mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CALLING FOR CAUTION ON IMPEACHMENT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-11-14

I rise today to highlight the unfortunate position this institution has been placed in over the past several weeks. Long before Pelosi launched this impeachment inquiry, many of my colleagues had already made it clear that their number one priority was impeaching the President. prgtoken Congress should rightfully use its oversight powers to ensure laws are executed faithfully, but this exercise has shown itself to be the ultimate manipulation of the legislative branch's oversight to achieve political gains. prgtoken I caution my colleagues from placing political expediency ahead of moderation. A vote for impeachment will forever change this institution. Imagine a future where this body utilizes the most severe of its constitutional tools to continually put the minority party on trial. prgtoken , the American people have elected their representatives to be their voice and vote on matters most important to this country. We must collectively focus on these issues, not the political impulses of a few. prgtoken For the sake of this institution, and for the good of the Nation, this cannot become the new normal.
NEW HOME, NEW BYLAWS, SAME MISSION: WPAOG HISTORY PART IV (1996-2019) SECTION A
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-11-14

. Madam , I rise today to include in the Record Section A of the fourth and final installment of an article by Keith J. Hamel honoring the 150th Anniversary of the West Point Association of Graduates: ``When the Association of Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy moved into the Herbert Alumni Center in the winter of 1995, it was primed to capitalize on its past and, in the process, make new history as well. The AOG began on May 22, 1869, when a group of graduates, upon a suggestion from Robert Anderson, Class of 1825, held its first organizational meeting in the office of Dr. Horace Webster, Class of 1818. Out of this meeting came the Association's mission: ``. . . to cherish the memories of our Alma Mater, and to promote the social intercourse and fraternal fellowship of its graduates.'' Ever since then, the AOG mission has been about serving both West Point (``Alma Mater'') and the Long Gray Line (``its graduates''). In the first stage of its history (1869-1900), covered in our Winter 2019 issue, AOG was instrumental in moving the remains of the ``Father of the Academy,'' Sylvanus Thayer, Class of 1808, to the West Point Cemetery and memorializing him with a statue. Also during this era, one of AOG's founding members, George Cullum, Class of 1833, bequeathed $250,000 to build a memorial hall at West Point and $10,000 for ``necessary expenses'' of the Association. In AOG's second stage (1901-45), outlined in our Spring 2019 issue, AOG raised money to purchase the Sanctuary Window in the newly built Cadet Chapel and introduced initiatives such as ``Alumni Day'' (first held on June 11, 1923) and ASSEMBLY magazine (which debuted in April 1942). The modern AOG (see the Summer 2019 issue) began to take shape in the late 1940s with the establishment of the West Point Alumni Foundation and the granting of tax-exempt status by the IRS. Thanks to these developments in AOG's third era (1946-95), fundraising for both the West Point Superintendent's Fund and AOG's annual appeal steadily grew, and in 1972, Major General William Knowlton '43JAN, the 49th Superintendent, removed the AOG active duty officer from the Office of Assistant to the Superintendent, freeing the Association to solicit money for the Academy and to establish new services for graduates. To meet these dual objectives, AOG created both a Directorate of Development (fundraising) and a Directorate of Alumni Affairs (fraternal fellowship) in the 1970s and 1980s, setting up the themes that dominate the present era of its 150-year history. 1997-2002: The Bicentennial Campaign In 1996, after AOG had moved into Herbert Alumni Center, Edward ``Shy'' Meyer '51, Chairman of the Association, noted that it was time f
NOMINATIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-11-14

while our Senate ic colleagues continue blocking this body from considering funding for our Armed Forces, the Senate has taken advantage of the time to confirm more of President 's well-qualified nominees for Federal service, as well as the judiciary. prgtoken Yesterday, we confirmed Chad Wolf to serve at the Department of Homeland Security. Following President 's decision to designate him Acting Secretary, he is now heading up the Department. prgtoken I want to take a moment to thank the outgoing Acting DHS Secretary, Kevin McAleenan. His tenure leading the Department of Homeland Security capped off a distinguished career in public service, including nearly two decades rising through the ranks of the Customs and Border Patrol. prgtoken His leadership at DHS saw significant progress in mitigating major aspects of our border security and humanitarian crisis, a strong focus on cyber security, and hard work to strengthen the Department all across the board. So I thank the outgoing Acting Secretary for his years in public service and, particularly, for his leadership in this recent chapter. prgtoken Now, today, we will vote on the confirmation of Steven Menashi to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Menashi won majority support on the Judiciary Committee on the basis of strong academic and legal qualifications--degrees from Dartmouth and Stanford, clerkships on the appellate level and the Supreme Court, and experience in both teaching and practicing law. prgtoken I would urge all of our colleagues to vote to confirm this impressive nominee this afternoon.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF HR. 4863, UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Rob Woodall (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-11-14

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I do enjoy working with my friend from California. When I am critical of our work product, I am critical of all 13 of us on the Rules Committee. We are tasked with getting the job done, and when we don't get it done, it falls on all of us. prgtoken I was critical earlier today of stuffing so many things into this rule because I like to do things one at a time. But if we are going to stuff all the things into this rule, , I would like to tell my colleagues that if we defeat the previous question, I will add one more into this rule. It will be a collaborative effort, not a effort, a collaborative effort. If we defeat the previous question, , I will add an amendment that will bring to the floor H.R. 2207. That is the Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2019, which most of my colleagues know is the bill to prevent the medical device tax, eliminate that tax. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment and any extraneous materials in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF HR. 4863, UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Frank D. Lucas (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-11-14

. Either amendment, I believe, would have passed the floor. One amendment would have assured us a signature immediately. The second amendment would have assured us, I believe, passage in the Senate. But the forces fought themselves to exhaustion. prgtoken I came, as I had before, to appeal to this body as a whole. I was denied that opportunity. So, yes, I am voting against the rule. I will vote against the bill because, you see, somebody that matters greatly on the other side of this campus said this bill will never be heard over there, will never be heard. prgtoken I am here to make things happen, working with you. I am here working on behalf of our constituents, working with you. That is what I tried. prgtoken Reject the rule. Force this back to the Rules Committee. Give me a second chance. Give me a second chance. But you have to vote ``no'' on the rule. prgtoken , I thank the gentleman from Georgia for the opportunity to express my concerns.
RECOGNIZING CRITICAL POWER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
James E. Risch (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-11-14

as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. However, in honor of Veterans Day on November 11, this month I will honor a veteran-owned small business for each of the 10 days the Senate is in legislative session. The personal sacrifices made by America's veterans have protected the very freedoms and values that give each of us and our children the ability to achieve the American dream. The skills veterans learn as members of the military are invaluable and undoubtedly contribute to Idaho's flourishing veteran business community. I am proud of the sacrifices veterans have made to protect our country and that they are choosing Idaho to call home when they complete their service in the military. prgtoken As your United States Senator from the great State of Idaho, it is my pleasure to recognize Critical Power Products and Services in Post Falls as the Veteran-owned Idaho Small Business of the Day for November 14, 2019. Critical Power is owned and operated by U.S. Army veteran Will Alt. The company is a proven leader in backup power and cooling system recycling and redistribution. The company serves customers who want to dispose of and purchase backup diesel and natural gas generators, air-handling equipment, uninterrupted power supply systems, power distribution units, chillers, cooling towers, and raised access floors. The company provides its services to small regional firms as well as international Fortune 500 companies across all sectors. prgtoken Alt opened Critical Power Products and Services in Post Falls in 2018. Alt served in the U.S. Army for 5 years, which included multiple overseas tours attached to a multinational special operation team. Critical Power attributes much of its success to Alt's time serving our Nation, stating ``it ingrained professionalism, discipline, and dedication into his work ethic that is second to none.'' The company employs several veterans and even has a Fallen Soldiers Memorial in front of their 18,000 square foot Post Falls facility. prgtoken Congratulations to Will Alt and all of the employees at Critical Power Products and Services for being selected as the Veteran-owned Idaho Small Business of the Day for November 14, 2019. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.
UNITED STATES EXPORT FINANCE AGENCY ACT OF 2019
Patrick T. McHenry (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-11-14

. Mr. Chair, the balance of my time. prgtoken Again, let me state this: If you are a sanctioned individual or entity, under American law, American businesses cannot do business with them. prgtoken We have an amendment here that says they also can't get subsidized financing from Ex-Im to do that business that they are prevented from doing. prgtoken Okay, fine. I get this. It has language about human rights, but we already have that limitation in law, in fact. If we wanted to do something real and substantive when it comes to sanctioned individuals, we would have gone a step further, including the China provisions in the bipartisan Waters-McHenry bill. prgtoken All this does is restate existing law. It is not a good amendment. It is not a bad amendment. It is a political cover amendment. It is a sad thing that, instead of doing things of substance and having real impact, we are doing this. prgtoken So, fine. Vote for it. Add it to the bill. It doesn't matter. The bill is not going to become law. prgtoken We are restating existing policy here, existing law. American businesses cannot do business with sanctioned entities. If they do, they become potentially sanctioned under American law. We have a provision of law already for this. Now you are saying Ex-Im can't finance something that can't happen. Okay, fine. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
WELCOMING MR. DIPESH PANDYA
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-11-14

I rise today to recognize our guest chaplain for today, Dipesh Pandya, along with members of the BAPS mandirs in our district in Pennsylvania. prgtoken They are here with hundreds of prominent Indian Americans who are also members of the BAPS organization, a Hindu faith that holds services in 32 States across 91 congressional districts. prgtoken They are here with us today to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, a festival celebrated by over 2 million Indian Americans across the United States. This 5-day celebration signifies the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. prgtoken Diwali reminds us that there is joy in serving God, serving our country, serving our community, and our fellow citizens, particularly during times of calamity and despair. Traditionally, rows of divas, or candles, were used to illuminate and dispel darkness. prgtoken Today we are reminded that we must work together, united and in friendship, to serve this great Nation and the communities in which we live. prgtoken Indeed, the BAPS community throughout the United States continuously strives to serve society through various charitable and humanitarian activities, ranging from food drives to disaster relief efforts, including the planting of trees. prgtoken On behalf of my fellow Members of Congress, I am proud to recognize and welcome the BAPS members who have traveled here to Washington from across the country.
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-11-14

a 5-year decline in farm income, retaliatory tariffs on U.S. ag commodities, disrupted renewable biofuel policies, devastating natural disasters, and now shortages of LP gas needed to dry harvested grain add to the growing burdens weighing heavily on the minds of Iowans and American farmers. prgtoken Mounting pressure to pay the bills, to get the crops out, and to make ends meet can be overwhelming. We have lately expressed lots of worries and pressures that come from the increase in farm bankruptcies and the increase in rural and farm suicides. prgtoken There are many uncertainties in farming that are beyond human control, but there are other areas where Congress can help. As a farmer and as a Senator representing the No. 1 agricultural State, I am fighting to build mental health resources--as an example, there is the Grassley-Tester bill to help preempt suicides--to uphold the RFS by fighting with the EPA, and to pass the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. prgtoken These are issues that are tops on the minds of Iowans and not just the farmers. prgtoken .
DIRECTING THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE TO MAKE A CORRECTION IN THE ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 2423
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-11-14

Monday was Veterans Day, and it gave us all the opportunity to come together as s and and Independents alike to express our immense gratitude to our veterans for putting on the uniform of the United States on behalf of our great country and on behalf of all of us. prgtoken I just listened to my colleague from Colorado talk about our cherished veterans and their service. He is a champion for our veterans. He is absolutely right--our veterans need to be at the front of the line for healthcare and getting access to the best care possible. That hasn't always been the case. We have made some improvements in the last few years, and those are now being implemented. They are not perfect, but thankfully it is much better. I heard that over Veterans Day. prgtoken He also talked about our families. The families of veterans also make sacrifices, and sometimes we forget that. In the last several years, as the up-tempo has been a little higher and families have had to sacrifice even more, we are particularly grateful for those families. prgtoken The Presiding Officer today is one of our veterans in the Chamber. As a marine, he has served our country with distinction, and we appreciate him and all the other veterans here in the Senate. prgtoken In my home State of Ohio, we have 850,000 veterans, roughly. It makes us a State that is particularly proud. We are a State that has produced some of the great American fighting men and women heroes, from Ulysses S. Grant to Neil Armstrong. prgtoken When I go to veterans' events, I am just inspired and overwhelmed by the families and the veterans I get to meet. prgtoken On Veterans Day, I was in Blue Ash, OH, at a memorial that has been set aside for our veterans. It was a wonderful day in Blue Ash, but every day of the year this memorial park is there, and it is beautiful. It commemorates veterans from every single war. There are 11 soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who are representing each of the conflicts America has been engaged in, all the way from the American Revolution to the heroes of the Global War on Terror. Behind a description of each of those conflicts is a separate statue of a fighting man or woman. Most importantly to me, on Monday, on the other side of those statues, were the veterans. They were there from every conflict--from World War II and right up to those soldiers who have recently come back from Afghanistan. prgtoken Today, as we are here on the floor talking about our great veterans, there are soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen on Active Duty in places all around the world, including in Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. prgtoken After this event in Blue Ash, OH, I then went to Columbus, OH, and had the opportunity to go to the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. This is a new, spectacular museum outside of Columbus, OH. It is something we are very proud of in Ohio. I took the lead in the Senate to try to be sure that we
Farmers and Veterans (Executive Session)
Cindy Hyde-Smith (Republican, MS) \u2014 2019-11-14

reserving the right to object, legislation that would affect the rights of American citizens under the Second Amendment should not be fast-tracked by the Senate. Efforts to criminalize otherwise lawful conduct with firearms by law-abiding gun owners should not be exempt from consideration by the appropriate committee of jurisdiction. It should not be exempt from debate on the Senate floor. prgtoken If this so-called commonsense, bipartisan legislation was indeed crafted with strong bipartisan input, it shouldn't have any problems advancing by regular order. prgtoken Many questions about this legislation need to be answered before it is forced upon law-abiding gun owners. If I wanted to give my best friend's son or grandson my hunting rifle, would we first have to appear before a licensed gun dealer and go through a lengthy and potentially expensive background check? This is my understanding. We have many questions like this. prgtoken My constituents would like to have an opportunity to weigh in on measures like these, which is why we can't fast-track legislation that affects America's Second Amendment rights. prgtoken I object to this unanimous consent. prgtoken .
National Adoption Month (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-11-14

November is National Adoption Month. Later this morning, I will be spending time with a family I nominated to receive an Angels in Adoption Award this year. The Angels in Adoption Program is designed to bring recognition to individuals and organizations who are, in the words of the program, ``making extraordinary contributions to adoption, permanency, and child welfare.'' prgtoken Angels in Adoption is a program in the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, and each year Members of Congress are invited to nominate an individual or family to receive an Angels in Adoption Award. I have been making these nominations for more than a decade now. It has been a privilege and an inspiration to meet South Dakota families who have opened their hearts and homes to children in need. prgtoken This year, I nominated Mike and Kim Adams, fellow residents of Sioux Falls, SD. Mike and Kim have a tremendous heart for children. They have five biological children, but as they learned more about the plight of children in poverty, they were drawn to adoption. prgtoken God put the country of Ethiopia on their hearts in a particular way. In 2008, they adopted a daughter from Ethiopia--Eva. Within a few years, they had adopted three more children--Selena and Amanuel from Ethiopia and Shakira from Uganda--making them a family of 11. The story doesn't end there. Seeing the poorest of the poor in Ethiopia deeply moved them, and in addition to adoption, they sought ways to help communities stuck in poverty. prgtoken The needs of children were particularly close to their hearts. In 2013, Mike and Kim agreed to take over two schools in Ethiopia when the agency running them was forced to pull out of the country. The Adams family formed the Adams Thermal Foundation to support the schools. Today the foundation supports more than 1,000 students in two schools in Ethiopia. The schools' mission is to serve children most in need-- those who might otherwise miss out on the opportunity for an education. In addition to academic instructions, schools provide other resources in an effort to alleviate some of the effects of poverty and to make it easier for the children to stay in school. prgtoken To name one example, at the end of last year, the foundation completed a project to provide a permanent source of clean water to its school in Ottoro, Ethiopia, as well as to seven local villages. In addition to providing essential health and sanitation benefits, the new pipeline also frees children from the hours-long task of fetching water for their families, meaning more children can attend school. prgtoken In learning Mike and Kim's story, I was struck by how love multiplies and expands. Mike and Kim's willingness to open their hearts has led not only to four children finding a forever home but to hope and opportunity for hundreds more. I feel privileged to have learned their story and to be able to nominate them for an Angels in Ado
CELEBRATING NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK
James Comer (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-11-14

I rise today to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week. prgtoken I am proud the administration has, once again, placed an emphasis on these crucial skills development and employee advancement programs. prgtoken The Department of Labor has continually recognized the importance of apprenticeships to the future of work in our Nation and, for the fifth year in a row, dedicated a week to highlighting the need for expanded access to these educational and career opportunities. prgtoken It is essential we increase awareness of the benefits of these crucial programs which link our education system with our workforce development initiatives. prgtoken As I travel throughout Kentucky's First Congressional District, I hear from employers of all sizes and industries that say they are unsatisfied with recent graduates' credentials and they are lacking workers with the skills necessary to perform the duties of their job. prgtoken As a new member to the Committee on Education and Labor this Congress, I am proud of the bipartisan pieces of legislation we have advanced and look forward to future opportunities to support employers, provide skills development for those already employed, and enhance the jobs and generations of the future.