mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017--Continued
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-1-17

our Constitution starts out with three beautiful words: ``We the people.'' This was the whole mission statement for the development of our form of government--not a government that would deliver benefits by and for the privileged, not a government that would deliver decisions for the rich and the powerful, but for the people of the United States, for the best policy for the population of the United States, so that its citizens everywhere, of every stripe and every corner of the Nation, could have a foundation to thrive. But in 2017, the leadership of this body dedicated itself to a different mission. They dedicated themselves to the mission of government of, by, and for the powerful and the privileged. prgtoken I think it is worth reviewing some of those items that we have gone through in the course of this past year. Let's start by looking at the attack on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. My colleagues on the side spent a whole year attacking this organization, which was set up to make sure that financial transactions are fair--a fair, square deal for ordinary Americans. We had seen all kinds of predatory practices in consumer loans. We had seen all kinds of predatory practices in auto loans. We certainly had seen them in home mortgages. In fact, the exploding interest rate mortgages and the triple option mortgages that were designed to deceive and bankrupt ordinary Americans turned the dream of homeownership into a nightmare. prgtoken Fortunately, in 2010 this body said: No more. We are going to set up an organization that can identify predatory practices as they develop and prevent them from being implemented. prgtoken It makes a lot of sense. It is very similar to an organization we have in the government that says: That appliance is dangerous and should never be sold; that toy is dangerous and should never be sold. In this case, it is this: That loan is predatory, deceptive and should never be marketed. prgtoken This assault on CFPB went on throughout the year, purely encapsulating government for the powerful, the rich, and the predatory over ordinary people. This has culminated at the end of the year in which President has appointed an Acting Director to the CFPB who hates the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and wants to dismantle it from the inside. In fact, that Director has called the organization a ``sick, sad joke.'' prgtoken Just yesterday, he threw out the payday loan rule. Payday loans have interest rates of 300, 400, 500 percent interest. People have them, initially, and borrow $1,000. In a year, they owe $5,000. In another year, they owe $25,000. In another year, they owe $125,000. It is a vortex of debt that pulls families into bankruptcy, squeezes them for as long as it can, and then throws them out bankrupt. Many States have said this is outrageous. Many religious traditions have said this is unacceptable. People have seen the carnage it does i
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-1-17

President and the s have been in charge of the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate for nearly a year now. Under their control, these three institutions have formed a Bermuda Triangle, if you will, for any kind of meaningful legislation that will help average Americans. prgtoken They devoted most of last year to a destructive attempt to eliminate health insurance coverage for 30 million Americans before pivoting to a partisan tax bill that benefits the powerful and costs trillions of dollars that could be spent many ways, including to enhance and improve our military equipment and our military personnel; $1.5 trillion were dedicated to tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and not to the men and women of the military. This tax legislation will also leave 13 million Americans without health insurance. So contrary to the President's declarations--or those of his campaign--that he has a great plan that will cover all Americans, 13 million Americans likely will lose their coverage. prgtoken Now, Congress is 2 days away from a government shutdown because, again, the majority and the President appear uninterested in governing, which means compromise. It means working on policy together with both s and to deal with the real priorities--like jobs, education, infrastructure, and national security--that are essential to the American people. prgtoken The press has been focusing on the -caused immigration crisis as the supposed cause for the dilemmas at the moment. It is true that finding a solution for Dreamers is very important. Indeed, a poll cited by the Washington Post's editorial board this morning said that 82 percent of voters, including almost 70 percent of voters, believe there should be a path to citizenship for Dreamers. prgtoken This immigration crisis is not the only unfinished business before Congress. We also have the leadership's failure to make the effort early on to deal with some of the issues that are now facing us directly and affecting millions of Americans. Just think of some of the issues. prgtoken Since September, 9 million children who are covered by the CHIP program have essentially been going month to month on their healthcare coverage because the President, and this Congress, hasn't passed a 10- year extension that actually saves taxpayers money. prgtoken Community healthcare centers are such a vital part of our healthcare system. More than 25 million Americans use these centers. Once again, their funding is in limbo because the program has not been reauthorized. prgtoken Then there is the bipartisan Alexander-Murray bill to provide greater stability to private health insurance prgtoken markets. For a President who claimed he had a great plan to insure all Americans much better than the Affordable Care Act, there has been no movement on this important aspect of improving private health
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-1-18

when we complete our work today on the FISA issue, we will be consumed by the issue of a continuing resolution and the need for continued appropriations to keep government functions available to the American people. prgtoken I come with a suggestion that I think is based not on politics but upon commonsense and perhaps just the good business aspect of getting our work done. My suggestion to our colleagues is that we do not shut down government. I think the outcome of that is not good, and I can list the reasons. I have had constituents from time to time tell me ``shut her down. It wouldn't matter to me,'' but I can list the circumstances in which it really does matter to everyday folks in Kansas and across the country. At the same time, we should force ourselves to do work that we seemingly are unwilling or unable to complete. There is a whole list of things that are pending, and they have been pending for a long time. prgtoken The Presiding Officer and I serve on the Appropriations Committee, and one of the positions that I think we share is the desire to see that the appropriations process works. That means that we would do a budget. The Budget Committee would do a budget, and the Senate and the House would approve the budget. We would do 12 appropriations bills that fill in the budget space. We would be able to prioritize spending. We could increase, reduce, or eliminate spending. Then, we could again send a message to agencies, departments, and cabinets that we have the ability to determine how much money they have to spend and, therefore, have the opportunity to influence decisions that are made that affect the American people through the bureaucracy and through the administration in such significant ways. prgtoken So the goal here is to keep government functioning--no shutdown--but also to have the discipline necessary to put an appropriations process in place to get us out of a CR. prgtoken Immigration, from DACA to border security, is certainly a topic of conversation in Congress, and negotiations are apparently ongoing and it is an issue that needs to be resolved. If we are going to make fixes to our immigration system, now is better than later. If border security is important, now is better than later to improve border security. If certainty in people's lives is important, now is better than later. prgtoken Many of us have a concern that we are not adequately funding the defense side. We face many threats, from China in the Pacific to Russia and its intrusion, from cyber issues that affect our national security to terrorism and the Middle East. If additional money is necessary for our intelligence capabilities and for our national defense, now is better than later. prgtoken What may happen here is that we will pass a continuing resolution that takes us weeks into the future and we will operate under a continuing resolution, or, if that is not possible, nothing may pass for several day
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 195, FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017; WAIVING REQUIREMENT OF CLAUSE 6(a) OF RULE XIII WITH RESPECT TO CONSIDERATION OF CERTAIN...
Tom Cole (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-1-18

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I include in the Record a press release from--my friends may have missed this--the Children's Hospital Association. [Press Release, Jan. 18, 2018] Children's Hospitals to Congress: Kids Can't Wait, Fund CHIP Now Washington, DC.-- The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is vital to millions of children and families. These families have been living with uncertainty since funding for CHIP expired at the end of September. States are exhausting all available program funds and have announced plans to freeze enrollment and, in some cases, end their programs altogether. Kids can't wait any longer. Congress has a chance to pass a long-term extension of CHIP that will provide security for millions of kids. The continuing resolution being considered by Congress includes a six-year extension of CHIP. Children's hospitals support a long-term extension of CHIP and urge Congress to take this opportunity to pass CHIP this week. The time is now to extend funding for this lifeline millions of children and their families count on every day. About the Children's Hospital Association--the Children's Hospital Association is the national voice of more than 220 children's hospitals, advancing child health through innovation in the quality, cost and delivery of care.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-1-18

I rise in strong support of this bill. prgtoken This short resolution, this continuing resolution will give us time to negotiate it, but it addresses our Nation's priorities. Let's be very clear. If this does not pass now, go to the Senate, pass there and then sent to the President for his signature and signed, the Federal Government will shut down this week. prgtoken So we all know, as the chairman said, that short-term CRs, that is not something that we want to do. That is not our preference. But again, if this one does not pass now, the Federal Government will shut down. prgtoken This is no time to shortchange our first responders, our military as we continue to recover from natural disasters in places all throughout our country and, again, respond to the threats that face us abroad. This is no time to shut down the Federal Government. prgtoken The CR supports ongoing transportation safety missions, including air traffic control. prgtoken Again, we cannot allow the government to shut down and put all of that in jeopardy. prgtoken It allows us to continue to house the most vulnerable families, especially our veterans. This is not the time to let them down by shutting, again, the Federal Government down. prgtoken It also funds medical care for millions of children, blocks burdensome health insurance taxes, and, again, supports mission- critical defense activities. This is not the time to let them all down and shut down the Federal Government. prgtoken Finally, , this short-term CR will allow us to work together to find common ground on, again, full-year 2018 bills that meet both our defense and domestic priorities. prgtoken Something else, . I want the country to know that we also have to deal, have to solve the issue of DACA. Both sides have been at fault for, in many cases, refusing to sit down in good faith to negotiate a solution. This CR gives us some time to make sure we solve that issue. prgtoken It is not time now for political games and gamesmanship and politics. We need to be able to solve the issue of those young folks. We can't do that if the government is shut down. prgtoken It is time for leadership, for courage. Let's sit down, work out our differences, help secure the border, and provide a solution for these deserving kids. prgtoken For that reason and for so many others, , it is essential that we do not allow the Federal Government to shut down. Voting against this resolution is a vote to shut down the Federal Government. I believe that will be highly irresponsible, so I urge a strong ``yes'' vote.
CHINA'S STRATEGY TO ACCRUE GLOBAL POWER
Ted S. Yoho (Republican, FL) \u2014 2018-1-18

I thank the gentleman from Virginia, and if he wants to participate in a colloquy back and forth, we have a few more minutes. But I want to touch on some issues that I think we need to draw out again. I want the American people to understand what is going on. prgtoken When you buy something that says ``made in China,'' I want you to understand what is happening. China has gone from where they were in the 1970s and the 1960s. Richard Nixon went over there, kind of normalized relationships in 1972. prgtoken We had a relationship with Taiwan prior to that. I don't want to go into the history of the war between the KMT and Chiang Kai-shek back in the 1940s, but there was a relationship we had with Taiwan. We had a relationship with Great Britain on Hong Kong, and here we are in the 21st century. prgtoken Things have changed. Now we have got North Korea on the stage. It is a different world than what it was. We had some longstanding traditions that we stood by as a nation, and people respected that, and then I look at the trade imbalance that we have with China. prgtoken Here is a country that Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger in 1971 and 1972 opened up the trade that we have today, that has led to what we have today. And China has done great, and they ought to be applauded for what they have done. They have raised a lot of people out of poverty. But at what expense? prgtoken When I look at what is going on in the South China Sea, taking islands that were just coral reefs right under the top of the sea, and they have reclaimed over 4,000 acres--probably the largest ecological disaster and insult to the environment that the world has ever seen-- the world stood idly by. prgtoken One country, Vietnam, stood up, took them to the court in The Hague, the tribunals. The tribunal ruled against China, and again, the world stood by, did nothing. prgtoken The previous administration had a policy of strategic patience. The profession I come from, the veterinary profession, we call that benign neglect. That is where you have a disease that is not life-threatening and you hope it goes away if you ignore it. prgtoken But what was going on in the South China Sea could not be handled with benign neglect. What happened is China militarized the islands that they built, even though they said they wouldn't. prgtoken And if we look at the other things they said they would help us on with North Korea, China has the biggest influence with North Korea of anybody else. Ninety percent of the trade of North Korea goes through China. China says they are there with us, but yet we know fuel is going in there, coal is going in there. They are trading with them. prgtoken In addition, they are complicit in allowing other companies to have shell companies that keep the Kim Jong-un regime afloat developing nuclear weapons. They have a hand in bringing this to a close. prgtoken I look at the trade deficit we have with China. It is over $350 billion. Add t
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2018-1-18

I rise to talk about an issue that is very important to Hoosiers: protecting our unborn children. Right now, Hoosiers from across the State of Indiana are traveling to Washington, DC, to take part in tomorrow's March for Life. This annual event brings together the unsung heroes of the life movement--those who have dedicated their lives to saving innocent children. prgtoken Now, despite what is often portrayed in the media, life-affirming principles are supported by a majority of Americans. A poll by POLITICO and the Harvard T.H. Chan School for Public Health showed that 58 percent of Americans--almost three in five Americans--oppose allowing Medicaid funding to be used for abortion. prgtoken According to the Quinnipiac University polling, 60 percent of Americans, including 46 percent of , support Federal legislation limiting abortion after 20 weeks. prgtoken I am proud to cosponsor the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This act would protect unborn children at 20 weeks postfertilization-- the point at which scientific evidence proves abortion inflicts pain. prgtoken It is estimated that this commonsense legislation will save roughly 12,000 to 18,000 babies annually, and it will not apply, incidentally, to cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk. prgtoken Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, I sat on the board of directors of Hannah House. This is in Bloomington, IN, where I live. It offers women loving support during pregnancy. prgtoken I further spent 2 years as a smalltown attorney in little Paoli, IN, and I offered free legal services for parents who wanted to adopt. So you can see why I am very passionate about helping children find loving homes and helping caring adults become parents. I have seen firsthand, through my own experiences, the importance of advocating for those who cannot advocate for themselves. prgtoken The United States is one of only seven countries in the world that allows abortions after 20 weeks. This list includes human rights violators like China and North Korea. This isn't company we want to keep. prgtoken During this time, when there is principled disagreement on so many prgtoken issues--s disagreeing with , conservatives disagreeing with progressives, surely, we can come together and take action that a significant majority of Americans want. So I am hopeful this critical legislation will receive a vote on the Senate floor very soon. prgtoken Thank you. prgtoken . prgtoken .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4712, BORN-ALIVE ABORTION SURVIVORS PROTECTION ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM JANUARY 22, 2018, THROUGH JANUARY 26, 2018
Christopher H. Smith (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2018-1-18

. Marsha Blackburn's bill, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, requires, under penalty of law, that appropriate healthcare to be given to any child who survives an attempted abortion, not looking the other way, as has been done for decades--Gosnell probably being the most egregious example. prgtoken The law prescribes that: ``Any healthcare practitioner present at the time the child is born shall exercise the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious healthcare practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age; following the exercise of skill, care, and diligence . . . ensure that the child born alive is immediately transported to a hospital.'' prgtoken The bill also establishes strong criminal penalties for practitioners who violate this requirement; establishes a civil right of action for the mother of the child, to enforce the law; and the mother of the child born alive may not be prosecuted under this law.
THE ECONOMY
Richard Burr (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-1-18

I thank the vice chairman of the committee, Senator Warner. prgtoken I think what we have seen is a process that has tried to take into account concerns that not just Members but the American people have had with programs that operate in a degree of secrecy, and I think most Americans understand why. prgtoken The assurance I have tried to make and the vice chairman has tried to make to our colleagues and to the American people is that we are vigilant in the rigorous oversight of not just this program but of the entire complex of intelligence in the United States. It is our job as committee members, and we do it without the clarity that most members would like to have on issues. I respect the fact that some still disagree with us, though the number is small. I also feel extremely proud today that we are getting ready to, in the next few minutes, reauthorize the single most important intelligence tool that exists for us to keep the American people safe. prgtoken I think we will look back on this as a needed tool. Today, the threat landscape looks worse than it probably ever has. The reason Americans can safely go to bed at night is that there are a lot of dedicated folks to whom we provide tools in order to keep them safe. It starts with a vote in this body, and I encourage all of my colleagues to vote, when given the opportunity shortly, to reauthorize the 702 program. Vote on Motion to Concur with Amendment No. 1870 prgtoken , I move to table the motion to concur with amendment.