mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. RES. 755, IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , yesterday the Rules Committee spent 8 hours considering whether to bring H. Res. 755, the Articles of Impeachment, to the House floor. Given the four-to-nine ratio of s to on the committee, it is no surprise that we are now considering the articles before us. prgtoken Despite robust debate on the so-called facts derived from the impeachment investigation and the process by which they were obtained, and s remain in opposition to each other on our conclusions. prgtoken As outlined yesterday by Ranking Member Collins and several members of the Rules Committee through direct quotes, some have been seeking President 's impeachment since his inauguration. The rush to impeach first and solidify the case second threatens the credibility of the process and threatens the credibility of the body engaged, this very House of Representatives. prgtoken In fact, it has been quoted before and it will be quoted again today, I suspect, Chairman Nadler recognized the gravity of impeachment when he stated in December of 1998, ``The effect of impeachment is to overturn the popular will of the voters as expressed in a national election. There must never be a narrowly voted impeachment or an impeachment substantially supported by one of our major political parties and largely opposed by the other. Such an impeachment would lack legitimacy, would produce divisiveness and bitterness in our politics for years to come. And will call into question the very legitimacy of our political institutions.'' prgtoken On October 31, this House voted to authorize the official impeachment investigation in H. Res. 660. The process outlined in H. Res. 660 did not include the robust minority protections afforded the minority party in previous impeachment investigations. Even more concerning, Chairman Nadler and Chairman Schiff refused to comply with the very rules of the House in granting access to committee records for members in scheduling a minority hearing in a reasonable amount of time, thus preventing the American people from being equally represented in the process. prgtoken Refusing to allow members to access their own records, these are records of the Members of the House of Representatives, and we were not allowed to access these records obtained down in secret under armed guard in the Intelligence Committee, but it is required under section 2(e) of rule XI, and they have denied members the ability to do their job. prgtoken The Judiciary Committee did not hear testimony from even one fact witness, not even one, after they received a deluge of materials from the Intelligence Committee. This reversal of responsibility is indeed unprecedented. prgtoken But turning to the case upon which the argument is based, we had a whistleblower, not a fact witness, a whistleblower who never appeared before any Member of Congress that we know of,
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , in her own words, Pelosi said impeachment must be compelling, overwhelming, and bipartisan. These Articles of Impeachment being considered today by the House fail to meet Pelosi's own standards. prgtoken Process matters, folks. Representing a good chunk of Gerald Ford's old district and being a staffer during the Clinton administration, I have an intimate understanding of the effects of impeachment on this Nation. I am stunned to see my ic colleagues whitewash, or maybe I should say ``Whitewater,'' Bill Clinton's cooperation with the House of Representatives. That is not exactly what was going on. prgtoken This is the most partisan impeachment that we have seen in our Nation's history.
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , impeaching a President of the United States. This isn't about some solemn duty tonight. Let's talk about what this is really about. prgtoken This has been about a political vendetta, a political vendetta that didn't just start with the Zelensky call. It started long before that. prgtoken Just listen to some of the quotes from in this Chamber: prgtoken Pelosi: It's been going on for 22 months, 2\1/2\ years, actually. We cannot accept a second term for . What's more serious is that he can't win. prgtoken This isn't about some crime that was committed. It is about fear that he might win reelection. prgtoken That is not why you impeach a President. prgtoken Al Green: ``I'm concerned that if we don't impeach this President, he will get reelected.'' prgtoken The list goes on, Madam . In fact, there are some quotes that I can't even read on this House floor that some of our colleagues made. prgtoken And keep in mind, more than 100 on this House floor voted to impeach this President before the Zelensky phone call. prgtoken Just look at some of these Articles of Impeachment they voted for 2 years ago: prgtoken Fifty-eight voted to impeach the President over comments he made about NFL players kneeling for the Pledge of Allegiance. Over 50 voted to impeach him for that. prgtoken Just this summer, over 90 voted to impeach the President for comments he made about The Squad. So he makes comments about some other Members of Congress who make a lot of comments about him, and 95 Members vote to impeach the President of the United States. prgtoken This is a political vendetta. It has nothing to do with a crime committed. There was no crime. prgtoken And why don't we listen to some of the witnesses? Obviously, we weren't able to call all the witnesses we wanted, but there were witnesses. In fact, Gordon Sondland, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, he is mentioned over 600 times in the Schiff report. He was their star witness. prgtoken And what did he say when asked: ``Did President ever tell you personally about any preconditions for anything?'' prgtoken His answer: ``No.'' ``Any preconditions for the aid to be released?'' ``No.'' ``Any preconditions for a White House meeting?'' prgtoken Under oath, he testified: ``No.'' prgtoken Abuse of power, let's talk about that Article of Impeachment, Madam . prgtoken George Washington Law Professor Turley, who admitted under oath that he voted against , spoke to this claim of abuse of power. In fact, he said: ``If you make a high crime and misdemeanor out of going to the courts, it is an abuse of power; it is your abuse of power.'' prgtoken You are doing precisely what you are criticizing the President of doing, abuse of power. prgtoken There is a House rule, Madam , that requires--not allows, but requires--that the minority get a day of hearing, which we asked for multiple times. They broke this rule. They
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken I am glad to know that Mr. was giving them lethal aid, actually, something to fight back with, not what was previously given to them. And there was, again, from the President, himself, no pressure put on him. prgtoken Your whole case is sort of destroyed if you are coercing somebody if there was no pressure felt; yet, we don't seem to get that part on this floor debate today. prgtoken Madam , I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Gianforte).
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Tim Walberg (Republican, MI) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , I rise today in strong opposition to these baseless Articles of Impeachment. prgtoken Our Founding Fathers never intended impeachment to be a one-sided political weapon. Sadly, the majority has reduced this serious constitutional action to a purely partisan tactic to take down President . prgtoken History will not be kind to the vote today. It will be remembered as a rushed process that lacks credibility or transparency with a predetermined outcome that puts a premium on political theater instead of facts. By any objective standard, the ' impeachment case is the thinnest imaginable. There is no impeachable offense before us today. It is a complete and total sham. prgtoken I close, not by quoting a President from the past, but rather from the duly elected President : ``You are the ones interfering in America's election. You are the ones subverting America's democracy. You are the ones obstructing justice. You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our Republic for your own selfish personal, political, and partisan gain.'' These are hard words I know, but that is the sad reality of this entire process. prgtoken I will proudly vote ``no'' today, a vote that upholds our Constitution, defends our President, and preserves the pillars of our Nation's democracy.
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Michael Cloud (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , it has been very clear from the beginning that this impeachment proceeding has never been about an honest search for the truth. If it were, our ic friends would not have polled to see what to charge the President with. prgtoken Calling an opinion a fact does not make it so, and repeating it over and over does not make it more true. When one produces a committee report with fabricated findings based on no fact witnesses and then quotes from it like it is authoritative, it is no more valid than having a campaign pay for a foreign entity to create a private dossier and then selling it to a FISA court in order to spy on a campaign. prgtoken This has always been a verdict in search of a crime, an impeachment prgtoken birthed at a resistance movement. It is time to end this charade and get back to doing the work we were elected to do.
FIRST STEP Act Anniversary (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-12-18

I am here today to commemorate and celebrate the 1-year anniversary of a groundbreaking achievement. On December 18, 2018, the Senate passed the FIRST STEP Act. Three days later, President signed this far-reaching legislation into law. The FIRST STEP Act is the most significant criminal justice reform law in a generation. prgtoken I am proud of the work we accomplished 1 year ago on the Senate floor by voting it out of this Chamber with a rollcall vote of 87 to 12. This historic vote means a lot to this Senator, who then was chairman of the Judiciary Committee. In fact, in one of the conference rooms in my office in Washington, I have the official tally sheet from this bill's vote framed and hung on a wall. Now Iowans, advocates, and those who visit my office can see this piece of history. prgtoken Our criminal justice system is based on the rule of law. That means when you commit a crime, you should be punished. But the punishment should fit the crime. If the penalty is too harsh, it doesn't do any more to deter criminal activity, and it is a bad value for our taxpayers when you keep people in prison if it doesn't do any good to have them there. prgtoken Overly harsh penalties can also make it harder for prisoners who are trying to change their lives to turn over a new leaf. It is worth noting that almost all criminals are eventually released from prison. prgtoken Our criminal justice system must do much more than punish and deter. It should rehabilitate and prepare prisoners to reenter society. That is exactly what the FIRST STEP Act does. It gives nonviolent prisoners an incentive to participate in programs in prison, such as job training, drug treatment programs, and counseling, which have been shown to reduce recidivism. prgtoken The FIRST STEP Act also makes sentencing more fair. It leaves tough penalties in place for the worst criminals, but it reduces mandatory minimum sentences, giving judges the ability to tailor punishment to fit the crime. prgtoken Today marks a very happy occasion and a time of reflection. However, we must remain focused on the future and implementation of that law. With vigilant and consistent oversight into the implementation of the FIRST STEP Act, we can ensure these goals of reducing recidivism and improving our criminal justice system are met. prgtoken I have had the opportunity to meet with dozens of former prisoners who have been released because of the reforms in the FIRST STEP Act, and I also had a chance to meet with some of the families. These former prisoners are inspiring. They are finding jobs. They are taking care of their families. They are paying their taxes and contributing to their communities. They have told me that the FIRST STEP Act gave them hope. It reminded them that the rest of the country had not forgotten about them but wanted them to succeed. prgtoken The FIRST STEP Act gives former prisoners a better chance at changing their lives.
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALLEN LAMB
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-12-18

I rise today to pay tribute to Lt. Col. Allen Lamb, a retired Air Force pilot from the great State of North Carolina, for his many years of service to his country as a combat pilot and the important role he played in the development of U.S. Air Force tactics. prgtoken Lt. Col. Allen Lamb selflessly dedicated 20 years of his life to serving his country in the United States Air Force. During his service, he saw combat during both the Korean war and Vietnam war, while piloting a variety of aircraing from propeller-driven heavy bombers to the most advanced jet fighters of the era. Lieutenant Colonel Lamb had an uncanny ability of surviving the mid-air accidents that occurred on a few of the many combat and training missions that he participated in, and he is notable for successfully ejecting from four-engine, three- engine, and two-engine airplanes at different points during his career. From protecting his B-26 bomber as a tail gunner from Soviet MIG pilots over Korea, to being distinguished as the first American pilot to successfully destroy North Vietnamese surface to air missile--SAM-- sites in an F-100 Super Sabre fighter jet, Lieutenant Colonel Lamb's Cold War service consisted of many hazardous and diverse assignments. prgtoken Although it is difficult to narrow all of the spectacular and death- defying accomplishments of Lieutenant Colonel Lamb's career down to one specific achievement, his participation in the first ``Wild Weasel'' strike against a North Vietnamese SA-2 SAM site is particularly notable for the significant influence it had on future Air Force tactics. In 1965, early in the Vietnam War, the U.S. Air Force was losing a considerable number of planes during the strategic bombing campaign in North Vietnam due to the effectiveness of deadly Soviet-supplied SA-2 SAMs that were strategically scattered throughout the country. As a result, the Air Force developed a daring solution to counter the SAM threat that involved using agile F-100 Super Sabre and F-4 Phantom fighter jets to detect and suppress the missile launching sites. The innovative Air Force mission'' was soon given the name ``Wild Weasel'' because the anti-SAM mission was reminiscent of the way a hunting ferret enters the den of its prey to kill it. prgtoken In late 1965, Lieutenant Colonel Lamb was given command of leading the first Wild Weasel mission, Wild Weasel I. On this mission, which took place just over 50 kilometers from the North Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Lieutenant Colonel Lamb and his navigator Jack Donovan flew extremely low on multiple strafing runs and were successful in destroying a SA-2 SAM site that was not previously known to exist. Both men were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by the Air Force for their efforts. Lieutenant Colonel Lamb respectfully declined receiving the Silver Star award when he was offered it because his crewman Jack Donovan was not also included. Wild Weasel I demonstrated t
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2019-12-18

I rise today in remembrance of the life of Brig. Gen. James Kemp McLaughlin, who passed away this week after living an impressive 101 years full of honor, prgtoken integrity, and service to his Nation, State, and county. General McLaughlin was the epitome of what it means to be a member of the greatest generation. He worked hard, served his country, raised a family, and gave back to society more than he could have ever received in return. prgtoken Born in Braxton County, WV, in 1918, Kemp, as his family and friends called him, was raised during the Great Depression, and like many others of his generation, he learned the value of a day's work, to be thankful for what you have, and most importantly, how to survive in the face of adversity. After high school, he traveled to Morgantown to attend college at West Virginia University, where his interest in military service and aviation were first piqued when the Army Air Corps testing team visited the school's campus. A year later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 21. prgtoken A year into his enlistment, the Japanese attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, HI, on December 7, 1941. It was not only ``a date which will live in infamy,'' as President Roosevelt so memorably declared, but it was also Kemp's 23rd birthday. Soon after, he was deployed to England as a copilot and second lieutenant in the Mighty Eight's 92nd Bombardment Group, flying the B-17 bomber. The unit's mission was to carry out strategic bombing campaigns in France and Germany during World War II. During his first mission in France, his aircraft took multiple direct hits. McLaughlin returned fire, engaged in air-to-air combat, and eventually took down the enemy. This, in addition to his 38 other combat missions during World War II, were some of the most pivotal air raids in our country's military history. The successful mission he took part in to bomb facilities in Norway is credited with halting Germany's efforts to produce an atomic bomb and potentially saved millions of lives. prgtoken Upon returning to the United States in 1945, McLaughlin was recognized with numerous medals and awards, including the Distinguished Flying Cross with three clusters, the Air Corps Air Medal with eight clusters, the French Croix de Guerre, and a Presidential unit citation. He then accepted a commission as a lieutenant colonel before initially retiring in 1946, a retirement that would last 1 year, when he was asked to serve as the first commander of the West Virginia Air National Guard squadron. After the unit's service in the Korean war, he was promoted to full colonel and appointed as West Virginia's assistant adjutant general. McLaughlin was then promoted again in 1962 to brigadier general and continued to serve in leadership positions with the Air Guard until his retirement in 1977. prgtoken In addition to serving his Nation in uniform, Kemp also served his community as a
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Robert E. Latta (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-12-18

. Madam , this is a sad day for our country, one that our forefathers warned us against. prgtoken We have watched this illegitimate impeachment process unfold while making a mockery of our constitutional duties. House have conducted the most polarizing impeachment process in our Nation's history, and the men and women I represent are tired of this - run House putting political games above our Nation's interests. prgtoken House held secret meetings, withheld important documents, deliberately misrepresented information to the public, and did not give due process to the President. This investigation was unfair, and the American people expect more out of Congress. prgtoken The Articles of Impeachment are not based on facts but, instead, are entirely politically motivated. The truth is there was no pressure put on President Zelensky, and the transcripts confirm that there was no conditionality. prgtoken This inquiry has been rigged from the start, lacking fairness, transparency, and truth. It has been a waste of taxpayers' dollars, and it is based off the opinion of an unnamed whistleblower and hearsay. The accusations in today's proceedings do not align with the facts. prgtoken This impeachment process is out of step with existing precedent for Presidential impeachment proceedings, and it is not a process I will support. I urge my colleagues to put country first and vote in opposition to the Articles of Impeachment.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-12-18

I have 4 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Foreign Relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at 9:30 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship prgtoken The Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on the nomination of Jovita Carranza, of Illinois, to be Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, at 2 p.m to conduct a closed briefing.