mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-11-15

from Georgia and my colleague from Colorado for their comments--and the future comments of some of my colleagues who are in the class of 2014. prgtoken Ladies and gentlemen, I want to talk a little bit about facts and fiction and some of the things we will observe here. In fact, I think probably the Kennedy Center is the only place you can go to see a bigger theatrical performance than what you are going to see on this floor over the next couple of weeks, because they are simply not consistent with what we are trying to do here, and I want to talk a little bit about it. Let's start with some of the fiction. prgtoken I was just presiding before I came off the dais about 30 minutes ago, and I heard a 30-minute speech from someone who said that they haven't seen the bill, said that it had been passed in the dark of night, that it is not being discussed in committee. But then they went on to have a 30-minute description of why the bill is bad prgtoken How could you not have seen something and have such a definitive position on the provisions of the bill? To me, it is just curious. prgtoken Here is something that is even more curious. There are so many Members--many of them friends--on the other side of the aisle who are simply making a false claim that we are somehow going to raise taxes on working families, the middle class. Why would that make sense? What on Earth would the voters of the United States and my voters in North Carolina do to me next year if I came out and declared victory because I raised taxes on middle-income and working families? It doesn't make sense, and it has been proven to be false. prgtoken The Washington Post has a rating system they use. They call it the Pinocchio system. One Pinocchio means you are probably stretching the truth a little bit; four Pinocchios means there is not a shred of truth in what you are saying. These claims about raising taxes on working families and middle-income families earned four Pinocchios; they are fiction. prgtoken What we are trying to do is provide a tax break to the people who need it the most--to the people who are trying to pay their bills, struggling to go to school, actually struggling just to pay the rent. That is what this tax bill is about. This tax cut is about getting the economy back on track so that we can also drive up wages. prgtoken Not only do we want to provide you with more money in your pocketbook and in your wallet at the end of the month by reducing your tax burden, but we also want to make it more likely that you are going to make more money, you are going to get a better job, and you are going to have more income at the end of this process. I firmly believe that it will work. prgtoken Let's talk about the facts of this plan. The facts are that we have to have tax relief. We have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world. There is no way the greatest economy that has ever existed should prgtoken
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2017-11-15

. Thank you very much. prgtoken , I wish to thank the Senator from Colorado for his leadership in bringing us, the class of 2014, to the floor to talk about the commonsense tax reform measure that we have, the opportunity of decades to make a difference--a big difference--in many of the lives of the people we represent. I would even say most lives. prgtoken This is about the sixth time I have been to the floor to talk about what I think is the best tax reform package I have seen in my time here and also the different aspects of tax reform that I think are great for the country and great for my State. I represent a small State, the small State of West Virginia. prgtoken I have talked about small businesses and families and what it means for them--simplification and creating a competitive environment. But there is nothing like going home and talking to people, whether we are at the grocery store or, as in this past week, when we were all in Veterans Day parades. People are generally so respectful and very happy at a Veterans Day parade. I can't say the same for every parade, but I will say that for the Veterans Day parade, they are generally pretty happy. I was really surprised because I had several constituents--not just one or two but several--say to me: Pass this bill; we want tax relief. prgtoken It was totally unsolicited. So West Virginians are paying attention to what we are doing in the Senate. prgtoken Right now, our colleagues on the Finance Committee are working to advance this bill as early as tomorrow. We are very hopeful that we will be able to consider this bill on the floor of the Senate the week we get back from Thanksgiving, as our colleagues in the House are passing their bill this week. Do you know what? It has been disappointing to me and really to everybody, I think, involved in this, as tax reform has become a partisan issue, an exercise. We have shared goals. We all want to go to the same place in this country--a prosperous place where everybody can thrive and succeed--but to turn your back on what I think is a well-thought-out, much studied plan on tax relief, I think, is to turn a blind eye to every working American, every American business, and every American family, and, personally, I don't think it is fair. prgtoken Our goals are shared by many Americans, regardless of their party, because we want to grow small businesses. I am in a State where 95 percent of our businesses are small businesses. We want to allow those small businesses to make the decisions to grow employment opportunities or raise wages. We want to make our bigger companies competitive globally. prgtoken People say: You know, what is a big company really going to do for me, working and living here in West Virginia? prgtoken I think if we looked at the major companies that are invested in our State, we know that making those companies more competitive will result in those companies creating more jobs, investin
VOTE EXPLANATION
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-11-15

I was necessarily absent for the vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 463, Mark T. Esper, of Virginia, to be Secretary of the Army, due to having to chair a Judiciary Committee hearing on judicial nominations for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, and the District of Kansas. Had I been present, I would have voted yea. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)
INDIVIDUAL TAXES WILL NOT GO UP
Michael C. Burgess (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-11-15

I want to share with you a letter that was received in the Rules Committee last night. prgtoken It is a letter actually addressed to Chairman Kevin Brady of the Ways and Means Committee. It is from the Joint Committee on Taxation. It is a long letter. I will not read all of it. Some of it is difficult to understand, but let me pick out the important points. prgtoken In each case, the taxpayers' total income tax liability is lower. Here is their concluding paragraph: In its totality, the combined effect of the tax rate and the income threshold and amendments made by the bill, along with the increase in the standard deduction, would not, in and of themselves, result in an increase in the amount of tax imposed on virtually any filer as a result of these changes. prgtoken Translation: no one's taxes go up; not 36 million; not 3,600; not 36. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, that number is zero, Mr. .
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-11-15

our economy has been stuck between 1.4- and 1.9-percent growth over the last 10 years. Compare that to the 10- year cycles before that, over and over again, all the way back to the Great Depression. Every group in a 10-year block was at 3 percent or more growth. Literally, we have had half the growth in our economy over the last 10 years than we have had in any 10-year time period, going all the way back to the Great Depression. We have to be able to deal with that. prgtoken I hear people over and over again say that regulations are choking our businesses and are driving up the cost of products for consumers. Yet our Tax Code is full of loopholes, and it is full of confusion. It is complicated. When I go through to fill out my individual taxes, it seems as though there are deductions for everybody else but for me, and people want to get that fixed. Quite frankly, no one likes paying taxes, and everyone wants to make sure that whatever taxes they pay are spent efficiently and are the lowest possible. I cannot tell them that right now because the spending is not on track and is not efficient. I also cannot tell them that they are as low as possible. We need to fix that. prgtoken The tax reform that we are discussing in the Senate right now deals with some very basic things. It begins with more take-home pay for individuals. You can either be paid more by an employer or you can be taxed less by the government. Either one of those increases the take- home pay. This solves the ``tax less'' by the government so that individuals can have more take-home pay--around $100 a month. That is serious money for most Oklahomans to have going back to their families. prgtoken The way that happens is by starting with the standard deduction that doubles, which is $24,000. To say it flat, if you make between zero and $24,000 as a family, you wouldn't have any tax at all on that first $24,000. That is a great help. Your tax does not even begin at all until after $24,000. You would be in that zero percent bracket. prgtoken We double the Child Tax Credit. For families who are raising kids, it is exceptionally helpful for them to have a larger tax credit. prgtoken Then we take out the individual mandate in Care. prgtoken We have already had folks who have asked: What does Care have to do with tax policy? prgtoken Let me tell you, very simply, that the individual mandate is a tax. That is what the Supreme Court labeled it as, and that is what individuals understand it to be. If you don't buy the type of insurance of which Washington, DC, approves--and you may sign up for different insurance--you will get an additional tax penalty on your taxes. prgtoken Who pays for that? prgtoken In Oklahoma, 81 percent of the people who pay the individual mandate tax penalty make $50,000 or less a year. It is a tax aimed directly at the middle class. prgtoken I think that this is unfair. We want to remove that tax penalty from the mi
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-11-15

thank you very much. prgtoken , I appreciate the point made by the Senator from South Dakota, and I am glad to join in this conversation this afternoon. prgtoken About a decade ago, the worst economic recession since the Great Depression devastated our middle class households and families across the country. In its aftermath, our economy consistently underachieved. prgtoken Last year, the United States saw less than a 2-percent increase in the amount of goods and services we produce. The reason is our stagnant economy, which suffers from an outdated tax system that stifles economic growth through high tax rates and an unreasonable compliance burden. Small businesses, which I am partial to because they make up about 97 percent of employers in Iowa, are taxed as much as 44.6 percent on their profits. Every year, these job creators spend over $18 billion just to comply with Federal tax laws and regulations. prgtoken Middle-class families and individuals around this country need some relief. By streamlining our cumbersome tax system and eliminating loopholes that primarily benefit the wealthy, Congress has an opportunity to lower tax rates for middle and lower income wage earners. Likewise, by creating a more competitive tax system for businesses, we can foster greater growth and investment in the United States and boost wages for more Iowans. prgtoken Tax reform also provides Congress with an opportunity to lead by example and offer up its own unnecessary tax break. That is why I introduced the Stop Questionable, Unnecessary, and Excessive Allowances for Legislators Act, also known as the SQUEAL Act. This legislation would eliminate a provision of the Tax Code that allows Members of Congress to deduct up to $3,000 annually in living expenses that they incur while in Washington, DC. As we seek to achieve the ultimate goal of lowering rates for families and small businesses, Congress should start by eliminating handouts to our politicians. prgtoken It is long overdue for our country to pursue a simpler tax code that provides much needed relief for hard-working Iowans and that puts our economy back on track. I look forward to working with my colleagues on a path forward that reduces the burden of a complicated tax system--the burden that is placed upon our families, our hard-working individuals, and our small businesses. prgtoken With that, I will turn the floor back over to the distinguished Member from South Dakota, and I thank him for accommodating the Members of our class. We are hopeful that we will be able to move forward with smart, effective tax reform.
TRIBUTE TO LINDA SAUNDERS PAQUETTE
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2017-11-15

this month, I am proud to recognize Linda Saunders Paquette, of Contoocook, as our Granite Stater of the Month in recognition of her years of leadership and steadfast commitment to combating the fentanyl, heroin, and opioid crisis in New Hampshire, which remains our most pressing public health challenge and threatens the health and safety of our fellow Granite Staters. prgtoken Through her decades of service to the people of New Hampshire, including at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and starting in 2010 as executive director of New Futures--a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization advocating, educating, and collaborating in the fight against substance misuse--Linda has made an enormous difference in the lives of countless people and families affected by this crisis. prgtoken During my time as Governor and now as Senator, Linda has been a tremendous partner and relentless advocate. Thanks in part to Linda's advocacy, we were able to increase funding for critical prevention, treatment, and recovery services in New Hampshire, extend substance use disorder coverage to the Medicaid Program, and pass and reauthorize Medicaid expansion--providing quality, affordable health coverage to more than 50,000 Granite Staters. As the State legislature debated whether to reauthorize Medicaid expansion, Linda fought for the program at every step along the way, calling it ``the most important tool New Hampshire has in its fight against the opioid epidemic and more broadly the substance misuse crisis we are facing in our state.'' prgtoken Linda has also strongly spoken out in defense of the Essential Health Benefits that require insurers to cover substance misuse and mental health treatment, she has stood up against cuts to prgtoken Medicaid and other programs that Granite Staters struggling with substance use disorder rely on, and she has worked effectively to help reduce the stigma that has hurt our efforts to combat this crisis for far too long. prgtoken People like Linda perfectly exemplify New Hampshire's all-hands-on- deck spirit, where we roll up our sleeves and work together to strengthen our communities. Linda's dedication to supporting those struggling with substance use disorder, first responders, and treatment providers has strengthened our State's response to the substance misuse crisis, and her advocacy will continue to help us stem and ultimately reverse the tide of this epidemic. I join all Granite Staters in thanking Linda for her service and congratulating her on a well- deserved retirement.
Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-11-15

I rise to speak in opposition to the nomination of Joseph Otting to be Comptroller of the Currency. prgtoken I appreciate Mr. Otting's willingness to enter public service. That said, he is not the person we need in this very important financial watchdog roll. We have learned lessons from the quality, the attitude, and the work of the person in this office, and I am virtually sure he is not the right person. We have made a lot of progress in the last 7 years since we passed Wall Street reform. The last thing we need is someone leading the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency working to weaken or eliminate important safeguards, instead of looking out for workers, borrowers, and the stability of our financial system. prgtoken The financial watchdogs, including the previous Comptroller, Thomas Curry, took significant steps to right the wrongs that led to the 2008 financial crisis. It is important that we not have this collective amnesia that seems to permeate this body about what happened to this country 10 years ago. Working together, Comptroller Curry and other financial watchdogs strengthened rules for the largest banks. Independently, the OCC enhanced the supervision and examination of these banks, took enforcement actions against bad actors, and took steps to address concerns that the agency had been captured by the industry. There was clear evidence of that by previous people in this job. prgtoken This administration is putting the banking industry back in charge of policing itself. We should have learned from that a decade ago. Mr. Otting is yet another bank executive who profited from the financial crisis and is being rewarded by the administration with a powerful job overseeing our Nation's banking system. This is a man who worked at OneWest and made a fortune kicking military servicemembers, seniors, and working families out of their homes, all while pocketing $2.5 billion--that is billion with a ``b''--from the FDIC to protect his bank from any losses. prgtoken The bank, OneWest, in this behavior, in this money from FDIC, in this action of kicking military servicemembers and seniors and working families out of their homes--this all might sound familiar to my colleagues; it certainly sounds familiar to the people in the Finance Committee and the Banking Committee. It is the same place that Mr. Mnuchin--now-Secretary of the Treasury--worked, doing the same kinds of things and work that Mnuchin did. prgtoken Mr. Otting and his former boss, Secretary Mnuchin, refused to provide Senators State-by-State data on OneWest's foreclosures on seniors, servicemembers, and other borrowers. They refused to answer questions about OneWest loan modifications. I think Ohioans--and I hope enough of my colleagues to constitute a majority--would like to know what they are hiding. prgtoken It was pretty amazing to sit in the Finance Committee and listen to Secretary Mnuchin and watch Secretary Mnuc
Russia Investigation (Executive Calendar)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-11-15

we are at a critical juncture in our investigation into Russia's interference in last year's election and potential collusion by Americans with Russia's meddling and obstruction of justice that may have occurred. Those issues are under investigation by the Judiciary Committee, which has a unique responsibility because we exercise oversight concerning the Department of Justice and the FBI. So the firing of James Comey, among other actions that raised issues regarding potential collusion and obstruction of justice, is very much appropriate and necessary for our inquiry to determine. prgtoken We also have a unique responsibility because only the Judiciary Committee can make public for the American people to know and understand what happened that may involve obstruction of justice and, equally important, what can be done to prevent it in the future. The Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate can legislate. prgtoken There are other investigations ongoing involving the special counsel, who will determine criminal culpability, and the Intelligence Committees of both the House and the Senate, which have a counterterrorism responsibility, but they rarely legislate in the way that the Judiciary Committee does. prgtoken I am proud to serve on the Judiciary Committee. I greatly respect the leadership of our committee: Chairman Grassley, who is a straight shooter, cares deeply about the integrity of our judicial process, and has a longstanding and distinguished record of protecting whistleblowers; and our ranking member, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, who has been a steadfast champion of judicial integrity. prgtoken Every week we are seeing cascading disclosures that reflect potential collusion or cooperation between the campaign and Russian officials. These disclosures reflect on the obstruction of justice that is front and center of the Judiciary Committee's investigation. prgtoken Just this week, through a stunning expose in The Atlantic, later confirmed by , Jr himself, the American people learned of secret exchanges between WikiLeaks and , Jr during the 2016 Presidential campaign. The exchanges began in September 2016--2 months before the election. Over the course of those exchanges, WikiLeaks sent literally dozens of messages to Junior, who sent back at least three messages. He acted at WikiLeaks' behest at least one time, tweeting out a link to the hacked emails of John Podesta, Jr at WikiLeaks' suggestion. He told other high-ranking officials on the campaign that WikiLeaks had reached out to him in an extraordinarily revealing message. At no point did he rebuff the advances--in fact, just the opposite. At no point did he reject those overtures from WikiLeaks. And what we are seeing, particularly in the familiar tone, almost intimate nature of these exchanges back and forth, is the possibility that what we have discovered is just the tip of