mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
WE MUST REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-1-21

we must reopen the government. prgtoken I find it troubling that a majority of the Senate have chosen to severely jeopardize our military readiness, shut down central government operations, and eliminate healthcare coverage for low-income children, all while setting an arbitrary deadline to address the DACA issue. prgtoken , I know that we must achieve comprehensive immigration reform, which includes providing certainty on the status of those brought here as children, but a government shutdown is not the way to achieve that public policy. prgtoken We must continue to work towards a bipartisan agreement to protect the fate of the DREAMers and to ensure our borders are secure for the safety of all Americans. prgtoken In accordance with the law, my Bellefonte and Titusville district offices will be closed, and many of my staff members are furloughed for the duration of any budget impasse. I will remain here in Washington working to get this impasse resolved. prgtoken It is my hope that cooler heads will prevail and we can quickly find a resolution to reopen the Federal Government. prgtoken All Americans deserve better.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-1-21

. No, I will not yield. I will finish, and the Senator can respond to this later. prgtoken Hopefully my colleague from Hawaii hasn't been one of those who have been filibustering spending for our troops, but it has happened. In the summer of 2015, it happened five times in a row. prgtoken Next--right now we are having these discussions on the appropriate level of defense spending, but the other side is saying: No, there has to be parity, with ``parity'' meaning that if we increase defense spending, which people are now saying we need to do--and we do--we have to correspondingly increase domestic spending. prgtoken Well, again, the vast majority of Americans don't agree with that position. That is not a position that is showing strong support for our military, yet that is the position right now. That is one of the reasons we have had difficulty coming to a final topline number. prgtoken In other words, if you want to increase the budget for the Marines, you need to increase the budget for the EPA or another domestic agency. Well, that is not showing this newfound emphasis and importance with regard to the military. prgtoken Let me provide just one last point. This government shutdown--we all know that really hurts our troops. We all know that really hurts training. We all know that really hurts planning. Right now, if you are a lance corporal in the Marine Corps fighting in Iraq or somewhere else around the world for our national security, you have just been told that you are not getting paid. Right now, the families of survivors for the military--meaning that your husband, your wife, or your dad was killed in action--get survivors benefits. Guess what happened on Friday night. Those families no longer get survivors benefits. prgtoken We have all heard it, and I agree that a CR is bad for the military. I fully agree with that. There is one thing that is absolutely worse for the military and our troops right now--shutting down the government. That is worse. That is worse than a CR. prgtoken When my colleagues on the other side trot out statements from General Mattis and others, that is their view. Shutting down the government is the worst thing we can be doing right now. prgtoken There was a little bit of news today. This was in the Alaska Dispatch News, or what is now known as the Anchorage Daily News, about what is going on in my State of Alaska. I am going to quote a couple of sentences from this article. prgtoken It says that LTC Candis Olmstead of the Alaska National Guard ``wrote that the Alaska National Guard also canceled its monthly drill weekend, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, due to the government shutdown. About 4,000 Guard members''--we have a lot of military in Alaska-- ``throughout the state had planned to attend.'' prgtoken I guarantee, some were en route, and they were told to go home. Alaska is a big State. Sometimes you can fly 1,000 miles within Alaska to go to a drill weekend. prgtoken She said: ``
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-1-21

one of the unusual things about the moment we find ourselves in is that we are debating on virtually all fronts on topics that 70 percent of the Senators agree on. When you look at the appropriating bill, at least 70 Senators are for the Children's Health Insurance Program--maybe 90, maybe more than that. It is a widely supported program. Nobody really believes that the taxes and Care on medical device taxes ever made any sense, or the so-called Cadillac tax, where if you have worked hard and, in many cases, worked and negotiated an insurance coverage package, now the government says it is better than it should be and you should pay taxes on that, or that everybody should pay an individual tax on their healthcare. Nobody is for that. prgtoken Surely everybody wants the government's doors to stay open and so, on that front, one of the major criticisms of stopping the continuing resolution from going on is that nobody is opposed to it. So they are using that totally as leverage on an issue that we, also, almost all agree on. As to these kids who came here as kids--and I have met a number of them as the Presiding Officer has--one of the first questions I often ask is, Well, how old were you when your parents brought you here? The answer is often 18 months, 2, 3, followed by something like: Now I work at an architectural firm, or I just graduated from college-- or whatever else they might say about what they are doing now. They clearly grew up in this country; we all get that. This is not a hard problem to solve, I don't believe. But leverage has somehow become the big issue here. prgtoken First of all, we let the appropriations process collapse, where only a few people have anything to say about how we spend our money, and then we have decided we will let the whole legislating process collapse and have spent way too much time on confirming people who there is no opposition to. prgtoken And then our friends on the other side, like the ic leader, insist on 30 hours of debate or 8 hours of debate where there is no debate. All you do is use up that time so nothing else can happen. He says: Why can't we debate this issue? We could debate this issue if we hadn't just spent an entire week confirming four district judges. These are not four Supreme Court Justices and they are not four circuit judges who will handle appeals from the district court. We spent an entire week last week doing nothing but that. And these judges were all confirmed. On Monday, we all knew they were going to be confirmed. They were all confirmed by the end of the week, but we spent the whole week doing that. The same people who insisted on that wonder why we don't have time to debate the issues we would all like to debate. prgtoken I would like to have seen the children's health insurance bill debated, but we ran out of time. We are now beyond the time when the bill expired. States are beginning to have stress
VOTE TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2018-1-21

some Americans have not heard the truth about why we have the Schumer shutdown. The simple truth is that it is because the s believe in the rule of law, want to fund our troops and the CHIP program. prgtoken are advocating for illegal aliens. President violated the Constitution when he signed an executive order allowing illegal aliens to reside here as legal residents. The court ruled his action unconstitutional. prgtoken To President 's credit, he agreed with the court and asked Congress to find a solution to that issue and our broken immigration system. prgtoken House s are working on a solution and doing our job in passing appropriations bills and continuing resolutions to fund troops and our government. prgtoken Senate saw an opening for their zeal to make these illegal aliens legal and have chosen to shut down the government. It is time for the to give priority to national security and legal people in our country. prgtoken Vote to fund the government, and come to the table to find a law- respecting solution to immigration. Stop the Schumer shutdown.
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JOHN ANDRIST
Kevin Cramer (Republican, ND) \u2014 2018-1-21

John Andrist, a North Dakota State senator from Crosby for 22 years, died last week on Wednesday. He was a patriotic American who loved his Lord, loved his country, loved his State, and loved his community. John was a strong conservative who exercised his convictions with grace and facilitated dignified deliberations. prgtoken While John made a mark as a public servant at many levels, it was his work as a newspaperman that leaves the most impressive legacy. His columns were sometimes provocative, always profound, but never mean. prgtoken John was the president of the North Dakota Newspaper Association in 1970 and, in 1989, became the only North Dakotan ever elected president of the National Newspaper Association. John was inducted into the North Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the national association's award for distinguished service. Distinguished service is the perfect description for John. prgtoken While he is being laid to rest this weekend because his servant's heart has stopped beating, his legacy lives on in his words and his witness to decency. May we all strive to his very high standard of statesmanship. prgtoken God rest your soul, John. I love you.
SCHUMER SHUTDOWN
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2018-1-21

I rise today because I am frustrated, I am fed up, and I am concerned for our soldiers, their families, my constituents, and all Americans. People are filled with uncertainty. They are confused, and, honestly, so am I. prgtoken Chuck Schumer and the Senate shut down the government over a deadline that does not exist. They voted against a bill they have no issues with. have recklessly put 9 million children at risk of losing their health insurance. Over 2 million members of our military, the men and women who risk their lives to protect us, are not being paid. prgtoken It is time for Senate to join us and reopen the government. They need to join us in passing the Children's Health Insurance Program, and they need to join us in putting our military readiness, our American soldiers, and our country before political gamesmanship. prgtoken Stop the Schumer shutdown.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-1-21

I hope that later this evening we will be able to have a vote that would allow us to open the government back up and recommence negotiations on immigration and a whole range of other issues that are currently of concern to Members here and, I think, of concern, fairly, to the American people. So I hope we will have the 60 votes that are necessary to do that when we have that vote later today. prgtoken In fact, what we will be voting on later today has been modified from what was originally sent over from the House, which was a 4-week continuing resolution. This, I believe, will be a 3-week continuing resolution, modified at the request of some here in the Senate. I hope we can get the government up and functioning again. It is really important, in my view, that we do that. prgtoken There has been a lot of discussion throughout the course of the afternoon here on the floor and in the previous days leading up to this about who is to blame and all that sort of thing. I don't prgtoken think the American people, frankly, care much. They just want to see their elected officials work together to get results. prgtoken The one thing I will point out--because a number of my colleagues here on the ic side have spoken earlier today and consistently said that this is President 's fault somehow--is that the President of the United States doesn't appropriate a single dime. That is not his authority under the Constitution. That is the authority of the Congress. That is our article I power. Congress has the ability to appropriate funds. The President of the United States--let me repeat-- cannot appropriate a single dime. So the idea that this is somehow the President's fault is completely missing the point and is simply an attempt to try and dodge responsibility. prgtoken I would also point out, as many of our colleagues have come down here today and tried to blame the President and tried to blame s, or whatever, that I think the American people get this, and it seems like the news media seems to get it. These are headlines. prgtoken This is from the Associated Press: ``Senate derail bill to avert shutdown.'' prgtoken New York Times: Senate blocked passage of a stopgap spending bill to keep the government open. prgtoken Bloomberg: Senate block GOP funding plan as shutdown kicks in. prgtoken Those are just a few of the coverages of this by the media. prgtoken The point I would make is that I think it is not being lost on people outside this Chamber what is happening here. This is purely an attempt to hijack the Senate over a debate on an issue which, frankly, doesn't have an urgent deadline. There is nothing that says we have to have the issue of DACA solved tomorrow, or even the day after that. There is a deadline in March, and there were good-faith negotiations under way between s and in the House and in the Senate to resolve that issue,
THE SCHUMER SHUTDOWN CONTINUES
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-1-21

yesterday the editors of the National Review explained the Schumer shutdown clearly in their editorial, ``Hang Tough, s.'' prgtoken In no uncertain terms, Senate have blocked a bill to keep the Federal Government running and fund the Children's Health Insurance Program for the next 6 years. Senate have made a choice not to keep the government open. prgtoken A government shutdown does not benefit anyone. It causes irreparable harm to our military. Over 100,000 National Guard members will be sent home from weekend training, and over 2 million servicemembers will have their pay disrupted by the Senate ' partisan politics. prgtoken As chairman of the Readiness Subcommittee, I know that military readiness is at risk; yet the government would be fully open for business if had not voted against the bill, a bill that has nothing of substance that they oppose, to get leverage for a policy they favor. prgtoken This Schumer shutdown could have been avoided if Senate had prioritized funding at-risk children and troops over political grandstanding. Sadly, the ' negotiating stance is: Give us amnesty or we will make the government shut down and blame you s. prgtoken This is an unreasonable position. prgtoken Hang tough, s. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
ECONOMIC COST OF A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-1-22

this is not a game. Congressional s who own the House, the Senate, and the White prgtoken House refuse to work out a bipartisan compromise to keep the Federal Government open. This not only disrupts the lives of millions of Americans, but it may have real harmful economic consequences. prgtoken The shutdown sends exactly the wrong message. It projects chaos. It can hurt business confidence, tapping the brakes of economic growth. prgtoken In 2013, the last time the congressional leaders shut down the government, the economy took a real hit. The nonpartisan Bureau of Economic Analysis found that the shutdown lowered GDP growth by 0.3 percentage points on an annualized basis. Economic analysts at Moody's, Standard & Poor's, and Goldman Sachs estimated it may have cost our economy $24 billion, about $1.5 billion per day. prgtoken Our economy depends on faith in our government institutions. Let's not do anything to jeopardize it. Let's stop this dangerous game. Open the government. Fund the government.
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017--Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-1-22

thank you very much, and I thank the majority leader for this opportunity. prgtoken Let me thank my friend, my colleague, and our leader on the ic side for his passionate personal commitment to this issue involving the Dreamers and DACA. He has been by my side, and I have been inspired by his leadership from the start. prgtoken Let me thank my colleagues. So many of you cast a vote that was very hard and very difficult because you believed, as I did, that the issue of immigration and the issue of the Dreamers is the civil rights issue of our time. You stuck your necks out and said: I am willing to go on record, even though it is hard to explain back home, and I will never forget that. prgtoken The question now is how we move forward. What I have seen on the floor of the Senate in the last few days is something we have not seen for years--constructive, bipartisan conversations and dialogue on the floor, not just about this issue, which is obviously front and center, but about the future of this institution and what the Senate will be from this point forward. That, to me, has been encouraging because it says to me we do have an opportunity to work together. prgtoken My special thanks to Senator Susan Collins, my friend, and Senator Lisa Murkowski for joining with Jeff Flake and joining with Lindsey Graham and joining with Cory Gardner and others who have been working on this issue for so long to try to make a positive impact on this debate so we can move forward. prgtoken I cannot tell my colleagues how many have come up to me from the other side of the aisle who said: We are with you on this issue. We want to help get this done. Each of them has a little different take on what that means, but I do believe them, and I do believe we have this opportunity to move this together. prgtoken Now comes the real test as to whether we can get this done--whether we can be the Senate again, whether we can return to regular order on the floor and constructively have a debate. For some of you, it will be the first time you have ever seen it, but believe me, it is worth the price of admission, all it took for you to come to the U.S. Senate. So now we have to stand together. prgtoken My last word is this: We have gathered the largest bipartisan group of Senators to ever commit on moving forward on the Dream Act and immigration. We have a process. prgtoken I thank Senator McConnell for explicitly saying today it will be a level playing field. It will be open to both sides. We will move to the issue, as you characterized it this morning, of DACA and immigration. Thank you for doing that. I believe that then sets the stage for us to work together. prgtoken For the first time in 5 years, we will have debate on the floor of the Senate on the Dream Act and immigration. To all the Dreamers who are watching today, don't give up. I know that your lives are hanging in the balance on what we do here on Capitol Hill and
FISA AMENDMENTS REAUTHORIZATION ACT
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-1-22

providing for the security of the American people is one of our greatest responsibilities. I salute the officers and analysts in our intelligence community, who are integral in combating our adversaries and protecting our citizenry. The section 702 Prograin, authorized by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, FISA, is an essential tool in our fight against international terrorism. prgtoken An equally great responsibility, however, is safeguarding the individual liberties enshrined in our Constitution, and it is this debate--the debate on the balance between national security and privacy protections--that is so fundamental to our Nation's history and our democracy. prgtoken The proponents of FISA 702 reform raised a series of concerns about how the program could compromise the private communications of law- abiding American citizens and proposed amendments to address those concerns. I believe the Senate should have had an opportunity to debate, consider and vote on those proposals before reauthorizing section 702 for 6 more years. prgtoken Unfortunately, the Senate leadership shuttered this critical debate by preventing amendments from consideration. For this reason, I voted against the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017.
HONORING THE 2017 McCLYMONDS HIGH SCHOOL WARRIORS
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-22

I stand today to honor the McClymonds High School Warriors football team, which recently won its second straight state championship, becoming the first Oakland high school to accomplish such a feat. prgtoken McClymonds High in West Oakland, known as ``Mac'', has a proud history of academic and athletic excellence going back generations. Luminaries such as MLB all-star Curt Flood, hall of famer Frank Robinson, and NBA legend Bill Russell all attended McClymonds before going on to achieve greatness in their respective sports. prgtoken Last year, the McClymonds Warriors football team became the first high school team in Oakland's history to win a state championship, when they prevailed over La Jolla Country Day School in the State's 5A division finals. prgtoken This year it was certainly the return of the Mac, as the Warriors continued their dominance, remaining undefeated during the regular season. In fact, the team has been undefeated in Oakland Athletic League games dating back to 2009. prgtoken Following the regular season, the Warriors met Visalia's Golden West High School Trailblazers in the state Division 5AA football championship, and prevailed in an impressive 42-12 victory to earn their second statewide championship in back-to-back years. prgtoken The team is led by Coach Mike Peters, who has fostered in his athletes a commitment to excellence and a strong desire to succeed both on the field and in their studies. prgtoken I commend Coach Peters and his staff for their efforts to promote the development of the McClymonds Warriors football team. I also want to thank all of the team's family and friends for providing unwavering support of these wonderful student athletes. prgtoken Lastly, I want to recognize the members of the 2017 McClymonds Warriors football team, and let them know how proud we are of what they have accomplished: prgtoken Emoreea Fountain; Columbus Lewis; Albert Mitchell; Jamar Julien; Charles Alberty; Ja'vanz Dornners; K'aun Green; Angelo Edgerly; Gary Alexander, Jr.; Dwayne Washington; Semaj Sims; Cory Hayes; Edward Woods; Da'veonne Sanders; Day'marr Johnson; Peter Diaz; Monte Smith; D'Shun White; Damon Gardner, Jr.; Montrell Smith; Kelvin Dunn, Jr.; Earl Hollimon; Islee Cassidy; James Willoughby; Huruma Zulu; Ramone Sanders; Mark Hoching; Yaheem Brown; Amani Trigg-Wright; Usama Alomaisi; Andrew Diamond; Jaylen Williams; Charles Joseph; Ramone Kelly; Rashawn Jackson; Xavier Sanders. prgtoken Congratulations to the McClymonds High School Warriors 2017 Football Champions. You have made Oakland proud.
THE ACT OF NO DEAL
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-1-22

more and more Americans are recognizing that is unfit to be President--his divisive tactics, his racism, and his mendacity--but this shutdown has shown further that he is truly incapable of being President. prgtoken His fabled dealmaking ability appears to be just a television act. When he reaches an agreement, his extremist cohorts will not let him close the deal. He mistakes tweeting for government. He just cannot lead. prgtoken Since this shutdown began, this self-described ``stable genius'' has failed to hold a single bipartisan meeting, nor even make a public appearance, though he did dispatch his son, Eric, to declare-- amazingly--that the government shutdown is a ``good thing for us.'' prgtoken It is not a good thing for America. This Congress must lead in supporting the needs of our people and recognizing that we must put America first in this situation.