mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2018-1-21

it was just 1 year ago that President was sworn into office, promising the American people he would break through the gridlock to get results for workers and families; that he would work with and s; that he would be this great dealmaker--``the best,'' he said. prgtoken This past year has proven quite the opposite, and nothing has made that clearer than what we have seen these past few days. This has been a year of chaos and dysfunction, of bullying and attacks, of hatred and division and controversy and crises. That is just what we have been seeing on the President's Twitter feed before breakfast. prgtoken On the heels of so much utter dysfunction and disarray coming from this government, it is fitting, even while deeply disappointing, that President 's first year has ended with him pushing our country into a completely unnecessary government shutdown. There is no reason--absolutely no reason at all--why we should be in this position. have spent months--months--trying to get the President and leaders to work with us. We have spent months pushing s to work with us to pass a long-term extension of the Children's Health Insurance Program that gives millions of kids access to care. We have spent months pushing s to work with us to pass funding for community health center programs so many of our patients and families depend on. We have spent months pushing s to work with us to pass disaster relief for our families and communities who have been hit so hard. We have spent months pushing prgtoken s to work with us to support our veterans and to combat opioid and substance abuse. We have spent months pushing s to work with us to increase investments in education and healthcare and other domestic and defense priorities. prgtoken We have spent months, and really years, pushing s to work with us to protect the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers across our country--young men and women who have known no home but America, who have spent their entire lives reciting our Pledge of Allegiance, who think of our great country as their great country, who now, through no fault of their own, are facing a prospect of being torn from their homes, from their families and their friends, and deported to a country many of them can't even remember. prgtoken Months and months have been spent trying to get s to work with us. Months and months we have been urging s to join us at the table. Months and months we have been trying to solve problems with solutions that had bipartisan support. and s were on the same page on all of these issues. For months and months, President and the leaders have refused. They have sat in their partisan corner. They have ignored the and s who wanted results. They have pushed us to the precipice and then
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-1-21

I want to speak candidly and directly to the American people. prgtoken There are many, many issues that we agree upon, s and , coming together to solve big challenges. prgtoken In my district in New Hampshire, people are dying, and they are dying from an emergency that did not exist--a continuing resolution will not solve their problem--and that is the opioid epidemic that hits districts all across this country. People are dying, families are suffering, and our communities are hurting. prgtoken We need to come together, and we can. We have a bipartisan task force with 100 Members of Congress, s and . Just this week, 50 Members, s and , came together to ask for funding for this emergency crisis. prgtoken We ask the President: Extend the emergency. We need to fund, and now is the time. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent, please, together, s and , bring up H.R. 4872, the End the Shutdown Act of 2018, a continuing resolution that would immediately reopen the government through Tuesday while we continue negotiations on a budget agreement that adheres to parity and other critical issues like this opioid epidemic. This is urgent. Please, I ask my brothers and sisters on both sides of the aisle.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-1-21

Senator Murphy is right. It is not just what is in the resolution that concerns a number of us, including funding for the Affordable Care Act. We remember debates here in this body--there are a whole lot of Members of Congress, who have insurance paid for by taxpayers, who are willing--by cuts in Medicaid and other repeals as far as the Affordable Care Act--who are willing to take insurance away from so many of our constituents. Constituents who make $8, $10, and $12 an hour aren't lucky enough to have the health insurance we have, but we have provided for it through this bill. I am a , and I stood for months with my Governor, John Kasich, in fighting for that. prgtoken As a number of people have pointed out, there is not what there ought to be for community health centers in this bill. I know that in North Carolina, as in my State, there are a number of rural hospitals. We have had two major hospitals announce their closure--one in Massillon and one in Dayton. The one in Massillon is a hospital that serves a town of slightly under 40,000 people. The closest hospital is 15, 20, 25 minutes away for emergency care in Canton. The hospital in the middle of Dayton has announced its closure, partly because of what this body has done--the unevenness and the attacks on health insurance, what was in the tax reform law and what that will mean for insurance prices. We know it has made our healthcare system less stable. And we know how this bill has been written. prgtoken Down the hall about 100 feet, is the office of Senator McConnell, the majority leader. The Affordable Care Act repeal was written in that office, behind closed doors, by insurance companies and Wall Street lobbyists. The tax reform bill, where 80 percent of the tax cuts went to the richest 1 percent of the people--that was written in Senator McConnell's office by a bunch of Wall Street and tax lawyers. Now this resolution to ``keep the government open'' again was written down the hall in Senator McConnell's office. There was no input from . There are 49 in this body. I believe we represent more than half of the population of this country. Yet we were not even included in this discussion. prgtoken This is the first time ever where one party controls the White House, the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court, and yet they have not even included--one, they are not competent enough to run the government. They just do this ``limp along one month at a time'' resolution. This is the fourth resolution, the fourth temporary budget, the fourth continuing resolution just since September.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-1-21

we have heard some highly partisan prgtoken and passionate speeches on the floor of the Senate and a lot of finger- pointing. The American people are done with the blaming and the finger- pointing; they want the government to be reopened. All of us do too. That is why a number of our colleagues are working hard and have been involved--many of us, directly and indirectly--in promoting and suggesting possible solutions, reaching across the aisle, working to reach a consensus and to make sure the government is reopened. prgtoken The President has been absent--some would say absent without leave, AWOL--from these negotiations. Ironically, he is the only one in America who has referred to this as a ``good shutdown.'' It is a shutdown because the President has enabled--indeed, encouraged--it to happen. prgtoken Across the aisle in the Senate, there are efforts to provide leadership and to fill the gap that has been created by a President who is AWOL in America. The lack of leadership is potentially tragic for this country. He has thrived on chaos and confusion, personal invective and insult. prgtoken The time is now for us in this body to fill that vacuum. We are divided in our Nation in many ways, but we are united in support of our military men and women. Two of my sons have served. And always in this Chamber and throughout the country, there is support for them and their families, who equally serve and sacrifice. prgtoken No speech on the floor here and no tweet by the President will change that fundamental unity and bipartisan support for our military men and women. That is why there was bipartisan support for rejecting a short- term, ``kick the can down the road'' patch in a continuing resolution. prgtoken A continuing resolution that flatlines funding for our national defense, both military and nonmilitary, is against our national interest. The most eloquent and persuasive voice on that topic is our Secretary of Defense, General Mattis. prgtoken , I ask unanimous consent that the September 8 letter be printed in the Record.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE CAN COUNT
Lamar Smith (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-1-21

the American people can count. Forty-four Senate voted to shut down the government. Ten times as many as s supported denying funds to our military, to children's healthcare, and to everyday Americans. prgtoken The Senate must be held accountable. Their actions halted government services. They can't blame anyone else. prgtoken The numbers don't lie, and the American people can count. Forty-four Senate voted to shut down the government. Let's hope they change their minds and vote to get back to work. We have much to do to make America great.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-1-21

ensuring that America's kids have access to quality medical care is among my top priorities in the Senate. That is why, long ago, I reached across the aisle to create the revolutionary Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP. prgtoken I am proud to call CHIP my own. Teddy Kennedy and I faced an uphill battle to get this bill passed, but we were willing to take the heat because we knew it was the right thing to do--he came on board shortly after I filed this bill--and I have never regretted it. prgtoken For more than 20 years, CHIP has served as a literal lifeline for millions of children whose families could not have otherwise afforded health insurance. Without exaggeration, this groundbreaking program has saved thousands of young lives, and it has long stood as a symbol of what our two parties can accomplish when we look beyond the horizon of our differences to find common ground. prgtoken Sadly, in today's Washington, the bipartisan spirit that breathed life into CHIP has been all but snuffed out. As a case in point, the are now holding this healthcare program hostage to their own radical agenda, using it as a bargaining chip in a dangerous political game. prgtoken After months of hard work and good faith negotiation, the progressives prgtoken have, effectively, walked away from a once-in-a-generation deal to extend CHIP for 6 years--the longest extension in the program's history and something I would like to do. Unless s cave to their unreasonable demands, the Federal Government will remain shut down for--who knows how long? prgtoken Rather than holding CHIP for ransom, I implore my friends on the left to work with us not only to reauthorize this beloved program but also to approve a Federal funding package so that we can get the government back up and running. prgtoken Contrary to what the Senator from Ohio asserted just a few moments ago, the s have been working diligently this whole past year to get CHIP across the finish line. We did not let CHIP funding lapse but worked continually to make sure that there were sufficient funds for the program even after the fiscal year. prgtoken Under no circumstances was I ever going to let CHIP expire without taking care of it. That is why Senator Wyden and I engaged in a bipartisan process, following regular order, back in the summer. We came to an agreement together. We reported a CHIP bill out of committee on a voice vote, with plenty of time to pass it through both Chambers. Since that time, I have worked with leaders to ensure that the program has been sufficiently funded in the short term until we could bring up and pass our long-term extension. prgtoken , the idea that we would have let funding lapse is absurd, and the Senator from Ohio knows it. Moreover, the accusation that s have ignored CHIP is false on its face. Give me a break. Our work is on the record, and anyone who tells you otherwi
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Jeff Flake (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2018-1-21

on Friday, I voted with many of my colleagues not to accept the deal that was offered at that time, the CR to go for 4 weeks. I felt that was unnecessarily long. prgtoken Also, I voted against it because I felt, like a lot of my ic colleagues and some of my colleagues, that we need to deal with this situation on immigration and that we shouldn't wait for the White House to indicate its preference. prgtoken I felt that we could have an agreement to move forward, so I voted against the proposal at that time. In the intervening time, we have worked with the majority leader to, No. 1, have a shorter timeframe, which now has been offered, that of February 8. That is longer than I would like, but it is shorter than a 4-week CR. prgtoken Also, we had an agreement, which the majority leader has just announced, that if an agreement on immigration has not been reached by that time, the majority leader, using his discretion and his authority as majority leader, will move to immigration, and at that time, we can deal with the DACA issue and broader immigration issues generally; that moving to immigration, my understanding--and I believe the commitment-- is not to prejudice one bill over another, but anyone can bring forward their bill. prgtoken There are several of us who have been working on a bipartisan bill. I believe we have seven s and seven on that effort right now. That legislation certainly will be considered, as will other legislation, as it should be. I think the Senate should act like the Senate. prgtoken I just want to say that there has been a lot of rhetoric over the last couple of days about whose shutdown this is--who should have the blame. There is enough blame to go around. I hope we can move away from that and find a way to open the government back up, move about our business, and let the Senate legislate as it should. prgtoken I will add my vote for this agreement, as the majority leader has simply outlined, that we have a CR that runs through February 8, and we seek to have an agreement on immigration before that time, as well as the other outstanding issues. If an agreement has not been reached by February 8, then we move to immigration, and the Senate deals with it as the Senate should, without relying on the White House or other bodies, other Chambers, to dictate what we do here, and we deal with this issue as we have dealt with it in the past, by debating it, by amending legislation, and by moving forward. prgtoken With that, .
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-1-21

reserving the right to object, I am glad to hear that the Senator from Ohio and the Senator from Connecticut all want to get the government funded. I also think Wright-Patterson is a great military installation. prgtoken I actually come from a State that is the home of the Global Response Force, the 82nd Airborne, down in Fort Bragg. When the President calls and they want to send somebody into harm's way, that is where they call first. It is also the home of 45 percent of all marines that serve in the Marine Corps. I worry a lot about the message we are sending our men and women in uniform when we can't get our act together here. Everybody in suits, everybody in the Senate, everybody here tonight is playing games with funding our government. prgtoken My colleague just asked for a 1-day CR. That didn't happen. Now you are asking for a 3-day CR. How about this? Why don't we stay here until we get this done? Why don't we realize that, look, the daylight is not going to come until about 8 or 9 hours. We can get this done before 9 o'clock tomorrow morning. Instead of asking for these half measures--a 1-day CR, a 3-day CR--why don't we get in a room tonight and solve our problems? Why are we actually kicking the can down the road a little bit--1 day, 3 days? We were trying to get 1 month done. prgtoken For that reason, , I object.
GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND RELEASE OF FISA DOCUMENTS
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2018-1-21

we are starting hour 39 of the Schumer shutdown weekend. prgtoken I would like everybody to understand that this is a 4-week spending bill--4 weeks. It has nothing to do with the March 5 deadline for DACA, has nothing to do with DACA at all. Indeed, it is just to keep the government running. So, if we get 9 or 10 Senators on the ic side to realize it has nothing to do with DACA, maybe we can go on and do the people's business. prgtoken That said, many of my constituents are calling up, asking about the FISA documents, the FISA memo. I do want to see them put out in front of the public, and the supporting documents that go with them, after having had a chance to look at those confidential documents earlier downstairs. prgtoken But I also want us to be confident in the process that Chairman Bob Goodlatte, Chairman Trey Gowdy, and Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes have in place to do this methodically and carefully, because we want to be sure these documents are brought forward and used in a way that is most advantageous to get to the truth. So part of that will entail that we need a special counsel to investigate and not have the DOJ and FBI investigate themselves.
DEMOCRATS OWN THE SHUTDOWN
Evan H. Jenkins (Republican, WV) \u2014 2018-1-21

the American people are demanding of us to do what is right. That is why I proudly voted ``yes'' to keep the government open, to pay our troops, to provide funding for our Nation's military, and to reauthorize CHIP, healthcare for children in need, for 6 years. prgtoken Instead, in the Senate voted ``no.'' They said no to all of these critical priorities--national security, healthcare for our children, keeping the government open--all while they pushed their own political agenda. The only thing they said yes to was the Schumer shutdown. prgtoken Enough is enough, . Nothing in this bill is controversial. We did our job. We have passed reauthorization for CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, not once but twice, and it has stalled in the Senate. prgtoken own the Schumer shutdown. They have said no to policies the American people want and the American people need. prgtoken Washington is broken. We need to get back on track I urge my colleagues to work together, to work in the interest of all West Virginians and all Americans, working for working families, military families, and retirees. They are all depending on us.
FIFTY-ONE PERCENT IS A MAJORITY
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2018-1-21

my friend, Sammy Mahon, from Baytown, Texas, drives a jet-black Peterbilt tractor all over America, and he asked this logical question: Why does it take 60 votes for the Senate to make a decision? prgtoken He said: Well, the rule--I can't really say what he said; I'll just use the word ``nutty.'' prgtoken Why have this rule? We all learned in elementary school that 51 percent is a majority. By requiring 60 votes to make a decision, government is ruled by the few, not the majority; thus, a handful of Senators can block progress. prgtoken The result? The government is shut down. The military is not paid. Lovely. prgtoken The Senate inconsistently allows the majority rule in some votes but, on others, 60 percent. The Senate should strongly consider what Sammy thinks about this archaic rule: make a decision with 50 percent, regardless of what party is in charge. prgtoken Sammy is right. This undemocratic rule is nutty. The sky will not fall if the Senate makes decisions by majority rule. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
IT IS SIMPLE UNTIL YOU MAKE IT COMPLICATED
Keith J. Rothfus (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-1-21

it is simple until you make it complicated. There is a poster in my office that says just that, and it kind of describes where we are at today. prgtoken We are having a lot of debate in this House about the current government funding situation, our military, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which, by the way, House s actually voted to extend more than 2 months ago and did again this past week. prgtoken Here is the simple part: the Children's Health Insurance Program can be reauthorized, the government can be reopened, and paychecks sent to our troops without delay if Senators Chuck Schumer and Bob Casey and other Senate change their votes to make that happen. prgtoken The short-term funding bill and Children's Health Insurance Program reauthorization is about as bipartisan and noncontroversial as you can get around here, yet Senator Schumer decided to make a crisis out of it. prgtoken , I would like to be able to ask Senator Schumer and Senator Casey: Would you vote to reopen the government today? Would it make a difference, if I said ``please?''
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-1-21

tonight I wish to talk about our responsibility in the U.S. Senate to reopen the government, to get back to work solving real problems, and to fix the system around here so we aren't tempted to play political games with government shutdowns in the future. prgtoken We are now in the second day of what I think is kind of a senseless shutdown. It is not helping anybody. There is a lot of disruption, dislocation, and dysfunction for no reason. It is a situation which was perhaps best described by ic leader Chuck Schumer in 2013 when he said: ``I believe in immigration reform. What if I persuaded my caucus to say I'm going to shut the government down, I'm not going to pay our bills unless I get my way. It's politics of idiocy, of confrontation, of paralysis.'' prgtoken I think Chuck Schumer was right. I think the lesson of 2013 in that shutdown is, they don't work. I think they are a bad idea. They are unnecessary disruptions. They hurt our economy. They hurt families. They hurt our troops. By the way, they ultimately also cost the taxpayers more money, not less. That has been the history. prgtoken That is why, for 6 years now, I have been fighting to pass legislation called the End Government Shutdowns Act. It is a very simple piece of legislation. By the way, my efforts in that have spanned Presidents of both parties and majorities in the Senate of both parties. It is not a political issue. We should end government shutdowns. prgtoken More on that in a minute, but let's take a look at the real-world impact of a shutdown. In my home State of Ohio, nearly 50,000 Federal workers are seeing their paychecks halted through no fault of their own. This includes rangers at parks across the State, like Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It includes 3,000 employees at NASA Glenn. It includes thousands of civilian employees at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and thousands of other employees around the Buckeye State who are going to be hurt. Why? Because of the shutdown here in Washington, DC. By the way, Federal contractors are being told they can't go to work. Yet they are going to get paid after the fact. How does that help taxpayers? prgtoken How did we get here? Well, spending goes through Congress. The Constitution says Congress alone has the power of the purse, so every dime that is appropriated for spending has to go through this Congress. prgtoken Unfortunately, since the fiscal year ended on September 30, and s in Congress have been unable to agree on an overall budget plan that allows us to fund our 12 annual spending bills. Since then, we have passed three of these so-called continuing resolutions. They are also called CRs. They provide short-term funding for the government; basically, a continuation of the spending from last year, just to keep the government from shutting down. That is what CRs do. They don't include any policies, typically, or any spending levels for the