mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRAVELING BY PRIVATE JET
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-9-28

I want to thank Congressman Gallego for that terrific presentation. We are also joined today by Congressman Raskin, who will be part of our dialogue as well. prgtoken Today is Thursday. That means we all need to ask: Why does Jared Kushner still have a security clearance? He already submitted two false ones. But I digress. We are actually going to talk about three other problems in the White House, one of which is Secretary Price. prgtoken To my left is a picture of the private jet that Secretary Price flew on at taxpayers' expense. But in addition to Secretary Price, we also have Secretary Mnuchin, who flew on a government jet with his wife to Kentucky in order to watch the eclipse. Now, I get that was a pretty cool thing to do, but you shouldn't be using taxpayer funds to do that. prgtoken And then we have got EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, which, according to media reports, spent $58,000 on noncommercial flights to go to different places. With $58,000, you can do a lot with that. VoteVets put out a release today saying that with $58,000 you could hire a VA spinal cord specialist at the Syracuse VA, a nurse for 1 year. Then Secretary Price spent over $400,000 of your money, and that is a lot of spinal cord specialists. prgtoken So we are talking about raiding the public funds and raiding the public trust. That is why I have introduced the SWAMP FLYERS Act, and what this act will do is stop this from happening in the future. It will prohibit senior Cabinet officials from using noncommercial flights, unless they certify, under penalty of perjury, that no commercial flights were available. prgtoken So in this case, you had Secretary Price, for example, flying from here to Nashville. I guarantee you there were lots of commercial flights. There was no reason he had to take a noncommercial flight. prgtoken In addition to what we are seeing with these three Cabinet officials, we do have sort of this culture of corruption that really needs to stop because this flows from the top. With the President, what we have now is the President staying at all these properties, private properties that are his or owned by his family, and then he comes with this massive entourage of Secret Service and other folks, and they are paying money to these properties to stay there, to eat there, and all of that money flows back to the organization. So the President is enriching himself and his family at taxpayers' expense. It is no wonder that we have got these three Cabinet officials doing these insane things with taxpayers' funds. prgtoken Now we have got a Congress unwilling to do oversight on this. You have got Ryan recently going on TV saying that he thinks that the present administration is doing great. Well, you can't have this kind of taxpayer waste when you have got the public trust at issue. prgtoken We also have responses from these departments that are deeply troubling. So the Treasury Department, in respo
Hurricane Recovery Efforts and Targeted Tax Relief (Executive Calendar)
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-9-28

I, too, rise today to oppose the renomination of Ajit Pai to serve as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. I will start my remarks by acknowledging my friend, the Senator from Hawaii, and echoing his sentiments about the respect I have for Chairman Pai's ability, his skill, his intelligence, his dedication, and commitment, but I, too, as a member of the Commerce Committee, have sat through testimony from Mr. Pai and watched a number of things unfold with regard to policy that is critically important to people of New Hampshire and our country. I find that I, too, am in a position of being unable to support this nomination. prgtoken The FCC plays a critical role in overseeing our communications networks, protecting consumers, and ensuring that our Nation's businesses can compete on a level playing field. Unfortunately, throughout his tenure at the FCC, and particularly during his time as Chairman, Mr. Pai has not demonstrated a commitment to those goals. To start, I have real concerns with the Chairman's actions to undermine net neutrality and the impact that would have on people in New Hampshire and throughout our country. prgtoken A free and open internet is essential to consumers, essential to entrepreneurs and innovative small businesses that are the foundation of our economic success. Net neutrality is the concept that internet service providers should provide equal access to applications and content online, and they should not be able to discriminate against content and content providers by making certain web pages, applications, or videos load faster or slower than others. Put simply, net neutrality ensures that even the smallest voices and businesses can be heard and can thrive. People and businesses in New Hampshire know this. Granite Staters have called and written to my office in support of net neutrality, and the FCC has received a recordbreaking number of public comments, reaching tens of millions, from people looking to make their voices heard on this topic. prgtoken Chairman Pai is not addressing the concerns of Americans who are speaking out. Instead, he is listening to big cable companies and internet service providers and taking direct aim at net neutrality protections. That is unacceptable. Protecting net neutrality is essential, but with Chairman Pai at the FCC, these critical rules are in danger. prgtoken I also oppose this nomination because Chairman Pai is putting rural broadband advancements at stake. Recently, Chairman Pai and the FCC released a notice of inquiry that raises questions about its goals, suggesting it will consider mobile broadband as an adequate replacement for fixed broadband, which would allow speeds that are two-thirds slower. For many parts of New Hampshire, mobile is not dependable enough or fast enough to meet our economy's needs, promote innovation, and connect young students with their homework. We must address the challenges that
CONTROL UNLAWFUL FUGITIVE FELONS ACT OF 2017
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-9-28

I thank the distinguished gentleman from Illinois for yielding and the gentlewoman from South Dakota for managing this bill. prgtoken The crux of this bill, however, is, again, to support and fund the multitrillion-dollar tax cuts that have just been introduced, that will give millions, if not billions, if not trillions, to the richest of Americans, and that is a very sad commentary. prgtoken I oppose the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act because it is not that. It will terminate essential benefits for poor people, deprive poor people of due process, and increase mass incarceration. prgtoken If the Rules Committee had simply taken my amendment, it would have remedied these criminal justice defects, which struck the arrest warrant language because it recklessly targets vulnerable people. This bill deprives citizens of due process, particularly where many poor individuals are completely unaware of a pending warrant. prgtoken Let me be very clear. What you have is a situation where you may have a mentally ill individual in a nursing home who now has a warrant that they are not aware of. You will then cut off their benefits. prgtoken What does that do to those families. prgtoken Prohibiting SSI payments to individuals with an outstanding warrant or parole or probation violation without due process is simply inhumane. This bill would terminate those benefits from very low-income seniors and people with disabilities. They may not even know that they have these warrants. prgtoken Now, I am a strong supporter of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, and I tell you that the on the Ways and Means Committee had an amendment to pay for a 5-year reauthorization of that program, doubling the funding, by closing a tax loophole. They were not allowed to even vote on that amendment. prgtoken What does that say? This is a conspiracy. prgtoken There are 110 organizations that are against this, including the Alliance for Retired Americans, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network, and the Coalition on Human Needs. prgtoken , I include in the Record a document with the names of all of these organizations. June 26, 2017. Dear Members of Congress: On behalf of the 119 undersigned organizations, we urge you to oppose efforts to cut Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to offset the costs of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV program). H.R. 2824 would reauthorize the MIECHV program, which funds voluntary, evidence-based home visiting programs for at-risk pregnant women and parents with young children up to kindergarten entry. The current MIECHV program has demonstrated beneficial outcomes associated with improved maternal and child health, including increased access to screening and early intervention
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-9-28

I am going to take some time this afternoon to respond to the remarks of the President's top economic adviser, Mr. Gary Cohn, with respect to this administration's approach to taxes. prgtoken Let me be clear right at the outset. The President and his parade of millionaires are executing a middle-class con job. I am going to be very specific in saying why I reached that judgment with respect to what they are saying about taxes. prgtoken The President said: ``I don't benefit. Very, very strongly I think there's very little benefit for people of wealth.'' Those are the President's exact words. ``It's not good for me, believe me,'' the President said in his speech unveiling the tax reform blueprint on Wednesday. prgtoken Unless the President paid zero tax, the President is going to benefit enormously from his tax plan. His family would save billions if the estate tax is eliminated, as he has proposed. His more than 500 passthroughs will be able to take advantage of the new Grand Canyon- sized passthrough loophole that his plan proposes. Based on his 2005 tax return--that is the only one available--the President would save millions each year if the alternative minimum tax is eliminated. prgtoken Today, the President's top adviser, Gary Cohn, said: ``We've also said that wealthy Americans are not getting a tax cut.'' They expect you to believe them and not your lying eyes. prgtoken I want to take a few minutes and describe exactly what the well-to-do are getting in this bill. prgtoken The plan outlined by the administration would cost upwards of $5 trillion, and it is overwhelmingly skewed toward the wealthy and the biggest corporations. It lowers the corporate rate from 35 to 20, and much of that goes to wealthy shareholders. prgtoken The new passthrough, which would give this big gift to high-flyers, hedge funds, basically would let them start calling ordinary income business income, so it could be taxed at a much lower rate, and they would in the process harm Social Security and Medicare because they aren't paying those payroll taxes. prgtoken I mentioned the estate tax. This is for just a few thousand people. The exemption for a couple is already $11 million. This break would cost the American people between $250 to $270 billion. That is an awful lot of money to parcel out to a few thousand families. prgtoken They would lower the individual top rate from 39.6 to 35 percent. Let's make no mistake about it--the President of the United States and his top economic adviser have said they are not going to give tax cuts to the wealthy. That is not what they said yesterday. They said that the top rate was going to go down from 39.6 to 35 percent. And to add insult to injury, for those at the bottom of the economic system who pay 10 percent now, theirs would go up to 12 percent. So this is just making a mockery out of the President's pledge that this was going to be about working families and not about the
Hurricane Recovery Efforts and Targeted Tax Relief (Executive Calendar)
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-9-28

I want to thank the senior Senator from Texas for his leadership in the disaster response, and I pledge my commitment to whatever is needed for Houston and the areas around Houston, as well as Florida. I appreciate the commitment at the legislative level for what needs to be done in Puerto Rico. prgtoken , we also need to continue to apply pressure to the administration because it does appear as though there is an unequal response between what is happening in Puerto Rico and what has happened in Houston and in Florida. So we need to hold as a country the executive branch accountable for the lack of a sense of urgency for 3.5 million Americans who are mostly going to be without power for 9 months, who are currently without potable water, who are in a devastated situation. It is our obligation to do everything we can. prgtoken , the Senate is about to make an important decision about who leads the Federal agency that oversees everything from the internet, to the TV, to radio. prgtoken This vote is a choice: We can either give our stamp of approval on the FCC's direction under the leadership of Chairman Pai, or we can decide that his leadership has put the FCC on the wrong track and that it is time for someone else to take charge. prgtoken Generally speaking, here is how I approach a nomination. There are three reasons one might reject a nominee. If the person is corrupt, it is a nonstarter. If the person is nonqualified, it is also a nonstarter. And even on policy grounds, in the policy space, just disagreeing with someone can often boil down to the fact that there is a President from another party and is not sufficient to vote no. prgtoken Chairman Pai is someone I know. He is skillful, he is a decent human being, he is very smart, and he is qualified. When we disagree, we can do it in a way that doesn't ruin our ability to work together on the following day on the following issue. And this is no small thing in today's political climate. So it is important that if we are ever going to get something done, we are able to disagree and find common ground afterward. prgtoken I do like Chairman Pai as a person. I think he is ethical and he is capable. But he is just so wrong on policy. For me, that means he is not the right leader for the FCC. I want to highlight four of the concerns I have. prgtoken First, the FCC really is trying to end the internet as we know it by getting rid of net neutrality. If they succeed, your internet service provider will have the power to stop you from seeing certain kinds of content. They will be the ones that make decisions about what you can access online and how fast and how much you have to pay for it. prgtoken Some people say that companies aren't going to change the internet because it is not in their interest to change the internet, even if the law goes away. But think about this: Most often, these ISPs are publicly traded companies, and they
HONORING MR. DON STRAIT
Elizabeth H. Esty (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-9-28

I rise today to honor Don Strait, a champion for Connecticut's environment, who recently retired after 25 years as the President of Connecticut Fund for the Environment. As President, Don has played a crucial role in numerous achievements in environmental protection and conservation in our state, and his work will benefit generations to come. prgtoken Since 1992, Don has been Executive Director and President of Connecticut Fund for the Environment, which later merged with Save the Sound. His tireless work in our state with local, state, and federal leaders has led to substantial victories for protection and conservation of our air, land, and water. The organization helped protect thousands of acres of land in western Connecticut vital to recreation and wildlife, and has ensured enactment of landmark climate policies, clean car laws, and environmental regulations vital for our public health. prgtoken Don facilitated the organization's merger with Save the Sound in 2004 and brought his track record of success to the group's expanded focus on both Connecticut's and the Long Island Sound's environmental quality. Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound has been instrumental in reforming sewage management around the Sound, water quality monitoring, and the successful fight against the planned Broadwater gas plant. prgtoken What's more, Don has generously shared his time and expertise to support the crucial work of other leading groups in our state. He cofounded the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters to mobilize environmentally conscious citizens and has served on boards of Restore America's Estuaries and the State Environmental Leadership Program. prgtoken , Don Strait has been a dedicated and visionary leader for Connecticut. Present and future generations in our state owe him a great deal for protecting our world, and I am lucky to call him a friend. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor him here today.
HONORING CLARIBEL LOUISE LEMM HILL AND HAROLD MILLARD ``BUD'' HILL
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-9-28

I rise today to honor Clair and Harold Hill upon the occasion of their one-hundredth birthdays. Clair was born on August 14, 1917 and Harold was born September 16, 1917. prgtoken Clair and Harold were born and raised in Chico, California where they graduated from Chico High School. They were married on September 4, 1938. Harold enlisted in the United States Air Force during World War II, serving from December 1943 to January 1946. He attended radar school, and they moved to Boca Raton, Florida where he worked as a radar instructor. In 1956, Clair and Harold moved to Santa Rosa, California, where they have lived ever since. prgtoken Harold started a successful insurance business and Clair became an artist. She sold her beautiful landscape paintings all around Sonoma County. She also started a popular costume rental business, designing and sewing the costumes herself. They have three daughters, Patricia, Janet and Barbara, nine grandchildren and seventeen great- grandchildren. Their home is a gathering place for family, friends and neighbors who enjoy their warm hospitality. prgtoken Clair and Harold have been valuable members of our community and have served as strong mentors to our young people. Clair volunteered with the P.T.A Campfire Girls and the 4-H Club. Harold was a member of the Lions Club and Elks Club. For many years, he volunteered in an elementary school classroom and as an after school mentor for children who needed extra support. prgtoken Clair and Harold have enjoyed watching their family expand and have continued to develop their interests and skills. Clair was an avid flower gardener and was active in the Redwood Garden Club. She is a talented cook and baker. Harold enjoys growing vegetables, and reading and writing poetry. He is a lifelong golfer, hitting a hole-in-one at the age of 98. prgtoken , Clair and Harold Hill have led long, wonderful lives. Their service during World War II, entrepreneurial spirit and lifelong community service epitomize what Tom Brokaw has called the Greatest Generation. It is therefore fitting and proper that we honor them on their one hundredth birthdays this year.
IN RECOGNITION OF THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF AVENUES
Matt Cartwright (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-9-28

I rise today to honor Avenues' 65th anniversary, which will be celebrated on September 28, 2017. For over six decades, Avenues has served disabled Pennsylvanians throughout Schuylkill, Carbon, Northumberland, Lebanon and Luzerne Counties. prgtoken Avenues was originally founded as United Cerebral Palsy of Schuylkill County in 1952 by a group of sixty parents whose children had special needs. The group's prime focus was addressing the lack of local medical care and educational services for their children. On September 12, 1952, the founders filed an application for a charter to become a member of United Cerebral Palsy. The organization was incorporated in November that year as United Cerebral Palsy of Schuylkill County. prgtoken Today, Avenues is responsible for planning, promoting and assisting the establishment, maintenance and operation of training centers or clinics for the education, social and physical betterment of those with Cerebral Palsy and similar disorders. Its aid has supported a wide array of research in the prevention and treatment of developmental disabilities and handicaps. It sponsors various educational campaigns for the general public to raise awareness about the requirements of and problems facing special-needs clinics. Avenues is a great wealth of information to its clients and their parents, families and friends. prgtoken It is an honor to recognize Avenues as it celebrates its 65th anniversary. I am grateful for the assistance it provides to people across its service area which includes Counties in my congressional district. May its staff and volunteers be able to continue their work helping Pennsylvanians with disabilities for many, many years to come.
Tribute to Mary Jo Brown (Executive Session)
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-9-28

I rise today to honor a proud educator, a dedicated public servant, a beloved native of my home State of West Virginia, and my very dear friend, Mary Jo Brown. Words cannot express my gratitude for Mary Jo's service and friendship. prgtoken Since my days as Governor, Mary Jo has gone above and beyond to uphold the standards not only of professionalism, loyalty, and dedication but also of what it means to be born in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. prgtoken Mary Jo has always had a noble passion for education. She worked for Berkeley County Schools as a teacher, a library media specialist, director of public affairs, and finally as principal of Burke Street Elementary School, where we first became acquainted. prgtoken Upon her retirement from Berkeley County Schools, I invited Mary Jo to work with me as a regional coordinator, a role she kept through my entire time as Governor and now as U.S. Senator. Her warm personality and sense of humor truly have a way of making you feel at ease-- laughing quite frequently at not only her but yourself. prgtoken I have heard many times from members of the Eastern Panhandle community that when she is out meeting with elected officials, business owners, and fellow West Virginians, she provides every confidence that their voices are being heard, and I can assure you, they are. She gets in contact with me immediately. prgtoken When Mary Jo is given a task, she doesn't take no for an answer. She is the most tenacious person I have ever met. She gives each project or challenge her all because it is for the good of her community, our State, and her hometown. prgtoken It would be difficult to find anyone as knowledgeable and dedicated to our home State as Mary Jo. Among her many contributions to the Eastern Panhandle, together with her loving husband Walter, was founding the Walter and Mary Jo Ziler Brown Fund in 2006 to help Eastern Panhandle students study animal husbandry, agriculture, and veterinary medicine. prgtoken We bonded over our passion for public service, inspiring the next generation of leaders, and we share the common goal of helping the rest of the country discover all that our great State of West Virginia has to offer. prgtoken Now that she is retiring after a long career of teaching, public service, and more than a decade of Federal service, I know that Mary Jo will carry the same passion for the Eastern Panhandle and for West Virginia that she always has, and she will continue to make a difference wherever she may be and wherever she goes--always for the State of West Virginia and her community. prgtoken It is my greatest honor to extend to her and to Walter my very best wishes in the days and years ahead. prgtoken Thank you, Mary Jo, and God bless you for everything you have done for me, for our office, and, most importantly, for our State of West Virginia and the Eastern Panhandle. God bless you. prgtoken Thank you. prgtoken .