mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 54
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-11-28

I rise today to discuss my vote on the motion to discharge S.J. Res. 54. This resolution is a joint resolution to direct the removal of the U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by this Congress. prgtoken As my colleagues well know, since March of 2017, I have focused on the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and ending the civil war that has made it so much worse. During that time period, I have spent as much time as anyone I can conceive of here on Capitol Hill focusing on this humanitarian tragedy in Yemen--this national security disaster. I have studied all sides of this issue and have tried to approach it with the seriousness it deserves. prgtoken Before saying where I am going to come down on today's vote, I wish to discuss why I opposed S.J. Res. 54 in March, what has happened since then, and why I plan to vote the way I do today. prgtoken In March, I voted to table S.J. Res. 54. In a speech here on the Senate floor on March 20, I explained my three reasons for doing so at that time. prgtoken First, I expressed concern that the bill hadn't been considered and marked up by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which I am a member. prgtoken Second, I said that it would never become law because the administration has threatened to veto it, and even if Congress were able to override a veto, I said it would fail to achieve its stated objective, because the administration rejects the premise that the legislation is related to hostilities in Yemen. prgtoken Third, I said I wanted to introduce legislation that could actually pass and provide the administration with the leverage it needs to pressure the Government of Saudi Arabia to do two things: No. 1, end the civil war in Yemen, and, No. 2, improve the humanitarian situation. prgtoken What has transpired since then? Well, I, along with Senators Shaheen, Collins, and Coons, introduced S.J. Res. 58 on April 11. prgtoken Our bill required the Secretary of State to repeatedly certify the Government of Saudi Arabia is taking urgent steps to end the civil war in Yemen, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and reduce the risk to civilians. If he cannot make these written, detailed, and unclassified certifications, the legislation would prohibit U.S. air refueling for Saudi-led coalition aircraft, conducting missions exclusively focused on the civil war in Yemen. prgtoken We, in a bipartisan way, worked successfully to ensure the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee passed versions of our legislation. We then worked, in a bipartisan way, to ensure it was included in the National Defense Authorization Act as section 1290, which the President of the United States signed into law. prgtoken In September, pursuant to section 1290, Secretary of State Pompeo sent to prgtoken Congress the required submission regarding Saudi actions in Yemen. Secretary Pompeo chose not to use the na
REMEMBERING BARNEY GOTTSTEIN
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-11-28

today, as the Senate returns from recess, I wanted to speak in loving memory of Barney Gottstein, a patriarch of Alaska's Jewish community, who passed away on October 21 at the age of 91. He was buried in the Anchorage Cemetery on October 22, in accordance with Jewish burial traditions. prgtoken I suspect that my colleagues might not be aware that Alaska is home to a thriving Jewish community or that the origins of that community preceded statehood by generations. One might be even more surprised to know that Barney was not the first generation of Gottsteins to occupy a leadership role in pre-Statehood Alaska, but the second generation. The Gottstein family is up to four generations of leadership, with a fifth--the great-grandchildren--now in place. prgtoken The first generation, Barney's father, Jacob B. Gottstein, originally of Des Moines, IA, came to Anchorage in 1915, selling cigars and confections out of the tent city established to construct the Alaska Railroad. Jake, as he was known, then opened a wholesale grocery and dry goods business, known as J.B. Gottstein & Co which made sales calls by dog sled. You can't get more Alaskan than that. Jake passed away in 1963. prgtoken Barney was born in Des Moines in 1925, but soon moved to Anchorage, population 2,500, where he was raised. He enlisted in the Army and served in the Army Air Corps. After the war, Barney went to the University of Washington studying to be an aeronautical engineer. That didn't work out so well. He was told by a counselor that anti-Semitism would likely prevent Barney from getting a job in his chosen field, so he switched to business and economics and came home to work in the family business, but he didn't abandon his love for flying. Barney was a licensed private pilot who loved to fly around Alaska and beyond. prgtoken By the time Barney returned home, the family business was growing as fast as the state. The focus had changed from dry goods to wholesale groceries. Barney took it the next step. One of J.B. Gottstein's customers was the Carr Brothers Grocery. The rest is history. prgtoken Barney partnered with Larry Carr to grow the retail grocery business and pursue real estate ventures. Carr's Quality Centers sprung up throughout Alaska, along with an associated chain of Eagle markets. By the late 1980s, the Carr-Gottstein group of companies was the largest Alaska-owned business in the State. Barney and Larry sold the grocery side of the business in 1990 but remained in the real estate business. Today, the Carr's name remains on grocery stores in Anchorage, Eagle River, and the Mat-Su Valley. prgtoken In 1989, Barney was inducted into the Alaska Business Hall of Fame, and in 1991, he was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. prgtoken Barney's business success in Alaska was deeply respected, but his community engagement even more so. He was chair of the Alaska Board of Educati
RECOGNIZING LIEUTENANT TOM MORGAN
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-11-28

at the remarkable age of 98, Lieutenant Tom Morgan is retiring as the oldest active lawman in the State of Texas and probably the United States. Tom patrols the rivers, bayous, and lakes of County, Texas for the Sheriff's Office. prgtoken Tom first volunteered to serve America in 1942 as a marine in World War II. He was in combat and landed on the brutal, bloody beaches of Guadalcanal, Okinawa, and Saipan in the South Pacific. prgtoken After getting malaria and after 4 years of war, Tom was reactivated for combat in the Korean war. After those wars, Tom became a pipeline engineer in Houston for 30 years. prgtoken Then, at the age of 72, he was hired by the sheriff's department and became the oldest cadet ever to graduate from the academy. For 26 years, he has put on the badge and the gun to protect and serve the people of Texas. prgtoken Houston salutes this marine, engineer, and 98-year-old lawman as a person who is a cut above the rest of us. prgtoken Happy trails, Lieutenant Tom Morgan. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
Russia and Ukraine (Executive Session)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-11-28

I have two topics. I want to talk in a moment or two about National Adoption Month, but before I do that, I want to talk just a minute about Russia's continued outrageous behavior in Ukraine and the most recent incident where Russia has manufactured another crisis in order to take advantage of whatever situation they think the moment is ripe for. Clearly this has been allowed to go on for too long. prgtoken While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, I think NATO countries-- including ours--have a great interest in what is happening in Ukraine with Putin's continued aggressive behavior. We had a joint session--the only joint session where the President of Ukraine has spoken--a few years ago. He made the point that they appreciated the humanitarian help, but I thought the most telling moment in that speech was when he said: We appreciate the humanitarian help, we appreciate the blankets, but you can't fight the Russians with blankets. prgtoken That was the time under the administration when we were not giving Ukraine either the defensive or offensive capacity they needed. President has made a different decision, which I support, in helping the Ukrainians defend themselves. prgtoken I also support whatever we can do at this moment to let it be known to Putin that we are supportive of Ukraine's efforts to have an independent, democratic government, that we will continue to be supportive of that and we will continue to be helpful in that effort, and President Putin had better be careful that he doesn't take one step too far. In fact, he has already taken steps further than should have been allowed. Those steps--the seizure of Crimea, the invasion of eastern Ukraine by people who were clearly Russian soldiers in plain green uniforms--should not have been allowed. The President has to deal with that, but we need to deal with that in a way that gives Ukraine all the help they need in dealing with that themselves. prgtoken Whether the President should make that point by not meeting with Putin or whether he should make that point by meeting with Putin and clearly expressing not only our concern but our absolute rejection of the efforts the Russian Government has made toward Ukraine in an aggressive way, I don't know. I do know that it is time for us to be very clear about how we feel about that and emphasize our continued commitment to the NATO countries along the Russian border, that we absolutely will respond if there is any aggression toward those NATO countries. Frankly, we should be aggressive in our efforts to help Ukraine defend itself.
NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-11-28

I thank my friend very much. We have been friends a long time and brothers in Christ during all of that time. prgtoken It is important to give proper recognition where that recognition is due and, actually, the words of John Adams, our first Vice President under our Constitution, who wrote to Thomas Jefferson on Christmas Day 1813 and said: ``I have examined all, as well as my narrow sphere, my straitened means, and my busy life would allow me; and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world. It contains more of my little philosophy than all the libraries I have seen; and such parts of it as I cannot reconcile to my little philosophy, I postpone for future investigation.'' prgtoken It also should be noted that it was the first thing that was published. It was in 1782, the United States Congress authorized the printing and said that: ``Whereupon, Resolved, That the United States in Congress assembled highly approve the pious and laudable undertaking of Mr. Aitkin, as subservient to the interest of religion as well as an instance of the progress of arts in this country, and being satisfied from the above report, of his care and accuracy in the execution of the work, they recommend this edition of the Bible to the inhabitants of the United States, and hereby authorize him to publish this recommendation. . . . `' prgtoken That was the Bible. And even a letter from George Washington, wishing that that had been published in time that he could have made a gift to every one of the soldiers in the Revolution. prgtoken But this is a statement--this is my uncle's little New Testament. On the front, in metal, it says: ``May the Lord be with you.'' It was given to the members of the military in World War II. And inside it says: ``The White House, Washington. As Commander in Chief, I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the Armed Forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries, men of many faiths and diverse origins have prgtoken found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel, and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.'' Signed, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. prgtoken It was an inspiration then. It is an inspiration now. As C.S. Lewis said: This is our messages from our home headquarters while we are behind what he called rebel-occupied territory in this world where the prince of darkness is too often found. prgtoken It has been the most quoted book in the history of Congress, and I would hope and pray that will continue.
TRIBUTE TO ALEXANDER HUG
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2018-11-28

I wish to recognize Alexander Hug, an exceptional international civil servant who has played a crucial role in ensuring that the world knows the truth about Russia's aggression against Ukraine. This Kremlin-directed war, now entering its 5th year, is responsible for more than 10,300 fatalities and over 24,000 injuries, including as many as 9,000 civilians. It has affected 4.4 million in eastern Ukraine and displaced some 1.8 million people. prgtoken Mr. Hug, a Swiss national, completed his tour of duty as Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the OSCE's Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine on October 31. He had served in this position since 2014 and oversaw the mission as it grew from approximately 100 monitors to more than 700. prgtoken This unarmed civilian mission provides clear, unbiased official reporting from the war zone on ceasefire violations and the human costs of the conflict. It does this despite continuous threats and deliberate attempts to undermine and sabotage its work. The mission's reporting is a crucial counterpoint to the barrage of Kremlin propaganda that seeks to obfuscate the true nature and scale of Russia's role as a direct participant and the aggressor in the war. prgtoken The mission has not only kept the world informed about the true nature of the war in eastern Ukraine; under Hug's leadership, it has also helped mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe that the war has caused. In particular, the negotiation of localized ceasefires has allowed for the delivery of humanitarian aid and repairs to be made to critical infrastructure. prgtoken Mr. Hug has also been a compelling advocate for basic steps toward peace, such as the withdrawal of heavy weapons and the granting of unfettered access to the monitoring mission across the entirety of Ukraine's sovereign territory. prgtoken Mr. Hug's candor and clarity were on full display when he briefed a congressional audience at a Helsinki Commission briefing on November 30, 2017. He movingly paid witness to the human costs of the conflict and left no doubt about the sources behind the flagrant and daily ceasefire violations that continue to fuel the fighting. prgtoken Mr. Hug's sterling reputation as a courageous, tough, and principled diplomat is well-earned. He has personally faced significant physical risk in service of the mission's mandate, including direct threats against his convoy by Russia-led forces and being caught in the crossfire between combatants. In July 2014, undeterred by an uncertain security situation, Mr. Hug engaged personally and to great effect at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine. prgtoken The dangers faced by Mr. Hug and the monitors he led were made all too clear on April 23, 2017. On that tragic day, Joseph Stone, an American citizen, was killed when his armored vehicle hit a landmine in territory controlled by Russia-led forces. prgtoken Alexander Hug's leadership in this chal
NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK
Tim Walberg (Republican, MI) \u2014 2018-11-28

, Representative Lamborn, and I appreciate his intentionality in bringing us together each year to talk about this, having had that opportunity, now into my fifth term, each year to remind ourselves of the impact of the Bible. prgtoken It has had a rich heritage in this country, a country that is free, a country that offers liberty for all who would have personal beliefs, religious and otherwise. It even allows freedom in this country, a country that was truly established on Biblical principles, but, nonetheless, it allows freedom for people to not even have a belief or a religion. prgtoken I think that is the beauty of my understanding of the Bible in that it is a book that offers freedom to people to come to understand it, to read it, to have it impact their lives. prgtoken I can say for a fact that the Bible is more than just a book, a historical book, a book of tradition, a book of writings of religious perspective and spiritual nature; but, rather, it is a book that has changed my life. It is a book that I believe, and I believe the facts would bear it out as sincere people test it and search into the Bible to see that it is truly a book that is God-given. prgtoken I remember the inscription in one of the earliest Bibles that I ever had in my possession as a young boy. It was a book, as I recollect, a Bible that was given as a reward for attendance in Sunday school, given by my teacher. I had had other Bibles that I had gotten from my family, hand-me-down Bibles that I had carried, but this, I think, was my first Bible. prgtoken In that Bible inscription, it said: ``This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.'' prgtoken My friend and colleague, I think that was given by my Sunday school teacher as, really, a point to encourage me from doing the normal thing as a young boy would do. And that I wouldn't call sin. I would call it bad behavior. But I know, ultimately, the Bible called it sin. prgtoken I found it to be true, that as that book became part of my life, that it changed my life. While I have never achieved, to this very day--and I admit that to you--perfection yet, that Bible altered my existence. And when I did do those wrong things that the Bible calls sin, I was convicted of that and I was encouraged to change. prgtoken An early verse that I remembered from the Bible came from Psalms, the Book of Psalms, Psalms 119:11, that said: ``Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.'' prgtoken The Bible is a practical book that is meant to change lives, to alter the way we live, to impact others as well. prgtoken I think John Witherspoon, who signed the Declaration of Independence, one of our earliest officials, government officials, who happened to be a minister as well, but served his country well, said: ``A republic once equally poised must either preserve its virtue or lose its liberty.'' prgtoken I think he had the context the
ADDING IRELAND TO E-3 NONIMMIGRANT VISA PROGRAM
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-11-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 7164, a bill to add Ireland to the E-3 nonimmigrant program. The bill was introduced by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the former chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and is a simple bill that recognizes the unique friendship and working relationship between the United States and Ireland. prgtoken H.R. 7164 allows nationals of Ireland to be eligible to apply for unused E-3 nonimmigrant visas, subject to Ireland providing reciprocal access to U.S. nationals. prgtoken Holders of E-3 temporary work visas must be working in a specialty occupation while in the United States. A specialty occupation is one that is defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act as requiring: One, ``theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge;'' and, two, ``the attainment of a bachelor's or higher degree in the specific specialty, or its equivalent, as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States.'' prgtoken The E-3 applicant must have a job offer from an employer in the U.S and that employer must get foreign labor certification from the U.S. Department of Labor prior to filing a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. prgtoken H.R. 7164 also requires that employers using Irish E-3 visa holders in their workforce are and will remain participants in good standing in the E-Verify program. This means that such employers must use E-Verify to ensure that those they employ are eligible to work in the United States. prgtoken E-3 nonimmigrant visas are currently only available to nationals of Australia and are capped at 10,500 per year. Australian nationals have not ever used all of the 10,500 authorized visas in a given year, nor have they come close to doing so. In fact, the highest number used was during fiscal year 2017 when 5,657 were issued. prgtoken H.R. 7164 provides that nationals of Ireland can utilize those visas not used by Australians in a given year. For operational purposes, the visa can be issued the following year but will be counted against the previous year's cap. The bill does not increase the number of visas authorized, and allows Australia, for whose nationals the program was originally created, to have first access to the numbers. prgtoken H.R. 7164 is a simple bill that reflects the continued friendship between Ireland and the United States. I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for his work and his leadership on this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill. prgtoken , .
JOSEPH AND CHANUKAH
Scott Taylor (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-11-28

I rise today to include in the Record a statement on behalf of my constituent, Rabbi Dr. Israel Zoberman. Rabbi Zoberman is the Founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Born in Chu, Kazakhstan (USSR) in 1945, he is the son of Polish Holocaust Survivors and spent his early childhood in Displaced Persons Camps in Austria and Germany before moving to Haifa, Israel in 1949. The great and most colorful Joseph saga extends over four Torah portions and thirteen Biblical chapters! How opportune it is as we celebrate the miracle of Chanukah and the reading of Joseph's awesome adventures, that the Jewish experience has often been to find ourselves like Joseph, in the darkness of the pit, without losing faith in the light of redemption yet to emerge. As we kindle this season the Chanukah menorah's sacred lights of eternal hope for a world transformed through Sholom's gifts, we remember the 11 lost shining lights targeted on Shabbat by the venom of the precipitous rise of anti-Semitic darkness (Western civilization's oldest disease) at the historic Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. It was the deadliest attack on Jews on American soil. Indeed, an attack on what America, the world's leading democracy, is all about. We should ponder with somber soul-searching: How could an American perpetrate such criminal carnage in sacred space and time? Lady Liberty is shedding tears. As a family member of the surviving remnant of European Jewry, the committed atrocity is reminiscent of the Holocaust. How tragically poignant that the Pittsburgh massacre happened only days before observing the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht (November 9-10, 1938), the Holocaust's precursor, when Synagogues and Jewish businesses were set ablaze throughout Germany, 91 Jews were killed, and 30,000 Jews were sent to concentration camps. The Holocaust's lessons should be taught on all education levels, even as we continue to trust in the overriding goodness of the American people. However, we should ever strengthen our democratic institutions and not take them for granted! In Pittsburgh, two worshippers and four heroic police officers were wounded as well. In the precious honor of all martyred victims, first respondents and our own, let us pledge to spread more loving and enlightening light (the violated synagogue also carries the name, Or L'simcha, namely the delight of celebration) as we affirm that the radiant lights of our fallen fellow Jews will not be driven out. Their undying lights will continue through us and all fellow Americans to turn blemishes into blessings and the evil darkness of all forms of racist hatred into redeeming lights of love. Let us engage in random acts of kindness, as we