mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RESPONSE TO THE REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-12

. Madam , I thank Congressman Khanna for his leadership in putting this together. prgtoken Madam , I want to invoke a great member of this body who went on to become President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, who spoke of ``government of the people, by the people, for the people.'' prgtoken The tax plan that has been presented to us by the GOP in the 21st century is government of the 1 percent, by the 1 percent, and for the 1 percent. It was written by a billionaire Cabinet of a billionaire President for the richest 1 percent of taxpayers in the country. prgtoken The same policy experts whose healthcare plan was to throw 30 million Americans off their health insurance and reduce women's access to complete reproductive services now have a tax plan to sell America. But read the fine print first. In fact, you don't even need to read the fine print. You just have to look at the headlines. prgtoken Under this plan, 80 percent of the total tax cut will end up going to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans who earn more than $900,000 a year. Let me repeat that: 80 percent of the money that will be saved in this tax cut will go to Americans earning $900,000 a year. That is astounding. prgtoken In the meantime, tens of millions of middle class families making between $50,000 and $150,000 a year will pay higher taxes than they were paying before. And check this out. The very wealthiest sliver of Americans, those who make at least $5 million a year, and, on average, $16 million a year, would get an average tax cut of over $1 million. That is a $1 million tax cut for millionaires. prgtoken The slogan for this plan should be: The tax cut, because the rich just aren't rich enough and everybody else is doing just fine. prgtoken Madam , if you know anyone who makes $16 million a year, please ask them to write me and tell me what they are going to do with their extra $1 million. Maybe they will send it to a Swiss bank account or to the Bahamas; maybe they will run for Congress; maybe they will invest it in Australia where a lot of the superrich are apparently now buying property in order to have a getaway plan from the escalating crises of climate change in North America. prgtoken So the billionaires make out like bandits. prgtoken What about the rest of us? How much will this plan cost us? prgtoken Well, the bipartisan Committee for Responsible Federal Budget's initial analysis shows that the GOP plan would add $2.2 trillion to deficits over the next decade. This is the result of cutting taxes for the wealthy by a staggering $5.8 trillion and then adding new tax revenue of only $3.6 trillion, so we are going to be adding $2.2 trillion in deficits. prgtoken What about the deficit hawks? prgtoken They are an endangered species, as Congresswoman Pelosi says now. Actually, they have mutated into a completely new species. We don't have deficit hawks anymore. We have deficit ostriches. They are willing to squawk an
HONORING TERESA P. PEREZ
Vicente Gonzalez (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-10-12

I rise today to congratulate Weslaco, Texas native, Mrs. Teresa P. Perez, who is celebrating her 80th birthday. Born on October 14, 1937, she has been a pillar in the community. Mrs. Perez has resided in Weslaco since 1938 and been a lifelong member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church. Mrs. Perez has held many successful roles throughout her life but none more important than those to her family as a daughter, sister, mother and grandmother I again offer my congratulations to Mrs. Perez and her family: Cindy, Tommy, Louie, Rose, Arturo, Terry Ruben, Mike, Andrew, Cathy, Danny, and all 20 of her beloved grandchildren. Mrs. Perez and her family have made South Texas a better place, and it is my honor to acknowledge her today and wish her a very happy birthday.
WORLDWIDE REFUGEE CRISIS
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-10-12

I want to thank Representative Castro for calling for this special order to discuss the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people from Burma. prgtoken It's a heartbreaking humanitarian disaster and day-by-day the situation continues to deteriorate. prgtoken Just today, Bangladesh Border Guards are reporting that more than 11,000 Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh from Burma. prgtoken These refugees are the result of the unprecedented level of violence in Burma's Rakhine State. prgtoken Because of this bloody conflict, more than half a million Rohingya-- 60 percent of whom are children--have fled as refugees across the border into Bangladesh. prgtoken This is the swiftest exodus of any population since the 1994 Rwanda genocide and Serbia's 1999 ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. prgtoken The Burmese military has claimed that this brutal crackdown is the response to a clash that took place on August 25th, in which border security forces faced off against Rohingya insurgents reportedly using knives, small arms, and small explosives. prgtoken But this isn't a legitimate counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operation. The Burmese military and border security forces have specifically targeted Rohingya using medieval tactics: slash and burn, rape, indiscriminate killing. Twenty-one square kilometers of villages systematically burned to the ground. prgtoken As I see it, the only person in Burma who could put an end to the violence, clear the way for humanitarian aid, and allow for a full accounting of what has occurred is Min Aung Hlaing, Commander in Chief of the Burmese military. Unfortunately, the intentions of the military are clear: to remove the Rohingya people from Burma. prgtoken Welcoming these refugees, thankfully, is the Government of Bangladesh, which is now hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees. prgtoken And while Bangladesh opens its doors, I consider it an embarrassment that the United States is closing ours. The Administration has lowered our yearly cap on refugees from all over the world to 45,000 per year--the smallest number ever. As this crisis grew worse, Bangladesh took in that many people every four days. prgtoken This policy harms American leadership in the world. It undermines our ability to speak credibly about refugees, human rights, or living up to basic international humanitarian principles. It diminishes our standing in a part of the world where China is only too happy to fill the void. prgtoken The United States has allocated $38 million to assist with the crisis. That number seems grossly inadequate considering the scale of the humanitarian nightmare now facing the Government of Bangladesh and the Rohingya who have found refuge there. prgtoken We need to do more, and that starts by shining a light on this tragedy. So I'm grateful to Mr. Castro, I'm grateful to all my colleagues who are putting this issue front and center. I hope that the Administration will give this crisis the focus and res
DR. CHRIS KIRKPATRICK WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION ACT OF 2017
Tom O’Halleran (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-10-12

this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken , increasing accountability and transparency across our government is a shared principle we can all agree on among this body. Whether at the VA or other Federal agencies, the American people deserve to know that Federal officials from the top down are being held to the standards we expect of them. prgtoken We owe it to our veterans, to our seniors, and to the hardworking American taxpayers to ensure that their tax dollars are utilized appropriately and efficiently, as intended. Waste, fraud, and abuse, have no place at our agencies, and those who help uncover it deserve our admiration and our protection. prgtoken I am proud that we are coming together to increase protections for whistleblowers of Federal agencies, a long overdue effort. But, Mr in light of recent reports and events that have revealed a disturbing pattern of improper use of tax dollars on air travel by senior Federal officials, I believe we must go further. prgtoken The reports of Cabinet officials abusing the rules for air travel that applied to them are not isolated. Not one, not two, not three, but at least four Cabinet officials are facing scrutiny for irregular and irresponsible use of agency resources for official and nonofficial air travel. In light of Secretary Price's recent resignation, it is clear that Congress must conduct greater oversight. prgtoken That is why I am offering this final amendment on the underlying bill. prgtoken My amendment simply extends whistleblower protections that are created under the bill to Federal employees who disclose information about travel, including improper use of aircraft. prgtoken Not only would this make clear to agencies that any violation of laws, rules, or regulations concerning travel or government aircraft is unacceptable, it will also ensure those who come forward to expose any wrongdoing will have appropriate protection from retaliation. prgtoken Regardless of party, those who serve the American public must be held to the highest ethical standards. Our ability to hold government officials accountable to taxpayers is a hallmark of our democracy, and we must work to uphold that principle. The resources invested to agencies to fulfill their missions of serving Americans should not be abused or frivolously flaunted for personal gain or convenience. prgtoken This is not about s or . We must come together to stand up for accountability and transparency. The moment we begin treating disregard for the rules by our elected and appointed officials as partisan politics, we risk ceding the very values that make our democracy great and unique in the world. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting my commonsense amendment on behalf of American taxpayers, and the balan
MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 2810, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-10-12

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I want to thank Ranking Member Smith for speaking on behalf of this motion to instruct. I deeply appreciate his leadership on the Armed Services Committee and his years of service, as I do, again, have deep respect for Chairman Thornberry and his leadership as chairman of the Armed Services Committee. prgtoken Case in point, the NDAA this year, and as has been the case in past years, has been truly a bipartisan effort, and it's one of the reasons I truly enjoy serving in the Armed Services Committee is because of the bipartisan cooperation that is demonstrated when it comes to protecting our country, when it comes to providing for our national defense, especially supporting our men and women in uniform. It is a bipartisan effort. It is unfortunate that in this one particular case we have this difference of opinion. prgtoken We are, again, a program that was initially intended to train marksmen years ago when we didn't have a professional military. Maybe it had merit and the organization was supported, but we have a professional military now, great marksmanship programs and training programs, as well as private organizations that do this. But it doesn't require or need a government subsidy, and so it wouldn't be appropriate in this case any further to continue to support this private organization, the CMP program with, ostensibly, a earmark. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).
MOTION TO INSTRUCT CONFEREES ON H.R. 2810, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Susan A. Davis (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-12

today, we are considering a National Defense Authorization Act measure that would transfer thousands of military weapons to a civilian nonprofit, the Civilian Marksmanship Program. These guns will then make their way into the public for purchase. prgtoken The Army has recommended against this proposal. One of their concerns, not a surprise, is public safety. For us to go against the recommendations of our own military on this matter is, frankly, absurd. Every single day, our country--our country--experiences horrific gun violence, and the last thing we should be doing is going against the advice of our military and putting more guns onto American streets. prgtoken Those who are in support of the measure claim that transferring these weapons to the Civilian Marksmanship Program will save the government the cost of storing these guns, but the amount of money to be saved to store some weapons is really negligible, and that small cost is nothing compared to the potential cost to human life by unleashing these handguns for the public to purchase. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to employ common sense here. Listen to the advice of our Army and support the motion to instruct.
ASSISTANCE FOR PUERTO RICO
Luis V. Gutiérrez (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-12

a little over a month ago, Hurricane Irma struck the Caribbean island of St. Maarten very hard. prgtoken Within a couple of days, I got a call from loved ones of a couple of constituents. They had family members trapped at a hotel in St. Maarten with dozens of other Americans. The power was out, they were running out of food and water, and incidents of looting were reported. So they called me, their Congressman, and I called the State Department to see what could be done. prgtoken Within 36 hours of my call, our U.S. citizens--nearly 150 of them-- were evacuated from an island, in the ocean, surrounded by water. prgtoken Do you know where they were taken to for safety? prgtoken Puerto Rico. Yes, Puerto Rico, where it has now been 3 weeks since Hurricane Maria and most people do not have power or clean drinking water, and where the deterioration of the healthcare system is leaving people without critical treatments and causing the death toll to go up. prgtoken Now, in St. Maarten, this is what the State Department said, according to NBC News: ``Evacuation efforts will prioritize U.S. citizens needing urgent medical care.'' prgtoken Within a few days, they had evacuated 1,200 Americans. prgtoken So, right now, if a thousand U.S. citizens are facing danger in Japan, Ethiopia, or Finland, our State Department would arrange to save them. But we have millions of Americans facing danger in Puerto Rico and we can't get the same help, not from the military, not from FEMA, and not from the State Department, because they don't assist U.S. citizens who are on U.S. soil, even if that soil is a colony in the ocean surrounded by water, as our President reminds us. prgtoken It took 36 hours to get evacuated from St. Maarten. Three weeks in Puerto Rico and still no plan for evacuation. prgtoken This morning, the President is tweeting that he wants to pull FEMA and the military out of Puerto Rico. prgtoken How long do we have to stay in Puerto Rico, ? prgtoken Until every Puerto Rican's name is taken off the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall or erased from the records of the Korean war, Afghanistan, and Iraq. prgtoken As long as it takes. They gave their lives and died. prgtoken Yesterday, a lot of us received military briefings from FEMA, the military, and Homeland Security. I wanted to know whether FEMA and the military are prepared to take people off the island, as we normally do in emergency situations. We did it in Houston, in Jacksonville, and New Orleans. prgtoken No, the Governor has not asked for help in evacuating people, they told me. prgtoken I asked: How many bridges, even temporary ones, have been constructed in Puerto Rico to replace those destroyed by the hurricane to allow for the transportation of supplies and the evacuation of people? prgtoken They said: None, Congressman. Zero. We have not erected any bridges. Again, because the Governor of Puerto Rico hasn't asked us to. prgtoken When I was there, I flew over the
TRIBUTE TO HONOR THE SILICON VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ON THE OCCASION OF ITS TENTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-12

I rise today alongside my colleagues, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congressman Jimmy Panetta to honor the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) as it celebrates its Tenth Year Anniversary. The Peninsula Community Foundation and Community Foundation Silicon Valley merged in 2007 to increase their impact by creating SVCF. Under the superb leadership of CEO Dr. Emmett D. Carson, SVCF has grown to become the world's largest community foundation with more than $8 billion in assets. SVCF has been able to do this by engaging, empowering, and collaborating with families, individuals, and corporate donors to generate positive impacts and by supporting organizations within and beyond county lines and national borders. SVCF has become a comprehensive center for philanthropy and over the last decade has continued to advocate in pursuit of public policy issues and strategic initiatives in support of those in need. It also serves as a key leader and partner to nonprofit groups and institutions who work to advance ideas and direct resources strategically toward the pressing local needs of the community. SVCF has awarded $4.3 billion in grants since 2007, and the strong support that it has from the community and donors has enabled it to award $2.3 billion to local charities in nine Bay Area counties, with an additional $245 million awarded to other California charities. In their effort to assist students in their higher education and careers SVCF also awarded close to 400 scholarships totaling $1.7 million to students in high school, community college and university programs during the 2014 to 2015 school year. SVCF exemplifies its values of collaboration; diversity; inclusiveness; innovation; integrity; public accountability; respect; and responsiveness. It is fitting and proper that we recognize the tremendous impact of philanthropy, and the spirit of generosity and community service that SVCF has had in the Bay Area I ask the entire House of Representatives to join my colleagues and me in expressing our collective gratitude to the trailblazing Silicon Valley Community Foundation for its extraordinary contributions to charities and nonprofit organizations throughout our state and nation. We offer our congratulations on the occasion of its decade of philanthropic work and accomplishments in each of our Congressional Districts.
HONORING DRISCOLL'S
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-12

I rise today to recognize Driscoll's, a company based in California's 20th Congressional District as the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County's 2017 Food Donor of the Year. The company, made up of dedicated independent growers, has been donating their fresh berries to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Watsonville for over two decades. In 2016 alone, Driscoll's donated nearly one thousand tons of berries. Because of Driscoll's efforts, many food insecure families on the central coast of California now have access to the vitamin-rich and highly nutritious berries and can make them a part of a healthy diet. The Driscoll and Reiter families, the founders of Driscoll's, have been producing berries in the Pajaro Valley since 1904. Officially founded in 1950 as Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc the company originally sold only fresh California strawberries. Their creation of the first patented strawberry variety in 1958 made Driscoll's the national berry of choice by extending the crop's growing season and allowing berries to be shipped long distances. Today, they have expanded their operations from just strawberries to include raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Driscoll's innovative work, along with the contributions from many other farmers and ranchers of the Central Coast, has contributed to my district's reputation as an agricultural powerhouse. Driscoll's has always been committed to giving back to the local communities that have given them so much. Through their Berry Donation Program, Driscoll's works to make sure families throughout their community have access to berries during local growing seasons. The company also supports a variety of food banks and related organizations such as the California Association of Food Banks and Ag Against Hunger. Driscoll's culture of philanthropy is not limited solely to their senior leadership, but extends to their employees who are closely involved in the company's efforts to support their communities. Together, Driscoll's and their employees have donated over 5 million pounds of berries to the Second Harvest Food Bank. As the representative of the 20th Congressional District, I commend Driscoll's for working to ensure that families on the Central Coast have access to the fresh and nutritious berries grown in their own backyard. We are lucky that they call the 20th Congressional District home I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in congratulating Driscoll's on their 2017 Food Donor of the Year award.
ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR DISASTER RELIEF REQUIREMENTS ACT, 2017
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-10-12

I rise in support of this funding package. This bill is a downpayment on the recovery from the recent fires and hurricanes. prgtoken I am pleased that it contains $576.5 million to fully repay the funds that the U.S. Forest Service borrowed last fiscal year to pay for wildfire suppression. We have all seen the devastation and the tragic loss of life from large fires burning across our country. prgtoken Fiscal year 2017 was the most expensive year on record for wildfire suppression, costing $2.4 billion. As the duration and severity of wildfires grows, costs will continue to rise. prgtoken Unfortunately, once again we have missed the opportunity to fix the way the Federal Government funds wildfire suppression. prgtoken Let me be clear: the next supplemental must include a legislative fix for wildfire spending, and it must adequately support the Department of the Interior and its vital efforts to help our country rebuild from the recent fires and hurricanes.
MIDNIGHT CIRCUS IN THE PARKS
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-12

I rise today to bring attention to an initiative launched to raise community funds and to rebuild parks-- Midnight Circus in the Parks. prgtoken The program is presented in part by the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks, which brings over 1,000 cultural events to neighborhood parks each year. The program is in its 5th year and the Night Out in the Parks series has brought more than 1,000 events to neighborhood parks throughout the City of Chicago, making community parks safe havens and hubs of cultural activity. prgtoken Jeff Jenkins, founder and executive director of Midnight Circus in the Parks, envisioned a perfect opportunity to bring his circus to the community and raise money for park improvements. Midnight Circus tours Chicago parks every year bringing over 15,000 people together in their park to celebrate and make a difference. This venture is a true family collaboration; Jeffs wife, Julie, is the artistic director; their son, Maxwell, is an acrobat and musician in the show, and their daughter, Samantha, does the trapeze. Their rescued pit bull also performs. Every year, they add new and incredible artists. prgtoken , I would like to thank the Jenkins Family for launching Midnight Circus in the Parks, and the Chicago Park District for having the vision to bring a circus to the Chicago communities and for all their countless hours of volunteer efforts.