mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (Executive Calendar)
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-8-16

I rise today to speak on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States. One of the great privileges we have in the U.S. Senate is the responsibility of confirming nominees a President puts forward for this awesome lifetime responsibility on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Likewise, nominating Justices to the Supreme Court is one of the most important responsibilities the Constitution bestows upon the President of the United States. President knows this, obviously, and has clearly taken this charge very seriously. prgtoken Last year, President made an outstanding choice in nominating Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. I remember the debate on this floor, and I am delighted with his performance since he has been on the U.S. Supreme Court. President has again put forward an impressive nominee in Judge Brett Kavanaugh for this awesome responsibility on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken A former clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy, Judge Kavanaugh is an accomplished, experienced jurist with over 300 published opinions. More than 50 circuit court opinions cite one of his concurrences or dissents, and the Supreme Court has actually endorsed his opinions more than a dozen times. prgtoken Judge Kavanaugh has dedicated his life to public service, serving in various roles in the executive branch under President and for the last 12 years on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the DC Circuit. prgtoken Throughout his years of service, Judge Kavanaugh has also had a very positive impact on those around him. Just last week, one of Judge Kavanaugh's earliest clerks was sworn in to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit of the United States. That judge is Judge Britt Grant, a native Georgian. prgtoken Judge Grant clerked for Judge Kavanaugh, served on Georgia's Supreme Court, was elected to a full term without opposition, and is now a justice on the U.S. Court of Appeals. Judge Kavanaugh introduced her when she was sworn in to the Georgia Supreme Court, and he swore her in to the court of appeals last week. That both Judge Grant and Judge Kavanaugh are where they are today is a testament to their years of service and work upholding the U.S. Constitution. prgtoken Even with Judge Kavanaugh's outstanding qualifications, which transcend party lines, some of my colleagues across the aisle are already hysterically opposing him. In fact, some of my colleagues promised to vote against the nominee before Judge Kavanaugh had even officially been nominated. That kind of blind partisanship is exactly what the American people find unacceptable about Washington--one of the many things. prgtoken Judge Kavanaugh is an independent, well-qualified nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court who will defend and uphold the U.S. Constitution. By the way, at the White House, when the President announced that Judge Kavanaugh would be his nominee,
TRIBUTE TO WILL HANNEMANN
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-8-16

today I recognize Will Hannemann, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. prgtoken Will is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, prgtoken he is attending Augustana University in Sioux Falls, SD, where he is pursuing degrees in history, political science, and secondary education. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. prgtoken I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Will for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.
REMEMBERING PAUL JOSEPH GILMER, JR.
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2018-8-16

I wish to acknowledge the loss of a public servant, veteran, and good man, Paul Joseph Gilmer, Jr and recognize his years of service to the people of West Virginia. prgtoken Paul's life serves as an example to those who strive to be the change they want to see in their communities. He was an active member and leader of several community organizations and a mentor to innumerable Charleston youth. Furthermore, he was a family man whose memory and legacy will live on through his wife, children, grandchildren, and all those who knew and loved him. prgtoken A lifelong resident of Charleston, Paul went to Dunbar High School before serving in the U.S. Army. He returned to the Kanawha Valley to continue his education, graduating from West Virginia State University with a bachelor's degree, and went on to work for IBM for 25 years. prgtoken Following his career with IBM, Paul entered public service and worked for the city of Charleston in the city manager and mayor's offices before being elected as a city councilman. He was the executive director of the Community Council of Kanawha Valley, Inc and senior vice president of the United Way of Kanawha Valley. An entrepreneur, Paul was also the owner of Business, Tax and Accounting Services, as well as PJ Gilmer, Inc. prgtoken Beyond his career, Paul devoted his time to various community organizations, serving in leadership capacities at the Kanawha Valley Collective, the National Association of Planning and Research Councils, the West Virginia Center for Civic Life, and the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center, among many others. He also served as a volunteer manager of several youth sports programs, impacting the lives of the next generation by his example and his message of working tirelessly to effect positive change. prgtoken Above all, however, Paul was a family man. He leaves behind his wife of 45 years, Linda, as well as his children Batese, Melissa, Ryan, Charles, Shawn, and Anthony, and their children. He is also survived by his mother and four siblings. prgtoken Paul told the young men and women he mentored ``not to achieve, but overachieve,'' in order to do something positive with their lives. Paul's life was a testament to his message, as he overachieved in making Charleston, WV, a stronger community. It was an honor to call him a friend and fellow West Virginian.
Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh (Executive Calendar)
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-8-16

I come to the floor of the Senate today to express myself on Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who has been named by President to the Supreme Court of the United States, subject to the confirmation of the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Probably the most serious responsibility all of us have is the confirmation of those who are appointed to lifetime appointments in the judiciary and certain other high places in our government. It is a responsibility that should be treasured, respected, and never abused or never trivialized. prgtoken President has done what every President has done in the past: He has nominated the best available--Brett Kavanaugh, who stands before this Senate today. There is no better person for the job on the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Brett Kavanaugh is the real deal. He is the real deal, and he went to Yale. That doesn't make him great. I think the University of Georgia is great, myself. But the Yankees have been bragging about Yale, so we always say nice things about them. He is very smart. He graduated cum laude from Yale. prgtoken He has trained so many young lawyers in his career, it is not even funny. He has had so many clerk with him. He has written so much that has been copied by other courts and adopted as a part of law; it is a great testimony to his ability and his intellect. prgtoken He served several years as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, a private firm. He served as a clerk at the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. He has been a teacher and today teaches at Harvard University in the Samuel Williston lecture series and was nominated by Elena Kagan, a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken He is the real deal in a lot of ways, and I want to take a minute to share why I am going to vote for him. I want somebody on the Supreme Court who understands me--an average American, somebody who has a family, two kids, works for a living, loves their country, and would do the right thing and will not do it for any other reason than to do the right thing. prgtoken My motto in life has always been Mark Twain's quote: When confronted with a difficult decision, do what is right. You will surprise a few, but you will amaze the rest. Doing the right thing is the right thing to do every time, but it is the hardest thing to at do almost any time. In fact, as my father used to say: Son, do what you want to do when nobody is looking, and when nobody is looking, do the same thing you do when they are looking because you always want to do the right thing regardless of the question and regardless of what answer you have to give. prgtoken The Supreme Court is a tremendous responsibility in our government. It is one-third of our government. We have a three-legged school of government: the bureaucracy--we are in the legislative branch; the executive branch, which the President runs; but the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter. I want a level-headed person who understands me making those deci
NOMINATION OF BRETT KAVANAUGH
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-8-16

I rise to discuss the confirmation process for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. For the last few weeks, have complained endlessly about documents. First, they said there weren't enough documents. Then, when the Judiciary Committee released a recordbreaking number of documents, complained there wasn't enough time to review them all. They then complained that the documents were not public. When we made the documents public, the were disappointed to find they contained no smoking gun. There has been much ado about documents, but in the end it is much ado about nothing. prgtoken One thing I have heard many of my colleagues say is, because we reviewed all of Justice Elena Kagan's records from her time in the executive branch, we must review every last scrap of paper that crossed Judge Kavanaugh's desk while he was in the executive branch. That just isn't so. prgtoken When Justice Kagan was nominated, the Senate did not ask for, nor did it receive, all of her records from her time in the administration. In fact, the Senate never requested, and the administration never provided, any of Justice Kagan's records from her time as Solicitor General. prgtoken They certainly didn't ask for every document from the Solicitor General's Office that contained a mere reference to Justice Kagan ``by name, initials, or title.'' prgtoken Producing sensitive internal deliberations and other documents from the Solicitor General's Office would have been extraordinarily inappropriate and even damaging to the executive branch, which is exactly why the Senate did not ask for Justice Kagan's records. This decision was especially difficult because Justice Kagan had no judicial records to review. prgtoken By contrast, we have over 12 years of Judge Kavanaugh's rulings on the DC Circuit. These rulings, which my ic colleagues are reluctant to even acknowledge, let alone talk about, are the most relevant documents for evaluating what type of Justice Judge Kavanaugh will be. prgtoken Judge Kavanaugh's court decisions are highly relevant to understanding his legal reasoning. The same can't be said of his White House documents, which more accurately reflect the conveyor belt process for Presidential decision making. prgtoken Those who argue they need every document that even mentions Judge Kavanaugh are only now realizing the absurdity of this argument. At this point, are simply stalling for time. They made no effort to make their proposals any less unreasonable, and Senator Grassley rightly rejected them. prgtoken By now, Americans are starting to see through the ruse. The real objective of these ridiculous demands is to delay--delay Judge Kavanaugh's hearing to delay his inevitable confirmation. prgtoken Last week, Senator Grassley announced that the hearing for Judge Kavanaugh would start on September 4. Immediately, insisted that the committee is rushing to hold Judge Ka
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-8-16

it is Thursday. Even though we had a short week here in the Senate, it is one of my favorite times of the week because I get to talk about the Alaskan of the Week, which is a recognition we give to somebody who is doing something important in our State. prgtoken I can see by the smile on the pages' faces that it is their favorite time of the week, too, because we talk about Alaska and we talk about somebody who is making a difference. Maybe, it is a difference just in their local community. Maybe, it is in the State. Maybe, it is nationwide. prgtoken What I really enjoy doing in this speech every week is not just highlighting my great State. Of course, we all think our States are great. I know the Presiding Officer thinks his State is great, and I encourage people watching on TV or in the Galleries to come on up to Alaska. You will have the trip of a lifetime. There is great fishing right now and wonderful, beautiful scenery, but the reason you will love it so much is the people--strong, tough, resilient, wonderful people. That is what we do in terms of the Alaskan of the Week. We talk about the people. prgtoken Today, I want to talk about someone very special, a woman who has become a good friend of mine, named Kara Nelson. She is our Alaskan of the Week. Kara calls Juneau home. prgtoken Sometimes our Alaskans of the Week are unsung heroes. Maybe they have been working on something for years--decades, really--and not a lot of people know what they are doing. Other times, their efforts go from something prgtoken hardly noticed to somebody who is really noticed. I would say that Kara is somebody who, over the last couple of years, is really noticed. She is kind of a rock star in the State, and to be honest, she deserves the attention that she is given. prgtoken Kara works with women who have been in trouble, who have struggled with the issues of addiction, and have gone to prison sometimes for it. She is working with women who are trying to get a new start in life. There is nothing more important, I think--whether it is in Alaska or Louisiana, or anywhere in the country--than to give people a new start. prgtoken Here is a little bit about Kara, who has been generous enough to share her story openly, because it can be a difficult story to tell. She was born and raised mostly in Ketchikan--``logging camps,'' she calls them. She was a good student. She was a good athlete. She got good grades. But then, unfortunately, like too many of our young people today--whether in Alaska or anywhere across the country--she started using drugs. prgtoken Eventually drugs took over her life completely. She dropped out of high school, and, in her words, ``lived the life of an addict'' for 20 years. For two decades, she was addicted to heroin and other drugs. She was arrested in 2005 for drug-related charges. For years--again, like so many people who we are seeing in our country--she ping-ponged in and out of prison u
BUDGETARY REVISIONS
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-8-16

section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, BBEDCA, establishes statutory limits on discretionary spending and allows for various adjustments to those limits. In addition, sections 302 and 314(a) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 allow the chairman of the Budget Committee to establish and make revisions to allocations, aggregates, and levels consistent with those adjustments. prgtoken The Senate is considering S. Amdt. 3695, a ``minibus'' spending measure covering programs within the jurisdiction of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. The defense portion of this amendment includes provisions designated as overseas contingency operations funding pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of BBEDCA. These provisions provide $67,914 million in revised security budget authority and $37,285 million in outlays for fiscal year 2019. The inclusion of the overseas contingency operations designations with these provisions makes this spending eligible for an adjustment under the Congressional Budget Act. prgtoken The amendment also includes provisions designated as program integrity spending pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(B), section 251(b)(2)(C), and section 251(b)(2)(E) of BBEDCA. CBO estimates these provisions will increase budget authority by $1,897 million and outlays by $1,573 million in fiscal year 2019. The budget authority from these provisions is categorized as nonsecurity spending. prgtoken Accordingly, I am increasing the fiscal year 2019 budgetary aggregate by $69,464 million in budget authority and $38,556 million in outlays. Further, I am revising the budget authority allocations to the Committee on Appropriations by increasing revised security budget authority by $67,914 million, revised nonsecurity budget authority by $1,897 million, and outlays by $38,858 million in fiscal year 2019. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying tables, which provide details about the adjustment, be printed in the Record.
Reaffirming the Vital and Indispensable Role the Free Press Serves (Executive Session)
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-8-16

in a few minutes, we are going to vote on Marvin Quattlebaum to be a circuit judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Richmond, VA. He is a South Carolina native and a district court judge in South Carolina. I have known Marvin for well over 20 years. He is one of the most capable lawyers I have ever met. He has a great reputation as a district court judge. prgtoken I thank President for nominating him. I thank my Senate colleagues for moving his nomination forward. He will be a great addition to the Fourth Circuit. He is a very sound, conservative judge who is incredibly fairminded. To my ic colleagues who moved his nomination through the Judiciary Committee, thank you. prgtoken Later in the day, we will vote on cloture on the nomination of Jay Richardson, also from South Carolina, to be on the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, VA. He was reported out of committee 20 to 1. Both gentlemen are rated unanimously ``well-qualified'' by the ABA. Jay is one of the great legal minds of our time, and I think he is going to be a great addition to the Fourth Circuit. prgtoken He prosecuted the Dylann Roof case, the man who killed the nine parishioners at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. I recommend that you take time to listen to his arguments about that case if you ever get a chance. It is very eloquent. prgtoken Both of these fine men come from South Carolina, and I urge my colleagues to vote affirmative when that time comes. I do want to again thank President . Senator Scott and I both highly recommend to our colleagues ``yes'' votes for Mr. Quattlebaum and Mr. Richardson in just a minute. prgtoken I thank Senator McConnell for moving these nominations forward and Senator Grassley for making sure they got out of committee. prgtoken With that, I yield.
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-8-16

I am here to call on the Senate leadership to bring up the Water Resources Development Act, or the WRDA bill. It needs to come up soon for consideration because right now, in Florida, we are facing a massive environmental and economic crisis, and it is so sweeping that it brings up the memories of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oilspill, or the BP oilspill. prgtoken Right now, neon green slime is clogging the Caloosahatchee River on the west coast, and the St. Lucie River on the east. I have been to Stuart on the east coast. I have smelled the stench of toxic algae choking the waterways. I have talked to mothers and grandparents who are worried about exposing their children to the harmful toxins, and they are concerned about this if they get anywhere near there. That is why we wrote to the CDC, asking for healthcare guidance. prgtoken I have met with business owners who have literally had to close their shops because of the algae. If they are fishing boat captains, obviously, that is what happens. If it is a bait and tackle shop--you get the picture. If the stench of algae is so bad in the location of a shop--whatever its business--they still have to close. It is not right. It is not fair for the hard-working fishing guides, the restaurant employees, or anybody who has a business involving our beautiful beaches. People enjoying the natural bounty are all being affected through no fault of their own. That is on the east coast. prgtoken On the west coast of Florida, our white sand beaches aren't as crowded with tourists, but with what? The rancid corpses of fish. This is the pufferfish. This is on one of Southwest Florida's beaches. The turtles are casualties from massive, noxious red tide. This event--a bacteria that occasionally appears in the Gulf of Mexico has moved very close to the shore this year. It has lasted for 10 months and counting. Hotels and restaurants are half full. Boat captains are facing one cancellation after another. Look at this. This is on a beach where 267 tons of dead fish and sea life have been removed from about 150 miles of Florida's world-renowned beaches, and that is just this year alone. prgtoken These pictures are horrifying enough, but go there; it is even worse in person. The local governments have spent a lot of money going out and cleaning up the beaches. What has happened is absolutely heartbreaking. I am a fifth-generation Floridian, and I have never seen it this bad. prgtoken I have never seen our beautiful beaches covered like this. That is why Senator Rubio and I are pushing so hard for the Water Resources Development Act. It includes a critical project to address the algae by providing additional water storage for Lake Okeechobee so that the Army Corps doesn't have to discharge so much to the east and west. prgtoken It also, very importantly, authorizes a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee, along with stormwater treatment areas, which can help clean up the
VOTE EXPLANATION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-8-16

I was necessarily absent for vote No. 183 on confirmation of the nomination of A. Marvin Quattlebaum, Jr to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Fourth Circuit. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on confirmation of the nomination, as I did in the Judiciary Committee. prgtoken Further, I was necessarily absent for vote Nos. 184 and 185, relative to the nomination of Julius Ness Richardson to be a U.S. circuit judge for the Fourth Circuit. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on the motion to invoke cloture and yea on confirmation of the nomination, as I did in the Judiciary Committee.