mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 54
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-11-28

I rise today to speak to S.J. Res. 54, legislation brought forward by Senators Lee, Sanders, and Murphy more than 8 months ago. The past 2 years have reminded us time and again of the urgent responsibility of Congress to perform real checks and balances and to steadfastly defend our American values both at home and abroad. I thank them for their continued efforts throughout these intervening months to shed light on the devastating humanitarian crisis in Yemen and to make sure this body fulfills its oversight duties. prgtoken Over the last 3\1/2\ years, the tragic humanitarian crisis in Yemen has continued to deteriorate. More than 10,000 people are dead and 14 million people are on the brink of starvation. We have seen the heartbreaking photos of malnourished starving children on the brink of death. We have learned from U.N. reports of the cholera outbreaks that jeopardize more than 10,000 people every week. We have come to the conclusion that the status quo cannot stand. prgtoken Back in March, I joined a majority of my colleagues in voting to table this resolution with the understanding that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would hold hearings to fully weigh our options in Yemen and the hope that the administration would strategically leverage our limited military support for the Saudi coalition to lessen civilian casualties, to influence a potential political settlement, or at the very least prevent the situation from getting worse. prgtoken At the time, I also made clear to this body, to the President, and to the Saudi Government that our relationship and our limited military support was not and is not a blank check. I had hoped the administration would provide convincing evidence that our military support was, in fact, reducing civilian casualties--a goal we heard repeatedly emphasized by U.S. officials. I had hoped the administration would use this foreign policy tool to advocate for a meaningful political process. prgtoken Unfortunately, this administration has failed to adequately address either problem. The Saudi coalition has not provided any more confidence in its operations. Despite being reassured that our engaging with the Saudis was decreasing civilian casualties, the facts on the ground speak far more powerfully against those assertions. prgtoken On a broader scale, we are seriously evaluating our bilateral relationship with Saudi Arabia. The bombing of a schoolbus full of children and other civilian targets is not something I want America's fingerprints on. prgtoken Make no mistake--the United States and Saudi Arabia do share common security interests. Saudi Arabia faces real and imminent threats from Yemeni-originated attacks inside its territory--from ballistic and SCUD missile attacks aimed at major Saudi population centers, to cross- border attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis. prgtoken Meanwhile, Iran continues its destabilizing behavior across the Middle East, and the ter
Nomination of Thomas Farr (Executive Session)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-11-28

I thank my friend, the Senator from Florida, prgtoken for speaking out on the critical importance of the Affordable Care Act for millions of people in our country and for calling upon this administration to support healthcare for all instead of what they are doing to the healthcare of millions of people in our country. prgtoken Turning to another matter, nearly 12 years ago, on December 7, 2006, President nominated Thomas Farr to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Today, 12 years and three nominations later, his name is again before us for confirmation to the very same vacancy, which has remained unfilled all this time. prgtoken When Mr. Farr was nominated for this vacancy in 2006 and 2007, his nomination did not receive a vote in the Judiciary Committee. It was known at that time that Mr. Farr had spent his professional life engaged in restricting minority voting rights and defending companies alleged to have discriminated against African Americans, women, and others. prgtoken In the 1980s and in 1990, Mr. Farr represented Senator Jesse Helms, notorious for his opposition to civil rights, voting rights, women's rights, workers' rights, and LGBTQ rights--in other words, individual rights. prgtoken Mr. Farr also helped corporations fight off their employees' discrimination claims. In 2003, Mr. Farr defended Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina against claims by a female employee who alleged that the company had compelled her to resign because of her sex and age. To win this case, Mr. Farr convinced the North Carolina Supreme Court to strike down the county's antidiscrimination law. prgtoken Given this history of restricting minority voting rights and defending companies in discrimination claims, Mr. Farr's nomination did not proceed at that time, and rightly so. prgtoken In the 12 years since his first nomination, Mr. Farr has become notorious for his defense of the North Carolina legislature's attempts to disenfranchise African-American voters. prgtoken His current nomination is opposed by nearly every civil rights group in North Carolina and nationally, and the Congressional Black Caucus, or the CBC, has fought Mr. Farr's nomination. prgtoken In a 2017 letter to the Judiciary Committee, the CBC wrote: ``It is no exaggeration to say that had the White House deliberately sought to identify an attorney in North Carolina with a more hostile record on African-American voting rights and workers' rights than Thomas Farr, it could hardly have done so.'' prgtoken This district court vacancy was not filled by President in his two terms, but not for lack of trying. President nominated two different African-American women for this vacancy, one an assistant U.S. Attorney and another a State court judge. Neither nomination moved forward because the home State Senators withheld their blue slips. Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy and
Climate Change (Executive Session)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-11-28

I was happy to welcome back our colleagues this week from Thanksgiving and come back to work. A lot of stuff needs to be done and have some fresh energy and maybe some fresh ideas, but I hope my colleagues were able to get home for Thanksgiving and spend time with their families. I like to say the thing I like about Thanksgiving--it is my favorite holiday, and people ask why. It prgtoken has my six favorite F words: family, faith, friends, food, fun, football, among others. What is not to like about that--especially football that was played in Columbus, OH, on Saturday afternoon. I hope all Americans were able to enjoy some combination of those things over the holiday weekend. prgtoken You may be like me and many others across the country who took the long weekend to unplug a bit by turning off our phone, maybe turning off cable news, too, so we could reconnect with loved ones, but while many Americans were recharging--enjoying a good meal with family and friends, maybe watching a football game or doing some early Christmas shopping--some major news broke over the weekend. prgtoken Last Friday, on the day after Thanksgiving, 13 Federal agencies released a nearly 1,700-page report highlighting the devastating impacts climate change will have over the next 80 years if we do not change course now. The report was a dire warning to our Nation and to our planet but one we might have easily missed while celebrating the holiday with family and friends, and I am sure a lot of people did miss it. prgtoken I suspect the fact that this major report was released on Friday of a holiday weekend was not an accident. After all, the report, which was put together by experts from over a dozen agencies within the administration, spells out the very real and very serious consequences of climate change--a global crisis that our President has repeatedly called a hoax. In fact, just yesterday the President said he is not among the so-called believers who see climate change as a pressing problem. prgtoken Luckily, we don't have to just blindly believe in climate change. We can look at the facts. Despite the administration's best efforts to bury this report on a Friday afternoon, Friday evening, of a holiday weekend, those of us based in reality are going to make sure the clear facts in it are broadcast far and wide. prgtoken This particular report took not a year, not 2 years but 3 years to write. It was written by more than 300 Federal experts, non-Federal experts as well, who volunteered their time. It was only finalized after an extensive public outreach and interagency review process. This report wasn't thrown together to push any agenda. It is a scientific report, and its conclusions should be important to every person, not just living in my State or the 49 or 50 States but everybody who lives on this planet because it has implications for every single one of us. prgtoken I would like to take a few minut
CONGRATULATING KESHAV GOEL
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-11-28

I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Keshav Goel, of Monte Sereno, California, on being selected as a George J. Mitchell Scholar. prgtoken One of our nation's most prestigious scholarships, the program was created 20 years ago by the U.S.-Ireland Alliance and named in honor of Senator George J. Mitchell's contributions to the Northern Ireland peace process. The program selects future American leaders for one year of graduate study in Ireland. Keshav Goel is one of 12 Mitchell Scholars selected this year out of 370 students who applied from more than 200 Congressional Districts across the U.S. prgtoken Keshav is a dual major in Biology and Economics at Williams College. Understanding that socioeconomic inequality is one of the greatest public health concerns in the U.S he has conducted research on ailments that disproportionally affect the world's poor. Growing up in Monte Sereno, California, Keshav co-authored his first published clinical paper at the age of 16 on the automated detection of congenital heart defects in newborns. He is currently conducting a year-long senior biology thesis to uncover the causes of asthma which disproportionately impacts children in impoverished countries. He has also conducted health economics research with Harvard Medical School to assess the quality and effectiveness of federally funded clinical trials. Outside the classroom, Keshav serves as a peer mentor with an organization in Western Massachusetts that provides drama therapy to adolescent survivors of trauma. An aspiring physician, Keshav will study Immunology and Global Health at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. prgtoken Keshav embodies the spirit of leadership and academic excellence that led to the creation of the Mitchell Scholarship program. I congratulate him on his selection as a George J. Mitchell scholar and wish him every success during his year in Ireland.
WORLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ROAD TRAFFIC VICTIMS
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-11-28

the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims commemorates the millions of people killed and injured on the world's roads. It is also a day to thank emergency services for their role in saving lives; to reflect on the impact of road deaths on families and communities; and to draw attention to the need for improved legislation, awareness, infrastructure, and technology to save more families from the tragedy of losing a loved one. prgtoken Since the United Nations recognized the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, its observance has spread to a growing number of countries on every continent. The day has become an important advocacy tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties, and the theme of this year's World Day of Remembrance is ``Roads have Stories.'' Additionally, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3.6 calls on governments and their stakeholders, including NGOs and private citizens, to address the personal, medical, and financial burdens associated with road deaths and injuries. More than 1 million people die from road crashes every year and tens of millions are seriously injured. Road traffic crashes are the number one killer of young people aged 15-29 and the eighth leading cause of death among all people worldwide. prgtoken Rochelle Sobel, president of the Association for Safe International Road Travel, said, ``The World Day of Remembrance is an important opportunity to stand together with the global community to commemorate road victims and call for an end to the crisis on our roads. No one should have to go through the needless, preventable loss of a child, a brother, a mother, a friend, killed in a road traffic crash. This year's theme reminds us that roads and streets are more than connections from point A to point B. They tell stories, some of them tragic, which are worth remembering. We owe it to our loved ones to do what we can to educate our children, drive responsibly and advocate with our governments to implement and enforce policies that will protect road users and prevent more families from suffering the pain of losing a loved one on the road.'' prgtoken We all need to do our part to take action to prevent these avoidable tragedies and to save lives.
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 54
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-11-28

there was a classified briefing this morning that Members of the Senate were invited to on a bipartisan basis, and s. It is rare. We don't do it very often. We do it when there is an important issue of national security and something else of great moment. prgtoken What we came to discuss today was Saudi Arabia, and that discussion really focused on our guests--the Secretary of State, Mr. Pompeo, and the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Mattis. They talked to us about our relationship with Saudi Arabia, for obvious reasons. Hardly anyone in the world could have missed what happened over the last several weeks when a man named prgtoken Khashoggi went into the consulate for Saudi Arabia in Istanbul and never came out. prgtoken We have a videotape that shows the Saudi citizen and American resident entering that building. For the longest time, there was a debate as to what actually happened to him. All sorts of stories were manufactured and fabricated. It turned out that the Turks had access to audio recordings of what actually happened inside that consulate. They eventually made them public, released them to the Government of Saudi Arabia as well as to the United States, and we came to learn that Mr. Khashoggi, a frequent critic of the Saudi royal family, was murdered. He walked into that consulate and never walked out alive. Some group flew in from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ambushed him, killed him, and, as hard it may be to believe, brought with them a bone saw so they could dismember him and take parts of his body out to be destroyed and buried somewhere in Turkey. prgtoken That story eventually emerged, and President was confronted repeatedly: What are we going to do about this? prgtoken Saudi Arabia is supposed to be one of our allies. We have arms agreements with them. We are involved in a lot of things relative to energy and national security. For the longest time, the President was dismissive, saying: I have spoken to the royal family, and they have denied they had anything to do with it. prgtoken Well, that excuse worked for a while but not very long. Once the recordings were released by the Turks, once the world came to grips with what actually happened to Mr. Khashoggi, serious questions were raised about this outrageous abuse of human rights at the hands of the Saudi regime. prgtoken There is a lot of speculation back and forth about who ordered it and who knew about it. Those questions may never be answered. But we do know that some 15 to 17 people close to the Crown Prince in Saudi Arabia have been implicated to the point where the administration finally acknowledged that we have to do something. We have to take a stand even when it involves a country that has been our ally in many circumstances. prgtoken If you read the history of Saudi Arabia's relationship with the United States, it has a lot to do with oil. For the longest time, we counted on the Middle East for
UNANIMOUS CONSENT REQUEST--S. 2644
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-11-28

I am proud to join the Senator from Arizona and the Senator from New Jersey on the floor today in calling for action on a bipartisan bill--a bill that has been crafted to protect our institutions and safeguard the rule of law in this country not just right now but for future Congresses and administrations as well. prgtoken Today, we will be asking our colleagues to give the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act the consideration here on the floor of the Senate that it deserves. This bill would do something simple but powerful: It would codify Department of Justice regulations that prevent the removal of a special counsel without good cause. That might seem like a small detail, but it is important. Independence is required to ensure that a special counsel can do his or her job and find the facts. prgtoken Our bipartisan bill would put this restriction in statute and give the special counsel a clear legal remedy. If removed without cause, the special counsel would have a 10-day period to take the case to a three- judge panel for expedited consideration. If the special counsel doesn't wish to contest his removal, it would proceed without interference. prgtoken Both s and recognize that removal of the current special counsel without a valid basis would be a significant, even a catastrophic event. It would be a constitutional crisis that would threaten the Presidency and the rule of law. We can work together to prevent a crisis. prgtoken President should be the first person to support this bill. He has raised concerns about oversight of the special counsel. He has accused the prosecutors of making partisan, politically motivated decisions. This act would ensure that regulations providing for supervision and oversight of the investigation are not just codified but strengthened. It would ensure that Congress gets a complete picture at the end of the investigation. prgtoken My colleagues Senators Graham, Tillis, Booker, Grassley, and Feinstein were instrumental in crafting this balanced legislation, and it passed the Judiciary Committee by a strong bipartisan margin of 14 to 7, 7 months ago. The time to take up and pass this bill in the Senate is now. prgtoken Some have questioned the need for this legislation. They have said the President would never fire Special Counsel Mueller, and I hope and pray they are right. I don't think it would be in President 's interest to remove the special counsel and certainly not in the interest of our country. prgtoken The President has repeatedly, publicly, and directly attacked the special counsel and his investigation. Just yesterday, he called his investigation a ``phony witch hunt'' that is ``doing tremendous damage to our criminal justice system.'' The President has already fired the FBI Director and forced the resignation of the Attorney General, citing grievances related to this investigation in both cases. prgtoken We ha
HONORING COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-11-28

I rise today to honor Community Resources for Children (CRC) for providing excellent early learning and care resources for families and children across Napa County, California for forty years. prgtoken Founded in 1978, Community Resources for Children strives to advocate and educate the public on the importance of early education and child care. It has provided nearly 45,000 referrals for child care and over $44 million dollars to local child care providers that care for children of low income and student or working parents. For the past forty years, CRC has offered families quality early education materials for free and created early learning activities for families, child care providers, caregivers, educators and other community members. prgtoken Community Resources for Children provides professional development and one on one coaching to more than 140 local child care providers that service more than 1,700 children per year. Its programs work to increase the quality and amount of available child care in Napa County and have strengthened the local economy while putting families on the pathway to success. prgtoken Community Resources for Children also aims to empower parents by ensuring they have the necessary resources to make child care and early education decisions. Through all of its programs and assistance CRC hopes to help parents succeed as their child's first teacher. prgtoken , Community Resources for Children is an admirable organization dedicated to the care and education of future generations in our community. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor Community Resources for Children here today.
G20 Summit (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-11-28

this weekend President will head to Argentina for the G20 summit, where he is expected to meet with President Xi of China to discuss our trading relationship. prgtoken Now, I have opposed the President on most things. That is hardly a secret. But we agree--we actually agree--on the issue of China. In fact, I agree more with President 's views on China than I did with either President or , and I have been supportive of the administration's aggressive course of action on China. prgtoken China must be made to understand that we are dead serious about changing its behavior on trade: to allow foreign companies to compete in its markets, to end illegal dumping of cheap goods into our markets, and, most importantly, to end the abusive practice of technology transfers and trade espionage that threatens our intellectual property and know-how. These things don't just threaten our intellectual property, an abstract concept. They threaten good-paying jobs--millions of them--and wealth, billions and trillions of dollars that China has stolen, literally and figuratively, through its unfair practices. prgtoken When we have a good product, you can't sell it in China unless you transfer the technology, but they sell tons of things here. prgtoken My father-in-law--my late father-in-law--a New York City cabdriver, sometimes said: We are not Uncle Sam; we are Uncle Sap. prgtoken Well, in the case of China, that has been the case for too long, and President , to his credit, is beginning to reverse that. Yet despite an initial wave of tariffs, China has not offered meaningful concessions on any of the items I have mentioned. prgtoken Ambassador Lighthizer recently put out a report concluding that China is still rapaciously stealing American intellectual property. In fact, the number of Chinese state-sponsored cyber attacks has been rising. So we need to stay the course until China feels the heat. prgtoken That is why I was deeply disturbed--very disturbed--to read this morning in the New York Times that President and his advisers--at least some of them--are already considering backing down on further action against prgtoken China in order to reach an agreement at the G20. prgtoken Let me be clear to the President. Backing off on China for some quick handshake agreement without substantive--real, deep, substantive-- commitments, will be seen as a victory by no one. It will be seen as capitulation. It will be seen as weak to cave on tariffs this early before China starts to feel the real pressure and come to a real, deep, and long-lasting agreement that is worth having. prgtoken So, , don't back down on China. American jobs and American wealth are at stake. You have headed out on a correct course, but you have to follow through. All too often this administration starts out doing something and then backs off. It cannot happen. prgtoken I am worried--deeply worried--because I love Americ