mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-1-29

the community of Benton, KY, is continuing to pick up the pieces after last week's harrowing shooting. prgtoken I wish, once again, to thank our law enforcement and first responders for their heroism, and I would also like to recognize Marshall County Judge-Executive Kevin Neal for his leadership when his community needed it the most. prgtoken For most of us, this tragedy is barely even conceivable, but to the parents of Bailey Holt and Preston Cope, it is now a painful reality. Bailey Holt was 15 years old, and her mother said that she had a ``perfect, sweet soul.'' She has been described as compassionate, confident, and comfortable being herself. When she wasn't busy cheering for the University of Louisville Cardinals, Bailey was always ready with a kind word or a friendly gesture for those who needed it. prgtoken On social media, her family and friends are using the expression ``Be Like Bailey,'' encouraging everyone who sees it to act with charity. prgtoken Preston Cope, who was also 15, was known for being kind, soft-spoken, and a quick learner. He loved reading about history and playing baseball for Marshall County High School and the Calvert City Sluggers. Preston's friends remember his ability to inspire them and to make them laugh. prgtoken One of Bailey and Preston's classmates called them ``the nicest people I ever met. They never had anything negative to say. They always had a smile on their face.'' prgtoken This weekend, friends and family gathered at the high school gym by the hundreds to remember Bailey and Preston and to comfort one another. prgtoken As the other injured students fight to recover and the entire Marshall County community continues to grieve and heal, they will have Bailey and Preston's example to draw on and they will have the prayers of their fellow Kentuckians, of us here in the Senate, and of the entire country. Work of the Senate prgtoken , on an entirely different matter, a great deal of work remains in the Senate in the coming days. Bipartisan discussions continue on a variety of important issues, including immigration, border security, disaster relief, healthcare, and funding for our Armed Forces. With our February 8 deadline fast approaching, it is vital that we continue these serious and constructive talks. prgtoken Last week, the administration provided its framework for immigration legislation. As I noted, it builds upon the four pillars for reform that the President has consistently put forth and indicates what is necessary for him to sign a bill into law. As discussions continue in the Senate on the subject of immigration, Members on both sides of the aisle should look to this framework as they work toward an agreement. prgtoken The President's proposal has received praise as a serious effort to solve some of the problems with our broken immigration system. Not surprisingly with a subject this complicated, it has als
HOUSTON METHODIST SUGAR LAND HOSPITAL RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-1-29

I rise today to congratulate the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Department at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital for earning a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence. prgtoken The Beacon Award for Excellence, given by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recognizes caregivers in units that successfully improve patient outcomes using evidence-based care. Houston Methodist Sugar Land is one of only seven ICUs in Texas to receive this prestigious award. It serves as a role model to other hospitals striving for excellence in patient care. prgtoken On behalf of the Twenty-Second District of Texas, congratulations again to the Surgical ICU Department at Houston Methodist Sugar Land, Hospital for receiving a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence. I thank them for their commitment to providing the best possible care for their patients.
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Lindsey Graham (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-1-29

I want to thank all of my colleagues on this side of the aisle who have joined in this debate and are having their voices heard. You are on the right side of history. You are where America will be. It is just a matter of time until we get there. prgtoken To my colleagues on the other side, I appreciate your passion, but I think you are on the wrong side of history. prgtoken What we are trying to do here today is to proceed to a bill. It is called a motion to proceed. But I think what we are trying to do is proceed to a better America. We are one of seven nations on the entire planet to allow abortion on demand after 20 weeks; that is, the fifth month of pregnancy. prgtoken What do we know about unborn children at that stage of development? We know that for a doctor to operate on that unborn child, they provide anesthesia because it hurts the child, and no doctor wants to hurt the child in an effort to save the child's life. Listen to what I said. Medical practice dictates that if you are going to operate on a 20- week-old, unborn child, you provide anesthesia because science tells us that the baby can feel pain. prgtoken Can you only imagine the pain it will feel from abortion? There is a reason that there are only seven countries in the world that allow this. The question for America is, Do we want to stay in this club or do we want to get out? I want out. prgtoken Twenty States have a version of this bill, and more are taking it up as I speak. When informed of what we are trying to do, the majority of pro-choice people support this. Abortion is a divisive issue, and it is an emotional issue, but in the fifth month of pregnancy, I think most Americans are going to side with what we are trying to do--stopping abortion on demand in the fifth month. prgtoken Does it make us a better nation? I would say it does not. prgtoken So we are trying to proceed to make sure that America will be a better place and that we become part of the mainstream of the world when it comes to protecting unborn children after the fifth month of pregnancy. prgtoken If you look at a medical encyclopedia and read about the birthing process, parents are encouraged in the fifth month to sing to a child because the child will begin to associate your voice with you. Read it. There is literature of all kinds stating what you should do in the fifth month to enhance the relationship between you and your unborn child. prgtoken We do allow exceptions to save the life of the mother. It is a terrible situation when we have to pick between the mother and child, and there is an exception for that situation. The result of rape or incest if the child was a minor--when it comes to a pregnancy caused by a rape, we require that the law enforcement authorities be notified of the rape before the abortion, not at the time it occurred, and I think most Americans would want people to come forward and report rape. prgtoken It is a difficult situation,
CREATIVITY SHELL RAISES AWARENESS FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-1-29

human trafficking is a menace to our society and should be eradicated as soon as possible. Fortunately, we have outstanding organizations brave enough to stand up for those who have been subjected to the horror of modern day slavery. I am honored to recognize one of those great organizations today. Creativity Shell is a nonprofit located in Houston, Texas whose mission is to use creative trades to educate and inspire the next generation of makers. The organization teaches valuable skills like sewing and textile arts to students in public libraries, schools and shelters that rescue children from human trafficking. Creativity Shell is now launching ``Hearts for a Fresh Start'' to give back and raise awareness for trafficked victims. The program invites Houston kids to help sew hearts on washcloths. prgtoken The washcloths will be delivered to children in shelters who have been rescued from human trafficking. This great program was launched on January 14th and will run until Valentine's Day. Creativity Shell's goal is to make and deliver over 5,000 washcloths to shelters all over the country. As a longtime advocate of combatting human trafficking, I applaud Creativity Shell for their passion, dedication and unwavering support of trafficked victims. It's time for us to stand together. End this scourge on society and support and protect those who have fallen prey to human trafficking. And that's just the way it is.
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-1-29

last week marked the 45th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but many of us were not celebrating because last week gave us another opportunity to consider the real damage caused by the Supreme Court decision, which even liberal scholars have now said is flawed in the type of damage it has done to the social fabric of our Nation over the last four and a half decades. prgtoken During this period of time, more than 50 million unborn children in America have been denied the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness--50 million. In other parts of the world, unborn children have been killed by the sheer fact that they happen to be girls instead of boys or because one has a disability like Down syndrome. prgtoken For me, Roe v. Wade hits close to home because I come from the State where the lead plaintiff was living at the time of that now famous lawsuit. Her name is Norma McCorvey, or Jane Roe in the case. She was from Dallas, TX. What is unknown, generally, but interesting, is what is left out of this story when you hear about Jane Roe in Roe v. Wade. Mrs. McCorvey, actually, never went forward with the abortion. She gave birth instead, and her child was adopted. She later became an influential pro-life advocate. prgtoken Her story should give us cause for hope that change is possible-- change of the human heart, change in the direction of the country--when it comes to unborn children, as should events like the March for Life that happened earlier this month here in Washington, where more than 100,000 pro-life men and women, young and old, descended on our Nation's Capital. prgtoken I want to applaud President for becoming our Nation's first sitting President to address the march. prgtoken Hope is increasingly being provided by advances in science that have dispelled some of the mythology associated with abortion. Advancing technology is making it easier for many to see the humanity of a growing child and to realize that it does have moral status. prgtoken One physician at Northwestern University recounted recently: The more advanced in my field of neonatology, the more it just became the logical choice to recognize the developing fetus for what it is. . . . It just became so obvious that these were just developing humans. prgtoken Testimony like that lends credence to the bill that we are voting on today. It is called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. I don't doubt that some of our colleagues would just prefer to remain silent and to hope this vote passes without many people paying much attention, but I hope that doesn't happen. It is an entirely appropriate occasion for us to talk about abortion and its role in our society and how it is increasingly out of step with modern science and people's recognition that these are indeed unborn human beings. prgtoken This legislation protects unborn children at 20 weeks, or 5 months. Who among us thinks that it is appr
CLARIFYING ACCEPTANCE OF DONATED MORTGAGE APPRAISALS BY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
David A. Trott (Republican, MI) \u2014 2018-1-29

I thank my friend from Colorado for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 2255, the Housing Opportunities Made Easier, or the HOME Act. prgtoken , I thank my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), for being the lead on this bill. I appreciate his bipartisan leadership and his efforts to bring this bill to the floor for a vote. prgtoken I also thank my colleague in the Senate, Senator Portman, for his leadership on this issue. It has been a pleasure working with him to ensure Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits are able to continue their important mission. prgtoken Finally, I thank Chairman Hensarling for his support in the Financial Services Committee. prgtoken During my first term in Congress, I, along with my entire district office, had the opportunity to join Habitat for Humanity on one of their builds in Oakland County, Michigan. It was great fun helping them build a Michigan family's home, but I think we often forget that Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofit housing organizations do so much more than just build a home. prgtoken These nonprofits actually offer families who live in their homes, no- or low-interest homes, making the dream of homeownership affordable for so many. The home, of course, needs to be appraised before a loan may be approved. Many times, professional appraisers volunteer their services so that the nonprofit does not have to incur additional expense. prgtoken Early last year, I met with Habitat for Humanity leaders from Michigan and I heard about their struggle to ensure that homes remain affordable under the regulations promulgated by Dodd-Frank. Under the new law, all fee appraisers must be paid a customary and reasonable fee for their work. prgtoken So where does this leave Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits? prgtoken This means they may no longer accept donated appraisals, forcing them to divert money from their core homebuilding activities. prgtoken In fact, Habitat for Humanity told me that these complex rules have tripled the cost of originating loans. This is particularly a problem in rural areas where, under Dodd-Frank, appraisers are also required to be compensated for mileage expenses. Some chapters have informed us they may need to stop or limit their work altogether, denying a valuable service to many communities. prgtoken My bill, the HOME Act, which passed out of committee with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 55-0, would exempt Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits from this burdensome rule, allowing them to accept donated appraisals, which, in turn, will lower the cost for homes for Michigan families. prgtoken We in Congress should stand by their side, not in their way. This bill gets Washington out of the way by providing that a donated appraisal may be considered ``customary and reasonable'' when benefiting charities. All other consumer protections in the Truth in Lending Act remain in place. It is a simple, targeted fix that
ADMINISTRATION'S IMMIGRATION PROPOSAL IS FLAWED
Lamar Smith (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-1-29

the administration's immigration proposal is flawed. It doesn't include workforce verification, which would protect jobs for American workers and reduce illegal immigration. prgtoken The proposal grants amnesty to twice as many people as President did. It gives amnesty today but delays legal immigration reforms until a distant tomorrow. For example, the elimination of chain migration won't occur for 17 years, if then. prgtoken The proposal is also ripe for fraud. Illegal immigrant adults can claim they arrived as children, but there is no practical way to confirm that. prgtoken The immigration plan is not a good deal for the American people. Immigration policy should put the interests of American workers first.
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-1-29

I rise today to strongly support an important nomination and also to tell you my position on the legislation before the U.S. Senate right now, the one Senator Sasse has just spoken eloquently about. prgtoken First, I strongly support the nomination of Minnesota's Supreme Court Justice David Stras to serve as a circuit judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Second, I strongly support the passage of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. I will briefly address both of these issues. prgtoken Over the next couple of days, the Senate will vote on whether to invoke cloture and then confirm the nomination of Justice David Stras to serve on the Eighth Circuit. Justice Stras is eminently qualified and exceptionally bright. He has received praise and support from the legal profession and across the political spectrum. prgtoken Justice Stras is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. He graduated No. 1 in his class from Kansas School of Law in 1999. He served as a law clerk to two Federal circuit judges and to a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice Stras has served on the Minnesota Supreme Court since his appointment in 2010. In 2012, he ran for a full 6-year term. He handedly defeated his opponent, winning 56 percent of the vote. prgtoken Justice Stras has received wide bipartisan support from the Minnesota legal community. He has taught law for many years at the University of Minnesota. He also teaches law at the University of Iowa, which is in my home State. Many of the faculty, including even liberal professors, such as Professor Shelly Kurtz, strongly endorse Justice Stras's nomination. His time in the private sector was spent at two highly regarded law firms. prgtoken During his service on the Minnesota Supreme Court, Justice Stras has participated in over 750 cases. As my colleague Senator Klobuchar noted, Justice Stras's judicial record demonstrates that he is impartial and apolitical in his writings. Justice Stras has sided with the Minnesota Supreme Court majority 94 percent of the time. Justice Stras has dissented one-third of the time with then-Justice Alan Page, who was the first African-American justice in Minnesota and has a record of being very liberal. Former Justice Page strongly endorses Justice Stras's nomination to the Eighth Circuit, and four former justices from all political stripes also endorsed Justice Stras's nomination. This shows me that Justice Stras will not be a rubberstamp for any political ideology. I am convinced Justice Stras will rule fairly and impartially, finding and applying the law as written, not legislating from the bench. prgtoken Justice Stras is a very accomplished and impressive nominee. He has a long judicial record of impartiality. I strongly support his nomination, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same. prgtoken , I also come to the floor to urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Pai
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2018-1-29

I rise to urge each of my colleagues to support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This critical legislation would prohibit a child from being aborted at 5 months of development. prgtoken For those we have watching today, I would like you to focus a little bit on these photos, and I will return to them in a moment. prgtoken Again, I am urging my colleagues to support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. By any measure, at 5 months of development, an unborn child is a child. At 5 months, babies have grown nails on their fingers and on their toes; hair has just begun to grow on their heads; and an ultrasound can tell an expectant mother or father whether their baby is a boy or a girl. These babies can detect light, hear sounds, they can swallow, and even experience taste as their taste buds grow and develop. These unborn babies in all ways are babies. prgtoken There is also significant scientific evidence that at 5 months of development these babies can feel pain. By 5 months, babies begin to respond to painful stimulus with distinctive pain response behaviors that are exhibited by older babies. They will scrunch their eyes, they will clench their hands, they pull back their limbs in response to pain, just like any other child experiencing pain. prgtoken There is also a great deal of evidence that stress hormone levels rise substantially when babies at this age are exposed to pain. In 2015, a Cambridge University Press medical textbook acknowledged that a ``fetus . . . becomes capable of experiencing pain between 20 and 30 weeks of gestation.'' In fact, fetal surgeons routinely administer pain medications for babies after only 4 months of development. Doctors are giving babies pain medication after 4 months of development. prgtoken As modern medicine has recognized, these babies are humans capable of experiencing pain. Yet there is no Federal law protecting these vulnerable humans from abortions. As a result, every year in our country the lives of thousands of babies end painfully through abortion. This is unacceptable. The majority of men and women across the Nation agree with this premise. According to a recent Marist poll, 6 out of 10 Americans surveyed support a law prohibiting abortion after 5 months of pregnancy. prgtoken Additionally, multiple States, including my home State of Iowa, have passed legislation that would prohibit abortions after 5 months of development because these babies are babies. There is no way to deny the humanity of these children when you consider stories like that of Micah Pickering. prgtoken Micah is from Newton, IA. He is a very young friend of mine. He is 5 years old. Just a few weeks ago on the floor of the Senate I was able to share Micah's story. As you may recall, Micah was born at just 20 weeks postfertilization--the very point at which the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act would begin to protect these young lives. Today, Micah is a
TRIBUTE TO EARL SMITH
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2018-1-29

today I wish to honor the legacy and heroic service of Mr. Earl Smith. An Alabama native and unsung American hero, Smith's willingness to put himself in harm's way saved an untold number of lives. prgtoken More than 50 years ago, as a young officer in the U.S. Air Force, Smith was the on-call explosive ordnance disposal, EOD, technician at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, NC. Nothing out of the ordinary had occurred throughout his shift on the evening of January 23, 1961, when the 24-year-old Smith received an alarming phone call. He was informed that two Mark 39 hydrogen bombs had broken loose from a B-52 bomber and landed in a field just outside of Goldsboro. He was told the general location of the bombs, but other details were unknown. prgtoken Upon arriving to the crash site, Smith and other EOD technicians found that one bomb had crashed at such a speed that it was buried underground, but the other was visible and appeared to be intact. Although the protocol was to alert the Atomic Energy Commission before inspecting the bomb, Smith's instinct was to act quickly. Dr. Ralph Lapp, a physicist involved in developing America's first nuclear bombs as part of the Manhattan Project, stated in his review of the Goldsboro incident that ``one simple, dynamo-technology low voltage switch stood between the United States and a major catastrophe.'' prgtoken Smith graduated from the U.S. Navy's EOD school just 9 months prior to the incident. However, his training, combined with his immense bravery, allowed him and other EOD technicians to successfully disarm the bomb over several days of harrowing work. Experts estimate that, if detonated, the bombs were powerful enough to destroy everything within an 8.5 mile radius. When asked in a recent interview why the bomb did not go off, Smith replied, ``the Lord Jesus Christ only knows.'' prgtoken Such incidents prove that the security we enjoy every day as Americans is because of courageous individuals like Earl Smith. Smith's willingness to risk his life, along with his ability to maintain the secrecy of this formerly classified event for half a century, serve as distinct and sobering reminders that there are American men and women serving tirelessly throughout the world to maintain the way of life we hold dear. prgtoken It is my honor to offer my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Earl Smith and the countless others like him who diligently, and often thanklessly, work to provide safety and security to all Americans. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will join me in thanking them for their selfless service to this Nation.