mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-6-26

I rise to discuss, once again, an issue of utmost importance to the people of Louisiana and to the millions of Americans who live in coastal States or in a floodplain. I am talking, of course, about the National Flood Insurance Program, or as we refer to it, the NFIP. prgtoken As one knows, in the absence of reauthorizing legislation, this program will expire at the height of hurricane season, and its expiration will leave more than 5 million American families and businesses without insurance and, therefore, in limbo. For the good of our national economy, we simply cannot allow that to happen. That is why I am requesting a vote to extend the program through hurricane season as either an amendment to our farm bill or after recess as a stand-alone bill. My amendment to the farm bill is clean. It would be a 6-month emergency extension that would just maintain the status quo and give flood insurance policyholders peace of mind while allowing us to put together a viable, bipartisan, long-term reform bill. prgtoken As one well knows, flooding is the No. 1 natural hazard in this country. It poses an extraordinary risk to both life and property. Of course, families who live near oceans, lakes, rivers, and bayous rely on the NFIP to protect their homes and businesses. Yet winter storms and snowmelt also flood thousands of properties every year, and you don't have to live in a coastal State to have a bad rainstorm. In fact, you are twice as likely to have your home flood as you are to have it catch on fire, regardless of where you live. I can assure you that regardless of where you live, if you have 20 or 21 inches of rain over a 2-day period, you are going to flood. I do not care if you live on Pikes Peak. prgtoken If you do happen to have your home or business flood, your normal homeowner's policy is not going to help you. You are not covered. That is why Congress created the NFIP, and that is why we need to continue it. Yet we find this program in jeopardy once again. I mean no disrespect, but Congress has repeatedly and consistently mangled the reauthorization of the NFIP. prgtoken Despite its being the primary source of flood insurance coverage for millions of American homeowners, Congress allowed the National Flood Insurance Program to expire four times in 2010, for a total of 53 days. Those disruptions had lasting effects on ordinary Americans. In June of 2010, for each day the NFIP had been expired, over 1,400 home sales had been canceled or delayed. prgtoken This had injected uncertainty into a fragile housing market. It had disrupted mortgage lending and had sent our local economies into a tailspin. If the NFIP were to lapse this July--and unless we do something, it will lapse on July 31--the National Association of Realtors estimates that more than 40,000 home sale closings will be affected each month. prgtoken As it now stands, we have 21 Senate session days until the NFIP expires at 12 midn
ENDANGERED SALMON AND FISHERIES PREDATION PREVENTION ACT
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2018-6-26

. Mr. Chair, I am proud to be able to rise and speak on this bill. I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, and I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation. prgtoken This bill was introduced on a bipartisan basis by members of the Pacific Northwest delegation to address the matter of predatory sea lions that are consuming alarming numbers of endangered salmon, steelhead, and other fish species in the Columbia River and its tributaries. prgtoken Over the past few decades, sea lion populations have increased tenfold, causing sea lions to expand their search for food. There is just too many of them for their traditional food sources. prgtoken Well, , they have found that source. Sea lions swimming up to the Bonneville Dam are gorging themselves on endangered salmon not only for food, but, , there are so many of them, they are also doing it for sport. I have seen this myself while visiting a dam, where I saw what scientists and river managers regularly see: fish passing by--through those windows that you can watch the migrating salmon--with massive bite marks through their bodies. Most of the time, that leads to fatality for these fish. prgtoken A recent NOAA study found that sea lions consumed up to 45 percent of several stocks of returning adult salmon last year. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife found that winter steelhead will go extinct if sea lion populations are not managed, placing the likelihood of extinction at 90 percent. prgtoken This bill would stop this severe problem by amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow NOAA to issue permits allowing State agencies and regional Tribes to use lethal take of sea lions in certain portions of the Columbia River and its tributaries. This legislation will help protect fish from sea lion predation and is desperately needed in order to save an endangered fish species. prgtoken Unfortunately, Ranking Member Grijalva and the minority of the House Natural Resources Committee have once again reverted to fear-mongering, just as they have done on other issues facing the Pacific Northwest. I have heard this legislation called the ``Slaughter Seals and Sea Lions Act,'' and it claimed the legislation will authorize a ``massive increase in annual permits to kill sea lions and seals.'' Nothing could be further from the truth. prgtoken This legislation demonstrates a targeted approach and a bipartisan, concerted effort over many years to come prgtoken to a consensus on this serious issue. In fact, the bill places strict limits on sea lion removal that are one-tenth the amount NOAA states would have no impact on sea lion population. prgtoken I am disappointed in these outlandish and false claims that the minority has propagated. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation state: ``We are saddened to see such an inaccurate, emotion
FOREIGN INVESTMENT RISK REVIEW MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2018
Edward R. Royce (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-6-26

the balance of my time. prgtoken , in closing, I would like to thank several of my colleagues, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, as well as, of course, Chairman Hensarling, Ranking Member Waters, and Mr. Pittenger. prgtoken I want to thank them for incorporating as title VIII the text that I authored as H.R. 5040, this is the Export Control Reform Act of 2018. This is the measure we put out of the Foreign Affairs Committee. prgtoken This title modernizes and reforms outdated export controls designed to impose trade controls on the old Soviet bloc. It was long past due that we update these controls to reflect the realities of modern international commerce and the national security threats of the century we are in right now. prgtoken I would urge my colleagues to join us in modernizing both the CFIUS and export controls process which we do now in this combined bill. A ``yes'' vote will ensure continued U.S. leadership in high technology industries essential to the health of our economy and essential to our national security. prgtoken , .
ENDANGERED SALMON AND FISHERIES PREDATION PREVENTION ACT
Doug Lamborn (Republican, CO) \u2014 2018-6-26

. Mr. Chair, I include the Record letters of support for this legislation from Trout Unlimited, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, and an additional list of supporters. Trout Unlimited, June 26, 2018. Re Trout Unlimited Support for H.R. 2083, Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative: We, the undersigned represent the nearly 10,000 members of Trout Unlimited in the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Trout Unlimited is the country's largest and oldest, coldwater conservation organization with over 300,000 members and supporters nationwide. TU has been deeply engaged in wild salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in the Columbia Basin for several decades, and it is our goal to restore healthy, fishable, naturally reproducing salmon and steelhead populations. Many issues impact salmon and steelhead recovery efforts in the Columbia Basin. Habitat degradation, hydropower operations, harvest and hatchery management issues are all significant factors. This legislation will help to provide resource managers with the necessary tools to help reduce predation by pinnipeds, a problem which has become increasingly significant over the last decade, and is particularly impactful at key locations, such as Willamette Falls. Pinniped predation rates in the basin are significant. NMFS marine mammal biologists believe that sea lion predation accounts for 20% of Spring Chinook Salmon losses in the Columbia. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has completed a risk analysis that place the likelihood of extinction for wild winter steelhead in the Willamette river at 90% due in part to pinniped predation at the falls in Oregon City. H.R. 2083 would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow NOAA to issue permits allowing state agency representatives in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, as well as several area tribes to use lethal take of sea lions in a portion of the Columbia river or certain tributaries in order to protect fish from sea lion predation. While we support a targeted approach to culling individual sea lions in specific areas to help reduce the impact to wild salmon and steelhead populations, we recognize that this action is necessary, but not at all sufficient, to help recover salmon and steelhead populations. To rebuild wild salmon and steelhead we need to take a comprehensive, science-based approach that addresses other major factors in their decline. Restoring their habitat, improving hatchery operations and fine-tuning angling regulations must be part of the
ENDANGERED SALMON AND FISHERIES PREDATION PREVENTION ACT
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2018-6-26

thanks to Kurt Schrader, who has been a partner with me on this legislation for a while--actually, since before I was here, he has been working on this bill--and today is a good day. ``I would like to think that there might still be salmon and steelhead to fish for when my great-grandkids try fishing.'' That is from Bob, who lives in Brush Prairie in my district. I have heard Bob's sentiments echoed literally from thousands of folks across southwest Washington. prgtoken Unfortunately, our salmon runs are now fighting for survival. It is practically a miracle when a fish can make it upstream without getting caught between a sea lion's teeth. They certainly don't get caught unscathed. prgtoken , what we currently have on the Columbia River is an ecosystem seriously out of balance. I recently met with local fishing guides who, with despair in their voices, told me between 70 and 100 percent of the fish they land show visible signs of a struggle with a sea lion, barely escaping becoming a meal for the already engorged sea lions. We are seeing fewer and fewer salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon make it past this gauntlet of sea lions as the fish make their way upstream. prgtoken Donald from Vancouver told me the other day he reeled in a salmon-- half of a salmon. A sea lion was fighting him for the other half. prgtoken Look, we are not anti-sea lion. Oh, my goodness, no. We are just for protecting our native fish, a Pacific Northwest icon, and in order to do that, we have got to make it easier to remove some of the most egregious offenders, problematic pinnipeds. prgtoken Sea lions aren't endangered anymore. In fact, they are doing really, really well. They weigh a ton. Literally, a Steller sea lion can weigh up to 1 ton. Between the California and the Steller sea lions, their populations have increased by hundreds of thousands, and now they are overindulging on an all-you-can-eat buffet of salmon at numbers that are totally unnatural on the Columbia River system. The sea lions are winning this battle. prgtoken Forty-five percent of spring Chinook adult salmon disappear between the mouth of the Columbia River and the Bonneville Dam. Oregon's fish and wildlife agency has concluded after much study that the Willamette River steelhead runs are facing a 90 percent chance of extinction due to predation. prgtoken That is why we are here today, , in a bipartisan effort to save our wild fish from being decimated by animals that have migrated out of their natural habitat and whose population is ever increasing. prgtoken My bill, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, provides Tribal and government resource managers with the means to rapidly respond and remove California and Steller sea lions from specific areas where they are posing the most harm to our salmon restoration efforts. prgtoken The Columbia River makes up the entire southern border of my district. The rive
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Martha McSally (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-6-26

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the underlying legislation, H.R. 6157, the Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019, and I appreciate the chairwoman's hard work on this issue and her support for our troops. prgtoken My amendment is about the A-10 Warthog. prgtoken Three years ago, when I first came to Congress, I began to fight against the administration and their plan to mothball the entire A-10 Warthog fleet. This is an airplane I flew and commanded in combat. I know a little bit about it. prgtoken We won that fight. prgtoken Since then, the A-10 has been pivotal in schwacking ISIS and bolstering European defenses, being ready south of the DMZ, and it has now been sent back to Afghanistan. prgtoken Just recently, I visited the 25th Fighter Squadron in Korea, which continues to serve on the front lines just south of the DMZ. prgtoken From close air support to combat search and rescue, the Warthog continues to do the heavy lifting in saving lives wherever it is called. prgtoken Now our fight is to ensure that we minimize any operational impact on the A-10 fleet as it carries out these vital missions. prgtoken Of the 281 A-10s in the fleet, 109 of them still need new wing sets in order to remain in the air and to fight. I fought for and got funding in the fiscal year 2018 bill to start this re-winging again, and we are glad to see the Air Force has chosen to include additional funding in this year's base request to continue the re-winging. prgtoken In fact, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told the House Armed Services Committee publicly for the first time in March, the Air Force ``expects the A-10 to continue flying until at least 2030.'' prgtoken Now that we are all on the same page, we can't afford to lose the A- 10's critical capabilities. We must move as quickly as possible to re- wing the rest of the fleet in order to mitigate impacts to current operations. prgtoken That is why the House and Senate NDAA bills both authorized an additional $65 million above the requested amount currently included in this appropriations bill, for a total of $144 million for the A-10 re- winging in fiscal year 2019. prgtoken If we only appropriate the base request currently included in the bill, we will only secure enough funding to re-wing somewhere between 12 and 16 aircraft. prgtoken At that rate, it will just take too long to re-wing the remaining 109 A-10s. It is just not fast enough. prgtoken These missions are happening now. We are literally flying the wings off of these airplanes today, and our enemies won't wait. prgtoken We must accelerate the A-10 re-wing to ensure that we maintain these critical missions and capabilities for our troops. My amendment simply funds the A-10 wing replacement program to the fully authorized House and Senate NDAA level by adding an additional $65 million above the request. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment, and I reserve t
ENDANGERED SALMON AND FISHERIES PREDATION PREVENTION ACT
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-6-26

. Mr. Chair, today, I voted in support of H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act. This was a difficult decision. prgtoken I voted for this bill because I strongly support the recovery of wild native fish populations in the Columbia River and its tributaries. There is an immediate, serious risk to native steelhead, among other fish, that this bill seeks to reduce. prgtoken I, however, do not view this bill as a wise long-term strategy for salmon and steelhead recovery in the Columbia River Basin. While the detrimental impacts of sea lions need to be addressed, human-caused factors are the primary driver in the declining salmon and steelhead populations. Instead of focusing on sea lions--another protected species with an important role in our ecosystem--let's actually confront the damage that we ourselves have caused. Pitting one treasured species against another does nothing to address the damage and obstacles that humans have forced upon this vital Pacific Northwest ecosystem. prgtoken This will not be easy. The impediments are many--the impacts from dams, habitat degradation, unprecedented climate disruption, and more. Regional partners have been working for years to address these issues, and thankfully our native fish are strikingly resilient. But we must do much, much more. Let's have a real conversation about the actual causes of salmon and steelhead decline and what we can do to meaningfully contribute to their recovery. prgtoken While this bill may reduce some short-term stressors, it is not a solution. Salmon and steelhead--iconic species in the Pacific Northwest--will only recover if we come together to face the facts and tackle the real issues that are our legacy--and our responsibility.
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-26

I rise to speak about the farm bill-- something that we have in common, something that both of our States know is very important for this country's economy. This legislation is one of the most important chances we have in this Chamber to address one of the prgtoken most pressing issues in rural parts of our country right now. prgtoken I want to speak about two of my most urgent priorities for this year's farm bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting them. prgtoken The first is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which most of us call SNAP. There are more than 40 million Americans who rely on SNAP every day. More than 40 million people would go hungry if they didn't have access to SNAP. Many of these Americans are disabled. Many of them are elderly and retired. Nearly half of them are children. Millions of them--and I truly mean millions--are working. prgtoken Congress should not take SNAP away from hard-working Americans just because they don't fill out monthly paperwork. Last week, the House passed its own version of the farm bill that would do just that. That is shameful. prgtoken Here is the truth about SNAP. The vast majority of able-bodied adults on SNAP are already working. They are already working. They have jobs. Many of them work several jobs. They are doing everything they can to get ahead, just to have a small slice of the American dream. They still need SNAP. They need SNAP because their wages are too low. prgtoken To be clear, they already have to follow the work requirements. There have been work requirements in place since 1971. But the farm bill would just add more redtape, more paperwork for struggling families just so they could eat dinner. prgtoken This is the difference between the House farm bill and the Senate farm bill: The Senate farm bill got it right; the House farm bill has created this terrible requirement of paperwork just to get SNAP. One of our House colleagues said that it is to promote ``self-sufficiency,'' as if low-income workers on SNAP aren't already working every waking hour just to scrape by. The House plan is a blatant example of how out of touch Congress is about poverty in this country. It is shameful that some Members of the House from my own State would even support this cruel plan when so many New Yorkers rely on SNAP every single day. I am happy that the Senate farm bill has more heart than that. prgtoken The bill that came out of committee shows respect for all hard- working families who need SNAP, and now we need to take it a step further to do even more to help hungry children. I am submitting an amendment to the Senate farm bill called the SNAP for Kids Act. It would increase the amount of SNAP funding that families with kids in school are allowed to receive. If we pass this amendment, we will help families stretch their food budgets just a few more days at the end of every month when they need it the most, before the next pa
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-6-26

last Friday, I visited Heartland Alliance, a nonprofit organization in the city of Chicago, which, for more than two decades, has provided care for immigrant children who are classified as unaccompanied children. prgtoken The day I visited last Friday was my second visit to one of their nine facilities in the city of Chicago. Very few, if any, people in that city--a great city, and I am proud to represent it--even know that Heartland Alliance exists. The children are kept in residential neighborhoods, in places that look like ordinary homes. The only giveaway is the security fence around the building is a little higher than most of the prgtoken fences in the neighborhood. That is the only difference. In the busy neighborhood, there is a house with dozens of children inside. prgtoken On the day I was there, Heartland Alliance of Chicago had 66 children under their care who had been separated from their parents by our Federal Government over the last several weeks. They were separated under President 's zero tolerance policy. Two-thirds of these 66 zero tolerance children were under the age of 13. Twenty-two of the children--zero tolerance children, separated from their parents--were under the age of 5. prgtoken I went into the facility's nursery, where the infants and toddlers were being held, and I couldn't imagine for a moment what it must have been like when someone reached over and took that infant out of the arms of that mother and decided to transport that baby thousands of miles away. That is what has happened. prgtoken I met two little girls. I will not use their names, but their ages are 5 and 6. When these tiny, little girls walked into the room together, holding hands, I thought immediately they were twins. They had a Bamm-Bamm hairstyle--maybe somebody will remember what I am referring to from the old television show--and they were as cute as can be. They were holding hands as they walked into the room. I thought, at first, they were twins, and then I realized one was a little bit older than the other. So I started asking them questions: their names and their ages and where they were from. They were answering for one another. prgtoken At the end of it, we asked: Are you sisters? prgtoken They said: No, ``amigas''--friends. prgtoken They, like so many other kids in this situation, were clinging to anything that created a connection in their desperate little lives. prgtoken I brought with me some handmade cards that kids from my staff and friends had made to give to them. They were just pieces of construction paper with stickers inside, the kind kids love to make and love to receive. I went around, and I asked each of them if they would like to take one. They took them like they were Christmas toys, and they hung on to them--another connection in a life that, sadly, has become disconnected from the reality of their family. prgtoken I asked the staff at Heartland Alliance about these zero