mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-8-1

earlier this summer I was privileged to be at the White House when President announced his nominee to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court became effective just a couple of days ago. Judge Kavanaugh's nomination continues the streak that we s in the Senate have been on for the last 18 months under the administration. We have set new records. prgtoken Specifically, we set a record last year for the most circuit court judges confirmed in a President's first year, and we set a new record this year with the recent confirmation of President 's 23rd circuit judge, Texan Andy Oldham, who will serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and that was 2 weeks ago. prgtoken Keep in mind that we have already set the record with the most judges confirmed in the President's first 2 years, and we still have 5 months to go. That is unprecedented. That is huge. It speaks volumes about the seriousness with which this administration takes its responsibility to fill vacancies on the Federal judiciary and the efficiency with which this Chamber is carrying out its duty to provide advice and consent. prgtoken Yesterday, we voted on another outstanding nominee, Britt Grant, for the Eleventh Circuit. To date, the Senate has confirmed 45 Federal judges under President , including Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, and that includes 24 circuit court or intermediate level judges. prgtoken But some people don't like to focus on that record of accomplishment so much. They like to dwell on Judge Kavanaugh, the nominee to succeed Anthony Kennedy, exclusively instead. I understand why the Supreme Court vacancy is a very big deal, but it doesn't give license to engage in hysterical attacks. prgtoken We have seen Judge Kavanaugh called almost every name in the book. We have heard that his confirmation would result in the destruction of the Constitution and that the nominee is your worst nightmare and one who wants to pave the path to tyranny. prgtoken Well, I just think those sorts of attacks--and hysterical attacks-- undermine the very credibility of the speaker, because anybody who knows anything about Judge Kavanaugh knows that none of that is true. We are not going to be distracted from carrying out the confirmation process in the normal established way through the Judiciary Committee first, led by Chairman Grassley, and, then, once we get to the floor, with a debate and vote to confirm the judge, hopefully, well in advance of the next term of the Supreme Court, which begins the first Monday in October. prgtoken We know, for example, that Chairman Grassley has already sent a request to the Library to recover many of the records that pertain to the nominee's service when he worked at the White House Counsel's Office. This was a unilateral request, unfortunately, because our ic colleagues refused to join us, even after two weeks of negotiatio
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-8-1

today, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by my friend and colleague from Vermont, Senator Leahy. My colleagues have heard me stand at this same desk multiple times and speak on the issues underlying the Secure Elections Act, a piece of authorizing language that it is exceptionally important that we actually get passed. This is a bill that Senator Klobuchar and I, along with Senators , Graham, Collins, Heinrich, Burr, and Warner, have worked on very hard to get done. It is something that is being discussed in the Intelligence Committee hearing that is going on right now. Some of the witnesses spontaneously raised its reforms as some of key steps that we need to take to secure our elections. prgtoken But what we are talking about today is not the authorizing language that is needed; it is appropriations dollars. Just 4 months ago, this body appropriated $380 million to give to the States to help them in their elections. Ninety percent of those dollars have been transmitted, but most of that money is not out the door. prgtoken We have $380 million that is in process, but it will be the end of next year before we know how the States have actually spent it. I believe it is far too early to add another one-quarter of a billion dollars, which is what this amendment would provide, to the States when we don't know how the first $380 million has even been spent. prgtoken The Intelligence Committee did extensive research on how much was needed, and the $380 million amount was what was needed for the moment. I ask us to keep the funding at $380 million and not add another one- quarter of a billion to that amount.
REMEMBERING HIGHT PROFFIT
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-8-1

I rise to speak on behalf of Hight Proffit, who is being inducted into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. Every year since 1992, Wyoming has recognized individuals who have made substantial contributions to agriculture in our State. During his life, Hight displayed a special talent for agriculture and was a dedicated public servant for his neighbors and friends. Hight is a well-deserved recipient of this great honor. prgtoken Hight moved to Wyoming at a young age during the middle of the Great Depression when it wasn't easy to make a living, let alone to be a rancher. Much like he would show throughout his life, he showed what you can accomplish through hard work and resolve and learned to make the best out of everything. prgtoken He is remembered as a handyman, as well as an innovator. Hight excelled in improving agriculture and left his mark on the long, proud history of Wyoming agriculture. He worked hard to improve not only his ranch, but also the community around him, from fairly distributing water to expanding electric power. prgtoken Among his many accomplishments, perhaps the greatest was the dedication he showed to his family. By his side for over 60 years, was his loving wife, Dorothy. As his son Don puts it, Hight and Dorothy ``established a ranch with the help of the Federal Land Bank on the Bear River, where they raised cattle, sheep and horses, as well as four children.'' Hight and Dorothy were then blessed with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. prgtoken Not only did he serve as a role model for his family, but his community as well as a dedicated public servant. Hight served on numerous boards and committees, as a Unita County commissioner, a State representative, and as a State senator. He also served as a mentor to countless young people through 4-H, Boy Scouts of America, Farm Bureau, and his church. prgtoken Although it has now been 16 years since Hight has passed, his memory lives on and his example continue to inspire others. I want to extend my congratulations to the family of Hight and Dorothy. Hight truly lived the code of the West, and I am proud to have the opportunity to recognize his achievements and his memory as an inductee into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. Wyoming is well served by his lasting and continuing contributions to our State.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019--CONFERENCE REPORT
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-8-1

from Florida, and I thank him not only for his leadership on the specific issue that was in the Defense authorization bill regarding ZTE but also for his leadership on the broader issue of protecting the United States against the grand theft of our technology by China and the risks that China poses to our national security in many areas. prgtoken I want to review what happened with respect to ZTE, which is a Chinese telecommunications company. prgtoken No. 1, for many years, they have been about the business of stealing technology from American companies. If you look at lawsuits and patent lawsuits filed over the last decade, you will see it has been grand larceny. We have a Chinese telecommunications company that has been ripping off U.S. companies in order to gain a market advantage, and they have been doing that in coordination and cooperation with the Government of China. prgtoken They are stealing our technology. What are they using it for? Well, they are a big telecommunications company. We heard testimony from the Director of the FBI, and we heard testimony from the heads of U.S. intelligence agencies that they pose an espionage threat to the United States. All of them have said that it would be a great danger to our national security and the privacy of millions of Americans to let them anywhere near our telecommunications networks. prgtoken First, they steal our technology. Second, they plan to use a lot of what they stole from us to spy on us. Then they went about violating U.S. sanctions on North Korea and on Iran, not just once, twice--and then they were caught again. Each time, they were warned, but they continued to flagrantly violate our sanctions. prgtoken That is why the Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, finally got fed up with everything they were doing, and he imposed sanctions on ZTE, including what is called the denial order saying that U.S. companies should not be transferring technology to ZTE, which was then using that technology to get market advantages and to potentially spy on the United States. That was the right thing to do. Secretary Ross made a decision based on the law and based on our national security interests. prgtoken A few days later, this is the tweet that went out from the President. On May 13, President tweeted: President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done! prgtoken That was the tweet. With that tweet, which caught the Secretary of Commerce and so many others by surprise, the President reversed the key sanctions provision that the United States had imposed on ZTE for violating our sanctions and for other bad behavior. This Senate, on a bipartisan basis, said: Wait a minute. Secretary Ross was right. ZTE violated our sanctions. They pos
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-8-1

today I wish to recognize Greg Bollard, who will be honored at the 15th anniversary celebration for Friends of the Lake on August 9, 2018. His numerous accomplishments on behalf of Lake Lillinonah have made a great impact on the health of Connecticut's environment. prgtoken Mr. Bollard is the cofounder of Friends of the Lake, a nonprofit organization created to improve the water quality of Lake Lillinonah in Connecticut, enhance the enjoyment of the lake's pristine and stunning surroundings and protect that portion of the Housatonic River and its watershed. prgtoken Friends of the Lake works alongside an array of community and environmental organizations, Federal, State and local officials, and residents in order to acquire vital funding to improve the lake, raise awareness of the project and its importance, and bring together the community around Lake Lillinonah. Mr. Bollard has worked tirelessly over the past decade and a half to obtain and deploy a monitoring buoy. This buoy uses the Global Lake Observatory Network GLEON, to share data about the lake with scientists and other lake organizations worldwide, in order to facilitate more thorough monitoring and study of lake ecology. prgtoken In order to ensure Lake Lillinonah is clean, safe, and accessible to the community, Mr. Bollard has led tireless efforts to learn more about invasive species and control their populations, along with chairing the water quality committee. He is known as an incredibly dependable man, who is able to fix any problem by spearheading key efforts to develop a solution and bring the right group of people together to see it through successfully. prgtoken Mr. Bollard's desire to help his community extends beyond his work with Friends of the Lake, as well. For 16 years, he served on the Bridgewater Inland Wetlands Commission, and he continues to dedicate his time to his community through his role as an EMT and ambulance coordinator for the Bridgewater Fire Department, a firefighter and EMT for the Morris Volunteer Fire Department, and as a member of the Shepaug parent council. prgtoken Through his devotion to helping our State with Friends of the Lake and his great work as a public servant, Mr. Bollard has left a lasting, positive impression upon Connecticut and laid a profoundly strong foundation for improving our State's environment in the years to come. prgtoken I applaud Greg Bollard's dedicated commitment to improve and protect Lake Lillinonah, and I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Mr. Bollard on his well-deserved honor.
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2018-8-1

I rise to urge my colleagues to support my bipartisan amendment with my colleague Senator Susan Collins. It would spur innovation in the dairy business. prgtoken This amendment would do three simple things. It would foster the development of innovative dairy products that respond to consumer demand, support new and existing dairy entrepreneurs to develop their businesses and expand their markets, and provide technical assistance to dairy processors to update their manufacturing processes and meet consumer demand. prgtoken Dairy farmers are facing extremely difficult times. These farmers are facing retaliatory tariffs, uncertainty about trade deals and export markets, and low milk prices. This amendment would provide technical assistance and solutions for dairy entrepreneurs so that farmers, dairy co-ops, and other businesses can find new ways to compete, increase their efficiency, and find more homes for the surplus of milk that we have. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. prgtoken .
NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-8-1

every day I meet all sorts of people-- small business owners, working moms, students, seniors, and servicemembers--and they are concerned about all sorts of things: the growing cost of healthcare, the cost of child care, the cost of college, the cost of student loan debt, stagnant wages, fixing our broken criminal justice system, gun violence in schools--you name it. prgtoken But in the thousands of conversations I have had, I haven't met a single person who has said they are concerned that Washington doesn't work well enough for big businesses. If you ask any of them, they will tell you that, when it comes to the wealthy and the powerful, Washington works just like a dream, but for everyone else, Washington just isn't working. prgtoken That is not a coincidence. Powerful interests have been working for years to capture every single branch of government to tilt the scales in their favor and against everyone else. prgtoken Our courts are no exception in this. Powerful interests have worked for years, pouring incredible amounts of money into capturing our courts. It has been a real one-two punch. prgtoken The first punch has been working with s to stop fair- minded, impartial judges from sitting on the Federal bench, slowing down or stopping those nominations, holding open a Supreme Court seat, and keeping fair people off the bench whenever possible. prgtoken Then came the second punch. Whenever they get the chance, it is stacking our courts with judges dedicated to a vision of the law where the wealthy and well-connected get to call the shots--people who are willing to leave behind women, workers, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, students, families, and everyone else who doesn't have money or power. prgtoken 's decision to nominate Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court is just the latest example of this. Minutes after announced Kavanaugh's nomination, the White House blasted out a document. To whom? To business lobbyists around Washington touting Judge Kavanaugh's rulings in favor of corporate interests and against the interests of everyone else. They are not even hiding it anymore. prgtoken Think about that. The first move by the White House is not a memo to the American people talking about the nominee's independence or talking about his commitment to justice for everyone but a memo to business lobbyists highlighting Judge Kavanaugh's loyalty to big business. That is a key part of 's public case for Judge Kavanaugh--the promise that Judge Kavanaugh will tilt the playing field even further in favor of corporations and against working people. prgtoken Take a look at cases the White House included in its sales pitch to corporate lobbyists. In one recent case, Judge Kavanaugh ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was unconstitutional, calling independent agencies like the consumer bureau ``a significant threat to individual liberty.'' Really
INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES, AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2018-8-1

thank you very much for the recognition. prgtoken I say to Chairman Murkowski, thank you for those very kind words. It is, once again, always a pleasure to say we have worked with each other. I know there are issues sometimes we disagree on, but we listen to each other, we work through the issues, and we always come back to try to reach a financial result, and I think that is what the American people and what Alaskans and New Mexicans want us to do. prgtoken As the ranking member of the Interior Department's Appropriations subcommittee, s for being part of a remarkable process on the floor this last week, and I want to again thank my chairman, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and commend her for managing the bill in the way she has managed it and the leadership she has shown in this. prgtoken I am particularly proud that we have moved this bill without the addition of contentious authorizing matters or poison pills, which is quite an accomplishment. What we really want is the appropriations process to work the way it has worked and let the authorizing process work. Senator Murkowski has been involved in both of those things-- authorizing and appropriations--as I have been. prgtoken Unfortunately, there are still some poison pill riders in the House bill. By voting to send the Senate Interior bill to the conference without adding controversial items, we are, as a body, telling the House we will reject these poison pills once again. That message is important because the funding in this bill is critical to meet wildland firefighting needs, it is important for supporting National Parks and Public Lands, and to continue the Land and Water Conservation Fund. prgtoken We need to pass a final bill to fund the Environmental Protection Agency, support arts and cultural institutions, and meet our Nation's trust and treaty responsibilities with our Nation's Tribes. As Senator Murkowski well knows, she has a very large number of Tribes in Alaska, and I have a significant number of Tribes in New Mexico. We try to work very closely on those Tribal issues to see that Tribes are included, and we take care of those consultation, government-to-government, sovereignty issues. prgtoken There are other important issues to work through, including a proposal by the Department of the Interior to begin a major reorganization of the agency. Last week, the Department notified the subcommittee it plans to move forward during this fiscal year with efforts to change its regional boundaries, with more changes expected in fiscal year 2019. prgtoken While this request is only the first step, I want to note that I have been asking Secretary Zinke for months for information about the Department's plans, and I have yet to get answers to my questions. We have submitted very specific questions to him; we haven't gotten answers. I hope Chairman Murkowski will work with me to ensure that no changes are made without bipartisan a
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION BILL
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-8-1

today we came together to pass important bipartisan legislation to strengthen our national security and invest in American jobs. prgtoken Many of my colleagues of both parties have helped get the National Defense Authorization Act over the finish line. I particularly want to thank my colleague Senator Portman from my State, who worked with our office to secure important Ohio priorities, and Senator Inhofe and my friend Jack Reed, who served so well on the Banking Committee in addition to the work he has done on unemployment insurance and on military issues, and Senator Crapo, my colleague from Idaho, as we worked on securing and fortifying our national interests when it comes to foreign investments. All of these colleagues of mine worked with the conference committee to get our agencies new tools to screen Chinese and other foreign investments for national security threats. prgtoken This bill would not have been possible without the leadership of one Senator in particular; that is, the senior Senator from Arizona. Senator McCain's leadership on this legislation and throughout his career is why this Congress honored him through the naming of this bill--the John McCain National Defense Authorization Act. That is a rare honor. Congress rarely honors its own. We all know we all have feet of clay and don't put our friends here up on a pedestal, but for a few lions in the Senate, including Sam Nunn, John Warner, Ike Skelton, Carl Levin, and now John McCain, we have done that. prgtoken It honors his commitment to our national security through the John S. McCain Strategic Defense Fellows Program--fitting tributes to the service and sacrifice of a man like John McCain. We know his story--how a young Navy pilot was captured behind enemy lines, yet he never wavered in his commitment to his fellow POWs in Vietnam. prgtoken I have had my disagreements with him. We all have. But we have always respected each other. He has been a leader whom almost all of us from both parties have relied on for guidance, including national security issues and on issues when, in my first year in the Senate, I worked with Senator McCain on keeping down the costs of prescription drugs. prgtoken He has been a critical fighter for sanctions to hold our adversaries accountable. Last year, we worked together, along with Senators Crapo, Schumer, Graham, Rubio, Corker, and Cardin, to pass tough, new sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea. prgtoken He has always been clear that we don't only honor the rule of law or refrain from torture when it is easy or convenient. He authored a 2015 amendment to prohibit the use of torture as an interrogation method. prgtoken He has been forceful in defending our allies against Russian aggression in Crimea and Georgia and Montenegro. After the Helsinki summit, Senator McCain--one of the few s in this body who is willing to call the President out when he does something, especially on for