mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SAVE OUR SEAS ACT OF 2018
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-12-13

this evening, I want to talk a little about the nexus of high prescription drug costs and the opioid epidemic that has gripped my State and our country--the No. 1 public health crisis in America today. It is a story of greed, frankly, and it is a story of the need for some fixes here in Congress to keep it from happening again. prgtoken With regard to the opioid crisis, I think the degree that this is affecting our communities is well documented. Some 72,000 Americans died last year of overdoses from drugs. This is the high water mark for our country. It is a grim statistic. More than two-thirds of those overdose deaths involve what is called opioids. This would be heroin, prescription drugs, and pain killers, and also the new synthetic opioids--the fentanyl, which is responsible for most of those opioid deaths. prgtoken I think we have made good progress over the past couple of years here in Congress in passing new legislation to help to address this problem--new innovative ways to get people into treatment and longer term recovery, which prgtoken we know works well in some instances--and also to do a better job on prevention and education. prgtoken So I do think those numbers will begin to turn around, but they haven't yet. They haven't yet. We have much more work to do. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which we passed, is starting to work. The Cures Act is starting to work. Most recently, the President signed legislation to try to reduce the cost of this synthetic opioid coming into our country, mostly from China, mostly through the U.S. mail system, based on research that we had done. That is called the STOP Act. prgtoken So, again, we are making some progress, but these overdose death rates are just unbelievably high, and it is a tragic situation, not just in my State, which is probably top three or four in the country, but throughout our Nation. prgtoken There is a miracle drug that can be used to reverse the effects of an overdose, and one reason we are beginning to see some progress in some regions of my State and around the country is that we are getting this drug out to more first responders and others who can, in effect, save people from an overdose. Then, of course, the trick is to get that person into treatment, and not to just have these overdoses continue to occur. That is where the more innovative programming is starting to make a difference. But I guess I could say that we have never in our history as a country had more of a need for this miracle drug to reduce the effects, to reverse the effect, of an overdose. It is called naloxone, and naloxone, again, is something that we are using more and more, and we are saving more and more lives. prgtoken I am going to talk this evening about a company that exploited the opioid epidemic by dramatically increasing the price of this naloxone drug by more than 600 percent just in the space of a few years. prgtoken The Senate Pe
IN MEMORY OF OFFICER HUNTER EDWARDS, WINCHESTER POLICE DEPARTMENT
Barbara Comstock (Republican, VA) \u2014 2018-12-13

it is with deep regret and sadness that I rise to share with you and our colleagues, the tragic news about the passing of a community hero of Winchester, Virginia, Police Officer Hunter Edwards. Officer Edwards is the second Winchester police officer to have died in the line of duty and the residents of the close-knit community of Winchester and the Northern Shenandoah Valley are in profound grief over this tragedy. prgtoken On November 24th, Officer Edwards died after his police cruiser skidded on a downhill, rain-slicked section of road and tragically crashed into a tree as he was quickly responding to a call for help at a residence where a major altercation had broken out. Only 30 years old and recently married, Hunter had begun to experience the joy and satisfaction of family life with his wife, Tara Markley, and their four-year-old son, Landon. And since becoming a member of the Winchester Police Department in the summer of 2014, Hunter's professionalism and dedication to duty had resulted in his being assigned to the Civil Disturbance Unit and the SWAT Team, and as a field training officer for the Department. He had also earlier worked as a police officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency. prgtoken As a nation of freedom-loving people, we are deeply grateful to our national and community heroes, without whose selfless sacrifice we know, for a certainty, that we would not be free. When we tuck our children and grandchildren into bed at night, and turn out the lights in our homes, we rest assured that heroes like Hunter Edwards, who was working the second shift from 2:30 p.m. until 2:00 a.m are protecting us from all evil and danger. prgtoken , I ask you and our colleagues to join me in echoing the sentiments of a grateful nation for the courageous service of Police Officer Hunter Edwards, and in expressing prayers for Officer Edwards' family as they cope with this tragic and untimely loss. May we be forever inspired by the duty and sacrifice of Officer Hunter Edwards, to acknowledge and support our police officers, sheriff's deputies, fire fighters and other first responders and their families, and do whatever we can in our own lives, to build stronger, safer communities in which to live.
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2018-12-13

my last amendment was about the law of armed conflict and citizens of foreign nations. This amendment is about our citizens and our troops. prgtoken The Houthi rebels have fired more than 100 missiles into the Arabian Peninsula, into the Red Sea, and into the Gulf of Aden. They have used armed, unmanned aerial vehicles and boats to attack in international waters. They have supported terrorist attacks. All of these things can range coastguardsmen, sailors, airmen, soldiers, marines, and hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens we have in the region. prgtoken My amendment will simply say that U.S. forces can engage in force protection of our own troops and our own citizens in the region. I hope we can agree that our Armed Forces should be able to take action in self-defense of themselves and our citizens in the region. prgtoken .
DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS-- Continues
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-12-13

before I speak on the topic that I came to the floor to speak about, which is the resolution currently before the Senate, I wanted to just echo the commentary made about our colleague Senator Heller. I have enjoyed our time working together. prgtoken I spent 6 years of my childhood growing up in Las Vegas, so we have a lot of mutual friends. He knows a lot of the people I grew up with and is a part of our family. He will be sorely missed here. I am sure he will be warmly welcomed back home to the community and to his family. We all look forward to seeing the future endeavors lying ahead for him. I know he still has much to offer the Nation and the State of Nevada. S.J. Res. 54 prgtoken , one of the things that makes service in the Senate meaningful is when we get to discuss big issues of great importance. I want to start by thanking the authors of this War Powers Resolution on Yemen because, while I may not agree with it--and I am going to describe why in a moment--I think it is important that the Senate have big debates about big topics and play its rightful role. The Senate and the legislative branch have an important role to play in setting the foreign policy of the United States. prgtoken I actually don't think the War Powers Act is constitutional. I believe it is an unconstitutional restraint on the power of the Commander in Chief, and even if it were constitutional, I do not believe that our engagement, or what we are doing in Yemen with the Saudi UAE coalition, rises to a level of triggering it. prgtoken That doesn't mean that Congress should not be involved. Frankly, the one way to be involved if you wanted to, if you wanted to pronounce yourself on a matter of this topic, you should file to cut off the money. I wouldn't support it, but that is where Congress's power really comes from. Shut off the money; say that no money can be spent on this effort. Few people are willing to do that, so we rely on these other mechanisms that exist in our law. prgtoken But I want to talk more about why I think it is bad idea to vote for this and why I hope more of my colleagues will join me in opposing it. prgtoken First of all, I understand what is happening. This resolution is not new; it has been discussed before. It existed for a number of months, well before Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder at the Saudi consulate in Yemen. So this is not a new issue, but it has become for many Members proxy--a vehicle by which they can express displeasure at the way the administration and the President have responded to the murder of Mr. Khashoggi. prgtoken I think what has happened to Mr. Khashoggi is an outrage. I don't need a smoking gun or an intelligence briefing to tell me that the Crown Prince is responsible. prgtoken If you know anything about Saudi Arabia, if you know anything about how their government works, and if you know anything ab
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-12-13

there has been a long conversation about Yemen. Yemen is in a civil war. It has been a brutal civil war. There have been a lot of civilians killed and a lot of damage done to the country's interior. prgtoken Of the 30 million people who are living in Yemen, 22 million, currently, need humanitarian assistance. We have over 8 million people who are what is called ``at risk'' of severe starvation. It has the largest cholera outbreak in the world right now, and its currency has plummeted in value. We have over 2 million people inside the country who have been internally displaced. They, literally, can't live in their homes because the war is around their homes, prgtoken and they have had to flee from those spots--2 million people. It is a terrible situation. prgtoken Yet, while this body is arguing about supporting or not supporting the Saudis--should we be around it or should we not be around it?--our Ambassador, the leadership of the U.N and our U.S. military--which this body is arguing we shouldn't engage to help--are currently putting people at the negotiating table in Sweden. For the past week, our military, which this body is saying shouldn't be engaged, has actually been the prime mover in getting all of the same players to the table to negotiate. prgtoken In just the last few hours, the Secretary General of the U.N along with the rebel leadership and the legitimate leadership of Yemen in the civil war, have stepped out to make major announcements. The first major announcement they just released within the last hour was that they have committed to halting fighting around the seaport so that humanitarian assistance can get in. prgtoken The Houthis have, actually, dominated the seaport and taken all of the income from the seaport to finance their fighters. Their weapons are coming from Iran, and their income is coming from the port because they have taken the port over. Now the U.N. is going to run the port. That is a dramatic shift. Revenues from the seaport will be deposited into a central bank so that the rightful government, when this is all resolved, will actually give the revenue back to the people of Yemen. There will be a release in fighting--a pull-out in the major city around the seaport there. They have agreed that they are going to have a secondary meeting next month in order to work out the final details to actually shut this down. prgtoken So while this body is arguing about whose side we should take--the Iranians' or the Saudis'--and that is really what the body is arguing about--we are, actually, actively pushing the players to the table to resolve this. prgtoken This is the worst possible moment for this body to start arguing about whose side we should be on. I am fully aware that the Saudis' humanitarian history is deplorable. The whole world praises them because they now allow women to drive. I mean, we are in that bad of a humanitarian situation and of a human rights sit
AMENDING THE CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995
Jon Kyl (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-12-13

I would like to make just a couple of comments on my friend's having left the Senate and with respect to the remarks that he just made. prgtoken The Senate has had some very good people over the years, and currently, but none have been more principled than my friend from Arizona, Jeff Flake. prgtoken It started for us to see when he was a Member of House of Representatives and at first singlehandedly fought inappropriate earmarks. He even managed to get himself appointed to the Appropriations Committee for a while so that he could carry on his crusade from within. In the end, he was successful. prgtoken I was pleased to support him as my successor to the U.S. Senate. He has his priorities right: faith, family, and country. He has spoken about both his faith and his family here. prgtoken Not very many of us have the opportunity to serve from a town named after our own family, and that is how far Senator Flake's roots go back in the State of Arizona. prgtoken He has spoken, not just today but on earlier occasions, from his heart about things that he sees need improvement here in the U.S. Senate. I think we are all aware of the things of which he speaks, and it has been appropriate for him to do so because, as he pointed out, in order for us to be a beacon to others around the world in support of liberty, individual freedom, we have to demonstrate how it can be practiced right here in the United States of America. prgtoken We would all like to leave this place better than we found it, and it is not easy to do, but Senator Flake has tried his best. prgtoken He also spoke about our democratic republic and our focus on individual liberty and how that has had an impact around the world and how others have tried to emulate what we do here. These are universal principles that we need to focus on. What he has reminded us of here today is that freedom is not free, and each day we all have to do our part from wherever we sit to ensure that future generations will enjoy the kind of freedom that we have had, and that starts with our representatives in the U.S. Government. It was a fitting subject for a farewell address, and wise counsel was given, as always. prgtoken I want to salute my colleague Jeff Flake as a person, though, as much as a public servant and Senator. He embodies what is right about the people of the United States of America. As I said, he has his priorities right, and he has been willing to serve based upon those priorities. prgtoken I wish him and his family all the best in their next endeavors. I know because of his dedication to this country and the principles in which he believes that his service will not end at the end of his time here in the U.S. Senate, and we will all be beneficiaries of that. prgtoken So to my friend and colleague Jeff Flake, Godspeed. I appreciate your remarks today. prgtoken .
RECOGNIZING WALLA WALLA COUNTY SHERIFF JOHN TURNER
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise today to honor John Turner, who is retiring from his role as Walla Walla County Sheriff. He honorably served the public in this role for 8 years. prgtoken Sheriff Turner dedicated himself to working to make his community safer. He sought to provide 24/7 patrol coverage, reestablish the K-9 program, address gang activity in the county, and proactively address other public safety concerns. prgtoken He was nominated by his peers across Washington State for the National Sheriffs' Association Ferris E. Lucas Award for National Sheriff of the Year and received the National Sheriffs' Association Medal of Merit for his outstanding positive accomplishments. prgtoken In his retirement announcement, Sheriff Turner wrote: ``Being Walla Walla County Sheriff for the last two terms has been one of the greatest honors of my life. As I wind down my second term, I ask that you continue to keep those brave men and women who regularly and selflessly go into harm's way in your positive thoughts and prayers.'' prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Sheriff John Turner for his tremendous service to the people of Walla Walla County and Washington State.
HONORING THE LIFE OF SERGEANT BENTON BERTRAM
Trey Hollingsworth (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-12-13

every morning our heroes in law enforcement wake up and they kiss their loved ones good-bye, knowing that there is always a chance they may not return that night. prgtoken Last night, in Charlestown, in Clark County, in the Hoosier State, one of those heroes, Sergeant Ben Bertram of the Charlestown Police Department did not return home. Sergeant Bertram was killed in pursuit of a suspect into an adjoining county, doing his duty, doing what he loved, and protecting Hoosiers all the way across the State. prgtoken It is with deep sorrow our community back home mourns his loss, and celebrates his sacrifice to the Hoosier State. prgtoken We thank Sergeant Bertram. Rest easy.
CONGRESSIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1995 REFORM ACT
Gregg Harper (Republican, MS) \u2014 2018-12-13

I ask unanimous consent to take from the 's table the bill (S. 3749) to amend the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to reform the procedures provided under such Act for the initiation, review, and resolution of claims alleging that employing offices of the legislative branch have violated the rights and protections provided to their employees under such Act, including protections against sexual harassment, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
RECOGNIZING CHARLES KINS FOR THE 2018 MONTANA CONGRESSIONAL VETERAN COMMENDATION
Greg Gianforte (Republican, MT) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise today to recognize Charles Kins of Eureka, a recipient of the 2018 Montana Congressional Veteran Commendation for his service to his country and leadership in his community. prgtoken Mr. Kins answered his country's call to service by enlisting in the United States Marine Corps in 1967, during the Vietnam War. He served four years on active duty, stationed mainly in Japan, and two years as a Marine Corps Reservist. prgtoken Mr. Kins is a proud supporter and member of his local American Legion Post 74 in Eureka, and a dedicated volunteer and advocate for seniors in his community. He is actively involved with the Tobacco Valley Senior Citizens Center providing hot meals for seniors and maintenance of the community center. In 2016, his dedication earned him the Senior Center's ``Senior of the Year'' award. Even though he's nearing his 70th year, Mr. Kins continues to dedicate himself to serving others in his community. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me today in commending Charles Kins for his dedication and service.
SAVE OUR SEAS ACT OF 2018
Bill Cassidy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2018-12-13

I rise to honor two people from my State and yours who served in World War II and are being celebrated in Northwest Louisiana--Charles Davis and Doug Curtis. Both are 92 years old. prgtoken Mr. Davis celebrates his 93rd birthday in 2 days, and so on the behalf of the Presiding Officer and certainly on my behalf, I wish him a happy birthday. prgtoken These American heroes are part of the ``greatest generation.'' prgtoken Mr. Davis joined the Navy when he was 16 years old, just after Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. Imagine that--16 years old, leaving home, volunteering to face a world of danger to defend our country. prgtoken He bravely served 6 years at Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, Cape Esperance, and more. His courage was tested on numerous occasions. One example was when the ship on which he served was destroyed, leaving him and his fellow crew members stranded in the middle of the ocean, with only life vests to keep them alive for 37 hours. Charles said he spent a lot of time talking to God during those painful hours--particularly painful because his brother, serving on the same ship, did not live. Such a trying ordeal, a terrible loss. prgtoken When Charles talks about his life, he speaks with humility and gratitude about his life experiences. He says he lived a great life, in no small part due to the great country we live in. prgtoken Asked how he remains always so positive, he says: Every morning, you can decide to have a good day or a bad day, and for him, he says, it is not a tough choice. prgtoken Mr. Doug Curtis served from January 1944 to August 1946, starting in Little Rock, AR. He deployed overseas to the Philippines and Japan, prepared to do whatever was needed, pledging patriotic duty to protect our country and the people he loved. prgtoken A special celebration is being thrown on December 14, tomorrow in Many, LA, to honor Charles and Doug. My office will present them both with American flags which have flown over this Capitol Building. It is a small gesture but meant to honor these two men and to celebrate their service and sacrifice. prgtoken I thank these great Louisiana heroes for their service to our country, and, , I will convey your thanks as well. prgtoken .