mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Prescription Drug Prices (Executive Session)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-5-10

I want to start by thanking my colleague from Rhode Island for both his powerful analysis of the influence of money on the selection of our judicial nominees and also for his point about the blue slip and the implications of what this means for an independent judiciary. prgtoken He has been a strong voice on this for a long time, and I think his speech on it was extraordinary and something that I hope everyone listens to and pays attention to. prgtoken We are facing an unprecedented attack on our courts. This week, once again, Senator McConnell has scheduled confirmation votes on a slate of extremist judicial court nominees--nominees who have demonstrated that they are not committed to the principles of equal justice under law. In this administration, Senate s have been working at breakneck speed to jam our courts with pro-corporate, narrowminded elitists who will tilt the scales of justice in favor of the rich and powerful and against everyone else. They are willing to bend and break and change every rule in the book to do it. prgtoken Their latest strategy is to ignore the blue slip. For over a century, home-State Senators have played a critical role in the judicial confirmation process by using something called a blue slip to determine whether a judicial nomination should move forward. The Senate Judiciary Committee has historically refused to move forward on a nomination without a blue slip from both home-State Senators. In fact, during the administration, Senate s insisted on maintaining that rule, refusing to move forward on any judicial nominee who did not secure blue slips from both home State Senators. They even stretched the rule beyond all reasonable bounds to stop fairminded, mainstream nominees from being confirmed. But now that is in the White House, s have changed their tune. In order to force extremist nominees onto our courts, they are willing to toss the blue slip right out the window. prgtoken Michael Brennan, President 's nominee to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, is just the latest example. Even though Mr. Brennan did not receive a blue slip from both home-State Senators, Senate s moved forward on his nomination. Perhaps the ultimate irony is that when President nominated another candidate to fill this very same seat, Mr. Brennan penned a strong defense of Senator Johnson's decision to withhold his blue slip. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, those principles have magically disappeared. prgtoken Let's be clear here. There are plenty of reasons for any Senator to be concerned about Mr. Brennan's fitness to serve on the Federal bench. I will just mention a few. prgtoken Mr. Brennan has mocked millions of hard-working women who have faced sexism and obstacles to advancement. prgtoken He has dismissed the idea of a glass ceiling. prgtoken Mr. Brennan has defended a Wisconsin law that added un
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
William R. Keating (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-5-10

once again, I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard: Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Tonko, and all of the people who are finally moving this ahead. It is a very important issue in terms of our energy. It is very important in terms of safety of our communities. We have finally got the ball rolling, so again, I thank them for their hard work. prgtoken , .
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-5-10

, our ranking member, for allowing me to speak. prgtoken I rise in support of H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018. Congress, back in 1982, passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, directing the Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission to open a permanent repository for our Nation's spent nuclear fuel. Now, Congress is slow, but this is amazing how we haven't dealt with this. prgtoken Over three decades later, America is still without a repository, leaving tens of thousands of tons of nuclear waste vulnerable to acts of terror or other catastrophes. prgtoken If you say you are for all-of-the-above for power generation, then you need to vote for this bill, because if we are really going to use nuclear power, which we get about 20 percent in Texas, we need a place to put that waste, and not just on the sites where we produce it. prgtoken There was a decision made in the 1980s it would be out in Yucca Mountain, and that wasn't our decision, but that is there, and it is Federal property. That is where we exploded atomic bombs during the testing. Nobody is going to build condos on that property, because I was out there with the chairman of the committee. prgtoken Until the day we find interim storage to ensure 70,000 tons of spent fuel sitting in our Nation's nuclear plants are safe from harm at an interim storage facility, there is one proposed in west Texas that the folks out there want it. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to support this bill so we ca finally move the ball forward on safely storing our Nation's spent nuclear fuel.
Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-5-10

it is our duty to ensure that folks--our folks, the people in our States--have access to care without having to go into debt to obtain that care. The State of Florida is attempting to take that away. In doing so, it is attempting to wipe out many families' pocketbooks and increase the strain on the healthcare providers--the doctors, the nurses, the hospitals--and all Florida taxpayers, who ultimately, on uncompensated care, are the ones who pick up the bill. prgtoken The State of Florida claims that this proposal will ``enhance fiscal predictability.'' That begs the question: For whom? If the State really wanted to secure greater financial security, it would expand Medicaid and accept the $66 billion of our Florida financial taxpayer money sitting on the shelf, prgtoken which Floridians have already paid for with their tax dollars, and provide healthcare for up to 800,000 Floridians who don't have it now. prgtoken Perhaps what is even more troubling is that the letter accompanying the State of Florida's request stated that the agency--get this--``was not aware of any concern or opposition raised by any member of either party regarding this provision during extensive budget debate.'' So now not only is the State of Florida trying to harm thousands of Floridians, including many of our seniors and veterans--by the way, veterans are on the Medicaid Program as well. Don't forget that. All veterans are not taken care of under only the Veterans' Administration; there are a lot of veterans on Medicaid. prgtoken So the State is trying to harm these people, and I wonder now, in that letter that I just quoted from, if the State is misleading the Federal agency CMS in trying to get their waiver approved to cut the 90 days down to 30 days. Indeed, members of the Florida State Senate, the legislature, raised innumerable concerns and objections to the provision. Most recently, the Florida Senate minority leader called out the Governor's administration for the misleading claims. prgtoken Instead of making it harder to gain coverage, we ought to be focusing on getting our uninsured neighbors quality and affordable health coverage and reducing uninsured, uncompensated costs. We need to do what is good for the people of Florida. prgtoken , .
NOMINATION OBJECTION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-5-10

I must regretfully object to the Senate proceeding to the nomination of Christopher C. Krebs of Virginia to be Under Secretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security, DHS. prgtoken Since November of 2017, I have urged the Department, and Mr. Krebs specifically, to be more open with the American people about the threat posed by foreign governments using cellular surveillance technology to target phones in the United States, including those used by senior government officials. prgtoken In a March 26, 2018, letter, Mr. Krebs revealed to me that DHS ``has observed anomalous activity in the National Capital Region (NCR) that appears to be consistent with International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers.'' prgtoken However, as I noted in an April 18, 2018, follow-up letter to Mr. Krebs, which was also signed by my colleagues Senator Paul, Senator Gardner, and Senator Markey, DHS has in recent months shared additional information about these and other incidents with Federal agencies. Specifically, an official from the DHS National Coordinating Center for Communications, NCC, gave a detailed presentation to an audience of Federal Government employees on February 6, 2018. That presentation included important information that I believe the American people have a right to know. My colleagues and I asked Mr. Krebs to remove the ``For Official Use Only,'' FOUO designation from the slides used at this presentation and make them available for public release. prgtoken I remain hopeful that this is an issue we can work through and resolve soon. However, until the FOUO designation is removed from those slides and they are made available for public release, I will object to the Senate proceeding with the Krebs nomination.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-5-10

I rise in strong support of the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act. prgtoken Next to me is a picture of Haddam Neck, Connecticut, which is a pristine part of the State where the Connecticut River and the Salmon River come together. Where the circle is on the photograph, there are 43 casks of spent nuclear power uranium rods that, again, today, pretty much cordon off that whole area. If you drove up in a car, you would be met by a platoon of heavily armed security guards who, for good reason, have to patrol that area every single day because of the dangerous material that is stored there. That has been the case for over 20 years. prgtoken It costs Connecticut ratepayers $10 million a year, again, for a site that should be long overdue for renovation and access to folks from all over the world because of its rich archeological and historical area. prgtoken This bill provides a way out for this area, along with 120 other sites across the country, where host communities have been saddled with storage of spent nuclear fuel because of the fact that this country has been unable to come together with a coherent policy. This bill provides a way out. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I congratulate the proponents on both sides of the aisle for getting us to that place. prgtoken Waterford, Connecticut, is also home to Dominion, a nuclear power plant with a similar situation that, again, is long overdue for change. prgtoken I also just want to note, as the Representative from Groton, Connecticut, the home of the nuclear Navy--it was where the Nautilus was first launched in 1956--we have, as a country, been transporting spent nuclear fuel for aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines for decades by land and by sea safely and efficiently, and the notion that we can't do this for our civilian nuclear power facilities is, frankly, just demonstrably untrue. prgtoken We can do this, and this bill provides, as I say, a mechanism for an interim storage that is sensible, that is logical, and is bipartisan. Again, I congratulate the proponents and strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on this measure later this morning.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-5-10

I thank my fellow Great Lakes Member, Representative Schneider, for yielding the time. I also want to thank the ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Lowey, for offering this amendment. prgtoken I rise in support of this effort to help communities that are left with radioactive waste after the closure of a nuclear power plant. The Great Lakes region, I might point out, has no energy umbrella like the Bureau of Reclamation for the 17 Western States, or for portions of the South, the Tennessee Valley Authority, that can help communities readjust on a large scale for energy disruptions or changes. prgtoken In my district of northern Ohio, the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station is scheduled to be shuttered. We are not waving the white flag just yet, but this community and its people need the tools to cope with the aftermath, should the worst happen. prgtoken When nuclear power plants close, the impact on local economies, due to the loss of jobs and tax revenue, will be severe. For years, the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station has provided 700 good jobs and generated $20 million a year in tax revenue for a rural county, called Ottawa County, in which $12.1 million each year goes to its school district. That 900-megawatt power plant does more than produce power. It builds community. prgtoken This major financial support could disappear and leave the community and that entire county struggling to support schools, law enforcement, and roads. Therefore, I strongly support this amendment to help these communities adjust, as necessary, to access Federal resources and make a plan for economic revitalization. prgtoken I thank Congressman Schneider for offering this commonsense amendment, one that is so vitally necessary, especially across the Great Lakes region, which is so often neglected. I also want to thank Chairman Shimkus and Ranking Member Tonko for their leadership and urge my colleagues to support it.
VOTE EXPLANATION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-5-10

I was necessarily absent for the votes on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 690, the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 729, and the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 777. prgtoken On vote No. 89, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 690. prgtoken On vote No. 90, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 729. prgtoken On vote No. 91, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 777.
NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-5-10

I rise today in support of my amendment which would help those communities saddled with housing our Nation's stranded nuclear waste while the Federal Government has failed to meet its legal obligation to find a permanent repository. prgtoken This is something my constituents understand all too well. The former Zion Nuclear Power Station, located on valuable lakefront property in Zion, Illinois, has housed more than 2 million pounds of spent nuclear fuel since the plant's closure in 1998. prgtoken This waste, situated on the very shores of Lake Michigan, is both an extreme environmental hazard and a severe burden to the quality of life of the residents of Zion--deterring economic investment, depressing home values, and driving up property taxes to fill the void of local revenue. prgtoken Zion is not alone. Across the country, there are 17 nuclear power plants at various stages of decommissioning with even more announced closures slated for years ahead. In these communities, plants are typically the largest employer in the area; and when they close and waste is stored on site, it is devastating to the local communities. prgtoken My amendment seeks to help these communities access desperately needed Federal resources until waste is moved--waste that is, quite literally, stranded in these communities due to the Federal Government's inaction. Specifically, my amendment would require the Secretary of Energy to assemble a task force to work across all Federal agencies to identify existing resources and funding opportunities that could assist communities with decommissioning plants where waste is being stored. prgtoken In addition, the task force would work with communities in the decommissioning process to develop a transition plan to mitigate the economic damage when a plant closes. Communities like Zion, Illinois, have been forced to shoulder the burdens of storage with no compensation in return. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and help our communities get the Federal help they are owed. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), my friend.
Prescription Drug Prices (Executive Session)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-5-10

let me just say, as a personal matter, this is the first time I have seen you presiding in the Senate. It is a nice sight, and I welcome you. prgtoken I am here today to talk about the eroding and perhaps even vanishing tradition that we refer to in the Senate as the blue slip. People don't necessarily know what a blue slip is, but there has been a tradition with respect to U.S. attorneys, local U.S. district judges, U.S. marshals, and the seats on the U.S. circuit courts of appeals that are by tradition associated with a particular State. With respect to all of those nominations, there has been a tradition that they require the approval of the home State Senators. The mechanism for that approval is called a blue slip, and there actually is a blue slip. prgtoken The tradition in the Senate Judiciary Committee that was very rigorously enforced most recently by Chairman Leahy, when he was chairman, is that a nominee for one of those offices does not get a hearing and cannot proceed without the blue slip of the home State Senators. I commend the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein, on the great work she has done on the minority report she led that describes the history of the blue slip and the extent to which what we are doing today is a break with that tradition. prgtoken What provokes this is the nomination of Michael Brennan to proceed without a blue slip having been returned by his home State Senator, Ms. Baldwin. Obviously this signals a disrespect to the local Senators with respect to the office for which they heretofore had a blue slip. It also represents a very significant shift of power in Washington from this body, from this Chamber, to the Oval Office, which is a little bit unusual. Politics come and politics go, but it is rare for a political body like the Senate to willingly and willfully emasculate itself to some degree and transfer all of that power down to the executive branch and to the Oval Office. I think there is a quite significant price to be paid for this choice. prgtoken Representing Rhode Island, we are on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. There is one seat--we are not a very big State; we have just one seat--on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, more properly, that is denominated as the Rhode Island seat. It is now occupied by a terrific judge, the Honorable Rogeriee Thompson, whom Senator Reed and I had a very significant role in getting appointed to that position. Should she step down, that vacancy would ordinarily be seen as the Rhode Island seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and we would expect that we would be consulted and that our blue slips would be honored with respect to a nominee the President--whichever President--wished to push through. prgtoken Without divulging too many confidences, I will say that there was some considerable back-and-forth with the administration in order for S
Recognition of the Minority Leader (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-5-10

later today the Senate will vote on the confirmation of Michael Brennan to the Seventh Circuit over the objections of one of his home-State Senators, Ms. Baldwin, who has not returned a blue slip on his nomination. prgtoken It is an abject breach of senatorial courtesy that both parties have long respected. In fact, the seat Mr. Brennan will fill on the Seventh Circuit has been held open for 6 years by the senior Senator from Wisconsin, Mr. Johnson, via the same process, the blue slip. When was President and when Patrick Leahy was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, we obeyed the blue slip, and it led that seat to be vacant for 6 years. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the majority will ignore the blue-slip rights of the ic Senator even though it fervently believes that we ought to listen to the rights of the Senator from Wisconsin. The actions of the leader erode one of the few remaining customs in the Senate that forces consultation and consensus on judicial nominations. prgtoken In the grand scheme of things, the vote may seem to some of my colleagues on the other side like a small one--one judge for one circuit court. But in truth, the vote on Mr. Brennan is a death by a thousand cuts of the grand tradition of bipartisanship and comity in the U.S. Senate. I know all too well that there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the aisle, but if we don't take a step back now, the Senate will soon become a rubberstamp or graveyard for Presidential nominees, rendering our advice and consent nearly meaningless. prgtoken I understand the pressure on the leader from the hard right. They want judges who are not bipartisan. They wanted a judge in this case who did not go through a bipartisan judicial panel, composed of both and s, who have always sent us judges from Wisconsin. Two were sent, but, instead, Brennan, who couldn't get through the panel, was sent. prgtoken This is so wrong. This goes beyond what we have seen done before. When Leader McConnell changed the rules on the Supreme Court--which we didn't--many on the other side, I understand, said: Well, that is tit for tat because changed the rules on the lower courts. But the blue-slip tradition has always been obeyed. We didn't change that. We could have. We could have stuffed through our nominees with no support, but we didn't. prgtoken I hope for the sake of comity that one or two of my colleagues will stand up and vote against Mr. Brennan's nomination, not because of his beliefs--which they may agree with, for all I know--but for the sake of the Senate, for the grand tradition of the Senate, for the right afforded to every Senator to consult on judges from their State, minority or majority, and most of all, for the traditions that have held this body together for more than two centuries and separated it
BIDDING FAREWELL TO CHARLIE DENT
Linda T. Sánchez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-10

very shortly we will be losing a Member of the House of Representatives. Charlie Dent, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, will be leaving this body. I would be remiss if I didn't come to the floor and talk about his tremendous service to the House of Representatives. prgtoken I had the honor and the privilege of serving with Mr. Dent on the Ethics Committee. Not that serving on the Ethics Committee is a great honor or a great privilege, but serving with him truly was. He is a man of integrity, a man who kept his word, a man who worked hard to get through the business at hand, somebody whom I could trust, and somebody with a really great sense of humor, which, in this body, is becoming a rarer and rarer thing. prgtoken He is truly a likeable individual, somebody who took his job and his responsibilities seriously. And I want to wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors, and I want him to know that he will be sorely missed in this body.