mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of David Bernhardt (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-4-11

. Today the Senate will vote to confirm the President's choice to serve as Secretary of the Interior. As I have discussed this week, David Bernhardt is no stranger to the Department. He has served twice before. In fact, this body has confirmed him twice before. Each time his professionalism and dedication proved us right. As Solicitor and as Deputy Secretary, Mr. Bernhardt has offered capable leadership and a firm grasp on the complex policy environment surrounding our Nation's public lands. prgtoken His expertise has not gone unnoticed. Praise for Mr. Bernhardt has poured in from a list of more than 40 stakeholder organizations; from agriculture, trade, conservation, and Native American organizations. prgtoken They describe him as a leader whose ``experience is sorely needed.'' They laud his commitment to ``make the lands he manages accessible to the recreating public.'' prgtoken So we have before us an opportunity to confirm a well-qualified steward of our Nation's public lands and resources. Yesterday, a bipartisan majority of our colleagues voted to end debate on his nomination, and I hope each will join me in voting yes once more later today. prgtoken Of course, confirming Mr. Bernhardt will be just the latest in a series of many Executive Calendar accomplishments. Following on the heels of last week's turn back toward the Senate's historic tradition concerning nominations, we have been able to approve a number of the President's nominees at a much more reasonable pace in the last several days. prgtoken I have noted, with particular interest that, for all the breathless warnings my ic colleagues issued about the kinds of people we would be confirming, these unobjectionable nominees have actually mostly coasted through on a bipartisan basis. prgtoken We saw support from both sides of the aisle for Roy Altman to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and for Daniel Domenico to the District of Colorado. prgtoken We saw an overwhelming bipartisan vote in favor of confirming GEN John Abizaid to serve as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a voice-voted confirmation for Jeffrey Kessler to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce. prgtoken These are not lightning-rod people whom my ic colleagues would have eagerly debated and investigated for an additional 30 hours. They are the kind of thoroughly qualified public servants who used to sail briskly through the Senate without opposition. prgtoken Now, even as my ic colleagues continue to require us to file cloture on individuals whom they actually go on to support, we are able to fill out the President's team at a more reasonable clip. There are still many empty seats left to fill, but this week's progress marks a great new beginning not just for the administration that needs its personnel but for the health of this institution.
Nomination of David Bernhardt (Executive Session)
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2019-4-11

let's talk about that story and ethics for a second. prgtoken Mr. Bernhardt has spent more than 15 years of a 25-year career in public service, and most of that time has been spent at the Department of the Interior. While in his private law practice, he never lobbied the Department of the Interior--not once. During his time as Deputy Secretary, he has focused on the fundamental transformation of the Department and Bureau-level ethics programs to ingrain a culture of ethical compliance and reduce workplace misconduct. prgtoken The reality is that the ethics program throughout the Department of the Interior had been, sadly, neglected by the previous administration. The Office of Inspector General and the Departmental Ethics Office had recommended significant resource changes that had fallen on deaf ears under the previous administration. Under Mr. Bernhardt's direction, the Department has hired a total of 42 career professional ethics advisers. By the end of fiscal year 2019, they will have doubled the number of career ethics officials that the previous administration had hired in its entire 8 years. prgtoken The record shows that he has actively sought and consulted with the Department's designated Agency ethics officials regarding compliance with his ethics obligations recusals. prgtoken In addition, he has installed a robust screening process to ensure that he does not meet with or engage in particular matters benefiting the former clients from which he is recused. Every proposed meeting is reviewed by career professionals to ensure compliance with not only his ethics agreement but ethics laws and to make sure his ethics pledge to the President is upheld. prgtoken His work in natural resources law prior to joining the administration and related ethics agreements are very similar in scope and substance to the private work and ethics agreements of senior Interior officials who came before him in previous administrations. Let me say that again. The same kinds of ethics agreements and obligations that basically he is doing are what previous administrations did as well. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter from the Department of the Interior Designated Agency Ethics Official dated March 25, 2019.
Venezuela (Executive Session)
Rick Scott (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-4-11

. Good afternoon. The crisis in Venezuela is a crisis in America. Senator Rubio, Congressman Diaz-Balart, and I have been talking about this for years and worked with the White House on a comprehensive strategy. More than 200,000 Venezuelans live in Florida, and their concerns are our concerns. prgtoken Make no mistake--this is a crisis. It is a humanitarian crisis that threatens the lives of the people of Venezuela and has created a flood of refugees numbering in the millions. It is also a crisis that threatens the safety and security of our allies in Latin America and in the United States of America. prgtoken The dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro and the creeping influence and military presence of our global adversaries represent a clear and present danger to the entire Western Hemisphere. There are some who will say that this is not our fight, that the millions of Venezuelans suffering 2,000 miles away are not our concern. Some have criticized the mere mention of the crisis in Venezuela by those like myself as American imperialism or a U.S.-backed coup. I reject that. This is our fight. Freedom and democracy in Latin America is our fight. I remind these critics that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing. We cannot let evil triumph in Venezuela. It would be a failure of leadership with disastrous consequences. prgtoken There is only one option left to get aid to the people of Venezuela. It is something that no one is willing to talk about. It is becoming clear that we will have to consider the use of American military assets to deliver aid. Maduro and his thugs have left us no choice. prgtoken I applaud President and his administration for taking bold action by recognizing Juan Guaido as the legitimate President of Venezuela and organizing the international community to do the same. The sanctions implemented by this administration against the Maduro regime and its puppet masters in Havana reflect their commitment to freedom and democracy in Latin America. Yet Maduro remains in power, the people of Venezuela continue to suffer, and the influence of Cuba, Russia, China, and international terrorist organizations grows. prgtoken We must do more, but in order to understand where we go from here, we need to look at history. Hugo Chavez might have been elected democratically, but he never intended to govern democratically. He built a socialist dictatorship by hollowing out all the democratic institutions: the constitution, the electoral system, and the courts. He made civil society and the business sector bend to his will or face elimination. He nationalized entire sectors of the economy and used them to pay off his cronies. He took over the oil sector and made the national energy company his piggy bank. He made common cause with our enemies--most notably, the Castro regime. Cuba received and continues to receive free oil from Venezuela and in return provides political
Remembering Fritz Hollings (Executive Session)
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-4-11

. Thank you. prgtoken , Senator Scott and I have come to the floor today to recognize a legend in South Carolina and this body, Senator Fritz Hollings, who passed away on April 6 in Isle of Palms, SC. He was 97. He loved Isle of Palms. That was his place to be. prgtoken He was born in Charleston, SC, in 1922. He graduated from the Citadel in 1942. He attended the University of South Carolina School of Law. He served as an artillery officer in World War II, earned a Bronze Star, and finished with the rank of captain. prgtoken He was in the State house of representatives from 1949 to 1954. He became our Governor in 1958 at age 36. He shepherded South Carolina through the turbulent times of the civil rights movement. He urged the legislature to follow the law after Brown v. Board of Education. prgtoken He established the best technical college system in the country. We say that with great pride. It was Fritz Hollings who was the father of the South Carolina technical college system, which has resulted in thousands of jobs being created and educational opportunity for millions in our State. prgtoken When he was a Senator, they called him the Senator from central casting. He looked the part, he acted the part, and he sounded the part. He was the junior Senator for 36 years, I think, in South Carolina, with Senator Thurmond being the senior Senator. When Senator Thurmond retired, I was honored to be able to take his place, and Fritz was my senior Senator for 2 years. prgtoken I just want to thank him and recognize what he did for me to become established in the Senate. He was kind. He was gracious. We did not agree on policy, but he could not have been a better friend. prgtoken I spent half of my time trying to interpret what he was saying on the floor. I caught about every third word. He has this Charleston accent that even I couldn't understand at times. prgtoken Nobody enjoyed their job more than Senator Hollings. Nobody was ever better at it. When it came to South Carolina, Senator Hollings was able to move mountains. He was the chairman of the Commerce Committee and the Budget Committee. prgtoken He was one of the great environmentalists of our time. The ACE Basin in South Carolina is a beautiful place along the coast where three major rivers come together. It was Senator Hollings who established that, now and forever to be preserved. He helped establish NOAA, which has done so much for our oceans. prgtoken He was part of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act. He was always trying to keep our fiscal house in order. prgtoken He was a champion of the military. Being a World War II veteran himself, he always looked out for those in uniform. Senator Thurmond and Hollings were giants of their time, and they prgtoken really made a difference for our State and for the country as a whole. prgtoken When it comes to his distinguished career in the Senate, Fritz Hollings was at the top of anybody's list. He served
Border Security (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-4-11

while many folks in Washington, DC, remain ambivalent about what is happening along the southern border, I am here to report that we are reaching a breaking point. prgtoken Every month, Customs and Border Protection releases the total number of people who attempt to cross the southern border. The total includes those who cross illegally between the ports of entry, as well as those deemed inadmissible at a port of entry. Just to give you an idea of the size and scope of the numbers we have been dealing with in the past, since June 2014--the month that President referred to this as a ``humanitarian crisis''--more than 66,000 individuals were encountered along the border. At that time, we thought 66,000 was a huge number, but it pales in comparison to what we are seeing now. Last month, more than 103,000 people attempted to illegally cross the border. That is 103,000 up from 76,000 the previous month. prgtoken A few weeks ago, I know we got into a debate about what did and did not constitute an emergency or a crisis at the border. I don't care whether you call it a crisis or an emergency, but the entire system is breaking, and it is unsustainable. This is the highest number of people who has attempted to enter the country that we have seen since 2007. prgtoken The mind-boggling figure represents the strain that is being felt by the personnel--those being U.S. Government employees--whether they be Border Patrol or Customs or whoever is trying to manage the influx of the migrants. The men and women of the CBP lack both the manpower and the facilities to appropriately respond. The already understaffed Agency is reassigning personnel to try to make do, but 40 percent of the Border Patrol's manpower is spent processing migrants and providing care and transportation, and many of the agents are taken off their patrol lines to do this work, which leaves areas of the border vulnerable to exploitation by drug cartels and others. prgtoken The detention centers at which these migrants are housed and processed are relatively small facilities that are not designed for these kinds of huge numbers. They were originally built to house single adults for a short period of time, but the skyrocketing number of unaccompanied children and family units is now putting a serious strain on those resources. Last month alone, there were more than 53,000 families and nearly 9,000 unaccompanied children who were apprehended at the border--53,000 families and 9,000 unaccompanied children. Customs and Border Protection simply lacks the facilities to hold these children, and it lacks the personnel to provide appropriate care. prgtoken Do we really want the Border Patrol handing out juice boxes and diapers as opposed to interdicting dangerous drugs and other contraband that come into the United States? I don't think so. We know they are desperately asking for additional detention space and staff to be able to manage the mi
Remembering Fritz Hollings (Executive Session)
Tim Scott (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-4-11

I thank Senator Graham for yielding to me. Without any question, I think Senator Graham did such a great job of distilling the life and some of the accomplishments of Senator Hollings. Without any question, I cannot imagine Mr. Graham spending 36 years or so as a junior Senator from the great State of South Carolina because of the long tenure of the senior Senator, Strom Thurmond, whose seat you have. I have the privilege of being in the seat of Senator Hollings, who, of course, is from Charleston, as I am from Charleston. I think of the commonalities we all share as South Carolinians, and certainly ones who are not--all of us from South Carolina understand how hard it is to understand those folks who speak in the old Charleston brogue, the language of Senator Hollings and folks like our cousin, Arthur Ravenel, who shares the same inflection in his voice. Senator Graham brought back some very fond memories with his thoughts. prgtoken To the family, the Hollings family, we certainly extend our condolences. I had the chance to speak with Michael, his son, just the other day, and the family is doing well. The family is encouraged by the outpouring of love and support from so many folks from the Senate and throughout the country because Senator Hollings was not only a South Carolina Senator, he was America's Senator. He spent a lot of time doing a lot of things that made a significant difference. prgtoken I do want to put a little meat on the bones. As Senator Graham has covered so much of what I would have said, I will not say it twice. I will, perhaps, drill into a few of the times of service Senator Hollings had. prgtoken As we think through the 1960s and as we read through the 1960s, we read through a time of volatility, a time where our Nation is clashing with one another, where the races were so divided. In the Deep South, we perhaps led in that direction of conflict. We have a provocative history on race in South Carolina. Without any question, Senator Hollings did what so many others did not do, which is, he led for a peaceful integration of what is today one of America's great public universities, Clemson University. I say that as a South Carolina fan, without any question, but it is no doubt that Harvey Gantt, being the first African American in Clemson to graduate from Clemson, was a monumental shift in southern education, one we can all celebrate today. prgtoken I went to church with Harvey Gantt's family for 20-plus years at Morris Street Baptist Church in Charleston, SC, and I will say that, perhaps as a part of the springboard of controversy and challenge and conflict, it led to a level of greatness in Harvey Gantt's life as he took arrows that most of us are unfamiliar with. Senator Hollings-- then-Governor Hollings--took arrows that some would be unfamiliar with in making the decision to ask for and to encourage and support a peaceful transition in a State at the time broiled in
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-4-11

I am honored to be cochairing the Entrepreneurship Caucus with the Senator from South Carolina. He is right that there are some great examples of people who want to get businesses started and who want to pursue their dreams, and we need to highlight those because we have a lot of people who right now have some great new ideas. If we are going to continue to be a country that is an incubator for those ideas, then, we have to promote those ideas and allow those people to follow their dreams.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2019-4-11

it is an honor to remember and recognize the life of Governor Everett Chavez. prgtoken Governor Chavez devoted his life to the people of Santo Domingo Pueblo and to building a strong future for the next generation of leaders in Indian Country. prgtoken Chavez served three terms as the Governor of Kewa Pueblo, also known as Santo Domingo. prgtoken Governor Chavez also served as the superintendent of the Santa Fe Indian School, mentoring Native youth and setting high expectations for their educational achievements. prgtoken He was a proud graduate of the University of New Mexico, where he received a degree in electrical engineering. prgtoken Thanks to his dedication, many students received scholarships for college and put their education to work in their communities. prgtoken Governor Chavez was powerful at influencing policy to benefit Indian Country at the highest levels of government. prgtoken Governor Chavez served on President 's advisory committee for Native American and Alaskan Natives. prgtoken He worked with New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to increase voter registration and election participation in Native communities. prgtoken He was constantly building partnerships and implementing major initiatives in his community. prgtoken He was hard at work serving others until the very end. prgtoken New Mexico has lost one of our greatest leaders. prgtoken My thoughts are with Governor Chavez's family. prgtoken His legacy will endure in all of those he inspired through his selfless actions.
REMEMBERING JIM MOODY
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2019-4-11

today I rise to recognize the career and legacy of former U.S. Representative Jim Moody, who passed away on March 22, 2019. Born James Powers Moody, he was an influential leader in ic politics in Wisconsin in the 1970s and 1980s. prgtoken Born in 1935 in Virginia, Jim spent much of his childhood abroad. His father was an official with the American Red Cross, and his mother worked in relief efforts for refugees. Jim was heavily influenced by his parents' international focus, and he developed a passion for foreign cultures and global affairs at an early age. He attended school in Shanghai before graduating from an English-language high school in Athens, Greece. prgtoken After graduating from Haverford College in Pennsylvania in 1957, Jim worked in the former Yugoslavia and Iran with CARE, an international humanitarian organization. He joined the Peace Corps in the organization's early days and established the first Peace Corps programs in Pakistan and Bangladesh. He spoke many languages, including Greek, Farsi, Croatian, Spanish and French. prgtoken Jim received a master's degree it public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy's School of Government in 1967 and a doctorate in economics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1973. Eugene McCarthy's 1968 Presidential campaign inspired Jim's exploration of politics. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1976 and to the State Senate in 1978. With his mother at his side as his campaign manager, he ran for and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982 from Wisconsin's 5th Congressional District in southeastern Wisconsin, where he served five terms. prgtoken Moody was a progressive voice in Congress in the spirit of Wisconsin's greatest progressive, Robert M. ``Fighting Bob'' La Follette. He was an early advocate of gay rights and wilderness preservation. In 1991, he authored a federally funded universal health care bill to cover the 37 million Americans who lacked insurance at the time, including 550,000 Wisconsinites. He proposed paying for the coverage with higher taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals. prgtoken After an unsuccessful U.S. Senate race in 1992, he returned to his passion for international affairs. In 1995, he became the chief financial officer of the United Nation's International Fund for Agricultural Development, which focuses on improving the living standards in the agricultural sectors of developing countries. He served on the board of the National Iranian American Council and as an elections observer in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Ukraine. His post congressional career also included work as professor, an economist and a financial adviser prgtoken Jim Moody took his role as a public servant very seriously. It was a responsibility and an honor that he carried proudly. He cared deeply about the economic stability and well-being of his constituents and of people
TRIBUTE TO CHARLES ``CHUCK'' JOHNSON
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2019-4-11

today I have the privilege of recognizing the distinguished service of Commander Charles ``Chuck'' Johnson, a highly respected Korean and Vietnam war veteran. Having enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 16 before completing his high school education, Chuck served his country honorably for 21 years on the front lines of combat in both Korea and Vietnam. prgtoken Chuck's commitment to serve did not waver after returning home, and he has spent much of his civilian life advocating and caring for Nevada's veterans, fighting to ensure that their service is never forgotten. Commander of the Southern Nevada chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association, Chuck played a critical role in establishing a Korean War Memorial at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, NV, which stands as a testament to the more than 9,000 Korean war veterans buried there. Chuck persisted for over 24 years to see this project come to fruition, and as a community, we are beyond grateful for his dedication to this worthy cause. prgtoken Known as a leader and community servant throughout southern Nevada, Chuck was most recently recognized as News 3 Las Vegas's Veteran of the Month. Throughout the month of March, we saluted Chuck for his tireless work to make our community, State, and country a better, safer, and more just place. I am grateful for Commander Johnson's sacrifice and patriotism and look forward to observing his continued work on behalf of veterans in Nevada and beyond.