mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Healthcare (Executive Calendar)
Joe Donnelly (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2018-1-9

for the past decade, health policy, unfortunately, has proven to be one of the most bitterly partisan issues. It doesn't have to be this way. prgtoken I want to take a few minutes to discuss some health-related issues that Congress left unfinished before the holidays: providing relief from the medical device tax, reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program, funding for community health centers, and doing more to address the opioid crisis. Each has strong bipartisan support and could provide help to our constituents now. prgtoken First, many of us, on both sides of the aisle, agree on the need to provide relief from the medical device tax, which went back into effect on January 1. The medical device tax is one of these issues that leaves most Hoosiers scratching their heads. First adopted as part of the Affordable Care Act, the device tax was one of the few issues s and agreed needed to be fixed, and in 2015, with bipartisan support, President enacted a 2-year suspension of the tax. prgtoken The argument was really pretty simple. The medical device tax was making it harder for innovative companies to invest in the research and development of new technologies, and, in the process, we were stifling job creation. If there was a question as to whether this was the case, the last 2 years provided evidence. When we agreed to suspend the tax in 2016 and 2017, manufacturers used that additional money to hire new workers, invest in research and technologies, and continue producing innovative, lifesaving products in the United States. prgtoken For example, Zimmer Biomet, headquartered in Warsaw, IN, my home State, used the money from the device tax suspension to invest in new innovation to improve musculoskeletal health across the world. They were also able to upgrade their manufacturing equipment and facilities. Perhaps more importantly, these investments not only supported existing jobs, but they also helped to create new jobs--new, good-paying jobs. prgtoken Yet, despite this evidence, despite this strong bipartisan support for repeal, and despite a wide-ranging package of changes to the Tax Code becoming law in recent days, Congress has failed to address the medical device prgtoken tax, which went back into place on January 1. prgtoken As we again discuss the policy priorities that were left unaddressed in 2017, I strongly urge my colleagues to work with me to quickly and meaningfully address the medical device tax. This would allow these innovative companies to make the long-term investments that not only lead to life-changing technologies but support thousands of high-paying jobs across the country, including in my home State of Indiana. prgtoken Another issue that has garnered bipartisan support is a healthcare program that covers millions of our children. We must reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program--also known as CHIP--that expired in September. <|p|
Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (Executive Session)
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-1-9

every day in America--the greatest Nation in the history of the world--children, young women, and teenagers are sold for sex. That is not a proud fact about America, but it is the stark reality. Every day in America, young women, children, and teenagers are trafficked, in large part because they are advertised now on the internet, in the open, visibly, and obviously. Even though code words may be used and sometimes doctored photographs, they are sold for sex because the traffickers are able to do so using the internet. We are here to stop it. We are here today to stop the trafficking and, most importantly, to stop the advertising. prgtoken In support of a measure, known as the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, SESTA, we have a strong bipartisan coalition. This bill is about as bipartisan as any bill is. I have worked on this legislation together with my colleague and friend, Senator Rob Portman of Ohio, from the very beginning. We have been joined in this effort by two and two s--Senators McCaskill, Heitkamp, Cornyn, and McCain. We are passionate about this effort, and so are our colleagues who have joined us, because it is about those victims--those children, teenagers, and young women--who are sold for sex, who are trafficked on the internet. We want to give those victims a voice and a day in court, a right of action, a defense against this absolutely heinous, atrocious, inhumane crime. It is a crime and it can be prosecuted, but the victims deserve a day in court and a voice as well. That is the fundamental, core purpose of this legislation. It is about the victims. prgtoken We have been joined in this effort by advocates for those victims-- sex trafficking survivors themselves and a diligent, bipartisan coalition of colleagues. In fact, more than 60 of our colleagues have joined this as cosponsors. We are now at a critical milestone for this bill. We have reached a point of momentum that makes this bill unstoppable if those survivors are to be heard and heeded, and I urge my colleagues to do exactly that. SESTA is really the product of stakeholder consensus. It has the support of every major human trafficking organization, of law enforcement, and of all of the major tech companies. prgtoken In essence, SESTA would clarify that section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was never intended to protect websites that facilitate sex trafficking, and it would ensure that those survivors get their day in court. It stands in stark contrast to a measure in the House of Representatives that has been approved by the relevant committee there, which would fail in that effort. Websites that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking should be afforded no protection under the Communications Decency Act. They should be given no harbor or implicit approval, which is what the legislation now does. The House bill, unfortunately, would fail to give those survivors and victims their day in
VOTE EXPLANATION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-1-10

I was necessarily absent for the votes on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 371 and the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 389. prgtoken On vote No. 5, had I been present, I would have voted yea on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 371. prgtoken On vote No. 6, had I been present, I would have voted yea on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 389.
DACA (Executive Calendar)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-1-10

every Member of this body is only a few generations removed from the immigrant experience. At some point in the recent past, each of our ancestors made the courageous decision to leave his home in search of a better life in America. Each of them took a risk. They didn't know what awaited them in this country, but they believed that through their own hard work and determination, they could succeed. prgtoken My mother took a huge risk when she brought my brothers and me to this country. Leaving her entire family behind, she packed our belongings into one suitcase, and we set sail for Hawaii. We grew up poor, but Mom worked so hard every day to build a life for us in this country. She worked minimum-wage jobs with no health insurance. We moved apartments and schools every few years. Eventually, we were able to bring my grandparents to Hawaii from Japan. So I understand as an immigrant how important family unification is to immigrant families. prgtoken I share my story not because I think it is particularly extraordinary but because it is a story that millions of families in our country share. The same hopes that drove my mom to risk everything to bring us to America are reflected in the stories of millions of immigrant families across the country, and they are reflected in the lives of Dreamers, whose futures are now at risk because of the President's decision to end the DACA Program. prgtoken More than 15,000 young people have already lost their protection from deportation as a result of the President's decision, and 122 more will lose DACA protection every single day. It was with this sense of urgency in mind that I joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues at the White House yesterday to find a path forward to protect the Dreamers. The President took great pains to appear reasonable and eager to make a deal, but we left yesterday's meeting without much clarity about where he stood. prgtoken Only a few days ago, the President threatened to hold Dreamers hostage until he got $18 billion to build the wall. I would call that his vanity project. In response to my question at yesterday's meeting, the President appeared to demonstrate some flexibility on this issue, but after the Freedom Caucus spent yesterday afternoon warning of a potential betrayal on so-called ``amnesty,'' the President reaffirmed in a tweet his hard-line position that funding for the wall must be part of any deal on Dreamers. prgtoken Between insisting on building an unnecessary wall, demonizing family reunification, and peddling misinformation about the diversity visa lottery, the President lost track of what is really at stake here--the inspiring young people whose lives he has left hanging in the balance. prgtoken Before the holidays, it was heartening to see so many Dreamers from all across the country taking direct action in the halls of Congress to fight for their futures. I spoke with a number of these young people, like
FIX OUR TAX CODE
Tony Cárdenas (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-10

I rise today to speak about the tax scam that was voted for by 100 percent of s and signed by President . prgtoken We all know that this bill puts middle class families out in the cold. This tax scam raised taxes on 86 million American families. It robs our ability to help American veterans, children, and seniors. s have slashed taxes on the wealthiest among us, and now they want us to slash, cut, decimate Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. prgtoken Some of my colleagues would have us believe that this bill is about prosperity for all. prgtoken Prosperity for whom? prgtoken It is a tax giveaway to billionaires and millionaires. prgtoken Does slashing tax revenue create prosperity for communities like Flint, Michigan, where American families continue to suffer through a water crisis, a crisis that my colleagues claim they can't find the funding to help our American brothers and sisters who are suffering? prgtoken s want us to believe this bill is fiscally responsible, but we all know there is nothing fiscally responsible about taking healthcare away from millions of Americans while ballooning our country's deficit by as much as $2 trillion. prgtoken , we need to fix our Tax Code, not leave American families out in the cold.
MACOMB COUNTY, MICHIGAN, BICENTENNIAL
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-1-10

today I wish to recognize the 200th anniversary of Macomb County, MI. Situated along Lake Saint Clair in the southeast corner of Michigan, Macomb County is built on industry and entrepreneurship and populated with dedicated citizens and entrepreneurs. prgtoken French fur trappers were the first Europeans to arrive in the area during the 17th century, and when they recognized the possibilities presented to them within the area's marshes, they sought new opportunities for trade. Moravian missionaries later established the first organized, non-native settlement in the area in 1782 as a refuge for Native Americans who had converted to Christianity along the banks of the Clinton River. In March 1780, Christian Clemens purchased a distillery, which is considered the first building on the site of the future city of Mount Clemens. The next year, he bought 500 acres for development, and the site became known as High Banks. On January 15, 1818, Macomb County was formally organized as the third county in the Michigan territory and was named in honor of General Alexander Macomb, a highly decorated veteran of the War of 1812. High Banks was platted as the Village of Mount Clemens and named the county seat. prgtoken Starting in the early 1800s and continuing until 1840, settlers began moving into the interior of the county and carved out farms from the hardwood forests. Families began focusing on agriculture as the roots of county villages and towns began to be established by this time. Germans, Belgians, and other Europeans also began joining the original French and English settlers during this time. During the 1870s, mineral baths brought international fame to Mount Clemens as many thought the waters had healing powers, though interest in the spas eventually died out in the early 20th century. prgtoken Between 1920 and 1930, Macomb County saw its first population spike when it more than doubled from 38,000 to 77,000. This was caused by the establishment of Selfridge Field in 1917, now the Selfridge Air National Guard Base, and the beginning of the migration of automotive workers moving out of the city of Detroit. During the 1940s and 1950s, the suburbs again saw a population increase but the largest instance of growth occurred between 1950 and 1970, when more than 440,000 moved to Macomb County and helped make it one of Michigan's largest counties. prgtoken Today Macomb County encompasses 27 local municipalities that nearly 1 million Michiganders call home. Like our country, its people come from different backgrounds and ethnicities and share many different cultures. There are robust urban clusters, a prosperous manufacturing and economic industry throughout that is home to more than 18,000 businesses, and beautiful natural features and agricultural lands in the north. All of this has contributed to Macomb County having over 865,000 residents, making it the third most populated county in our great State.
IRAN (Executive Calendar)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-1-10

I rise today to discuss my thoughts on recent protests in Iran and the important upcoming decisions by the President with respect to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the JCPOA. prgtoken While I am mindful that we have limited visibility into Iran and continue to learn more about the circumstances and motivations of the recent protests, one thing is clear: A significant portion of the Iranian people are not satisfied with their government and are increasingly willing to make their dissatisfaction heard. It is important that we support their right to peacefully express their views and demand that the Iranian Government respond with constructive dialogue, rather than force. prgtoken It was notable that Iranian President Ruhani implicitly recognized the validity of the protests earlier this week when he reportedly said: It would be a misrepresentation and also an insult to Iranian people to say they only had economic demands. . . . People had economic, political and social demands prgtoken That is according to President Ruhani. prgtoken Acknowledging the need for reform, Ruhani continued: We cannot pick a lifestyle and tell two generations after us to live like that. It is impossible. The views of the young generation about life and the world is different than ours. prgtoken Now is the time to support the Iranian people in their quest for a government that is more representative and supportive of their interests. Unfortunately, some have suggested that our response should be to withdraw from the JCPOA, an action that I believe would only serve to embolden the hardliners in Iran and leave the United States more isolated from our allies. Withdrawing from the JCPOA and reimposing nuclear-related sanctions on Iran would immediately change the narrative inside of Iran, uniting reformists and hardliners alike in their opposition to what they view as a hostile United States. prgtoken While some would argue that the recent protests in Iran are symptomatic of what they view as a flawed JCPOA, I would suggest otherwise. In reality, the nuclear deal exposed one of the Iranian regime's central vulnerabilities--namely, that the regime can no longer simply blame sanctions imposed by the United States and the international community for its economic woes at home. It is becoming clearer to the Iranian people that it is actually the regime's corruption, financial mismanagement, funding of malign activities, and hegemonic ambitions that are at the root of their government's inability to enable job creation and to ensure that necessities like food and gasoline remain affordable. prgtoken In the coming days, the President has several important decisions to make with respect to the JCPOA. In October, President acknowledged that Iran is meeting its commitments under the JCPOA, but he chose not to certify that continued sanctions relief is ``appropriate and proport
AMENDING THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE WATER RIGHTS QUANTIFICATION ACT OF 2010
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-1-10

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I respect and support Tribal sovereignty. I also support workers' rights to unionize and collective bargaining to improve their workplace and the lives of their families. Those rights must be balanced, but they are not in this bill. prgtoken Union members have a collective voice to fight for higher wages, better benefits, safer workplaces, fewer injuries, fewer deaths, lower rates of gender-based violence. prgtoken After Unite Here, a union, found that 58 percent of hotel workers and 77 percent of casino workers in the Chicagoland, where I am from, had been sexually harassed, they won a contract that includes panic buttons to protect workers. prgtoken Labor rights are fundamental, but under this bill, workers at Tribally-owned businesses, casinos and hotels, construction, and other industries would lose those rights. prgtoken Remember, three out of four workers employed in Tribal casinos are not Tribal members. Those workers could end up with no way to bargain for fair wages, appeal unfair disciplinary action, or act against sexual harassment. prgtoken Looking at a similar bill in the last Congress, the International Labour Organization stated: ``It would appear likely that an exclusion of certain workers from the National Labor Relations Act and its mechanisms would give rise to a failure to ensure to these workers their fundamental freedom of association rights absent any assurances that there were Tribal labor laws that provide the same rights to all workers.'' prgtoken , there is no such requirement in this bill. Protect workers. Reject this unfair and unbalanced bill. prgtoken , I include in the Record the opinion from the International Labour Office. International Labour Office, Geneve 22. Mr. R.L. Trumka, President, AFL-CIO, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Trumka: I acknowledge receipt of your letter dated 22 October 2015 requesting an informal opinion and guidance from the International Labour Organization in respect of a Bill being considered by the United States Congress. In particular, you have raised concerns about the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act (H.R. 511) which you state would deny protection under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) of a large number of workers employed by tribal-owned and tribal- operated enterprises located on tribal territory and ask for the informal opinion of the Office as to whether such an exclusion of workers employed on tribal lands would be in conformity with the principles of freedom of Association which are at the core of the ILO Constitution and the ILO's Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. In conformity with the regular procedure concerning requests for an informal opinion from the International Labour Office in res
AMENDING THE WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE WATER RIGHTS QUANTIFICATION ACT OF 2010
Donald Norcross (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-1-10

the land of opportunity is right here. It is called the United States of America. But, unfortunately, there is not always a level playing field when it comes to that land of opportunity. This year is the 83rd anniversary of the National Labor Relations Act, the act that gave workers a voice, a voice in the workplace. It gave them the ability to bargain--along with their employers--a living wage, pensions, the ability to retire with dignity. prgtoken But today, we are really debating how to hurt workers--that somehow you get treated outside of the reservations in a humane way, where casinos are operating in a very profitable way, but you cross that line, and you are being treated differently. You are being treated less than and doing it all under the guise of Native American sovereignty. prgtoken The vast majority of casinos on their properties are treated with respect by employees. But they were able to get to some folks to introduce this piece that somehow let them try to do it differently on that line. When we cross it, you are less than. We can take advantage of you, and we see that happen time after time. prgtoken I have been before the NLRB many times, had cases. I won many, but I also lost them. But I always felt as if I was treated fairly. And that is what we should be doing here, treating employees, no matter where you are in this great country, fairly. It has been a decade since we raised the minimum wage. And somehow, we are just looking for no reason to hurt employees.
SMEAR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE AUTHORS OF THE INFAMOUS DOSSIER EXPOSING TRUMP'S RUSSIA CONNECTIONS
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-10

character assassination is 's favorite trick when people make him look bad. This month, and his allies have been desperately smearing the authors of the infamous dossier, which exposes disturbing facts about 's Russia connections. By attacking Chris Steele and Fusion GPS, they are trying to divert attention from the damning content of the dossier and also to impugn the FBI for launching its investigation. prgtoken Here is the problem: the dossier didn't start the FBI investigation. It was a policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, boasting to an Australian diplomat that Russia had stolen emails to interfere in our election. That was 2 months before those stolen emails were put online, and that smacks of collusion. prgtoken Thankfully, our Australian allies shared this information with the FBI and the investigation began. The dossier came along and corroborated what the FBI had already heard. prgtoken There is another problem with this smear campaign: It wasn't just the FBI that took the dossier seriously. Senator John McCain deemed it credible enough to turn it over to the FBI. prgtoken This is a serious document, corroborated by a host of other evidence, and the truth is coming out, .
HONORING CONGRESSMAN ROBERT WEYGAND
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-1-10

I rise today to honor a great Rhode Island public servant, educator, and dear friend, my predecessor, Congressman Robert Weygand. prgtoken During his time in government, Bob served as a Rhode Island State legislator from 1985 to 1993, Lieutenant Governor from 1993 to 1997, and United States Representative for the Second Congressional District of Rhode Island from 1997 to 2001. prgtoken Bob has always fought passionately for the people of the State of Rhode Island, and in the decades since, he has shared his wealth of knowledge with the students at the University of Rhode Island, dedicating himself to preparing the next generation of leaders. prgtoken As he retires from that position, I want to say that Bob served for the right reasons: to make a positive difference in his community and improve the lives of the people around him. prgtoken I am proud to call him my predecessor in the Halls of Congress, my dear friend and mentor to this day, and I happily congratulate him on his retirement from URI. prgtoken I know that, in one way or another, Bob will continue to serve his community as he always has: with integrity, passion, and wisdom.