mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Republican Tax Bill (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-12-14

as s in both Chambers rush to conclude their secret negotiations on the final details of their tax bill, I want to make clear to my colleagues what should be obvious about this legislation. We may not yet know the results of all of their horse-trading leading up to the final legislation, but the American people are watching this process. It is plain to see that, should this bill become law, s will have knowingly and deliberately made worse the most dangerous threats that we face to our economic and national security. Worse yet, they will have drained the public coffers that our children and our children's children will need to take up these challenges. prgtoken We all know what these challenges are. We face unprecedented income and wealth inequality that threatens to stifle the social mobility that is the hallmark of the American Dream. There is also declining productivity, which has kept middle-class wages stagnant, and bred economic anxiety for too many parents wondering if their children will attain a higher standard of living--much higher, they hope--than they have achieved. We have a surging deficit from decades of trickle-down economics and unpaid-for wars that, if left unaddressed, could apply huge pressure to our ability to keep our most basic promises to the American people, not to mention meeting our obligations as a world power. prgtoken To the families watching what is going on in Washington right now, the end game appears to be to invite fiscal crisis due to irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, and then, because we have already given trillions of dollars away in tax cuts, to demand that Congress shred Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other vital programs in order to pay our bills. We know this is the road that this bill sets us upon, and the American people certainly see this coming. So let no one who votes for this bill say that they did not know the consequences of their actions. This will not be remembered as tax reform, but rather as a serious mistake to be corrected in the future. prgtoken How do middle-class Americans know that s did not write this bill for them? Because they have watched economics rig the tax system in favor of the wealthy and corporations for years, even as wealth and income inequality have reached historic levels. They took the s at their word when s promised that the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003, which skewed tax relief to the top prgtoken 1 percent over the bottom 20 percent of Americans by more than 6 to 1, would eventually trickle down. That is what they thought, but on the eve of the great recession, aftertax income for the richest 1 percent had soared while middle-class wages continued to stagnate. We are still waiting for the tax cuts to trickle down and to pay for themselves. They likely never will. prgtoken These pr
ROBERT MUELLER INVESTIGATION
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-12-14

I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) very much for his kind words and for his patriotism. I thank him for also pointing out the critical importance of civic equality to this discussion because civic equality implies that none of us is above the law. prgtoken Of the many dangerous things I have heard uttered over the last couple of weeks with respect to this investigation, perhaps none is more sinister or disturbing than the suggestion that the President cannot be guilty of obstruction of justice because the President himself oversees the whole government. prgtoken Well, at that point, we may as well hang it all up and go back to monarchy because the governing principle of our Constitution is we have no kings here. We have no kings here. So I thank Mr. Hoyer for that. prgtoken James Madison wrote that the very definition of ``tyranny'' is the collapse of all powers into one. We are trying to defend the separation of powers and we are trying to defend the rule of law against all of it being drowned in a political agenda. prgtoken , I am joined now by my very distinguished colleague on the House Judiciary Committee. from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
HONORING THE LIFE OF TIMOTHY ``TIM'' BRADFORD
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-12-14

my good friend Timothy ``Tim'' Bradford passed away last week. prgtoken Tim was a commissioner of the Cook County Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, but he was much more than that. Tim grew up on the west side of the city of Chicago, moved to the south suburbs, and became known as the godfather of politics in south suburban Cook County. prgtoken He was in love with everybody he met, involved in everything that existed, and I simply express condolences to his wife and family on his passing.
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-12-14

I wish to thank the senior Senator from New York, our minority leader, for his very powerful and eloquent remarks on net neutrality. He has been a leader in protecting consumers in so many areas, and this one is preeminently important. prgtoken We are here on a day when the FCC may well repeal the net neutrality order. I spoke at length about it yesterday, and I am struck by the mockery that the FCC will make of consumer protection if it proceeds with this very misguided and mistaken course. It is a course that will be reversed, I believe, in the courts if it is followed, and it should be reversed in this body as well. It is profoundly important to the future of the internet to have access and affordability to innovation, to our economy, and to job creation. The open and accessible internet is part of our lifeblood economically and culturally in this country. Part of what makes America great is the freedom of access and innovation.
LET HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA GO HOME
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-12-14

this week, people all around the world are commemorating Human Rights Day, the annual celebration of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. prgtoken Article 13 of the declaration affirms that everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and return to his country. I have that right. As a citizen of the United States, I can leave my country whenever I choose, and I have the right to return whenever I like. For me, this right is not theoretical. I exercise it every time I travel abroad and every time I return home. prgtoken But, , His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, born and educated in Tibet, has not seen his homeland since he was forced into exile in 1959. prgtoken The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk. He was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Thirteenth Dalai Lama when he was only 2 years old, and he was only 6 when he began his monastic studies. But well before he finished his education, at the young age of 15, he was called upon to assume political leadership after China's invasion of Tibet in 1950. prgtoken For the next 9 years, he worked to preserve Tibet's autonomy and Tibet's culture. But after years of growing resentment against restrictions imposed by the Chinese Communists, a full-scale revolt broke out in March 1959, and the Dalai Lama was forced to flee as the uprising was crushed by Chinese troops. On March 31, 1959, he began a permanent exile in India, settling in Dharamsala in northern India. prgtoken Since then, he has not returned to Tibet, or, more accurately, he has never been permitted to return. He has spent more than 60 years in exile. prgtoken Today, the Dalai Lama is 82 years old, a man renowned all over the world for his commitment to peace. He has consistently advocated for policies of nonviolence, even in the face of extreme aggression. prgtoken In 1989, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of what was then his nearly 30-year nonviolent campaign to end China's domination of his homeland. prgtoken In 2007, the Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal, and at the time, then-President called him a man of faith and sincerity and peace. prgtoken Now, I have long believed that the Dalai Lama is part of the solution to resolving Tibetan grievances. There was a time, from 1959 until 1979, when the Tibetan goal was independence. But since the 1970s, the Dalai Lama has been looking for a way to resolve the situation of the Tibetan people through negotiations. In the late 1980s, he proposed the Middle Way Approach as a path toward Tibetan autonomy within China. prgtoken His commitment to nonviolence and his recognition as the spiritual leader of Tibetans worldwide confers on him an undeniable legitimacy that would be of great benefit were China willing to restart the dialogue that has been suspended since 2010. prgtoken But the Chinese Government has not recogn
FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SANDY HOOK SHOOTING
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-12-14

. Madam , I'd like like to thank the gentlelady from Connecticut for organizing this special order and for her commitment to honoring the victims of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. prgtoken I rise to join her in remembrance and to call on my colleagues to take immediate action to end gun violence across our nation. prgtoken The horrific shooting spree in Newtown, Connecticut, five years ago shocked us all. Twenty innocent children and six brave educators fell victim to unspeakable violence--the work of a deeply disturbed young man armed with a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns. prgtoken More than ever, it revealed the desperate need to reform our gun laws. prgtoken But five years later, we have nothing to show for it but more mass shootings--more innocent lives lost. We have made no meaningful progress, and we have not passed any commonsense legislation, like banning high-capacity magazines, which the Sandy Hook shooter used. prgtoken It is far past time to enact laws to strengthen our background check system, closing loopholes that allow unlicensed gun dealers to sell firearms to Americans without background checks at gun shows and over the internet, putting us all at risk. prgtoken Instead, my colleagues continue to try to weaken gun safety laws by passing legislation like the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would override state law and allow domestic abusers, teenagers, and people untrained in gun safety to carry concealed weapons freely across the nation. prgtoken Moreover, they block federal funds from being used to even research gun violence, for fear it will be used to ``advocate gun control.'' prgtoken This is simply unacceptable and morally irresponsible. As members of Congress, it is our duty to pass laws to make our communities safer. The only way to respond to mass shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary is to take action that will prevent such tragedies from happening in the future. prgtoken Since 2012, more than 170,000 other lives have been ended by gun violence, more than 170,000 families devastated. The gun violence epidemic continues to plague our nation, and we must act now to stop it.
DACA (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-12-14

I want to cover two topics. There is so much to cover between now and the end of the year, but I want to focus today on two issues. One is the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the second is the so-called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the so-called DACA Program, and in particular the individuals affected by this policy, the Dreamers. I will start with that issue. prgtoken The Dreamers, of course, are something on the order of 800,000 young people who were promised that if they came forward and made disclosures, their government would protect them. That is the basic promise that our government made. This is a significant moment in their lives and in the life of the Nation as to whether we are going to keep what I would argue is a sacred promise to 800,000 young people and in my home State of Pennsylvania, at last count, thousands, as many as 5,900, approximately. prgtoken In this case, we are talking about this issue because a promise was made, and then in the transition from one administration to the other, a different approach was taken. In September, President decided to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program. This announcement required those whose DACA waivers would expire within 6 months to submit a renewal application in just 1 month--not a lot of time to get that done. prgtoken Unfortunately, many DACA recipients were unable to meet this short deadline, and others who managed to get their applications in time were still rejected due to postal delays--not because of something that young person did but due to postal delays. While the administration has said these individuals may be able to resubmit, many are immediately at risk of deportation. prgtoken Just imagine that. In fact, it is impossible for me to imagine it, and maybe it is impossible for anyone in this building to imagine that you are an individual who came forward because of this program, because of a promise your government made to you that you would be protected if you came forward. You came forward after years of living in this country--many years wouldn't add up to a long life because these individuals are obviously very young. Some of them came when they were just a couple years old or a couple of months old, and they know no other country. In fact, one individual whom I met with around a big conference table of about 15 to 20 DACA recipients said to me in this meeting a couple of months ago, she said: The only country that I know, doesn't want us. That was her assessment of what the ending of this program should mean to her. prgtoken So that is what they are at risk of. They are not just at risk of some theoretical consequence. They are literally at risk of deportation after living here all these years and not knowing any other country because of their circumstances. prgtoken It is estimated that 12,000 DACA recipients have already lost their protection--12,000 young people--and tha
TAX POLICY LEAVES BEHIND NATIVE AMERICANS
Daniel T. Kildee (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-12-14

as s continue to rush their tax plan through both Houses of Congress, they leave behind tens of millions of Americans to give deficit-exploding tax breaks to the absolute wealthiest. They are also leaving behind some really important Americans: our Native American brothers and sisters. prgtoken For years, issues of taxation and how Federal tax policy impacts Tribal governments have been the subject of discussion, and for those years that we have talked about the need for tax reform, there have been continuous promises made to Tribal governments that we will deal with these inequities, these issues of double taxation in Tribes. prgtoken For example, a Tribal member who gets an adoption through a Tribal court doesn't qualify for an adoption tax credit. That is just one example of the many ways that Federal tax policy does not anticipate or recognize Tribal governments. But they have been left behind again. prgtoken This bill should be written in a way that actually addresses the real problems in the Tax Code. It does not.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-12-14

had I been present for the vote today on the ic Motion to Recommit H.R. 2396 (Roll Call No. 681), I would have voted aye. The motion would require financial institutions found to have engaged in deceptive or fraudulent practices to continue to annually report their policies and practices regarding the disclosure of nonpublic, personal information. prgtoken Additionally, had I been present for the vote on H.R. 2396 (Roll Call No. 682), I would have voted no. This bill would ease the annual privacy notice requirements for financial institutions that share consumers' non-public personal information with nonaffiliated third party companies, weakening important consumer protections. prgtoken I'm deeply frustrated that the House has, yet again, decided to take up a measure intended to violate U.S. obligations under the Iran nuclear agreement. Though the nuclear agreement explicitly commits the United States to resuming the licensing of new commercial aircraft sales to Iran for civilian use, H.R. 4324 would impose additional certification requirements on the Treasury Department in order to carry out these current obligations. prgtoken Given 's clear disdain for having to take affirmative action to keep the agreement intact, this attempt by Congressional s to force his administration to act further on the sale of commercial aircraft is shameful. Thus, had I been present for the vote on the Motion to Recommit H.R. 4324 (Roll Call No. 683), I would have voted aye. Had I been present for the vote on final passage of H.R. 4324 (Roll Call No. 684), I would have voted no.
REPUBLICAN TAX Bill
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-12-14

I come to the floor this afternoon because of the reports that the House and Senate conference committees on the tax plan are nearing an agreement or may have reached an agreement. By all accounts, this would be shaping up to be one of the greatest legislative heists in American history. prgtoken It is hard to imagine that you could take a tax code that is already stacked in favor of the very wealthy and very powerful special interests and actually make it worse, but that is exactly what we are hearing coming out of the conference committee. This is being worked on, essentially, by our House colleagues and our Senate colleagues. prgtoken The actual conference committee is a bit of a charade because all the real discussions going on with respect to the tax bill are done behind closed doors, with lobbyists who are putting on the finishing touches. prgtoken Here is what we are hearing from the reports that are coming out. We have already gotten details; some of the details had been released. prgtoken From the Associate Press: ``Ample tax cuts for business, wealthy in new GOP tax accord.'' That is the headline about the tax plan that will be coming to this Senate soon. prgtoken The reality is that any tax cuts for middle-class families are going to be a lot smaller than the tax cuts for the very wealthy, and they are only temporary. prgtoken Also, make no mistake, you are going to see millions of middle-class families actually see a tax increase, but those who will get some small tax relief will see it only on a temporary basis, and then it will disappear. The corporate tax cuts--they are forever under this plan. prgtoken Here is the headline of the Washington Post about what is coming out of the House-Senate conference committee: ``s reach compromise tax plan, expanding tax cuts for the wealthy.'' prgtoken Let's get this straight. We had a Senate bill and a House bill. The Senate bill actually reduced the top rate--that is the rate that applies to the wealthiest in this country--to 38.5 percent. It is currently 39 percent; they reduced it to 38.5 percent. In the House, they kept the top rate where it was. So the Senate bill is 38.5 percent; the House bill is around 39 percent. s from the House and the Senate go behind closed doors, and where does it end up? They actually cut that top rate for the wealthiest folks in this country to a place that is lower than either of the tax bills that went into conference. prgtoken So you take these bills and go behind closed doors, and all of a sudden, the wealthy--who are already doing really well under the House tax plan and the Senate tax plan--do even better because they are dropping that top tax rate to 37 percent. prgtoken For those who think that a drop from 39 to 37 percent doesn't sound like a lot, I will tell you, if you are making $1 million, that is an average tax cut of $20,000 a y
Fifth Anniversary of the Sandy Hook Mass Shooting (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-12-14

I am on the floor this afternoon to mark 5 years since the unthinkable--since 20 6-year-olds and 7-year-olds and 6 of their educators were killed in an elementary school in Connecticut. It changed the town of Newtown. It changed this country in the way that we think about gun violence. And it certainly changed me. I want to offer a few thoughts today as we once again memorialize those beautiful children whose lives were cut far, far too short. prgtoken It is easy to spend today--especially those of us who come from Connecticut, who are very intimately connected to the tragedy and to those families--drowning in sadness. There is really no way to conceive of what it is like as a parent to lose a child that young, in that manner, in 5 short minutes in a hail of bullets emanating from a tactical assault weapon. Twenty kids who had just walked into their classroom, bright and cheery, were gone. prgtoken It is easy to hang your head, thinking of all of the things that haven't happened. I have been down to this floor over 50 times, often at my wit's end, raising my voice at my colleagues in frustration at our quiet and unintentional endorsement of the slaughter that happens in this country because we haven't passed a single piece of legislation trying to make sense of our Nation's gun laws. In fact, to the extent we have made changes in gun laws, it has compounded the problem, not remedied it. prgtoken But I want to spend my brief time here today not focusing on the sadness of today--it is there; it is inescapable--and not focusing on what we haven't done but focusing on so many miracles, big ones and small ones, that have occurred in and around the lives of those who have been affected in Newtown, CT, over the last 5 years. prgtoken First, there are these individual miracles that have happened within these families. Again, very few people understand the kind of crippling pain that comes with this loss. While these families will never be the same, they have found ways to rebound. They have found ways to still capture joy in their lives. Some have added to their numbers by welcoming new children into their family since then. They have rediscovered passions. They have made sure that the surviving children--the siblings--have been able to live lives of optimism rather than live lives of perpetual fear. prgtoken I have gotten to know so many of these families. The parents and the kids are now close, personal friends of mine. Watching the rebirth of these families instills a sense of faith in the human spirit that is hard to explain. Those are small miracles, but they are important ones to remember on this 5-year anniversary. prgtoken The miracles also come in ways that lives have been changed and saved through the efforts that have sprung forth out of this tragedy. So many of the families joined together with their friends and started up small charitable organizations in the wake of the Sandy Hook shootin