mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-1-9

as our colleague from Iowa just pointed out, these problems not only need to be solved, but they are solvable. At the core of the debate we are having right now is obviously border security. Everybody says they are for border security, but they have different views of what that means. prgtoken I want to start by saying that I fully support the President's call for a more secure border, and, frankly, I think physical barriers are part of that. We have thought that for a long time. They work. People who now are opposed to them generally have often been for them. prgtoken In fact, a generation ago, we began improving and expanding barriers in a few areas along the southern border, and in every instance, they have made a difference. prgtoken In 1992, the U.S. Government built a wall in the San Diego sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the number of people caught crossing that border decreased by 95 percent when the barrier was erected. prgtoken The border is not exactly like a bank. You don't have to have a level of security that nobody can ever get through at any time, under any circumstances, but if you have a solution that solves 95 percent of the problem, that may be about all we can afford to do in terms of solving the problem that way. That barrier, that wall, that fence south of San Diego did exactly that. prgtoken The next year, we built a wall in El Paso, TX, at that part of the border, and there was a decrease of 95 percent there as well. prgtoken In 2000, we built a wall at the Tucson, AZ, sector, and apprehensions there dropped 90 percent. prgtoken We have a 90-percent solution or a 95-percent solution. That is reasonable to the American people who think that the job of the Federal Government--and they are right in this--that one of the jobs of the Federal Government is to secure its border. prgtoken You wouldn't have to look very far in troubled parts of the world to find a story about Lebanon or some other country--to read that sentence that says: This government is not truly functional because they don't have control over their own borders. It is a reasonable expectation of government. prgtoken In 2000, as I said, we built a wall in Tucson. prgtoken You can call this whatever you want to. If you are offended when I say ``wall'' or ``fence,'' you say whatever you want to say--it has the same impact. prgtoken I have been to the border a number of times. I have walked along the barriers there. I have been on one side of the fence--the two sides of a fence with a patrolled roadway in between. It looked pretty effective to me, and the numbers indicate it was effective. prgtoken In 2005, when we added a wall in the Yuma part of the Arizona sector, apprehensions went down another 95 percent. prgtoken We have President Clinton and Presidents -- 43 and 41-- all were part of thinking barriers worked, and the Congress was too. There was not an issue as to whether a wall works, whe
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-1-9

a new year begins, and it brings us new challenges, new opportunities, and new faces in the 116th Congress. prgtoken I welcome the nine freshman Senators: Mrs. Blackburn of Tennessee, Mr. Braun of Indiana, Mr. Cramer of North Dakota, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Martha McSally of Arizona, Mitt Romney of Utah, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Rick Scott of Florida, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Their talent and hard work brought them here, and now we have an expanded Senate majority--a majority we built on in the 115th Congress. Albeit, we are still short of the 60 votes needed to pass most pieces of legislation, we have a group of people committed to the values of our party and our country and working together to find solutions for the Nation. prgtoken During the swearing-in last week, as I was sworn in to the Senate, my 96-year-old mother joined us. She attended, enjoyed it, watches the opening every day for the Pledge of Allegiance and for the prayer from Reverend Black, and looks to that as a sign of our Nation moving forward. prgtoken From the time I was a little boy, she would always say: ``This is the most important year of your life.'' She started when I was very young, and I think her lesson remains today. For me and for all of us, this is the most important year of our lives, for ourselves, for our Nation, and for the world. She would say: What you do this year makes a big difference for the future, so make sure you do it right. Well, we are now at a point of divided government-- control the House and s the Senate. We need to work together and do it right on behalf of the American people. Government Funding prgtoken , I think we have some immediate tasks; one is to secure the southern border and the other is to fund the government. These goals are not mutually exclusive. We can and we must do both, and the key to breaking the current impasse is for both parties to work together. prgtoken President , I believe, is absolutely right to insist on border wall funding. I think he is right to insist on it before agreeing to sign spending legislation to end the shutdown, and he spoke passionately and I think spoke convincingly about it last evening. If the southern border were a patient--and I practiced medicine for 24 years in Wyoming--if the southern border were a patient admitted to the hospital, it would be listed in critical condition. prgtoken All Americans want an immigration system that secures the border, enforces the law, and that keeps families together. The problem of course is the rise in illegal entry, terrorists, drug smugglers, human traffickers, the Mexican drug cartels, all exploiting our porous border with Mexico. The Customs and Border Protection Commissioner has called the situation a ``border security and humanitarian crisis.'' That is what we are dealing with, a border security and humanitarian crisis. prgtoken
RECOGNIZING DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF JAY TIBSHRAENY
Andy Biggs (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-1-9

. Madam , I rise today to highlight the distinguished career of Jay Tibshraeny, who has served the community of Chandler, Arizona, for more than 30 years. He has just completed his seventh term as mayor after being elected as a judge in the Maricopa County Justice Court. The city of Chandler experienced tremendous growth under Mayor Tibshraeny's leadership. prgtoken Mayor Tibshraeny has not only served in office for decades, he has faithfully served his community his entire life. Chandler would not be the same without his presence and his tireless efforts to leave his city better than when he found it. prgtoken Madam , Chandler will miss his leadership. It was my honor and privilege to work with him for the benefit of our constituents. I wish him and his family the best in their next chapter of life.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-1-9

today I wish to acknowledge the remarkable career and service of a man who has played an instrumental role in the growth and development of northwest Arkansas over the last four decades. prgtoken Dick Trammel, a pillar of the community and a leader who has been involved in almost everything positive that has happened in and around my hometown of Rogers, AR, has concluded his service at Arvest Bank after 43 years. He is also ending a 10-year term on the Arkansas Highway Commission this month. prgtoken Dick is a homegrown Arkansan. A native of Pocahontas, he attended the University of Arkansas where he was a cheerleader for the Hogs football team and earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration in 1960. After graduation, Dick returned home to work in the cotton gin and grain elevator business and became an active member and leader in Pocahontas and Randolph County. prgtoken As we all now know, the 1960s saw the founding of retail giant Walmart by Sam Walton. As Walmart was headquartered in Bentonville, Sam was able to entice Dick to relocate to the region and join First National Bank & Trust Company in Rogers in 1975. First National Bank eventually became part of Arvest Bank and Dick worked for the company for over four decades, retiring as executive vice president, member of the board of directors and board secretary of Arvest Bank, Rogers. prgtoken While enjoying a successful career at Arvest, Dick also played an outsized role in northwest Arkansas. He served as president and board member of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, was a board member at a local United Way, founded the Single Parent Scholarship Fund in Benton County, was a charter member of the Northwest Arkansas Community College Board of Trustees, and served on the Rogers Youth Center Board of Directors, among so many other philanthropic and civic endeavors. prgtoken He is also a board member of the U.S. Marshals Museum Foundation which is incredibly meaningful given the importance of the Marshals Service to the region and the work we have done to help make the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith a reality. We worked together not only in that capacity, but in many other ways to help the region grow as Dick has spent the last 10 years on our State's highway commission following his appointment to the panel by former Governor Mike Beebe in 2009. prgtoken Just recently it was announced that, through many years of persistent work between members of Congress from Arkansas and Missouri and the respective legislatures and State government agencies in both States, that a multimillion-dollar grant has been secured to complete the Bella Vista Bypass on Interstate 49. Dick and his colleagues on the highway commission understood just how important this was for the region and worked hand-in-hand with the congressional delegation to reach this outcome. prgtoken As Dick's service at Arvest and on the Arkansas Highway Commiss
YEAR-END REPORT
Jeff Fortenberry (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-1-9

. Madam , I want to introduce a new topic in the time that we have remaining, again speaking to that which might be able to unite us in a very divided time, that which is a fundamental principle that is operative in most of our hearts, that which, again, transcends these temporary and urgent moments of policy division. It is what I call natural security. prgtoken We talked about national security. We talked about economic security. We talked about human dignity, family security. Now I want to talk about natural security, and here is an example. prgtoken Nebraska is one of the only States where you can find three distinct subspecies of the turkey. prgtoken Madam , are you with me on this? It is really very fascinating. prgtoken In the southeast corner of Nebraska, you can find the Eastern turkey. In the southwest corner, you can see a Rio, and out west, you can find a Merriam. This unique trifecta exists right there in my home. prgtoken Now, why am I raising this? Why would you be raising this? Of course, I prgtoken find it interesting, and I hope you do as well, Madam . prgtoken This newfound abundance of turkeys is an amazing story because, due to urban pressures and habitat loss and improperly regulated hunting, not too long ago, wild turkeys were in decline across the Nation. But they have since rebounded through basic conservation efforts. prgtoken With innovative thinking and proactive policy, we can conserve and restore other wildlife and natural habitats, while bringing social, cultural, and economic multipliers to our rural communities. prgtoken Nebraska has been at the forefront of such conservation efforts, and we will continue to lead this charge at home as well as here, so I have introduced the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. prgtoken Now, Madam , we weren't able to get it through Congress last year, but I think by the end of the session, we had 120--it was probably a little bit higher--bipartisan cosponsors. prgtoken So what does it do? It takes an upstream approach to habitat protection through robust funding of State wildlife action plans so that we don't have the downstream effect of habitat loss. In Nebraska, we do this through means of voluntary landowner agreements. prgtoken This is why this is important. As we approach the renewal of the Endangered Species Act, RAWA, the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, actually gets in front of the problem by preventing wildlife from becoming endangered in the first place, and it moves us from costly regulation and litigation to collaboration. prgtoken I am very excited about this because I think it is another way in which we can use moneys from lands in Federal trust and plow it back into another form of trust that creates a widespread benefit for those interested in environmental policy, those interested in conservation policy, and those interested in enhanced recreational sporting and hunting opportunity. prgtoken That is why so many people have gotten on thi
CELEBRATING LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-1-9

I rise today on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day to commend law enforcement officers throughout our Nation who answer the call to serve their communities. This day is designated annually on January 9 to show support to our law enforcement leaders in every community, including our Capitol Police, who are with us here each and every day. prgtoken Law enforcement officers face increasingly difficult circumstances while working to serve and protect the public. It is a dangerous job, and, often, it is a thankless job. Our officers put on their uniforms each day knowing that they can be in harm's way at any moment. They answer the call in times of distress, and they follow the rules and wear the badge proudly. prgtoken , we must remember that our officers are mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives. They are humans, and they arguably have one of the most difficult jobs in America. prgtoken So today and each day, let's honor our brothers and sisters in blue. Let's thank them for the important work that they do to keep us all safe.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed--Continued
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-1-9

what is before us right now is S. 1. For those who are here today watching or who are at home or will watch this later and are wondering what the Senate is doing, other than coming down here and giving speeches, what we are trying to do is start debate on a bill, on S. 1. prgtoken S. 1 is the Senate effort to respond specifically not just to general events that are happening in the Middle East but, in particular, the decision made a few weeks ago that the United States would be leaving Syria and our presence there. prgtoken At the time when the decision was made, I told everybody I thought it was a bad idea. A lot of people agreed, and there are a lot of reasons why it was a bad idea. Although I do think it is important anytime we ask the American people to send their young men and women abroad--in the case of Syria, it is about 2,000 special operators working alongside tens of thousands of Kurdish and Syrian democratic forces. Anytime we spend money or send Americans abroad to risk their lives, the American people deserve for us to go to them and justify why it is we should be doing it or continue to do it. That is certainly the case with Syria. prgtoken So I don't agree with the decision, but I do think it has given the Senate and those of us who disagree with that decision an opportunity to go out and tell people why it is that it is important. That is a broader topic, and I will have more to say about that in the days to come, but one of the reasons why it is important is because the U.S. withdrawal from Syria will have a dramatic impact on the security of Israel. prgtoken Now, again, anytime we ask the American people to support another country with money or diplomatic support or anything that it might be-- weapons--we should justify it. We should never take for granted why it is that it is important that we support that other country. prgtoken In the case of Israel, at a time when very few things enjoy bipartisan support, support for Israel has wide bipartisan support in Congress and across the country, and rightfully so. Our support of the State of Israel is founded both on morality and our national interest. prgtoken On the issue of morality, the State of Israel is very unique. It was founded for a very specific purpose in the aftermath of the holocaust, in which millions of Jews lost their lives. It was vowed that never again would the Jewish people not have a place to go and seek refuge or live in a place of peace and security. The State of Israel was established to be that homeland for the Jewish people. It is unique in the fact that it was given birth by an international organization. It is unique in the world in that regard. prgtoken The second reason we should support Israel is because it is in our national interest. Israel is everything we wish more countries in the Middle East and around the world were. They are a pro-American, free enterprise democracy. I would ask you, for a mome
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Kay Granger (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-9

I rise today in opposition to H.R. 264. prgtoken Unfortunately, as with all the appropriations bills we consider this week, moving this bill across the House floor will not resolve the partial government shutdown. prgtoken It is a job and responsibility of Congress to appropriate funds. We must come together, both s and , in the House and the Senate, to put together a legislation solution that will reopen the government and fund border security, one that represents the will of both Chambers and the American people. prgtoken By considering only the Senate-passed versions of these appropriations bills, we are ignoring the will of this Chamber by eliminating House Members' involvement in the appropriations process. prgtoken The bill before us today funds Senate priorities at the expense of House priorities. In particular, the Financial Services and General Government bill falls short in several areas: constructing border points of entry, assisting taxpayers and U.S. businesses, and following through on commonsense bipartisan financial reforms. prgtoken I want to thank my colleague from Georgia (Mr. Graves) for his efforts today and over the last several months to ensure that the House's voice is heard in this debate.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-9

from El Paso to Brownsville, TX, my State prgtoken shares a 1,200-mile border with Mexico. If you were daring enough to attempt to walk that entire stretch, you would trek through deserts, cross mountains, through cities, and probably end up getting a little wet in the Rio Grande River. You would meet folks who are proud of the strong bonds our country has with our southern neighbor. Many, of course, have relatives in both countries. You would talk to sheriffs, police officers, Border Patrol agents, all who care deeply about protecting our communities. And undoubtedly, you would end up eating some good Tex-Mex along the way. prgtoken In my time in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to meet countless Texans who live and work along the southern border, and I seek their advice and counsel on what Congress ought to do, what the Federal Government ought to do to protect them and their communities. What they tell me is that Texans and the Nation rely on the billions of dollars of legitimate trade that comes across the ports of entry with Mexico. But with the growing volume of goods crossing our borders and the persistent staff shortages for Customs and Border Protection, they want to make sure there are no security gaps that can be exploited by criminals or slow down the legal movement of goods. That is a concern I share, and I continue to advocate for additional improvements in our ports of entry to protect this vital lifeline for our economy, as well as our security. prgtoken But just as these communities care deeply about the economic benefits of our shared border, they care deeply, of course, about their own safety and security. They believe that both can peacefully coexist, and so do I. prgtoken During my visits, I have witnessed some of the horrific treatment that migrants receive at the hands of the criminals, including those who smuggle them. The truth is, these criminal organizations that move people and drugs and contraband across our border exploit our porous border and care nothing for human life. It is a commodity. It is the way they make money. They care nothing for the people they hurt, so they wring another dollar out of someone else's misery on a daily basis. It is a high-volume business, too, and incredibly lucrative. prgtoken I have seen the stash houses with windows lined with tin foil, and inside, a veritable cesspool that makes you want to gag or lose what you had for lunch. This is where the human smugglers cram large groups of illegal immigrants in unimaginable conditions while awaiting their transit to the interior of the United States. prgtoken I have seen their logbooks where they record their corrupt transactions, correlating real-life human beings with their value in dollars and cents. prgtoken I have talked to Border Patrol agents who have discovered tractor trailers full of people attempting to enter our country, some of whom never complete their journey because they