mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Rules of the Senate (Executive Calendar)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2018-1-11

once more I am coming to the floor to talk about the basic rules of the Senate and how we actually get on legislation. prgtoken We have spent all of this week on four district court judicial nominations--the entire week, no legislation--because we can't get on legislation. prgtoken In 2013, we were in a situation similar to this. The minority party, at that point being the s, were slowing down the process in the Senate on nominations by the ic Party, at that point the majority. So s and sat down together and said: This is a problem. We cannot get to legislation. prgtoken The s and together, with 70-plus votes, made a 2- year rule change in the Senate in the 113th Congress. It was a simple rule change: 2 hours of debate for a district court judge, 8 hours of debate for just about everyone else, and 30 hours of debate for circuit court, Supreme Court, and Cabinet nominations. It was a bipartisan agreement that worked very well for that 2-year time period. prgtoken Then, at the end of that 2-year time period, it had a sunset on it, and it expired. The hope was that we would relearn how to be able to do this. I wasn't in the Senate at that time, but I have spoken to multiple people about that process. prgtoken What happened instead was, during the first year of that, there continued to be ongoing frustration, so my ic colleagues used what is affectionately called the nuclear option to be able to change the rules of the Senate to say that they could bring individuals with only 51 votes--not 60--and prgtoken then they used the rule, on top of what they changed, to bring people forward at greater speed, which they did. For the rest of the next year, they used it that way. prgtoken We now come to this time period. Let me give an example of what I am talking about and the frustration it creates. Let me confirm my number and make sure I get it right for all of the Senate history. From 1967 until 2012, there were 46 cloture votes invoked. That means they requested a cloture vote, and it went all the way to be a vote--46 of those on judges and the executive branch from 1967 to 2012. prgtoken Last year, there were 46 cloture votes in this body, just in 1 year. What was from 1967 until 2012 the total number, did to s in 1 year--last year. prgtoken The statement keeps coming up over and over again: Why can't we get on legislation? Because each day is full of dead time, debating nominations--nominations like what passed today unanimously in the Senate. But we had to have cloture time set aside for it. prgtoken This has to be fixed. The rules of the Senate are set by the Senators. In 2013, the Senators stood up and said ``This has to stop,'' and they fixed it. I am recommending again that the Senate, once again, implement the same rule that led s to do in 2013 now, in this year, and instead of doing it for one Cong
CONGRESSIONAL APP CHALLENGE WINNERS
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-1-11

I rise today to recognize the winning team for the 2017 Congressional App Challenge for the First District of Georgia: Cole Goldhill, Luca Dichiera, Joseph Kim, and Ryan Cranford. prgtoken Over the last 4 months, 190 Members of Congress hosted the Congressional App Challenge in their districts, where students compete to code original apps. 4,100 students participated, submitting over 1,000 original apps. prgtoken The winning team in Georgia's First Congressional District is from Richmond Hill Middle School and created the app, ``Wing Finder.'' This app enables individuals who enjoy viewing butterflies to find more information about those butterflies, comparing their wing colors to a database containing numerous facts about them. prgtoken I am proud of these students in Richmond Hill for doing such a great job coding and creating this app. Seeing what these students can achieve prgtoken through technology truly gives me great hope for the future of our country.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-1-11

I have 3 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Foreign Relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, January 11, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``U.S. Policy in Syria Post-ISIS''. Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, January 11, 2018, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on S. 2152 the ``Amy, Vicky, and Any Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act'' and on the following nominations: Stuart Kyle Duncan, of Louisiana, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, David Ryan Stras, of Minnesota, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Eighth Circuit, Fernando Rodriguez, Jr to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, January 11, 2018, at 2 p.m. to conduct a hearing a closed roundtable.
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
David Perdue (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-1-11

today I was honored to be invited to the White House and included in a small meeting with President , and it was very clear that I was invited to the White House to stand firm with President today. We talked about immigration, and today I was proud to stand with our President. prgtoken We have been crystal clear. Chain migration must end, period. Any solution to our current immigration crisis that the U.S. Senate will consider must include ending chain migration. Before I talk about the details of what chain migration is, I want to put it in perspective. prgtoken Our immigration crisis today has been longstanding. We had a law written in 1965 and other changes in 1986, but it has really not been since 1991 that there has been any meaningful immigration change. prgtoken Three times in the last 11 years, well-intended people in this body and in the House have done a yeoman's job of trying to solve the comprehensive problem of immigration in the United States--without success. Here we are, again, right now, facing a deadline that the President has put on, and rightfully so. We have a sense of urgency. prgtoken The President has done a couple of things. He has defined the scope of the problem, and he has defined a sense of urgency for the people in Congress. prgtoken The legal immigration system right now is broken, but to deal with that, we have to deal with our entire immigration system in pieces. The reason I believe most past efforts have failed is that they tried to do a comprehensive solution. prgtoken Today, we are breaking it into three areas. One is our legal immigration system, and the next step might be our temporary work visas. Today, we bring in about 1.1 million legal immigrants a year, and I will talk about how that relates historically. But we issue about 2.2 million temporary work visas a year. Then the third issue is, of course, the people who are in the United States illegally. prgtoken President had a meeting 2 days ago at the White House. In that meeting, he had , s, Members of the House, and Members of this body, the Senate, and he drove consensus in that meeting. prgtoken It was very interesting that he had the media in there for almost 60 minutes for an open dialogue, and we heard from all people in that room about their position on these topics. I thought it was very interesting that the President had the courage to put this issue in front of the American people and create an air of transparency that we have not had on this issue in decades. In that meeting, he drove two conclusions: one, a scope of the problem and, two, a sense of urgency. prgtoken The scope is very simply defined as this: We have to address the DACA situation. The President has given Congress the date of March 5 to come up with a solution for these individuals who are in the country illegally--but not of their doing. prgtoken The second issue is border security. We know that bo
REGULATORY REFORM RESULTS IN 2017
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2018-1-11

for the opportunity to address the House this afternoon. prgtoken Beginning in 2013, I began discussing how our economic recovery was subpar in comparison to post-World War II recoveries. That is, in part, due to, as I argued, the wet blanket of the avalanche of new regulatory costs imposed by the previous administration. prgtoken Since Congress has a poor track record of regularly enacting all of our appropriations bills, funding the government, and directing agency priorities, the administrative state, that unelected portion of our government, has expanded in authority and filled that void. prgtoken The House turned a corner this year, , by passing all 12 spending bills, fully vetted through our committees, prior to September 30, 2017. Sadly, only the first time since 2010. Further, it has been more than 21 years since Congress has passed all 12 funding bills and had them signed into law before the start of a new fiscal year. prgtoken Likewise, the Supreme Court, in their case, Chevron U.S.A. v. the Natural Resources Defense Council, back in 1984, set up a concept now referred to as the ``Chevron deference.'' This, too, has empowered the unelected, Big Government Washington authorities deferring to their authority, rather than the People's Congress. This has further emasculated the Article I powers of the Constitution. I disagree with this concept of Chevron deference. Before he died, Justice Scalia regretted his defense of Chevron deference and said that it, in fact, ``contravened separation of powers.'' prgtoken This combination of the Chevron deference and the lack of the regular, predictable oversight and appointments have resulted in this wet blanket of a growing leviathan of a centralized Federal power, negating State authorities protected under the 10th Amendment and curbing freedom for our families and individuals. prgtoken Noted New York lawyer and author, Philip Howard, calls this ``The Rule of Nobody.'' In the 2014 book, Howard argues that our administrative state is wearing people out. The process is devoid of human judgment and common sense. prgtoken Many of us, in the Congress, are pushing back insisting, like in the VA Accountability Act, that--a shocking idea--bad employees should be fired and, through the public oversight of our committees or in my own Golden Fleece Awards, that we demand accountability of the personnel of the Federal Government and commonsense in the application of our policies. prgtoken Howard recalls the U.S. Open golf championship, back in 2011, out in Bethesda, Maryland, when county officials shut down a children's lemonade stand near the course because it didn't have a vendor's license, . This mindless, box-checking approach is not limited just to the beltway's Federal mandates. prgtoken So enters President , our new President. Last year, I wrote then-President-elect asking him to create a regulatory relief task force to address the over
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Justin Amash (Republican, MI) \u2014 2018-1-11

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , my amendment replaces the underlying bill with the USA RIGHTS Act. Like the base bill, under the USA RIGHTS Act, the government can still use section 702 for its purpose of surveilling foreigners overseas; and the government can continue to store, share, and access that data to investigate national security threats. prgtoken The key difference is, in USA RIGHTS, it has to do with the collection and use of innocent Americans' data, not foreign intelligence. This means the amendment cannot harm section 702 programs if, as the government says, they are designed solely for foreign intelligence rather than domestic surveillance on Americans. prgtoken We all want the intelligence community to be able to do its job, and I have offered the USA RIGHTS amendment to give them the tools to collect foreign intelligence while also protecting the Fourth Amendment. prgtoken , .
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-1-11

every week, I try to come down to the floor and talk a little bit about my State and do a little bit of bragging in what we call our ``Alaskan of the Week'' series. Now, there is a lot to talk about with regard to Alaska. We would love for the people in the Gallery and the people who are watching to come out and visit our great State. It will be the trip of a lifetime. The scenery, of course, is gorgeous, and the mountains are rugged, but it is really the people who make my State so special--rugged, self-sufficient, kind, and very generous people all across an area that is over two and one- half times the size of Texas. prgtoken I apologize to my Texas colleagues, as they get a little upset when I talk about that, but it is true. prgtoken Every week, we have been recognizing a group or a person who has worked to make Alaska a stronger place, a stronger community--a State that, I think, is the best State in our great Nation. I call these individuals our Alaskans of the Week. prgtoken Today, I take all who are watching to Alaska's interior, to a town called Fairbanks, AK, where about 32,000 of my fellow Alaskans live. It is a beautiful, wonderful place. Fairbanks is hot in the summer. My wife and I were married there many years ago. It was over 90 degrees when we got married in August, but it is really cold in the winter. We spent January 1, 2000--the millennium celebration--in Fairbanks with our kids and our family. It was 50 below zero without the windchill-- cold. It is a place I love, where my wife was born and raised, where we lived, where my in-laws still live, and the place Jeff Cook, our Alaskan of the Week, calls home. prgtoken Jeff has been in Fairbanks his whole life. His parents moved to Fairbanks in 1938. He went to college in Oregon, and his wife Sue was there, but the couple moved back to Alaska, to Fairbanks, and started a family. He is now 74 years young. He and Sue have four children, two of whom have settled in Fairbanks, and they have five grandchildren. He is the patriarch of not only a great family but of many community organizations throughout Fairbanks and, really, Alaska. prgtoken Throughout the years, Jeff has had a career in real estate, in business. He has sat on numerous boards--community boards--and been in community groups. Let me just give a couple of examples of his community work, of his sitting on the board of the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, the University of Alaska Board of Regents, the Rotary Club of Fairbanks, the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation board, the board for the State of Alaska Chamber of Commerce, the Rasmuson Foundation board, and the boards for Alaska Airlines and Wells Fargo Bank. This is an individual--a leader--who has been involved in his community for decades. He is a perfect example of the community-minded individual whom we call our Alaskan of the Week. prgtoken We could be done right here. It is a pretty amazing career--a g
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-1-11

servicemembers in the combat zone depend on 702 to keep them safe. 702 must continue to gather information on foreign terrorists to keep us and servicemembers safe. However, Americans in uniform serve to preserve an ideal that the Constitution protects the rights of Americans. prgtoken The bill, unamended, enshrines in law the abuse of the Fourth Amendment rights of American citizens, and it just cannot happen. This is not only about criminal prosecution but about political persecution. prgtoken , that abuse and the associated persecution is unfolding on the front pages and on TV right before us today. Don't lower the bar any further. Vote to preserve the rights of American citizens. Vote for this amendment.
Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (Executive Session)
Jerry Moran (Republican, KS) \u2014 2018-1-11

on Tuesday of this week, I regained my previous held seat on the Senate Banking prgtoken Committee, a committee I served on from 2011 until the beginning of this Congress. While this committee sometimes flies under the radar for many Americans, the oversight it conducts and the issues it considers under its substantial jurisdiction are of great consequence to America and to the American people. prgtoken The owners and employees of banking institutions have experienced success when their communities experience success. What I am saying is, how we lend money matters to every kind of person every day. So what we have experienced across Kansas, in many instances, is difficulty and really hard times. prgtoken I want to talk about community. Community financial institutions are of great importance to the folks I represent in Kansas. What I want to do, in part, with my opportunity to serve on the Banking Committee is to make sure those financial institutions have a regulatory environment in which they can benefit their communities and benefit the citizens who live there. prgtoken Communities in Kansas are losing their hometown banks to consolidation and sales, and some of these banks that are moving in that direction have been family owned for generations. In order to better understand why these lenders are consolidating or selling, I have sought out the nature of this decline by speaking with financial leaders from across the country. The overwhelming response I received is that the costs associated with complying with new Federal regulations are simply too much to absorb in their business model. prgtoken In the aftermath of our country's significant financial downturn, a new regulatory framework was put in place to rein in those bad actors and punish bad behavior that led us down that path in 2007 and 2008. We have had more than 7 years to determine what the effects are of this new regulatory environment--Dodd-Frank--and what it has meant to our community banks and our community financial institutions. The most glaring aspect of these new regulations is the disproportionate burden placed upon those smaller institutions seeking to comply with their new responsibilities. prgtoken Rather than extending credit to best fit the needs of their customers, banks are exiting entire lines of business because the penalties for making a mistake far outweigh the economic benefits derived from extending a loan. I experienced this damaging news and reality during the Senate Banking Committee's consideration of legislation to reform the secondary mortgage markets in 2014. I was attempting to solicit feedback from Kansas lenders of the financial impact some of these proposed changes would have on their communities, and what I learned, unfortunately, was this: ``Jerry, we don't make home loans anymore.'' When pressed for a reason, they responded it just didn't make business sense for them to do that any longer due to
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2018, AND TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2018
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-1-11

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn, to then convene for a pro forma session only, with no business being conducted, on Friday, January 12, at 1 p.m and that following the pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until Tuesday, January 16, at 4:30 p.m.; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; further, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of the House message to accompany S. 139; further, that the filing deadlines under rule XXII with respect to the cloture motion filed during today's session regarding the House message to accompany S. 139 be at the following times on Tuesday, January 16: 4:45 p.m. for all first-degree amendments and 5:15 p.m. for all second-degree amendments; finally, that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture vote be waived.
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-1-11

I take this time to share with my colleagues a report I released yesterday, which is the product of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The report is called ``Putin's Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe: Implications for U.S. National Security.'' prgtoken I commissioned this report to be done early in 2017. I had to make a decision on the allocation of resources, and I thought it was extremely important that the American people and the international community understand the breadth of Russia's campaign against democratic institutions. prgtoken Yes, we saw it in 2016 in the U.S. elections, but that was only one part of a much broader design, and I recognized we needed to devote the resources at that time in order to make this report work. It is how Russia has interfered not just here in the United States but in Europe. prgtoken I want to start with the statement that this is not a partisan report. Yes, I commissioned it as the ic ranking member because decisions had to be made early in 2017 on the allocation of resources. I know the Presiding Officer knows, I worked very closely with Senator Corker on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and throughout the development of this report, I have kept Senator Corker informed. prgtoken The work of this report has relied upon the work of many Members of the Senate on both sides of the aisle. In fact, I think the Presiding Officer will recall the work we did-- and s--in the passing of legislation in 2017 that held Russia accountable for its maligned activities. I was proud that I had the strong cooperation and support and leadership in developing that legislation from Senator McCain, Senator Graham, and Senator Rubio, who contributed greatly to the enactment of that legislation, and on the ic side, Senator Menendez, Senator Shaheen, and Senator Durbin. prgtoken This report is the accumulation of a year's work. It had professionalism and dedication and patriotism of the very talented staff at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I want to acknowledge that because I know all of us recognize that our staffs are critically important to the work we do in the Senate. prgtoken Damian Murphy was our captain on this project. He was the one who provided the leadership to make sure we had a thorough report, that we had an accurate report, and that our recommendations would be tailored to make our Nation more secure. Terrell Henry provided incredible help throughout the entire year. Laura Carey was an instrumental part of getting this done. Megan Barkley helped us with making sure all of the sources were properly cited. prgtoken I also want to acknowledge my ic staff leader, Jessica Lewis, who really was the one who decided early that we could get this done and encouraged me to move forward. prgtoken Lastly, this report has received considerable attention since I released it yesterday--considerable