from that southern border where the immigration problem is that the illegal border crossings are monumental--we actually see the humanitarian crisis. That crisis exists when people, who are coming to America, they don't go through the ports of entry, they are going between the ports of entry, in some of the most rugged land and terrain in the world, coming down from the Sierra Madres in northern Mexico in the summertime, blazing heat of 120 degrees or more; in the winter time, the evenings cool down to the 20s. prgtoken I saw people, just yesterday, being shown on the news, who are getting ready to try to make this trek. They are carrying plastic grocery bags with their supplies. They are dressed casually. They have no comprehension of the danger that they are bringing to themselves when they are coming across. It is a humanitarian crisis. Do you know what a border wall would do? It would provide a deterrent. prgtoken In the San Diego-San Ysidro port of entry, when that border wall was created, crossings declined almost 90 percent. It forced people to a different place. They began crossing away from the ports of entry at San Diego over to Arizona and Texas. So we built a wall around the Yuma port of entry. Do you know what happened? Those crossings decreased 75 to 80 percent. They moved on to more dangerous places in the desert, down towards Nogales, between Nogales and South Bisbee, between Naco and the Douglas port of entry. More than 100 individual's bodies were found last year trying to enter. It is a humanitarian crisis. prgtoken The opioids that come across the southern border: 141 tons of heroin seized coming across the southern border last year; 140 tons of cocaine seized coming across the southern border. prgtoken When I hear people say border security, they start talking about drones and unmanned aerial vehicles and sensors and cameras. Guess what? That does not deter anyone. We get to watch the videos of people coming across. But do you know what a wall does? It channelizes people. It forces them to go to places where we can interdict them. We provide hundreds of millions of dollars of humanitarian aid to people who are risking their lives trying to enter this country. prgtoken If it wasn't so serious, I would find it laughable to hear folks say, ``We are putting $1 billion into this as border security,'' because they don't want a political victory for President . It is not about political v
VACATING VOTE ON H.J. RES. 28, FURTHER ADDITIONAL CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-1-17

I don't want to get too carried away, but I appreciate that we were able to resolve this. And, again, I know tensions got a little heated because these are important issues. We want to get a resolution to get the government back opened. prgtoken Obviously, we have some disagreement over the border security component of these negotiations, and we will keep these negotiations going forward and hopefully get a resolution as quickly as possible. prgtoken But, in the meantime, to be able to get that recorded vote on H.J. Res. 28 when we return and when all Members return, I think, is the right thing to do, and I commend the majority leader as well as the pro tempore for providing that opportunity. prgtoken , .
Introductory Statement on S.J. Res. 4
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-1-17

. . I regret it is necessary to re-introduce legislation that prevents a President from withdrawing the United States from NATO. Recent reports confirm that President has repeatedly proposed doing so over the past year. In addition to concern over U.S. national security, this threat to withdraw also raises important constitutional issues. What is the role of Congress in treaties--not just entering into them, but also leaving them? Particularly with a treaty obligation that is as central to U.S. security as NATO--as repeatedly affirmed by Congress--no president should or can be allowed to unilaterally withdraw without the advice and consent of the Senate. prgtoken Our allies with whom we have fought alongside since World War II and earlier in some cases, are questioning our allegiance for the first time in the history of the modern international order. President has called our European allies ``foes'' while aligning himself with a brutal authoritarian, Vladimir Putin, over the professional assessment of the U.S. intelligence community. Last year, at the NATO summit in Brussels, the President insulted our allies and threatened to leave the alliance if defense spending was not ramped up. The President has also questioned the U.S. commitment to NATO's mutual defense provision and we still do not know what he discussed with President Putin at their meeting in Helsinki. As such, we are forced to ask what options we have to preserve U.S. membership in the primary tool of peace and stability for the last 70 years, NATO. prgtoken In response to the only invocation of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, more than 1,100 servicemembers from our NATO allies have given their lives fighting alongside the United States. This is a sacrifice that should not be cast aside by our President who continues to depict the alliance as a protection racket and ``obsolete.'' While we must continue to press every country to increase defense spending to meet the agreed-upon goal of 2 percent of GDP by 2024, the President should not disparage our allies and threaten NATO withdrawal. Unfortunately, without action from Congress, he might just do so. For this reason, we must firmly state opposition, use our constitutional powers of advice and consent and of the purse to block any withdrawal and preemptively authorize legal proceedings to challenge any decision to terminate U.S. membership. prgtoken The legislation I am introducing today along with Senators Gardner, Reed, Graham, Coons, Rubio, Blumenthal, and Collins, is a bipartisan message to the President and the necessary tool needed to block this President, or any President, from unilaterally terminating the NATO treaty. It is the position of the Senate, supported by this Resolution, and previous resolutions, including the original vote of 82-13 in 1949 to give the Senate's advice and consent to join NATO, that the United States through its elected officials is unequi
SHUTDOWN
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-1-17

. Madam , I rise to implore the President to stop holding Federal workers hostage and immediately end this shutdown. prgtoken I think every day of the TSA agent I recently spoke with at the airport. She is now working without pay, a young single mother raising her 15-year-old daughter. She told me she is really struggling to make ends meet without her paycheck. Her story is not unique. prgtoken A constituent from Mundelein shared that she doesn't know how she will pay her bills, including her mortgage, and has had to borrow money from her family. prgtoken Another constituent, a Federal employee in Round Lake, has been working without pay. He wrote: ``Why are we a bargaining tool for something beyond our control?'' prgtoken Why indeed, ? prgtoken We may disagree on the best way to secure our border, but we can all agree that the good women and men working on our Nation's behalf should be paid for their work--the TSA and FAA workers keeping our skies safe, the FDA workers keeping our food safe, and the Coast Guard protecting our borders. prgtoken Do the responsible thing: reopen our government, and then let's have a robust, honest debate about how to secure our borders.
STOP U.S. ARMS SALES TO SAUDI ARABIA
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-1-17

. Madam , I am proud to introduce, today, H.R. 643, a bipartisan bill to stop all U.S. arms sales and military aid to Saudi Arabia. prgtoken Madam , it has been over 100 days since the Government of Saudi Arabia brutally murdered journalist and U.S. resident Jamal Khoshoggi at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. prgtoken The Senate unanimously condemned the Saudi Government for this heinous crime, but the House has yet to do so. It is past time that the House clearly and unambiguously declares that there is a price to pay for such barbarity. Let it begin by ending all U.S. arms sales and military aid to the Saudi Government. prgtoken I urge all my colleagues to join me and cosponsor H.R. 643.
DISAPPROVAL OF PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL RELATING TO APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-1-17

I thank my good friend, the distinguished chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. prgtoken I listened to my friend from Texas, who I admire, but he is defending the indefensible. Partisan? I rise strongly in support of the H.J. Res. 30 today disapproving the President's unimaginable proposal to lift sanctions on three companies affiliated with a Russian gangster oligarch, Oleg Deripaska. prgtoken Congress overwhelmingly passed the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, CAATSA, in August of 2017, to hold Putin and his cronies accountable for Russian interference in our election, Russian invasions of sovereign territories of other nations, and its other malign behavior. prgtoken Under that authority, the Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Oleg Deripaska, a close Putin ally, and several of his companies, including United Company RUSAL, EN+ Group, and JSC EuroSibEnergo. In doing so, the Treasury Department stated Deripaska has said he does not separate himself from the Russian state. prgtoken Deripaska has been investigated for money laundering and has been accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegally wiretapping a government official, extortion, organized crime, and racketeering. This is the man you want to lift sanctions on? prgtoken In addition, we have recently learned that Deripaska worked closely with 's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, including on a lobbying project that Manafort said would greatly benefit the Putin government. prgtoken Manafort reportedly also offered to give Deripaska private briefings about the Presidential campaign. Does this sound like someone deserving of exemption from U.S. sanctions?