mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-2-12

while the distinguished Senator from Rhode Island is still on the floor I recall that, just within the last year, I had the privilege of being on the lawn of our former Embassy in Saigon. I stood there with other Senators, s and , and with officials from the State Department, and I was mesmerized as Senator Whitehouse recounted what he had observed there a lifetime ago. prgtoken I think every one of us had the same reaction. We stood there and looked around. We could feel the helicopters, we could hear the helicopters, but of course we didn't see them. Mostly, I saw the face of my dear friend, the Senator from Rhode Island, and heard what he said. What he was saying ultimately showed his pride in being an American. prgtoken I thank Senator Whitehouse for recounting that again. S.J. Res. 68 prgtoken , on another subject, last month the United States and Iran came frighteningly close to war. If any of Iran's missiles had killed American soldiers at those military bases in Iraq, President would have reacted very differently and, most likely, without consulting Congress. prgtoken Rather than the self-congratulatory statements by the President who depicted the brazen, ballistic missile attacks against our bases that failed to kill any of our troops stationed there a victory, we could be in the midst of a calamity spiraling out of control. prgtoken Obviously, I think of the soldiers who have brain injuries from the attack, injuries that the President dismissed as minor headaches. Well, those who have actually served in the military and were not able to get deferments from serving know that an attack like that can produce lasting injuries. prgtoken This is the nightmare scenario we have to avoid. We have been on a path to war with Iran ever since President recklessly abandoned the Iran nuclear agreement, with no credible alternative strategy. There was nothing to replace it. prgtoken Today, while the White House insists there is no need for the resolution we are debating because the danger is behind us, the possibility of war with Iran remains very real. As we saw only a month ago, we could again find ourselves on the brink of war with Iran at any time. prgtoken For too long, this President and previous Presidents have sent U.S. forces into hostilities without obtaining the consent of Congress, and the Congress has been a willing party. The Congress has abdicated its constitutional responsibility as the sole branch of government with the authority to declare war. It has permitted the misapplication of open- ended and outdated authorizations for the use of military force. prgtoken The result is endless wars the American people don't support, at a cost of thousands of American lives lost and trillions of dollars spent that could have been far better used fixing problems here in our own country. prgtoken No one denies any President's ri
COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2019
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken I thank Chairman Grijalva and Congresswoman DeGette for their hard work on this bill. prgtoken Our public lands are iconic features of the American landscape. It is our duty to preserve and protect these treasured lands, and to be responsible stewards so that future generations can enjoy them as much as we do today. prgtoken The Protecting America's Wilderness Act recognizes the irreplaceable value of public lands in our lives by safeguarding public lands and waters across Colorado, California, and Washington. prgtoken But the value of these lands goes far beyond their vast ecological diversity. They offer our veterans a unique opportunity to heal after they return home from the frontlines. prgtoken My amendment strengthens this bill by promoting the health and wellness of our veterans and servicemembers through access to lands protected within this bill, outdoor recreation, and participation in volunteer programs. prgtoken The great American outdoors is uniquely positioned to provide therapeutic benefits to our veterans and brave men and women in service. As they transition from service, or a uniform, to civilian life, public lands have been shown to help them reconnect, recover, and heal. prgtoken We make a sacred promise to every veteran, and it is our duty to serve them as they have served us and ensure that they can actively benefit from all that our landscapes have to offer. By doing so, we honor not only the importance of these lands, but also those who continue to serve this country today. prgtoken I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill.
THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
Katie Porter (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Madam , when was running for President, he promised that he would balance the budget, eliminate the national debt, and protect programs that support American families. prgtoken He continues to promise to balance the budget, but his latest math is based on fantasy. The President's budget cuts the programs that Americans rely on and those that Americans have invested in in order to fund more tax cuts for the wealthy, a bigger defense budget, and an ineffective border wall. prgtoken If it isn't clear yet, the President failed to be truthful. He is putting special interests above the health and safety of hardworking American families. prgtoken Our national debt is bigger than ever, and taxpayer dollars have been wasted paying for tax cuts that benefit the rich and powerful. prgtoken Here is the stone-cold truth: President is reneging on his promise to protect older Americans and those with disabilities. His proposed budget cuts billions from Social Security and Medicare. These drastic cuts and his failure to keep his word will devastate millions of Americans. prgtoken Social Security has lifted millions of older Americans out of poverty, but the President doesn't think it is necessary to continue supporting our most vulnerable older Americans. prgtoken The President would also slash the budget for the Administration for Community Living. Americans need this agency to support those who are aging and those who have disabilities, as well as their caregivers, so that they can age in place and live their best life every day of their lives. I have heard countless times from Orange County residents that they want the choice to grow older in their homes in our beautiful community that they have spent much of their lives in. The President's budget takes these choices away. prgtoken Right now, our country is struggling to keep up with our global competitors. And apparently right now the President thinks this is a good time to gut funding for medical research and innovation. prgtoken The President wants to cut investments in medical research at the National Institutes of Health that provide the pipeline for new cures and that spur innovation. prgtoken The President wants to cut funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These agencies ensure that there are qualified health professionals who can move new medical discoveries into healthcare and public-health delivery, support Americans while they are awaiting new prgtoken cures, and prevent them from getting sick in the first place. prgtoken The President also wants to cut funding for the Food and Drug Administration and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Americans need the Food and Drug Administration to approve new, safe, and effective treatments and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to provide evidence o
COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2019
Julia Brownley (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-12

I thank the gentlewoman for bringing this important public lands bill to the floor. prgtoken H.R. 2546 incorporates a bill I helped introduce along with Representative Carbajal, the Central Coast Heritage Protection Act. prgtoken The Central Coast Heritage Protection Act sets aside more than 40,000 acres in the Los Padres National Forest as wilderness. It also designates the Condor Trail within Los Padres as a National Recreation Trail. Both of these actions have long been priorities of my constituents, and so I am pleased the House is taking action on them today. prgtoken We in Ventura County are so fortunate to be surrounded by gorgeous public spaces, including the Los Padres National Forest. Designating these lands as wilderness will strengthen environmental protections in our region and preserve this important part of our natural heritage for future generations to enjoy. prgtoken , I thank the gentlewoman, again, for bringing this bill forward.
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-2-12

thank you for the recognition, and I very much appreciate Senator Carper talking about the wonderful, young employees whom we have around us and the young people who come here who are dedicated and work, and we have some great ones on the committees. I see Mary Frances back here behind you, and I have Matthew Padilla over here on my right. There are so many great young people that just come to Washington or live in Washington, and they are really dedicated to see that we do a good job. It is wonderful to hear you talk about that young man. prgtoken I rise to affirm the Congress's constitutional authority to declare war and to support the War Powers Resolution before us. The chilling events of last month bring into stark relief why this resolution is absolutely needed. The President brought us to the very edge of war with Iran by his attack on its top general. prgtoken We must pass this resolution because, even if the President does not respect the plain words of the Constitution, the Members of this body should. prgtoken Look at this chart here. Here they are, clear as day: The ``Congress shall have power . . . to declare War.'' The Congress alone has the power to declare war. The President does not. prgtoken I did not come to this view recently. I held the same view under President 's administration. I spoke up against his plans for airstrikes in Syria, and I voted against an authorization for those airstrikes in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. So, whether you support war with Iran or not, I urge every single Member here to stand up for our Constitution and to vote for this resolution. prgtoken Last month, as we were on the brink of war with Iran, the whole Nation and the whole world watched on edge, braced for conflict, bloodshed, and terror. Yet, to this day, this administration has not provided a serious justification for the strike on General Soleimani. The administration claimed the 2002 authorization for use of military force against Iraq justified the strike, but the AUMF, which I voted against, authorizes force ``against the continuing threat posed by Iraq,'' not any threat posed by Iran. That authorization was passed in 2002, and here we are, 18 years later, and it is being specifically used to get us into another conflict. prgtoken The administration claims Soleimani posed an imminent threat to U.S. troops, diplomats, and citizens, but the administration gave no convincing evidence to the Congress or the American people that an attack from Iran on U.S. interests was imminent or that the killing would have stopped such an imminent attack. prgtoken During the Senate briefing, when we asked questions trying to get real answers about the evidence and why they didn't seek congressional approval, the administration wouldn't answer our questions. One Senator, at the briefing that we had from administration officials, called that briefing the ``worst'' briefing he had
War Powers Resolution (Executive Session)
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-2-12

I rise briefly to thank my colleague. I am actually scheduled to talk on this topic later this afternoon, but I wanted to come and hear Senator Durbin today. I appreciate his effort. He has been a prgtoken powerful advocate of this principle that we don't stand in contradiction of this President or any President when we stand for the proposition that Congress should do its job under article I of the Constitution, and I applaud my colleague for his strong support. prgtoken I will take the floor later today to talk about the bipartisan resolution he has just described. prgtoken , .
SUPPORTING ERA RESOLUTION
Lois Frankel (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Madam , today, I rise in support of the resolution to remove the arbitrary deadline for ratification of the equal rights amendment, which is designed to end the legal distinctions between men and women. prgtoken Madam , signed in 1776, the Declaration of Independence states: ``All men are created equal.'' Really? Following the birth of our Nation, it took women 144 years to secure the right to vote and even longer for women of color. It took 187 years to be promised equal pay, 197 years to get reproductive rights, and 198 years to get a credit card or buy a home. prgtoken Yet, Madam , the women in this country are still fighting for equality. Madam , we are tired of waiting.
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-2-12

it has been more than a month since President brought the United States to the brink of war with Iran by ordering the killing of Iran's top general, Qasem Soleimani. prgtoken Now, no one here mourns Soleimani's death. He was a ruthless killer. He has American blood all over his hands. But decisions over whether to attack sovereign nations or whether to send American troops to war are not decisions for the executive branch to make. These are decisions that the Constitution vests only in the U.S. Congress. That is why we need to pass, on a bipartisan basis, the War Powers Resolution that is currently pending before this body. prgtoken I want to come to the floor today to raise three issues for my colleagues--and I will try to do it briefly--surrounding the President's decision to use force against Iran and what the implications are for us, both as a body and as a nation. prgtoken First, when we are talking about the topic, I just think it is always important to level set. I think it is important for us to realize how much President has thrown away. prgtoken This is a President who is running a master class right now on creating crises that didn't exist before he started flailing away in the china shop, and then this President claims we all have to get together behind his efforts to clean up the mess that he and his administration largely created. prgtoken Let's just remember where we were with Iran when President came into office. When President arrived in the Oval Office, Iran had stopped their quest for nuclear weapons capabilities. They were compliant with an intrusive inspections regime to make sure they didn't cheat on that agreement. Iranian-backed militias had stopped firing rockets at U.S. personnel in Iraq. In fact, those militias were actively working on a U.S.-led project--the eradication of ISIS. prgtoken President had unified the entire world against Iran. Even Russia and China were working side by side with the United States to constrict Iran's nuclear program. And with the nuclear agreement secured, this global coalition had essentially been teed up for President , to be used to make new progress to pressure Iran on a next set of concessions, on their ballistic missile program and their support for terrorist proxies across the region. prgtoken But President threw this all away. And now, despite the sanctions that he has imposed on them unilaterally, Iran is more powerful than ever. We went from a construct in which we had the United States, Europe, China, and Russia aligned against Iran to a moment today where, on many issues, it is Iran, the European Union, China, and Russia aligned against the United States. prgtoken How much ground have we lost? This town tends to view power only through a military prism. So we have kind of lost sight of Iran's provocative actions because, since the strike in Iraq against our troops, we haven't had front-pa
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-2-12

I rise today to discuss my concerns with respect to Iran and to express my support for the Kaine resolution, of which I am a cosponsor. prgtoken No American mourns the death of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, and my thoughts remain with the servicemembers who were injured by Iran's retaliatory ballistic missile attacks in Iraq. The President was wrong to diminish their wounds by referring to them as ``headaches.'' Traumatic brain injuries are serious, and the President's comments undermine efforts to educate our military personnel about their potentially lasting consequences. Unfortunately, the President still does not seem to grasp that his words and actions have real consequences. prgtoken Tensions with Iran and the potential for miscalculation remain exceptionally high. We are likely in a period of calm before the storm. No serious analyst doubts there will be a future Iranian violent reaction to the death of Soleimani and continued pressure by the United States. prgtoken This temporary calm is the result of several factors. First, Soleimani's death has caused a disruption in the command and control of the IRGC Quds Force. He is not irreplaceable, but he is very difficult to replace. Second, Iran's principle objective in Iraq is to expel the United States, to get them to leave Iraq. prgtoken The killing of Soleimani has given Iran political leverage it did not imagine, and violence at this time could dissipate that advantage, especially as Iraqi political leadership remains in flux. Finally, the tragic downing of the Ukrainian airliner swiftly reversed an outpouring of nationalistic ardor in Iran, with renewed criticism of the Ayatollah. Again, Iranian violence in Iraq or elsewhere at this time could exacerbate internal opposition. prgtoken The Iranians are likely to continue to act via proxies. For example, Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq have signaled their intent to avenge the death of Popular Mobilization Forces Deputy Commander Muhandis, who was killed along with Soleimani. prgtoken Our national security interests related to Iran, Iraq, and the counter-ISIS campaign are on a negative trajectory because of the administration's policies and the impulsive decision making we have seen. Since coming into office, the administration has waged a maximum pressure campaign against Iran that has included crippling sanctions, the unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and now the killing of Soleimani. prgtoken Secretary Pompeo and the President have stated that the goal of this campaign is allegedly to bring Iran to the negotiating table, but it instead has had the opposite effect of driving Iran so far into a corner that it now sees little downside to escalating and direct conflict with our country. In addition, the ripple effect of the so- called maximum pressure campaign has resulted in the following: the disruption of counterterrorism operations in Syria and Iraq to defeat
THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Madam , I thank the gentlewoman from California for the good work that she does on behalf of her constituents, and I appreciate the opportunity to make comments that are important investments that we should be making in our infrastructure for all Americans. prgtoken The President, when he ran for office, talked about his willingness to invest in America's infrastructure. Sadly, we have seen little follow-through on behalf of the administration to do just that. prgtoken America was built over decades and generations on Americans willing to invest in our infrastructure. Clearly, today, we are living off the investments our parents and grandparents made a generation or two ago. prgtoken In California, but throughout the country, that includes fixing our aging water systems, our transportation systems, and investing in our school sites. In my home in the San Joaquin Valley, the development of water over the last 100 years has allowed deserts to bloom. prgtoken A reliable water supply is a foundation for any economy. Farmers need water to feed the world. We say, ``where water flows, food grows,'' and life becomes increasingly difficult when we have literally hundreds and thousands of Californians and elsewhere around the country in which communities that are small, that are not incorporated, cannot meet or comply with clean drinking water standards either by the State or by the Federal Government. That is just wrong. prgtoken The richest country in the world, and yet we have communities that don't meet clean drinking water standards? prgtoken We know that many of these water systems were built decades ago. California now has doubled its population. We need to invest. prgtoken Madam , this last week, I introduced legislation for critical water infrastructure in parts of my district, the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, the Delta-Mendota Canal that has lost 15 to 20 percent of its capacity. prgtoken The California Aqueduct that not only brings water from the north to the San Joaquin Valley but to Los Angeles as a critical supply of those water needs for Los Angelenos, these canals supply water to tens of millions of people, and also to the Santa Clara Valley Water, the home of what? Silicon Valley. prgtoken The legislation that I introduced, the Conveyance Capacity Correction Act, will provide $400 million to fund these needed repairs. This is just one piece of legislation to address the many tools in our water toolbox in California's aging water system, but we need to invest now in our water infrastructure. prgtoken We also need to invest now in our transportation system. The roads that were built in California and the highways, the inner city and transit systems and our air transportation have really, post-World War II, been the reason why California has become the Golden State. And we, again, are living off those investments our parents made. We need to make the same kinds of investments. prgtoken When the Presiden