mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-10-18

our Nation was founded on a principle encapsulated in the first three and most important words of our Constitution: ``We the People.'' Our Founders wanted to have a nation that didn't work for the benefit of the powerful and the privileged, but for decisions of the people, by the people, and for the people, as President Lincoln so eloquently described our Nation. He did not describe a nation by and for the powerful, not a nation by and for the privileged, but by and for the people. prgtoken Tomorrow, a bill is coming to the floor that couldn't be more of a ``by and for the powerful'' bill than we have seen on the floor of the Senate before. It is a bill completely contrary to the fundamental values embedded in our Constitution. prgtoken This bill is a budget bill, and at its heart, it says: We are going to do $5 trillion of tax cuts almost completely for the richest Americans, and we are going to do so by gutting programs that make America work for working Americans. prgtoken The President said: When it comes to tax reform, I want to help the middle class; I am not going to do anything for the rich and powerful. prgtoken Then why, I ask you, is this bill coming to the floor of the Senate completely for the rich and powerful? prgtoken President , come before the American people and explain how you can make a promise that you are going to do tax reform for the middle class and then put a bill on the floor of the Senate that is all about benefits--raiding the National Treasury--for the rich and powerful. How do you explain this complete opposite? prgtoken What a complete pretense we have, to say this bill is about helping American workers when it is all about the rich and powerful. prgtoken The budget plan not only has $5-plus trillion, virtually all in tax giveaways, a raid on the National Treasury for the rich and powerful, but it proceeds to cut healthcare for older Americans, a cut of $1 trillion in Medicaid for working Americans. There will be a lot of damage done to ordinary Americans who just want peace of mind that when their loved one gets sick, when their loved one gets injured, they will get the care they need. Is peace of mind too much to ask of our national healthcare system? Are my colleagues so callous, so out of touch, so cruel that they want to fund tax cuts for the richest Americans by destroying healthcare and diminishing healthcare for our seniors? prgtoken It is not just our seniors, it is our citizens on Medicaid. In Oregon, it is the Oregon Health Plan. It serves the poorest among us, many of them working part-time jobs that have no healthcare plan, many of them working shifts that are determined at the last second. Some of the most stressful jobs in America are at the very bottom, some of the most stressful work schedules are at the very bottom, and we are going to cut not just $1 trillion from Medicaid but half a trillion from Medicare. Wow. prgtoken Let's look
FREDERICK DOUGLASS BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION ACT
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-18

I rise tonight to join my House colleagues, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and Congressman Andy , to celebrate the passage of H.R. 2989, a bill to create a commission to honor Frederick Douglass in 2018, in the bicentennial of his birth. prgtoken Frederick Douglass was enslaved at birth on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1818; yet he learned to read and write. He escaped from Maryland and moved to New York. In 1845, he published his first autobiography, ``The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: an American Slave.'' prgtoken He later escaped to Great Britain to avoid being returned to slavery. British Quakers paid for his freedom, which enabled him to return to United States, settling in Baltimore, MD, in 1847; yet he continued to be a strong abolitionist who campaigned against slavery and in favor of the right to vote throughout the east and midwest. In 1850, he oversaw the Underground Railroad in Rochester, NY. prgtoken Douglass made four trips back to the place of his birth in Talbot County, MD. He reconciled with Captain Thomas Auld, who had enslaved him in the past. He made a pilgrimage to Tappers Corner in search of his grandmother's cabin and his birthplace. Moreover, he invested in the African-American community in Maryland through housing developments in his old neighborhood in Fells Point, now named Douglass Place, and at Highland Beach, a summer resort community outside of Annapolis. prgtoken Among his many accomplishments, he served as an adviser to President Lincoln. Moreover, he received several appointments in the District of Columbia: legislative council, U.S. Marshal, and recorder of deeds. He was subsequently appointed Ambassador to Haiti from 1889 to 1891. prgtoken Two hundred years after Douglass's birth provides an opportunity to reflect upon his legacy. He stated, ``We have to do with the past only as we can make it useful to the present and the future.'' I look forward to working prgtoken with my colleagues to commemorate his bicentennial by retracing his steps and promoting his guiding principles of freedom and justice for all.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-10-18

some of our colleagues said in the past days, the budget debate is all about getting the tax reform. The fact is, this is a fast lane to a partisan process for dealing with taxes. When it comes to the plan, you get a lot of rhetoric and a lot of happy talk. You hear it is the biggest tax cut ever. You hear it is about the middle class. prgtoken Just this morning, the President tweeted the will only vote for tax increases, but that rhetoric is just out of touch with reality. For example, our 2015 bill, of which I was the lead ic sponsor, cut taxes $650 billion. It went to the heart of the needs of young people in this country with the American opportunity tax credit, the earned-income tax credit, but it also helped farmers--farmers who are concerned about expensing the research and development credit for our innovators. prgtoken That is the kind of approach we ought to take that is bipartisan, that helps people in this country. Everybody has a chance to get ahead. The fact is, the Tax Code on the books is now a tale of two systems. There is a strict mandatory system for a cop or a nurse. Their taxes come right out of every paycheck. It is mandatory. There are no special Cayman Island deals for them. prgtoken Then there is another set of rules for the highfliers, the most fortunate. They can, with good lawyers and good accountants, decide what they want to pay and when they want to pay it. That is the rotting source of unfairness that is at the heart of the American Tax Code. That is why so many hard-working Americans think they are getting a rotten deal every April 15. That is the brand of unfairness Ronald Reagan was interested in going after, but somehow we can't get that same kind of spirit from s at this point on this tax bill. prgtoken The tax cut doubles down on the rotten unfairness in the Tax Code. It is a multitrillion-dollar handout to those who are the most powerful, and it is very generous to those at the top of the top, which is why this amendment with Senator Sanders is so important. The tax plan, at this point, doesn't just fail to close the most egregious loopholes, but it enshrines them for good. prgtoken The amendment that Senator Sanders and I are putting forward is pretty simple. It says that in this tax bill we are going to put the focus on the middle class. We are not just going to focus on people at the top. That is why the amendment creates a point of order against the plan that gives a tax handout to the top of the top of the income spectrum in our country. prgtoken If you are a middle-class family, according to what is offered now, the plan giveth with one hand and taketh away with another. The standard deduction might be doubled, but you are going to lose personal exemptions, and if you come from a State with a significant State and local tax structure, you are going to find it very hard to get a
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-10-18

first, let me say that the people of Michigan and our country deserve a better deal than what is in this budget. There are a number of concerns I have, but I want to mention three big ones, and I am proud to join with colleagues on amendments that would address them in votes that will be coming up. prgtoken The first is the fact that this budget would take $473 billion out of Medicare. I offered an amendment in committee to make sure that would include privatizing Medicare, but that was voted down. That is certainly something that could happen. prgtoken There is $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts as well. In Michigan, three out of five seniors in nursing homes are there with the help of Medicaid health insurance. This is children, families, and senior citizens. There will be an amendment offered that Senator Nelson, Senator Sanders, and I offered to take out this cut from Medicare. There will be one offered for Medicaid, with Senator Sanders, Senator Casey, and me, to strike that. prgtoken Second, 80 percent of the tax cuts built into the assumptions of the budget go to the top 1 percent. What does that mean? Well, it is $1.5 trillion that goes to folks making $700,000 or more. That is at least a $200,000 tax cut per person. We commonly call this trickle-down economics. So far it has never worked. People in my State are still waiting for it to trickle down. prgtoken We have an amendment, as well, to remove this provision and to put the tax cuts into the pockets of middle-class taxpayers. prgtoken Finally, this plan overall increases the deficit. Even though it cuts Medicare and Medicaid, it also increases and explodes the deficit by $2.4 trillion. We also will be addressing that as well. prgtoken Overall, unfortunately, in terms of the big tax cuts, this budget proposal is paid for by our senior citizens and single parents who are affected and middle-class families. I urge a ``no'' vote.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-10-18

yesterday the chairman and the ranking member of the HELP Committee came to a bipartisan agreement on a package to stabilize our healthcare law and to lower premiums. It was the product of months of difficult negotiations. Like all good negotiations, both sides gave some and both sides got some. The product is something that neither side is completely happy with but that both sides can move forward with. That is what a good, fair compromise looks like. It took work, and, at a time when bipartisanship is desperately sought after, this was not even just a flicker but a nice flame of bipartisanship burning brightly. prgtoken Then, a few minutes ago, President tweeted: I am supportive of Lamar as a person, and also of the process, but I can never support bailing out insurance companies who have made a fortune with Care. prgtoken There are many reasons to be vehemently strongly upset about this tweet and how wrong it is. First, frankly, the President doesn't know what he is talking about in the compromise. prgtoken It doesn't bail out insurance companies. It helps people who are sick and who need healthcare. It keeps their premiums low. It allows them to go to a doctor or get a medicine that they need. prgtoken Senators Alexander and Murray made sure that, in the provisions they were writing, the money would not go to the insurance companies but rather would go to millions of Americans who need help because they couldn't afford healthcare on their own. prgtoken The President ought to know what he is talking about when he tweets about bills because on this one, he had no understanding of what it is about. This helps millions of people. This keeps premiums down. This allows Americans--working class, middle class, many of whom are in rural areas in red States--it allows them to go to the doctor, go to the hospital, get medicine. Nothing bothers Americans more than when they can't get healthcare they desperately need for themselves or a loved one. prgtoken So, first, the President ought to know what the bill is about before he tweets. Clearly from this tweet, he doesn't. prgtoken Second, this President keeps zigging and zagging, so it is impossible to govern. Two Thursdays ago, the President called me in the gym and said: Let's work on a bipartisan solution on healthcare. It was his initiation. He first talked about, let's repeal and replace; I told him that is off the table. But I then said that Senator Alexander and Senator Murray are working on a compromise--and I outlined the basic compromise they were coming up with, that each side got something--and the President suggested that he call Senator Alexander and I call Senator Murray and encourage them. I called Senator Murray; he called Senator Alexander. And he called Senator Alexander, from what Senator Alexander told me, several times to encourage him. prgtoken Yesterday, he called the Murray-Alexander deal a ``very good solution.'' Now, thi
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-10-18

as the newest Senator from the Silver State, I am humbled to serve and represent my fellow Nevadans. We Nevadans are very proud of our State, its people, and the spirit of self-reliance and community that guides us every single day. We are proud of the vastness and beauty of our rural counties and the energy and diversity of our cities, such as Reno and my hometown, Las Vegas. prgtoken When I was preparing to deliver my maiden speech before this body, my intention was to honor the Silver State's history and people, as well as share the issues I had planned to fight for while I am here in Congress--issues that matter to hard-working Nevadans. That speech was meant to celebrate Nevada's founding and values, to declare the basic right of every individual to education and affordable healthcare, to remind my colleagues of the dignity of equality and the right to marry whomever you love. That speech was meant to proclaim the dignity of women and their right to make their own health choices, to defend the right of immigrants and Dreamers to live in our country without fear, and to call on this body to fight for American values, including diversity and inclusion. That speech was meant to demand that our country's leaders respect every American, regardless of the color of their skin or how they choose to worship. prgtoken Unfortunately, my maiden speech on the floor of this body will instead talk about mass murder. Today I want to recognize the courage of heroes and first responders and honor the wounded and those murdered. I want to recognize the fundamental dignity of every American in this age of violence, rancor, and ignorance, the dignity of Americans not to be slaughtered by other Americans just for walking outside and attending a conference. prgtoken With over 43 million visitors per year, Las Vegas prides itself on warmly welcoming people from all around the world to revel in what we have to offer. Hospitality, in every sense of the word, defines who we are. When travelers come to Las Vegas, they plan to enjoy themselves in the company of loved ones and friends and become a part of our Nevada family. prgtoken On October 1, a man attacked that family by smashing two windows in his prgtoken 32nd floor hotel suite and unleashing a barrage of bullets onto 22,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival. In 10 minutes, 58 innocent people were massacred, and more than 500 people were injured. prgtoken At first, concertgoers confused the rapid gunfire for fireworks. The grim realization that repetitive bursts were not fireworks but bullets, came as those in the crowd began to collapse, one after another, and blood began to stain the ground. This was a concert on the Las Vegas Strip, but it looked more like a battlefield. These were innocent people. prgtoken The human cost of this atrocious act of terrorism is incalculable. Children lost parents. Parents lost children. Friends lost friends. T
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-10-18

. Thank you, , for the recognition. prgtoken , today I wish to talk a little bit about something very obscure that is buried in this budget bill, but it is something that is very, very important to me. First, before I talk about the specific policy issues, I just want to talk about a personal exploration I had. This is with regard to prgtoken the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and this special area up here called the 1002 area. prgtoken I had the opportunity in the 1980s to take a raft trip down across this Arctic Coastal Plain and down to the sea, and part of the reason was that many of the Alaska Senators at the time used to say: If you are going to make policy in Alaska, you ought to see that part of Alaska. So I took the opportunity to see it. I took a raft trip down a river called the Hula Hula River, which flows out of the Brooks Range, a large mountain range, into the Beaufort Sea. prgtoken I can say that from my personal experience, this is one of the wildest, most magnificent places on the Earth. prgtoken I would like to talk a little bit about the creatures and critters we saw there. We saw the beginning of the caribou migration, which occurs over in Canada to this area in Alaska, where they calf on the 1002 area. It is one of the biggest migrations in the world of a mammal species. We saw grizzly bears. One grizzly bear actually came into our camp, and we had to retreat and watch whatever it was going to do until it moved along. We saw musk oxen. We saw polar bears. We saw what a marvelous and incredible area this was and what a rich, rich ecosystem it was. prgtoken I was reminded of my Uncle Mo, Congressman Morris Udall, who was the author in 1980 of legislative protections for this area. He required congressional action to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and this 1002 area. He did that because he realized how significant and how magnificent it was. prgtoken One of the things we have to realize is what we are protecting here. People travel all over the world to go to the Serengeti and see the migration of the animals on the Serengeti plains. This same caribou migration is very much like the Serengeti. In fact, it is our Serengeti, when you have animals migrate from Canada all the way into Alaska and back. This is our Serengeti. It is a special place. It is a real treasure, and I don't have any doubt in my mind that we should save it. prgtoken The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge represents one of the world's wildest and more biodiverse places. Its Coastal Plain or the 1002 area is the biological heart of the refuge. There is no other place like it on the planet. Congress showed remarkable restraint and forethought when it put the Refuge under Federal protection, and I am proud my Uncle Mo Udall was instrumental in passing legislation that doubled the size of the Refuge. Under that law, only Congress can open up the 1002 area for drilling. prgtoken Today I rise
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-10-18

I rise in strong opposition to the budget resolution for fiscal year 2018. prgtoken Let me say that consideration of this budget resolution seems surreal, not only because of the timing--coming, as it does, 3 weeks into the fiscal year--but also because of the real challenges the United States faces today. prgtoken We have important work to do. At this moment, three States and two U.S. territories are struggling to recover after experiencing significant natural disasters. The resources we are providing are simply not sufficient. prgtoken In addition, sadly and tragically, Las Vegas just experienced the worst mass shooting in American history, breaking the record that was set only last year in the tragic mass shooting in Orlando, but there is no serious bipartisan and comprehensive effort to address gun violence. prgtoken After President 's reckless efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, Congress needs to act to stabilize private insurance exchanges. I think that we were all pleased, as I was, to see Senator Alexander and Senator Murray take strong steps to do that over the last few days. It appears, however, that they are once again being undermined by the President. prgtoken Next week, the President is officially going to declare the opioid crisis as a national emergency, which is what we all have recognized over several years, but declarations mean nothing without there being the resources to help. This is an emergency, and we need to provide those resources now, but given this budget resolution before us, those resources will not be available. prgtoken States are already taking steps to reduce healthcare coverage for kids under the Children's Health Insurance Program and services through community health centers because we have not been able to act in time to reauthorize these critical initiatives. prgtoken We face international crises in Iran, Iraq, and North Korea, which are inflamed, unfortunately, every time the President tweets or comments about these issues. prgtoken Before December 8, the President and Congress need to come to an agreement to provide relief from sequester funding caps for defense and non-defense priorities. prgtoken The President and Congress need to act immediately to undo the crisis that has been created by the President's Executive order on DACA, which will put thousands of Dreamers at risk of deportation and have an adverse impact on our economy. prgtoken This budget addresses none of these challenges. In fact, it so weights tax cuts to the rich and deficits that we will not have the resources with which to deal with any one of these issues. Instead, a week after the President took steps that will cause millions to lose their private health insurance, this budget will pave the way for trillions of dollars in cuts to healthcare offered under Medicare and Medicaid. prgtoken Last week, the President basically tried to strangle the Affordable Care Act. Now the goa