mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO PATRICK NEWBOLD
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-1-15

today I wish to pay tribute to Mr. Patrick Newbold for his exemplary dedication to duty and service as an Army Congressional Fellow and Congressional Budget Liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Financial Management and Comptroller. Mr. Newbold is transitioning from his present assignment to continue his selfless service with the U.S. Corps of Engineers. prgtoken A native of Florida, Mr. Newbold joined the Department of Army in 2004 as an Army Materiel Command Fellow upon graduation from Bethune- Cookman University with a bachelor's degree in computer information systems. He also holds a masters of business administration from Texas A&M-Texarkana and a master's of professional studies in legislative affairs from the George Washington University. prgtoken Mr. Newbold has served in a broad range of assignments during his 15- year Army career. His assignments took him to the most strategic locations responsible for modernizing, equipping, and empowering our Army soldiers to fight and win wars; Red River Army Depot, Texarkana, TX; Redstone Arsenal, AL; the Pentagon; and the headquarters of the United States Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC. He has held many positions, thriving in supervisory positions hallmarked by his servant leadership. prgtoken In 2018, I had the privilege of working with Mr. Newbold in my capacity as the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. Mr. Newbold worked tirelessly with Members of Congress and their staffs to articulate the Army's budget positions to the appropriations committees. His professionalism, diligence and commitment to the mission are unmatched, and his work both as a fellow for Congressman Sanford Bishop and as a budget liaison effectively represented the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense to the U.S. Congress. prgtoken Throughout his career, Mr. Newbold has made positive impacts on the lives of soldiers, peers, and superiors. Our country has benefited tremendously from his extraordinary leadership, judgment, and passion. I join my colleagues today in honoring his dedication to our Nation and invaluable service to the U.S. Congress as an Army Congressional Liaison. prgtoken It was a genuine pleasure to have worked with Mr. Patrick Newbold over the last year. On behalf of a grateful nation, I join my colleagues today in recognizing and commending Patrick for his service to our country, and we wish him all the best as he continues his service in the U.S. Army.
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Motion to Proceed
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-1-15

I believe the Senate's voice should, indeed, be heard on national security policy. This is why I have moved to have the Senate's first legislative business this Congress be a bipartisan package of foreign policy bills. I made it our first priority to move legislation that would have helped defend Israel and Jordan and provide justice for the Syrians who have been tortured and murdered by the Assad regime, but the have repeatedly blocked that important legislation. prgtoken The ic leader said the Senate shouldn't do any business during this partial government shutdown, but, apparently, he didn't actually mean it because now the ic leader would like to dictate the terms of a debate on Russia. prgtoken We s are hardly strangers to the need for strong policies concerning Russia. We have long seen Vladimir Putin for the KGB thug that he is. We have long advocated for tough measures against him and the kleptocrats who surround him. Just ask the junior Senator from Utah who, only 6 years ago, was mocked by the other side for advocating tough policies against the Kremlin. prgtoken This administration has taken far tougher measures against Russia than the previous administration did. It has designated 272 Russia-related individuals and entities for sanctions, expelled scores of Russian intelligence officers, shuttered Russian diplomatic outposts, and equipped Ukraine and Georgia to defend themselves against Russian aggression. Clearly, there is more work to be done, and I look forward to this Congress's taking additional steps to defend our interests against the Russian threats and to additionally impose costs on Putin. prgtoken Specifically, I look forward to seeing whether the will join us in providing additional funding to rebuild our military in key areas to deter and defend against Russian investments and key weapons systems. prgtoken I look forward to seeing whether the will support efforts to modernize our aging nuclear triad as the Russians have done. prgtoken I look forward to the Congress's reviewing its existing sanctions policies to see how we can impose additional costs on Putin and his cronies who enable his malign activities. prgtoken I look forward to the Congress's ensuring that our sanctions efforts remain multilateral and maximize support from our European allies, whose participation is essential to imposing meaningful costs on the Kremlin. prgtoken But, in this narrow case, career civil servants at the Treasury Department simply applied and implemented the law Congress itself wrote and which the ic leader supported. Treasury's agreement maintains sanctions on corrupt Russian oligarch Deripaska. It would continue limiting his influence over companies subject to the agreement. prgtoken In addition to subjecting the companies and their officers to the unprecedented transparency and monitoring requirements, the agre
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2019-1-15

it has been an interesting start to this new Congress 2 weeks ago today, I believe--almost 2 weeks ago, this week. We are in a shutdown, and then we had a vote here a few minutes ago to disapprove of a decision made by the administration. prgtoken A lot of people would look at that, and they would say that is a sign of weakness and division. Most certainly, I don't like this shutdown. I hope we can figure a way out of it quickly. A lot of people who had nothing to do with it are being hurt. My feelings about that are strong as well. I don't think what the President is requesting is unreasonable, but the reason we have a shutdown is because, at the end of the day, everyone involved--no matter how long and how strongly they disagree--is willing to live by the Constitution, and the Constitution says, the only way you can fund the government is if the House and the Senate pass a spending bill and the President signs it into law. prgtoken Likewise, we had a vote a few minutes ago about a decision made by the administration to delist a Russian company after some changes were made to the ownership structure. You may disagree with it or agree with it, but the bottom line is, that the reason the vote happened is we passed a law that said within 30 days of it being enacted, the Congress could act to disapprove. That is the way our constitutional system works. prgtoken So despite our sharp disagreements, despite our arguments, despite what appears outwardly to the country and many in the world as a sign of division and weakness, the result may not be prgtoken anything we support--or maybe it is--but at its core, let's remind ourselves that the reason this is happening is because everyone involved, no matter how much they appear to dislike each other or how much they disagree, they are willing to live within the letter and the law of the Constitution of the United States of America. Venezuela prgtoken Imagine an alternative for a moment. Imagine if the President, frustrated by Congress's continuing unwillingness to fund one of his priorities on border security, frustrated by a decision in Congress to disapprove of a decision he made regarding sanctions, decided not only was he going to ignore Congress, but he was going to stop paying them, he was going to jail its Members, and he was going to create an alternative Congress, which he handpicked and controlled. prgtoken That sounds farfetched. That sounds clearly unconstitutional, but there are parts of this world where those kinds of things are happening, and one of them is in our hemisphere. What I have just described to you is exactly what has happened in the nation of Venezuela beginning as early as 2013. prgtoken What has happened there is that the supposed President--actual dictator--of the country, frustrated that the democratically elected national assembly would not support his initiatives to control the country, dec
THE CRISIS AT THE BORDER
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. prgtoken Madam , our bodies should unite to stop the violent cartels and drug lords who have taken advantage of the humanitarian national security crisis on our southern border. Border security is national security, and we need to be doing everything we can to secure our southern border. prgtoken For years, our senior Border Patrol officials have made modest requests for tactical barriers. The President's request prioritizes the top 10 of 17 priority areas that Border Patrol wants to secure. prgtoken The men and women patrolling our borders put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe from terrorism, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, gunrunning, money laundering, and all sorts of dangerous crimes. They routinely encounter some of the most dangerous criminals and traffickers anywhere in the world. prgtoken They seize drugs that would have otherwise made it onto Ohio streets where we are dealing with the tragedy of this opioid crisis that has killed far too many of our friends and neighbors. They have also arrested illegal aliens who were charged and convicted of crimes, including sexual assault, kidnapping, and homicide. A significant percentage of women and girls entering the country illegally are raped. prgtoken We should be giving our personnel on the border the resources they need to get the job done. Nevertheless, millions of Americans want to participate in this great cause. They have contributed private funds and would like to give directly to our government. prgtoken That is why I introduced the Buy a Brick, Build the Wall Act, which would allow the Treasury Department to help fund this wall and make sure the resources go to the cause that so many people support. We need to unite and secure our border.
DISAPPROVING THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL TO TAKE AN ACTION RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION--Motion to Proceed
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2019-1-15

I rise to speak against the resolution to disapprove of the administration's agreement to delist Rusal, the Russian aluminum giant from the SDN list. prgtoken I will vote no today because this was a hard-fought negotiation, resulting in one of the strongest agreements ever associated with a sanctions delisting, which supports longstanding U.S. sanctions policy and foreign policy toward Russia. prgtoken This agreement does nothing to change the sealed fate of Deripaska, the direct target of the sanctions. He remains sanctioned. His current assets remain blocked. The primary and secondary sanctions imposed against him dash any hope of future deals or income, either by operation of his divestiture obligations or future dividends based on his remaining shareholder interests in Rusal. His ability to transfer his shares, use his shares as collateral, or even receive cash from dividends are all effectively frozen. prgtoken The sanctions that put Deripaska on the SDN list and froze his investments in Rusal and En+ and ESE, and make him personally radioactive to future transactions with just about anyone, forced these companies to disentangle themselves from Deripaska's control and influence or to face financial devastation. prgtoken In fact, the Treasury agreement appropriately reflects how U.S. sanctions policy uses smart sanctions to change the behavior of those sanctioned to build pressure behind the ultimate goals of U.S. policy toward Putin's Russia. prgtoken The agreement itself is more akin to a deferred prosecution agreement, in that a failure in its terms can result in an immediate relisting to the SDN list, while it ensures that En+, Rusal, and ESE undertake significant restructuring and corporate governance changes to reverse the circumstances that led to their designation in the first place. These actions include reducing Deripaska's direct and indirect shareholding stakes; overhauling the composition of the relevant boards of directors that control the companies' operations and strategic direction; restricting the steps that can be taken relating to their governance; and agreeing to broad and unprecedented transparency that requires ongoing auditing, certification, and reporting requirements. prgtoken Part of keeping a smart sanctions program smart is to ensure that the world understands the U.S. sanctions architecture is fair and respects America's extraterritorial sanctions reach, and providing an off-ramp from the SDN list for those listed who can prove deserving is not only good sanctions policy but the law because if Treasury fails in its ability to render fair judgments, erstwhile petitioners for removal will simply resort to either the U.S. courts or worse, simply evasion. prgtoken In the circumstances of this case, keeping Rusal on the sanctions list could lead to a Putin nationalization of the Russian aluminum industry, which would not only work to enrich Deripaska but all but gua
OKLAHOMA INAUGURATION DAY
Kevin Hern (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I rise in celebration of the inauguration of Oklahoma's Governor Kevin Stitt, Lieutenant Governor Matt Pinnell, Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready, and State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister. These leaders come from Oklahoma's First Congressional District and will represent Tulsa well in our capital. prgtoken Governor Stitt, like our President and myself, is an entrepreneur and a businessman. He has a vision for Oklahoma to be a top ten State, shaking up the status quo in Oklahoma City and turning the State around. prgtoken Lieutenant Governor Pinnell is, likewise, a business owner and has been an advocate of the Party and conservative agenda in our State for many years. prgtoken Commissioner Mulready is a long-term insurance professional and businessman, most recently serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives as the majority floor leader. prgtoken State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, another business owner, is beginning her second term in the role and will continue to work hard for Oklahoma's students. prgtoken A new day is dawning in Oklahoma with the leadership of Governor Stitt, Lieutenant Governor Pinnell, Commissioner Mulready, and Superintendent Hofmeister. I congratulate them on this accomplishment and wish celebration and joy this week.
BORDER WALL FUNDING
Jack Bergman (Republican, MI) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I rise today in support of President 's request for border wall funding. prgtoken Yes, we are a nation of immigrants. I know firsthand. My grandparents emigrated from Sweden to the Upper Peninsula to start a new life in the 1890s, but Congress has a constitutional duty to provide for the safety and security of our citizens. Right now, our immigration system is broken, making illegal entry into the U.S. a common occurrence rather than a random act. prgtoken President is right to call this a crisis. It is a crisis of our own making, and it is time for Congress to do our job. prgtoken We are on day 25 of the longest and most avoidable government shutdown in U.S. history. Those most vital to protecting our borders, coasts, and ports have now missed at least one paycheck, with little to no progress being made in Washington. prgtoken It is time to end this shutdown, secure our borders, and get our government open and working for the people. Madam , I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting efforts to build a wall.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA'S SECURITY IN THE MIDDLE EAST ACT OF 2019--Motion to Proceed--Continued
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2019-1-15

I thank my friend and colleague, Senator Hoeven. prgtoken Before I get into my prepared comments, let me first associate myself with his words and his eloquent appreciation and congratulations to the folks at NDSU and to the football team. Let me just say that I don't care what President says--in Bison Nation, we never get tired of winning. March For Life prgtoken , for the first time, I rise as a Member of this prestigious body, as a U.S. Senator, to talk about a critical issue that faces our Nation, which is every citizen's right to life. prgtoken It is no coincidence that I rise today, the week of March for Life. This coming Friday is the 46th annual March for Life, during which citizens from across the country and hundreds from North Dakota, especially students from places like Shanley High School and the University of Mary and other institutions around our State, will unite to fight against the largest, deadliest, and most silent war this world has ever known. This, my colleagues, is the war against the unborn. prgtoken During my time in the House of Representatives in the last 6 years and throughout my campaign for the Senate last year, I promised the people of North Dakota that I would fight for life at all stages. I unite, today, with those who will march this Friday, who will walk with heavy and hopeful hearts and who will pray for the 60 million discarded children who have been denied their very first breaths. prgtoken Colleagues, I stand here to call to mind a child's right to life and protection within the womb of his or her mother. Since Roe v. Wade, which the Supreme Court decided in 1973, over 60 million children have been denied their right to life. There have been 60 million children who have been refused love, comfort, a hug, care, opportunity, and breath. They were torn from experiencing the beauty of the world that we are so fortunate to see. They were torn from family and unknown friends. prgtoken To deny 60 million innocent children the right to these things is the highest injustice to our people and the highest offense to our God. I speak on behalf of the citizens of North Dakota and of all citizens who will gather this week to say that it is absolutely unacceptable that within this country, life is treated as a commodity rather than a gift from an omnipotent Creator. prgtoken Some of my pro-choice colleagues and friends may say that in taking this stance, I am standing against women's rights--nothing could be further from the truth--and that this is an issue of a woman's right. It is an issue for the millions of women who have been denied the right to life. I fully support women's rights. I just began supporting them 9 months earlier than some of my colleagues on the other side of this important issue. prgtoken To my colleagues who are pro-life who are supportive of this fight, I remind them that abortion is a great inj
REJECTING WHITE NATIONALISM AND WHITE SUPREMACY
Guy Reschenthaler (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I rise today in support of H. Res. 41, a resolution rejecting white nationalism and white supremacy. prgtoken As a lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania, I was devastated by the shooting that killed 11 Jewish worshippers and wounded six others at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018. This despicable act of domestic terrorism reminded us that evil is alive in this world and must be confronted in a spirit of courage. prgtoken The day after this cowardly act of violence, I stood in solidarity with Americans of all religions, all races, and all ethnicities at a vigil honoring the victims of this heinous crime. There is no place for this kind of thinking in our country. prgtoken When the rights of any community are under attack, all of our rights are under attack. We must come together as a nation to stand up against hatred, white nationalism, and bigotry in our country. prgtoken I commend the leadership of my party for their strong response to any comments that divide our country, and from South Carolina for introducing this important resolution.
THE CRISIS AT THE BORDER
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-1-15

. Madam , I rise to speak about the crisis at the border, what is happening now, and what we can expect if we don't resolve this issue. prgtoken I can't help but comment on a few things that my good friend, the gentleman from California, said. And just in case he wasn't paying attention, we are talking about 234 miles of border security fencing or wall or barrier of some sort as enumerated by the Secretary of Homeland Security--not the President; the Secretary of Homeland Security. prgtoken So when he says it is unspecified where it will be and what it will be, it is very closely and very particularly specified by the Secretary, not by the President, and it is the 10 worst sites along the border where there is no barrier now. prgtoken Let's get on with the other business of the afternoon. prgtoken Madam , I am here this afternoon with nearly a dozen of my colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus who will lay out the case, with specifics, for the President's policies on border security, which are aimed at keeping America safe and enforcing our laws. These are for America's policies. prgtoken The government has been shut down for the longest period in modern history. It is shut down over the topic of border security and whether to fund the construction of a border wall on points along our southern border. prgtoken Right now, our immigration is our single greatest policy failure, a failure that is a manufactured one. It was created from political cowardice, short-termism, and self-interest, but it is a moral, legal, and human catastrophe of epic proportions. prgtoken The President is fighting to fix it, and the Freedom Caucus is fighting to fix it right alongside him. Squarely in our way is a party gripped by denial, their political equivalent of hear no evil and see no evil. prgtoken We learned as children that putting your head in the sand doesn't change the reality of the situation, the facts are facts. They don't have a political position. It is not about how we feel or what we wish the facts are. They are what they are. prgtoken Let me quote a recent Vox article, a publication, mind you, that is no friend to conservatives or the Administration: Hundreds, or even thousands, of migrant families are set to be released from government detention along the U.S.-Mexico border over the next several days. But while the mass release of families may cheer critics of the administration's treatment of immigrant families, the government's new plan will probably lead to hundreds of families getting dropped off en masse at bus stations--literally out in the cold. prgtoken Now the U.S. Border Patrol is so jammed that it had to release these illegal aliens at a Greyhound station on Christmas Eve. And that is not the Border Patrol's fault; it is an activist judge in California who said that Customs and Border Protection must release these individuals. But there is nowhere for these
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-1-15

I have 2 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m to conduct a hearing on the nomination of William Pelham Barr, of Virginia, to be Attorney General, Department of Justice. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, at 2:30 p.m to conduct a closed hearing.