mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING THE 99TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLIC DAY OF AZERBAIJAN
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2017-5-24

I rise today to recognize the 99th anniversary of the Republic Day of Azerbaijan, and to extend my best wishes to all Azerbaijanis as they celebrate Republic Day. May 28th marks the founding of the ic Republic of Azerbaijan, when the people ofAzerbaijan first gained their independence from the Russian Empire in 1918. Although Azerbaijan's independence was ended by Soviet forces in 1920, it is noteworthy that the ic Republic of Azerbaijan was the world's first secular parliamentary democratic republic in a predominantly Muslim nation--earning diplomatic recognition from the United States during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. We also recall, with admiration, that the ic Republic of Azerbaijan granted universal suffrage to its citizens in 1918, making it the first Muslim country to give women the right to vote. prgtoken Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan restored its independence on October 18, 1991, when its Parliament adopted the Constitution Act on the Restoration of the State of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan. prgtoken For the people of Azerbaijan, these last two decades of independence have not been without challenges. At the top of the list would be the ongoing conflict with Armenia. Although a cease fire was signed in 1994 more than 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory--including Nagorno- Karabakh and seven surrounding districts--remains under Armenian occupation and more than 1 million Azerbaijanis remain refugees unable to return to their home villages. In 1993, the U.N. Security Council adopted four resolutions demanding complete, unconditional and immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. I am happy that Azerbaijan is committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Anemia, and I support a swift and peaceful resolution to this conflict as well. prgtoken Azerbaijan is a key global security partner for the United States. As an active member of prgtoken NATO's Partnership for Peace program, Azerbaijan cooperates with the United States in countering terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and narcotics trafficking. Azerbaijani troops serve shoulder to shoulder with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, as they previously did in Kosovo and Iraq. In support of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for U.S. and NATO flights as well as regularly providing landing and refueling operations at its airports for U.S. and NATO forces. Azerbaijan also plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan, by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. prgtoken Azerbaijan has emerged as a key player for enhancing global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi- Erzurum gas pipeline are the main arteries delivering Caspian Sea ene
IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND SCHOLARS FOR THE UNITED STATES
Michael F. Doyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-5-24

I rise today in support of a globally engaged and welcoming United States. Historically, hosting international students and scholars at our colleges and universities has been one of the most important ways America reinforces those values. We all need to recognize the vital contributions that international students, scholars and their families make when we welcome them to this great country. prgtoken Welcoming international students and scholars strengthens our diplomatic ties with countries across the globe and increases our national security. prgtoken International students and scholars who have spent time in the United States become informal ambassadors when they return home, sharing an appreciation for common values, counteracting stereotypes about the U.S and enhancing respect for cultural differences. prgtoken Likewise, the ability to perform and compete globally is a vital component of a 21st century education. While less than 2 percent of U.S. students study abroad each year, having international students on our campuses can better prepare U.S. students to succeed as global citizens. prgtoken International students also contribute to the economic well-being of the United States. According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, international students and their families supported 400,000 jobs and contributed nearly $33 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2015 to 2016 academic year. prgtoken In my district, during the 2015 to 2016 academic year, 12,249 international students and their families contributed $359.7 million, supporting 5,967 jobs. prgtoken May is a critical month on the college calendar. It is the traditional end of the academic year, when graduation ceremonies take place across the country. But it is also a time when prospective students make their final choice on where they plan to study in the fall. prgtoken Actions taken by this administration, most significantly the Travel Ban Executive Order, have generated a great deal of uncertainty within U.S. colleges and universities. Many currently enrolled international students may choose not to travel home at the end of the academic year, for fear they might not be allowed to return in the fall. prgtoken Unsurprisingly, for prospective students, nearly 40 percent of higher education institutions reported application declines for the first time in many years. prgtoken Moreover, the anti-immigrant rhetoric and uncertainty created by our broken immigration system make the United States less attractive to the students and scholars who we want to contribute to our campuses and communities. prgtoken To ensure our nation's security, economic well-being, and academic leadership, we must remain an open and welcoming United States. So, to the international students and scholars who may be unsure about coming, I say: Your contributions are valued and you are welcome here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BUDGET
Mark Pocan (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2017-5-24

I appreciate this opportunity. I would like to thank the gentleman from Maryland. prgtoken The Progressive Caucus has its own version of a budget which we have discussed on the floor of Congress previously that we will be glad to put exactly next to the budget that has been produced by this President, because our budget takes a completely different course than the budget that has been put forth by the administration. prgtoken We can tell you, now that we have seen the budget from the s, it hits every fear that we thought was going to be in it. There are very few winners, and there are an awful lot of losers in the budget, and that is what we are going to try to show today, just who some of the winners are and who some of the losers are, just to give you a visual display of exactly what is in this budget. prgtoken So what people need to know is that this is a budget that is not for the average person across the country. In fact, the average person will be hurt in multiple ways by the cuts that are in this budget. There are very few in this country who are going to applaud this, but it is very few because this is a budget that only benefits a very few. And we, in the Progressive Caucus, are going to do everything we can to fight this, tooth and nail, to make sure this doesn't become law. prgtoken Let me just show a few of the winners that we have on this. One of the winners are the wealthiest Americans. This is going to reduce trillions of dollars in taxes that are primarily paid by the wealthy. So clearly, the wealthy are going to do well. prgtoken Another group that does well is Wall Street and Big corporations. This budget slashes regulations for Big banks that caused the great recession, and it defunds the agency that is charged with protecting consumers. prgtoken Another beneficiary is defense contractors--a $54 billion boost in defense spending at the expense of nearly every other program. That will increase money that will purchase unnecessary new weapons. prgtoken The border wall. This is going to put down a $1.6 billion downpayment to build a wall across the Mexican border, something that truly is not necessary and not asked for. prgtoken And finally, the last beneficiary is polluters. This is going to roll back environmental regulations that protect our air and water. prgtoken So those are the winners on the budget. But if you look on the other side of the equation, there are a whole lot more losers. prgtoken Let's start right up here with our friend, Big Bird. PBS funding. The budget would cut funding for children's shows like Sesame Street. prgtoken Social Security. The budget will get rid of the insurance to help people with disabilities. prgtoken Meals on Wheels. You know, I have had the great fortune of doing Meals on Wheels delivery in Madison, Wisconsin, which is in my district. And not only is it often the only meal, the healthy meal that that person is getting d
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FRAUD PREVENTION ACT OF 2017
Jim Costa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-5-24

I thank the gentleman from Virginia. prgtoken In addition, it also takes steps to ensure that, if inclusion is necessary, the number is not visible from the outside of a mailing. I think, probably, many of us have received mail that, in fact, had our Social Security number there and identified. prgtoken As I said at the outset, this is no silver bullet to stopping identity theft; it is a commonsense measure to reducing it. prgtoken Social Security, as we all know, is a promise made to those who have worked hard throughout their lives to contribute to the system, to contribute to the American way of life. It also provides those seniors who are living on their Social Security the ability to have dignity and additional security during their golden years. As a result, Congress must do what it can to reduce the strains on the program, particularly from fraud and theft. prgtoken For all of those reasons, I support this legislation, and I support Congressman Valadao's efforts and my prgtoken good friends from Florida and Virginia for bringing this commonsense measure to the floor.
Nomination of Courtney Elwood (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-5-24

the Senate will shortly consider the nomination of Courtney Elwood to be the CIA's General Counsel. I wanted to take a few minutes this morning to discuss the nomination and put it in the context of the extraordinary national security challenges our country faces. prgtoken It is hard to imagine a more despicable act than the terrorist attack in Manchester Monday night, killing innocent teenagers and children who were out to enjoy a concert. The suffering that Americans and all in the Senate have been reading about and watching on television is heartbreaking by any standards. I think it is fair to say that, as Americans, we stand in strong solidarity with our British friends, our allies, as they confront this horror. Our country will, as we have for so many years, stand shoulder to shoulder with them as there is an effort to collect more information about this attack, about what actually happened, and work to prevent future attacks. prgtoken Not everything is known about the attack, but one thing Americans do know is that it can happen here. That is why, as I begin this discussion on this important nomination and the challenges in front of our country, I would like to start, as I invariably do when we talk about intelligence matters, by recognizing the extraordinary men and women who work in the intelligence community, who work tirelessly across the government to keep our people safe from terrorist attacks. So much of what they do is in secret, and that is appropriate. It is so important to keep secret what is called the sources and methods that our intelligence community personnel are using. It is important to the American people and it is important to our country to make sure that the people protecting them every day can do their jobs. prgtoken The reason I took this time this morning to talk about this nomination is to talk about the broader context of what we owe the American people, and I feel very strongly that we owe the American people security and liberty. The two are not mutually exclusive, and it is possible to protect the people of our country with smart policies that protect both their security and their liberty. prgtoken Smart policies ensure that security and liberty are not mutually exclusive. For example, I would cite as a smart policy something I was proud to have been involved in. Section 102 of the USA FREEDOM Act sought to make sure that we weren't just indiscriminately collecting millions of phone records on law-abiding people. A provision, section 102, says that when our government believes there is an emergency where the safety and security and well-being of the American people is at stake, our government can move immediately to deal with the problem and then come back later and settle up with respect to getting a warrant. That was something that, I thought, really solidified what was a smart policy. prgtoken Our Founding Fathers had a Fourth Amendment for a reason--to
ON THE RETIREMENT OF BRIAN C. COOPER FROM THE HOUSE PARLIAMENTARIAN'S OFFICE
John Conyers, Jr. (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-5-24

today I rise as both the Dean of the House and as a former employer of Brian Cooper to congratulate him on his impending retirement from the House of Representatives after 35 years of service, and to thank him for his years of dedicated service to the House. prgtoken Brian is a Baltimore native and the youngest of seven children of his parents Dolores and Ellsworth Cooper, Brian loves the Charm City so much that he has lived in the same house his whole life. prgtoken He is a proud graduate of Frederick Douglass High School in Baltimore (the very same high school attended by Supreme Court Justice and civil rights icon Thurgood Marshall), After high school Brian received a scholarship to the Community College of Baltimore, now known as Baltimore City Community College, where he received his degree in commercial and graphic arts. prgtoken Brian's first Capitol Hill job began in the fall of 1982 when he began work in the stock room for Publications and Distribution Services. Thereafter, in the 1980s and early 1990s, Brian worked for the House Post Office, the House document room, the Small Business Committee and the Government Operations Committee. At Government Operations, Brian served under both Jack Brooks and myself as Chair (the latter from 1991 through 1994). In that capacity Brian worked as staff assistant, handled filing and archiving of committee materials, and prepared documents for committee hearings and markups. I can personally testify that Brian's work was respected and appreciated by Members on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken In 1995, Brian joined the Office of the House Parliamentarian as Clerk where he spent a full 22 years, rising to become Chief Clerk to the Parliamentarian in 2009. Brian's most visible duties included assisting presiding officers during sessions of the House and handling timekeeping and legislative paperwork at the rostrum, In addition, Brian provided invaluable assistance in creating the first office computer network, supervising House pages, and preparing for joint meetings and joint sessions, It is no understatement to say that Brian observed and participated in a great swath of American political history during that time period. prgtoken Brian remains active in many artistic endeavors--including watercolor, oils, photography, and architectural design--which I understand he plans to continue in his retirement. Brian also plans to use his well-deserved retirement to travel to Italy and spend more time with family (including his many nieces and nephews). prgtoken As a devoted Baltimore sports fan, Brian has enjoyed the highs and suffered the lows of the local teams. He is a particularly avid fan of the Baltimore Orioles, and I am sure he appreciates the good start they are off to this year. prgtoken I know from personal experience and observation that Brian is the consummate professional. Members and staff on both sides of the aisle know Brian to be committed to an orderl
REQUIRING AN ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS RELATING TO THE USE OF OFFICIAL TIME BY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
Stephen F. Lynch (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-5-24

. It jeopardized the safety of our postal workforce and customers, as well as the free flow of information and commerce that the constitutional responsibility of the United States Postal Service requires. prgtoken But rather than refusing to go to work in a dangerous workplace, by the use of official time, the management of the United States Postal Service, and the union representatives of the United States Postal Service sat down and worked out a measure where the union agreed to send their workers in, the mail kept running to every home and business in America, but the postal workers absorbed that danger on their own because they knew that steps were being taken to keep them and their families--because the threat was that anthrax would get on their clothes and they would bring that back to their own homes. We worked that out. prgtoken That agreement would not have been worked out but for the use of official time--and a lot of official time that was used in that crisis. That is the responsibility that those union representatives had to the workers. They have to guarantee a safe workplace for those workers, and that is why we should vote against this bill. This is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and we ought to vote this down.
REQUIRING AN ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS RELATING TO THE USE OF OFFICIAL TIME BY FEDERAL EMPLOYEES
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-5-24

I thank my good friend from Virginia for yielding to me. prgtoken You haven't heard any discussion of abuse of official time because there is no record of abuse of official time. My colleagues on the other side simply want to get rid of official time, as they have wanted to do for decades. prgtoken A little background: Federal employees have no right to strike, as they do in the private sector. In return, though, the time-honored right to organize and represent employees in their official capacity on matters relating to the workplace has always been in place under s and alike. prgtoken Remember, there is also no requirement to join a union in the first place; yet unions must represent all workers, regardless of their membership or not. prgtoken The bill on the House floor, H.R. 1293, is unnecessary. Official time reports are already required. This is a redundant bill. prgtoken If my friend is worried that these reports haven't been timely, as he implied then he can do that administratively or do it in this bill. The reason he doesn't do it in this bill is this bill is a cover. It is a cover for two pending bills which are already out of committee. I expect them on the floor any minute now, although, notice the sequence. prgtoken , this seemingly vanilla bill, is going to be followed by the real bills that my colleagues are after. They are parallel bills. They essentially eliminate official time to represent workers. prgtoken Now, why is official time important? They are important for the operation of the Federal Government itself. And why is that? Because there are always going to be disputes and contention between management and labor. Official takes away time that would otherwise be wasted and allows the parties to go to the table and work matters out.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S BUDGET
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-5-24

I am delighted to be here this evening, and I am delighted to be hosting the Progressive Caucus Special Order hour. We have a number of Members who are going to join us to discuss the President's budget proposal, which appears to have been written at Tower, primarily for the benefit of people spending the weekend at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. prgtoken , from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan), to kick off our analysis of the budget.
TRUMP BUDGET CUTS
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-5-24

yesterday President released the most reckless and heartless budget I have ever seen in my life. It slashes virtually every worthwhile program: programs that help the middle class, seniors, and veterans. But what I find particularly offensive and troubling is that his budget is a radical assault on people living in poverty or right on the edge. It guts Medicaid, housing assistance, and Social Security disability insurance benefits. prgtoken The budget also decimates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, our Nation's first line of defense against hunger. It cuts the program by $193 billion over 10 years. That is a 25 percent reduction. President makes these ruthless cuts by cutting eligibility and reducing benefits. He also adds a new requirement that States pay 25 percent of the cost of the benefits. prgtoken It may be a nice sound bite to suggest that States should share the cost of providing SNAP benefits to their residents, but the reality is that State budgets are already stretched incredibly thin, and communities are already suffering from a decrease in Federal investment in States. The budget compounds this problem by eliminating dozens of programs that families in States across the country rely on. This will only exacerbate the stress on State budgets to deliver basic services to their residents. prgtoken If that isn't bad enough, President would allow States to cut benefit levels to manage the costs they would incur under this cruel budget. This means that families living in certain States would see their already too-modest benefits drop through no fault of their own. prgtoken At the same time, President is proposing new fees on retail stores applying to accept SNAP benefits. We know access to food is a huge concern, especially in rural areas and in cities, and such a wrongheaded approach will further limit the ability of families on SNAP to shop for nutritious food. prgtoken In addition, President 's budget makes it even more difficult for able-bodied adults without dependents to receive modest food benefits. Current law allows States to waive the time limits imposed on these vulnerable adults, which include veterans, by the way, but President wants to severely limit the ability of States to request these waivers. Estimates suggest that in any given month, this proposal would restrict access to SNAP for up to 1 million Americans struggling to find work kicking people off of SNAP doesn't help them find a job. It only makes them hungrier, weaker, and even less likely to qualify for work. It is simply a rotten thing to do. prgtoken Now, quite frankly, I was a little surprised by the magnitude of these cuts given the fact that President 's Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, testified before the House Committee on Agriculture last week in strong defense of SNAP. He said: `` . . . we have no proposed changes. You don't