mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UNFAIR TREATMENT OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL ALEXANDER VINDMAN AND AMBASSADOR MARIE YOVANOVITCH
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-2-12

during his testimony before the Intel Committee, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman had a message for his father: ``Do not worry. I will be fine for telling the truth.'' prgtoken Lieutenant Colonel Vindman is a war hero who has earned far better than the treatment he received from the administration last week. But this behavior should not surprise us. It is part of a pattern. prgtoken Let us remember the campaign waged against Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch last year. Ambassador Yovanovitch is an exemplary public servant who deserved our gratitude. Instead, the administration shamelessly attacked her and fired her to further the President's personal agenda. prgtoken But I agree with the Ambassador when she wrote: I remain optimistic about the future. The events of the past year, while deeply disturbing, show that even though our institutions and our fellow citizens are being challenged in ways that few of us ever expected, we will endure and we will persist. prgtoken Indeed.
Impeachment (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-2-12

in voting to acquit President of an abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Senate s sought to justify their vote by claiming that the President had ``learned his lesson.'' The implication was that the ordeal of impeachment and its permanent stain on his reputation that can never be erased would chasten President 's future behavior--a toddler scolded into compliance. prgtoken The explanation, frankly, looked like an excuse. It was unconvincing the moment it was uttered. No serious person believes President has learned any lesson. He doesn't learn any lessons. He does just what he wants and what suits his ego at the moment. Observers of the President would question whether he is even capable of learning a lesson, and, unsurprisingly, the flimsy rationalization by some Senate s, desperate to have an excuse because they were so afraid of doing the right thing, was disproven within a matter of days. prgtoken President was acquitted by Senate s last Wednesday. On Friday, he began dismissing members of his administration who testified in the impeachment inquiry, including the patriot, LTC Alexander Vindman and Ambassador Gordon Sondland, a clear and obvious act of retaliation--very simply, that is all it was--against witnesses who told the truth under oath. prgtoken President hates the truth, time and time again, because he knows he lies, and when other people tell the truth, he hates it, so he fired them. The President even fired the brother of Lieutenant Colonel Vindman for the crime of being related to someone the President wanted out. How vindictive, prgtoken how petty, how nasty, and yet there are rumors now that the President might dismiss the inspector general of the intelligence community, the official who received the whistleblower report. These are patriots all. President can't stand patriots because they stand for country, not for what he wants. prgtoken Yesterday, once again and typically, the White House reportedly decided to withdraw the nomination of Elaine McCusker, who was in line to serve as the Pentagon Comptroller and Chief Financial Officer. Why did he dismiss her--a longtime serving, very capable woman? Because over the summer, Ms. McCusker advised--merely advised--members of the administration about the legal ramifications of denying assistance to Ukraine. Her crime, in the eyes of President and his so many acolytes--henchmen--in the administration, was attempting to follow the law. How dare she try to follow the law. How dare she even voice this is what the law is in this kind of administration. prgtoken Of course, yesterday, after career prosecutors recommended that Roger Stone be sentenced to 7 to 9 years in Federal prison for witness tampering and lying abjectly to Congress, the President tweeted that his former confidant was being treated extremely unfair. It appears the Attorney General of the Un
STANDING UP FOR SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, AND MEDICAID
Angie Craig (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Madam , the President's budget, released yesterday, proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. I'll never stand for that. We have to make sure that we're protecting our seniors. We can't go back to a time when our seniors were living in poverty. We also have to make sure that we protect folks with disabilities. I have authored a number of pieces of legislation that would reduce out-of-pocket costs and the price of prescription drugs. We can't support this budget, and I'll keep fighting to make sure that health care is affordable and that we take care of this nation's seniors.
CITY OF SAN JOAQUIN CENTENNIAL
TJ Cox (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Madam , I rise today in honor of the City of San Joaquin which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month. prgtoken The City of San Joaquin is a vibrant community located in rural Fresno County on what was previously part of a large ranch settled by Jefferson James, a miner and cattle rancher. After James' passing, his heirs sold their property to settlers, led by a gentleman by the name of Benjamin F. Graham, who created a formal plan for the community to be named Grahamtown. prgtoken Graham sold the land to a company that, under the direction of their representative Dr. Hernan Janz, established the community of San Joaquin. When the Southern Pacific Railroad established a line passing through San Joaquin in 1912, the flow of commerce expanded the area's economy. On February 14, 1920 the community elected to incorporate and became formally established as the City of San Joaquin. prgtoken Over the years, San Joaquin has become a hub of the agricultural industry with farms that produce food that feeds the world. Today, San Joaquin is known as the ``everything is possible city'' and continues to be a beacon of progress, aptly demonstrating a wholesome, rural way of life. prgtoken It is communities like San Joaquin that have shaped California's Central Valley, and indeed our country, into what it is today. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the City of San Joaquin and its residents on their first 100 years and in wishing them well in the many years to come.
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS--MOTION TO PROCEED
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2020-2-12

I come to the floor today to strongly urge all of my colleagues to join Senator Kaine, and I want to thank him for his extremely thoughtful and amazing approach to this. prgtoken I think it is so important that we reassert Congress's authority in decisions concerning our Nation's security and curbing this administration's ability to put our troops in harm's way without consulting the American people. prgtoken Following the early January attack on U.S. troops deployed in Iraq triggered by President 's decision to launch a drone strike that killed Iran's Qasem Soleimani, I know that many Americans were frightened, as I was, to then watch tensions with Iran escalate so rapidly in realtime. I am glad the President has backed down and decided not to further escalate those tensions in recent weeks--as a voice for my home State of Washington, including all of our servicemembers and military families and communities. But we are not off the hook, and we have every reason to believe that Iran may retaliate again, which is why I remain deeply disturbed by President 's rush to incite conflict in ways that could have significant negative impacts on our strategic goals in the region and, more importantly, the long-term safety and security of Americans at home and abroad. prgtoken To date, neither President nor his administration has provided any evidence to us here in Congress to justify his actions, and despite reports from the administration shortly after the attack that there were no U.S. casualties, we are now learning more than 100 servicemembers--100--have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following that attack--serious injuries that President dismissed as simply ``headaches.'' prgtoken The American people expect their representatives--us--to have a say in decisions that may put their lives or the lives of a loved one at risk. As the daughter of a World War II veteran and Purple Heart recipient, here in the Senate I make decisions about our national security with deep concern for our brave servicemembers and their families, with a personal understanding of the sacrifices they make for all of us and our Nation and an unwavering commitment to ensuring that they have the support they need while they serve and when they come home. prgtoken That is exactly why our Constitution mandates that the power to declare war rests with Congress--not the Commander in Chief--because those decisions weren't meant to be made by one person alone. That is why I am glad that my friend from Virginia, Senator Kaine, is offering this War Powers Resolution, of which I am very proud to be a cosponsor. prgtoken Passing this resolution is a first step toward protecting our servicemembers and our interests in the region by removing our troops from hostilities in or against Iran unless there is a declaration of war or a congressional authorization for the use of force. prgtoken This isn't just an issu
COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2019
Joe Cunningham (Democrat, SC) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Mr. Chair, in closing, I want to thank my friend from Colorado, Mr. Tipton, for joining me in offering this bipartisan amendment. Mr. Chair, I also want to thank Chairman Grijalva and my colleagues on the Natural Resources Committee for their work on this important legislation. prgtoken I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in supporting this amendment, which will make clear that our military can continue to utilize the airspace above these newly designated wilderness areas. prgtoken .
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-2-12

I am pleased to join my colleagues, many of whom have spoken already in support of S.J. Res. 68, which I am proud to cosponsor. It prohibits an unauthorized, unconstitutional war with Iran. It seeks to prevent the administration from stumbling into a real and reckless military conflict. I want to thank bipartisan colleagues who have provided leadership in this effort, and it has been truly bipartisan as an effort. I appreciate their efforts and from many other colleagues to reassert our constitutional war powers and to represent the will of the American people. prgtoken Americans do not want a new war. They do not want another endless military conflict that harms our national interests without protecting our national security. The Constitution trumps any statute. Without congressional authorization and anything short of a declaration of war from the Congress, starting a war with Iran would be unconstitutional. prgtoken Congress did not authorize war with Iran when it passed an authorization to use force against al-Qaida more than 18 years ago in the wake of 9/11. Congress did not authorize war with Iran when it passed an authorization to use military force against Saddam Hussein's regime in 2002. Very simply, Congress has not authorized war with Iran in any way, shape, or legal form. prgtoken The President's authorizations for use of military force in no way cover starting a new war with Iran. We cannot let the intent of either of those authorizations to be so distorted and stretched as to be a pretense for such a war. That is why this resolution is so important. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it tomorrow. prgtoken But just as alarming as the lack of legal authorization for war, is the administration's lack of strategy. It isn't that we have a dangerous policy toward Iran. It is that we have no policy, no strategy, and no endgame, which is the most dangerous situation of all. prgtoken I am pleased that we have deescalated the dramatic rise in tensions between Iran and the United States, which well serves the interests of both countries. We must continue the potential for reducing, not escalating, military tensions, but President 's reckless actions that brought us so close to military conflict are still in play. We need to continue to deescalate, not raise, the level of tension, if possible. prgtoken These kinds of reckless actions, in fact, brought us close to expulsion from Iraq and halted key training exercises with our allies in the counter-ISIS mission. As is the case with most of the administration's military strategy--or lack of it--we are just lurching from one crisis to another, with no objectives, no means to an end, no decision on ending, all putting our security and our allies at grave risk. Congress, not to its credit, has failed to conduct critical public oversight that is necessary to hold the administration accountable and to insist on a strategy,
COLORADO WILDERNESS ACT OF 2019
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-12

. Mr. Chair, I rise to offer an amendment today to H.R. 2546, Protecting America's Wilderness Act. prgtoken As we know, this bill would provide permanent protections for approximately 1.3 million acres of Federal land, including in California, and 1,200 miles of rivers. Not only will it provide vital protections for some of our most precious natural resources, but it will also improve outdoor recreational opportunities for underserved communities. prgtoken Now, my amendment ensures that, as we work to protect, conserve, and enjoy Federal public lands, we also prioritize the safety of our communities. This amendment gives the authority to the Secretary of the Department of the Interior and the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture to ensure that they are able to manage for fire, insects, and disease in wilderness areas, particularly during times of crisis. prgtoken In California, we are, unfortunately, no stranger to the threat of wildfires; and with climate change, wildfire seasons are becoming wildfire years. prgtoken Now, wildfires do not stop at property lines, so neither should our Federal efforts to fight wildfires and better manage our forestland. As we work to fight the effects of climate change and the impacts on our forests, we must also take every action that we can to protect the families and the homes in these vulnerable communities. prgtoken In putting forward new and critical protections on land--from the redwoods to the Los Padres National Forest, to the San Gabriel Mountains--we must ensure our Federal land managers have the flexibility that they need to take the reasonable and necessary actions to preemptively address fire, insects, and disease threats to this land. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS--MOTION TO PROCEED
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-2-12

from South Dakota. prgtoken At the conclusion of President 's impeachment trial, I heard some of my colleagues, most of whom I consider my friends, say that the President would be chastened by impeachment. Some of you told me you knew what he did was wrong. A number of s told me they admit that he lies a lot. They would acknowledge extorting an ally for help in the 2020 Presidential campaign wasn't bad enough to rise to the level of warranting removal from office--even though Richard Nixon never did that; even though, just on the face of it, thinking of soliciting a bribe from a foreign country to help you in your reelection as President of the United States is worse than untoward. prgtoken But you told me--many of you on the side--that holding the trial was enough to check his bad behavior. You said things like this-- and these are quotes, but I will not mention who they were because they were private conversations. You said: ``I think he has learned he has to be maybe a little more judicious and careful.'' prgtoken Some of you said these publicly too. A reporter asked another of you whether might see acquittal as a license to do it again, and you responded: I don't think so. prgtoken One of my colleagues said: ``I think he knows now that, if he is trying to do certain things . . . he needs to go through the proper channels.'' prgtoken Another colleague said: ``The President has been impeached. That's a pretty big lesson. . . . I believe that he will be more cautious in the future.'' prgtoken Well, the President learned a pretty big lesson. The lesson he learned--because everybody, every single person, from the majority leader down the hall to every sitting at this prgtoken desk and this desk and this desk--every except for Mitt Romney voted to acquit. Every single voted to acquit, so the lesson is he can do whatever he wants; he can abuse his office because he will never, ever be held accountable. prgtoken One had the courage to stand up and do it. Every other sitting at these desks said to the President of the United States: Yeah, it is OK. You have learned your lesson. Yeah, your lesson is that you can do whatever you want and this body will never, ever hold you accountable. prgtoken So do you know what? And I thank the Presiding Officer, by the way. Do you know what? The President went on what we call a PR tour--a personal retribution tour--starting at the prayer breakfast--the prayer breakfast--the next day when he attacked and he attacked and he attacked all kinds of people, continuing through to his speech in the East Room where many of my colleagues were in the audience clapping for the President when the President made these attacks on people. prgtoken They say he will never do it again; even if we vote to acquit, he will never do it again. But then they clap for him when he st
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2020-2-12

I come to the floor today to add my voice to the debate on the system of checks and balances that are essential to and that define our very democracy. I am here, in no small part, because of a series of events that unfolded slowly over 40 years, and then, with a sharper tempo, near the end of last year, culminated in a strike by U.S. forces on January 3 that killed General Qasem Soleimani of the Quds Force of the IRGC of Iran. prgtoken That precipitated a series of briefings and debates here among Senators and with our constituents in the country, and, today, after an important 51-to-45 vote to proceed, we are debating this measure. This measure is S.J. Res. 68, from Senators Kaine, Durbin, Lee, and Paul, to direct the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. prgtoken I want to simply make a few observations today about the importance of the war making power and the role of Congress. prgtoken In my view, we are at a critical inflection point in our Nation, one where history will question whether we served our Nation or served more partisan or parochial aims. prgtoken To be clear, I do not seek or want a war between the United States and Iran. I think our best path forward is a multilateral, several- nations-coming-together initiative to deescalate rising conflict between the United States and Iran, with so many--tens of millions of people--displaced from their homes around the world from conflicts ranging from Syria and Yemen, to the ic Republic of the Congo, to the Central African Republic. There is conflict in many places in our world, and our country has seen what happens in the absence of effective diplomacy. prgtoken But I came to the floor today really in no small part because, in the group briefings that happened after the strike that killed General Soleimani, a number of points were made that I think deserve to be addressed. prgtoken One, a suggestion was made by one participant that simply debating whether the authorization for the use of military force that was adopted by Congress back in 2001 or 2002--simply debating whether that authorized this strike and simply questioning whether this strike should be authorized and future actions authorized by this Congress would weaken the morale of our troops and would send a signal to our enemies and adversaries of a lack of resolve by our Nation, and so we in Congress should simply allow the President, under article II, which gives to him, the Commander in Chief, responsibility, to simply exercise the overwhelming capabilities of the United States and our tremendous Armed Forces to keep us safe and to push back on our adversaries. prgtoken I don't think anything could be further from the truth. I actually think it strengthens our democracy when we engage in a robust and vigorous debate on this question. I actually think showing that we have confidence
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES AGAINST THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2020-2-12

the Constitution vests Congress with the power to declare war and ultimately to authorize the use of military force in order to provide a critical check on a President's decision to deploy troops overseas. Congress has for too long abdicated this responsibility in deference to Presidents from both parties. prgtoken Presidents have used a broad interpretation of the 2001 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force to justify American military interventions in far-flung theaters such as Yemen and North Africa. I have supported bipartisan efforts to revisit these authorizations because nearly 20 years later, they are still being used to justify action unforeseen by the Congress that initially approved them. prgtoken This effort has become more urgent as this President's reckless, impulsive actions are bringing us precipitously close to war with Iran. Contrary to whatever he says, 's Iran policy has not made us safer. In fact, his Iran policy has undermined America's national security, isolated the United States from our allies, put the safety of American troops at risk, and, yes, brought us closer to war. prgtoken To understand how we arrived at this moment and why Congress needs to act, we should begin by evaluating the consequences of the President's misguided and dangerous decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. prgtoken By all accounts, the administration inherited a deal that was working, one painstakingly negotiated over many months with the UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran. prgtoken It bears repeating. The deal explicitly stated in its first paragraph that ``Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons,'' and it put a comprehensive, intrusive, and verifiable enforcement mechanism in place to achieve this objective. It blocks pathways Iran would need to produce the highly enriched uranium or plutonium it would take to produce a nuclear weapon. Under the verification regime created by the deal, international inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA, were afforded extensive access within Iran to ensure their compliance. prgtoken The Iran nuclear deal was reached through tough, principled diplomacy. These negotiations culminated in an agreement that world leaders could credibly declare would prevent Iran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons. prgtoken In May 2018, President recklessly undermined our credibility and isolated the United States from our allies by unilaterally withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal. It is important to emphasize that Iran was in compliance with the agreement when the President tore it up. prgtoken Our unilateral withdrawal from the agreement and the administration's subsequent so-called maximum pressure campaign has exposed the United States to enormous risk. We have seen the consequences almost every day for the past 2 years as