mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-10-4

I did not get a chance to hear the distinguished ic leader's remarks, for Chairman Hatch and I were in the Senate Finance Committee. We managed to pass, by an overwhelming bipartisan vote, the Children's Health Insurance Program-- a vital program for 9 million kids. So that is a bit of good news in that this important piece of legislation is advancing. I do know that the ic leader touched on a number of very important issues, particularly some of these comments that have been made by top advisers to the President with respect to taxes. prgtoken I am struck by the fact that Mr. Gary Cohn, the President's top economic adviser, said last week that middle-class folks were going to get $1,000 in tax relief--set aside the fact that that does not look to be true for a number of middle-class folks who have kids. I am also struck by the comment that followed. Mr. Cohn said that not only are middle-class families going to get $1,000 worth of tax relief but that they would be able to go buy cars or remodel their kitchens. You just think to yourself, with that kind of tax cut, that you would be buying a very small car or remodeling a very small kitchen. The fact is, that is not, in my view, a comment that reflects a real understanding of what middle-class folks in America are going through. I don't see very many of them buying cars for $1,000 or remodeling their kitchens for $1,000. prgtoken That comment was accompanied by the comments of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who not only said a couple of days ago that tax cuts would pay for themselves--a statement that was contradicted by economists yesterday in the Senate Finance Committee--but that there would be something like $1 trillion left over. Mr. Mnuchin continues to make the case that there is somehow a magical growth fairy here in the American economy that nobody else knows about, including economists. prgtoken I am one who believes that behavior does matter, and I am going to talk about a bipartisan approach to taxes in a minute--a responsible, bipartisan approach to taxes, not one that helps the 1 percent or creates a huge new deficit or that kind of thing. I think that you will generate some revenue, and Doug Elmendorf said that when he was the head of the Budget Office, but it is not going to generate hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars, as in the case of what Mr. Mnuchin is talking about, which is something like $2 trillion. There is no economic support for that. prgtoken You have the President's economic team and his top advisers trying to defend the indefensible, and I will go into that more a little bit later today. prgtoken Right now, I think it is important that we have a response that I am going to deliver to the distinguished majority whip, who is a member of the Finance Committee, who made some comparisons between the plan and the bipartisan legislation that I wrote--after mon
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Marcia L. Fudge (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-10-4

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today in strong opposition to the budget. prgtoken As Vice President stated: ``Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.'' prgtoken The 's so-called Building a Better America budget shows us they do not value education, infrastructure, research and development, veterans' benefits, and other programs which expand opportunities for America's families. prgtoken This budget is immoral. It provides trillions of dollars in tax money to millionaires and wealthy corporations while shifting the burden onto the middle class. It cuts $5.4 trillion from programs that American families rely on; programs like SNAP, Pell grants, Social Security, and healthcare. prgtoken The budget ends the Medicare guarantee. It cuts Medicare alone by almost $500 billion over 10 years. A vote for this budget destroys American families in favor of a select few. This budget does not build a better America. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this budget.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H. CON. RES. 71, CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-10-4

I obviously rise in strong opposition to this rule. This can be a frustrating place. So frustrating, that sometimes I want to tear the remaining two strands of hair I have on my head out, because what we do here, in my opinion, is not to advance anything that is good for the American people. This is a frustrating place, because what happens on this House floor is either nothing or you guys make things worse. prgtoken On Sunday, we once again witnessed a massacre, the worst mass shooting in American history. People across this country are demanding action, but the response of the leadership in this Congress is nothing. We had a moment of silence, but it means nothing because that is all we do. There are no hearings, no debate, no votes, just absolutely nothing. prgtoken It is obvious that too many s have been intimidated and have been frightened or have been bought off by the National Rifle Association. It is shameful and, quite frankly, it is disgusting. prgtoken If the leadership of this House is not willing to lead, then move aside. Allow us to bring measures to the floor so we can have a vote, so we can have a debate, so we can enact measures that might save some lives. prgtoken , what we are considering today, this budget, is an example of the majority making things worse for the American people. prgtoken Budgets are moral documents. They show what we value and what we care about. And if this budget reflects values, then shame on s. When you look at the specific programs House s target, it becomes clear just how cruel this budget really is. prgtoken Last night, in the Rules Committee, I complained loudly to the distinguished chairwoman of the Budget Committee about the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP, basically a program that provides poor people food. It helps prevent hunger in this country. In this budget, they call for $164 billion in cuts to this program. prgtoken The chairwoman said: Well, I believe that people who get this benefit ought to work. prgtoken I pointed out to her last night, and I am going to point out to my colleagues here today, that the majority of people on this program--67 percent of the people who are on this program are not expected to work. Why? Because they are children, because they are senior citizens, because they are disabled. prgtoken Of those who can work, the majority work. But you have individuals who are working, who are on SNAP because they earn so little that they still qualify for this program. prgtoken So why aren't we demanding that work pay more in this country? Why aren't we coming together to demand an increase in the minimum wage so it is a livable wage, so that people who work don't have to be on public assistance? prgtoken Instead, we have yet another attack on poor people in the form of these cuts. prgtoken The gentlewoman said: Well, I want to narrow it
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-10-4

. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this dangerous budget proposal. prgtoken With many working families and businesses still struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing economy, our top priority in Congress should be to help expand opportunities and sustain long-term economic growth and security so no American is left behind as we forge new paths ahead. prgtoken To spur robust job growth, we must invest in our education system to provide the training and skills workers need to be prepared for the jobs of today and tomorrow. prgtoken We should invest in infrastructure that will put people to work and make our communities better places to do business, and we should invest in growing a strong middle class, the backbone of our economy. prgtoken But instead, we are debating a budget that will go nowhere in the Senate simply so it can be used as a vehicle to give the wealthiest Americans a massive tax cut on the backs of middle class families. prgtoken This reckless budget cuts early childhood, K-12, and higher education programs, as well as job training and apprenticeships. It guts nutrition assistance, which provides benefits to more than 43 million Americans a year, almost half of whom are children. It continues the destructive cycle of neglecting our already crumbling infrastructure, even though we know the longer we wait, the more costly repairs will be in the future and the less economically competitive our communities will be. prgtoken Slashing programs that help working families in order to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans has never led to jobs or economic growth, and it never will. Every dollar we spend is a reflection of our values, which is why I am deeply disappointed that this budget demonstrates an utter disregard for middle class Americans, a lack of vision for what our future could look like with smart, targeted investments, and a complete lack of empathy for the most vulnerable. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
CONFIRMATION OF RALPH R. ERICKSON
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-4

I wish to support the confirmation of U.S. district judge Ralph Erickson to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. prgtoken Mr. Erickson received the support of both of his home State Senators, Heidi Heitkamp and John Hoeven. Both Hoeven and Heitkamp submitted their blue slips for Mr. Erickson, and the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance his nomination to the full Senate. prgtoken I hope Mr. Erickson's confirmation reinforces the importance of bipartisanship and the importance of maintaining the blue slip process. The Judiciary Committee has used the blue slip process since at least 1917, and the process is integral to maintaining the bipartisan nature of the Senate. Under both Presidents and , even when a party had unified control of the Presidency and the Senate, if a home State Senator objected to a nominee, the nomination did not proceed. There have been recent discussions to suspend the blue slip tradition in order to force nominations through the Judiciary Committee. I encourage my colleagues to reject any such measures and to continue in the blue slip tradition.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Peter A. DeFazio (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-10-4

. This is Kansas and Oklahoma. This is Kansas before we had the Eisenhower--by the way, a --National Highway Program. They built their turnpike. Oklahoma said they would build theirs. They didn't. They were out of money. They didn't build it until they got an 80 percent Federal match. prgtoken So let's go back to the good, old days. We are going to devolve the obligations of putting together a 21st century transportation system in this country, knitting our country together, getting rid of congestion, moving people and goods more efficiently, but we are going to do it on a State-by-State basis. That is nuts. I just can't believe this. prgtoken Then, there is another little trick. The chairman of my committee wants to privatize the airspace in the United States and reduce the ticket tax that prgtoken pays for air traffic control. That would be a $10 billion windfall to the airline industry, because they will raise prices. Then they are going to charge you a head fee to get on the plane. prgtoken Even better, it creates $100 billion of new deficit. So this nifty little thing here contains a reserve fund of $100 billion to try and make up for the fact and hide the fact that they are cutting $100 billion of taxes that pay for the current system. prgtoken How are you going to pay for the next system? prgtoken The airlines will determine that, not Congress.
INTRODUCTION OF POLICE CAMERA ACT
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2017-10-4

I rise today in support of the Police Creating Accountability by Making Effective Recording Act, also known as the Police CAMERA Act, a bill I introduced earlier today with more than a dozen of my colleagues here in the House and in coordination with Senators Brian Schatz and Rand Paul who introduced the bill today in the Senate. If enacted, this bill would establish a grant program to assist state and local law enforcement with the deployment of body-worn camera programs. prgtoken Safe communities require good police. prgtoken Good policing requires public trust. prgtoken Unfortunately, in far too many communities, that trust has become strained. prgtoken In the wake of recent police shootings, our nation is facing sobering questions about the basic fairness of our criminal justice system. We face sobering questions about race. prgtoken Over the past several years, the wider availability of video has shined a much-needed light on police use of deadly force. Without video of places like North Charleston, Staten Island, Chicago, Cleveland, Baton Rouge, Tulsa and Falcon Heights, Minnesota the world might never know what occurred. prgtoken The more we see of these types of videos, the more we are left to wonder about all the incidents that were not recorded. prgtoken Had there been better video of the shooting of Darrius Stewart in my home town of Memphis, it might have helped to better inform the grand jury that, sadly, refused to indict the police officer who was responsible. prgtoken Justice is supposed to be blind, but it is not supposed to be blind to the facts. prgtoken Police body cameras can help provide evidence and restore some much- needed trust. prgtoken They can protect both police and citizens alike. prgtoken The vast majority of police are well meaning, dedicated public servants, and we depend upon them to keep us safe from criminals. They have dangerous jobs, as we have seen all too frequently. prgtoken But the fact remains some officers go beyond the law in a callous disregard for due process. Their actions damage the public trust that is essential for good police to be able to serve and protect our communities. prgtoken Police body cameras, alone, won't solve this problem. But they are an important step in the right direction. prgtoken I would like to thank Senators Schatz and Paul for their leadership on this issue and for partnering with me on this legislation. prgtoken I also thank my colleagues who have signed on as cosponsors of this legislation and I urge all Members to help pass the Police CAMERA Act quickly.
VOTE EXPLANATION
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-10-4

I was unavailable for rollcall vote No. 210, the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Eric D. Hargan to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. Had I been present, I would have voted nay. prgtoken , I was unavailable for rollcall vote No. 211, on the nomination of Eric D. Hargan to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. Had I been present, I would have voted nay. prgtoken , I was unavailable for rollcall vote No. 212, on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Randal Quarles to be a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Had I been present, I would have voted nay.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-4

I thank Representative Grijalva for his leadership. prgtoken Our Nation's infrastructure is crumbling. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates we have a $4.6 trillion infrastructure deficit. That is why the People's Budget wisely invests $2 trillion to fix our infrastructure. prgtoken Not only will this budget help repair roads, highways, and bridges, but it will also put broadband all over America, including rural areas, and create millions of good-paying jobs, over 2.5 million in its first year. prgtoken We are presenting this plan. We are asking for support. talks a big game on infrastructure, but he has yet to put out a plan. So we urge the President to support our plan. If he doesn't want to, then put out his plan so we can have a discussion on how to move forward on fixing our infrastructure and creating high-paying jobs for Americans.
DACA (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-4

there are many lobbyists around Capitol Hill. They perform the important task of informing Members and their staff about issues that are going to come before us. Some of them are volunteers, and some of them are paid very handsomely. prgtoken There is a special group of lobbyists who are roaming the corridors of Capitol Hill in the House and Senate today and tomorrow. They are young people from across the United States. Many of them are college students, and all of them have one thing in common: They are Dreamers. They are young people who came to the United States under the age of 18, many of them 2 years old, 4 years old, brought here by their parents. They grew up in this country. They went to our schools. Some of them were excellent students. Many of them have gone on to college-- at their own expense many times. Some have even enlisted in our military. They have a nagging problem. The problem is that they are not legally citizens of the United States. They don't have legal status in the United States, and so the uncertainty about that status has led many of them to wonder what their future will be. prgtoken About 5 years ago, President , at my urging, issued an Executive order that changed their lives. It was called DACA. It gave them a chance to come forward and register with the government, submit themselves to a criminal background check, get fingerprinted, pay a $500 fee, have their background looked at in detail, and gave them a chance to stay in the United States for 2 years at a time, and in that 2-year period not be subjected to deportation and be able to work. prgtoken Four weeks ago, President announced that the DACA Program was going to be rescinded. Many of these young people don't know what their future will be from this point forward. A number of them came out to the steps of the Capitol this afternoon to talk about their lives. Two in particular I wanted to mention. prgtoken Nathali Bertran from Columbus, OH, is a student who graduated from college after great sacrifice and has gone on to become an engineer. She is currently working in the Columbus area for a global automotive company. She has a bright future if she is allowed to stay in the United States. She doesn't know the answer to that because we haven't come up with a replacement for DACA, which was rescinded by President . prgtoken Jesus Perez is from Tulsa, OK. He had given up on a college education and a future, and then DACA came along, and he decided he wanted to be a doctor. He is on his way. He has finished community college. He is now about to complete his studies at Oklahoma State, and he wants to go to medical school. He works as a transporter and a surgical orderly in a hospital to make enough money to stay in school. His future is completely in doubt because of the uncertainty around what is going to happen to those who were protected by DACA. prgtoken I have said many times that these young
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-4

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. Also I want to thank him for his tremendous leadership in continuing to craft the Congressional Black Caucus' budget which really does reflect our Nation's priorities and our values, so I rise in strong support of this budget. prgtoken As a member of the Budget and the Appropriations Committees and as chair of our Task Force on Poverty, Income Inequality, and Opportunity, I am really proud that the Congressional Black Caucus budget includes $300 billion in investments into initiatives that have proven to lift millions out of poverty. prgtoken For example, it restores the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, it extends emergency unemployment insurance, it expands access to affordable housing, and it also increases funding for job training and trade assistance programs. prgtoken The CBC budget creates a fair Tax Code that provides investments in communities. It boosts GDP by $329 billion and helps create 2 million jobs. This budget addresses poverty head on by investing $120 billion in creating jobs, $25 billion to restore our Nation's public housing, and $80 billion to modernize our schools. prgtoken Also, our budget employs the 10-20-30 formula championed by our assistant leader, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), by directing at least 10 percent of Federal spending into areas with poverty rates of more than 20 percent over the last 30 years. We will make progress toward ending entrenched and generational poverty that hurts families and communities. prgtoken With regard to the Pentagon, yes, we require that we audit the Pentagon and encourage DOD to implement remaining GAO recommendations that would likely lead to tens of billions in costs savings. prgtoken This is a budget that stands with the American people. It is a message to the American people that we stand with those who are working hard to find a job, and we stand with those working hard at a job with low wages. It is a message to the country that balancing prgtoken the budget on the backs of struggling families to provide giveaways to billionaires and corporations is unacceptable. That is not the American way. prgtoken The CBC budget provides for the national security and the economic security of our Nation.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Raúl M. Grijalva (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-10-4

Americans in this Congress do have a choice. Our budget is a contrast to what the s are proposing. We can either cut Medicare to pay for more tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires as our budget does, or we can close tax loopholes to protect essential programs that invest in jobs. We chose investment. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Espaillat).
Las Vegas Mass Shooting (Executive Session)
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-10-4

I come to the floor today for the second time this week to highlight the tragic human cost of gun violence. I will speak today about just one victim, but of course we are thinking as well about the 58 victims in Las Vegas. Not counting the killer in that total, the last count was 58 victims and well over 500 injured. prgtoken We have some sense of the gravity of the violence that played out in Las Vegas. I am not sure any of us can fully understand it, and some of us will prgtoken never quite understand what happened there, but I think we have to dedicate ourselves to taking action. I will get to that in a moment.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-10-4

I stand here to talk a little bit about the budget first. It is a poor reflection of the values and priorities that we hold dear in America. prgtoken Once again, Americans insist on dooming the American people to the failed trickle-down economics of the Reagan era. The budget shifts the tax burden away from the wealthiest Americans and larger corporations and places it squarely on the backs of hardworking middle- and low-income Americans. This has never helped, and it won't help now. prgtoken Not only would the budget increase the national deficit by $2.4 trillion over 10 years, but it also foots the bill over to the most vulnerable segments of our community while cutting other important social safety network programs. prgtoken For example, the budget proposes to slash Medicaid by $1.1 trillion and Medicare for seniors by $487 billion. Nondefense discretionary spending across the government would also be cut by $1.3 trillion at the expense of education, infrastructure, clean energy programs, medical research, and job training. prgtoken These are only some of the reasons why I stand tonight with my colleagues to support the Congressional Black Caucus budget to propose an alternative to this budget we are facing. prgtoken The CBC's alternative budget asks those who have done well in our country to finally pay their fair share. prgtoken Our budget seeks to invest $665 billion to modernize our crumbling infrastructure.