mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5377, RESTORING TAX FAIRNESS FOR STATES AND LOCALITIES ACT
Tom Cole (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-12-19

the balance of my time to close. prgtoken , in closing, I oppose both the rule and the underlying measure. H.R. 5377 is a deeply misguided and partisan tax bill that sets up a temporary tax break for a privileged few and seeks to trade it for a permanent tax hike for the entire country. prgtoken The bill temporarily removes the cap on the State and local tax deduction, a benefit that will primarily go to wealthy taxpayers living in expensive homes in a few key States and localities. But to pay for this temporary boondoggle, the majority is adding a permanent hike at the top marginal tax rate. The benefits will go only to a few key privileged areas, but the costs are spread across the entire country. prgtoken It makes very little sense to me to trade a temporary tax break for a permanent tax increase, and it makes even less sense to me to ask the entire country to pay for it in perpetuity for a short-term tax break for a few areas with high State and local taxes. prgtoken Now, my friends have talked about the relative tax burden and who gives what and what States give what. As a former member of the Budget Committee, those numbers are, by the way, usually based on the discretionary portion of the budget. The reality is--I hate to say this, because we have a big problem in front of us that I don't think either party has confronted very well, certainly not mine, but I don't think my friends have either, and I don't think this administration has, and I don't think the last one did--every State in America is a debtor State if you start adding in Medicare, Medicaid, and those type of nondiscretionary expenditures. prgtoken So we have a big problem. It is really related to an aging population more than it is anything else, but the idea that some States are so- called donor States, I have to tell you, , nobody is a donor State in America. We are running nearly a $1 trillion deficit. That deficit comes almost primarily because we have simply not readjusted Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security to pay for the benefits that are drawn out. I hope someday we will work on that. prgtoken I actually have a bipartisan bill, I used to carry it with Mr. Delaney--a very good friend and Presidential candidate from my good friends on the other side--that would go back and set up what we did in 1983. When Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill worked together, we had a Social Security Commission. We actually increased the revenue going into Social Security. I think that would have to be one of the long- term fixes, not simply cuts, reductions, and reforms. That is a debate for another day. prgtoken In closing, , American taxpayers, in my view, deserve better than what is in front of us here today. Rather than making the tax code more regressive and complicated, which this bill would do, we should further reform and simplify the tax code to make it easier for all taxpayers to understand. We should be making American busin
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-12-19

I appreciate that. from Massachusetts. He and his staff were tremendous in working on this. As I said before, it is nice when we have an opportunity to work in a bipartisan way on something that is this meaningful in people's lives. This has a tremendous impact on the daily life of Americans who are bombarded, in many cases, not just with annoying nuisance calls, but also with calls that are very predatory and particularly when it comes to some of our vulnerable populations. prgtoken , notwithstanding rule XII, I ask unanimous consent that the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 151. prgtoken The Presiding Officer laid before the Senate the following message from the House of Representatives: Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 151) entitled ``An Act to deter criminal robocall violations and improve enforcement of section 227(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other purposes'', do pass with an amendment. Motion to Concur
IMPEACHING DONALD JOHN TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, FOR HIGH CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Jody B. Hice (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , the ' new definition for evidence is allegations. Allegations based on hearsay, I might add. They hurl allegations against the President and then say to him it's not their responsibility to prove guilty but it's the President's responsibility to prove his innocence. This has been a sham and an act of injustice against the President and against 63 million Americans who voted for him. Although this process was rigged from the beginning, never produced a single true piece of evidence. It's time for us to stop this hoax and vote against these articles of impeachment.
RECOGNIZING MR. WILLIAM E. BOGAN
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , I rise today to honor the life of Mr. William E. Bogan, who recently passed away at the young age of 74. prgtoken Mr. Bogan, known as Earle to friends, was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1944 before moving to Higginson, Arkansas in 1993. prgtoken He quickly joined the Higginson Fire Department and served for nearly 20 years until his retirement in 2011. prgtoken Bogan served as Higginson Fire Chief and a City Council Member for numerous years. prgtoken Higginson's Community Building is being renamed the William E. Bogan Community Center by the Higginson City Council in honor of Mr. Bogan's service and leadership in the community. prgtoken His contributions to his community will not be forgotten. I extend my respect, affection and prayers to his wife Catherine, family, and friends.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , it is great to stand here today, and what a difference a day makes. It is really good to see Members on both sides of the aisle stand up and say: You know, we are really getting things done for America. prgtoken I would like to say that this is a Christmas gift that is wrapped up in paper that is red, white, and blue. It is a jobs bill: 176,000 jobs, $68 billion in new revenue. And this was arrived at because, in 2016, a candidate for the Presidency made the same commitment that everybody who ever runs for the Presidency says: If I get elected, I am going to make sure that we replace NAFTA with something that makes sense for American workers. prgtoken Promise made, promise kept. The 45th President of the United States has been on a tear improving this economy. prgtoken Now, having said all that--and I do have friends on both sides of the aisle. I just think that sometimes when we are on the floor here, it is impossible to show that. prgtoken There is a saying at Christmastime that says: Peace on Earth, and good will to men. prgtoken That is not the saying. It is: Peace on Earth to men of goodwill. That is a saying we need to take here. prgtoken One story I will share with you: As a child, I used to write a letter to Santa Claus every Christmas, and I would tell him everything I wanted. I would come down Christmas morning, and I never got everything I wanted, but I was sure as heck thankful for everything I got. prgtoken This is a tremendous jobs bill for America. This is a tremendous accomplishment. I can't imagine anybody not voting for this. prgtoken But I do want to take this opportunity to wish all of us a very Merry Christmas, and all of the people back home. prgtoken For the staffs on both sides, I thank them for everything they did. prgtoken This is the way that America is supposed to work and should continue to work as we end 2019 and go into 2020. It is a wonderful opportunity to show America that, on the people's floor in the House of Representatives, we can actually get things done.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Devin Nunes (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for those kind words, and I am pleased that we have overcome numerous delays and are finally passing a North American trade deal for the 21st century. prgtoken USMCA will create jobs, boost the economy, and strengthen our relationship with our neighbors in Canada and Mexico. I want to express my gratitude to Ambassador Robert Lighthizer and his team, and Gregg Doud and his staff, for the hard work they have done on this agreement. prgtoken I also commend the President for delivering, yet again, for American farmers and workers under USMCA. Under this agreement, ag products that had zero tariffs under NAFTA will continue to be tariff-free. Our farmers and ranchers will gain additional access to the remaining protected sectors. Enforcement will be enhanced to ensure the agreement is implemented correctly. prgtoken Updated dispute mechanisms will ensure the United States has prompt access to a dispute settlement panel, when needed, to allow U.S. businesses to compete on a level playing field. prgtoken This is a great bipartisan agreement that will bring huge benefits to millions of Americans, and I urge my colleagues to support USMCA. prgtoken Finally, I thank Chairman Neal and Ranking Member Brady for all of their great work on this. I know it was not easy, but you guys did a really great work. I think the American people owe you a debt of gratitude.
UNITED STATES-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION ACT
Fred Keller (Republican, PA) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , I rise today in support of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. While I am glad we are here today, this moment is long overdue. prgtoken While have been focusing on impeaching President , manufacturers and family farmers in Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District have been waiting for the trade deal to be ratified. That is because this trade deal means a lot to the hardworking people and farmers of Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. prgtoken Just take the positive effect the USMCA will have on Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District farmers. Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District is home to more than 10,500 farms, 98 percent of which are family farms. Moreover, our district is responsible for 18 percent of Pennsylvania's agriculture products. prgtoken The provisions in this deal eliminating Canada's class 7 milk pricing program, increasing corn and soybean exports, and many other improvements will make a huge difference for those family farms. prgtoken More important is the leverage that gives the United States when negotiating additional trade deals. prgtoken It is no surprise that when Pelosi agreed to the USMCA, China agreed to the Phase One trade deal that President had been negotiating for the benefit of our country. prgtoken Again, USMCA is long overdue, but I am glad we are finally here to be able to support America in this trade deal.
RESTORING TAX FAIRNESS FOR STATES AND LOCALITIES ACT
Peter T. King (Republican, NY) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Madam , I stand in strong support of this legislation. I want to commend my colleague, Congressman Suozzi, for introducing it. prgtoken Madam , I am really disappointed in my colleagues. They are raising a class warfare argument. They sound like the progressive left. prgtoken The fact is, one of the reasons why cities like New York and counties like Nassau and Suffolk have had to raise their property taxes is because for 50 years, we have been subsidizing other States. prgtoken Seventy percent to 80 percent of the money we send to the Federal Government comes back to us, the rest goes to other States. So during all these years when they have been able to develop using our money, we have had to raise local taxes, and now they are turning it into class warfare. prgtoken These aren't millionaires. The people in my district who are getting screwed by this are not millionaires. They are cops, they are firefighters, construction workers, the people who answered the call on 9/11. prgtoken What they are doing is undermining the middle class. prgtoken What is middle class in other States may be different from mine. prgtoken The reason we are high is because of the fact we have had to subsidize all the rest of them for all these years, sort of like when politicians come to New York to raise their money and then go back home and vote against us. prgtoken I will say that the strongest advocate for this--when this was first raised in 1986 in leading to the defeat of the attempt to take away SALT--was . He said the States that work the hardest would get hurt the most because of this. prgtoken Now, also let me just say--and I will end on this--that we have subsidized other States long enough. We are asking for fairness. It is wrong for conservatives to be talking about having a tax on a tax. prgtoken Madam , I urge passage of this bill to have some equity in the tax code.
RESTORING TAX FAIRNESS FOR STATES AND LOCALITIES ACT
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2019-12-19

last night we were in the twilight zone, and now we are in a parallel universe today. Very interesting what we are doing here. prgtoken I come from the high-tax State of California, where we bear the cost of so many tax increases from Sacramento. So all we are doing here is justifying the increase in the car tax, the increase in the gas tax, and spending the money on a dead high-speed rail project, the increase from a mysterious gas tax, and the cap-and-trade tax. prgtoken All we are going to do here is reward bad behavior in California and five or six other high-tax States. prgtoken Instead, let's get back on track with doing things that cause jobs to happen, as the bill that our colleagues don't like. They didn't like Proposition 13, which has saved homes in California. They have been complaining about it ever since it was passed. prgtoken Now they are trying to eviscerate Prop 13 and raise taxes on businesses. This will justify that ability to do that. Don't send a message that they can raise taxes in California or other States any more by what happens in this place.
ALTERNATIVE FUEL MIXTURE CREDIT
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-12-19

I rise to raise a point of order on the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, which provides funding for eight appropriations subcommittees and includes numerous tax and healthcare provisions and other new legislation called ``authorizations.'' That is code for bills that haven't been debated on the Senate floor. These are Christmas presents for everyone, all put on the Federal credit card, which is overspent already. prgtoken This legislation was unveiled Monday afternoon and totals more than 1,800 pages, and here we are on Thursday, with just hours to go before a government shutdown, being asked to vote on a bill that has not been subject to amendment or debate and that the Congressional Budget Office tells us will increase deficits by more than $400 billion over the next 10 years. Actually, by the time you add in interest costs to this debt, it is half a trillion in 10 years and $2.1 trillion on 20 years. That is according to the Committee for Responsible Federal Budget, which added in that interest. They added it up. So that will be half a trillion dollars of new overspending in one vote, and what makes it so expensive is that we are trying to do something here to buy everybody's vote. prgtoken This bill completely bypassed regular order and violates nearly all the Senate self-imposed budget rules with its billions of dollars in giveaways and tax policy changes. We are legislating on funding bills. Legislation is supposed to be scrutinized differently, especially if they pay out real money. prgtoken I will remind my colleagues that our national debt stands at just over $23 trillion, and the Congressional Budget Office tells us that the Federal deficits are already on track to exceed $1 trillion this year and every year thereafter. That is besides this $2.1 trillion add- on. prgtoken We should be talking about how to address the budgetary mess we are in, not pressing the gas on an unsustainable fiscal trajectory, which is exactly what this bill does. We are making promises that can't be fulfilled. prgtoken Now, some people will mention the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but I need to emphasize and remind you that that boosted the economy. It created jobs, it increased wages, and it is bringing in more revenue than ever before--ever before. But we are spending it faster than it is coming in. So it is not a revenue problem. It is a spending problem. prgtoken Now, rather than an aberration, busting has become commonplace. This is the second time this week that I have come to the floor to raise a point of order against legislation that violates the budget. But to be fair, from a budget perspective, this bill is exponentially worse than the Defense authorization bill we considered earlier this year. It is at least 50 times worse. prgtoken I oppose this legislation. I oppose adding to the already massive debt burden being placed on future generations. prgtoken The pending measure, the House amend
BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACCURACY AND TECHNOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY ACT
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-12-19

very shortly, the Senate will vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to accompany H.R. 1865, Further Consolidated Appropriations Act. As part of this appropriations package. a prgtoken version of my bill, the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019, is included in section 903. This bipartisan bill seeks to restore U.S. court jurisdiction over the Palestinian Authority, PA/Palestine Liberation Organization, PLO, while promoting U.S. foreign policy interests in the Middle East through the resumption of U.S. security assistance to PA security forces. It is a testament to the hard work of my ic and colleagues in this Chamber that we are about to take up this important legislation. prgtoken In 1992, Congress passed the Anti-Terrorism Act, ATA. This law, as well as future amending legislation, sought to deter and defeat international terrorism by giving American citizens who are victims of terrorism overseas the power to sue perpetrators in U.S. court. I was privileged to work with the original ATA's author, Senator Grassley, in drafting the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act of 2019. prgtoken What our bill--also sponsored by Senators Duckworth, Coons, Blumenthal, and Rubio--does is strike a balance between Congress's desire to provide a path forward for American victims of terror to have their day in court and the toleration by the Members of this body to allow the PA/PLO to conduct a very narrow scope of activities on U.S. soil--such as activities pertaining to official business at the United Nations, engagements with U.S. officials necessary to our national interest, and legal expenses related to adjudicating or resolving claims filed in U.S. courts--without consenting to personal jurisdiction in civil ATA cases. This delicate balance is supported by a bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress, the executive branch, and American victims of international terrorism and their families. prgtoken For 25 years, the Federal courts struck this balance by holding that the PLO's and PA's presence and activities in the United States subject them to jurisdiction in our courts unless they can demonstrate that their offices in the United States deal exclusively with the official business of the United Nations and that their activities in this country are commensurate with their special diplomatic need for being present here. prgtoken The courts correctly held that the PLO's and PA's fundraising and public relations activities such as press releases and public appearances, whether characterized as diplomatic public speaking or proselytizing, are not essential to their diplomatic functions at the United Nations Headquarters. The bill codifies the distinction recognized in these cases while giving the PLO and PA a clear choice. Unless they limit their presence to official business with the United Nati
RESTORING TAX FAIRNESS FOR STATES AND LOCALITIES ACT
David Schweikert (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2019-12-19

. Madam , to my friends here, I wasn't going to come up here and try to do firebrand or the theater, but we do have a little moment of intellectual inconsistency. Let's try a quick thought experiment. prgtoken We, as a body, my brothers and sisters on the left, you support a progressive tax system, right? prgtoken Well, Madam , if you support a progressive tax system, then the fact of the matter is, if you have a high-income earning State community, you pay more taxes. It is just a little line of intellectual consistency. prgtoken So, you support the wealthier paying more. What happens when you have a deduction that you want to put back? prgtoken I am sorry, but you know me and charts; it is a problem. I am working on a 12-step group to deal with it. prgtoken The fact of the matter is, the top 5 percent of income earners get 77 percent of the benefit. You can't intellectually have it both ways. I mean, aren't your brains just exploding, saying: Well, on the one hand, we want you to give rich people these deductions, but on the other hand, we want to tax rich people more, except for this bill where we want to give the really, really rich people the benefit. prgtoken You are going to get a chance. We are going to have an MTR. At least, this way, you can take it away from the really, really, really, really, really rich people who make $100 million or more, saying they don't get to take the SALT deduction. We will see what level of super-rich people we are defending in this debate. prgtoken I understand, from a political standpoint, you are doing the right thing. You are doing the work from your district. But at least we could be intellectually honest about the math. prgtoken If you represent a district that has high taxes, whether it be the income taxes or property taxes, coming and defending SALT is fine. It makes sense. But be honest about what the math means. If you are a donor State, it is because you have high incomes. If you want this, it is because you are defending your wealthy. prgtoken It is just math, and the math, Madam , always wins.
BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT ACCURACY AND TECHNOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY ACT
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2019-12-19

notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Commerce Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1625 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I ask unanimous consent that the amendments ordered reported by the Commerce Committee be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.