mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
For-Profit Colleges and Universities (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-1-7

. Let me read one paragraph from Commander Oxford: As veterans are aggressively targeted due to their service to our country, they must be afforded the right to group relief. The Department of Education's ``Borrower Defense'' rule eliminates this right, forcing veterans to individually prove their claim, share the specific type of financial harm they suffered, and prove the school knowingly made substantial misrepresentations. The preponderance of evidence required for this process is so onerous that the Department of Education itself estimated that only 3 percent of applicants would get relief. prgtoken Whether you are a or , don't go waving that flag and tell everybody how much you love our veterans and ignore this letter. The leader of the largest veterans group in the United States of America--a nonpartisan group--told us these schools exploited veterans, and Secretary DeVos's new rule means that these veterans will never get relief. Ninety-seven percent will never get any relief. prgtoken In a matter of a few days--maybe weeks--I will be calling this matter to the floor. I am asking my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put the party labels outside, hang them up in the cloakroom, come on inside here, and stand up for students across America who did their best to get a college education and were deceived in the process, stand up for students who were loaded up with student debt, which could destroy their lives, and give them a fighting chance for a future by saying that Secretary DeVos's borrower defense rule is unfair to veterans, unfair to students, and unfair to American families. prgtoken I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the right thing when the time comes and give these borrowers a second chance at being financially independent Americans who can contribute to their families and our national economic growth. For our veterans, please join me in making sure that Secretary DeVos's borrower defense rule is disapproved by both the House and the Senate. prgtoken .
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-1-7

I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to Robert ``Red'' McKinney, an outstanding friend and public servant. Sadly, Mr. McKinney passed away on December 24, 2019, at the age of 72. He will be remembered for his devotion to East Hampton and his bright, loving nature. prgtoken Born in Hartford, CT, Red spent his entire life in East Hampton. He earned his higher education degrees in the State, as well, with an associate's degree from Mitchell College and a bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University. Red spent five decades as a chemical specialist, focused in metal working fluids. For 40 years, he and his wife, Anne, co-owned a commercial and residential property acquisition and management company, HTA, LLC. prgtoken Outside of his work, Red dedicated himself to supporting his community. Giving back to those around him brought Red an unparalleled joy, dating back to his role as a member of East Hampton Parks and Recreation in the 1970s. He was the youngest member of the East Hampton Board of Selectmen ever elected and proudly served for 4 years. Notably, Red also served as chairman of the East Hampton ic Town Committee for 10 years and remained a member for his entire life since 1974. prgtoken That same year, he joined the East Hampton Rotary Club, making him the longest tenured member. His impressive level of involvement is also evident through his over four-decade-long role as a charter member of the Old Home Days Association. The association coordinates the annual East Hampton Old Home Day parade--a signature celebratory tradition attended by hundreds of people. As a regular participant in the parade, I saw firsthand the professionalism and dedication that Red brought to that event. He was always a joy to talk with. prgtoken Red was especially pleased to have the opportunity to celebrate the people prgtoken of his town and surrounding communities. He treasured the residents of East Hampton the same way he valued his close friends and family. prgtoken Through his active role in these organizations and many others, including the Middle Haddam Library and Middlesex Hospital, Red positively impacted countless members of his community. His commitment to supporting those around him was recognized through three Paul Fellow Awards and numerous other honors. prgtoken Red's remarkable legacy of service is an inspiration to all of us and sets a model of service that will continue in East Hampton for years to come. prgtoken My wife, Cynthia, and I extend our deepest sympathies to Red's family during this difficult time, particularly to his wife, Anne, along with their children and grandchildren. May their many wonderful memories of Red provide them solace and comfort.
IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-7

obviously, it is a new year, and we return to Washington with an agenda that is completely full and, in many, many ways, a tragic and an extremely dangerous agenda out ahead of us. prgtoken Last December, this House undertook the issue of how to deal with the issue of a President who was not paying attention to his oath of office, and so we passed an impeachment resolution. That issue is now over in the Senate and in their hands. I could spend some time talking about that. prgtoken Then, last Friday, another issue occurred, and I will spend more time talking about that a little later. prgtoken But what I came to the floor tonight for is to talk about what our ic Caucus, our leadership, and the 230-plus members of our Caucus have been working on diligently over the last year for the people, a series of legislative initiatives that address the fundamental concerns that America has, that Americans talk about, as we like to say, at their breakfast table or dinner table: the concerns about their family's education, about their job, about their retirement, and, as I learned yesterday from my neighbor, a rancher, about the extraordinary cost of health insurance. prgtoken I come to the floor tonight for that purpose, but I am going to delay my discussion of that and ask the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, Bobby Scott, to talk about the extraordinary work that his committee has done on the issue of education and for the working men and women of America. prgtoken , I know the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) represents one of the largest military districts in the Nation, and I know that the thoughts of his constituents are on our minds. I also know that it is time for America to recognize the work that he has done on the Education and Labor Committee. prgtoken , from Virginia (Mr. Scott).
War Powers Resolution (Executive Calendar)
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-1-7

I rise today to discuss the War Powers Resolution that I filed on Friday, January 3, with Senator Durbin. prgtoken I spoke yesterday at some length about the painful history of relations between Iran and the United States and the escalating tensions in the last 3 years that have brought us to the brink of war. As we stand at the brink, with military actions by Iran and the United States causing battlefield casualties on the other side, I believe that it is imperative for Congress to reassert itself and make plain that no President should have the ability to take the Nation to war on his or her own. prgtoken Let me talk about the Constitution and about the value judgment underlying the allocation of war powers in the Constitution and then the resolution that is now pending, having been filed in the Senate. prgtoken First, on the Constitution, the Constitution as drafted in 1787 has a series of provisions. Some are somewhat vague. In the Bill of Rights, what is an unreasonable search? Some are extremely precise. You have to be 35 years old to be President. If you look at the Constitution, you can see a variety of provisions, some more specific and some a little more open-ended. prgtoken Actually, the war powers part of the Constitution--though not completely without ambiguity--is one of the clearest parts of the Constitution. In article I, the power to declare war is given to Congress, not to the President and not to the Judiciary--to Congress. prgtoken In article II, the President is declared to be the Commander in Chief of the military. If you read the constitutional debates at the time, what emerges is a fairly clear understanding by those who were at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia that was both clear but also quite unusual. The understanding was that for a war to start, Congress should vote for it to be initiated, but then, once started, the last thing you would need is 535 commanders in chief. So once Congress had voted to start a war, at that point the prosecution of the war becomes for the President and the military command, not to be micromanaged by 535 Members of Congress. prgtoken This was fairly clear, and it was very unusual. It was very unusual because at that point in history, in 1787, war and the declaration of war was not primarily legislative. It was for the executive. It was for the King, for the Monarch, for the Pope, for the Emperor, or for the Sultan. War had been, throughout history, an executive function, not a legislative function. But the Framers of the Constitution and the constitutional debates made plain that they were really trying to change human history, at least in so far as the United States went. Then, in this country, the initiation of war would be done by Congress. prgtoken Why was it done that way? Well, we have the virtue of a Virginian who was not only one of the drafters of the Constitution but who kept notes of the Constitutional Convention a
VOTE EXPLANATION
Kamala D. Harris (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-1-7

I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted no on rollcall vote No. 416 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 465, Anuraag Singhal, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted no on rollcall vote No. 417 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 466, Karen Spencer Marston, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted no on rollcall vote No. 418 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 480, Daniel Mack Traynor, of North Dakota, to be United States District Judge for the District of North Dakota. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted no on rollcall vote No. 419 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 481, Jodi W. Dishman, of Oklahoma, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted no on rollcall vote No. 420 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 490, John M. Gallagher, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted no on rollcall vote No. 422 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 354, Mary Kay Vyskocil, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted yes on rollcall vote No. 423 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 383, Kea Whetzal Riggs, of New Mexico, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico. prgtoken , I was absent but had I been present, I would have voted yes on rollcall vote No. 424 the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 234, Robert J. Colville, of Pennsylvania, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-1-7

I thank the gentleman from California for yielding, and, yes, we have a lot of military installations in the Hampton Roads area, and we are very concerned about the present situation in the Middle East. prgtoken We want to talk about what is going on in the Committee on Education and Labor, and I just want to share a few things that we have been doing over the last year. prgtoken Comments have been made of what Congress is or is not doing. Well, we have been protecting the income of hardworking Americans by the House passing the Raise the Wage Act, which will gradually increase the Federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour by 2025, giving 33 million workers a raise and lifting over a million people out of poverty. prgtoken We haven't had an increase in the minimum wage for over a decade. The last minimum wage was over 10 years ago, and inflation has eroded the value of that minimum wage so much to the point where one study concluded that a full-time, 40-hours-a-week, minimum-wage worker cannot afford a modest two-bedroom apartment in any county in the United States. prgtoken We are not talking about San Francisco or Manhattan. Not a single county in the United States can a full-time minimum-wage worker afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. So we voted in the House to increase the minimum wage. prgtoken The Paycheck Fairness Act addresses pay inequity by holding companies accountable for gender-based wage disparities and protecting a worker's right to challenge systemic pay discrimination. We passed that bill. prgtoken The Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, or Butch Lewis Act, will prevent the imminent collapse of our multiemployer pension system, saving over 1 million hardworking Americans their pension, while protecting those benefits and the taxpayer's dollars. prgtoken We also passed the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act to prevent violence and the injuries that occur because of that. prgtoken In addition, the committee has reported the PRO Act, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which will enable workers to negotiate for better wages and better working conditions. prgtoken We also passed the legislation to help in the area of children's access to quality education and a safe learning environment. prgtoken We passed in the committee the Rebuild America's Schools Act which will invest $100 billion to repair our public schools' crumbling digital and physical infrastructure and will create 1.9 million jobs. prgtoken We passed two important civil rights bills in the area of education: the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act and Strength in Diversity Act, which will empower students, parents, and communities to challenge discriminatory education policies and increase school diversity. prgtoken The committee passed the College Affordability Act, which will comprehensively overhaul our higher education system so that students will be able to achieve a
CONGRATULATING AMERICA'S NEWEST CITIZENS
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2020-1-7

. Madam , it is with great pleasure and sincerity that I take this time to congratulate thirty individuals who will take their oaths of citizenship on January 10, 2020. This memorable occasion will be held at the United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Hammond, Indiana. America is a country founded by immigrants. From its beginning, settlers have come from countries around the world to the United States in search of better lives for their families. Oath ceremonies are a shining example of what is so great about the United States of America--that people from all over the world can come together and unite as members of a free, democratic nation. These individuals realize that nowhere else in the world offers a better opportunity for success than here in America. On January 10, 2020, the following people, representing many nations throughout the world, will take their oaths of citizenship in Hammond, Indiana: Melissa June Licupa Pineda, Alexis Almaraz Fierro, Katelyn Alyousif, Rosaura Virginia Gonzalez, Blanca Carrasco, Maria Guadalupe Murillo, Jacqueline Angelica Terry Palacios, Jovanny Las Pinas Minton, Samuel Obiora Izuora, Alicia Cerda, Brenda Cerda, Ignacio Cerda Avalos, Horacio Joseph Vazquez, Kelly-Sue Stone, My Thi Hoa Pham, Maria Elisa Tirado, Arturo Miranda, Jr Komo Yawa Ouattara, Victoria Izuora, Olena Gorbatenko Therrien, Yulia Vladimir Vorobiev, Alexander Nicholas Vorobiev, Oscar Esteban Magallanes, Liz Chacon, Gerardo Miranda, Edsys Nohemy Yoder, Nga Thu Pham, Myra Espinosa O'Lena, Gertrude N. Manda, and Carl Peter Zmijewski. Although each individual has sought to become a citizen of the United States for his or her own reasons, be it for education, occupation, or to offer their loved ones better lives, each is inspired by the fact that the United States of America is, as Abraham Lincoln described it, a country ``. . . of the people, by the people, and for the people.'' They realize that the United States is truly a free nation. By seeking American citizenship, they have made the decision that they want to live in a place where, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution, they can practice religion as they choose, speak their minds without fear of punishment, and assemble in peaceful protest should they choose to do so. Madam , I respectfully ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in congratulating these individuals who will become citizens of the United States of America on January 10, 2020. They, too, will be American citizens, guaranteed the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We, as a free and democratic nation, congratulate them and welcome them.
Iran (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-1-7

at a time of international turmoil and crisis like this, all of us, I think, are sometimes prone to hyperbole. I count myself as part of that club. I endeavor to do better. prgtoken It doesn't serve this body well to warn of bad decisions that could lead to war if we are only doing it to serve political ends or to bloody up a political opponent. Crying wolf also anesthetizes the public and risks dulling the country's senses at a moment when the peril is real. Anytime we are considering asking the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families to make further sacrifices for their country, we have to treat those moments with the gravity they deserve. prgtoken Let me state at the outset of my remarks that there are important reasons why I believe that both Iran and the United States do not want to enter into a conventional conflict that would likely involve the United States taking steps to remove the Supreme Leader from power and which would likely involve an invasion that would make Iraq in 2003 look like child's play. prgtoken The United States, of course, remembers the Iraq war--at least, I think we do. Our military leaders know that a short-term fight in Iran would be much bloodier and would be much more costly than the initial invasion of Iraq. Iran, for instance, has twice the population of Iraq. A long-term counterinsurgency in Iran would be endless, potentially costing hundreds of thousands of lives. prgtoken The Iranian leadership also knows that the United States might never defensively defeat a drawn-out insurgency on Iranian turf, but Iran's leaders also know they likely wouldn't be around to see that eventual conclusion because the United States would, at the very least, likely be successful in ending the existing regime. prgtoken So neither side is likely war-gaming for victory. Even those of us who are deeply critical of President 's Iran policy should acknowledge this, but as a student of history, I know that the annals of war are replete with cataclysmic conflicts that began not by choice but by accident, negligence, and incompetence. prgtoken So today, when I warn of the United States being on a potential path to war with Iran, that is my concern, that the utter lack of strategy, the complete absence of nuance, the abandoned communication and coordination with our allies, and the alarming deficiency of experienced counsel will end up getting thousands of Americans needlessly killed. prgtoken This is not the first warning of this kind I have presented. A year and a half ago, the President ignored the advice of his first Secretary of State and his first Secretary of Defense, and he unilaterally pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear agreement, despite the fact that every expert agreed that Iran was in compliance. Then, to make things worse, President enacted a series of devastating unilateral sanctions on Iran. No other nations joined with us. In fact, mo
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH
Lois Frankel (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-1-7

. Madam , I rise today to bring attention to Human Trafficking Awareness Month, which serves as an opportunity to reaffirm our country's commitment to preventing trafficking and supporting victims. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches for their tireless efforts to educate community members, build trust, and restore hope for survivors. prgtoken Over 40 million people worldwide are impacted by human trafficking. Unfortunately, my home state of Florida ranks third in the nation for reported cases. While many victims face challenges finding appropriate services, early intervention empowers victims and provides a pathway to recovery. Human Trafficking Awareness Month is a time to ensure that victims of this horrific crime are offered accessible and appropriate services in the aftermath of being trafficked. prgtoken I would like to thank all the advocates, victim service providers, and criminal justice professionals committed to improving our response to all human trafficking victims and helping them find the support, justice, and peace they need.
PRESIDENT TRUMP VISITS OHIO
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-1-7

this week, President will travel to the great and compassionate city of Toledo, Ohio, my lifelong home. Like all people, the President is welcome in Toledo. prgtoken Toledo is a city of industry, where the mighty Jeep has rolled off the assembly line every year since 1941. We are also the city that embraces the future and launched America's leading solar energy company, First Solar. Our diverse city and people truly make America great. prgtoken I urge the President to bring a message of unity to our city, not one of division. prgtoken I also urge President to keep his promises to our people: Make medicine and healthcare more affordable; save our Great Lakes; negotiate enforceable trade agreements that actually stop job outsourcing. Protect, don't gut, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Get Mitch McConnell to pass the Butch Lewis Act to save the pensions of 60,000 Ohioans, and select our 180th Fighter Wing for the F-35 tranche planes that they have so duly earned. prgtoken Let us work on a bipartisan basis to improve the lives of all people. And, in furtherance of that, this Thursday, I urge all Toledo area religious leaders to offer prayers for nonviolence and peace, and I urge all of our citizens to light a candle in their home and put on a porch light to shine a ray of hope skyward for a new year of peace and prosperity for all. prgtoken May God bless our troops.