mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS AFFECTED BY THE SHUTDOWN
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-1-23

I rise today to share with you a letter from Antonio, a constituent of mine affected by this shutdown. He says: I am an air traffic controller at O'Hare Airport. This is already a stressful job, but a job that I love. This shutdown is adding an extra layer of stress to all of the controllers working around the country. With the shutdown going past a month, we are all stressing about bills, how to put food on the table, how to pay for childcare, et cetera. We don't have the luxury of escaping from the stress of this job because, when we go home, the stress just continues as worrying. Finding out that our vision and dental benefits would be billed to us with the expectation that we pay those bills out of our own pockets, despite having no paycheck for over a month, has only added to that stress. This shutdown is going to be a massive safety risk for the flying public if it doesn't end soon. prgtoken I have more from Antonio, which I will include in the Record later.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-1-23

yesterday, the leader, my friend, announced that the Senate would hold two votes on Thursday afternoon. First, the Senate will vote on the President's proposal, and then the Senate will vote on an amendment that is essentially identical to the underlying bill sent to us from the House, meaning a continuing resolution that opens the government for 3 weeks plus disaster assistance. prgtoken Let me be very clear. These two votes are not equivalent votes. It is not ``on the one hand, on the other hand.'' The President's proposal demands a wall and radical legal immigration changes in exchange for opening up the government. The second vote demands nothing in exchange for opening up the government. prgtoken The first vote--unless you do it my way, I am keeping the government shut down--is the amendment. Our amendment says: Open up the government, and then let's talk. prgtoken To say, well, one is a ic amendment and one is a amendment doesn't get the magnitude of this. The difference is one is holding 800,000 workers hostage--millions of Americans hostage--unless the amendment authors get their way. The second vote doesn't demand anything. It just says to open up the government and then let's discuss it. prgtoken The first vote, on the President's plan, includes radical changes to our asylum system and the full funding the President asked for the border wall in exchange for reopening the government. The first vote is completely partisan. The first vote is the President's hostage-taking position codified into an amendment. It says: You must do it our way and pay $5.7 billion for a wall before we open the government. prgtoken The second vote is the opposite. It does not demand anything before we reopen the government. It simply reopens the government for 3 weeks and allows us to continue debating border security. There is nothing partisan about the second vote. If President weren't opposed to it, there would be nothing controversial about the second vote and just about every would vote for it, as they did the first time, a month ago. prgtoken The second vote is not a ic proposal with demands. The first vote is a proposal with demands. One simply reopens the government. The other says: No way. It embodies the President's temper tantrum: If you don't do it my way, I am shutting down the government and hurting lots of people. prgtoken The two votes are not equivalent. It is not ``on the one hand, on the other.'' They are diametrically opposed in concept. prgtoken I do give Leader McConnell credit. He put on the floor, for the first time, an ability for Senators to vote on a clean proposal to reopen the government. That is the second vote. It is completely silent on the issue of border security. A vote for the continuing resolution does not preclude a continued discussion on how we best secure our border. It isn't pro-wall or
HONORING SERGEANT WYTASHA CARTER
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2019-1-23

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life and service of Sergeant Wytasha Carter, a 16-year veteran of the Birmingham Police Department, who lost his life, tragically, in the line of duty on January 13, 2019. prgtoken Wyt, as his family and friends fondly called him, was a natural-born leader with whom others enjoyed working. Sergeant Carter was a Birmingham native who graduated from Phillips High School before attending Liberty University. prgtoken Sergeant Carter was drawn to service from a young age. After graduating from college, he served in the United prgtoken States Armed Forces, as a U.S. Air Force sergeant, before beginning his law enforcement career in 2002 as a correctional officer with the Shelby County Sheriff's Department. Sergeant Carter served with the Birmingham Police Department for nearly 8 years and was recently promoted to sergeant last year. prgtoken But above all, Sergeant Carter was a husband, he was a father, and he was a beloved member of his community. He was so beloved that more than 2,000 people gathered to celebrate his life and his service at his funeral last Saturday. prgtoken Sergeant Carter was a passionate guardian of his Birmingham community: He was a fierce protector of his coworkers; he mentored children about the dangers of drugs and gangs; and he was someone who consistently worked above and beyond the call of duty, devoting his life to improving his community. prgtoken Sergeant Carter died from a gunshot wound while doing the job he loved so passionately. He and other police officers were working to make our community safer. prgtoken Sergeant Carter led by an example of excellence and of giving back to his community. The city of Birmingham is better because of his contributions. prgtoken His death is a stark reminder of the dangers that our brave policemen and -women face while working to secure our safety. They courageously put their lives on the line day after day to protect and to serve our neighborhoods while we sleep. Every time they put on their uniform--and even when their uniform comes off--they bravely put duty before self. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me in praying that God provides comfort to Sergeant Carter's family and friends, especially his wife of 21 years, Tiphanie, his daughter, and his young son. We pray for all of those who were affected by this senseless tragedy, as well as his fellow officer, who was critically injured in the shooting and who continues to rehab toward full recovery. prgtoken We must use this tragedy as a reminder that Congress must act to prevent this sort of senseless gun violence, gun violence that Sergeant Carter spoke out against. We honor the legacy of service of Sergeant Carter by making sure we in this body act. As President said: ``Our tears are not enough. Our words and prayers are not enough.'' We must act. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of Alabama's Seventh Congressional District and a grateful nation, I ask my collea
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Nita M. Lowey (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-1-23

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Before I yield to our next speaker, I just want to make our position very clear. The solution to the shutdown is simple: Reopen the government; pay our Federal employees; and then we can negotiate, and s. Our proposal will form the basis for these eventual negotiations. Let's open the government and then get to work. prgtoken , I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), my good friend and the chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-1-23

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 5, H.R. 21, making appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-1-23

I come to the floor again to urge an end to the shutdown, which is over a month old--the longest in history. prgtoken Let's be clear. This is the shutdown. The President called for a shutdown two dozen times, and he said he would be proud to own it. prgtoken Regrettably, it is clear that he does not care about the impact his shutdown is having on families across the United States. He barely acknowledges their pain. prgtoken If you needed any reminder of the low regard the President has for the Federal workforce, remember that on December 28, in the midst of the shutdown he instigated, he signed an Executive order that will freeze pay for the civilian workforce in 2019--assuming he ever reopens the government. prgtoken With his announcement on Saturday, the President is now playing games with the lives of hundreds of thousands of refugees and Dreamers, who, because of his earlier actions, could face the real threat of deportation. prgtoken Meanwhile, his administration is playing favorites, rewarding those with deep pockets and good connections, forcing IRS employees back to work without pay to process tax returns, reopening the Department of the Interior to help pave the way for oil and gas leaks. prgtoken For those without resources, it is often a different story. Recipients of Federal housing assistance, for example, are wondering what their status might be in the next month. prgtoken FBI agents are worried about the effect the shutdown will have on active investigations. Air traffic controllers, FAA inspectors, and TSA workers are working long hours to keep flights on time and safe, but the cost to them and their Agencies will stretch years into the future. prgtoken Transit agencies, unable to draw down needed Federal capital and operating funding, are also feeling the pinch, which could affect service and safety down the line. We have seen this coming. That is why have been pleading with the majority leader for weeks to allow a vote on the funding bills that Senate s wrote last year so we can reopen the government. These measures have broad bipartisan support. In fact, the leader voted for each of them, but for weeks, the majority leader refused to allow a vote on these and other bills, saying the Senate will not waste floor time on show votes, on bills he believes the President will not sign. By his definition, he can only bring up bills that can pass the House, earn 60 votes in the Senate, and get the President's signature. prgtoken As the leader knows, when there is a veto-proof majority--as there has been in the Senate on these very bills to fund the government--the President is, quite frankly, irrelevant. prgtoken Here is what the record shows: Last year, the Senate passed the Agriculture appropriations bill 92 to 6. We passed the Interior appropriations bill 92 to 6. We passed the Financial Services-General Government appropriations bill 92 to 6. We passed
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-1-23

it is day 33 of this dangerous and unnecessary government shutdown. prgtoken Let me share with my colleagues that this morning, I stopped by an IBEW office that was set up by the Maryland Food Bank. We are very proud to have the Maryland Food Bank in Maryland. It provides the necessary food for hungry Marylanders who go through tough times and can't get enough food for their families. I don't think we ever thought it would have to set up a special location for Federal workers and for those who are impacted because of a Federal shutdown, but it is exactly what it did today. I am very proud of those at the Maryland Food Bank. I thank them for their services to the people of our State. They have now been able to provide basic food to patriotic Federal workers who are not getting their paychecks. prgtoken This will be the second pay period this week for which Federal workers' pay stubs will read ``zero'' for the work they will have done. Of the over 800,000 Federal workers, 30 percent are veterans. They are patriotic Americans who show up every day to do work--to keep us safe, to deal with our national security, to deal with our food safety. The list goes on and on and on. They are showing up today and working on the 33rd day. They are being asked to carry out their work with their having no prospects of getting paid in the near future. These are patriotic Americans. prgtoken The number is more than 800,000. We also have contract workers who get contracts from the government. Many of these contractors employ low-wage workers to do basic work for the government. These workers are not getting paid. prgtoken We have small businesses that depend upon contracts that are not being fulfilled right now because of the government shutdown. They are laying off workers. prgtoken Then we have the general impact on our economy. It is projected that we are going to lose all of our economic growth, which will slow down and create more unemployment in America. prgtoken All of that is happening because of this shutdown. It is in our national security interest to end this dangerous shutdown. The FBI is on shutdown, meaning many of its workers are not even being brought in, and those who are being brought in are having a difficult time doing their jobs. On Thursday, the FBI Agents Association released a petition that describes the shutdown as a matter of national security. It urges leaders in Washington to reopen the government. ``On Friday, January 11, 2019, FBI Agents will not be paid due to the partial government shutdown, but we will continue our work protecting our nation,'' the petition reads. ``We urge our elected representatives to fund the Department of Justice . . . and the FBI because financial security is a matter of national security.'' prgtoken My colleagues, these are people who go to work every day to keep us safe, and we are asking them to do that without their having a full complement of supporting
CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-1-23

I thank Madam Chairwoman for yielding me time. prgtoken During these heated times, we are accused of sometimes not listening to each other. Well, we listened to them. They all wanted the conference bills, and they have them. And I have heard today that what we need is a compromise on border security, which is interesting, because we are here on day 33 of the shutdown because of the President's singular focus, almost an obsession, on a symbolic but ineffective wall, not border security. prgtoken He is holding the government, its workers, and the services they provide hostage because he has convinced himself, and surely his base, that the wall will protect us from violent crime and end the flow of illegal drugs. prgtoken If the President actually believes that border security is the end goal of the wall, then fine, let's reopen the government and have that debate, because our plans for border security actually work. prgtoken Enacting the bills before us today does nothing to preclude the President from continuing to make his case on the wall. He and the s have simply concluded that by continuing to impose suffering on Federal workers and the public that relies on them, it strengthens their hand in negotiations in only one element of that, an ineffective element, the wall. That is not the way our government is designed to work, nor should it work. This is governing by extortion, and we should all stand together to reject such tactics. prgtoken know that we can do more to strengthen border security, but it has to be done in a smart and effective way. We know that more than 87 percent of the hard narcotics are coming through our official ports of entry. A wall will do nothing to stop that. prgtoken That is why the Financial Services and General Government division of this bill responsibly puts money where it is most critically needed. It includes full funding for construction of two of the highest priority ports of entry along the southwest border to help stem the flow of illegal goods, narcotics, and people being smuggled into the country. prgtoken Overall, this conference agreement provides $1.6 billion for border security, real border security, and we are prepared to do more. During my visit to the southern border in October, I was briefed on security needs, and I heard a lot about new cameras, sensors, radars mounted on towers, vehicles to spot moving people and objects, and for drones to surveil tough terrain, roads that are parallel to the border, all things that actually work. prgtoken And at the ports of entry, they need new technology to eventually scan all commercial and passenger vehicles for illegal drugs and contraband. We can provide these resources. This bill shows that we are willing and able to put a downpayment on these bipartisan solutions. So, again, if it is about border security and that is why we are here, then fine, let's pass the bill, reopen the government, and have tha
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2019-1-24

. Thank you, . s from Alaska, Maryland, and other States for their willingness to spend so much time talking, listening, and trying, together, to craft a path forward. prgtoken The role the Senate has historically played in our constitutional order is one where we are the body that others look to when there is either an inflexibility or an unreliability in negotiating a path forward. We have lots of folks across this country suffering from this government shutdown. It is having an impact that all of us could detail. prgtoken I have to ask, what is it going to take for us to reopen this government? Is it going to take a breakdown in food security or airline security? Is it going to take an increase in crime or terrorism, an accident, or thousands more Americans struggling to feed their families, losing housing or electricity? I will not go on with the list. We all know the human cost of this shutdown. prgtoken I am here to join my friends, my colleagues from both parties, in saying that we are intent on making a good-faith effort to reopen the government for 3 weeks, to promptly support good-faith negotiations, to address the President's priorities, to discuss what effective, modern investment in border security and changes in immigration policy would look like, and then reach a resolution in 3 weeks or less. We have to be able to do this. We have to show our country and the world that democracy can work. prgtoken I am optimistic that with the passion and the commitment I have heard from my bipartisan colleagues who stand on the floor with me tonight, that it is possible to get this done and that whatever gets taken up and considered in regular order by this body could then be passed by the House and signed into law by the President. prgtoken Let us take a first bold step together today and sign on to an amendment that my colleague from Maryland has, committing us to a clean, 3-week continuing resolution, reopening the government, and promptly negotiating in good faith to increase investment in border security. prgtoken .
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2019-1-24

I want to thank my colleagues from Maryland and Alaska for bringing us together today but also for the work our group has been putting in for the last several weeks to find a solution to end this harmful and hurtful shutdown. prgtoken The voters of Arizona want a government that is lean, that allows them to pursue their individual interests, and that, above all, does not detract from their everyday life. prgtoken Unfortunately, when the Federal Government is shut down, as it is today, it detracts and takes away from the quality of life for folks in Arizona. prgtoken Recently, the President asked the Congress to consider appropriations for border security. I stand in support of working together across the aisle with my colleagues in the Senate to answer that request. Arizona needs enhanced funding for border security, and I feel confident that if given 3 weeks, the s and together in this body could find a reasonable compromise that both continues to keep our government operating in a lean and efficient way, while also providing for efficient and effective border security. prgtoken In Arizona, we bear the brunt of a government that has failed its duty to secure our border and protect our communities; in Arizona, we bear the brunt of our country's failure to solve the immigration crisis we live in today; in Arizona, we have been waiting for over three decades for the Congress to solve this problem so that we in Arizona can live our lives free from unnecessary government interference and with the full freedom our country has promised us. prgtoken I believe that if we work together over the next 3 weeks, we can find a compromise, we can find a solution to this challenge, and we can work with our colleagues in the House and send a piece of legislation to the President that will meet the security needs of our country and ensure that we keep government operating efficiently and effectively for the people of my State and for this country. I look forward to working over the next several weeks to solve this challenge. prgtoken I request of the President, allow us those 3 weeks to find this bipartisan solution together. prgtoken .
OPEN THE GOVERNMENT NOW
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-1-24

. Madam , I rise today on behalf of Federal employees in my district and around the Nation. prgtoken For over a month now, 800,000 coastguardsmen, TSA agents, and air traffic controllers have been held hostage by President 's shutdown, a shutdown with far-reaching consequences. prgtoken Due to staffing shortages at Dallas' two major airports, shortages that have resulted from the TSA agents being forced to live the last 34 days without pay, aviation experts have warned that flying today is less safe than over a month ago. prgtoken Madam , since President irresponsibly shut government down, I have heard from countless TSA agents and the national air traffic controllers in my district. They have all indicated that, while they are committed to their duties, they are also suffering financially and need the government reopened now. prgtoken I stand with them. Every member of our Caucus is standing together, calling on the White House to open the government now.