mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VA Accountability (Executive Session)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-4-27

one goal we share in this body, which is a very bipartisan goal, is keeping faith with our veterans, making sure no veteran is left behind. prgtoken I had the great honor to work as ranking member with Senator Isakson, the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, on a bill called the Veterans First Act that unfortunately failed to cross the finish line during the last session. One of the major goals of that bill was to ensure accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs so employees of the VA who fail to do their job are held accountable. That goal of accountability is one of a number that must be pursued and will be sought during this session, including ending the backlog of appeals and providing better healthcare, ensuring skills training and job opportunities for our veterans. prgtoken Today the President signed an Executive order at the Department of Veterans Affairs to designate an individual responsible for accountability and whistleblower protection, a worthwhile first step. It is a commendable step toward accountability. But that individual and the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection must have real responsibility and power and must be insulated from any kind of political interference through establishment through statute. That office should be established by statutory authority. That is why I will be advocating and likely introducing legislation that involves supporting and training employees and listening to veterans about what they want from the VA through that Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection, to provide real accountability to the Congress by requiring reporting to Congress about what it finds and real whistleblower protection, so that anybody who complains about the VA's misdirected or misguided action is assured protection against any kind of revenge or retaliation, which is the essence of whistleblower protection, and a Senate-confirmed director so that the accountability function is, again, accountable to us. That kind of statutory embodiment is necessary to make sure that the Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection has power and reporting requirements so that it is accountable to us as elected representatives and advocates for our veterans. prgtoken My hope is that the Senate and House will adopt that provision, one that was contained in the Veterans First bill that Senator Isakson and I championed during the last Senate and which I hope we will pursue again in a very bipartisan way. prgtoken I also hope that the Senate will take up and pass S. 12, the Increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability to Veterans Act of 2017. My colleague, Senator Moran, a cosponsor with me, spoke about it earlier today. It would provide reduction of benefits for senior executives and certain healthcare employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs if they have been convicted of a felony in connection with their w
NAFTA (Executive Session)
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-4-27

before I begin my remarks, I just want to say, while the Senator from Arizona is still here, what a privilege it is to hear somebody come to this floor and actually speak about facts as they actually are--economic facts, facts related to immigration. If we had more people in the Senate who spoke on the floor the way the Senator from Arizona just did, there is nothing we wouldn't be able to accomplish together. It is a privilege to serve with him. It is a privilege to hear the clarity with which he spoke about these important issues. So I want to thank him through the Chair for that speech.
Climate Change (Executive Session)
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-4-27

I oppose the nomination of Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of the Department of Labor. prgtoken Our Nation's Labor Secretary has a responsibility to protect the safety and legal rights of the American workforce. From prosecuting civil rights violations to monitoring workplace safety, the Department of Labor ensures fair treatment. The Labor Secretary must also evaluate our economy and advocate for fair and equal pay and benefits for American workers. The Department provides the data and expertise for policymakers, employers, and workers to make economic decisions. prgtoken Unfortunately, Mr. Acosta's testimony on these points at his confirmation hearing was disappointing. He would not commit to support updating overtime rules to make sure that employees get fair pay for the hours they work. He would not commit to prioritize closing the gender pay gap. He would not commit to keeping workplace safety inspectors on the job. prgtoken Moreover, when Mr. Acosta led the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice during the Administration, the GAO reported that there was a ``significant drop in the enforcement of several major antidiscrimination and voting rights laws.'' The Secretary of Labor must be a vigilant defender of the rights of workers. prgtoken In a Cabinet where too many department heads are looking out for millionaires and billionaires, we need a Secretary of Labor who will look out for the American worker. I am not convinced that Mr. Acosta will do that job.
IN CELEBRATION OF MRS. PEARL BIGGS' 100TH BIRTHDAY
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to Mrs. Pearl Biggs, who is celebrating her 100th birthday on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. A birthday celebration will be held for Mrs. Biggs on Saturday, April 29, 2017. prgtoken In 1917, the United States entered World War I, women did not yet have the right to vote, and segregation was rampant in the South. This is the year Mrs. Pearl Biggs was born to Mahaley Jones and Wiley Bunkley. Indeed, Mrs. Biggs has seen much in her lifetime and through it all, she has relied on her faith in the Lord. prgtoken Mrs. Biggs began working as a cook at a young age and so it was inevitable that she would become known as a very good cook. In 1937, she married Pedro Biggs and they would spend the next 76 years together until his passing in 2014. prgtoken Pearl and Pedro Biggs opened one of the first Black-owned businesses in the Geneva and Box Springs area in Southwest Georgia. They owned several businesses, including Biggs Sandwich Shop, a movie theatre, and a pulpwood company. They were also farmers. prgtoken Mrs. Biggs loves to sing and she sang in the choir at her church. Her favorite song is ``Let Jesus Lead Me.'' She loves collard greens and the color pink. She enjoys fishing and talking on the phone. Mrs. Biggs has never met a stranger--she always wants to feed people and no one ever goes hungry around her. prgtoken George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Mrs. Biggs has advanced far in life because she never forgot these lessons and always kept God first. prgtoken As she celebrates 100 years of life, Mrs. Biggs will be surrounded by her sons, Monroe and Allen; daughters-in-law, Mildred and Cynthia; grandchildren, Timothy, Kelton, and Amelia; and great-grandchildren, Jackson and Christopher; plus a host of other family members and friends. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me, along with my wife Vivian and the almost 730,000 people of Georgia's Second Congressional District, in honoring an outstanding citizen and woman of faith, Mrs. Pearl Biggs, as she, her family, and friends celebrate her 100th birthday.
CONGRATULATING RABBI ELYSE FRISHMAN ON HER RETIREMENT
Josh Gottheimer (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise today to thank my friend and spiritual mentor, Rabbi Elyse Frishman, for her 22 years of exceptional service to Barnert Temple in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. prgtoken After decades of service to the Jewish community, Rabbi Frishman will be retiring this June. Personally, I am very lucky to call Rabbi Frishman my rabbi. prgtoken In addition to leading our congregation, she is the editor of the reform prayer book ``Mishkan Tefilah,'' and a national leader in worship and congregational engagement. prgtoken Rabbi Frishman has stood as a model citizen and faith leader, going the extra mile to bring together the community in times of anxiety and fear. prgtoken She was recently featured by The Bergen Record for her work to unite the interfaith communities in a common mission, forming dialogues, understanding, and building friendships where they didn't exist before. prgtoken In doing so, she has long set an example for the families of our congregation. As a parent, I am glad my children are growing up knowing and being led and educated by her in our faith community. prgtoken Rabbi Frishman deserves to be held up as a model for public service. And though our congregation and I will miss her deeply, I congratulate her on her retirement, and I hope everyone enjoys the evening celebrating her years of service to us. America and our community has been very lucky to have Rabbi Elyse Frishman. prgtoken Thank you, Rabbi Frishman.
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S TAX PLAN
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-4-27

I thank the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal) for yielding and for her leadership on this Special Order. prgtoken I will take just a moment of the gentlewoman's time because I think she has captured the essence of the frustration, not that Members of Congress have, but that the American people have. So I wanted to make sure that I shared some of the contrasts that we have between what has happened yesterday and the announcement of the administration of Mr. 's tax proposal, which, in essence, is really a bowl of horror. It is a continuation of an ineffective 100 days, and the fear that I have is that it was rushed and put together to meet this really unnecessary standard or unnecessary test of 100 days, one that was so pronounced during Mr. 's campaign in contrast to Mr. Clinton, Mr and Mr the last three Presidents that we have as examples. prgtoken What is in the first 100 days? prgtoken The first 100 days should be working. You should be working every day and you should have to account or you should be able to account for the successes that you have done in the normal course of work. Methodically, you can check off the good that you have done for the American people; that it comes naturally, that you have been methodical, that you have worked with Congress, that you worked with your executives, that you have looked to see what can be improved. prgtoken All that we can see is what has been destroyed or dismantled or taxed or ridiculed. There is nothing that advantages the American people. prgtoken Certainly, the healthcare bill was ridiculing the American people. It was ridiculous. $880 billion was taken from Medicaid; $600 billion was to be used for tax cuts, which they do not have at this point. We fear that they will be rushing through such a bill in the next couple of days. prgtoken More importantly, where was the commitment to all of the promises? prgtoken So let me just speak to two particular points. prgtoken The economic security of women, what has happened under this administration? prgtoken Blocking expanded overtime pay, which disproportionately benefits women workers. Failing to advance equal pay, paid family leave, and affordable childcare legislation, talking about it but doing nothing. prgtoken Endangering retirement security by blocking a rule requiring retirement advisers to put clients first. prgtoken Can you imagine? prgtoken Senior citizens have helped build this country, and you would deny them adequate counsel on their retirement. That has happened. prgtoken All of these have happened under the administration: proposing severe cuts to the Department of Labor, which would hinder enforcement of family and medical leave. Of course, cutting Meals on Wheels, as has been indicated. Cutting the National Institutes of Health. Major lifesaving research down the drain. Scientists looking for other countries to go to because they have no room at the inn. prgtoken And the
TOM NOLAN, UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE BOARD OF THE SAN FRANCISCO MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-27

it has come to my attention that long-time board member Tom Nolan is leaving after having served on the board of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency since 2006 and as Chairman since 2010. I want to add my congratulations to those of countless others for the contributions that Tom made during his decades of public service. prgtoken Tom has been a longtime friend and colleague and I have always admired his ability to bring peace to the negotiating table and to get to yes. He is truly a regional thinker and a transportation visionary. He was my colleague on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors during the 1980's, and it was from this position that he first became immersed in the subject of public transportation. While San Francisco has long had a well-developed public transit system, San Mateo County lagged far behind. Tom was instrumental in creating the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, the operator of Caltrain. He successfully fought for extension of BART to San Francisco airport and served the entire region as a member of the MTC. Even Santa Clara County owes a debt of gratitude for its transit system to Tom Nolan, as the light rail system relies upon a segment brought into the system by Tom's advocacy. prgtoken He could have rested on his laurels when he left San Mateo County to become a resident of San Francisco, but instead he decided to once again become a leader in transportation issues. It takes the genius of a heart surgeon and the patience of a saint to serve on the MTA board. Tom met these standards with his tireless advocacy for service improvements, sound labor relations, a vast bicycle network to reduce reliance upon cars, bike sharing, replacement of the bus fleet, and support of the staff and transit system when the economic downturn brought painful adjustments. prgtoken Every board member deserves our thanks for his or her dedication to the public, but the enormity of these responsibilities is often apparent only in hindsight. Few cities in America have tried to do what the MTA is doing over time: Create a transportation system that relies upon multiple modes of movement to create a modern city and to extend economic opportunity to all neighborhoods of San Francisco, all the while integrating this system with the region's needs. The new Central Subway and the T Third Line are just two of the latest examples. Tom's advocacy was essential to creating these options, just as his persistent advocacy led in the creation of Caltrain and the airport extension. prgtoken When a pedestrian is not hit while crossing a busy intersection, Tom Nolan's advocacy is in part responsible for this wonderful outcome. When a father is on time picking up his child from daycare, he probably never stops to thank Tom Nolan for the bus ride that brought him to the center, but he should. When a housing advocate rises to support the creation of workforce housing along a transit corridor, I doub
TRUMPCARE
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-4-27

I rise to oppose the latest version of Care. Once again, House s have confirmed their approach to fixing health care requires gutting key provisions for people with preexisting conditions, increasing costs, and offering fewer protections. Letting the States cherry-pick the essential health benefits--the 10 basic medical care categories covered, like emergency care, mental health, addiction treatment, or lab tests--is just crazy. prgtoken The obvious problem with eliminating the Affordable Care Act's essential health benefits is that it will leave people without access to reasonable quality health insurance. The consumer should know what their health insurance covers. prgtoken Without some minimum requirements, insurance companies can offer plans that are insurance in name only. Anyone who is actually sick and needs care will be left out in the cold. prgtoken The essential health benefits make the marketplace viable because they help pool the risk among the whole population instead of just attracting sick people who need these services. prgtoken If s thought Care was so great, why would they exempt Members of Congress and our staff? prgtoken I urge my colleagues to scrap this political game and work with us to strengthen health care for all Americans.
Antiquities Act (Executive Session)
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-4-27

yesterday President issued an Executive order that undermined the protection of dozens of our national monuments that were established over the past two decades by three different Presidents. In continuing his administration's war on our public lands, President and Secretary of the Interior Zinke have attacked one of our Nation's most prized conservation laws--the Antiquities Act, which gives the President the authority to protect our nationally important lands and waters on Federal land by designating them as national monuments. prgtoken In the 111 years since the Antiquities Act was signed into law by President Teddy Roosevelt, 16 Presidents--8 s and 8 --have used the law's authority to designate over 150 national monuments. President is trying to undo over 100 years of conservation in just a few days. prgtoken Many of our Nation's iconic national parks were first protected by using the authority of the Antiquities Act, including the Grand Canyon, Acadia, Glacier Bay, Joshua Tree, Zion, and in my home State of Washington, Mount Olympus National Monument, which later became Olympic National Park. prgtoken No doubt Presidents of both parties have used the Antiquities Act to preserve the most beautiful places in our country. However, President appears to be very uninformed on the history or the importance of the Antiquities Act. In his remarks signing the Executive order yesterday, he described the designation of national monuments as an ``egregious use of federal power'' and vowed he would ``give that power back to the States.'' He truly does not understand the Antiquities Act, nor does he appreciate the bold leadership of all of those Presidents, both and s, over a period of time--eight s and eight --who have used this authority in an appropriate way to preserve for all Americans in the future and those in the past who have enjoyed these beautiful places--and to preserve our access to public lands. prgtoken I can't tell you how important access to public lands is for schoolchildren, our returning veterans, our families, hunters, fishermen, and hikers. Putting the Antiquities Act and the millions of acres of national monuments that have been protected back into the hands of a few who are more aligned with special interests to try to open these areas up to oil and gas exploration is the antithesis of what the Antiquities Act is all about. prgtoken We plan to continue to emphasize how wrong the President's Executive order is. prgtoken First and foremost, in the Executive order, the President directed the Secretary of the Interior to review the designation or expansion of national monuments under the Antiquities Act where the Secretary deems that the designation or expansion was made without adequate public comment or coordination with relevant stakeholders. That literally gives the Secretary of the Interior broad a
FANNIE AND FREDDIE OPEN RECORDS ACT OF 2017
Wm. Lacy Clay (Democrat, MO) \u2014 2017-4-27

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this bill, the Fannie and Freddie Open Records Act of 2017. prgtoken I want to start by thanking the sponsor of this bill, Chairman Chaffetz, for working with the ic members of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to address concerns that we raised as well as concerns raised by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The bipartisan cooperation that was demonstrated on this bill should be a model for this body. prgtoken This bill would apply the Freedom of Information Act to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while they are in conservatorship or receivership. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are stockholder-owned, government-sponsored enterprises chartered by Congress to purchase mortgages and pool them into mortgage-backed securities to create liquidity in the mortgage market. prgtoken Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were brought into Federal conservatorship under the control of FHFA in September 2008. According to the CBO, during the financial crisis, Treasury purchased $187 billion of senior preferred stock from the two entities to ensure that they could continue to operate. Neither entity has drawn on Treasury support since 2012, both have returned to profitability, and the dividends they generate are paid to the Treasury. prgtoken There are some practical concerns with the underlying bill because it would apply FOIA to these private companies for the first time. The amendment Chairman Chaffetz will offer addresses some of those concerns, which I will discuss when we consider this amendment. prgtoken I would like to discuss some concerns with language that was added in this bill at the Rules Committee to address the estimated cost of the bill. prgtoken CBO estimates that this bill would increase the administrative costs of Fannie and Freddie by $310 million, with $10 million of that resulting in direct spending. This bill would address those costs by requiring commercial requesters to pay for processing FOIA requests made to Fannie and Freddie. This would be a significant change from the way FOIA typically works. prgtoken It is unclear how Fannie and Freddie could reasonably estimate how many FOIA requests they would receive or to know how to distribute administrative costs equitably among commercial requesters. prgtoken The bill would allow Fannie and Freddie to determine how much they prgtoken would charge commercial requesters. Whatever cost estimation methodologies Fannie and Freddie choose to use, the methodologies will almost certainly be challenged, potentially leading to litigation, which would be handled by the Department of Justice. prgtoken It is highly likely that banks would file FOIA requests to obtain information about the business practices and holdings of Fannie and Freddie. The costs charged to them for their requests would then be passed on to consumers. prgtoken I believe this language was intended to be h
PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-4-27

the President said he would drain the swamp in Washington. He has flooded it. He said he would break the cycle of corruption. He has accelerated it. Nearly 100 days into his administration, the President has reneged on the fundamental promise that he would clean up Washington. prgtoken Today, the Democracy Reform Task Force is releasing a report detailing 100 ways the administration has flooded the swamp in the first 100 days. As the report chronicles, President has made a mockery of ethics law and regulation, promoted a culture of secrecy in the executive branch, stacked his Cabinet with Big Money campaign donors, installed a special interest revolving door into the White House, put big money ahead of the public interest, turned the Presidency into a profit-making enterprise, pursued public policy for his personal benefit, and raided the Treasury to pay for vacations and private business promotion. prgtoken These are not the actions of a President intent on draining the swamp or restoring a voice to the voiceless or restoring power to the powerless. Americans of all political stripes are starting to wonder: ``Maybe the President isn't looking out for me and my family. Maybe he is just looking out for himself, his business, and his brand.''