mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FEDERAL INTERN PROTECTION ACT OF 2017
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-5-17

the balance of my time. prgtoken , again, I want to laud my friend from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his perspicacity in ferreting out this issue. It is a very important one. prgtoken The use of internships in the Federal Government is a very underutilized tool when compared to the private sector. Many private sector companies will use internships for recruiting the talent it needs for the future. In many cases, 70 to 80 percent of those who intern for private sector corporations end up being hired because they have a carefully monitored program from orientation and recruitment to the tasks at hand during the pendency of the internship. The Federal Government does no such thing systematically. prgtoken At the very beginning, if we are going to use internships as creatively as the private sector to recruit the next generation of Federal employees, since one-third of the current workforce is eligible for retirement over the next several years, we have to follow the lead my friends, Mr. Cummings of Maryland and Mr. Russell of Oklahoma, have just given us, and that is to make sure it is a safe workplace. Otherwise, who would be attracted to it? prgtoken This piece of legislation is critical to our making Federal internships a meaningful tool in their recruitment and retention, so long as that workforce is protected by the same norms and same regulations as any Federal employee. prgtoken I thank my friend, Mr. Cummings, for bringing this to our attention, and I thank Mr. Russell for his leadership. prgtoken , .
NATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK
Brenda L. Lawrence (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-5-17

I rise today to join my colleagues in celebrating the fifth annual National Infrastructure Week and to highlight the urgent need for Congress to pass a comprehensive transportation and infrastructure bill. prgtoken , in the summer of 2003, a power outage swamped the Eastern United States and Canada, including Detroit, which I represent, and left 50 million people without power for several days. prgtoken In 2007, a bridge on I-35 West in Minneapolis collapsed into the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, , these are not isolated incidents. prgtoken In my home State of Michigan, our cities are home to some of the worst roads in the country. A recent study by a nonprofit ranked Detroit's roads the fourth worst in the country. prgtoken , Michigan deserves better, and Americans across the country deserve and demand more. I, as an excited member of the Congressional Infrastructure Committee, stand ready to work on future infrastructure bills and to work for the needs of the people.
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-5-17

I say to Senator Schatz, thank you for organizing our Senate net neutrality champions out here on the floor today so that we can all stand up and add our voices to your voice in speaking on this critical issue. Now, there are people watching the Senate floor right now by watching the live stream on c-span.org or on Facebook Live. prgtoken They might be engaged citizens, they might be political junkies, or maybe they need something to help them to ensure that their newborn is going to go to sleep this afternoon. That is watching C-SPAN. That helps the family. Let's face it. The action in this most deliberative body can sometimes feel a little slow. prgtoken Now, imagine just a few companies deciding that c-span.org will be put in a slow lane, that the public interest content streamed out to the world from this Chamber will be sent out at an even more deliberative pace, all while kitten videos get priority in an internet fast lane. prgtoken When people talk about net neutrality, that is what we are talking about. Instead of an open and free internet where the billions of clicks, likes, and links made by customer and entrepreneurs in their living rooms and offices determines who wins and loses, it will be just a few companies in a few corporate boardrooms deciding who gets into the express lane and who falls behind in an internet traffic jam. prgtoken That is why we need a true open internet. That is exactly what I heard last month when I hosted a roundtable in Boston with a number of our tech firms--Carbonite, TripAdvisor, Wayfair, iRobot, and others. Their message was clear: Net neutrality impacts businesses across the entire internet ecosystem, and the ever-changing environment of entrepreneurship can be easily disrupted without this ingredient--net neutrality. prgtoken Today, essentially every company is an internet company. Consider these statistics. In 2016, almost one-half of the venture capital funds invested in this country went toward internet-specific and software companies. That is $25 billion worth of investment. prgtoken At the same time, to meet America's insatiable demand for broadband internet, U.S. broadband and telecommunications industry giants invested more than $87 billion in capital expenditures in 2015. That is the highest rate of annual investment in the last 10 years. So we have hit a sweet spot. Investment in broadband and wireless technology is high, job creation is high, and venture capital investment in online startups is high. Disrupting that formula now would only create chaos and uncertainty. prgtoken With strong net neutrality protections in place, there is no problem that needs to be fixed. But the administration wants to upend this hallmark of American innovation and democratization by gutting net neutrality rules. Tomorrow, Chairman Ajit Pai and the - controlled Federal Communications Commission will vote to begin a proceeding that will allow a fe
HOLDING WHITE HOUSE ACCOUNTABLE
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-5-17

the House of Representatives is a separate and coequal branch of government. We don't work for ; we work for the people of this great Nation. The events of the last few months have been deeply troubling. I am trying to figure out when will my colleagues on the other side of the aisle decide that it is time to do your jobs and hold the White House accountable for its actions. When will you do your job? prgtoken Seventeen different intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered with our election for the purpose of helping to elect , but that was not enough. High-level allies such as Carter Page, his foreign policy adviser; Michael Flynn, his first National Security Advisor; Jeff Sessions, his Attorney General; Paul Manafort, his campaign chairman; Michael Cohen, his personal attorney; Roger Stone, his longtime political confidant; Jared Kushner, his senior adviser and son-in-law--top allies were having communications with the Russians at the same time that they were hacking into our election. But apparently, that was not enough. prgtoken Michael Flynn, the first National Security Advisor, was demonstrated to have had an illegal conversation with the Russian Ambassador in December of 2016. He then lied about it to the Vice President, who then delivered misleading information to the American people. But guess what. For my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that was not enough. prgtoken The Attorney General testified under oath before Congress, and he said he had no communications with the Russians during the campaign. It was subsequently proven that he communicated with them twice at the National Convention and then a few months later in his office. He either lied under oath, committed perjury, or delivered misleading information to Congress, which would be a misdemeanor. Either way, he likely committed a crime. Silence from the other side. Apparently that was not enough. prgtoken refuses to release his tax returns, unlike every other President since Gerald Ford, s and . prgtoken What is the President hiding? prgtoken We can't figure it out. And apparently for the other side, that is not enough. prgtoken The Deputy Attorney General, Sally Yates, was fired by the President shortly after she went to the White House and revealed her suspicion that Michael Flynn may be a Russian asset. But apparently that was not enough. prgtoken The President fired Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, shortly after it was publically revealed that his office was investigating one of 's Cabinet Secretaries and close allies at FOX News. But for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that was not enough. prgtoken The former FBI Director revealed that the campaign was under criminal investigation for possible collusion with the Russians. But for my colleagues on the other side o
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-5-17

I rise today to announce the reintroduction of the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act of 2017. This legislation would allow student loan borrowers to take advantage of lower interest rates, and I urge both my Senate colleagues and the administration to support it. In a few short months, millions more college graduates will be hit with their first student loan bills. prgtoken Already, more than 44 million Americans have student loans, and many are struggling to pay loans that are running at interest rates of 6 percent, 8 percent, 10 percent and even more. It is time for real action to help struggling borrowers. That is why, today, I join 36 of my ic colleagues in the Senate and 98 of my ic colleagues in the House of Representatives to reintroduce our plan to allow borrowers to lower their monthly payment by refinancing their existing loans to today's lower interest rates, 3.76 percent for undergrads, a little higher for graduate students. prgtoken Supporting America's students should not be a political food fight. In fact, President talked about student loans when he was on the campaign trial, including a plan to reduce the maximum number of years for repayment for most students. prgtoken As a candidate, said that ``students should not be asked to pay more on the debt than they can afford.'' I agree with that, which is why Congress should allow students to lower their monthly payments by refinancing to today's lower interest rates. also said that ``student loan debt should not be an albatross around student's necks for the rest of their lives.'' prgtoken I agree with that too. The legislation I am introducing today would lower the outstanding balance for millions of Americans, allowing them to get out from under their student loans faster. Here is one more. said that it is ``terrible that one of the only profit centers we have is student loans.'' He also said that ``it is not fair and that should not take place.'' prgtoken Unfortunately, right now, that is exactly what is happening. According to a recent analysis of Congressional Budget Office data by the Institute for College Access and Success, after all the costs are accounted for, the Federal Government is now on track to make $81 billion off student loans over the next 10 years. prgtoken That is obscene. The Federal Government should not be making a profit off the backs of our students, period. Yes, Candidate talked a lot about this problem, but talk is cheap, and President has not done a thing to fix the problem. In fact, he seems to have lost all interest in students and their student loans. Since his election in November, he has not even mentioned his campaign promises about student loans. prgtoken Instead, he and Education Secretary DeVos have gone in the opposite direction, using their short time in office to deliver one blow after another to har
THOMASINA E. JORDAN INDIAN TRIBES OF VIRGINIA FEDERAL RECOGNITION ACT OF 2017
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-5-17

I rise in support of H.R. 984, the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act and I want to thank my fellow Virginian, Congressman Rob Wittman for introducing this bill, and the gentleman from Utah, Chairman Bishop and the gentleman from Arizona, Ranking Member Grijalva, for their leadership and cooperation in bringing the bill to the floor. prgtoken Four hundred ten years ago, the first English settlers founded Jamestown, Virginia. The founding of Jamestown represented a first step in the creation of our great Republic, and the success of this colony is owed to the help of the indigenous people of Virginia. prgtoken With this assistance, the Jamestown colony weathered a difficult first few years in the New World before expanding, with English colonists pushing further inland. The same Native Americans who had helped those first settlers were pushed from their land without compensation. Treaties, many of which precede our own constitution, were made in an effort to compensate Virginia's Native Americans. Unfortunately, as history has repeatedly shown, these treaties were not often honored. prgtoken Like many other Native Americans, and many other groups who were not white, and despite their contributions to the founding of our nation, Virginia's Indian Tribes were pushed to the fringes of society. They were deprived of their land, prevented from getting an education, and denied a role in our society. Virginia's Native Americans were denied their prgtoken very fundamental human rights and the very freedoms and liberties enshrined in our Constitution. prgtoken This bill will finally grant federal recognition to the Chickahominy Tribe, the Eastern Chickahominy Tribe, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, the Monacan Indian Nation, and the Nansemond Tribe. prgtoken Federal recognition of Virginia's Indian Tribes will promote tribal economic development and allow Virginia's tribes to flourish culturally. Federal recognition, a process that has been ongoing for these tribes for over 30 years, will lead to a bright future for a whole new generation of tribe members. prgtoken , I was a member of the Virginia General Assembly in 1983 when many of these tribes first gained formal recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I am proud to be here today supporting federal recognition for these tribes. prgtoken The time has come for this Congress to act, and I therefore urge my colleagues to support this bill.
IN RECOGNITION OF UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY FLOTILLA 014-02- 02
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-5-17

I rise today to join with the officers, staff and members of United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 014- 02-02 as they celebrate 75 years of continuous service to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) at USCG Station Sandy Hook in Highlands, New Jersey. prgtoken The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 014-02-02, ``The Sandy Hook Flotilla,'' is a unit of the Division 2, First Coast Guard District, Southern Region, serving Sandy Hook as well as the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers. Authorized to assist and support USCG non- military and non-law enforcement missions, the volunteers of the flotilla provide valuable reinforcement to the USCG. In addition to participating in marine patrols and search and rescue missions, the auxiliary offers boating safety educational programs, performs vessel inspections, provides emergency medical services and assists with special events in the New York Harbor and surrounding areas. prgtoken The members of the Sandy Hook Flotilla are trained on USCG standards and live by the motto Semper Paratus (Always Ready). Its rapid response and proficient assistance has been recognized over the years with several awards, including Best Flotilla in the USA, Admiral's Operational Award, President's Unit Citation and Secretary's Outstanding Unit Award. prgtoken , I sincerely hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 014-02- 02 on its 75 years of continuous service and thanking its members for their service to the United States Coast Guard and the community.
Russia Investigation (Executive Session)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-5-17

just last Wednesday, I spoke on the Senate floor about the extremely suspicious timing of the firing of FBI Director James Comey by President . prgtoken In the past few days, President 's actions, statements, and changing of his story on the Comey firing has only strengthened the case for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate ties and collusion between the campaign and the Russian Government in the 2016 Presidential election. Congress should also establish an independent commission to get to the bottom of the Russian interference in our election. In addition, there needs to be an independent investigation into whether Mr. abused power and played a role in obstruction of justice in terms of the ongoing criminal investigation at the Department of Justice. prgtoken Let me start by going back to the beginning of the administration. According to news reports, on January 27, Mr. invited Mr. Comey to a private dinner with him at the White House. Mr. then asked Mr. Comey for his ``loyalty,'' but Mr. Comey only promised to provide his ``honesty'' or his ``honest loyalty.'' Why did the President allegedly ask Director Comey for his loyalty? prgtoken On March 4, President tweeted without evidence that ``how low has President gone to tap my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!'' On March 20, Mr. Comey testified he has ``no information'' to support Mr. 's claim. Why did the President try to distract the public's attention by blaming President for the Russia investigation? prgtoken On April 12, in an interview, Mr. said Mr. Comey ``saved Hillary Clinton'' during the campaign and said that ``it's not too late'' to remove Mr. Comey. Mr. continued: ``But, you know, I have confidence in him. We'll see what happens, you know, it's going to be interesting.'' prgtoken What changed between Mr. having confidence in Mr. Comey in April and firing him in May? prgtoken On May 3, Mr. Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee and said ``it makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election.'' prgtoken On May 8, former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper both testified before the Judiciary Committee. prgtoken Ms. Yates testified about the warnings she gave to White House Counsel Don McGahn about how National Security Adviser Michael Flynn was compromised by the Russians and was lying to White House staff and the Vice President about his conversations and interactions with the Russians. prgtoken On May 9, we witnessed a series of three letters, all dated that day. The first letter was from Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The Rosenstein letter concludes that the FBI's reputation and credibility had suffered ``substantial damage'' due to
BORDER ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TASK FORCE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Filemon Vela (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-5-17

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 2281, the Border Enforcement Security Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2017. prgtoken , this bill, H.R. 2281, seeks to reauthorize the Border Enforcement Security Task Force, or BEST, program within the Department of Homeland Security. prgtoken U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leads 42 BEST units across 16 States within the United States and Puerto Rico. Each unit is comprised of members from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as well as other Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies who investigate criminal activity along the southwest and northern borders and at the Nation's major seaports. prgtoken These units play a critical role in advancing DHS' border security efforts by ensuring all levels of domestic law enforcement are sharing information and leveraging resources. BEST units have been instrumental in coordinating joint operations with our law enforcement partners in Mexico to thwart threats posed by transnational criminal organizations. prgtoken This legislation is in furtherance of my efforts as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Boder and Maritime Security to bolster law enforcement collaboration on cross-border threats and to ensure that resources are used in a strategic manner to effectively mitigate such threats, particularly in response to the drug cartels. prgtoken Those of us representing border districts are well aware that cartels adapt quickly to exploit real or perceived weaknesses in our security. As they shift their criminal operations to new locations along our land borders, smuggle their contraband into the United States through our ports of entry, or utilize maritime routes into this country, DHS must be at the ready to quickly intercept and disrupt their operations. prgtoken This legislation seeks to ensure that DHS continues to use BEST units to maximum effect. This bill instructs DHS, before standing up a BEST unit, to consider the cross-border threats posed by transnational criminal organizations, the Department's homeland and border security strategic priorities, as well as the operations of DHS' joint task forces and other multiagency efforts. prgtoken H.R. 2281 also updates existing reporting requirements so that Congress has better information on how effectively BEST units are reducing criminal activity, such as the traffic of drugs, weapons, and people along our borders; enhancing information sharing among law enforcement partners; coordinating with the Department's joint task forces; and generally advancing the DHS homeland security and border security strategic priorities. prgtoken I also want to thank my colleagues on the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee who have cosponsored this legislation, including Subcommittee Chairwoman Martha McSally. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2281. prgtoken , H.R. 2281, the Border