mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
IMPEACHMENT
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2020-2-5

when the Framers debated whether to include the power of impeachment in the Constitution, they envisioned a moment very much like the one we face now. They were fearful of a corrupt President who would abuse the Presidency for his or her personal gain, particularly one who would allow any foreign country to interfere in the affairs of our United States. With this fear in mind, the Framers directed the Senate to determine whether to ultimately remove that President from office. prgtoken In normal times, the Senate--conscious of its awesome responsibility--would meet this moment with the appropriate sobriety and responsibility to conduct a full and fair trial. That includes calling appropriate witnesses and subpoenaing relevant documents, none of which happened here. prgtoken In normal times, the Senate would have weighed the evidence presented by both sides and rendered impartial justice. And in normal times, having been presented with overwhelming evidence of impeachable acts, the Senate would have embraced its constitutional responsibility to convict the President and remove him or her from office. prgtoken But as we have learned too often over the past 3 years, these are not normal times. Instead of fulfilling its duty later today, the U.S. Senate will fail its test at a crucial moment of our country by voting to acquit Donald J. of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. prgtoken The Senate cannot blame its constitutional failure on the House managers. They proved their case with overwhelming and compelling evidence. Manager Jerry Nadler laid out a meticulous case demonstrating how and why the President's actions rose to the constitutional standard for impeachment and removal. prgtoken Manager Hakeem Jeffries explained how ``directly pressured the Ukrainian leader to commence phony political investigations as a part of his effort to cheat and solicit foreign interference in the 2020 election.'' prgtoken Manager Val Demings walked us through the evidence of how used $391 million of taxpayer money to pressure Ukraine to announce politically motivated investigations. She concluded: ``This is enough to prove extortion in court.'' prgtoken Manager Sylvia Garcia showed us how 's demand for investigations was purely for his personal, political benefit. She debunked the conspiracy theories the President's counsel raised against former Vice President --'s political rival and the true target of his corrupt scheme. prgtoken Manager Jason Crow described vividly the human costs of withholding aid from Ukrainian troops fighting a hot war against Russia. prgtoken Manager Adam Schiff tied together the evidence of 's abuse of power--the most serious of impeachable offenses and one that includes extortion and bribery. prgtoken And manager Zoe Lofgren used her extensive experience to provide perspective on 's unprecedente
CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Grace F. Napolitano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-2-5

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 1620. Introduced by the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Luria), H.R. 1620 authorizes the funding for the program for the next five fiscal years, with increased funding levels to better advance Bay restoration protection efforts. This includes $90 million for the prgtoken upcoming fiscal year, incrementally rising to $92 million for fiscal year 2025. prgtoken Since its funding in 1983, EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program has been working toward improving the water quality and ecosystem health of the single largest estuary in the U.S. Reaching to six States, and the District of Columbia, I might add, the Bay is a cherished water and the number of people and local economies impacted by its health make a program like this very essential. prgtoken However, as stakeholders noted in our June 2019 hearing, the ecosystem remains under major stress. The Bay is threatened by nutrient and sediment loads from sources like agricultural runoff, wastewater treatment facilities, land-use changes, urban stormwater runoff and atmospheric deposition. We must continue to prioritize programs like the Chesapeake Bay Program and the protection of our Nation's water. This bill will support the continued cooperative efforts of all involved to achieve the protection of the Chesapeake Bay. prgtoken I would like to recognize several of the bipartisan committee members cosponsoring the bill, including the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Brown), and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), and also a former Member of Congress, God rest his soul, Mr. Cummings. prgtoken , I include in the Record letters of support of H.R. 1620 from: Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Audubon Society, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. September 17, 2019. Hon. Grace F. Napolitano, Chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, Washington, DC. Hon. Bruce Westerman, Ranking Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Napolitano and Ranking Member Westerman: The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) is a national coalition of sportsmen, conservation, and outdoor industry organizations that seeks to ensure all Americans have access to quality places to hunt and fish. We partner with 60 hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations to unite and amplify the voices of America's more-than 40 million sportsmen and women whose activities help sustain the $887-billion outdoor recreation economy. Today, we write in support of the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization
IMPEACHMENT
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2020-2-5

in 2012, the good people of Wisconsin elected me to work for them in the Senate. Like every one of my fellow Senators, I took an oath of office. In 2018, I was reelected and I took that same oath. We have all taken that oath. It is not to support and defend the President--this President or any other. Our oath is to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That is our job every day that we come to work, and it certainly is our job here today. prgtoken Just over 2 weeks ago, we all stood together right here and we took another oath given to us by Chief Justice Roberts to do impartial judgment in this impeachment trial. I have taken this responsibility very seriously. I have listened to both sides make their case. I have reviewed the evidence presented and I have carefully considered the facts. prgtoken From the beginning, I have supported a full, fair, and honest impeachment trial. A majority of this Senate has failed to allow it. I supported the release of critical evidence that was concealed by the White House. The other side of the aisle let President hide it from us, and they voted to keep it a secret from the American people. I voted for testimony of relevant witnesses with direct, firsthand evidence about the President's conduct. Senate s blocked witness testimony because they didn't want to be bothered with the truth. prgtoken Every Senate impeachment trial in our Nation's history has included witnesses, and this Senate trial should have been no different. Unfortunately, it was. A majority of the Senate has taken the unprecedented step of refusing to hear all the evidence, declining all the facts, denying the full truth about this President's corrupt abuse of power. President has obstructed Congress, and this Senate will let him. prgtoken Last month, President 's former National Security Advisor, John Bolton, provided an unpublished manuscript to the White House. The recent media reports about what Ambassador Bolton could have testified to, had he not been blocked as a witness, go to the heart of this impeachment trial--abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. prgtoken As reported, in early May 2019, there was an Oval Office meeting that included President , Mick Mulvaney, Pat Cipollone, Rudy Giuliani, and John Bolton. According to Mr. Bolton, the President directed him to help with his pressure campaign to solicit assistance from Ukraine to pursue investigations that would not only benefit President politically but would act to exonerate Russia from their interference in our 2016 elections. prgtoken Several weeks later, the U.S. Department of Defense certified the release of military aid to Ukraine, concluding that they had taken substantial actions to decrease corruption. This was part of the security assistance we approved in Congress with bipartisan support to help Ukraine fight Russian aggression. However, President bl
RECOGNIZING GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS WEEK
C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-2-5

. Madam , this week, we recognize Gun Violence Survivors Week across our country. In my district alone, there have been 331 gun-related deaths and 716 injuries, including seven mass shootings over the last 7 years. prgtoken There are two sides of the coin when it comes to ending gun violence. Implementing commonsense gun safety measures that a vast majority of Americans support must be our top priority. At the same time, we have to begin addressing the root cause of gun violence in our communities, which is a revolving door phenomenon. Victims of gun violence are caught up in the drug wars, the culture of retaliation, and disrespect. prgtoken In fact, the rate of violent reinjury at most of the Nation's trauma centers is as high as 45 percent. One of the leading risk factors for violent injury is prior violent injury. prgtoken While these victims are recuperating in the hospital, they are a captive audience. They are confined to bed, if only for a few days. This offers us a window of opportunity where we can offer support when they most need it. prgtoken I am in the process of finalizing bipartisan, bicameral legislation with my colleague Congressman Kinzinger from Illinois, and our measure creates a new grant program to provide the victims of gun violence, who often become repeat victims of predators themselves, with the resources they need to stop this vicious cycle. This might include bus money, clothes for a job interview, or some groceries. Often, victims need help finding an affordable apartment or getting off drugs. prgtoken Violence intervention programs, like the ones that our bill will support, work. They reduce recidivism and hospital readmissions, jail time, and unemployment. This is why my previously introduced bill was endorsed by organizations such as the NAACP, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the American College of Surgeons. prgtoken The University of Maryland's Shock Trauma Center has been rated the top trauma center in the world. They support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. They do research as it relates to all sorts of trauma. Shock Trauma is led by Dr. Tom Scalea, with the great doctors, nurses, and aides who work in that great institution. They have implemented this program that I am talking about here today, and let me tell you, it works. prgtoken I am excited to reintroduce my bill so we can work on lowering the rates of firearm deaths throughout the country.
IMPEACHMENT
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2020-2-5

the decision I make today is not an easy one, nor should it be. prgtoken I have approached this serious task with an open and impartial mind, as my trial oath required. I have studied the facts and the evidence of the case before me. prgtoken I have been an attorney for over two decades, and I was the attorney general of Nevada for 8 years. And I keep coming back to what I learned in the courtroom. The law is a technical field, but it is also based on common sense. prgtoken You don't have to study the law for years to know that stealing and cheating are wrong. It is one of the first things we learn in our formative years. prgtoken And you don't have to be a law school professor to realize that a President should not be using the job the American people gave him to benefit himself personally. prgtoken Abraham Lincoln reminded us that our Nation was founded on the essential idea of government ``of the people, by the people, for the people.'' prgtoken As I sat on the Senate floor thinking about President Lincoln and listening to the arguments in President 's impeachment trial, I thought of the awesome responsibility our Founding Fathers entrusted to each Senator. prgtoken I also thought about all of the Nevadans I represent--those who voted for President and those who did not. For those who did, I put myself in prgtoken their shoes and considered how I would respond if the President were from my political party. prgtoken The removal of a sitting President through impeachment is an extraordinary remedy. It rarely occurs, and no Senator should rush into it. prgtoken Yet impeachment is a key part of our constitutional order. When our Founding Fathers designed the Office of the Presidency, the Framers of the Constitution had just gotten rid of a King, and they didn't want another one. prgtoken They were afraid that the President might use his extensive powers for his own benefit. prgtoken To prevent this, the Framers provided for impeachment by the House and trial by the Senate for ``treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.'' prgtoken They didn't have to do things this way. They could have left it up to the courts to hold the trial of a President accused of wrongdoing. prgtoken But they wanted to make sure each branch of government could be a check on the other, which would bring balance to our system of government. prgtoken And the Framers were specifically concerned with the idea of an all- powerful Executive who might abuse his power and invite foreign interference in our elections. prgtoken This concern is reflected in the Articles of Impeachment laid out by the House managers. prgtoken Putting aside the biases I heard coming from both political parties, I focused on getting to the truth of the case--like any trial attorney. prgtoken The truth in any case that I have been involved with starts with the facts. prgtoken For 2 weeks I listened to the arguments presented by both sides, took no
WALTER B. JONES, JR. POST OFFICE
David E. Price (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2020-2-5

I am happy to rise in support of this legislation, H.R. 5037, supporting the designation of the Walter B. Jones, Jr. Post Office in his hometown of Farmville, North Carolina. prgtoken The late Walter Jones was a treasured colleague and a personal friend, and I am glad to join others in the North Carolina delegation and in this Chamber in this fitting tribute. prgtoken Walter, I think we would all agree, charted a path uniquely his own. His warmth and sincerity earned him respect and affection on both sides of the aisle and across the entire spectrum of political attitudes and beliefs. The same was true in North Carolina among his constituents. prgtoken Walter was perhaps best known for his devotion to our men and women in uniform and their families. He was attentive, of course, to the needs of our military bases in North Carolina, but for Walter, this was very personal. He sent more than 10,000 letters to the families of fallen troops, and he memorialized those who died from North Carolina's Camp Lejeune with photos outside his office, all of this demonstrating his genuine dedication to those who serve. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join in support of this resolution so that Walter's memory can be honored in Farmville, a community he loved dearly and served tirelessly.
IMPEACHMENT
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2020-2-5

today the Senate is called upon to uphold our oath of office and our duty to the Constitution because President failed to do so himself. prgtoken After listening closely to the impeachment managers and the President's defense team, weighing the evidence that was presented to us, and being denied the opportunity to see relevant documents and hear from firsthand witnesses, I will vote to find President guilty on both Articles of Impeachment. prgtoken I take no pleasure in voting to impeach a President and remove him from office. I agree with those who say that impeachment should be rare and American voters should decide our elections. That is why it is so galling that President blatantly solicited foreign interference in our democratic process. And he did it as he geared up for reelection. prgtoken The evidence shows President deliberately and illicitly sought foreign help to manufacture a scandal that would elevate him by tarnishing a political rival. prgtoken He attempted to undermine our democracy, using U.S. taxpayer money in the form of U.S. military aid for Ukraine as leverage for his own personal benefit. The President's aides who heard President 's call seeking ``a favor'' from the Ukrainian President immediately sensed it was wrong. So when they alerted the White House lawyers, the record of the call was immediately placed on a highly classified computer system. And despite the President claiming that the version of the call that was publicly released ``is an exact word-for-word transcript of the conversation,'' we know from testimony that there are key omissions in the document we all read. prgtoken Compounding the President's misconduct, he then engaged in an extended cover up that appears to be ongoing to this day. prgtoken There is a lot to unravel here, and I will provide a more detailed legal explanation in the near future. But for now, let me briefly explain my decision and outline my thoughts on the Senate's impeachment proceedings and the disturbing precedents I fear will be set when the majority chooses to side with the President over the Constitution's checks and balances. prgtoken The House of Representatives voted to impeach the President for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Based on the uncontested evidence, I concur. prgtoken It is clear that President and others, such as Mr. Giuliani, who was serving as the President's lawyer, attempted to coerce the newly elected President of Ukraine to announce two sham investigations, including one that sought to directly damage President 's rival in the upcoming election. The President's actions served his personal and political needs, not those of our country. His efforts to withhold military aid to Ukraine for his own personal benefit undermined our national security. prgtoken The second article of impeachment charges the President with obstruction of Congress for blocking testimony and
HONORING GUN VIOLENCE SURVIVORS' WEEK
Lucy McBath (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2020-2-5

I rise in honor of Gun Violence Survivors Week because I, too, am a survivor. prgtoken This week, just a month into the new year, there will have been more gun deaths in the United States than our peer countries will experience in an entire year--one month. prgtoken I wear black today. I wear black all week long to stand for every survivor, every victim, every family that mourns the unnecessary gun deaths that happen each and every single day. prgtoken I met earlier this week with Mary Miller-Strobel, whose brother, Ben, was a combat veteran suffering from depression and PTSD. Ben had lost 30 pounds after his tour. Returning home, his father asked him about his weight loss. Ben replied that he couldn't eat, and he said: ``It's just so hard out there, Dad. It smells like death.'' prgtoken Ben was seeking treatment at a local VA hospital, but his family continued to worry about him. They worried that, in a moment of desperation, Ben might end his own life. prgtoken Mary and her father drove to every gun store in their area. At each store, they showed photos of Ben, pleading with them not to sell him a gun. prgtoken Ben Miller died by suicide. He used a gun that he bought at a local gun store. prgtoken Too often we are told that we must accept these tragedies. We are told that, instead of changing our laws, we must have more active shooter drills, more first graders coming home with tears in their eyes, 6-year-olds asked to decide for themselves whether they are more likely to survive by hiding in a closet or if they should rush the gunman; more mothers reading messages from their children as they are locked inside a school and they are pleading: Mom, if I don't make it, I love you, and I appreciate everything that you have done for me; more vigils each and every day for those that we continue to lose. prgtoken Too often, we are told that we must accept these tragedies. I refuse to accept that. Millions of Americans across the country refuse to accept that. This Congress should refuse to accept that. prgtoken We refuse to accept that, because we have passed bipartisan legislation that will help save lives, legislation like the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, a commonsense bill that will keep guns away from those who should not have them. prgtoken We have passed H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, which would close the Charleston loophole. prgtoken We have passed a bill that gives the CDC and the NIH $25 million to study gun violence, the first of its kind in over 20 years. prgtoken I have even introduced a bill that would give loved ones and law enforcement more tools to keep guns away from those who are a danger to themselves or to others; tools that may have helped Mary save her brother, Ben's life. prgtoken With every unnecessary shooting, we continue to feel the weight of this injustice; and I personally know that sense of injustice. prgtoken When my son, Jordan, was killed, I found myself ask