mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ENHANCING VETERAN CARE ACT
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-12-5

I rise today in support of S. 1266, Enhancing Veteran Care Act. prgtoken Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs can contract with qualified and accredited third-party nonprofits to investigate a VA medical center for deficiencies in its facility. Only the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, however, is directly capable of authorizing these third-party investigations. prgtoken Unfortunately, this process is needlessly cumbersome and delays the improvement of medical centers. This bill prgtoken is an important reform because it empowers Veteran Integrated Service Network directors and VA medical center directors to initiate these third-party reviews. prgtoken The Manchester VA Medical Center in my home State of New Hampshire currently faces a number of questions regarding the services it provides and the facilities it manages. While Secretary Shulkin has initiated reviews of the facility, it took a number of whistleblowers to put their reputation and jobs on the line to force action. prgtoken Legislation like the Enhancing Veteran Care Act could have streamlined this process and made both the facility and the VISN more accountable to the needs of veterans in New Hampshire. VA must be better at assessing its own shortcomings. prgtoken Ultimately, veterans in the Granite State and across the country deserve the highest standard of care. prgtoken I thank Senators Inhofe and Lankford for introducing this important legislation. I thank Senator Shaheen, one of the lead ic cosponsors of the bill, for helping advance this bill through the U.S. Senate and being attentive to the needs of our Granite State veterans. prgtoken I proudly support this legislation and urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and immediately send it to the President's desk.
TRIBUTE TO VIRGIL BERNERO
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-12-5

today I wish to pay special tribute to my friend, Virgil Bernero, who will be ending his service as mayor of Lansing, MI, at the end of this year. prgtoken This is a special opportunity for me to recognize Virg's outstanding service to the people of Lansing. I have represented Lansing throughout my years in public service, so I have had the opportunity to work closely with Virg. prgtoken Virg and I share something in common: We both began our public service careers as an Ingham County commissioner, State representative, and State senator. He was first elected mayor of Lansing in 2005. He has served with a unique passion and energy for public service. He is devoted to his family and has worked on behalf of families he has represented with the same devotion and commitment. prgtoken While mayor, Virg led Lansing through the recession and, despite facing major budget shortfalls, was able to maintain 12 consecutive balanced budgets and produce a budget surplus during each of the last 3 years. prgtoken He led efforts to attract new business investments in the city, including a $182 million repurposing of a former electric powerplant into the headquarters of a major national insurance company. He worked to foster regional cooperation and economic development efforts and led the creation of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership, the Lansing area's first regional economic development public-private partnership. prgtoken During the automotive crisis, Virg organized Michigan mayors and led a passionate and aggressive defense of the American auto industry, which is one of Lansing and mid-Michigan's backbone industries. He founded and led the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities, a national coalition of mayors that worked to secure Federal support for our automobile industry. Since that time, General Motors has invested more than $1 billion in their Lansing facilities and recently moved production of the Chevrolet Camaro from Canada to the Lansing Grand River assembly plant. prgtoken I am grateful for Virg's friendship and congratulate him on his years of extraordinary service. I wish him and his family all the best as he begins this new chapter in his life.
STOPPING ABUSIVE FEMALE EXPLOITATION ACT OF 2017
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-5

I thank my good friend, Sheila Jackson Lee, for her extraordinary leadership on this issue and so many others, and I thank her for yielding to me. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 3317, the Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation, or SAFE, Act. It is a bipartisan, noncontroversial issue; and I hope this body unanimously supports it, as it will save the health and protection and stop the abuse of girls in our country. prgtoken I am the ic lead on this bill and, first, want to thank my friend and colleague from Michigan (Mr. Trott) for his devotion, extraordinary leadership, and commitment to bringing this bill to the floor. prgtoken Female genital mutilation is an issue that affects women and girls in the United States and around the world. prgtoken I want to express my regret that he has decided to retire from this body. We will miss his leadership in Congress. His district, I am sure, and State will miss it, and, I must say, I believe our country will miss it. It is one thing when a woman champions a woman's issue, but to have a like-minded man join you and lead you is a very, very special expression of leadership, and I am deeply grateful for the gentleman's leadership on behalf of the girls and women that this bill will help. prgtoken Female genital mutilation is a terrible, abusive practice that causes immense physical and emotional pain and damage to young girls that can last a lifetime. It is a Federal crime. Twenty-two States have laws against it, yet it is still being practiced in our great country. prgtoken It is illegal in the United States, and while we condemn this practice around the world, we really need to do more to stop it right here at home.
ISSUES BEFORE THE SENATE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-5

instead of rushing a bad tax bill through the conference, the Senate should focus on the bevy of year-end issues confronting us. First and foremost, we must reach a spending bill that would have us meet our commitments to support the military and also urgent priorities here at home, such as combating the opioid crisis, shoring up pension plans, supporting veterans' healthcare, relieving student loan debt, and building rural infrastructure. prgtoken In previous budget agreements, have always strived to achieve parity between our investments in defense and jobs and economic development here at home. It has continually been a sticking point with s as we go through these negotiations. They want to increase the spending for defense, the military, but shortchange important domestic programs such as infrastructure, education, scientific research--measures that create jobs and help the middle class. We support an increase for our military, but we want to make sure other crucial programs don't get left behind. So we will fight just as hard in this budget agreement to ensure that for each dollar we add for defense, a dollar is added for domestic economic development, 50-50. prgtoken We care about our soldiers. They are the greatest. They are risking their lives for us, but we also care about a pensioner who spent his whole life working in the steel mills, working driving a truck, working building buildings. They religiously put money away every month so they would have something when they retire, and if it is not there--they are important too. prgtoken General Mattis came to see me and told me how badly our Defense Department needs help. I agree, but I told him to go back to the White House and tell the White House the domestic side of the ledger needs help as well. Spending on the domestic side of the ledger is lower than it was in 2010, despite increased costs. prgtoken We also need to provide funding for Community Health Centers, the Children's Health Insurance Program, relief for millions of Americans still recovering from national disasters, and we must come together on a bipartisan bill to support the Dream Act along with tougher border security measures. So it is a lengthy to-do list. It will require hard work, steady cooperation, and compromise on both sides. prgtoken Last night, however, there was a concerning spectacle on the House floor. The freedom caucus held up an unrelated vote on the tax bill-- who could figure--because they were unsatisfied with the leadership's plan to keep the government open. If we are going to solve all the problems that confront us before the end of the year, House leaders cannot let the Freedom Caucus--a small band of hard-right reactionary conservatives--run the show. If they cooperate with , they can accomplish something. To just let the Freedom Caucus dictate is a recipe for chaos. prgtoken Once again, negotiation
CONDEMNING ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ROHINGYA AND CALLING FOR AN END TO ATTACKS IN AND AN IMMEDIATE RESTORATION OF HUMANITARIAN ACCESS TO RAKHINE, BURMA
Betty McCollum (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-12-5

I thank the ranking member, and I thank the chairman, as well as the authors of this piece of legislation, Mr. Chabot and Mr. Crowley, for their work on this important issue. prgtoken Last month, I visited Burma and Bangladesh on a congressional factfinding mission. Our visits to refugee camps, our conversations with survivors, made it clear that the persecution of the Rohingya people in Burma's Rakhine State is a severe humanitarian crisis and demands robust American leadership. This resolution is an important first step in demonstrating that Congress will not tolerate human rights abuses against the Rohingyas. prgtoken Our delegation saw, however, there is a path forward. The Burmese Government and the military must fully implement the recommendations of the former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's advisory commission. Burma must work with Bangladesh, and the U.N. must fully work to return voluntarily the Rohingya refugees with guarantee of a safe return and a fair process to allow the Rohingyas to apply for and secure citizenship. That must be established. prgtoken Finally, there must be an independent investigation to ensure accountability for the atrocities and the abuses that have taken place. prgtoken , I saw people suffering in both Burma and in Bangladesh, and the suffering must come to an end. They are crying out for action, and the United States and the international community must help them secure justice. This resolution, this vote today, is just the beginning. I encourage people to support this.
NET NEUTRALITY
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-12-5

next week, the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, will consider a proposed rule, that, if approved, will end net neutrality as we know it and will threaten the foundation of a free and open internet. Net neutrality is the simple proposition that internet service providers should treat all internet traffic the same; they should not be able to exploit their power to charge for preferred treatment, allowing big corporations to dominate the internet. prgtoken The Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, wants the FCC to undo its protections for net neutrality. His proposed ruling is perversely styled as ``Restoring Internet Freedom,'' when in fact it would do the opposite. It would allow internet service providers to decide which websites will be privileged and which will be throttled or even blocked. Make no mistake: This will mean that the big firms that can afford the ``fast lane'' will be protected, while harming consumers, startups, and potentially even freedom of speech online. prgtoken Alarmingly, Chairman Pai has decided to ignore millions of comments submitted by individuals across the country, citing concerns that they are not ``unique.'' As a Member of Congress accountable to my constituents, this is a particularly offensive posture. Unique or not, comments and concerns submitted to my office by Vermonters are treated with the same weight and value as any other. Until the FCC fully and meaningfully considers the more than 21.7 million comments it has received about this proposed rule, it should not proceed with this vote. prgtoken A recent New York Times article by Farhad Manjoo, entitled, ``The Internet Is Dying. Repealing Net Neutrality Hastens That Death,'' lays out clearly why the FCC's proposed repeal of net neutrality will bring the open internet one giant leap closer to becoming a corporate playground. If, as expected, Chairman Pai jams through his proposed rule change next week, it will be clear that he has done so to the benefit of a few deep-pocketed corporations and to the detriment of everyone else who relies on the internet to support commerce, communication, and community. I ask unanimous consent that the article by Mr. Manjoo be printed in the Record.
RETREATING AMERICA
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-12-5

it is sad to watch the administration leading America in retreat, withdrawing positions of international leadership, hollowing out the State Department, crippling us for years to come. prgtoken Last night, there was an example of that retreat right here on the floor of the House as our friends were unable to address their plan for raising taxes for Americans in every State by restricting their ability to deduct State and local taxes. Why force millions of Americans to pay taxes on taxes? prgtoken Why, , is there a proposal to destabilize insurance rates across America, leading to 10 percent premium increases year after year, and to have up to 13 million additional uninsured Americans over the course of the next 10 years? prgtoken They have no answer as to why to mortgage our children's future for greater benefits for the richest and most privileged Americans. When corporations are recording record-high profits and have trillions of dollars of prgtoken profits overseas, why are we borrowing to provide more benefits to the largest corporations and wealthiest people while we are ignoring the people who visit our offices every day seeking not a sympathetic ear, but action, for example, action on the opioid crisis and the epidemic of opioid deaths claiming 64,000 Americans last year? prgtoken Our former colleague, Patrick Kennedy, whose advocacy is informed by his own struggle to overcome opioid addiction, will testify today in the other body that we could easily productively spend up to $200 billion more dealing with the crisis, helping people with recovery. The Senate is proposing to increase one ten-thousandth of that amount--not $200 billion, but $20 million--to deal with this crisis because we don't have the money, yet we are borrowing $1.5 trillion to give additional tax benefits to those who need them the least. prgtoken We are not being able to adequately help our veterans, whose needs are clear to anybody who visits the Veterans Administration hospital in their State, or provide investments in roads and bridges and transit or in water and sewer that would strengthen every community, make it safer and business more competitive. prgtoken Good policy and effective investment is possible if we are not mortgaging our children's future, borrowing vast sums of money to lavish more tax reductions on people who don't need it, while ignoring the needs of people who do, who visit offices every day here on Capitol Hill. prgtoken America does not have to be in retreat, claiming poverty, that we are helpless to meet the needs of the American people, if Congress finds the courage and the will to do its job.
10TH ANNUAL LAKESHORE CLASSIC BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2017-12-5

it is with great honor and respect that I recognize the Gary Chamber of Commerce as the organization celebrates the 10th Annual Lakeshore Classic basketball invitational. In observance of this special event, the Gary Chamber of Commerce hosted a celebratory corporate luncheon in Gary, Indiana, at the Diamond Center on Tuesday, November 21, 2017, followed by the basketball invitational at West Side Leadership Academy on Friday, November 24, 2017, and Saturday, November 25, 2017. The theme for this year's Lakeshore Classic is ``Region Proud.'' This theme acknowledges the important contributions of our local youth in illuminating the strength and virtues of Northwest Indiana. Northwest Indiana is a region that strives for excellence and overcomes obstacles. To enhance the ``Region Proud'' theme, the Gary Chamber of Commerce has chosen Mike Huff, former Chicago White Sox player and team representative, as a guest speaker for the corporate luncheon. Mr. Huff played for several teams and overcame various challenges throughout his outstanding professional baseball career. Today, Mike is Vice President--Baseball/Fastpitch, Outfield, Bunting and Baserunning Instructor at the Bulls/Sox Youth Academy, located in the Chicagoland area. The Bulls/Sox Youth Academy is a facility that provides instruction to youth athletes in the sports of basketball, baseball, and fastpitch softball. Mike is dedicated to improving their skills and building the self-esteem of each young athlete that comes through the door. For his truly genuine and outstanding support of these young athletes, Mr. Huff is worthy of our gratitude and respect. At this time, I would like to recognize the schools participating in the Lakeshore Classic basketball tournament. These schools are dedicated to positively impacting Northwest Indiana through academic excellence and sportsmanship. The participating schools include West Side Leadership Academy, East Chicago Central High School, Thea Bowman Academy, Chicago Farragut Career Academy, Gary Theodore Roosevelt College and Career Academy, and Michigan City Marquette Catholic High School I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing the Gary Chamber of Commerce and the organizers and sponsors of the 10th Annual Lakeshore Classic. Their influence, passion, and dedication to our youth and to the community in Northwest Indiana are truly commendable.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-12-5

today I wish to recognize Maj. Regina Rush-Kittle, a dedicated veteran and law enforcement officer whose strength and commitment to her community, her State, and her Nation merited her induction into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame this November. prgtoken Her life and career have been a series of firsts. She is an amazing, tenacious, goal-oriented person who sets high standards for herself and for others. She is well-regarded by her peers and recognized for her willingness to always give more than 100 percent. prgtoken Major Rush-Kittle moved with her family to Middletown, CT, as a young girl. She attended Middletown High School, after which she pursued a political science degree at the University of Connecticut. She subsequently obtained a master's in criminal justice at Western New England College. prgtoken While at college, Major Rush-Kittle joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, where she served for 3 years. She then transferred to the Army Reserves, where she continued to serve her country for more than two decades. During that time, she was mobilized during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Impressively, Major Rush-Kittle earned the Bronze Star Medal during her tour of duty for Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, where she served as the command sergeant major of the 321st Military Intelligence Battalion of Texas. She retired from the Reserves after 30 years of dedicated service. prgtoken As amazing and stellar as her career serving our country, it is her law enforcement career where Major Rush-Kittle truly made her mark. prgtoken Her interest in law enforcement arose when she began working as a corrections officer at the the York Correctional Institution, a high- security women prison in Niantic, CT. Her passion for public safety and determination to knock down barriers to female advancement would lead Major Rush-Kittle to become the first Black female patrol officer for the Middletown Police Department, as well as the first Black female drill sergeant and command sergeant major in that organization. prgtoken Continuing to shatter barriers, Major Rush-Kittle transferred to the Connecticut State Police, where she was the first African-American woman to become a State police sergeant, then a State police lieutenant, and then a major in the history of this proud and storied department. She also was the first to command a police barracks. prgtoken Her devotion to serving the Connecticut State Police led her to enroll in the 244th Session of the the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA. She also headed the Connecticut State Police Academy. Her studies, experiences, and devotion to law enforcement have made her a role model for her peers. prgtoken Now retired from military service and law enforcement, Major Rush- Kittle is a credit to the State of Connecticut and the country thanks to her unfailing sense of duty and readiness to break barriers. I am pleased that she is an integral part of a team of
OPEN ENROLLMENT
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-12-5

I rise to remind every American that the window to purchase health insurance on healthcare.gov will close in 10 days. I encourage anyone who doesn't get insurance through a job or government program to apply before December 15. prgtoken Financial assistance is available, and the Department of Health and Human Services has said before that 8 out of 10 consumers qualify for a plan that costs less than $75 a month. prgtoken Although the signup period was cut in half by the administration, nearly 2.8 million people have already enrolled so far this year compared to 2.1 million this time last year. That is an increase of 33 percent, and this doesn't include numbers from States that have their own exchange. prgtoken , the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land, and I urge my colleagues not to harm the ACA by including provisions in the tax bill and, instead, work with to improve the law. prgtoken Millions of Americans depend on us to do the right thing, Mr. .