mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DACA
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-12-20

I rise today to speak to an issue that I have spoken to many times on the floor of the Senate. It is the issue of the DREAM Act, a measure which I introduced in the Senate 16 years ago. prgtoken Sixteen years ago I tried to find a way to give young people brought into the United States, who grew up here in this country but did not have legal status, a chance--just a chance--to earn their way to legal status, to earn their way to citizenship. We set a number of hurdles in their path. We made it clear that they had to complete their education. We made it clear that they had to pass a serious criminal background check. We gave a timetable when they would be able to reach legal status and not fear deportation. prgtoken That was 16 years ago, and it still is not the law of the land. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of young people who fit the description that I have just given. prgtoken When President was in the White House, I wrote him a letter and said: , can you do something to help them? And he did. He created something called DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It was an Executive order that said to these young people: If you fit that definition of the DREAM Act and if you will come forward and pay a filing fee of $500 or more, if you will submit yourself to a criminal background check and give us all of your background information about you and your family, then, we will give you temporary, renewable status to stay in America, not be deported, and be allowed to work. prgtoken It was a big leap for many of these young people to do it because they had grown up in families where, in whispered conversations in the evening, their parents told them: Be careful. If you get arrested and they come to see this family, many of us will be forced to leave this country. Be careful. prgtoken These young people decided to trust the President of the United States, to trust the Government of the United States, and to run the risk of disclosing everything--giving the most sensitive, personal information about themselves and about their families. They trusted us, and they trusted this country to treat them fairly and justly. prgtoken So 780,000 have come forward. They submitted their filing fees. They paid for the expenses of the government. They did it knowing that even with this new status--this DACA status under President 's Executive order--they didn't qualify for one penny of Federal Government benefits, and by working, they would be forced to pay taxes, which they were glad to do. Again, 780,000 came forward. prgtoken Then came the last election--the election of a President of the United States who had made immigration the centerpiece of his election message and who had really sewn doubt, and even fear, about allowing immigrants into our Nation of immigrants. It is not a new message in America. It is hardly a new message around the world. Being suspicious an
150TH ANNIVERSARY OF BETHEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-12-20

today I wish to recognize the 150th anniversary of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal--A.M.E.--Church in Saginaw, MI. This occasion commemorates the humble beginnings of Bethel A.M.E. from a church of 6 to now more than 1,000 congregants, celebrating 150 years of faith, fellowship, and family. prgtoken Bethel A.M.E. Church, the first African-American church in Saginaw, began in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Ford, with six congregants in 1867. The church began to rapidly grow and became the social and religious foundation and place of refuge for African Americans in the community. As Bethel A.M.E. rose in prominence, it attracted the attention of notable figures, including abolitionist and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth in 1871. prgtoken Over the past 150 years, more than a dozen pastors have led Bethel A.M.E. and have left lasting contributions to the church's fundamental mission and community outreach. Reverend J.A. Dean's passion for ministering to youth laid the foundation for youth programs such as the Daily Vacation Bible School and the Carver Center of National Youth Organization in Saginaw. Each pastor had a hand in the expansion of the church. Reverend Isaiah Snelling spearheaded the development of a new church complex. After 12 years, the construction was completed under Rev. Harold C. Huggins' tenure in 1967. Bethel A.M.E. celebrated the church's centennial and dedication of the new development within the same year. prgtoken Bethel A.M.E. has had many successes over the years and has also endured great tragedy. Kenneth Bowman stepped into the role of substitute pastor when Rev. R.C. Boyd, who served from 1949 to 1954, became ill. Pastor Bowman accomplished many goals within his 1-year tenure, until he was killed in an automobile accident on March 13, 1954. Soon after, Pastor Boyd passed away on March 18, 1954, succumbing to his illness. prgtoken Through the tragedies, Bethel A.M.E. held true to its motto: ``Love Conquers All,'' by providing for the physical and spiritual needs of the Saginaw community with steadfast and compassionate stewardship by organizing missions, youth programs, and prison ministries. Bethel A.M.E. also feeds the hungry, assists residents experiencing homelessness, and operates both a credit union and daycare center. prgtoken Today Bethel A.M.E. Church, led by Pastor Dennis Laffoon, is the oldest African-American church in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Their membership has grown from its six founding members into a proud and active body of more than 1,000 strong. In its 150 years, Bethel A.M.E. has been a community institution, spiritual refuge, and civic leader in Saginaw. prgtoken I am pleased to rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the historic milestone of the 150th anniversary of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. From modest beginnings in that little home on Fourth Street to expanding its square footage and its mission
NOMINATION OBJECTION
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-12-20

I intend to object to any unanimous consent requests at the present time relating to the nominations of David J. Ryder, of New Jersey, to be Director of the Mint, and of Isabel Marie Keenan Patelunas, of Pennsylvania, to be Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, Department of the Treasury. prgtoken I will object because the Department of the Treasury has failed to respond to a letter I sent on September 29, 2017, to a bureau within the Department seeking documents relevant to an ongoing investigation by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Despite several phone calls between committee staff and Treasury personnel to prioritize particular requests within that letter, the Treasury Department has to date failed to provide any documents. prgtoken My objection is not intended to question the credentials of Mr. Ryder or Ms. Patelunas in any way. However, the Department must recognize that it has an ongoing obligation to respond to congressional inquiries in a timely and reasonable manner.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REFORM AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2017
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-12-20

I rise in support today of the Corporate Governance Reform and Transparency Act of 2017, and I appreciate my good friend, Sean Duffy's work on it. prgtoken Over the past 3 decades, I have advocated for responsible shareholder activism and urged for corporate boards of directors to perform their responsibility of careful stewardship, particularly in their essential functions in evaluating corporate strategy, hiring able hardworking executive management, and, critically, capital allocation. prgtoken For example, as Berkshire Hathaway's CEO, Warren Buffett, recommends, corporate compensation committees must be composed of ``saber-toothed tigers,'' not ``house cats,'' in their work. prgtoken Likewise, investors must take their responsibility to hold boards accountable for their irreplaceable role in maximizing returns for shareholders, while executing a corporate strategy that balances shareholder returns with employees and customers. prgtoken So the question is: How can investors effectively lower agency costs and actively meet this accountability mission? prgtoken For 20 years, this has been a much-discussed area by thoughtful experts like Warren Buffett, ISS founder Robert Monks, Marty Lipton, and Lawrence Cunningham. Grad schools at UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, Yale all researched this challenge. Organizations of institutional investors and corporate directors all proffer best practices. prgtoken And how do we best align these interests for this mission, but make conflicts of interest readily apparent? prgtoken The role of proxy advisory firms in the U.S. economy has grown over the last 2 decades and is a major shaper of corporate governance, and it is of national importance. These firms counsel our pension plans, our mutual funds, other institutional investors, which are more and more in the market; 75 percent of the market, compared to when Robert Monks started thinking about the idea in the late 1980s. prgtoken Under the current system, two proxy advisory firms now have 97 percent of the market, , and this monopolization and the lack of transparency regarding their work means that the writings, analyses, reports, and vote recommendations of just these two firms have a disproportionate effect on the fundamental corporate transactions, like mergers and acquisitions, the approval of corporate directors, and other shareholder proposals. prgtoken Also, this has created more of a checklist mentality in the boardroom. Directors today need information, yes, but, more importantly, they need wisdom. And the proxy advisory firms are driving people in boardrooms, in my view, to more of a checklist mentality, regulatory mentality, and less using their business judgment and wisdom to guide our public companies. prgtoken Proxy advisory firms aren't immune to conflicts of interest.
HONORING THE MESSIAH COLLEGE MEN'S SOCCER TEAM FOR WINNING THE NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-12-20

today I extend sincere congratulations to the Messiah College Men's Soccer Team for winning the NCAA Division III National Championship. This is the 11th time the Messiah Falcons earned the title, ``National Champions.'' prgtoken The Falcons defeated the North Park Vikings in a 2-1 victory on December 2, 2017. The win completed a 24-2 campaign for the Falcons that matched their team record for single-season wins, while also making Messiah 11-for-11 in title game appearances. prgtoken The dedication and perseverance of these student athletes should inspire everyone. I extend my congratulations as well to head coach Brad McCarty, and the school officials, family and friends who supported these young men on their incredible journey. prgtoken On behalf of Pennsylvania's Fourth Congressional District, I commend and congratulate the Messiah College Men's Soccer Team on the hard work and determination that led to their National Championship.
TRIBUTE TO MARK E. MILLER
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-12-20

today I wish to honor Mark E. Miller, for his distinguished public service and professional assistance to the Senate Finance Committee, as well as to the rest of Congress. prgtoken Mr. Miller served as the executive director of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, or MedPAC, for the last 15 years. During that time, he dedicated himself to our country, ensuring Congress received impartial, data-driven, and sound policy advice to transform the Medicare Program while protecting our Nation's seniors and the disabled. prgtoken MedPAC was established by Congress in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act. It is a nonpartisan agency that provides analysis and policy recommendations regarding the Medicare Program, including payment, beneficiary access to care, and quality of care for traditional fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage. As all of us know, the analysis we get from MedPAC is critical in how we, as Members of Congress, debate, address changes, and ultimately make improvements to the Medicare Program. prgtoken Throughout his service, Mr. Miller ensured that MedPAC consistently fulfilled its mission of providing objective, empirically driven policy analysis and advice to Congress. prgtoken Mr. Miller himself also testified, answered calls, and otherwise provided invaluable advice on complicated Medicare payment issues to both majority and minority leaders, Finance Committee chairmen and ranking members, as well as other committee members, and other Member offices regarding all things healthcare. Throughout his years of service, Mr. Miller has proven himself a trusted source of objective information. prgtoken Mr. Miller gave years of his life, including countless long nights, weekends, and early mornings to make sure Congress has the best and most reliable information it can get. In turn, that analysis has guided many ideas and recommendations into legislation that made its way to a President's desk for signature. Mr. Miller's professionalism, expertise, energy, patience, humor, and dedication make him an example to all of us as we work the process of designing and ultimately enacting legislation. Mark has been there from the beginning, watching an idea being born, helping to develop policy to achieve that idea, and providing valuable policy counsel as it works its way through the legislative process to ultimately becoming law. prgtoken Thanks to his sense of purpose, dedication, and love for this country, Mr. Miller should be seen as just as much an influence on our current Medicare policy as most Members in this body. Mark is a consummate professional, and he will be missed. I wish him all the very best as he takes the next steps in his successful career. prgtoken May we ever remember Mark's service, and may MedPAC ever be guided by the same sense of duty and purpose Mr. Miller instilled in his 15 years leading that organization.
TAX REFORM BILL
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2017-12-20

last night--I guess, actually, early this morning--was a pretty historic time for us. Our final vote to approve the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was a historic moment for America, and it was clearly a historic moment for my State of Alaska. prgtoken For the first time in 31 years, since President Reagan was in office, we passed tax reform that will make our Tax Code work better for American families and businesses. prgtoken After 37 long years--yesterday, I said it was 38. I stand corrected. It was 37 years. That is a long time that we have been working to advance the opportunity to open a small portion of the non-wilderness 1002 area in northeast Alaska, up in our North Slope, to responsible energy development. prgtoken Many in our State believed this would happen in the early 1980s after Congress specifically set aside the 1002 area for exploration--and it is something we have been fighting for ever since. It is a long time to be working on an issue. It has been decades and, in many instances, generations. prgtoken Through this bill, we voted to let Americans keep more of their hard- earned dollars. We voted to make our businesses more competitive on a global scale. We voted to strengthen our Nation's energy security. And we voted to create new jobs, new wealth, and new prosperity for a generation to come. prgtoken One thing we know for sure is that legislation like this doesn't happen by accident. It doesn't happen quickly or with the sleight of hand. It happens with a considerable amount of work. So I wish to take a few moments this afternoon to simply say thank you--thank you to those who have worked so hard and for so long to help us reach this point. prgtoken I want to start by personally acknowledging our majority leader, Senator McConnell. He was the first one I went to back in early January to ask about how we might be able to proceed to include the opening of the 1002 area. We discussed avenues and opportunities. He told me he thought we could make it work, and he committed to me that we would work to do just that. He did, and I thank him for his considered effort and his belief in the cause. prgtoken I also need to thank and recognize our Budget Committee chairman, Senator Enzi. He was the second person I went to early this year. He agreed to provide an instruction in the reconciliation bill and allow us to run with this opportunity. He, too, recognized the significance of this as a policy initiative and how it dovetailed with what he was seeking to achieve through the Budget Committee. prgtoken The work of many within the Energy and Natural Resources Committee is significant, and I thank them for their efforts. An excellent group of Senators in that committee worked with me to craft our energy title and to report it out of the committee. We reported it on a bipartisan basis--not as strong as I would have liked, but we did receive support from our colleague Senator Manchin, from West Virgi
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 1, TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Kevin Brady (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-12-20

I include in the Record letters from Heritage Action, American Action Network, SBE Council, and Americans for Prosperity: Americans for Prosperity. Letter No. 1 prgtoken AFP: Historic Tax Reform Agreement Will Unleash Economic Growth and Prosperity Arlington, VA.--Americans for Prosperity today cheered the final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act released by the tax reform conference committee. The organization commended lawmakers for crafting a bill that remains true to the principles of the Unified Framework and advances the ultimate goal of unrigging the economy for hardworking Americans. In praising the package, the group is pointing out that it would provide tax relief for individuals at every income bracket, make U.S. businesses significantly more competitive by lowering the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, and includes efforts to simplify and ease the burden of tax compliance. In addition, the tax plan includes provisions long championed by AFP, such as repealing care's unpopular individual mandate. Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips issued the following statement: ``This final tax reform plan delivers relief to the working class while unleashing opportunity and growth for America's small business owners and job creators. All year, we've been calling on Congress to go bold and focus on making this pro-growth. We think they've done that. Although not perfect, the House and the Senate should be commended for their diligent work to significantly improve our broken system, and the White House deserves credit for its relentless focus on getting tax reform done this year. ``Lawmakers now face a historic moment--a once-in-a- generation opportunity to overhaul our nation's broken tax code in order to create jobs, increase wages, fuel the economy and unleash U.S. investment, which will usher in a new era of American innovation. We urge all members of Congress to embrace this historic plan and fulfill their promise to create a simpler, fairer and more competitive tax code by sending it to the president's desk this year.'' Letter No. 2 AFP Key Vote: YES Vote on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Dear Senators: On behalf of more than 3.2 million Americans for Prosperity activists in all 50 states, I urge a YES vote on the Senate version of The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This tax reform package will deliver a fairer, flatter, and simpler tax code that will lead to stronger economic growth, more job creation, and higher wages. Lawmakers should not miss this once-in-a-generation opportunity. We urge you to vote YES on th
THANKING MATT BRAVO
Steve Scalise (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-12-20

I want to thank the ic whip for his kind words and for the way that our offices do work together on those occasions. Frankly, it is most occasions where we are working together on things. Obviously, there are times when we are not; but even in those times, our staffs have a great working relationship and a trust level that is really important to the House getting its business done. prgtoken , I thank the ic leader.
FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-12-20

on a different matter, the Senate's work this week is not finished. Before Friday, Congress must agree on funding to sustain the necessary operations of the Federal Government. I know that all our colleagues on both sides of the aisle want to keep the government funded and attend to a number of other urgent priorities. I am confident we can work together to do just that. Americans are counting on us, after all. prgtoken To begin with, our men and women in uniform are counting on us to provide the resources they require to fulfill their missions and keep the country safe. The burden of the Budget Control Act has fallen disproportionately on our All-Volunteer military. Under that law, defense cuts have outpaced nondefense cuts by $85 billion since fiscal 2013. At the same time, the previous administration insisted that new defense spending be matched equally by prgtoken new nondefense spending, notwithstanding the actual needs of our military. prgtoken This week, let's dispense with the arbitrary standard--as we did earlier this year--and provide our warfighters with the funding they need to accomplish the tasks put before them. prgtoken Americans whose premiums are soaring or whose coverage is in jeopardy because of the failures of Care are counting on us to take bipartisan steps toward stabilizing health insurance markets. prgtoken The parents of 9 million children enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program are counting on us to renew the program's funding. prgtoken Our country's law enforcement professionals are counting on us to renew an important foreign intelligence program that helps them defend the homeland from those who wish us harm. prgtoken Veterans are counting on us to renew the popular Veterans Choice Program and preserve their flexibility to access care outside of the VA system. prgtoken Just as we have done in the past, we need to pass a routine pay-go waiver to avoid a draconian sequester that none of my colleagues want to see take effect. Americans are counting on us not to inflict harmful cuts on Medicare and other essential operations. prgtoken I look forward to working together in the coming days to fund our government in a manner that does right by the American people.
PROJECT CASSANDRA
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-12-20

this highlights the importance of the issue that we are dealing with and the need for an investigation. prgtoken Hundreds, even thousands, of lives have been put in danger, not to mention our own Nation's national security interests. prgtoken Next up is a tremendous leader, not only here in Congress, but in our military. He is a general who has done an outstanding job. I don't know that anyone understands the importance of the issue any more than my good friend. prgtoken , from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry). I am honored to have him here addressing this issue.