mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-3-8

I am pleased to join with my colleague from the great State of Maryland and to commend him for his leadership on the Foreign Relations Committee and on the floor today, as well as his great work with the Helsinki Commission, his tireless bipartisan work with our committee chairman, and with many others. prgtoken We have just heard detailed, in terms of the legislation he has put forward, the effort, the time, and the engagement he has put forward in terms of standing up. I think it is important for all of our colleagues and the American people to hear us working together to push back on Russian aggression and on Vladimir Putin's regime for its interference in our most recent election and its long and sad record of appalling human rights violations. prgtoken In 1950, the CIA delivered a report to then-President Harry Truman that outlined two key goals of the Soviet Government. The first goal was ``destruction of the unity among the Western countries, thereby isolating the United States.'' The second goal was ``alienating the Western people from their governments so that the efforts of the Western countries to strengthen themselves would be undermined.'' prgtoken Nearly 70 years later, the regime of Vladimir Putin in Russia remains fundamentally committed to these same two goals, but today his government has a whole new arsenal of cyber tools and information tools which it uses to interfere in democratic elections here in the United States and across Europe--among the nations that are our vital allies-- to launch propaganda and misinformation campaigns that spread falsehoods and create a climate of doubt and uncertainty among citizens and democracies around the world. prgtoken Last week, on this floor, I rose to speak with my friend and colleague, Senator Marco Rubio, to highlight the threat that we know Russia poses to the American-led, rules-based international order that has been sustained by both and ic Presidents and leaders in this body since the Second World War. prgtoken Just yesterday, several of us participated in a hearing of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, chaired by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. We heard directly from representatives of the Governments of Ukraine, Poland, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. All of these nations know better than any others just how serious the Russian Government is today about fulfilling the goals the CIA quoted and outlined in that report from the 1950s. Russian troops today are massing on the borders of many of these countries. In the case of Ukraine, Russia has recently invaded and continues to illegally occupy Crimea while arming and supporting separatists in the eastern 20 percent of the country. prgtoken Russia previously invaded Georgia in 2008 and continues to occupy about one-fifth of its territory, backing rebels in the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Russia
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-8

I rise today to urge my colleagues to reject this resolution to roll back accountability for the billions of dollars that are sent to States to help educate children. prgtoken When Congress updated the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2015, it was a bipartisan achievement. s and came together on the 50th anniversary of that landmark civil rights law to rewrite it into what became the Every Student Succeeds Act. prgtoken When President signed this K-12 legislation into law in December of that year, he called it a ``Christmas miracle.'' It received 85 votes in the Senate. It was one of the most important pieces of bipartisan legislation passed in the last Congress. prgtoken It wasn't the bill I would have written, but it was a bipartisan compromise. It gave States and districts far more flexibility when it comes to improving their struggling public schools. At the same time, it also maintained critical civil rights and accountability protections to ensure that when the Federal Government gives States billions of dollars to improve the education of their students, that money goes to the schools and students that need those Federal resources the most. It was a critical step toward making sure we are building a future not just for some of our kids but for all of our kids. prgtoken When Congress passes big, complex laws like the Every Student Succeeds Act, it always leaves some of the implementation details to the agency that has to enforce the law. That is why I fought hard to make sure the Department of Education had the tools it needs to write clarifying rules and guidelines to enforce the Every Student Succeeds Act. That was a condition of my vote and the votes of lots of other people. We won that fight. The authority to enforce the rules is right there in the law. It was debated in public, and it was part of the bipartisan agreement between s and . prgtoken Last November, the Department of Education--after careful consultation with teachers, school leaders, State education leaders, and parents--issued new rules to enforce this law. Today, congressional s are trying to take a sledgehammer to these new rules. prgtoken When these new rules were issued, everyone who works in education agreed that they were critical and necessary. Teachers were fine with the new rules. State education leaders were fine with the new rules. Civil rights leaders were fine with the new rules. Everyone was ready to get to work. Apparently, congressional s do not care. Instead, they want to blow up these critically important accountability rules even though the people who work in or around public education did not ask them to do so. This makes no sense. prgtoken Groups that often disagree with each other over public education policies are united in their belief that this resolution is a dumb idea. It is opposed by teachers; civil rights organizations, su
SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-3-8

on this International Women's Day, we celebrate the remarkable social, economic, and political achievements of women around the world, but we also take stock of the barriers that continue to prevent hundreds of millions of women from contributing their talents as equal members of the human family. prgtoken As in years past, this year I am again joining with Senator Susan Collins in submitting a bipartisan resolution commemorating International Women's Day and highlighting its goal of advancing the equality and empowerment of women all across the globe. I especially appreciate Senator Collins' prgtoken unwavering support in working with me on this resolution. prgtoken It has been said that no nation can get ahead if it leaves half of its people behind, and in the 21st century, wherever women are respected and treated as equals, we excel, as the Presiding Officer knows, as legislators, as scientists, as entrepreneurs, artists, inventors, warriors, and in every other field. But the harsh reality remains that women make up some 51 percent of the world's population, yet we account for an estimated 70 percent of those living in poverty and two-thirds of those denied even a basic education. prgtoken So on this International Women's Day, we celebrate women's achievements, and we rededicate ourselves to achieving an equal voice, equal participation, and equal rights for all women. We also acknowledge that we still have much difficult work ahead of us. prgtoken Research tells us that women and girls' equality can be transformational for their communities and for entire countries, yet in some of the poorest parts of the world--and even in some wealthier countries--women and girls continue to be held back by injustices such as child marriage, sexual and domestic violence, denial of education, and lack of access to contraception and maternal healthcare. prgtoken In recent years, we have learned more about the intersection of so many of these issues that affect women. When girls are forced into early marriage, when women are denied contraception and have children at a very young age, this typically ends any chance to gain an education and income-earning employment. This lack of economic influence means that women remain powerless within their families and, too often, within their communities. And this, in turn, can lead to violence against women and the denial of women's most basic human and civil rights. prgtoken The good news is that this same interconnectedness can work to empower women and to lift up communities. When women and girls' rights are respected, when we have access to education and family planning services, this unleashes women's ability to participate equally in the community, in the workplace, and even in the political arena. prgtoken Indeed, we can now quantify so many of the positive ripple effects. For example, each additional year of education increases a woman's income by 25 percent. We kno
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-3-8

I oppose H.J. Res. 58, another Congressional Review Act resolution that would roll back an agency's efforts to implement a law and prevent it from doing its job in the future. prgtoken In this case, we are considering eliminating Department of Education regulations on teacher preparation programs. In the 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Congress required States to assess and identify low-performing teacher preparation programs to ensure that every teacher graduates ready for the classroom. Following a process that began in 2011, the Department of Education released a draft rule in 2014. That draft wasn't perfect and needed more flexibility for States and institutions of higher education. After an extended comment period, the Department revised the rule 2 years later. Though it may not satisfy everyone, the final rule provides clarity in line with Congress's direction. prgtoken Congress has the opportunity, with the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, to improve upon these provisions. We can build on the State-driven assessment that this rule provides and further refine the system to make sure that data is being used to better prepare a more diverse class of teachers for our schools. prgtoken If the administration does not want to wait for further legislation, it can engage in a new rulemaking, but as with all Congressional Review Act resolutions, this resolution is a meat ax rather than a scalpel. It repeals the rule and prevents the Department from carrying out its responsibility to ensure high-quality teacher preparation programs. This is simply the wrong approach, and I urge a no vote.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-3-8

even in its early days, this administration has embarked on a course of foreign private interest entanglements and conflicts of interest that are truly staggering. prgtoken Just this morning, the Associated Press reported that China has granted preliminary approval for 38 new trademarks. They are trademarks, paving the way for the President, , and his family to ``potentially develop a host of branded businesses from hotels to golf clubs to bodyguard and concierge services.'' prgtoken These reports are contained in public documents. All but three are in the President's own name. The AP report also quotes an official as saying that ``for all these marks to sail through so quickly and cleanly, with no similar marks . . . no issues with specification, boy, it's weird.'' prgtoken Now, the speculation is that these trademarks could not have been issued without approval by the ruling Communist Party, that hierarchy had to be involved, and that awareness had to involve their approval for these intellectual property interests. The benefit is to the President through his private interests. The fact is, the President of the United States should be beholden only to the American people, not to personal profit, but in fact these trademarks raise the specter that the President possibly is beholden to the approving officials in China even more than to the American people. That is an issue that merits investigation. Like so many issues arising in this young administration, the question is, Who will do that investigation? prgtoken The lawyers in China representing applied for these trademarks in April of 2016, even as then-Candidate railed against China at his campaign rallies, criticizing Chinese currency manipulation, its intellectual property theft, its attraction of jobs from this country to theirs. The question arises, What has he done about those issues? In fact, China continues to manipulate its currency, continues to attract jobs from this country, and continues its aggressive policies in the area around that country. prgtoken The question is whether an inquiry is appropriate--which certainly it seems to be--and who will supervise it. It is the same question that arises with respect to Russian interference in our electoral system and the potential ties between team officials and the Russians who committed those acts. Those ties have been established by evidence that is now incontrovertible because it is admitted by the officials themselves, now Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. prgtoken It is now a matter of factual record that Russia engaged in a series of deliberate cyber attacks in order to carry out an unprecedented plot to undermine the 2016 elections with the goal of assisting . The growing body of evidence clearly and unmistakably indicates that campaign officials were in contact wi
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-3-8

I come to the floor today on behalf of students, parents, teachers, and communities around the country to urge my colleagues to support our bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act and to oppose this resolution today. prgtoken This resolution will roll back a rule issued by the Department of Education that is critical to the effective and intended implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA. prgtoken I am urging my fellow Senators to vote against this resolution for the following reasons, and I will go through each one of them: First of all, this legislation will throw our States and prgtoken school districts into chaos just as they are beginning to implement our new law. Secondly, it will give Secretary DeVos a blank check to promote her anti-public school agenda. Third, passing this resolution would be a retreat from the bipartisan law President called a Christmas miracle, one that takes us down a strong partisan path instead, which could undermine ESSA's civil rights protections and guardrails. prgtoken But before I go into that, I want to remind my colleagues of what we are working on here and what this resolution would unwind. As many of my colleagues remember well, in 2015, the senior Senator from Tennessee and I came together, with so many others in this body, to fix No Child Left Behind. We both agreed--in fact, nearly everyone in the country agreed--the law was badly broken. No Child Left Behind relied too much on high stakes standardized testing. It gave schools unrealistic goals but failed to give them the resources to meet those goals. And it included a one-size-fits-all punishment if those goals weren't met. prgtoken We knew overhauling our public education law was not going to be easy, but we took the time to listen to teachers, to parents, and to students around the country, to make sure their voices were heard. And I am proud that we were then able to break through the partisan gridlock in Congress, find common ground, and pass the Every Student Succeeds Act with strong bipartisan support. prgtoken After a major law like the Every Student Succeeds Act passes, Federal agencies usually issue rules to implement and clarify that law. The Every Student Succeeds Act maintains the Secretary's authority to issue rules and clarifications that are consistent with the law. This rule before us today is consistent with ESSA, and it provides important clarity to States, school districts, and schools. prgtoken Using such a blunt instrument like this resolution to overturn the entire rule will be a retreat from bipartisanship. Here is how: This resolution would roll back a critical Department of Education rule that gives States more flexibility in key areas while at the same time maintaining strong Federal guardrails to ensure our most vulnerable children don't fall through the cracks. This rule provides clarity on accountability, on reporting requirements, and State plan require
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-3-8

I want to talk about an upcoming CRA that will be on the floor potentially this week that would cancel out an important regulation that is designed to build upon this country's history of making sure there is a marriage between civil rights and education to make sure that children in this country, regardless of their race, regardless of their learning ability, regardless of their religion, regardless of their income, get an equal chance at education. prgtoken Frankly, the whole reason the Federal Government is involved in the question of education is due to civil rights. This used to be a purely local concern, and the Federal Government stepped into the question of local education because Black kids throughout the South were not getting an equal education. They were living in segregated schools and getting an education that was of far lesser quality. So the Federal Government has always been involved in education because it is a matter of civil rights. prgtoken I want to talk about this issue through the prism of one individual. I am going to call him James, but this is a true story--a story, frankly, that could be told millions of times over across the country. prgtoken James went to school in an urban district in Connecticut. He was a 10th grader. At the beginning of James's 10th grade year, he had a habit of walking out of class. In the middle of class, he would just get up and walk out after 10 or 15 or 20 minutes, and he would wander the halls of this big, urban high school until inevitably he was met by a security officer or a teacher or an administrator. They would bring him down to the office, and they would call his grandmother, as he lived with her. He would get suspended for a couple of days, and then he would come back. prgtoken It played out so often--this cycle of James walking out of class, being brought down to the principal's office, being suspended--that somewhere around the end of October, during his sophomore year, he had been out of school more days than he had been in school. prgtoken One day, though, James goes through this cycle again. He is in the hallway, and he runs into an assistant principal. He is sort of sick and tired of this story playing out over and over again. He raises his voice. He has some words. James has never hurt anybody in his life, no history of violence, but the assistant principal decides to call the police. The police come and they arrest James for disorderly conduct, essentially for having words with an assistant principal. Now James, at 16 years old, has a criminal record. At the time, he was treated as an adult in Connecticut, so he has an adult criminal record. prgtoken It turns out that James was walking out of class every day because he couldn't read, and he was mortified. He was embarrassed because he had been socially promoted through the years. He had a learning disability that was going untreated, and he was in the 10th grade with the abil
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1301, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2017
Ro Khanna (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-3-8

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding time. prgtoken The issue before us is far more basic than one's view on the Affordable Care Act. I recognize that there is a philosophical difference about the Affordable Care Act: on our side of the aisle, we think it is good legislation; on the opposite side of the aisle, they have concerns. But the issue is whether the American people, whether taxpayers, ought to know the cost of the repeal legislation, whether they have the right to know how much a legislation introduced in this House costs. prgtoken Now, here is the irony: the of the House, the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin, made his entire career demanding that we know numbers behind legislation. That was his mantra in his time of service in the House. prgtoken You talk to Doug Elmendorf, who was the former Congressional Budget Office Director, and he said that the one thing he respected about the is that he would actually insist on the numbers, that he would want to know how much we are adding to a $20 trillion deficit. That is why it is incomprehensible to me that, in this Congress, under this , we would ever be asked to vote on legislation without knowing the financial impact of that legislation. prgtoken These are basic issues: prgtoken How much is the repeal legislation going to add to our deficit? prgtoken How much is it going to finance tax cuts for the wealthy? prgtoken How many people will it leave out of insurance or how many people would it add to insurance? prgtoken There just ought to be a transparent discussion. prgtoken Now, it is not just who want this transparent discussion; actually, a , the gentleman from Ohio, a founder of the Freedom Caucus, has expressed similar concerns. He has expressed concerns that this repeal legislation will balloon the deficit and explode the deficit, and he wants to know the numbers. prgtoken We can have as much respectful disagreement about how to cover people and whether the Affordable Care Act is prgtoken a good piece of legislation or not, but what we should not be debating is the public's right to transparency. That is why I urge my colleagues to reject the previous question so that we can hold an immediate vote on requiring the Congressional Budget Office to score the repeal legislation and provide the American people with the basic financial costs of the legislation.