mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-10-25

as the Senate irons out the details of our comprehensive tax reform plan to get the American economy back on track, I want to draw attention today to what I believe is one of the greatest obstacles in our path as we pursue 3-percent annual growth. That obstacle I am referring to is our aging national infrastructure: our roads, our bridges, our airports, our water systems, our sewage systems, and our waterways that desperately need dredging, especially in my State. prgtoken If our tax plan is going to be pro-growth, then we need to take advantage of this once-in-a-generation chance to use Federal revenues to invest meaningfully in our economy. Allow me to explain what I mean by that. Federal investment in our roads, our bridges, our railways, and our waterways would be a shot in the arm for the American economy. It would pay dividends for decades. Companies need good roads and bridges and shipping channels to transport their products and to ensure that they aren't sitting in traffic for hours--sometimes it seems like days--which eats away at profits and raises costs for our people. But for too long, Washington's spending priorities have been to grow the Federal bureaucracy instead of growing our capacity for economic expansion and development through infrastructure upgrades. We know the result. Our Department of Transportation now estimates that we have a backlog of construction and repairs that would cost $926 billion to clear. It would cost nearly a trillion dollars, and that is just the backlog. prgtoken I have a simple solution that I would respectfully suggest to get us back on track. According to the Congressional Research Service, $2.6 trillion in corporate profits made by American companies are parked overseas, and some outside estimates say $4 or $5 trillion. This money is overseas, and it will not be brought back to America as long as our antiquated corporate tax system is going to charge those American companies 35 percent in tax just to bring them back. prgtoken Congress is already discussing repatriation as a part of the move to a territorial tax system, which would use a competitive tax rate to encourage companies to bring their dollars back to the United States and keep them here and invest them here in American products and American businesses and American employees. prgtoken When tax reform passes--and it will--and we get a one-time surge in tax revenue as a result of this $3 to $5 trillion being brought back to the United States, we are going to get only one chance to spend that money wisely. Instead of blowing those repatriated dollars on an already bloated Federal bureaucracy, we ought to invest that money solely and exclusively in desperately needed infrastructure upgrades. Even a one-time target investment in clearing the industrial backlog will create jobs and stimulate the economy for decades. prgtoken Let's face it, too many of American roads today are axle-breaking in
OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-10-25

the world is an ugly place right now. It seems that at every turn there is another crisis--another barrier to peace and prosperity, another obstacle to fight, or another cross to bear. More of our citizens, women, children, and grandkids are turning to something--anything--to mute the pain and create a false sense of peace. Society has been infected by drug addiction, a disease fueled by a loss of hope. prgtoken We see it on the news, we watch it online, we feel loss in our communities. This disease is killing our friends and neighbors. Last year alone, over 64,000 lives were lost. That is more casualties in a year than we saw during the height of the Vietnam war. prgtoken And this is a war, too--a war being fought in the streets and in our homes. And we are losing. Mothers, sons, daughters, and fathers are dying--from the cold streets of major cities to the quiet fields of rural America--we are all feeling the effects of the opioid crisis. prgtoken What can be done? That is a question I have asked countless law enforcement officials, doctors, nurses, addiction treatment professionals, and community leaders. There is no one solution to stopping the opioid epidemic in this country. prgtoken This is a man-made disaster. We must face it head on with education and awareness, addiction and recovery services, funding, prescription drug monitoring programs, and prevention. We need to prevent our loved ones from being dragged into the abyss of addiction and hopelessness. prgtoken According to the CDC, three out of four new heroin users report abusing prescription opioids before using heroin. There is an easy step each of us can take to help with prevention. We can get rid of our old opioid prescriptions at home. Why chance someone taking them? Why chance your loved one being a statistic? prgtoken This year alone, 153 individuals in St. Louis County have already died of an overdose. How many of them started with prescribed opioids? How many started by taking prescriptions from a parent or a family member? If we could have saved just one of these lives by throwing away old prescriptions, then isn't it worth it? prgtoken This Saturday, October 28, local law enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Agency will be set up all around the country and in our neighborhoods for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. They are providing safe and easy locations for you to throw away unused prescription drugs. prgtoken I have no idea how many people can, and will, be saved by this one simple act. But multiply this one act times thousands, and now we are getting something done this is an epidemic this Nation has never seen. This is a disease of our own making. prgtoken This week, there is something we all can do. Think about your household. Go into your hidden cupboards and see if you have old prescriptions. I bet you do. Take them. Find your nearest drug take back location and throw them away. prgtoken We need to restore hope in thi
LIBERATION OF MARAWI, PHILIPPINES
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-10-25

sadly, radical Islamic terrorists continue their assault on innocent victims across the world. prgtoken This month, there were ISIS-inspired knife attacks in France and Canada, as well as the surprise attack in Niger, with mass murders of worshippers at mosques in Kabul. prgtoken Gratefully, there are victories over the terrorists, such as the recent liberation of Raqqa, Syria, and now in the Philippines. prgtoken Congratulations to the people of the Philippines, successfully led by President Rodrigo Duterte and their courageous military, on the recent liberation of Marawi from ISIS militants. prgtoken Marawi is the capital city of over 200,000 citizens in the province of Lanao del Sur on the island of Mindanao, which has been under ISIS control since the end of May. Innocent families were persecuted in this murderous occupation. prgtoken While liberating Marawi from ISIS control is a milestone in combatting global terrorism, this fight is far from finished. We must be successful to defeat the terrorists overseas to protect American families at home. prgtoken In conclusion, God bless our troops, and we will never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.
SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-10-25

Forbes magazine recently discovered something many of us have known for a long time, which is that Sparta, North Carolina, is a wonderful place to live and work. prgtoken Sparta, located in Alleghany County, is a wonderful community made up of people with vision, strong work ethic, big hearts, and dreams. prgtoken Forbes encouraged young entrepreneurs to move to seven locations around the country--and, in particular, to Sparta--for the high-speed fiber internet and relatively low cost of living. This would allow innovators and job creators to live affordably and work globally. prgtoken , this is a great reason to move to Sparta, but it is not the only reason. I urge entrepreneurs and families to live in Sparta for the wonderful quality of life, sense of community, and incredible heart that makes this town a wonderful place to call home.
Cloture Motion (Executive Calendar)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-10-25

I rise to speak to the Senate about the nominee that is currently in front of this body and on whom we should vote in the next few hours. We just finished a cloture vote to actually start 30 hours of debate. In the past, we wouldn't have had 30 hours of debate for a district court nominee, especially a district court nominee like this. This would have been something that would have been done by consent. We would have had a vote on this individual, rather than burning up 30 hours of time in debate on a single individual who just passed a cloture vote 79 to 18. This is not a controversial nominee. prgtoken Let me introduce you to Scott Palk. Scott Palk was actually reported out of the Judiciary Committee on June 15 of this year. He was nominated by President on May 8. He has been pending since June 15 to get a vote on this floor because of the ongoing delays for each nominee as we go through the process. prgtoken Why do I say Scott Palk is not a controversial nominee? It is not just the fact that he passed the cloture vote 79 to 18. Scott Palk, if you remember his name in this body, was also a nominee of President for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. He is now a nominee of President for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. prgtoken There may be five things total that President and President agree on. Scott Palk is one of those five. This is not a controversial nominee, and he will be a great judge for us. He will also be a great judge in Western Oklahoma. prgtoken He currently serves as the assistant dean for students and the assistant general counsel at the University of Oklahoma College of Law in Norman, OK, a position he has held since 2011. He has the strong support of the president of the University of Oklahoma, who happens to be former Senator David Boren, a ic Senator from this body, who is now leading the University of Oklahoma and has done that with great excellence for the past two decades. He is also strongly behind this nominee as well. prgtoken Scott Palk joined the University of Oklahoma College of Law after 19 years of public service as a State and Federal prosecutor. He graduated in 1992 from the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he began his legal career as a legal intern for the district attorney's office of district 21, serving in Cleveland, Garvin, and McClain Counties. prgtoken After graduating and passing the bar, he became an assistant district attorney for Cleveland County, where he prosecuted a variety of crimes and death penalty cases. In 1994, he became the multicounty drug task force coordinator, initiating and directing the district's first wire- interception drug investigation and coordinating Federal and local resources, culminating in the successful prosecution of a significant multicounty methamphetamine distribution organization. prgtoken The Association of Oklahom
RECOGNIZING ANTHONY SMITH
Darin LaHood (Republican, IL) \u2014 2017-10-25

1 week ago, I had the privilege of presenting a Purple Heart to Mr. Anthony Smith of Warsaw, Illinois, in my congressional district. prgtoken During the Vietnam war, Anthony served in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. In 1968, on a particular bad day for our troops, Anthony was able to single-handedly take out several enemy machine gun units, protecting his fellow soldiers from harm and death. prgtoken Anthony's bravery on that day was rewarded with a Bronze Star with Valor, and with a Purple Heart, although he was not given a physical Purple Heart medal at the time. Almost 50 years later, our office worked to help correct this, and it was one of the highest honors of my time in office to present Anthony Smith with this well-deserved medal in front of a crowd of his friends and family in Warsaw last Tuesday, October 17. prgtoken I want to thank Anthony Smith for his bravery and service to our country, his dedication and commitment to our military, and to the entire Warsaw community for coming out to support this true American hero. We are indebted to his service, and we honor him today.
WILDFIRES IN THE WEST
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-10-25

as we all know, the wildfires in the West have been very devastating for a lot of people, a lot of property, and a lot of habitat. prgtoken One of the subjects this week in the Natural Resources Committee was a sage-grouse habitat that has affected so many western States, including my own district in northern California, and my friend in Nevada as well. We worked very hard to have a good sage-grouse plan, except what is the common bond in all this and the inability to have a successful recovery of this species as well as use of the land? The Federal Government. prgtoken In the past, its involvement has been to merely slow down a process or say no to wise management practices. Cattle graze is a very effective tool, when prescribed correctly, to help make this habitat better and more sustainable long-term. prgtoken We need more cooperation, we need the Federal Government to be more prgtoken bold in putting out the type of policy that will help the grazing be an effective tool in that and not cower every time an environmental organization may come along and wish to threaten the entanglement of lawsuits that are stopping good management like that. It is hurting the habitat, it is hurting the sage-grouse population, it is hurting western lands, and western economy. prgtoken , we need solutions coming from Washington, D.C not impediments.
HIZBALLAH INTERNATIONAL FINANCING PREVENTION AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2017
Edward R. Royce (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-10-25

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , today we will consider legislation targeting Hezbollah, Iran's leading terrorist proxy, with tough, new sanctions. prgtoken It was 34 years ago this Monday that a truck bomb filled with explosives prgtoken detonated outside the United States Marine Corps barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 of our servicemen. Between 1982 and 1984, we had 272 marines, soldiers, and sailors from 39 States and Puerto Rico lose their lives while serving as peacekeepers in Beirut. Hezbollah was behind those attacks. prgtoken Since that fateful day, Hezbollah has collaborated with Iran to expand terror throughout the region, taking hundreds of thousands of lives if we count the lives of human beings lost in Syria, in Yemen, in Iraq, and in Gaza. prgtoken Today, as a leading Iranian proxy, Hezbollah continues to be Iran's front line against Israel. Since its 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah has dramatically grown its supply of rockets and missiles, allowing it to strike throughout Israel with great precision and force. prgtoken It is by putting that military power to very effective use that it has gleaned through what it has learned on the ground in Syria. In Syria, its fighters are key to Tehran and its efforts to prop up the Assad regime, working with the Revolutionary Guard and also working with Russian troops there. prgtoken So now Hezbollah and Iran are reportedly working to introduce game- changing weapons into Lebanon and Syria, and that is what brings about this particular bill. What they are trying to do is produce facilities for sophisticated rockets and missiles there on the ground, on the border in Syria, on the border, also, in Lebanon, and that could lead to another war. prgtoken It is not a cheap effort to do this. That is why the committee is focused on dismantling Hezbollah's financial networks. In 2015, we led the way to enact the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act to target those that facilitate financial transactions for Hezbollah. prgtoken Now this bill builds on that effort to further ramp up pressure on the Iranian proxy, Hezbollah. It sanctions regimes, including Iran and Syria, that provide weapons to Hezbollah--in other words, an attempt to stop the transfer of these weapons. It targets Hezbollah's innovative fundraising and recruiting efforts, including its attempts to crowdsource small donations to support its fighters, which is the latest evolution of Hezbollah's efforts. prgtoken Hezbollah launched an online crowdsourcing campaign entitled: ``Equip a Mujahid,'' which calls for donations, large or small, payable in installments or in one sum, to equip suicide bombers and Hezbollah fighters. prgtoken This bill recognizes that Hezbollah is no longer only a terrorist group, but is also a global criminal organization, which has developed a global criminal network that profits from drug trafficking, money laundering, counterfeiting, and cig
IN MEMORY OF ATTORNEY THEODORE ROOSEVELT BOWERS
Al Lawson, Jr. (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-10-26

I rise today to pay tribute to a veteran, educator, civic leader, dedicated citizen and a great American, Attorney Theodore Roosevelt Bowers, who served his community, state and country well. prgtoken Attorney Bowers was raised in Bascom, Florida. After graduating from Rosenwald High School, he attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) in 1950. He was drafted into the United States Army but volunteered to serve in the U.S. Air Force instead from 1951 to 1954. After being honorably discharged in 1955, Attorney Bowers returned to FAMU and completed his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science in 1958. He later obtained a Bachelor of Laws in 1961 from Howard University Law School. prgtoken Attorney Bowers started his legal career clerking at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. In 1962, he was admitted to the Florida Bar and remained a member for more than fifty years. He became the first African American to practice law in Bay County. Since that time, he has engaged in the private practice of law in the 1st, 2nd, and 14th Judicial Circuits of Florida. From 1962 to 1964, Bowers was an instructor of Political Science at FAMU. He served as a cooperating attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund for five years (1965-1970). In standing tall for equality, he worked to integrate the schools so Black children in Bay County and surrounding counties would have access to equal education opportunities. His legal work was also instrumental in integrating the Bay Medical Maternity Ward and several local businesses in Bay County, His goal was always to ``change the system and try to make America what it should be.'' Attorney Bowers received many opportunities to practice law in Washington, DC however, he was committed to the cause of Civil Rights and felt his services were better served at home in Northwest Florida. With this decision, he paid a high price both financially and personally including several attempts at bombing his car after leaving civil rights meetings in Marianna, Florida in the 1960's. prgtoken He served on numerous boards and commissions including the Board of Trustees for Gulf Coast Community College (1973-77) and the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women (1979-1982). He was also elected and served as the first Black member of the Bay County School Board, prgtoken In June 2009, he was honored by the Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association as one of Florida's First Black Lawyers. In June 2012, the Florida Bar honored him for fifty years of practicing law in Florida. prgtoken Attorney Bowers was recommended to become a U.S. Attorney by President Jimmy Carter but his recommendation was blocked by the power structure in Florida. And he was instrumental in President Nixon withdrawing the name of Federal Judge G. Harrold Carswell, a southern, strict constructionist conservative as a nominee to the Supreme Court. prgtoken Throughout the ensuing decades of his life and career he fashion
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-10-26

I think it is going to be a very robust conversation about taxes. When we look into the eyes of working Americans, I hope my colleagues are ready to answer this question, and that is, Why do they, the Party, want to send $3.5 trillion of tax benefits to the top 1 percent? Why not spend the tax benefits on the middle class? prgtoken Well, my colleagues keep coming to the floor and saying this is all about the middle class, but they don't mention that, in fact, every single major change is all about benefits for the richest 1 percent. prgtoken Changing the dynasty tax to create a dynasty loophole, wow, that really doesn't benefit anybody in the working class. Lowering the top bracket while raising the bottom bracket, well, that doesn't help anybody in the working class. Providing a special passthrough for those who can put their business activities into limited liability corporations and have a special low rate, well, that certainly doesn't help anybody in the middle class. prgtoken One provision after another, after another is targeted at the richest Americans, while coming and preaching help for the middle class. Oh, the American people will see right through this scheme. They are going to ask: Why is it you do so little for those at the bottom? In fact, you do nothing for those in the bottom third. Why is it you do so little for those in the middle class? In fact, many of them will see a tax increase. Why do you send the vast bulk of the benefits to the richest Americans when the richest Americans are already so much richer than anyone else? prgtoken The debate we are going to have is important. For my colleagues who think they can fool the American people by talking about the middle class and instead are targeting the richest to be richer, I have news: It is not going to work.
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY AND PATRIOTISM BEFORE POLITICS
Ruben Gallego (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2017-10-26

. Our Founding Fathers knew that there was danger in putting so much power in one person. They knew that giving too much power to one person, an irresponsible and immature leader, could use that to both effect democracy or enrich themselves. prgtoken There is a reason why we have what we call the checks and balances. But one of those checks needs to be the U.S. House of Representatives. Under that, the person who is in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives is Ryan. He is not providing that check. He is only helping this administration carry on with their abuse and with the destruction of what we understand are the norms of this democracy. prgtoken , .