mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-1-29

I join my colleagues on the floor today to speak in opposition to the pending legislation to outlaw abortion procedures after 20 weeks. prgtoken This is yet another extreme effort to allow the government to interfere in the healthcare decisions that should be strictly between a woman and her family and her physician. This latest attempt is particularly dangerous. It would impose prison sentences of up to 5 years on physicians who don't fulfill the law's deliberately burdensome requirements for documentation and reporting, and it would even impose a prison sentence of up to 5 years on doctors who fail to inform a law enforcement agency about another doctor who fails to meet the law's requirements. Viewed more broadly, this bill is part of a continuing campaign to take away women's constitutional right to privacy--a right that protects profoundly personal decisions concerning our bodies and our families. prgtoken I remember very well the days prior to 1973, when abortion was outlawed in most States. An estimated 1.2 million women each year resorted to illegal abortions, typically performed in unsanitary conditions by unlicensed practitioners and often resulting in infection, hemorrhage, and even death. Well, I think women remember those days, and we are not going back. prgtoken As Governor of New Hampshire in 1997, I signed into law a bill that repealed our State's archaic law that dated back to 1848 and made abortion a felony. Like that 1848 law, the legislation now before the Senate would also threaten physicians with criminal charges and imprisonment. prgtoken Abortion later in pregnancy is extremely rare. Indeed, almost 99 percent of abortions occur before 21 weeks. When an abortion is needed later in pregnancy, it typically involves very complex, life- threatening, and heartbreaking circumstances--for example, the discovery of a severe and likely fatal abnormality, as described by Senator Hirono. In these difficult circumstances, a woman consults with her doctor and with other people she trusts. A woman needs the freedom to consider every medical option, including serious risks to her own life. prgtoken The extremely narrow exceptions in the bill before us--exceptions if the pregnancy results from rape or incest--are deliberately designed to impose burdens, complications, and shame on women who have chosen to terminate a pregnancy. The victim must provide written verification that she has obtained counseling or medical treatment from a very specific list of ``medical providers'' who do not provide abortions and who are often strongly anti-abortion. This requirement is a completely unnecessary burden on a woman who is already dealing with a crisis. It is also insulting and condescending to all women. We are not children who need guidance from an adult. We can consult those we choose to consult, and we can make our own decisions. To impose this requirement in this crude manner is somethin
PROTECTING VETERANS FROM DEPORTATION
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-29

I rise today to introduce my guest for the State of the Union, Marco Chavez. Marco Chavez is a veteran who served this country honorably, came home, and was deported to Mexico. prgtoken Mr. Chavez was born in Mexico. He was brought to California as an infant. He served in the Marine Corps as a lawful permanent resident before being deported. California Governor Brown granted him a full and unconditional pardon for a minor crime he had done, but he was separated from his family for 16 years. prgtoken It is an injustice that our veterans can go and serve overseas and that this is how we treat them when they come home after serving this country, many of whom put themselves in harm's way. That is why I have introduced the Veterans' Pathway to Citizenship Act, which will make it easier for deported veterans to return to the United States and ensures that Active-Duty servicemembers don't leave the military without understanding their options for naturalization.
RUSSIAN INVESTIGATION
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-1-29

I thank my friend from California for his comments. He was talking about a memo. prgtoken One of the former chairmen of the House Intelligence Committee, a guy named Mike Rogers, was also a panelist, I think, on a CNN program. Apparently, this memo is going to be released today against all sorts of norms with respect to the Intelligence Committee and classified information. His words were, releasing a memo like this is farcical. prgtoken It is a mistake. It starts to undermine so many things with respect to our intelligence community, the trust that we have with our allies, and all of it to kind of put up this smoke screen. They go after the law enforcement agents, who are the detectives on the beat. Now they are releasing information that is incomplete and, in Mike Rogers's words, ``farcical,'' to try to distract, divert, avoid the real conversation, which is: What did the Russians do? How did they play in the elections? Was there any kind of cooperation, collusion, whatever it might be, with the campaign? prgtoken We know that Bob Mueller was appointed. He has been a lifelong . Everybody embraced his position as special counsel when it first came about, but quickly the President was prgtoken thinking about firing him. Now people want to smear all of this: It is a mistake. prgtoken The real question is: What are you hiding? prgtoken , from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brendan F. Boyle), my friend from Philadelphia, who is a pretty happy camper because his Eagles are going to be playing in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
HONORING THE LIFE OF SANDY CASEY
Ruben J. Kihuen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2018-1-29

today I rise to remember the life of Sandy Casey. prgtoken Sandy had a great impact on the students and family she worked with as a special education teacher at Manhattan Beach Middle School. She was passionate about her work and was committed to continuing her own learning. Sandy would take on new projects that came her way, and she was devoted to all of her students. prgtoken Sandy attended Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas with her fiance, Chris, and her friend. She is remembered by her community as a fun-loving, free spirit who was a compassionate and loyal friend. prgtoken , I would like to extend my condolences to Sandy Casey's family and friends. Please know that the city of Las Vegas, the State of Nevada, and the whole country grieve with you.
HONORING DEPUTY MARSHAL CHRISTOPHER DAVID HILL
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-1-29

I want to spend a couple of moments tonight--I know the hour is late for the Senate and people working here, but I want to end the night with a message about a law enforcement official in Pennsylvania whose memorial service I attended on Friday. This individual was a deputy marshal. His name is Christopher David Hill. He lost his life on January 18. He was living at the time in York, PA. He was killed in the line of duty in burg--not far from York--while attempting to apprehend a fugitive. prgtoken I commend Deputy Marshal Hill for his service to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and his service to our Nation. He happened to be working in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, which meant he had responsibility for work through counties from the bottom of the State all the way up to Northeastern Pennsylvania, which is my home area. prgtoken I offer our deepest condolences to his family. Law enforcement officers like Christopher Hill accept the special duty of protecting the rest of us and keeping our communities safe. I have to say that we often don't think about that in the context of Federal marshals who do critically important work every day of the week and are often in horrifically dangerous circumstances. prgtoken In this case with Deputy Marshal Hill, the murderer was shooting from a higher position in a house. They didn't know this individual was in the house. He was shooting down at him. He had protective gear on. I won't give a full description because I am not qualified to do that, but the problem is the bullet came from a direction like this and entered his body from above and killed him even though he had protection on and all the proper protocols were followed. It was, in essence, a one-man ambush because they were trying to apprehend another individual on the floor below where the assailant was. That is the kind of danger Federal marshals face every day of the week, and sometimes we don't realize it. prgtoken Chris and his loving family made the ultimate sacrifice for the Nation and for the people in Pennsylvania. For his bravery and the contribution of his family, who supported him, we are eternally grateful for that commitment to law enforcement and the country. prgtoken Christopher David Hill was born in Sacramento, CA, but he was raised in Central Pennsylvania. He graduated from Warrior Run High School. He served his country as a Ranger in the U.S. Army, where he was assigned to the prestigious 3rd Battalion. While in the Army, Chris earned many awards, including the Army Commendation Medal. prgtoken For the last 11 years, he served as a deputy U.S. marshal. He was a member of the agency's Special Operations Group, so-called SOG. prgtoken At the memorial service, there were lots of references to that Special Operations Group because members of that group were there to not only pay tribute to him but to speak about his life, to speak about his service and to speak about his cha
A THREAT TO LABOR UNIONS
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-1-29

for anchoring this session, and all of those who have come to join in it. prgtoken I read someplace the other day where there are three men in this country who own as much of the wealth as 50 percent of all the poorest people in this country. If it were not for organized labor, not for unions, and the influence, millions of individuals who are middle class would be working at peon wages. Individuals would not be able to send their children to college, wouldn't be able to own an automobile or a home. So we can never undermine or not understand the value of organization. prgtoken Many of us in this room enjoy the support of organized labor. You have got to get resources from somewhere. You have got to get money in order to function. prgtoken If you cannot match what the big megabucks individuals can give to maintain control of our society, how do you expect to change it? prgtoken So I am simply pleased to join with my colleagues and suggest that nothing is more important in the distribution and redistribution of the wealth of this country than organized labor.
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-1-29

I join many of my colleagues in voicing my strong opposition to S. 2311, the 20-week abortion ban bill. This legislation puts political ideology ahead of women's health and tramples on women's constitutional rights. prgtoken First, the 20-week abortion ban intrudes on private healthcare decisions. Reproductive health choices are highly personal and individualized and should be left squarely in the hands of women in consultation with their physician, healthcare team, and loved ones. S. 2311 violates this principle by subjecting private healthcare choices to an arbitrary and unscientific blanket ban. prgtoken Second, the 20-week abortion ban violates the longstanding constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. In 1973, a 7-2 majority of the U.S. Supreme Court held in Roe v. Wade that the constitutional right to privacy includes the right to terminate a pregnancy. Since then, the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly rejected bans on abortions before viability, which generally occurs well after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Today, 7 in 10 Americans support upholding Roe v. Wade. prgtoken A diverse coalition of Americans--including physicians, civil rights advocates, and faith organizations--has come out against this legislation for a number of reasons. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American College of prgtoken Nurse-Midwives, for instance, have said that the legislation ``. . . would dictate how physicians should care for their patients based on inaccurate and unscientific claims.'' The American Civil Liberties Union has said this legislation ``. . . directly contradicts longstanding precedent holding that a woman should `be free from unwarranted governmental intrusion' when deciding whether to continue or terminate a pre-viability pregnancy.'' And Three dozen faith-based organizations have written in opposition to this legislation, saying, ``The proper role of government in the United States is not to privilege one set of religious views over others but to protect each person's right and ability to make decisions according to their own beliefs and values.'' prgtoken We should be working to open up access to reproductive healthcare for more women and families, not fewer. Effective family planning services, including birth control, have a proven record of boosting health and economic mobility while reducing unwanted pregnancies. prgtoken The U.S. Senate has urgent priorities to address. We should not be wasting time on another misguided attempt to take away women's healthcare and constitutional rights. I strongly oppose S. 2311.
A THREAT TO LABOR UNIONS
Emanuel Cleaver (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2018-1-29

I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding. He has pulled us together. Those of us who have been able to work with him over the years, as I have--13 years on the committee--we appreciate the gentleman's work from Georgia's 13th District. prgtoken , my colleagues have already very eloquently reminded you of the significance, the history, and the benefits of unions. I want to talk to you about the power of unions, the power to effect change in the workforce. prgtoken Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Janus v. AFSCME. This will decide whether workers can receive all the benefits of a union contract without contributing any funding in return. We call them fair share fees. prgtoken Unions work because the workers pay their fair share, and they all benefit from what is negotiated. Each worker chooses whether or not to join a union, but the union is still required by law to represent and negotiate on behalf of all of the workers. Some people want to see an end to that, which is why this case is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A negative decision could reverse a 40-year unanimous precedent supporting State's rights. prgtoken Now, I want to say that I believe in the power of unions. It allows employees a voice when some of them feel that they have been silenced. When they can't speak and ask for increased wages or a safe working environment for fear of retaliation, the unions speak. The unions are their voices and they demand fair and reasonable working conditions. prgtoken We saw that power in 1970 during the Postal Workers' strike. Workers had had enough. And as the gentleman from Georgia mentioned earlier, we saw that power during the Memphis Sanitation Workers' strike. Workers were willing to sacrifice their lives. prgtoken The Reverend James Lawson, a good friend of mine, was a United Methodist pastor in Memphis at the time. He made a phone call to a man he had met about 10 years earlier. Jim Lawson had just gotten out of prison for refusing to go to Korea. Jim Lawson met Martin Luther King after he got out of prison. They both ended up in India, studying under Gandhi. prgtoken Jim Lawson realized that Martin Luther King had started this organization with four others called the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, so he called him and said: ``Would you come to Memphis? We need you to help with this sanitation workers' strike.'' prgtoken It is little known that when Dr. King tried to get the SCLC board to vote to come to Memphis, they were not in support. Dr. King struggled around a couple of days by himself, and then let everybody know on the board he was going to go by himself. That, of course, changed everybody else's minds and they joined him in Memphis. prgtoken We all know what happened to Martin Luther King, Jr when he went to Memphis. He was killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel. He sacrificed his life for workers, the people who built this country. prgtoken I owe m
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-1-29

. Meredith was 21 weeks pregnant when she learned that her second baby boy was missing half of his heart. It had stopped growing properly at around 5 weeks, but it wasn't detectable until her 20-week anatomy scan. Meredith's decision to terminate her pregnancy was an agonizing one, but as she weighed her options, she reflected on the meaning of compassion, and she said: For us, the decision was about compassion for our unborn baby, who would face overwhelming and horribly painful obstacles. Compassion for our 2-year-old son, who would contend with hours upon hours in a hospital, missing out on invaluable time spent with his parents, and the death of a very real sibling. It was about compassion for our marriage. Perhaps most important, it was about our belief that parenthood sometimes means we sacrifice our own dreams so our children don't have to suffer. prgtoken Meredith asserted--and I agree--that our government has no place in the anguish that accompanied her decision to have an abortion. prgtoken Meredith closed her essay with a very poignant reflection on her own experience 2 years later. She wrote: Saying goodbye to our boy was the single most difficult and profound experience of my life, and the truth is, it has come to define me. Today I am a better mother because of him. I am a better wife, daughter and friend. He made me more compassionate and more patient. He taught me to love with reckless abandon, despite the knowledge that I could lose it all. prgtoken Meredith and her husband named him Lev, the Hebrew word for ``heart.'' prgtoken Meredith was fortunate in that she lived in a State that permitted abortions past 20 weeks. Thirteen States have established a 20-week abortion ban, and the women living in those States have suffered as a result. Think about all the Merediths in those 13 States and many others. prgtoken Recently, I heard from Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi, an OB/GYN who has practiced medicine in Texas, which has a 20-week abortion ban, and in Hawaii, a State that has strong protections for women seeking to exercise their constitutional right to an abortion. Her experience clarifies why it is so urgent that we defeat this bill. prgtoken Dr. Moayedi shared a story of a young woman in her town who sought medical treatment at a medical provider after her water broke at 22 weeks. This was in Texas. Although she desperately wanted her pregnancy, her fetus was not viable outside the womb. Because of the Texas law, this patient's doctors were unable to counsel her on all medically appropriate options, such as immediate delivery. As she became increasingly ill, the patient requested an abortion to prevent her condition from getting worse. The doctors on her case refused. After spending 2 weeks in a hospital intensive care unit, this woman was transferred to Dr. Moayedi's care, where she ultimately had to have both her
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-1-29

I rise today to express my opposition to the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. This blatant attempt to ban later abortion undermines decades of legal precedent and directly challenges the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court made clear that women in this country have a constitutional right to autonomy over their individual health and well-being. If passed, this bill would impose burdensome and medically unnecessary limitations on women, particularly those in low-income, medically underserved areas. prgtoken The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 99 percent of abortions are performed before 21 weeks of pregnancy. Many of the abortions that are performed after 20 weeks are medically necessary because the mother's health is at risk or because of a fetal anomaly. This bill has no exception to protect a woman's health and no exception for cases where there is a fetal anomaly. prgtoken This bill harms women who are victims of sexual assault and minors who are the victims of incest. It requires rape victims to provide written proof that the victim obtained counseling or medical treatment from a specified list of locations, and it requires the minor to provide written proof that she reported the crime to law enforcement or a government agency. prgtoken These provisions are designed to perpetuate a culture of not believing women and trying to discredit the victims of sexual assault. prgtoken To make matters even worse, this bill punishes doctors by threatening them with 5 years of jail time for violating the ban. This bill, if passed, will take women back to the days of back-alley abortions, where doctors were in fear of providing lifesaving, medically necessary procedures to women and where women were forced to take drastic and dangerous measures in order to have the procedure performed. prgtoken Many of my colleagues talk about keeping Big Government out of people's lives, but when it comes to one of the hardest and most intimate decisions a woman can make--a decision that she wishes to make between herself, her family, and her doctor--these same colleagues believe that the government, and not the woman, knows better. They believe that the government, and not the woman, should dictate what a woman should do with her body. They believe that the government should have the power to force a woman to forgo a medically necessary procedure. They believe that a woman should be stripped of that power, stripped of the choice of what is best for herself. prgtoken Empowering women is one of the most important things we can do for the future of our country. Core to women's constitutional liberties is autonomy over their own health and well-being. In order to truly support women, we need to safeguard and improve, not limit, access to comprehensive healthcare, including abortion. prgtoken For all of these reasons, I will be opposing S. 2311.
PROVIDE TERMINALLY ILL PATIENTS WITH LIFESAVING TREATMENT
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-1-30

I rise today to once again urge this House to put right-to-try legislation on the floor and to provide Americans with terminal illnesses potentially lifesaving treatment. prgtoken Matt Bellina, my constituent, a 31-year old Navy veteran, husband, father of three, and an ALS warrior who has been a partner in this fight, recently sent me the following message: ``In ALS there is only one active phase III trial. The drug is NurOwn, and it looks incredibly promising, but I didn't meet the exclusion criteria, so I am unable to participate in this trial. It looks like the drug has a good shot of making it to market in quarter one of 2020. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that I will be dead by then. ``The right-to-try bill is the only viable option for me at this point. I am begging you and the rest of Congress to get this done. I want to be there to watch my three boys grow up.'' prgtoken , we must not delay this lifesaving legislation any longer. I urge House leadership to put this bill on the floor for a vote. Terminally ill patients across this country are depending on us. Recognizing Olympians From Bucks County, Pennsylvania