mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT RESOLUTION
Ted Cruz (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-3-14

I rise to commend the Senate for passing S.J. Res. 23, the legislation I introduced that has now passed both Houses of Congress, which reins in yet another example of the administration's Executive overreach, gives power and flexibility to the States, and enables States to deal with the problem of drug use-- the epidemic of drug use--and to craft solutions that help people escape addiction and dependence on drugs. prgtoken This resolution was introduced in the House by Chairman Kevin Brady, a fellow Texan. It passed the House 236 to 189, with bipartisan support. With the Senate's passage of the resolution, we will now be sending it to President for his signature. prgtoken This resolution restores congressional intent behind the bipartisan Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012. The job creation act of 2012 permitted, but did not require, States to assess State unemployment compensation or insurance program applicants for drug usage under two circumstances: where workers had been discharged from their last job because of unlawful drug use, or where workers were looking for jobs in occupations where applicants and employees are subject to drug testing. prgtoken The wording of the 2012 job creation act clearly demonstrated that Congress intended to provide States the ability to determine how to best implement these plans. A number of States, including my home State of Texas, did precisely that, establishing testing and programs to help people who had drug dependency and addiction escape from that addiction. prgtoken However, years after the law's passage, the Department of Labor substantially narrowed the law beyond congressional intent to circumstances where testing is legally required, not where it is merely permitted. That narrow definition undermined congressional intent and it undermined the flexibility of the States. Now, together, we have reversed that interpretation. prgtoken I commend my colleagues, and I thank Chairman Brady for his leadership in the House and introducing the resolution, and I commend all of us for restoring the authority of the States. prgtoken .
REPEALING AND REPLACING OBAMACARE
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-3-14

now on another matter, in election after election, the American people have made their voices clear: They want an end to Care. In my home State of Kentucky, Care premiums are up by as much as 47 percent, and almost half of the counties only have one prgtoken option for an insurer on the exchange. The pain individuals and families are feeling across the country is palpable. They have watched their bills skyrocket and their options disappear. Care has made a mess all across our country. prgtoken Again and again, Kentuckians have called for relief from this partisan law. s have heard their call, and we have adopted a three-pronged approach to stabilize the healthcare market and help it grow into the future. prgtoken The first prong is the legislation currently being considered by committees over in the House. Yesterday, the Congressional Budget Office underlined some important things we have been saying about the House bill. It will ultimately drive down premiums by 10 percent, in their estimation. It will provide further relief to the middle class by cutting taxes--a tax cut of $883 billion. It will also reduce the deficit by $337 billion, according to CBO. prgtoken That is only considering one part of our three-pronged approach. It does not take into account the other actions Congress, the Governors, or the executive branch can take to further provide relief, lower costs, and improve access. Obviously that means the CBO's statistics, on average, are premature and may not represent the final number of Americans covered under the plan. prgtoken Last night, we confirmed Seema Verma to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS. In that role, Administrator Verma has very broad authority to regulate how Care interacts with the Medicaid Program. prgtoken Care spent years raiding Medicare funds and putting Medicaid on an unsustainable path. Now she has the ability to work with States on much needed reforms. prgtoken The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Tom Price, just met with Senate s to discuss what he is doing to lessen the burdens of Care on the American people. prgtoken Care gave significant regulatory flexibility to the Health and Human Services Secretary, as well as the CMS Administrator. Secretary Price and Administrator Verma now have the ability to make serious policy shifts to benefit the American people. prgtoken With the three-pronged strategy, we can begin to put the troubles of Care behind us. We can work together to make the health care marketplace more accessible and affordable.
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2017-3-14

. I thank Chairman Grassley for that question and the invitation to join him in the colloquy. As two of the only non- attorneys on the Judiciary Committee, it is important that we, on behalf of the majority of Americans, who are non-lawyers, do reclaim the separation of powers as a basic American inheritance. So for the chance to discuss it here today. prgtoken Starting the morning after President 's victory last November, there has actually been something of a renaissance of separation of powers talk among many folks around this body, and that is a good thing. After 8 years of legislative atrophy, many on the other side of the aisle are now remembering the old ``Schoolhouse Rock'' distinction among the three separate and coequal branches, and this is good news for Americans' civic health. prgtoken If are serious--frankly, if all of us are serious, for we in this body have taken an oath not to a political party but to a constitutional structure of limits where power is intentionally separated and divided because our forefathers and foremothers were skeptical of the consolidation of power--if we take this seriously and we would like to reclaim some of the Congress's responsibility and ability and authority to check and balance the other two branches, the debate around Judge Gorsuch's nomination and the hearings we will have beginning in the chairman's committee next month are a great place to start. So I wish to offer a little bit of what I think is an important historical backdrop for this debate. prgtoken Any discussion of the separation of powers must be rooted in a solid understanding of what we mean and what the Founders meant by the phrase ``the consent of the governed.'' Historically speaking, this is still a bold idea which must be constantly defined, reclaimed, renewed, and passed on to the next generation, for over the course of human history, we can put every form of government into one of two categories: You are ruled either by people you didn't choose or by people you did choose. prgtoken One of these groups has taken many forms through the centuries-- Kings, elites, political parties, and technocrats. Indeed, most governments throughout human history fit this mold, where the people were ruled by a form of government that they had no say in and that they didn't choose. But there is another group, and these are people who rule themselves through the leaders they have chosen and continually get to choose. When the leaders fail to serve the will of the people, those leaders can be removed. This describes our form of government and its historical anomaly. We should recognize that, and our kids should understand what a special blessing it is to live under this form of government. prgtoken The point is elegantly simple: Either people are ruled, or the people are ultimately and fundamentally the rulers. Why does this matter? This isn't a question to take flippantly but, ra
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-3-14

today I wish to honor two individuals from Missouri that have selflessly dedicated their lives to the military and public service. Dewey and Virginia Riehn have both held significant leadership roles within the veterans' community, and their decision to turn over that role to the next generation will be felt by the numerous lives they have impacted. prgtoken Dewey Riehn is a retired chief warrant officer of the U.S. Army, originally from Jackson, MO. He married his beloved wife, Virginia, on August 24, 1958. Enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1956, Dewey transitioned to the Army, where he served as a counterintelligence agent, seeing multiple tours in Vietnam. He and Virginia were stationed overseas on multiple occasions. After retiring from the Army, he transitioned to the Missouri Department of Social Services, where he successfully completed a 24-year career as a child abuse investigator. prgtoken From the time Dewey retired from military service, he and Virginia have both been pinnacle figures within the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and Vietnam Veterans of America. Dewey has testified on numerous occasions before the Missouri Legislature, ultimately helping legislators shape State and national policy. prgtoken Dewey was paramount in helping secure funding for the Veterans Commission's Capital Improvement Trust Fund prgtoken through gaming entrance fees. In addition, he was instrumental in the establishment of veterans treatment courts throughout Missouri. His extreme proficiency and vast dedication to veterans' issues resulted in his selection as the national legislative chairman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. prgtoken Mrs. Riehn has enjoyed a successful career as a nurse, while also maintaining strong roles within the veterans' community. She was previously the legislative chairman of VFW Post 280 Ladies Auxiliary. Dewey and Virginia have five children and currently live in Ashland, MO. prgtoken As Dewey and Virginia relinquish their roles from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, I would like to pause and reflect on their lifelong commitments of profound service. I extend my heartfelt thanks to him and his wife and wish them the very best as they transition to a new chapter after decades of service to veterans and public service.
CLIMATE CHANGE
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-3-14

I think tomorrow President is going--or at least is planning--to sign an Executive order rolling back the Clean Power Plan. I will have a lot to say about that, but I think it is important at an appropriate time to discuss the history of this issue. It has been going on a long time. prgtoken At the start of the 114th Congress, the Senate voted 98 to 1 in support of the Inhofe-Whitehouse amendment, stating that climate change is real and not a hoax. That is something we can actually agree on; that climate has been changing since the beginning of time, and there is all the archeological evidence, there is the Scriptural evidence, the historic evidence. Climate has been changing and will continue to change. prgtoken The hoax is that some on the far left believe man controls changes in the climate. We have endured 8 years of an administration that buys into the alarmist mentality that the world is coming to an end, and it is due to manmade gases. That is what the hoax is. Even though individuals--occasionally you will find some scientists who agree with this, but they will say that there may be some contribution, but it is minimal. It is not even measurable. prgtoken The administration has used climate change as justification for taking unauthorized actions, such as the so-called Clean Power Plan. Every administrative entity under was forced to embrace his climate change agenda as a top priority and used it as a convenient sounding board. prgtoken We have seen agencies such as the Department of Defense divert resources away from their core responsibilities and instead spend them on finding ways to justify statements from the President that climate change is the greatest threat, a greater threat than terrorism. prgtoken So other agencies have spared no taxpayer expense in supporting the outcome-driven science in an attempt to bolster their claims. In fact, the Congressional Research Service has reported that the administration spent $120 billion on climate change issues. That is a total waste of money. I don't think anyone can tell me what that $120 billion was spent for. It was not authorized, it was not appropriated, but it was spent. prgtoken This comes from the Congressional Research Service. So this is a total waste of money, money needed to defend America. Despite the administration's efforts, as research and data around climate change continue to improve, the results do not support their claims but instead call them into question. This is especially true for all of the ``hottest month'' or ``hottest season'' or ``hottest year'' in history. This is something that is often claimed by those who are reading the script and trying to make those claims. prgtoken So 2014 was previously the warmest year on record, until a reporter pressed NOAA and NASA on the claim and the agencies were forced to admit they were only 38 percent sure that claim was accurate. A December 201
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-3-14

. I thank Senator Grassley. The Senator's question really cuts to the heart of the issue. It cuts to the heart of the very reasons why we have an independent judiciary and exactly why it is that our system of government that operates under the U.S. Constitution depends so critically on individuals just like Judge Gorsuch. It depends on people like Judge Gorsuch sitting on the Federal bench. prgtoken There are, I believe, two fundamental differences between the judiciary on the one hand and the two political branches on the other hand; that is, the two branches in which people serve after being elected to office, meaning the legislative branch where we work, and the executive branch headed by the President. prgtoken First, the legislative and executive powers sweep far more broadly than does the judicial power. Article I enumerates a list of lawmaking powers that are granted to Congress, and article II vests executive power in the President. By comparison, the judiciary's power is far more circumscribed. It is far more limited. prgtoken The judiciary has the power to decide only a limited and defined set of disputes--those that qualify as cases and controversies under article III of the Constitution. To be clear, in the context of deciding a particular case, the judiciary has the power to invalidate an act put in place by the elected branches of government--the power to say what the law is, as Chief Justice John Marshall explained it in the landmark case Marbury v. Madison. prgtoken But that power is limited. It is limited, among other things, by article III of the Constitution and by jurisdictional requirements like standing and mootness and ripeness as explained in greater detail by Supreme Court precedent. prgtoken The judiciary's authority to say what the law is points to the second major difference between the courts on the one hand and the political branches on the other. While the function of the judiciary is an exercise in reasoned judgment, the functions of the executive and legislative branches are exercises of power. prgtoken There are many ways in which the Constitution and the political theory underlying it limit the exercise of that power. The Constitution protects minority rights, and it conditions the exercise of legislative or executive power on winning elections, and that, in turn, means winning the trust of the American people--of the voters throughout the country. prgtoken These twin ideas--the consent of the governed and the protection of minority rights within an essentially majority-rule system--are pillars of our constitutional order. But make no mistake, coercion underlies the laws that we make in this body and their enforcement by the executive branch. prgtoken By contrast, the judicial function is ultimately an exercise in reasoned judgment. As Alexander Hamilton explained in Federalist 78: ``neither Force nor Will, but merely judgment'' are exercised by the judiciary. This is the essenti
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-3-14

the development of a skilled workforce is essential to maintaining a robust economy and driving forward innovation throughout society. Investments in education remain more important now than ever. Today the United States is 12th in the world in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds achieving post-high school degrees. We need to make changes that help keep students engaged in their futures while also ensuring our educational programs are adequately preparing students for the jobs of the 21st century. I firmly believe that a strong congressional commitment to strengthening career and technical education, CTE, throughout the country will help us achieve this goal. prgtoken Career and technical education programs provide students with a valuable educational experience that benefits them during high school and throughout their careers. Student participation in CTE programs is linked to greater levels of student engagement and higher graduation rates. The U.S. prgtoken Department of Education announced that the average U.S. high school graduation rate is 83 percent, while the graduation rate for students in CTE concentrations is higher than 90 percent. Eighty-one percent of high school dropouts say real-world learning opportunities would have kept them in school. CTE programs prepare students for fulfilling careers in a number of high-growth, skill-intensive industries including information technology; science, technology, engineering and math; human services; transportation; and architecture and construction, among others. Through a combination of academic enrichment and job-specific training, CTE programs are developing postsecondary and workforce-ready graduates equipped to meet the needs of employers in current and emerging industries. prgtoken The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is a major source of Federal support for the development of career and technical skills among secondary and postsecondary students. Last reauthorized in 2006, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act needs to be modernized to meet the demands of the 21st-century workforce and ensure that students have access to the highest-quality CTE programs. prgtoken This is why I am pleased to introduce with my colleagues, Senator Portman, Senator Baldwin, and Senator Young, the Educating Tomorrow's Workforce Act, which would amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to raise the quality of CTE programs. The bill allows States and localities to use Perkins grant funding to establish CTE-focused academies. The legislation defines what constitutes a rigorous CTE curriculum and requires Perkins grant recipients to incorporate key high-quality elements in their programs including credit-transfer opportunities; academic and technical skills assessments; training tools that align with today's industries; CTE- focused professional development for teachers, administrators, and counselors
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-3-14

I want to first thank my colleague from Michigan for her outstanding presentation. It was succinct. It was on point. It showed all the problems with Care. I hope we will see a lot more not only of her speaking about this--and I know we will--but those great charts she put together. prgtoken I, too, rise this afternoon again on the plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. There has been some confusion about what to call it. Ryan, one of the principal authors of the bill, doesn't want it called RyanCare. President doesn't want it called Care. President slapped his name on buildings, ties, steaks, hotels, and golf clubs, but not on a bill that he says he supports. If it is so good, why doesn't any want to put their name on it? I think the reason is because every single day, as we learn more and more about the bill, more and more Americans are turning against it. Doctors don't like it. Patients don't like it. Hospitals don't like it. Women don't like it. Millennials don't like it. Seniors don't like it. More and more s don't like it. And are totally united against it. prgtoken So I just want to ask one question. Care has been public for 1 week now. Is there any group left in the country who actually likes it? I am not sure there is. So s have resorted to their usual talking points. prgtoken They like to talk about access to healthcare. That is what Dr. Price said over and over again. He didn't talk about people getting healthcare, just having access to healthcare. prgtoken They say they want universal access to healthcare. Well, every American has universal access to a Lamborghini. You can walk into the Lamborghini showroom and say: I would like to purchase one. The proprietor says: Well, that will be a couple hundred thousand dollars. And you can't buy it. Access is not enough. Access is not enough. prgtoken Every single American would like a huge mansion worth $10 million. They have access. They can go to a real estate agent and say: Show me a list of $10 million mansions in my community. That is access, but they can't afford it. We know when Dr. Price and others talk about access, they are trying to actually verbally trick the American people because people can't afford this healthcare. They will not have the healthcare, but they can inquire about it. That is all access is. prgtoken Americans are smarter than that. They know having good health insurance is what leads to affordable healthcare. Access to care will not make us well and will not save our lives if we can't afford it. prgtoken So what is the real effect of this Care bill? Last night the Congressional Budget Office made clear that 24 million fewer Americans will have health insurance if Care becomes the law of the land. It is one of the biggest broken promises that this President has made, and he has broken a lot of them. In an interview