mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to Amendment No. 47, which directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reclassify public safety telecommunications officers, also called 911 dispatchers, as a protective service occupation in the U.S. Government's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. This Amendment would have no direct effect on these workers' wages, benefits, or other resources; proponents of this reclassification have stated that ``the benefit of reclassification is recognition and respect.'' prgtoken The SOC classification system is a federal statistical standard used across agencies in data collection. According to OMB, ``[t]he SOC is designed exclusively for statistical purposes.'' Changes to the codes affect multiple data sources frequently used by policymakers, researchers, and employers, including the American Community Survey, the nation's largest household survey; the Current Population Survey (CPS), the key source of our monthly employment numbers; and the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), the authoritative source of employment and wage information by occupation. prgtoken A standing committee at OMB, the SOC Policy Committee (SOCPC), is responsible maintaining the accuracy of these codes using well-defined principles. The SOCPC undertakes a routine revision of the codes roughly once per decade; the process spans multiple years and ``involves extensive background research, periods of public comment, review of comments, and implementation of revisions.'' During its latest revision, which began in early 2012 and was finalized in 2018, OMB specifically rejected comments requesting it reclassify 911 dispatchers as directed in Amendment No. 47. In its response to public comments presented in the May 2014 Federal Register, the Administration's OMB explained it ``did not accept these recommendations based on Classification Principle 2, which states that workers are coded according to the work performed. The work performed is that of a dispatcher, not a first responder.'' In 2016, the previous administration's OMB declined a similar request for reclassification. Based on the principles OMB's policy committee applies to determine SOC codes, 911 telephone dispatchers are already properly and accurately classified. prgtoken Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in a written communication with the Education and Labor Committee on April 26, 2019, reported that the change made by H.R. 1629, a bill identical to Amendment No. 47, would ``impact computer systems, training, documentation, and other processes'' and that ``[s]uch unplanned changes require time and resources to implement and could adversely affect other survey activities.'' Moreover, changes outside of the routine revision process would undermine the goal of data continuity, limiting data sources' usefulness for their key purpose of statistical analysis; create precedent for disrupting the stan
China (Executive Session)
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2019-7-11

I call to the Senators' attention today a disturbing article in the June 29, 2019, issue of The Economist, on pages 36 and 37. It is about the military buildup in China and the way it affects the United States. It says: Xi Jinping wants China's armed forces to be ``world class'' by 2050. He has done more to achieve this than any of his predecessors. prgtoken I will quote from the lead of this article in The Economist. Over the past decade, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been lavished with money and arms. China's military spending rose by 83 percent in real terms between 2009 and 2018, by far the largest growth spurt in any big country. The splurge has enabled China to deploy precision missiles and anti-satellite weapons that challenge American supremacy in the western Pacific. China's leader, Xi Jinping, says his ``Chinese dream'' includes a ``dream of a strong armed forces''. That, he says, involves ``modernising'' the PLA by 2035 and making it ``world-class''--in other words, America- beating--by mid-century. He has been making a lot of progress. prgtoken In the second column of this article, it goes on to say: He has done more in the past three years to reform the PLA than any leader since Deng Xiaoping. prgtoken This quote is not from some advocate of defense spending but is from one of the leading publications, The Economist. prgtoken I say to my colleagues, we need to be mindful of the threat that is arising to the United States from around the globe--not only from China, as I have just read, but also from Vladimir Putin's Russia, from Iran, and from international terrorism. There is a deteriorating security situation in almost every sector of the globe. The fact that the United States has always been super supreme and able to defend the free peoples of this world is being challenged. We can no longer assume that any war would never be a fair fight. That has been the goal of the United States if we have to go to war. And we want to avoid war. But the best way, in our judgment, as a national strategy down through the decades, to avoid conflict of any kind is to make sure that if America ever gets in a fight, it will not be a fair fight; it will be a fight where we have overwhelming superiority, so no one will dare challenge the sea lanes and the freedom that we stand for in the United States of America. That is being challenged today. prgtoken I would submit to you that it is a good time for the United States to point out that we passed the National Defense Authorization Act--the NDAA--on a huge bipartisan basis. It was 80-something votes to 8. It is just unbelievable, the way we came together under the leadership of Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed, his ic counterpart, working together as professionals, as legislators, and as Americans to send a strong statement that we
Nomination of Peter C. Wright (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-7-11

today the Senate is considering the nomination of Peter Wright to serve as the Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Office of Land and Emergency Management. If confirmed, Mr. Wright will lead this critical EPA office that provides policy, provides guidance, and provides direction for the EPA's emergency response and waste programs. Mr. Wright will play a crucial role in helping the Agency respond to disasters and cleanups. prgtoken The Office of Land and Emergency Management oversees the Superfund Program, which is a priority for this administration. prgtoken There are currently about 1,300 listed Superfund sites across America. On top of those, there are roughly 450,000 brownfield sites that need to be addressed. The EPA needs an Assistant Administrator in place to prioritize those cleanups. Peter Wright is ready for the task. He currently serves as a special counsel at the EPA. Previously, Mr. Wright worked as managing counsel to Dow Chemical Company for nearly 20 years. His nomination has been endorsed by 18 current and former chairs of the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, including John Cruden, former Assistant Attorney General in President 's administration. prgtoken John Milner, the current chair of the section, writing on behalf of the former chair, said this of Mr. Wright: ``Peter's career, his selfless commitment to the American Bar Association's Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources and the members it serves, and his well-recognized personal integrity exemplify the high standards of the legal profession.'' He goes on to say: ``We enthusiastically and without reservation support the consideration of Peter as Assistant Administrator for OLEM, and believe Peter will serve the office with distinction and honor.'' prgtoken He is ready to take on this responsibility, and he has been ready for well over a year. President originally nominated Peter Wright to serve in this important role on March 6, 2018. That was 493 days ago. What is the reason for so long of a delay? Obstruction by Senate . We have seen it before. For over a year, this important EPA office has been without confirmed leadership because of political games being played by Senate . Now the games have ended, and it is time to get serious. prgtoken Senate are now saying they would delay this vote further because of an error Mr. Wright included on his disclosures. According to career EPA ethics officials, Mr. Wright made an inadvertent error and immediately corrected it. EPA ethics officials found that he did not violate any Federal ethics laws or regulations. prgtoken Justina Fugh, who is a career ethics official at the EPA, concluded in her memo reviewing Mr. Wright's action: In my opinion, Mr. Wright adhered to the federal ethics laws and regulations. When he became aware of the inadvertent
CONGRATULATING SHANE JOHNSON FOR HIS SERVICE
Michael K. Simpson (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam , I rise today to offer my appreciation and commendation to Shane Johnson who will be leaving the Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy after thirty years of service and success. prgtoken When you have the honor of representing Idaho's Second Congressional District and the Idaho National Laboratory, you learn a lot about nuclear energy and the important role the federal government plays researching, developing and deploying this amazing technology. Another part of that education is collaborating with the people at the Department of Energy who oversee the labs and these programs. It is in that capacity that I was able to see Shane Johnson lead the Office of Nuclear Energy on multiple occasions with extreme professionalism and vision. prgtoken If you go back and look at the major programs and accomplishments of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, you will see Shane Johnson's fingerprints all over the place. When DOE helped industry get two advanced light water reactor designs licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Shane was there; when DOE worked with industry to get the first small modular reactors ready for deployment, in Idaho, Shane was there; when the Office of Nuclear Energy set up a robust university program to educate and graduate the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers, Shane was there; when the Office of Nuclear Energy made its labs and facilities available to industry and universities to support technology development, Shane was there; and, when the Office of Nuclear Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission began working together to use lab developed codes to enhance reactor safety and security, Shane was there again. At the end of the day, when you look at Shane's career and you see significant impacts and lasting contributions. A ``thank you,'' and a ``job well done is deserved.'' prgtoken While Shane's accomplishments are real and impactful, his leadership of the Office of Nuclear Energy and his stewardship of the Idaho National Laboratory deserve special recognition. As administrations and initiatives come and go, it is the enduring leadership of the federal staff that keep our government operating. In his career at the Office of Nuclear Energy, incoming administrations have asked Shane to lead the office and the staff to keep our fundamental goals and objectives in sight. Shane excelled in this role and when he came before my Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, you could see the confidence and pride his colleagues had in his leadership. prgtoken As he leaves federal service, I want to thank Shane for his outstanding contribution at the Office of Nuclear Energy and wish him and his wife, Susan, all the best in the future. His service will benefit generations of Americans to come.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2019-7-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , this is an attempt to codify a 2013 USCIS memo establishing parole in place for unlawful aliens, spouses, children, and parents of Active-Duty forces. prgtoken While I support the underlying rationale behind this amendment and also that policy, I cannot support this because it is too vague, broad, and ambiguous, and it does not accomplish the purpose for which it is intended. The purpose is to protect those servicemembers. prgtoken , I will tell you what this does is we don't even ask the servicemember if they want that person here. So if the person is a victim of domestic violence, escaping a spouse who is following them, there is no provision to even ask the spouse: Do you want this person to be living close to you that you are trying to escape? prgtoken It does not take into account any underlying crimes that that person may or may not have committed. Whether it is domestic violence, sexual battery, it puts the other servicemembers at risk when we don't. prgtoken , specifically, the memo provided that these relatives or anyone who has ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces for any period of time, with or without regard to whether the discharge was honorable or dishonorable, is eligible to receive parole on a categorical basis. prgtoken , we can't honor folks who have been dishonorably discharged. We are not honoring the rest of our soldiers when we honor just anyone. prgtoken In a 2013 meeting with the administration, USCIS admitted that the servicemember is never contacted to determine whether he or she wants the unlawful aliens to receive parole in place. prgtoken It admitted there is no process in place to verify that the servicemember actually served in the Armed Forces. prgtoken The USCIS admitted that parole in place could be granted even if the servicemember was dishonorably discharged. prgtoken It admitted that the servicemember could have felony convictions and his or her immediate relatives would still be eligible for parole in place. prgtoken These felony convictions could be for domestic violence, sexual assault, all the things that we have come to despise and are trying to stamp out in our Armed Forces. prgtoken USCIS admitted that, even in cases of divorce, a servicemember's ex- spouse could be eligible for parole in place, and it admitted that unlawful alien relatives could still receive parole in place despite a past criminal record. prgtoken This amendment does not fix any of those issues and could allow a relative, even if estranged from a servicemember, to be granted parole. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and .
Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains Act (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-7-11

tomorrow I will join some of my colleagues from the Senate Judiciary Committee, as well as the Vice President, for a trip to McAllen, TX. It is a beautiful city, nestled in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. prgtoken This region is home to a lot of history, a vibrant culture, and people whose generosity has made national headlines over the last period of time as they have worked to manage the humanitarian crisis that has ended up on their doorstep. prgtoken For each of the past 4 months, more than 100,000 migrants have crossed our southern border and presented themselves to the Border Patrol. This has placed an unbelievable strain on Federal, State, and local law enforcement, as well as the cities, the counties, and nongovernmental organizations that have tried to step in to help. prgtoken After 10 weeks from the point when it was requested by the President, Congress finally passed a bipartisan bill to provide funding for the Federal departments and agencies working to manage this crisis and make $30 million available as reimbursement to local governments for paying bills that legitimately and fairly should be those of the Federal Government. This is an important step to help manage this humanitarian crisis, but it is far from a permanent solution. You can say we are really dealing with the effects and not the causes. The truth is, we need to pass legislation in Congress that makes lasting changes to our immigration system, particularly our system whereby people apply for and receive asylum, so we can prevent this humanitarian crisis from becoming the norm. prgtoken We can run, but we cannot hide from the fact that only Congress can solve this problem. To that end, I have introduced bipartisan legislation called the HUMANE Act, with my friend and colleague in the House, Henry Cuellar, that would make significant progress in doing exactly that. This is the only bipartisan, bicameral bill that I believe would help staunch the flow of humanity across the border and deal with the underlying causes. Our bill would close a major loophole that is being exploited by the human smugglers that serves as a pull factor for those who want to come to the United States illegally. It would also ensure that migrants in our custody receive the proper care and streamline the processing of those who cross our border. It is an important step to address this crisis at its source as well as to provide relief for folks along the entire U.S.-Mexico border who have been impacted. We need to pass this bill and pass it quickly and get it to the President's desk for his signature. prgtoken While the compassionate response of our local communities has become national news in recent months, Texans prgtoken have long known they have been the ones left alone to step up to assist migrants who arrived in poor health, many times with nothing but the clothing on their back. They provide warm meals, a safe place to sleep, and som
PROTECTING MILITARY WIDOWS
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-7-11

Congress should strive for and s in Washington to truly work together. When the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act reached 365 bipartisan cosponsors, I was grateful to share the good news. That is a remarkable more than 80 percent of Congress. prgtoken House had the ability to bring the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to the floor tomorrow to repeal the widow's tax. Instead, ic leadership has diverted a vote by tacking it onto a flawed and hyperpartisan bill without notice late at night, which they know will not receive support on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken This is heartbreaking for the 65,000 military widows in America. However, it is not too late to do the right thing and keep this as a standalone bipartisan bill. prgtoken I encourage our colleagues across the aisle to put H.R. 553 on the Consensus Calendar. Together, we can give servicemembers and their families the recognition they deserve. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Jeff Fortenberry (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Congressman Thornberry for the time as well as his leadership, as well as the chair of the Armed Services Committee, because this is very important. prgtoken Recently, I was looking at the photos of the young men and women who hang on the wall of my office. They died in Iraq--some of them I knew; some of the families I knew, some I didn't know; some I still stay in touch with. prgtoken At this point, we have lost so much, we have given so much, it is hard to understand why further engagement is necessary. And yet, of the many injustices that remain, one, particularly, stands out. prgtoken The dark twisted idealogy of ISIS decimated the religious minority communities, primarily of northern Iraq, almost 4 million persons. ISIS attempted to exterminate, to kill off Yazidis, Christians, and other minority populations. prgtoken Now, since then, the Iraqi Army, with our support and with the support of an international coalition, has fought hard and fought ISIS off. They are gone but not yet exterminated. prgtoken We have shifted substantial economic aid, but there is one more thing we should do: provide security in northern Iraq through the integration of the religious minorities into the Iraqi Government security forces, as well as the Kurdish forces. prgtoken I thank both the chair and the ranking member for their support.
SWEET CORN DAYS
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-7-11

in honor of the Iowa Department of Agriculture's Sweet Corn Days yesterday, I would like to highlight the strong agricultural sector of my State of Iowa. prgtoken Many people don't know how you get from the seed to the corn on the cob you are used to seeing on your dinner table. That is one reason, particularly for city people, that I started the hashtag ``Corn Watch'' series on my Instagram. prgtoken Each week I post an update with the progress of how the crop is growing on my farm in New Hartford, IA. It is a small way to show nonfarmers how Iowa feeds and fuels the world. prgtoken .
IOWA SAFE SCHOOLS
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2019-7-11

I would like to recognize Iowa Safe Schools as they get set to begin their annual Pride Camp on July 15 in Des Moines. This summer program is designed to serve as an opportunity for LGBTQ students from around the state of Iowa to learn, to network, and to have lots of fun. prgtoken Thank you to Iowa Safe Schools for pursuing your mission of providing a safe environment and community for Iowa's LGBTQ youth to learn and grow. I am sending my best wishes to all of this year's attendees! Please, have a wonderful and productive time.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Christopher H. Smith (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2019-7-11

. Madam Chair, En Bloc amendment No. 14 includes my amendment--cosponsored by Donald Norcross (D-NJ)--to require the GAO to investigate the contracting practices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, specifically on how the agency complies with and enforces the Davis-Bacon Act to pay locally prevailing wages on federally-financed construction jobs. prgtoken Under Davis-Bacon, the government may terminate a contract if locally prevailing wages have not been paid to employees working on the project. Contracting agencies, such as the Army Corps, however, have the primary day-to-day responsibility for enforcement of the Davis- Bacon Act and its labor standards requirements. Unfortunately, I have heard persistent and credible reports that the Army Corps' enforcement efforts are lacking, specifically at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which is located in my district. prgtoken Irresponsible contractors and subcontractors often times avoid their prevailing wage obligations by engaging in two different types of misclassification: craft misclassification and independent contractor misclassification. prgtoken Craft misclassification occurs when dishonest contractors misclassify highskilled workers as general laborers or lower wage classifications in order to avoid paying the higher prevailing wage rate applicable to the high-skilled work actually performed. Independent contractor misclassification occurs when contractors misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid paying prevailing wages in order to reduce labor costs and avoid state and federal taxes. prgtoken These practices deny workers access to critical benefits and protections, including prevailing wages, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance, and communities suffer because misclassification results in lower tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments. To top it off, the work is often substandard as it has been performed by people not properly trained for the job. prgtoken Our military installations deserve quality workmanship, not substandard facilities that could create potential hazards and diminish readiness. prgtoken In light of the intended federal investment of $11.5 billion for military construction projects included in this underlying bill for fiscal year 2020, we need to be sure that our taxpayer dollars--and critical investment in military infrastructure--are being spent in accordance with the law and on qualified workmanship. The GAO investigation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will help quantify the problem and hopefully usher in reform.