mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar (Executive Calendar)
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-2-16

today I must vote to oppose the confirmation of Scott Pruitt as the President's nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA. While I believe that the President enjoys some privilege of selecting administration officials, the views that Mr. Pruitt and I hold on a wide range of key environmental issues are completely irreconcilable. I was deeply disturbed by Mr. Pruitt's lack of specificity and his evasiveness during his hearing and in response to written questions. prgtoken While no one would expect Mr. Pruitt to detail the new administration's policies on these complex issues, we do expect the nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency to share with us his own views on important matters, including whether there are any EPA regulations he supports, or whether he would fully recuse himself from making decisions in all legal cases in which he was an original party-- but no. Instead, he testified that he had not conducted a comprehensive review of existing EPA regulations. With respect to recusals, he asserts that he would simply follow the recommendations of the EPA's ethics office. That is not good enough. prgtoken I am deeply disturbed by Mr. Pruitt's evasive responses. This does not bode well for his future interactions with Congress where he will certainly be required to appear before committees and provide testimony, briefing materials, and other information in a timely manner. Under oath before the Environment and Public Works Committee, he told the committee members, U.S. Senators, to go to the back of the line, to make records requests to his home State if they wanted information. This is information that Mr. Pruitt could and should have provided to the committee. As a result, information needed by the Senate to judge his fitness for this position has yet to be revealed. prgtoken Committee members were told 19 separate times to get the information they were requesting from his own office, the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, an office that has more than a 2-year backlog for such requests. That is not the spirit of openness and transparency we expect and must demand from witnesses, let alone from nominees who come before the U.S. Senate. How can the Senate adequately fulfill its responsibility of advice and consent if nominees will not cooperate? Mr. Pruitt has stonewalled the committee and the entire Senate on answers to basic questions about possible conflicts of interest. He has refused to provide relevant emails and other documents. This is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable to advance and approve this nominee without a clear and complete view of his record and his close relationships with the very companies he will be tasked with regulating. prgtoken With respect to the Agency that he has been nominated to lead, it is imperative that we not reverse or halt the tremendous progress that has been made in achieving strong, scientifically b
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-2-16

. Thank you, . prgtoken Once again, let me extend my gratitude to all of the staff who are pulling yet another overnight. I know this isn't easy, and I feel like every time we have done one of these I have been on the floor during the late night or very early morning hours to express my gratitude to those who are making this possible. prgtoken While I am grateful for those who are here, I think it is also incredibly important and vital that we are here. This is exceptional to have so many late nights, to have pushed through the evenings, to stay in session 24 hours and 48 hours at a time. I understand that last week we engaged in the longest session--second longest continuous session in the history of the Chamber, and I think we are doing so because we are living through truly exceptional times today. prgtoken We are living through a moment where this administration is simply not prepared to govern, and many of the individuals who are being appointed to Cabinet positions, being selected to serve in this administration simply aren't ready to get the job done. prgtoken We saw that with respect to Michael Flynn, who was named to quite possibly the most important position in the national security Cabinet. The National Security Advisor is, on most days, the first person and the last person the President talks to about national security, about protecting the Nation. Many of us raised alarm bells when Mr. Flynn was selected for the job because of his radical statements on Islam, his questionable connections to Russia, having sat next to Vladimir Putin in a celebration of Russian propaganda didn't seem right to us, something didn't smell right to many of us. We expressed those objections when Mr. Flynn was chosen. Our objections did not prevail, and within 30 days Mr. Flynn was fired from his position. It is still unclear as to why he was fired. The President was out in front of the cameras, bizarrely defending Mr. Flynn to the cameras having just fired him 30 days into the job, but it seems that it was some combination of undermining a sitting President by attempting to coordinate with the Russian Ambassador right after President had levied sanctions on Russia, potentially making some promises to the Russians that they didn't have to worry about it because once the administration got into office, they would modify or lift those sanctions or perhaps it was lying to the Vice President and others in the White House about what the substance of those conversations were. prgtoken Regardless, within 30 days, maybe the most important person in the security Cabinet, who many of us thought prgtoken was unqualified, was fired from his position in the shortest tenure that anybody could discover for National Security Advisors. prgtoken More news in the last 48 hours is that there were a host of other White House officials who were unceremoniously ushered out of the White House because they couldn't pass their
APPLAUDING THE OSCAR DE LE RENTA POSTAGE STAMP
Adriano Espaillat (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-2-16

I rise today to applaud the United States Postal Service for its dedication of the Oscar de la Renta postage stamp. This stamp was unveiled today at Grand Central Station in New York City in a wonderful ceremony, and it is part of the U.S. Postal Service's Forever collection. prgtoken As a lifelong friend, I dearly miss Oscar de la Renta and care about honoring his work and his memory. prgtoken To me and so many Americans, particularly immigrants, he was more than just a designer, he was a good friend and a pioneer. As a member of the Dominican-American community and as a member of the U.S. Congress, it is my goal to highlight the achievement of immigrants who have contributed to American society and culture. prgtoken Though Oscar was highly regarded by some of the most prominent figures of our time, including first ladies, he maintained his humility and never cast aside those who were less fortunate. prgtoken His creativity, resourcefulness, and love for life are admirable characteristics that made him a true national treasure. Oscar was widely known for his love of country and deep affection for the Dominican-American community. prgtoken I am proud to see Oscar's legacy honored and hope to keep his memory alive. Oscar is still with us. Once someone asked him how he wanted to be remembered, and he simply said: As a pretty dress.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF FINAL RULE BY SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Nita M. Lowey (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-2-16

. Madam , I hope the women of America are watching. Let there be no doubt about the actions of congressional s and the administration. They will oppose your right to make your own health decision and limit access to your reproductive health care at every available juncture. prgtoken Rather than work to create jobs, House s are helping State officials block women from getting contraception and other reproductive health services. prgtoken Today's bill would particularly harm the neediest Americans, as it could deny them the opportunity to visit the health provider of their choice, which in many instances may be the only provider available within hours of their home. prgtoken Sadly, this will be just one of the many assaults on women's rights in the 115th Congress.
PET SAFETY AND PROTECTION ACT
Michael F. Doyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-2-16

earlier today I introduced legislation to put an end to an industry that's taken cruelty to animals to a whole new level. prgtoken Animal dealers who operate under a USDA Class B license have been guilty of gross violations of the Animal Welfare Act's minimum standards for the decent treatment of animals. prgtoken Class B dealers have routinely kept dogs in overcrowded cages, fed them rotten food and food contaminated with feces, ignored problems like frozen drinking water, failed to provide veterinary care for dogs with serious untreated injuries and diseases, and left live dogs caged up with the carcasses of dead dogs. And if that's not enough to turn your stomach, Class B dealers have beaten, strangled, and shot dogs. prgtoken Now, all that would be bad enough, but this story gets even worse. There are two kinds of dealers who sell dogs to research facilities. Class A dealers raise the dogs they sell to researchers, and they are strictly regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Class B dealers, on the other hand, acquire the dogs they sell from so-called random sources. What this means is that Class B dealers buy animals, often with no questions asked, from an unregulated network of suppliers. prgtoken Thanks to the work of animal rights groups and undercover investigators, we know that Class B dealers buy dogs that were family pets: pets that have in many cases been stolen or adopted under false pretenses. Class B dealers often acquire lost pets from local pounds or shelters and it's clear that they do it knowingly. prgtoken Like millions of Americans, I've got a dog I love. He's a golden retriever named Brody. I get sick to my stomach when I think about someone treating him the way Class B dealers treat the dogs they buy and sell. prgtoken The Animal Welfare Act has been in place for fifty years, but Class B dealers are still getting away with murder. The Class B trade in animals creates strong financial incentives for theft, inhumane treatment of animals, and other crime, as the record of this industry over the years has proven. It's time to shut this barbaric system down. prgtoken With that end in mind, Congressman Chris Smith and I have introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that we believe would ensure that all dogs and cats used by research facilities are obtained legally. This legislation, the Pet Safety and Protection Act, would effectively prohibit the use of animals purchased from Class B dealers by scientific and biomedical research institutions. prgtoken Specifically, the Pet Safety and Protection Act would require research facilities to obtain dogs and cats from only five sources: Class A dealers, law-abiding publicly owned and operated pounds or shelters, properly licensed research facilities, federal research facilities, or people who have owned the dogs or cats in question for at least a year and who are donating these animals for research. prgtoken This legislat
THE IMPACT OF REPEALING TITLE X REGULATIONS
Lucille Roybal-Allard (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-16

I rise in strong opposition to the title X resolution of disapproval that will be on the floor later today. prgtoken This misguided resolution will limit access to critical healthcare services by allowing States to cherry-pick which family planning providers they want to participate in the title X program. prgtoken , millions of Americans rely on family planning clinics for cancer screenings, well-woman exams, birth control, and sexually transmitted disease screenings and treatment. Eighty-five percent of the people served by these clinics have incomes below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level, and 48 percent of them are uninsured. Furthermore, at least half of family planning clinics are located in rural and underserved communities already with limited access to health care. prgtoken If this resolution passes, politicians in any State or community will be able to interfere with eligible and competent title X providers who care for the most vulnerable and underserved in our country. The only factors that should ever dictate eligibility to provide family planning health services are professional competency and State licensure. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 43 and protect healthcare access for 4 million Americans who rely on the title X clinics for their care.
DISMANTLING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-2-16

we should be joined momentarily by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. I want to close out, though, my own thoughts by responding to something I have been hearing over the last week here in the Halls of Congress. prgtoken Now that it is clear from our intelligence agencies, 16 of them, including the CIA, the FBI, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and so on, that Vladimir Putin had a deliberate campaign of espionage, cyber sabotage, propaganda, and fake news to undermine American democracy in the 2016 election, and now that it is clear that there were high-level contacts between associates and officials of the Russian Government, it is no longer being denied by anybody on either side of the aisle. What I have started to hear is, well, sure, they tried to hack our election, and, sure, they leaked thousands of emails, and, sure, they changed the dynamics of the campaign and what people were talking about in the campaign, but there is no proof that they stuffed any ballot boxes or they hacked into the computers. And that is true; we don't know that they stuffed any ballot boxes or hacked into computers, and we will have to see if anything comes out about that when we finally get to do a real comprehensive investigation. But, , the reality is that we should be terrified and appalled and outraged that they were allowed to go as far as they did. prgtoken How many people in this body would accept a foreign entity coming into our congressional districts and spending millions or hundreds of thousands of dollars against us, hacking into our computers, releasing our emails, and completely changing the dynamics of the campaign? prgtoken So when I hear from colleagues that, well, yes, they distorted the campaign, they hacked into the campaign, but they didn't steal the election, I think that they are making a distinction with no difference at all. If you derail the campaign, you kidnap the campaign, you hijack the campaign, you have altered the outcome of the election, especially one in which your opponent gets 2.9 million votes more than you did, especially in an election where you were able to torture out only the slenderest of electoral college victories in three States by 70,000 votes. prgtoken So I simply reject the constant claim that I am hearing from colleagues, , that we don't need to worry about Russian subversion of the 2016 election because it only affected the campaign; it didn't necessarily affect the election outcome. To influence the campaign is to influence the election outcome. prgtoken , I am seeing Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is not here, so .
Tribute to Bryan Berky (Executive Calendar)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-2-16

I rise to express my strong opposition to President 's nomination of Scott Pruitt to be the next Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. prgtoken The reason is simple. In a choice between corporate polluters and people who want to breathe air and drink water, Scott Pruitt sides with the corporate polluters. He has no business being the head of the EPA. prgtoken During his nomination hearing, Mr. Pruitt had countless opportunities to answer for his record. His responses were flippant, evasive, and outright misleading. He has been asked repeatedly to provide records from his office concerning dealings with big oil companies, but he told the Senators that, hey, they should submit an open records request, hoping that his confirmation would be over long before those documents would see the light of day. prgtoken Just a few hours ago, an Oklahoma district court judge ordered a dose of sunshine for Mr. Pruitt's dirty dealings from his perch as attorney general of Oklahoma. The judge has demanded that Mr. Pruitt cough up more than thousands of emails pertaining to his cozy relationship with Big Oil--emails he has been hiding from Oklahoma open records requests for over 2 years, but the leadership is not interested in waiting. Its plan is to jam this nomination through tomorrow--4 days before the emails are slated to become public. prgtoken Are you kidding me? prgtoken If those emails show corruption, every Senator should have that information before--not after--they vote to put someone in charge of the EPA who may be there for years. prgtoken Clean air and clean water used to be a nonpartisan issue. In earlier decades, leaders in both parties had the courage to say no to suffocating smog and towering plumes of toxic chemicals poisoning our children. s and came together, and together they declared that access to clean air and clean water was a basic right for all Americans. We passed the Clean Air Act, and we passed the Clean Water Act. We updated those laws when necessary, and we did those things together. prgtoken Together, we depend on the Environmental Protection Agency for three critical reasons: The EPA is the cop on the beat, protecting American families from corporate polluters that would put profit ahead of safety. It watches out for us and for our children; the EPA exists because pollution knows no State borders. What is burned at the powerplant in Ohio is breathed by children across Massachusetts; and the EPA takes on the ever-changing task of researching, monitoring, and regulating toxic emissions because the job is far too great for any one State to tackle. prgtoken To do all of this, the EPA routinely turns to local governments, businesses, and innovative workers for local solutions; the EPA turned to the University of Massachusetts to create a research center to assist smalltown water systems; the EPA turned to towns along Cape Cod and on Ma
Opioid Epidemic (Executive Calendar)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-2-16

I rise this afternoon to speak in opposition to the nomination of the Oklahoma attorney general, Scott Pruitt, to be the next Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency which we all know as the EPA. prgtoken My concern--I have a number of them, but the principal concern of Mr. Pruitt's nomination is rooted in his record, which I believe is totally inconsistent with the mission of the EPA. That mission is to protect human health and the environment. We know the EPA achieves this core goal through the development and enforcement of standards to protect children and families from exposure to dangerous pollutants in our air and water. prgtoken Protection of human health means ensuring that our children have clean air and clean water, tackling climate change, which leads to the kind of food insecurity that causes malnutrition in children throughout the world. prgtoken I have to say that as a Pennsylvanian, I think I have an obligation to not only speak about these issues but to fight on behalf of policies that will advance the knowledge and mission of the EPA but will be consistent with the directive I am obligated to follow in my State's constitution. In Pennsylvania, if you go back to the founding of Pennsylvania forward, we had many generations, especially through the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, throughout most of the 1800s and into the 1900s, until about the midcentury point, where we didn't do a very good job of protecting our air and water and human health because we let one or another industry pretty much do whatever they wanted until the modern era. Fortunately, since that time, Pennsylvania has made a lot of progress. One of the measures of that progress and something I am bound by is a provision of the State's constitution, article I, section 27, that says people shall ``have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic, and esthetic values of the environment.'' prgtoken That constitutional provision goes on to talk about each of us as citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania being trustees of the environment--especially and ever more so if you are a part of State government, and I would argue the Federal Government as well. To say I feel an obligation is a major understatement. I think I am bound by that, and that enters into my determination and analysis of Mr. Pruitt's record. prgtoken We know in recent years the EPA, acting under the authority it is granted through laws like the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, has developed a number of important standards to advance these priorities-- rules like the mercury and air toxics standards, the cross-state air pollution rule, the ozone rule, the new source performance standards for the oil and natural gas industry, the Clean Power Plan, which is meant to obviously focus our policy on climate change, and other policies to reduce exposure to pollutants like methane, vola