mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, RELATING TO...
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2019-10-23

I am proud to be here with Senator Warner and Senator Wyden, both leaders on this election security issue. prgtoken This is the second time I have come to the floor this week to urge the Senate to take action on election security legislation. It has been 1,006 days since Russia attacked us in 2016, something that has been confirmed by all of President 's top intelligence agents. In fact, former Director Coats actually said they are getting bolder. prgtoken The next major elections are just 377 days away. We must take action now to secure our elections. prgtoken I know Senator Wyden will be addressing the actual hacking of our election equipment, which is so important, as well as other issues, but I am focused on this propaganda issue, this disinformation campaign that we have seen from the Russians. prgtoken The Honest Ads Act, which is part of the bill that I will be asking for unanimous consent on, the SHIELD Act, which is going to be passed by the House today, includes a number of measures that would close loopholes to stop foreign spending on issue ads in our elections. It would boost disclosure and transparency requirements, and it would help to stop bad actors from using deceptive practices to mislead voters. prgtoken All that may sound like a list of policy issues that seem very removed, but let me make it very specific. Here is one example of, literally, millions. prgtoken In the last election, an ad was discovered that was paid for in rubles. It had been paid for in rubles before the election. It happened, but we did not know prgtoken about it until long after the election. It was the face of an African- American woman, an innocent woman, in Chicago. She later called our office and said: I don't know where they got my face. They put her face on a Facebook ad that went to African-American Facebook pages in swing States. This is what the Russians did. Her picture was there, and it said: Don't wait in line to vote for Hillary Clinton. You can text your vote at--and it gave a five-digit number, like 86153. prgtoken That is a crime. That is a crime. They are suppressing the vote. They are telling a voter to vote illegally in a way that will not register their vote. That is what we are talking about here--propaganda. Yes, it hurt one side in this 2016 election, but the next time it could be someone else on the other side of the aisle. prgtoken Fundamental to our democracy and our Founding Fathers was the simple idea that we would determine our faith in America and that we would not let foreign powers influence our elections. That is what this is about. It is about protecting our election hardware and infrastructure, and it is also about protecting us from this disinformation campaign and all of this really bad stuff. prgtoken I don't think my colleagues are interested in protecting--I hope this isn't their goal--the big social media companies. I hope their goal is to protect Americans so they c
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF KETTERING UNIVERSITY
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-10-23

I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of Kettering University. Located in the heart of Flint, MI, Kettering University provides world-class education and has helped propel students into careers that sit on the forefront of innovation. prgtoken In 1919, in the infancy of what would become the automotive stronghold within Southeast Michigan, Kettering University began as the School of Automobile Trades, eventually renamed the Flint Institute of Technology, under the direction of Mr. Albert Sobey, who trained mechanics and engineers for Buick. prgtoken The General Motors Corporation would then take over administering the institute, establishing the General Motors Institute, GMI. The institute continued to train not only engineers and mechanics but also managers and administrative staff. This training was highly successful, and in 1945, GMI added a fifth-year thesis requirement and became a degree-granting college. prgtoken Due to innovation through the 1950s and 1960s, GMI continued to evolve with the inclusion of majors such as electrical engineering and added over 70 new courses. Presidents Guy R. Cowing and Harold P. Rodes--who updated labs, equipment, and began building the campus as we know it today--added buildings such as the Campus Center and Thompson Residence Hall. prgtoken In the early 1980s, GM divested itself, which led to GMI becoming a private, nonproft university, but it was not until 1998 that the institution changed its name a final time to honor one of the founders of the institution, Charles Kettering, who was an early and strong proponent of professional cooperative education. Kettering University continued to grow and develop as technologies and advancements changed throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. prgtoken Today, Kettering University offers a variety of programs in addition to engineering related programs which include pre-med, bioinformatics, engineering, physics, and the expansion of their business program, including a master of business administration degree. Kettering University continues to evolve to meet the needs of a technology- infused and rapidly changing society, whether in the automotive industry or in science and business. This includes new projects such as the GM Mobility Research Center and ventures into autonomous vehicles as well as artificial intelligence. prgtoken In addition to their academic initiatives, Kettering University has consistently given back to the Flint community through service and community engagement. Kettering helped establish the University Avenue Corridor Coalition to beautify and draw investment to the area. Students continue to give back through community service, whether it is helping to clean up a yard or engineering a solution to aid the greater community. During the height of the Flint water crisis, when the community was in dire need of assistance, a group of Kettering's engineering students took action and developed
STOPPING HARMFUL INTERFERENCE IN ELECTIONS FOR A LASTING DEMOCRACY ACT
Conor Lamb (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken I am proud to stand up in support of the SHIELD Act, which incorporates my bill, H.R. 4703, The DEFEND Act. The DEFEND Act, as incorporated here, would forbid paid internet activity by foreign actors, foreign political parties, foreign intelligence services and the like. prgtoken This is a problem because in 2016 across Pennsylvania users of social prgtoken media saw this image over and over again. It is the real image of a coal miner suggesting that miners were supporting the nominee and getting together in huge rallies in places like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. prgtoken But the problem is, there were no rallies. And the truth is, the actual opinions of coal miners were much more mixed. They know, in fact, that they have been let down on issues like healthcare and pensions, by both s and , and they have been supported and protected on those same issues by Members of both parties. prgtoken In fact, just today, the House Natural Resources Committee passed the Miners Pension Protection Act, and I was proud to stand with members of both parties in support of that. prgtoken Mr. Chair, the man in this image died in 1987 at the age of 57--too young--like most miners, of black lung. These miners have given a lot. We cannot allow the Russians or anyone else to take anything else from them and affect our elections.
HONORING RABBI MORLEY FEINSTEIN
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-23

. Madam , I rise today to honor a leader in the Jewish community, Rabbi Morley Feinstein. Ordained in 1981 at Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Rabbi Feinstein served as the assistant and first associate rabbi of Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, Texas. From 1987 to 2002, he served as senior rabbi of Temple Beth-El in South Bend, Indiana. During his tenure there, Indiana's Governor recognized Rabbi Feinstein with the state's highest citizen honor, The Sagamore of the Wabash, for his efforts in promoting peace and justice. Rabbi Feinstein has devoted time for thirty-four summers teaching at the camps of the Union for Reform Judaism. In addition, he has served in leadership roles with the Los Angeles Council of Religious Leaders, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. For the past 17 years, Rabbi Feinstein has served as senior rabbi at University Synagogue in Los Angeles, where he has shared his love for teaching Torah and helped to grow a vibrant Jewish community. He has also brought his passion for music to this sacred work. I have had the privilege of attending services officiated by Rabbi Feinstein and have seen firsthand the welcoming spiritual home he has fostered at University Synagogue. In his role as rabbi emeritus, Rabbi Feinstein will remain a treasured resource to our community. Rabbi Feinstein is loved by his wife Dr. Margarete Myers Feinstein, sons, Aaron and Ari, twin daughters, Eliana and Renata, and his two grandchildren. Madam , I wish to thank Rabbi Feinstein for his service to our community.
CONFIRMATION OF EUGENE SCALIA
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-10-23

I want to express my disapproval of the confirmation of Eugene Scalia as Secretary of Labor. America's workers are the backbone of our economy, and the Secretary of Labor should be entrusted to strengthen worker protections, support unions, and play a crucial role in ensuring a just economy. Instead, Eugene Scalia has repeatedly demonstrated that he prioritizes the well-being of corporate interests over those of workers. Throughout his career as a corporate lawyer, he fought against unions, worker safety regulations, and consumer protections rules. For those reasons, I do not believe Eugene Scalia is fit to serve as Secretary of Labor. prgtoken My grandfather was one of the first Black members of United Auto Workers at Ford Motor Company, and through him, I learned the importance of worker rights that collective bargaining provides. Through collective action, unions are able to provide workers with livable wages, safe working conditions, and access to benefits like healthcare coverage and retirement savings. Not only has Eugene Scalia represented companies in arbitrations against collective bargaining agreements, but he identifies it as one of his most significant career moments. The Secretary of Labor should be doing everything in their power to make it easier--not harder--for working people to join unions. prgtoken Eugene Scalia also represented the Chamber of Commerce in working to overturn the fiduciary rule, a commonsense step towards protecting the retirement security of countless working families. Employers trying to design a quality plan for their workers, workers starting to save, and retirees trying to avoid spending down their nest egg too quickly deserve access to quality advice, without fear that financial bias is prgtoken clouding their broker's judgment. Unfortunately, that access to quality, unbiased advice was ultimately overturned, in part thanks to the efforts of Eugene Scalia. prgtoken More Federal oversight and stricter safeguards are necessary to prevent the exploitation and discrimination of working people; yet Eugene Scalia has dedicated his career to fighting against the existing safeguards. He argued that more than 30 women alleging sexual harassment and retaliation should have their claims thrown out, defended a company that refused to hire a woman because she had dreadlocks, and fought against corporate whistleblowers. He has also worked to undermine the rights and protections provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act, stating that workers with disabilities should not be provided workplace accommodations. prgtoken When I go back to my home in Newark, I see many working families struggling to make ends meet, sometimes while working two to three jobs. They often face underemployment, wage stagnation, wage theft, and a variety of other tactics meant to keep wages down and suppress worker rights. They deserve a Secretary of Labor that will fight for them. The Trum
HONORING THE HONORABLE LOU FREY, JR.
Stephanie N. Murphy (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2019-10-23

. I rise in strong support of the SHIELD Act. I helped introduce this legislation, and the House will consider it on the floor later today. prgtoken This bill will protect our country from foreign interference in our elections. Russia's assault on our democracy in 2016 exposed gaps in our Nation's defenses. prgtoken It used to be that the primary threat from adversary nations was their potential use of traditional weapons of war. But our society is rapidly changing and so is the nature of conflict. prgtoken Today, our enemies are far more likely to use computer malware than cruise missiles to do us harm, and they don't think twice about exploiting loopholes in our laws in order to influence our elections. prgtoken That is why passing the SHIELD Act is so critical to maintaining the foundation of our democracy, our system of free and fair elections. prgtoken We know Russia and possibly other foreign powers will likely use similar tactics in 2020. And why wouldn't they? Russia has suffered almost no consequences for their actions in 2016. prgtoken While Russia assisted a on that occasion, it could aid a in the future. That is because Moscow's loyalty is to itself, not to any U.S. political party. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle should never forget that fact. prgtoken To defend our democracy, we need to act now to protect our elections. We need to pass the SHIELD Act. prgtoken I commend Chairwoman Lofgren for her leadership in drafting this critical piece of legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, RELATING TO...
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-10-23

the Senate this week is honoring our former colleague, Senator Ted Stevens, with the unveiling of his official portrait. I come to the floor to say some words about a friend and former chairman. prgtoken Ted Stevens' life in public service started early when he joined the Army Corps in 1943. So great was his desire to serve our country that he joined after attending just one semester of college. During the war, he flew dangerous, unescorted missions in China and India, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses for flights behind enemy lines. After the war, he returned to his studies and graduated from UCLA and Harvard Law School. Not long after that, he moved to Alaska to practice law, and there he began a life of service to the State he called home for the rest of his life. prgtoken Ted served as a district attorney and became known for accompanying U.S. Marshals on raids, and that was really an early hint of his temperament and intensity on the job. Of course, all Senators devote their careers to their States, but few have the distinction of working to achieve statehood. Senator Stevens was one of them. Working in the Department of Interior in the 1950s, he became known as ``Mr. Alaska'' for his focus on achieving statehood. He worked tirelessly to assuage the concerns of then-President Eisenhower to get statehood passed through both the House and the Senate. prgtoken When the Alaska Statehood Act finally passed, Ted returned to Alaska and served as a representative in the State House, becoming majority leader after just one term. Then, in 1968, he came to the Senate, where he would go on to serve for 40 years. prgtoken Once here, he distinguished himself as a fierce advocate for Alaska. He fought relentlessly for funding to build rural hospitals, highways, courts, and military bases across the State he helped create. His efforts only increased when he ascended to the powerful chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee. He often quipped that being such a young State, Alaska needed extra help to catch up to its elder siblings; and help is exactly what he secured. One estimate says he steered more than $3.4 billion in Federal funding to Alaskan projects in just the last 14 years of his tenure. prgtoken Those of us who served with him on the Appropriations Committee got to know Ted's Incredible Hulk tie, which he would wear on days with especially difficult debates. He was a fighter and a fierce advocate for his State and his party. When a reporter once asked about his reputation for losing his temper, Senator Stevens replied: I didn't lose my temper. I know right where it is. prgtoken But he would also cross party lines and work side by side with his appropriations colleagues, especially Bob Byrd and Daniel Inouye. They would trade the gavel between them, serving as chair and ranking member of subcommittees and the full committee. prgtoken Beyond Federal funding, Stevens settled many lo
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, RELATING TO...
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-10-23

I guess if you live long enough and are around here long enough, you get to hear it all. prgtoken Hypocrisy is when the party of the rich--now the party that gave $1 trillion in the tax bill to the largest corporations, with most of it going to the wealthiest one-tenth of 1 percent--now says it is for the working guy. Amazing. Hypocrisy is when donor States, like my State of New Jersey, give moocher States--those that actually receive far more than they give to the Federal Treasury--say that somehow we should continue to pay more. Yet that is overwhelmingly the reality that is going on. In fact, I find the comments of some of my colleagues here to be pretty ironic. prgtoken I urge the Senate to reject these new IRS rules that are designed to block efforts by homeowners across America to avoid the tax law's harmful caps on their State and local tax deductions. prgtoken I thank Leader Schumer and Ranking Member Wyden for the opportunity to exercise our authority under the Congressional Review Act to stop these IRS rules from taking effect. prgtoken It was 2 years ago when President and his allies rammed their corporate tax bill through Congress. They promised middle-class families thousands of dollars in tax relief and $4,000 raises in their salaries. Instead, all they got was $1.5 trillion more in debt and an economy that was even more rigged in favor of big corporations and wealthy CEOs. prgtoken Of course, as bad as the tax bill is for the whole country, it is even worse for States like New Jersey. That is because, even after borrowing over $1.5 trillion from China, the President still can't pay for his deficit-exploding corporate tax cuts. Where are all of my colleagues--all of those deficit hawks--who talked about exploding deficits and debt? They are silent. prgtoken Even though he couldn't have enough of this $1.5 trillion of borrowing, what did President do? He dipped into the wallets of New Jersey's and other States' middle classes by gutting the State and local tax deductions they used to write off, their property taxes. In 2016, $1.8 million, or around 40 percent of New Jersey's taxpayers, deducted their property and State income taxes from their Federal returns. That average was about $18,000 per deduction. More than 80 percent of those who deducted earned less than $200,000. So to say that the tax law was a giant hit job on New Jersey's middle class is no exaggeration, for already New Jersey families are paying the price. prgtoken Earlier this month, new data from ProPublica revealed that because of the new $10,000 cap on property tax deductions, home values in New Jersey have taken a huge hit. In fact, home values in Essex County, NJ, declined more than those of any other county in America. prgtoken And according to nj.com, of over 30 counties across the Nation suffering the largest dip in home values, 16 of them are in the Garden State. That is why Governo
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, RELATING TO...
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2019-10-23

it is great to be here with Senator Murkowski. prgtoken I rise to speak in support of the fiscal year 2020 Interior appropriations bill, which is now before the Senate. I want to begin by thanking my chairman and partner in this endeavor, Senator Murkowski, for her working with me to produce a very fine bill that was crafted on a bipartisan basis. It is extraordinary that this bill is on the floor for the second consecutive year after many years when we were not able to move the bill by regular order. Much of the credit goes to her leadership and her commitment to working through tough issues in a fair and a pragmatic way. prgtoken One of the reasons I am particularly proud of moving a bipartisan bill is the importance this bill has for my home State of New Mexico. prgtoken This bill reflects the long tradition we have in my State of working across the aisle to support conservation priorities. It includes a number of important accomplishments for the State, including language to protect the sacred landscape of Chaco Canyon, along with funding to support the Valles Caldera National Preserve and the new resources to clean up the PFAS contamination in New Mexico and across the country. prgtoken This bill is also an important reflection of why the work that Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy did earlier this year to secure a 2-year budget agreement is so important. prgtoken The Interior bill delivers roughly 2.5 percent more funding than last year once you factor in the increase we received under the budget agreement and the savings we picked up from using the first year of the wildfire cap adjustment. prgtoken The funds in this bill allow this body to make solid increases to support the Land and Water Conservation Fund and to protect and manage national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands. I know many hope we can do better on the Land and Water Conservation Fund funding, and so do I. While I am pleased about the increase in this bill above the enacted level, I will be working to improve the LWCF's funding when we conference with the House. But our efforts in the short term should not take away from the goal we have set on a bipartisan basis to provide permanent, mandatory, full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. That remains a top priority for me, and I think we can and should accomplish that in this Congress. prgtoken The bill also makes critical investments in Indian Country. Many of those were mentioned by Chairman Murkowski, and we believe there are really solid things that have been done there--investments in Indian Country, providing a 4-percent increase for the Indian Health Service and a 2-percent increase for programs funded through the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education. prgtoken We provide $2.25 billion in new firefighting funds using the wildfire cap adjustment, which means that these funds are finally, for the first time, provided wi