mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
American Bar Association and the Blue-Slip Courtesy (Executive Calendar)
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-11-28

I rise today to address two elements of the Senate's process for evaluating judicial nominations: the role of the American Bar Association and the so-called blue-slip courtesy. Each can influence the appointment process, and we must be diligent to ensure that neither is abused. prgtoken The Eisenhower administration was the first to request the input of the ABA--American Bar Association--on prospective judicial nominations. Speaking to the 1955 ABA convention, President Eisenhower thanked the ABA for helping him and his advisers to ``secure judges'' of the kind he wanted to appoint. If that sounds as though the ABA was a part of the administration, it was. prgtoken The ABA evaluated individuals before they were even nominated. Individuals deemed not qualified by the ABA were almost never nominated. No other interest group was given such a quasi-official veto over nominations to any other office. prgtoken What could justify such a special role for an interest group? What could do that? The theory is that the ABA was a nonpolitical professional association concerned only with the legal profession and the practice of law. prgtoken At its 1933 annual meeting in Grand Rapids, MI, for example, the ABA's executive committee considered changing the ABA constitution to allow ``discussion and expressions of opinion on questions of public interest.'' After arguments that this would revolutionize the scope and purpose of the ABA, no one--not one person--supported the amendment, to the best of my knowledge. prgtoken In February 1965, ABA President Lewis Powell, who later served on the Supreme Court, wrote that ``the prevailing view is that the Association must follow a policy of noninvolvement in political and emotionally controversial issues.'' If that view actually prevailed in 1965, it did not last. prgtoken The ABA House of Delegates soon crossed the political Rubicon and began taking positions on a host of issues through Federal arts funding, affirmative action, the death penalty, welfare policy, immigration; you name it, and the ABA has endorsed the liberal position, oftentimes the most liberal position. The ABA not only opines on such issues through resolutions but also lobbies legislatures and files briefs in court cases. prgtoken The ABA has done exactly what it chose not to do back in 1933 and revolutionized the scope and purpose of the organization. It abandoned nearly a century of noninvolvement in political issues, the condition that was said to justify a special role in the judicial appointment process. It hardly seemed reasonable that the ABA could somehow seal off its evaluation of judicial nominees from all of this political activism so that its conclusions could still be trusted. prgtoken In 1987, several members of the ABA evaluation committee said that Judge Robert Bork was not qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. I said at the time that the ABA was ``playing politics with the ratings.
AUTHORIZING TESTIMONY, DOCUMENT PRODUCTION, AND REPRESENTATION
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-11-28

this resolution concerns a request for testimony in a criminal action pending in Arizona State court. In this action, the defendant is charged with threatening to cause physical injury to Senator Flake and for trespassing on his Tucson, AZ, office. A trial is scheduled for November 29, 2017. prgtoken The prosecution is seeking in this case testimony from an employee in the Senator's office who witnessed the relevant events. The enclosed resolution would authorize that staffer, and any other current or former employee of the Senator's office from whom relevant evidence may be necessary, to testify and produce documents in this case, with representation by the Senate legal counsel.
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF CHUMASH INDIANS LAND AFFIRMATION ACT OF 2017
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-11-28

. The Department of the Interior then completed the fee- to-trust process in January of 2017. Indeed, this is ongoing. prgtoken On October 31, the county ratified an agreement with the Chumash, ensuring that any impacts of Camp 4 housing on local infrastructure and other resources would be addressed, and the Department of the Interior approved this agreement on the same day. prgtoken In order to enable the Chumash to address their housing crisis and ensure any impacts to local governments are addressed, H.R. 1491 takes the following actions: prgtoken It affirms and ratifies the action of the Department of the Interior to take the Camp 4 parcel into trust on January 19, 2017. prgtoken It codifies references to the Chumash-county agreement ratified by Santa Barbara County on October 31, 2017, addressing impacts to local infrastructure and services. prgtoken By request of the Chumash, it prohibits the operation of gaming facilities on the Camp 4 parcel. prgtoken It protects and respects rights-of-way also held by local stakeholders. prgtoken , this bill represents, again, the culmination of years of effort on the part of the Chumash, the county, the committee, and Congress to ensure that the concerns of all stakeholders were addressed fairly through a local process and reaching a consensus with the Tribe and the county that we sought from the beginning. Indeed, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs, I believe this agreement is the outcome of good faith negotiations by all parties and should be considered a model for maintaining positive working relationships between tribal and local governments. prgtoken I urge all Members to support this bipartisan, noncontroversial measure.
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-11-28

I know we are scheduled for a vote in a few minutes. We will have plenty of time to talk about this in the days to come. prgtoken I think one of the core things that I hope tax reform will be about is empowering the American worker. By ``the American worker,'' I mean the people whom they don't make Netflix series about and we don't see movies about too often anymore. There was a time when the American worker was a hero in our country. People looked up to the American worker and idealized them. Today, obviously, entertainment focuses on other professions. There is nothing wrong with that, but we have forgotten about their hard work and the millions and millions of Americans across this country who truly remain the backbone of our economy and our Nation. prgtoken There are hard-working men and women who are struggling to get by, not because they are not working hard but because everything costs more--something you quickly find out as your family begins to grow. That is why I have spent so much time talking about the child tax credit. A lot of people confuse that with the childcare credit, which is important as well. prgtoken The child tax credit takes into account the reality that raising children is an expense. It is a blessing, but it costs money. At the end of the day, it doesn't always matter only how much you make; it also matters how much you spend. And when you are raising children and raising a family, the costs are often out of your control, and they increase substantially every single year. So perhaps the best way to illustrate to my colleagues the impact that tax reform has on working families is to talk about real people and their real lives--how much money they make and what tax reform would mean for them. prgtoken I want to start with a real family, a particular family my staff has been communicating with; that is, the Starling family, Richard and Emily, a very young family from Jacksonville, FL. They have a 2-year- old daughter, and they are expecting their second child in March. Richard is a pastor, and he works part time at Starbucks. He makes about $25,000 a year. His wife Emily stays home and cares for their daughter while he is at work. prgtoken Because of their income, the Senate tax bill's nonrefundable child tax credit increase would actually be worth very little to them. A lot of people have said to me: Well, we have increased it to $2,000. Isn't that great? It is. But what it means that people don't understand is, if the majority--if all the taxes you pay are payroll taxes, it doesn't help a lot. prgtoken I, frankly, get offended when I hear people say: These are Americans who don't pay taxes. They do pay taxes--not income tax, but they pay payroll taxes. They take it out of your check every month. Trust me, it is a tax. It is less money than what was supposed to be there after the tax. prgtoken So the tax credit, while we increased it to $2,000--and that is great for a lo
LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACT OF 2017
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-11-28

I thank the gentlewoman for her remarks. We are working together to build that trust and to safely secure the community and our officers. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Demings). She brings to the United States Congress very important contributions as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Affairs. These voices are well needed. Congresswoman Val Demings is the former chief of police of the City of Orlando, Florida.
REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-11-28

this week many things will happen in Washington, but the focus in the Senate Chamber later in the week will be the tax plan. It is a plan that has come upon us really quickly--in a matter of weeks--and it literally will affect the economy of the United States and virtually every taxpayer. There is hardly a measure we can entertain that has such broad and far-reaching impact on the future of this country and its economy. prgtoken What we are trying to do now is to analyze this plan. It has been put on a fast schedule. I can guarantee, as I stand here, that because of this hurry-up approach on tax reform, when it is all said and done, if anything is enacted into law, we can look back with regret for not having taken the time to do this carefully, not having measured the impact of any tax changes on individuals, families, and the economy, and, certainly, on our national debt. prgtoken So far we have a plan that was considered and passed by the House of Representatives, also on a fast schedule, and one in the Senate as well. The one in the Senate will be up for consideration this week. It is going to be a procedure, which was established in the Senate years ago, called reconciliation. For the outsider, it is a long word, which, by Senate definition, means that a simple majority vote is all that is necessary to pass this measure. It will not be subject to the traditional filibuster in the Senate nor to the need for 60 votes, as in most instances. prgtoken It was designed, in its inception, to be a way to reduce the budget deficit. Ironically, what we will see happen with the proposed Senate tax plan is an increase of our national debt instead of a reduction. But that seems to be the intent of the sponsors, and it is what we will consider. prgtoken We took a look at some of the proposals in the Senate plan. It is no secret that this plan would bankroll massive tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America and the largest corporations, and it would raise taxes on middle-income families. If that seems like contrary thinking to what most Americans were looking for, it is. prgtoken Time and again we are told that the average American needs a helping hand. I certainly understand that in Illinois and across the Nation. This tax plan by the s will not help working families. At best, it gives them a temporary tax cut, which later ends up as a tax increase. prgtoken However, if you happen to be among the wealthiest of Americans, there is good news in the plan. There will be substantial tax cuts in permanent law. So the help for working families is temporary, the help for wealthy families is permanent, and the help for corporations is permanent. prgtoken To put it in perspective from the corporate point of view, we can understand those who argue that lowering taxes on businesses will incentivize them to expand their businesses. Yet there are a couple of things we have
HONORING DR. ANDREA CODDETT
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-28

I rise to honor a pillar of the Yonkers community, Dr. Andrea Coddett, who this year will be the keynote speaker at the Luther V. Garrison Sr. Masonic Foundation Inc. Annual Scholarship Luncheon. prgtoken Dr. Coddett is the Deputy Superintendent for the Yonkers Public Schools. In her role, she oversees the Division of Teaching and Learning, ensuring that all curriculum is aligned to the New York State Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), and that all instruction is aligned to 21st Century learning skills, so students are prepared for college and/or careers. Dr. Coddett previously served as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction K-12 for the East Ramapo Central School District. Dr. Coddett began her career in education as a Special Education teacher after which she became a building-level Math Specialist. In her administrative career, Dr. Coddett has worked as a District Math Specialist, an Early Childhood Principal, a K-5 principal, and Director of Secondary Special Education. prgtoken Dr. Coddett is a graduate of Fordham University where she earned a doctorate in Executive Leadership. She holds Masters Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction with a Reading Specialization and Educational Administration from Pace University and a Bachelor degree in Psychology from Mercy College. Dr. Coddett also holds administrative certifications in School District Administration and School Building Administration and Supervision, as well as teaching certifications in Special Education, birth through 21, and General Education, N-6. prgtoken Dr. Coddett considers herself a global citizen and believes that, as an educational leader, each and every child deserves an excellent education. As a learning leader and lifelong learner, Dr. Coddett's personal motto is, ``Empowered for Learning, Empowered for Life.'' prgtoken Dr. Coddett is an accomplished professional in the education world, and as a former educator myself, I am very appreciative of the work she has done and continues to do. She will do an excellent job as this year's keynote speaker at the Annual Scholarship Luncheon and I wish to congratulate her on the honor.
FOWLER AND BOSKOFF PEAKS DESIGNATION ACT
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-11-28

such time as I may consume. prgtoken H.R. 2768 names two peaks in the Uncompahgre National Forest in Colorado after Charlie Fowler and Christine Boskoff. prgtoken Fowler and Boskoff were world-class rock climbers whose accomplishments left enduring legacies on the sport. Sadly, in 2016, the two set out to climb a mountain in a remote part of China near the Tibetan border and never returned. prgtoken This bill and the renaming of the peaks is a fitting tribute and I support its adoption. prgtoken , .
WE NEED TAX REFORM
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-11-28

I rise today to share some of the feedback I have heard from my constituents about the tax bill that has already passed this House and is now under consideration in the Senate. prgtoken More than 2,000 of my constituents have taken the time to reach out to me and share their overwhelming opposition to this bill. prgtoken I have heard from people like the 83-year-old man in Lake Forest who will face financial hardship when he is no longer able to deduct his medical expenses; or the professor at Rosalind Franklin University in north Chicago who emailed that she is worried about what the elimination of the tuition waivers will mean for her medical students; or the man in Libertyville who fears that, with the elimination of the State and local tax deduction for property taxes, he will face both a higher annual tax bill and more than a 10 percent hit on the value of his home. prgtoken , we need tax reform. I remain committed to working across the aisle to achieve it, but this partisan proposal is not the way. I urge my colleagues to listen to their own constituents, abandon this fatally flawed bill, and work in a bipartisan way to accomplish fair, responsible tax reform.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-11-28

I wish to go back to a point I made earlier when I was describing--both in terms of the substance of the bill and the process that has been undertaken to pass the bill--why, the week before Thanksgiving, I used the expression that the bill was, in fact, ``a thief in the night'' and what I meant by that. In the same bill, we have these inequities that I just described where the wealthiest are getting $34 billion in a tax cut--a giveaway, really, just in the first year, and then that continues--and 90 million Americans get less than half of that. That is, in my judgment, robbing those families of an opportunity to get a bigger tax cut and to have the wealthiest among us sacrifice a little bit for the middle class and for those trying to get to the middle class. It gets worse from there because, in addition to that, repealing of the individual mandate has a healthcare consequence. prgtoken We know that the Congressional Budget Office told us that because of what would happen as a result of the repeal of the individual mandate, 4 million people would lose their healthcare in the first year and 13 million over the course of 10 years. So it is entirely possible--we don't know the exact number, but it is entirely possible--that lots of Americans would, in the same year or certainly over time, have two adverse consequences. One, they would either not get much of a tax cut or their tax cut or any tax change would turn into a tax increase, and they would lose their healthcare because of the effects of one part of the bill. So, at the same time, in the same bill, some will lose their healthcare because of the bill and others will see their taxes go up, or worse, maybe the same thing will happen to the same individual, the same family. All that is happening in a bill that is speeding through this Chamber. prgtoken Here is how defective the process has been. The Senate bill was introduced on a Thursday, and then voted out of the Finance Committee the following Thursday, and now the majority is trying to pass the bill this Thursday. So from Thursday to Thursday to Thursday is the entire consideration of a bill that has not had one hearing--not a single hearing. Oh, yes, we had time in the committee the week before Thanksgiving to pose questions to the Joint Committee on Taxation--tax experts--or to staff, and that is part of the process. But a tax bill like this, which comes around every three decades and will have an impact, by one estimate, of $9 trillion to $10 trillion, doesn't have a single hearing and doesn't have the kind of due consideration that would allow people to examine it and allow taxpayers to examine the detail of this bill and the consequences that would flow from that--the adverse consequences--and be able to say: Hey, wait a minute. Maybe I am one of those people. Maybe I am one of those individuals whose taxes will go up or I don't get much of a tax cut and, on top of that, I lose
PROCLAMATION FOR MS. DONNA RAPOSA
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-11-28

I would like to include in the Record the following proclamation for Ms. Donna Raposa: prgtoken Whereas, forty-two years and eleven months ago a virtuous woman of God accepted her calling to serve in the Social Security Administration; and prgtoken Whereas, Ms. Donna Raposa began her career in government as a Clerk Typist in the VA Regional Office in 1974 before transferring to the Social Security Administration Regional Office as an Aide in the Field Service section; and prgtoken Whereas, she educated and mentored throughout her many years of service as a Field Service Assistant, Service Representative and finally, after providing stellar leadership and outstanding service to our community, retiring as a Claims Service Representative in the Gwinnett Office; and prgtoken Whereas, this phenomenal woman has shared her time and talents by giving the citizens of our District a fearless leader and servant that strived to ensure that the system worked for everyone; and prgtoken Whereas, Ms. Donna Raposa is a mother and friend; she is also a cornerstone in our community who enhanced the lives of thousands for the betterment of our District and Nation; and prgtoken Whereas, the U.S. Representative of the Fourth District of Georgia has set aside this day to honor and recognize Ms. Donna Raposa on her retirement and to wish her well in her new endeavors; prgtoken Now therefore, I, Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr. do hereby proclaim March 31, 2017 as Ms. Donna Raposa Day in the 4th Congressional District. prgtoken Proclaimed, this 31st day of March, 2017.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018--MOTION TO PROCEED
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-11-28

in this season of Thanksgiving, let me say that I am thankful, as I rise for my 187th ``Time to Wake Up'' address, for the spirit of commitment and innovation that this great Nation devotes to tackling the challenge of climate change, even with this President. prgtoken The United States now is alone in the world as the only Nation not committed to the historic Paris Agreement, but at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Germany, I saw firsthand that Americans are still committed to climate action. Corporate leaders like Mars, Microsoft, Facebook, and Walmart were there to discuss the role American corporations can take on climate change. American Governors, mayors, universities, and many other corporations all brought the same message to Bonn; that notwithstanding the corrupted administration, America is still in. prgtoken Senators Cardin, Markey, Schatz, Merkley, and I sent the message that most of our constituents and the majority of the American people believe prgtoken that climate change is a serious threat to our country and the planet and that American action and leadership is necessary. prgtoken An entire day was dedicated to the changes we are seeing in the world's oceans. This is where the industry liars and climate deniers get stumped. The oceans bear the brunt of our carbon pollution. Sea levels are rising, waters are warming, and seas are acidifying. These undeniable measurements have no answer from the climate denial apparatus, so the denial apparatus just chooses to ignore the oceans, but we can't ignore the oceans, certainly not in coastal States. prgtoken The reality of ocean climate change hits home along our coasts: Warming waters move our fisheries around, sea level rise erodes our shores, and we must prepare for more frequent and intense hurricanes and storms. prgtoken The administration is more or less completely crooked on this subject, but even they had to throw in the towel and release without amendment the recent U.S. ``Climate Science Special Report.'' They had no scientific rebuttal--none--to the dozen Federal Agencies and Departments that assembled the latest and best understanding of the effects of climate change on the United States. They couldn't rebut it. They chose to ignore it. prgtoken Will that report affect this administration's industry-paid climate policies? Of course not. Those policies are bought and paid for. But it is worth looking at the ``Climate Science Special Report.'' This report gave special attention to storms. The report says: For Atlantic-- prgtoken That is, the ocean off my home State of Rhode Island-- and eastern North Pacific-- prgtoken That is, the ocean off our western coast-- and eastern North Pacific typhoons, increases are projected in precipitation rates and intensity. The frequency of the most intense of these storms is projected to increase. prgtoken The report continues: Assuming storm