mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RESOLUTIONS TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES--Continued
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-9-25

I come to the Senate floor to urge adoption of two resolutions that are going to be considered by the U.S. Senate, instructing the conferees to the NDAA bill, which is the Defense authorization bill. One of those motions urges the conferees, or directs the conferees, to adopt bipartisan legislation introduced by Senator Cotton, who is now the Presiding Officer in the Chair, and me and others. It is called the 5G act, and it deals with Defending America's 5G Future Act. What it does, very simply, is codify the administration's Executive order putting Huawei on what is called the entity list and then making sure that before there is a change to this, if you wanted to take them off entirely, that would require a congressional action. But it also says that if you want to seek waivers under that act, you should come to Congress and at least give Congress the opportunity to disagree. This is very important to protect our security, to protect U.S. technology from theft. I urge my colleagues to support that resolution. DETER Act prgtoken , I am also here to urge my colleagues to support another resolution. This one is directing the conferees to the Defense authorization bill to support a motion and resolutions put forward by Senator Rubio and me and others--again, a bipartisan resolution, making it clear that we should deter foreign interference in U.S. elections. It is based on the principles of bipartisan legislation, a bipartisan act that we have introduced called the DETER Act. The idea is very simple, which is this: We want to say up front that our intelligence communities, or others in the administration, should inform Congress immediately if there has been interference in our elections. If the answer is yes, that would trigger immediate and stiff sanctions on whatever foreign government is acting to interfere in our elections. prgtoken We can spend a lot of money and resources protecting our election infrastructure and our election systems, and we should do that. We can urge all of the social media companies to improve their platforms and make it more difficult for foreign governments and adversaries to use those platforms to influence and impact our elections. prgtoken None of those measures actually impose a big cost on a foreign government prgtoken like Russia for interfering in our elections. All those things do is make it harder, and we should make it harder. In this case, the best defense is a good offense, meaning the best defense to having a foreign government interfering in our elections is to discourage and deter them from doing that in the first place. prgtoken Right now, what we have learned is there is no cost to Vladimir Putin and the Russians for interfering in our elections. In fact, they assess that they get a significant benefit from creating division within the United States. If you are Vladimir Putin and you are doing a cos
IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-9-25

. Madam , today the transcript was released of the conversation between the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine. prgtoken As a person who believes in the Constitution and the rule of law, it is crucial that we proceed with the work that is necessary, and so I rise to add my enthusiastic support for H. Res. 576 that just passed, expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the whistleblower complaint, in order to protect the whistleblower and to have the complaint sent to the United States Congress, which, I believe, it is on its way, and, if not, we must have it as quickly as possible. prgtoken Let me also say that today we had a very important hearing in the Judiciary Committee regarding the ban on assault weapons. It has been 53 days since El Paso, 52 days since Dayton, and 25 days since Odessa. prgtoken It seems that the leadership of the NRA finds my statements attractive, and so they have taken to the airways with their cousin, FOX News, to talk about the opinion that I had regarding the AR-15 that, to me, ``it was as heavy as 10 boxes.'' prgtoken As a person who believes in the First Amendment, I have a right to say that. To all of the members of the NRA: I believe in your beliefs and your right to believe them, but you are being led by an unfortunate group of leaders who simply want to attack and have no solutions. prgtoken I will take the hit from the NRA to save lives. I am not afraid of the NRA.
RESOLUTIONS TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES--Continued
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2019-9-25

this resolution urges the inclusion of the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act in the final conference agreement on the NDAA. This resolution provides 12 weeks of paid family leave for Federal employees in all situations already covered under the FMLA. prgtoken Too many of our Federal employees have to make the impossible choice of getting a paycheck or looking after a sick child, caring for an aging parent, or recovering from a health condition. As a result, many have been forced to leave their jobs and obtain other employment. prgtoken Paid family leave is not only the right thing to do for Federal workers, but it is the smart thing to do for our Federal workforce. This is the most practical and fiscally responsible way to provide family leave for Federal workers. prgtoken .
CELEBRATING THE PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY OF PASTOR EDDIE WILLIAMS
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-9-25

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Pastor Eddie Williams for his thirteen years of service to the congregation at Lakeridge Village Ministries Church of God in Christ. prgtoken Lakeridge Village Ministries was founded on the principle of uplifting people from all walks of life in spirituality and that the gift of spirituality is not limited to clergy. Pastor Williams has sought to lead his flock under that guidance, fostering a true sense of community and caring for the most vulnerable. In addition to his work in ministry, Pastor Williams has sought to expand resources and options for people suffering from the pain of addiction and mental illness. His work at Lakeridge Village has accomplished so much in fighting the stigma around mental health issues and connecting those struggling with substance abuse to the assistance they need. In short Pastor Williams has performed outstanding service to the community through his ministry and charitable work. prgtoken Please join me in tribute to Pastor Eddie Williams in celebration of his thirteen years in spiritual service to Lakeridge Village Ministries Church of God in Christ.
EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE HOUSE WITH RESPECT TO WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT MADE TO INSPECTOR GENERAL OF INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2019-9-25

. Madam , this is a sobering moment in our Nation's history, when the rule of law and constitutional duty requires Congress to move swiftly to protect our national security and the integrity of our democracy. prgtoken In my time on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I have been amazed and grateful for the work our intelligence community performs every day. We hold these men and women accountable to the rule of law and expect them to adhere to the principles of our Constitution. prgtoken In return, those great Americans expect their elected leaders to be held accountable to the same standard--above all, their Commander in Chief. President 's refusal to adhere to the whistleblower statute and his unwarranted attacks against one of these professionals flies in the face of that compact. prgtoken The statute is clear, Madam . The Director of National Intelligence shall provide the intelligence committee with all whistleblower complaints, especially those that the inspector general finds credible and of urgent concern. prgtoken It should not take this resolution or the threat of impeachment to convince the President to uphold the law he swore to obey. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 576, honor our oaths, and do the right thing.
RESOLUTIONS TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES--Continued
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-9-25

I join with my colleague, the Senator from Arkansas, in this bipartisan motion to instruct. prgtoken Huawei is a menace. It is a menace to our national security. It is a menace to our economic growth. It is a menace to the future of America in many ways. If we are not tough with Huawei, whom are we going to be tough with? If we are not tough with Huawei, what are we going to do when China continues to take advantage of us in ways that are unfair-- whether it be economic, national security, cyber, or whatever. prgtoken This resolution will ensure that the conferees know that the Senate is strongly in support of being tough with Huawei on national security grounds, on economic grounds, and, basically, on ensuring that America stays No. 1 in many of the leading technologies that we will need to create job growth, wealth, and prosperity in the future. prgtoken .
EXPRESSING SENSE OF THE HOUSE WITH RESPECT TO WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINT MADE TO INSPECTOR GENERAL OF INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
Eric Swalwell (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-9-25

. Madam , the gentleman from Ohio had asked earlier: Where does it say in the President's notes--and these are notes; this is not a transcript--the word, ``favor''? prgtoken Page 3, I would direct the gentleman: ``I would like you to do us a favor,'' the President of the United States says. prgtoken And the problem with this mob-like tactic is that, when you ask someone to do a favor, you owe that person something in return. And, when that person is a foreign leader, that means, as President of the United States, one day you will have to put a foreign leader's interests ahead of America's interests. prgtoken This is only the tip of the iceberg, this note that the President has released, and that is why it is important that we hear from the whistleblower. prgtoken It is also important to note that Ukraine depends on the U.S. economically, militarily, and the credibility we afford to them when we support them. So, you don't need to be explicit with them when you tell them that you need a favor and you are withholding military funds. prgtoken In this case, the whistleblower did everything right; so now it is time for the Acting Director of National Intelligence to do the same.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-9-25

I am here today because our elections are still not secured against the threat of foreign interference. prgtoken After 3 years of our intelligence community, our congressional committees, and some of our closest allies sounding the alarm about foreign election interference, we are right back here where we started because this body has failed to act. To me, it is pretty remarkable. prgtoken No one in this body would think that the appropriate protections against foreign interference into our power grid should be a partisan issue. No one would advance a theory that protecting our financial system against foreign cyber attacks should be a partisan issue. So why would anyone think or allow the basic protections of the machinery and system of our most essential component of our democracy, our voting system, in any way to become a partisan issue? My hope is we can avoid that. prgtoken Some may point to the fact that additional money has been appropriated for State and local election authorities, funds that have been used to upgrade part of our election infrastructure. I am proud to have been part of the initial efforts to secure these funds ahead of the 2018 elections, and I am genuinely supportive of additional funding to secure the 2020 elections. But we need to make one thing absolutely clear. Additional funding for election security is a necessary part of securing our elections, but it is not a sufficient defense against foreign attacks on our democracy. Money alone will not solve this problem. prgtoken Moreover, the funding we are talking about in the CR comes with no guidance or direction for State and local election officials. Listen, I have no interest in trying to federalize what has traditionally been a State and local function, but it is absolutely a tradition that this body sometimes makes voluntary Federal funding available only to jurisdictions that meet certain criteria or guidelines. The truth is, right now, with no guidelines, if a State or locality wants to use these so-called election security funds to upgrade their machines or systems to the latest, more secure models, they can do that. But they can also buy machinery and equipment that lacks proper security features--that could lack a paper ballot backup. Heck, they could even use these funds to buy the ``vote here'' signs and those stickers we all proudly wear on election day. prgtoken The truth, unfortunately, is that the problem is not with our State and local election officials. In fact, the decentralized nature of our local elections system is actually one of our best defenses against election interference. prgtoken The problem is not a lack of policy solutions. Frankly, I think a lot of us on both sides of the aisle, including very good work by folks like the Presiding Officer, know exactly what we need to do to secure our election infrastructure. prgtoken We need a voter-verified paper trail for every vote. Everyone should
RESOLUTIONS TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-9-25

I am here for my 254th ``Time to Wake Up'' speech. In the time I have been giving these speeches, I have watched the shifting trajectory of climate denial. First, climate change was a hoax. Then, there wasn't enough science. Then, the science is still uncertain. Then, solving this problem would hurt our economy. Then, innovation will magically save us, and now there is a new entrant in the climate denial lexicon: China. ``China isn't doing enough on carbon emissions,'' goes the argument. So we shouldn't do anything at all. prgtoken It is a talking point you hear all the time from the fossil fuel industry and its array of front groups working to block climate action here in Congress. prgtoken Now, China has done plenty to complain about. China has stolen our intellectual property, manipulated its currency, jailed its political dissenters, set unfair labor rules, and more. I have been front and center with those complaints about China. Yet, before we offer up China as the latest ``climate denial lite'' excuse for doing nothing, let's take a look at what China is really up to. prgtoken For starters, China is still a party to the Paris climate accord, and China's President doesn't say stuff like ``wind turbines cause cancer.'' OK--a low bar, I concede. prgtoken Our President recently tweeted: Which country has the largest carbon emission reduction? AMERICA! Who has dumped the most carbon into the air? CHINA! prgtoken Actually, that is not quite true. We have still dumped more CO2 into the air than China because we have been at it longer, and we still dump a lot more than China per capita, but China's 1 billion people do put out more carbon pollution than our 300 million. They overtook us as the world's top national emitter in 2007. Last year, China accounted for about 28 percent of global CO2 emissions, and the U.S. accounted for 15 percent. Cumulatively, China accounts for 13 percent of emissions, and the U.S. accounts for 25 percent, which is about twice as much. Americans' per prgtoken capita carbon emissions are among the highest in the world. The average Chinese citizen--China is here--accounts for less than half the per capita emissions of the average American. prgtoken We actually don't have lots to brag about on our emissions, but that is not where it looks the worst for us. Forget the past. Look to the future at climate action. That is where China is blowing us out of the water. prgtoken As the administration slavishly fronts for fossil fuel--and is even turning the agencies of our government over to this corrupting industry--China is leaning in hard on a green energy future. China is resetting its economy for a clean energy future. China began implementing a national cap-and-trade system--a price on carbon--for its power sector in 2018, which will go into full force across the country next year. Several provinces already run cap and trade locally. This year, China is laun
SUPPORT UKRAINIAN PEOPLE BY ROOTING OUT CORRUPTION
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-9-25

. Madam , as co-chair of the House Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, I rise to provide some background on why the conversations between President and the newly elected President of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky, are so vitally important to liberty and our Nation's national security. prgtoken There is no more important strategic alliance for liberty and with our military than America's membership with European allies in NATO, our dependable transatlantic allies who stood at our side through so many battles for the values we share. The blood lands of Europe directly influence the very founding of our Republic, our fundamental ideals of democracy. NATO, today, stands ready every hour of every day to defend our liberty. prgtoken Ukraine, today, is the scrimmage line for liberty for its defense on the European Continent. Thus, when a U.S. President holds back military assistance to Ukraine through NATO and other instrumentalities, Congress must insist on transparency on any conversations that relate to our cooperation with the nation of Ukraine. prgtoken Please let me remind, after the collapse of communist Russia in 1991, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Ukraine became a free nation. At least it had a chance to be. Ukraine had been occupied for all of modern history by Russia and began its jagged path forward to the free world, a path that has been tortuous and fraught with danger and setbacks. prgtoken It will be a permanent blot on American history that certain Americans, including President 's campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and several other operatives were actually involved in supporting the corrupt pro-Russian political operatives in Ukraine and doing it to earn money, millions and millions of dollars from Kremlin allies. What an abomination to liberty. prgtoken Since Ukraine's Euromaidan Revolution of Dignity 5 years ago, the Ukrainian people have bravely demonstrated their resolute commitment to their nation's democratic future. prgtoken The latest example is the recent historic Presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine, which international observers lauded as free and fair. What progress. prgtoken Ukraine has managed to make critical reforms, despite the immense pressure of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine in which 13,000 poorly equipped Ukrainian troops and many civilians who were in the pathway lost their lives; 30,000 have been injured; and 1.5 million Ukrainians have been dispossessed of their properties and are displaced. prgtoken Tragically, Ukraine is at war and must fight a two-front war: one against Russia and one against the enemy from within, the scourge of corruption aided by Kremlin allies every minute of every day. prgtoken While Ukraine has sought to shake off the vestiges of Soviet repression, Ukraine's oligarch class has subverted this progress in order to steal and plunder from the people of that nation to advance their
RESOLUTIONS TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES--Continued
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-9-25

I rise to speak in opposition to the motion to instruct on paid family and medical leave. prgtoken Before I move to the issue at hand, I do want to address the very serious allegations against President and the new information we are learning from the memo the White House released today. prgtoken It is deeply concerning to learn that President asked Ukrainian President Zelensky to work with the United States to investigate Vice President . Our democracy is at risk, and President has betrayed our country. I support Pelosi in starting the impeachment inquiry she announced yesterday, and the revelations today make these investigations even more necessary. Paid Family and Medical Leave prgtoken , I now want to talk about an opportunity that we have in the Senate today to serve the Nation by guaranteeing paid family and medical leave for 2 million Federal workers and their families through the Schatz motion. prgtoken Every other industrialized country in the world has some version of paid leave, which allows workers to take care of their loved ones when a medical emergency arises. Yet the vast majority of our workforce in America lacks access to paid leave. That means far too many of our workers are unable to take paid time off if they need to care for a new child, a sick parent, or their spouse. Sadly, this includes 2 million of our Federal employees--and I know the Presiding Officer is aware of this, given his own family situation--but we have a chance to fix that right now. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the Schatz motion. prgtoken However, Senate s have offered an additional motion that would block this benefit from every other working American. This is nothing short of an attack on all workers' access to affordable and accessible paid family and medical leave. prgtoken What my colleagues are suggesting is that our workers should work overtime to compensate for family leave. Their motion would require workers to shift around their hours and take on more hours in order to receive the paid time off they need in an emergency situation or when welcoming a new child. prgtoken Let me be very clear. This is not a benefit. It is a cynical plan that would erode our American workers' abilities to make ends meet and harm their access to real paid leave. It would hurt those who need this the most, including women, communities of color, and low-wage workers. prgtoken Most workers living paycheck to paycheck will not be able to take extra shifts to earn paid leave. Too many families across the country don't even have $400 in savings for emergency expenses. Take Shelby Ramirez Martinez, for example. She found herself in the most untenable situation when her daughter and her father both had simultaneous surgeries scheduled. Shelby is a mom of two, caregiver to her father, and a full-time student and security officer. Sh