mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2017
Steve Daines (Republican, MT) \u2014 2017-11-7

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 8; further, 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 proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Robb nomination postcloture; finally, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Robb nomination.
SAVE LOCAL BUSINESS ACT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-11-7

before from Texas (Mr. Cuellar), I want to take just a minute to express my deepest sympathy to him, as the representative of the people of Sutherland Springs, for this Sunday's tragic events. He is here today to do the job they sent him to do, but we all know his heart is very much in that community. I thank him for being here, and I hope he knows that so many people are praying for him and the people he represents. prgtoken , I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar).
RISK-BASED CREDIT EXAMINATION ACT
Bill Huizenga (Republican, MI) \u2014 2017-11-7

I would like to echo the words of my colleague from Michigan: a bipartisan, unanimous bill coming out of the Financial Services Committee deserves the support of this House. We are very pleased that we have been able to strike this accommodation, this balance, between making sure that those rating agencies that truly did have a hand in causing our economic downturn are separated from those smaller institutions that really had nothing to do with that. prgtoken Now, with this overregulation that has occurred due to Dodd-Frank, I have really been put at a disadvantage and, ironically, have lowered competition in this space. So we believe that we are restoring some commonsense provisions back into the law. With that, I would like to encourage all of my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3911. prgtoken , .
Bradley Byrne (Republican, AL) \u2014 2017-11-7

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I am extremely proud of the work that the Rules Committee has done this year and of the leadership in this Congress and how we have handled legislation. prgtoken Unlike our ic colleagues who would shut the doors and refuse to accept late amendments from Members, the chairman of our committee has made it a point to ensure every single Member has the opportunity to submit their amendments and come to the committee to share their thoughts and concerns. prgtoken Under this model of transparency and openness, the committee has spent countless hours listening and considering Member testimony. In fact, we have welcomed over 330 Members to testify, this Congress alone, before the Rules Committee. We have made in order 864 amendments, including 403 from , 341 from s, and 120 bipartisan amendments. prgtoken Unfortunately, our friends across the aisle have become more interested in derailing legislation than actually improving legislation. For example, politicized an open appropriations process by offering poison pill amendments meant to kill legislation they had no intention of supporting, regardless of the outcome. prgtoken These tactics have fundamentally changed the way we do business. Instead of offering thoughtful ideas intended to shape a measure, their dilatory tactics are for one purpose and one purpose only: to score political points. prgtoken The Rules Committee will not let these political games get in the way of fulfilling the promises we made to the American people who elected this majority. That is why the chairman of our committee has made it a priority to listen to all Members. I would ask all of you who come to the Rules Committee to watch our committee listening to all Members. prgtoken We are also committed to moving the majority's progrowth agenda forward. As a result of our efforts, we have had a record of success in this House. To date, we have passed almost 400 bills out of the House. prgtoken This further underscores that the House is here to work, we are here to serve, and we are here to get results. But the proof is in the facts. John Adams said: ``Facts are stubborn things.'' prgtoken As of November 7 of this year, in just the first session of this Congress, we have provided for the consideration of 864 amendments on the House floor. Under Pelosi, during the entirety of the 111th Congress, both sessions, she had only made in order 778. You tell me who has an open House and who had a closed House. prgtoken There is no shame on this side at all. There is great pride in the work we are doing for the American people, and we are not going to let anyone get in the way of our making sure that we fulfill the promises we made. prgtoken , I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Luther Strange (Republican, AL) \u2014 2017-11-7

I have 6 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 Armed Services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Robert Behler, of Pennsylvania, to be Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Dean L. Winslow, of Delaware, to be an Assistant Secretary, Thomas B. Modly, of Maryland, to be Under Secretary of the Navy, and James F. Geurts, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Navy, all of the Department of Defense. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 10 a.m. to conduct an executive hearing on S. 1591 ``The Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) Act of 2017.'' Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Ernest W. Dubester, of Virginia, Colleen Kiko, of North Dakota, and James Thomas Abbott, of Virginia, each to be a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Select Committee on Intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 2:30 p.m in room SH-219 to conduct a closed hearing. Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet prgtoken The Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 10 a.m in room SR-253 to conduct a hearing entitled ``Advancing the Internet of Things in Rural America.'' prgtoken Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy prgtoken The Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy of the Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. to conduct a closed hearing.
CONFIRMATION OF KYLE FORTSON
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2017-11-7

last week the Senate confirmed Kyle Fortson to be a member of the National Mediation Board. prgtoken The National Mediation Board, established by the 1934 amendments to the Railway Labor Act of 1926, is an independent U.S. Federal Government agency that facilitates labor-management relations within the Nation's railroad and airline industries. prgtoken Pursuant to the Railway Labor Act, National Mediation Board programs help to resolve disputes to promote the flow of interstate commerce in those industries through mediation, representation, and arbitration of labor-management disputes. prgtoken A dedicated public servant, Kyle Fortson is eminently qualified to serve on the National Mediation Board. I am fortunate to say that Mrs. Fortson currently serves on my staff as labor policy director at the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions--HELP--Committee, after serving in that position from 2010 to 2013 for Senator Mike Enzi. I have benefitted from Mrs. Fortson's experience, knowledge, and counsel. prgtoken Mrs. Fortson previously served as labor counsel at the same committee from 2004 to 2010. Before that, she was a policy analyst at the Senate Policy Committee from 2003 to 2004 and served as counsel to Senator Tim Hutchinson from 2001 to 2003. She also served as judiciary counsel to Congressman Spencer Bachus from 1999 to 2001. prgtoken Mrs. Fortson graduated with a B.A. in history from the University of Colorado in 1996 and with a J.D. from George Washington University in 1999. prgtoken Mrs. Fortson was nominated on June 26, 2017. On July 3, 2017, the committee received Mrs. Fortson's Office of Government Ethics paperwork, including her public financial disclosure and ethics agreement. Based on these documents, the Office of Government Ethics wrote to me that Kyle Fortson ``is in compliance with applicable laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest.'' The committee received Mrs. Fortson's HELP Committee application on July 27, 2017. Mrs. Fortson was favorably reported out of the HELP Committee on October 18, 2017. prgtoken While the National Mediation Board will be very fortunate to have Mrs. Fortson as a member, her departure will be a loss to the U.S. Senate and the HELP Committee. I am proud to support Kyle's nomination, and she will serve on the National Mediation Board with distinction.
HYDROPOWER POLICY MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2017
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-11-8

. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. Rush, our ranking member of the subcommittee, for yielding. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 3043. prgtoken I support hydropower. It can deliver low-carbon, affordable power if it is well-sited and managed. But these facilities, which are licensed for 30 to 50 years, can do enormous harm to fisheries, agriculture, and recreational cultural resources if not properly overseen. The hydropower licensing process can be more efficient, but electric utilities should not be permitted to operate without license conditions that ensure other public interests are met. prgtoken As I look at H.R. 3043 and weigh it against the list of stakeholders with interests in the rivers and watersheds prgtoken that provide hydroelectric facilities their fuel, I see a bill that is unbalanced, regressive, and dangerous; that will harm farmers, fishermen, boaters, Tribes, and drinking water. prgtoken H.R. 3043 will allow private hydropower companies to use public water resources to generate power and profit, but without mitigating the negative impacts of their facilities on others who rely on our rivers, and without complying with modern environmental laws. prgtoken H.R. 3043, is a direct assault on States' rights, Tribal rights, and it undercuts major environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act. It prioritizes the use of rivers for power generation above the needs of all other water uses, and it inserts the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission into decisions that it has no authority, experience, or expertise to make. prgtoken So what this bill will not do is speed up the licensing process. FERC testified before our committee that one of the causes of delay in the licensing process was the failure of the applicant to provide a complete application, yet this bill does nothing to ensure that an applicant provides one. It makes no sense to impose a deadline if there is no clearly defined starting point in the form of a completed application. prgtoken How can a State make a decision on a water quality certificate if the applicant hasn't submitted the information that State needs to make that decision? prgtoken While FERC requires applicants to submit a complete application on the matters over which it has direct responsibility, the Commission has many times denied a similar opportunity to State and Federal agencies with regard to matters where they have primacy. In fact, FERC has a history of merely consulting with other stakeholders while dismissing their concerns and failing to incorporate minimal resource protections into hydropower licenses. prgtoken As an example, FERC recently failed to impose a number of conditions the State of West Virginia included in its water quality certificate for a project on the Monongahela River. FERC did this in spite of the fact that West Virginia acted in a timely manner. West Virginia acted
Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-11-8

while Senators Alexander and Rounds are on the floor--Senator King has just left--I find it ironic that the four of us who are gathered here are former Governors and are interested in getting things done and are interested in working across the aisle. We want to be able to achieve better results for less money. I applaud Senators Alexander and Murray for their efforts in trying to ensure that we begin to do that. prgtoken I think my friend from South Dakota gives much credit to President in his attacking what was originally bipartisan legislation that had been introduced here in 1993 by Senator Orrin Hatch, with 22 cosponsors, and that later became RomneyCare. prgtoken The idea behind their proposal was that there ought to be exchanges in every State and that the people could join if they did not have healthcare coverage; No. 2, that there would be a sliding scale tax credit to help buy down the cost of coverage for people who got their care in the exchanges; No. 3, that there would be an individual mandate that said you don't have to get coverage but that, if you don't, you have to pay a fine; No. 4, that there would be an employer mandate that said employers of a certain size would have to cover their people; No. 5, that insurance companies could not refuse to cover people with preexisting conditions. prgtoken had nothing to do with that. We continue to hear folks deride the idea of the exchanges and the five points I just mentioned as Care. He had nothing to do with it. When we marked up the Affordable Care Act, we took, really, those ideas from the 1993 legislation here, with 23 cosponsors--RomneyCare--and proposed and implemented it, I think, in 2006. It worked. When we were marking up the Affordable Care Act, we were actually looking for something that worked in order to give coverage to people in a cost- effective way. prgtoken In 1993, the s used, I think, what was originally a Heritage idea--Romney in 2006. They had a good idea, and it used market forces. What we have never done since the Affordable Care Act went into place is actually enable a good idea to work. I think what Senator Alexander has put together with Senator Murray can help move us closer to that step. prgtoken Some other things that I think we ought to do include a reinsurance plan along the lines that Senator Kaine and I have introduced, and that, I think, has a fair amount of support in a lot of corners. If we are not going to have an individual mandate--and I think we ought to, but if we are going to take it away--the other thing is to make sure that we put in its place the exchanges having young, healthy people so you have a group of folks in each State in the exchanges who are insurable without the insurance companies losing their shirts. prgtoken I think one of the great things about what Senator Alexander and Senator Murray are trying to do here is
TAXES WILL GO UP EVERY APRIL 15
Tony Cárdenas (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-11-8

I rise today to ask and highlight which Americans will see their taxes go up every April 15 under the tax scam. Middle class families, teachers, firefighters, nurses, veterans, folks paying off student loans, seniors with medical expenses, small businesses, and every homeowner will pay more in taxes. Over 50 million Americans will see their taxes go up every April 15. prgtoken Both students and teachers are hurt by this tax scam. This tax scam will make it harder for teachers to afford supplies for their classrooms. The tax scam eliminates medical expense deductions. The adoption tax credit goes away. Student loan deductions, gone. State and local tax deductions for homeowners, forget about it. This tax scam is just wrong. prgtoken , it hurts hardworking American families and it benefits the largest corporations.
Order of Procedure (Executive Session)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-11-8

has consistently made promises to the American people that he refuses to keep. He says one thing and does the exact opposite. His empty promises have already hurt millions of people across the country, from our seniors who depend on Medicare and Medicaid, to the LGBTQ community he promised to protect and Dreamers living in fear of deportation. prgtoken Now, with the nomination of Peter Robb to serve as the General Counsel at the National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, has broken yet another promise--this time, to fight for and protect American workers. As an independent agency, the NLRB has an important mission to enforce our Nation's labor laws, protect American workers, and safeguard their right to organize collectively. prgtoken The NLRB's mission is not to ignore our Nation's labor laws, to go after American workers, or to weaken their right to organize. Yet Peter Robb's career has been dedicated to doing all the things that NLRB is not about. prgtoken Joining the anti-union, anti-worker forces, President has consistently nominated people to the NLRB who are best positioned to destroy and undermine the core functions of the agency itself. Earlier this year, President forced through two management-side lawyers to create an anti-worker majority on the NLRB. prgtoken Today the Senate is debating the nomination of someone who has spent his entire legal career fighting to screw over the very workers the NLRB is supposed to protect. If confirmed as General Counsel, Mr. Robb will be responsible for supervising nearly 1,500 agents investigating and prosecuting unfair labor practice cases and overseeing elections where workers decide whether or not to unionize. This is a position prgtoken of great consequence for millions of workers across our country, and they deserve someone much better than Peter Robb. prgtoken Mr. Robb has spent his career defending management and employers from workers fighting to form a union, unionized workers on strike, and workers who brought forward discrimination and disability claims. You don't have to take my word for it. Mr. Robb's biography on his own law firm's website tells the story clearly: [His] extensive experience includes advising on mergers/ acquisitions, plant closings, labor contract negotiations (both large and small), managing lockouts and strikes, securing labor injunctions, discrimination issues and disability claims. His litigation includes defending employers from unfair labor practice charges, age and sex discrimination charges, class action age claims, and wage/hour claims as well as bringing suits against labor organizations. With such vast experience and a no-nonsense approach, Peter's clients look to him for sharp advice, rigorous representation and powerful litigation. prgtoken That is a description on his own law firm's website. prgtoken Mr. Robb
Republican Tax Plan (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-8

over the past decade, the American economy has generated enormous wealth for wealth holders but, painfully, less work and less pay--fewer good-paying jobs--for workers. Average folks are having a harder time keeping up with the ever-rising costs as the rich get richer and corporate stocks soar. prgtoken Our economy would surely benefit from the kind of tax reform that gives small businesses and working Americans a break, while asking the wealthiest among us to pay their fair share. ``Their share'' doesn't mean they are doing something illegal; it simply means that as wealth goes up and so much money agglomerates to the top, for the good of the society, the wealthiest should pay more. prgtoken Unfortunately, the Party has decided to pursue a partisan tax bill that would spin our economy even further out of whack, lavishing tax giveaways on the wealthy and corporate America, while raising taxes on millions of middle-class families over 10 years. prgtoken A New York Times analysis found that next year, the House tax plan would cause taxes to go up on one-third of all middle-class families. Those are families who make--I believe it is between $56,000 and $150,000. One out of three in that middle-class, upper middle-class group is going to pay more in taxes, while those at the highest end get huge breaks. By 2026, taxes would go up on nearly half of all middle- class families. prgtoken I want to salute someone I almost never agree with--Senator Cruz. At least yesterday, he had the courage of his convictions to say that no middle-class person should pay more, even in New York and California. But that is not the case with this bill. Large numbers of people throughout the country will pay more. Large numbers of middle-class people and people struggling to the middle class will pay more. prgtoken So when Ryan says that under the House plan ``Everyone enjoys a tax cut all across the board,'' as he did yesterday, he is fibbing. I really want to use the ``L'' word, but to be nice, I won't. But Ryan, explain to us how you can say with a straight face: ``Everyone enjoys a tax cut all across the board.'' prgtoken Every independent analysis and the more honest s say that some middle-class people--a good number of middle-class people--get a tax increase. So Ryan, take it back. Start telling the truth about your bill. We know you are under pressure, but you have always been an honorable man, and this tax bill is tying you into a pretzel when it comes to telling the truth about it. prgtoken Look at what is done here. The personal exemption, which benefits large families, is gone. Yes, the standard deduction doubles, but if you have four, five, six children, you still pay more, even before they start whacking your State and local deductibility or your college loan deductibility or your healthcare deductibility. prgtoken Stunningly, the deduction for catastrophically high medical exp