mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SHOW TRIAL IMPEACHMENT
Lloyd Smucker (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-10-22

. Madam , I rise today to give voice to my constituents on the destructive partisan and secret impeachment inquiry, which really is a slap in the face to the overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania's 11th District who voted for and continue to support President . prgtoken Judith from Ephrata writes: Congressman, my husband and I are furious about this constant push to impeach President . We don't care how many Members of Congress don't like him. It is not their choice; it is ours. prgtoken Rebecca from Lititz writes: I am alarmed at the political climate and attempts to impeach our President. The House has done nothing to solve the issues facing our country and continues to spend their time trying to stop the progress that our President has made. prgtoken Jody from Windsor writes: Can you please tell Pelosi and the that the overwhelming majority of people I interact with in my daily life want them to stop these unfounded impeachment proceedings into President and get back to work fixing the issues we elected Congress to fix? prgtoken Madam , I share my constituents' anger and frustration toward the show trial. This process isn't honest or fair.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2019-10-22

I am pleased that the Senate is beginning debate on the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill for the Departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies. This bill has been included in the appropriations package that has just now been brought before this Chamber. prgtoken Let me begin my remarks by thanking Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy for their bipartisan leadership in advancing these appropriations bills to the Senate floor. Given that we have reached a 2-year, bicameral, bipartisan budget agreement in August and the new fiscal year began on October 1, it is imperative for the Senate to move these bills quickly and to go to conference with the House in order to avoid further continuing resolutions or, even worse, a government shutdown. prgtoken I also want to acknowledge the hard work and strong commitment of my friend and colleague, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking member of the T-HUD Subcommittee. We have worked so closely together in drafting this bill, which includes more than 950 requests from 75 Senators. prgtoken Let me repeat that. We received 950 requests from three-quarters of our colleagues for ideas for this bill, for funding levels, and in support of certain programs. We evaluated all of them very carefully and accommodated as many as we could. prgtoken The T-HUD bill passed the full Appropriations Committee by a unanimous vote of 31 to 0. It reflects a truly bipartisan product. prgtoken The allocation for the fiscal year 2020 transportation-housing appropriations prgtoken bill is $74.3 billion. That is $3.2 billion above the current funding levels. This additional funding is necessary because of rising rental costs across the country and a reduction in the receipts from the Federal Housing Administration that are used to offset some of the spending in this bill. prgtoken In spite of these considerable funding challenges, our bill not only fully funds the renewal of housing assistance for low-income seniors and other vulnerable populations, but it also continues to provide robust investments in our infrastructure. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for the highly effective and popular BUILD grant program. The BUILD program helps fund critical infrastructure projects that promote economic development and the creation of jobs. prgtoken I am proud to say that Maine has won a BUILD grant every year of this program, including a critical $25 million grant to replace the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge that is critical to the operations of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME. prgtoken Particularly important to States like Maine, the bill also provides much needed highway resources. While only 19 percent of the U.S. population lives in rural areas, 46 percent of traffic fatalities occur in rural America. That is because the roads and the bridges in the rural parts of our country are frequently in much poorer condition than th
CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2019
Patrick T. McHenry (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-10-22

such time as I may consume. I am opposed to H.R. 2513, and I want to begin by outlining my opposition. prgtoken This bill before us is a new small business mandate on the smallest businesses in America. The bill before us today requires some of the smallest businesses in America, those with fewer than 20 employees and those with less than $5 million in receipts, to file annually a list of all of their owners with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN. prgtoken For those who are watching on C-SPAN, I have a trivia question for them, . I bet most of them have never heard of FinCEN. I bet those in the House office buildings, , have not heard of FinCEN. It is a little-known agency even here in Washington that deals with financial crimes, in the Treasury Department. prgtoken Imagine you are a small business owner. You are getting a notice from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network mandating that you disclose the owners of your entity. This would be the first consumer-facing intelligence bureau that we would have in the Federal Government. prgtoken This bill would require small business owners and small business investors to submit their personal information to a new Federal database without adequate privacy protections. This new Federal database will be accessible to law enforcement without a warrant and without a subpoena, a disturbing violation of due process, in my view. prgtoken This has the fewest civil liberties protections of any Federal intelligence prgtoken bureau database. It is a lower standard of accountability than what Congress provides in the PATRIOT Act, which largely targets foreign actors. prgtoken According to the National Federation of Independent Business, this bill would also add more than $5.7 billion in new regulatory costs for America's small businesses. prgtoken Supporters of the bill are calling for these changes without any direct evidence to justify the mandate. There is plenty of anecdote, but no data. prgtoken For several months leading up to the committee's consideration of this bill, I sought data from the intelligence bureau called FinCEN and from the Treasury Department, along with the Department of Justice, to better understand the need for this legislation. They provided none. They gave anecdotes of very scary stories to try to compel me as a legislator to vote for what is a very specific threshold in law and a very specific new small business mandate. prgtoken I refuse to legislate based off of anecdotes. I would like to have hard data. My questions have not been answered by FinCEN, the Treasury Department, or the Department of Justice. prgtoken We have no information on how beneficial ownership information will be protected, in addition to that. We do not have information on how the privacy of small businesses will be preserved. In fact, we have an amendment here considered on the House floor that could further exp
Appropriations (Executive Calendar)
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2019-10-22

this afternoon, I rise to urge my colleagues here in the U.S. Senate to support the pending cloture motion on H.R. 3055 so we can get the appropriations process moving. It is already day 22 of the current fiscal year. The entire Federal Government, as you know, is now operating under a continuing resolution, and in less than a month, that continuing resolution will expire. prgtoken By this time last year, Congress had already funded 75 percent of the government, including America's military. It was the first time in 10 years that Congress had funded the military on time. That success paid huge dividends for our country and for our men and women in uniform. Now, they face an uncertain future. The prospect of serial continuing resolutions or, worse, another government shutdown casts a dark shadow over our previous success. Such uncertainty also wreaks havoc on every Federal agency's abilities to plan, and it is acute when it comes to the military. prgtoken As our military leaders seek to ensure that planning and operations keep pace with activities and challenges around the globe, they are faced with the hard reality that Congress is not keeping pace with our own duties here. Congress' failure to do its own job makes that of the military all the more difficult in this troubled world. I believe that is unacceptable. prgtoken Nonetheless, we have hit a stalemate in the appropriations process lately. The clock is ticking on the continuing resolution, as I said, and we have to break through the logjam. I hope we can do it today. The only way to do that is through bipartisan cooperation, as the Presiding Officer knows, as a member of the Appropriations Committee and chair of a very important subcommittee. prgtoken The vice chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee, my good friend, Senator Leahy, a from Vermont, suggested that the Senate proceed first to a package of domestic spending bills to try to break the stalemate. This is what we are trying to do today. In an effort to demonstrate good faith and get off the dime, that is what we are hopefully going to do later today. prgtoken I want to take a minute to thank Senator Leahy for proposing a path forward out of our stall. I would also just like to emphasize to all my colleagues that this path leads to success if it ends with Congress funding the entire government, not just part of it. We have a lot of work to do, but we can do it. We have also before us the opportunity to get it done, so this is where we pick up today. prgtoken Last month, the Appropriations Committee, as the Chair knows, reported 10 bills to the full Senate. If we are able to proceed to H.R. 3055, it is my intention here on the floor to offer a substitute amendment that includes four of these bills that we passed out of the committee, each of which passed unanimously in a bipartisan way. What are those bills, and what do they fund? The Commerce Department, the Justice
STOP IMPEACHMENT SHAM
David Rouzer (Republican, NC) \u2014 2019-10-22

. Madam , this impeachment sham needs to stop. We all know what this is really about: overturning the results of the 2016 election. prgtoken From the outset, Pelosi and Chairman Schiff have conducted this inquiry behind closed doors, out of sight of the American people and us, without a vote to authorize it. prgtoken They have ignored due process, completely disregarded precedent, and made it clear that politics and partisanship are more important than fairness and transparency. prgtoken They denied our side of the aisle the right to subpoena evidence. They have excluded the President's legal team from participating in hearings, cross-examining witnesses, or presenting evidence. This body, quite simply, has been turned into a kangaroo court fixated on unseating the President at any cost. prgtoken Our Constitution, our basic, fundamental principles of fairness, and the millions of Americans who made their voices heard in the 2016 election are being snubbed. prgtoken Madam , it is time to stop this sham.
Election Security Act (Executive Session)
Ron Johnson (Republican, WI) \u2014 2019-10-22

I rise to speak in support of North Macedonia's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. prgtoken North Macedonia's path to NATO accession has been a long one. Despite being regarded early on as a leading candidate for NATO membership, Macedonia's name dispute with Greece became a huge roadblock. A disagreement over a country's name may not seem like a big deal to those looking in from the outside, but getting over this hurdle required significant political courage. prgtoken In 2017, Greece's Prime Minister Tsipras and Macedonia's Prime Minister Zaev displayed that level of political courage when they committed to settle the nearly three decades-long dispute. Because of their leadership, these two nations signed the Prespa agreement last year. Greece agreed to remove its objection and approve Macedonia's accession to NATO in exchange for Macedonia agreeing to change its name to North Macedonia. prgtoken This dispute resolution between Greece and North Macedonia demonstrates that NATO is not only an effective defensive alliance, but it has been a tremendous force for stability in Europe. North Macedonia is poised to soon become NATO's 30th member because it worked to resolve a longstanding bilateral disagreement. prgtoken I support NATO's longstanding open-door policy, and I hope that the goal of NATO membership will continue to guide other aspirants to solve longstanding disputes, fight corruption, and make difficult necessary domestic reforms. prgtoken Beyond North Macedonia's accession, I would like to speak more broadly on how important the NATO alliance is to the United States. NATO is based on the principle of collective defense. Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that an attack against one member is an attack against us all. prgtoken NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg detailed NATO's value when he addressed a joint meeting of Congress earlier this year and both started and ended his speech by saying: ``It is good to have friends.'' I couldn't agree more. prgtoken In the wake of the attacks of 9/11, our friends, our NATO allies, invoked article 5 for the first and only time in the alliance's history. Our NATO allies and many of the aspirants stood shoulder to shoulder with us in Afghanistan. They lost 1,000 of their sons and daughters in honoring their commitment by fighting alongside us. The United States should never forget our NATO allies' contribution and sacrifice. prgtoken A strong NATO alliance is just as important and relevant today as it was at its founding in 1949. I am pleased that the full Senate is taking up this measure to approve North Macedonia's accession to NATO, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor with a resounding yes. prgtoken .
BUDGET ENFORCEMENT LEVELS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-10-22

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 will soon consider S. Amdt. 948 to H.R. 3055, the Commerce, Justice, Science, Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act, 2020. The Senate amendment provides appropriations for spending within the jurisdiction of all the subcommittees in the underlying bill except for the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related prgtoken Agencies. The measure contains spending that qualifies for cap adjustments under current law. prgtoken This measure includes $2,500 million in nonsecurity budget authority that is designated as being for the periodic U.S. Census pursuant to section 251 (b)(2)(G) of BBEDCA. CBO estimates that this budget authority will result in $1,800 million in outlays in fiscal year 2020. prgtoken This measure also includes $2,250 million in nonsecurity discretionary budget authority for wildfire suppression operations pursuant to section 251 (b)(2)(F) of BBEDCA. This budget authority and its associated outlays of $2,250 million qualify for an adjustment under BBEDCA. prgtoken As such, I am revising the budget authority and outlay allocations to the Committee on Appropriations by increasing revised nonsecurity budget authority by $4,750 million and outlays by $4,050 million in fiscal year 2020. Further, I am increasing the budgetary aggregate for fiscal year 2020 by $4,750 million in budget authority and $4,050 million in outlays. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that the accompanying tables, which provide details about the adjustment, be printed in the Record.
IMPEACHMENT SAD ACT OF POLITICAL THEATER
Ben Cline (Republican, VA) \u2014 2019-10-22

. Madam , time and again my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have made it clear that this impeachment process is nothing but a sad act of political theater. prgtoken The impeachment of a President, the attempt to insert the U.S. Congress between the American people and the President they elected 3 years ago, the attempts by this House leadership to prevent the American people from making their choice in the election next November, this is a serious matter and must not be abused as a tool for partisan gain or advantage in the next election. prgtoken I have witnessed on the Judiciary Committee, as a proud member of that committee, repeatedly fail to find evidence to support a case for impeaching this President. prgtoken Now, in the realization of this fact and at the expense of fundamental fairness and due process, the has removed any further investigation from the Judiciary Committee so that impeachment can be conducted in secret and out of public view--no vote to proceed, no public hearings, no access to testimony, no ability to call witnesses. prgtoken This is a sham, and the American people won't have it any longer.
GEORGIA SUPPORT ACT
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-10-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I would like to start by thanking Mr. Connolly and Mr. Kinzinger for authoring this excellent bill. prgtoken This measure comes before us at a crucial time. As President takes a sledgehammer to our country's standing in the world, it falls to the Congress to uphold our relationships with our friends and partners. Strong alliances and partnerships make a stronger, safer America, and it is important for our national security to make sure that our friends can defend themselves against hostile adversaries. That is especially true for a country like Georgia, who is fighting President Putin's aggression every single day. prgtoken In 2008, Russia invaded and occupied parts of Georgia, flagrantly breaking international law and violating Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. And now, over a decade later, Russia hasn't let up the assault on Georgia. Cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns, human rights violations--this is what the people of Georgia endure from Putin's regime all the time. So we must support Georgia's efforts to protect itself. prgtoken The Georgia Support Act calls on the U.S. to continue to support Georgia's democratic institutions, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. It also provides critical assistance for Georgia's struggle against Russian aggression, supporting efforts to boost cybersecurity and counter Russian disinformation. And it slaps sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. prgtoken We should be strengthening our relationship with Georgia and bringing it into the fold of the EU and NATO. This is a good bill that moves us in the right direction, showing that Congress stands with Georgia. I strongly support this measure, and I urge all Members to join me in doing so. prgtoken , . House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC, October 21, 2019. Hon. Richard E. Neal, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Neal: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 598, the Georgia Support Act. I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this legislation. I acknowledge that provisions of the bill fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means under House Rule X, and that your Committee will forgo action on H.R. 598 to expedite floor consideration. I further acknowledge that the inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the matters contained in the bill that fall within your jurisdiction. I will also support the appointment of Committee on Ways and Means conferees during a
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF ELIJAH CUMMINGS
Anthony G. Brown (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-10-22

as we mourn our dear colleague, Elijah Cummings, I rise today to say farewell to a good man, a faithful servant, and a true friend. prgtoken During the past 2 days, much has been said about Elijah. His life was well documented, although his humility prevented him from seeking the attention or the limelight, either in life or in death. prgtoken I admired and respected Elijah. I looked up to him. prgtoken When I was first elected in 1998 to the Maryland House of Delegates, Elijah was one of the first calls I got. He didn't call to say congratulations, although his kind words meant a great deal to me. Rather, he called to tell me about my responsibility to the people whom I serve. Elijah told me, if you are going to be your best, you can only be so if you focus your work on empowering the people we serve. prgtoken Years later, when I struggled with the decision to run for Lieutenant Governor, I called Elijah for his advice. During our conversation, he didn't tell me what to do. Rather, Elijah challenged me to do that which best positioned me to empower the people. prgtoken For Elijah, everything we did was about empowering the people we serve. prgtoken In Elijah's first floor speech delivered 23\1/2\ years ago, after winning a special election, he told us that he was on ``a mission and a vision to empower people, to make people realize that the power is within them.'' prgtoken Elijah, you did your job. You fulfilled your mission. prgtoken Elijah was not an ordinary man who lived an extraordinary life. No, Elijah was an extraordinary man who did extraordinary things during his life, things to empower people. prgtoken Raised out of poverty and through adversity, he achieved many successes despite the odds and the obstacles. The son of sharecroppers, he earned not only a law degree but received 12 honorary doctoral degrees, all of which represent his dedication to empowering people. prgtoken I, like so many in this Chamber, was the recipient of Elijah's generosity. His greatest gift to us was the ability to challenge all of us to do better and not just to accept things as they are. prgtoken Elijah would always say, ``We are better than this.'' He led by example, taught us by doing and showing, not just talking--although his talk, his speech, his quiet advice, and most memorably, his powerful oratory were truly inspiring and matchless. prgtoken When I ran for Governor, Elijah supported me. What I will always remember is not that he stood by my side on the stage on the evening of my primary election victory, but, rather, that months later, he was standing by my side late into the night as I experienced a difficult general election defeat. prgtoken That was Elijah. His support was unwavering, his friendship unconditional, and his encouragement uplifting. prgtoken When I successfully ran for Congress, Elijah and Maya were there for me and Karmen, ready and eager to help us prepare for the rigors of Congress. I thank both Elija