mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-11-15

the Senate Finance Committee is working this week on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It is a very important piece of legislation that the country is looking forward to having passed. prgtoken This is a plan to give tax relief to the American people. Just as the name of the legislation says, it actually addresses both issues: tax cuts and jobs. prgtoken First of all, the legislation will cut the taxes for American workers. One of the biggest cuts in the plan is that it roughly doubles the standard deduction that people take. Right now, the standard deduction for a married couple is about $12,000. If we double it, people will not pay any Federal income taxes at all on the first $24,000 they earn. That is a big tax cut. It is aimed squarely at lower income and middle-income families in this country. prgtoken A lot of people will decide to take this deduction instead of going through the painstaking process of itemizing deductions on their income tax returns. It saves people a lot of time. It also saves them the cost of accountants and lawyers who help them figure out the complicated taxes that they end up paying in this country each year. prgtoken s are also working to preserve other deductions that are important to American families. When we put all of these together, we are going to cut taxes for people and put money back in their pockets instead of sending it to Washington. prgtoken The second thing to know about this tax relief legislation is that it is going to be a big boost for jobs in America. In fact, it will help America create more than 900,000 new jobs. prgtoken It is also going to lead to higher pay. That is because the legislation will cut the taxes that small businesses have to pay. Small businesses create most of the jobs in America. If we let them keep more of their money, they can hire people and grow their businesses. That is what happens in this country. That is how our economy works; people hiring people matter to grow the economy. They can also give workers a raise and offer better benefits. When Washington takes less and businesses keep more, workers are better off every time. prgtoken s also want to bring down the rates that Washington charges other businesses. A lot of people work for small businesses, but a lot of people also work for large businesses as well. If we are able to cut taxes for those businesses, then those workers can get the same raise. How much more money are we talking about? Well, according to the Tax Foundation, it amounts to about $2,600 for a typical middle-income family. That is what you get when you combine the tax cut and the pay raise that people will see across the country. For that family, an extra $2,600 is going to be a very big deal. A majority of Americans say that they don't have enough savings today to cover a $500 emergency expense if one came up. prgtoken Millions of American families will be far better off because o
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-11-15

it does not take a genius to see that something is stalling the American economy. The economy has been better lately, I think, frankly, in anticipation of the Congress's passing these tax cuts. The fact remains that 2016 was the 11th straight year that our economy--the greatest economy in the history of the world and the strongest economy in the history of the world, even when it has the flu--failed to achieve 3 percent annual growth, which has been our average every year since 1960. prgtoken Something is wrong. The experts I have talked about tried everything. They tried monetary policy, changing interest rates. They tried deficit spending. Do you remember President 's stimulus program? The Federal Reserve has tried quantitative easing out the wazoo. The experts have tried everything except what they should have done first; that is, to let the American people keep more of the money they earn, because they can spend that money they earn better than the government can. prgtoken We have two groups of policymakers in Washington, DC. I am sorry, but this is what it has come down to. I am not talking about liberals or conservatives. I am not talking about s and . The two groups I am talking about are as follows. We have one group of policymakers in Washington who believe in more freedom, and we have another group of policymakers in Washington who believe in more free stuff. prgtoken I am not criticizing policymakers for wanting to help people who are less fortunate than us. The fact of the matter is that the U.S. taxpayers at the State and the local levels spend $1 trillion a year helping people less fortunate than us. That money didn't just fall from heaven. We thank heaven for it, but it came out of people's pockets. We spend $1 trillion a year in our country helping people who are less fortunate than us. In our country, if you are homeless, we house you. If you are hungry, we feed you. If you are too poor to be sick, we will pay for your doctor. I am very proud of that. I am not criticizing. In fact, I join my colleagues in wanting to help people who are less fortunate than us. The fact of the matter is, it takes money, and that money is generated by the American taxpayer. The American taxpayer is not generating very much because the American taxpayer is not making very much. prgtoken Let me talk to you about the middle class. prgtoken I can talk about the business side of this bill, and this is going to help every business in America. It is going to help C corps, LLCs, Sub S corps, family farms, and single proprietorships. It is going to help large businesswomen and businessmen, and it is going to help small businesswomen and businessmen. prgtoken But I want to talk about the personal income tax side. This bill will give a tax cut to just about every American. Our opponents can probably find one or two people under certain circumstances who aren't going to get a tax cut,
Nomination of David Zatezalo (Executive Calendar)
John McCain (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-11-15

I rise today to support the nomination of Dr. Mark Esper to be Secretary of the Army. Perhaps more than any other service, our Army is experiencing the strain of 16 years of continuous conflict. From our troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq to recent headlines about the tragic loss of four soldiers in Niger, there are constant reminders that we remain a nation at war. And with rising threats around the world, the operational tempo is not slowing down. prgtoken We owe our young men and women in uniform leadership that fits their service. I am confident that Dr. Esper will provide our Army with that leadership. His record of service in the Army, in the Pentagon, and on Capitol Hill provides the foundation for the leadership our soldiers deserve. I am also confident that he will call upon his experience in the private sector to bring a reform mindset to the many challenges facing our Army, such as the readiness crisis and the urgent gaps in capabilities and modernization. prgtoken Dr. Esper began his career as an Infantry officer in the 101st Airborne Division, serving with distinction in the first Gulf war. He later served on active duty in Europe, and on the Army staff in Washington, DC, before transitioning to the National Guard and retiring after 21 years of service. He was an Airborne Ranger and recipient of the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Meritorious Service Medals, among other awards and qualifications. prgtoken Dr. Esper also worked national security issues on Capitol Hill with many of my colleagues here. He was a professional staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. Later, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. prgtoken I will not hold it against him that he is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He also holds degrees from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and George Washington University. prgtoken Our soldiers continue to prove their commitment, courage, skill, and determination. In return, we owe them the same kind of leadership. I believe Dr. Esper will provide that leadership. prgtoken I am proud to support Dr. Esper's nomination, and I ask my colleagues to do the same. prgtoken .
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1, TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 17, 2017, THROUGH NOVEMBER 24, 2017
Pete Sessions (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-11-15

the balance of my time. prgtoken , I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Florida, Judge Hastings, for his exemplary work and the work of his colleagues on the Rules Committee and my colleagues also on the side. prgtoken , our previous speaker, the gentleman from Butler, Pennsylvania, Mike Kelly, had it best when he said: `` . . . an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenue to balance our budget, just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits. Only full employment can balance the budget, and tax reduction can pave the way to that employment.'' prgtoken What he did not say is--that will be in the record--is that John F. Kennedy said this on December 14, 1962, 55 years ago, in an address to the Economic Club of New York. prgtoken , in fact, there have been a lot of people here who have given testimony, I think testimony that they intended to sway the voters and those listening in this country that the Tax Code that we have works just fine, but then they spoke about the frailties of that and they talked about jobs going offshore, they talked about jobs and economic activity going somewhere else. prgtoken I, being from Dallas, Texas, hear stories every day about people who are coming to Texas, coming to north Texas, coming because of the economic climate that will allow them and their companies to have a better shot at not only being competitive, but, as Mike Kelly said, to be winners in this economy, at the very top of the heap rather than at the bottom of the heap. prgtoken What this common denominator is, is that my State of Texas does do the things that this bill does also. It keeps taxes low, it creates opportunity. prgtoken By the way, how many poor people create jobs? prgtoken I don't know. prgtoken How many of those who really have incentive and entrepreneurship create jobs? prgtoken A ton of them. prgtoken We are going to grow entrepreneurs out of today. We are going to grow young people getting out of college, veterans leaving the military coming back and seeing where they can make a go of it. Instead of it being a 95 percent failure rate of new business--which is what it is, it is a heavy bar because of rules, regulations, and taxes--we are going to make it easier. prgtoken The White House Council of Economic Advisers based their review, as they provided the economic outlook to us, on more than 100 academic papers, estimates that corporate provisions in this tax bill alone will grow our economy, not leave us in 23rd place, as Mike Kelly said. prgtoken Who wants to be in 23rd place? prgtoken If you want to be in the top 25 and you are comfortable, sorry. prgtoken We want to be at the top. We want to Make America Great Again. We want to be able to say that businesses all over the United States stand a chance, and that is what this does. prgtoken The Council of Economic Advisers says that this will grow the economy between 3 and 5
RECOGNIZING THE LIFE OF FALLEN MISSISSIPPI SOLDIER ARMY PRIVATE FIRST CLASS (PFC) DAMIAN LAQUASHA HEIDELBERG
Trent Kelly (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-11-15

today I rise in memory offallen Mississippi soldier Army Private First Class (PFC) Damian Laquasha Heidelberg who paid the ultimate sacrifice on November 15, 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. PFC Heidelberg was killed when two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters collided in Mosul, Iraq. He served as an administrative specialist in the Army. PFC Heidelberg was assigned to 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. prgtoken According to the Associated Press, PFC Heidelberg, a Shubuta, Mississippi native, was a former choir member and church usher. He prgtoken was remembered by Staff Sergeant (SSG) Sylvester Watkins on a memorial website. ``I served with him in the TOC and he was always smiling and always spoke,'' SSG Watkins said. ``When I heard ofhis passing, I was home on mid-tour leave from Iraq. I felt bad because it wasn't me. That kind of trait found in Heidelberg is so hard to find, it must remain on earth. However, I realize his body planted in the ground is merely a seed which, after the winter, will blossom and show its wonderful colors. We will then know he is again among us. We love you, brother.'' prgtoken Phyllis Heidelberg, PFC Heidelberg's aunt, told the Associated Press that her nephew was a good man. ``He was a wonderful young man, sweet and mild mannered,'' Ms. Heidelberg said. ``He was slow to speak, loved to go to church, and always had a big smile.'' Jerry Jones, one of PFC Heidelberg's childhood friends, said of his determined work ethic. ``He told me that he was trying to make something of himself,'' Mr. Jones said. ``He was trying to make it for his family and his baby.'' prgtoken Prior to enlisting in the U.S. Army, PFC Heidelberg was a student in the auto mechanic program at the Finch-Henry Job Corps Center in Batesville. To this day, a plaque commemorating PFC Heidelberg's service is on display at the facility. Earlene Brewer, a career and technical training instructor, recently said PFC Heidelberg was a standout student. ``He was a good soul,'' Mrs. Brewer said. ``He was very friendly. His parents raised him right.'' prgtoken PFC Heidelberg is survived by his father, Grady Jones; his mother, Deborah Heidelberg; and his daughter, Stacie. prgtoken PFC Heidelberg's service and sacrifice to protect America will not be forgotten.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1, TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 17, 2017, THROUGH NOVEMBER 24, 2017
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-11-15

. I will challenge you to go home next week for Thanksgiving and tell people all of the positives about this, and say: I am so sorry. I could have voted for that. prgtoken It is time now for America to rise to the challenge. As I said earlier, we exist in a global economy. I am tired of being somebody who happened to participate, when we have the opportunity to dominate. Never before, in our history, have we had the chance to change the future for every single American.
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Tom Cotton (Republican, AR) \u2014 2017-11-15

I say to the Presiding Officer, I am glad you are here to replace me as the Presiding Officer of the Senate. I spent the last hour of the Senate presiding, and for those of you in the Gallery who don't know these things, I will pull back the curtain a little bit. It is called Presiding Officer duty, not Presiding Officer privilege or honor, because it is reserved for the young Senators who are new to the Senate, such as Senator Sullivan and me. It also means that we actually have to listen to our colleagues' speeches, which doesn't happen very often around here anymore. prgtoken This morning I had the privilege of listening to the ic leader's speech about our tax bill and the fact that we are going to repeal the hated mandate of Care as part of this tax bill, and I just can't let stand what he said without correcting the record. prgtoken First, the Senator from New York said that we are ``injecting healthcare into the tax bill.'' Injecting healthcare into the tax bill? I would remind him and all the other who have been denouncing this decision on the Senate Finance Committee that the individual mandate is a tax according not to me, not to s, but to the administration. That is what they argued in 2012 to the Supreme Court, even though they contended throughout the debate on Care in 2009 and 2010 that it wasn't a tax. In 2012, they argued to the Supreme Court that the Care mandate is a tax, and the Supreme Court upheld it as a tax. prgtoken I am willing to bet that the ic leader issued a statement in the summer of 2012 applauding that decision which held that the individual mandate is a tax. After all, it is collected on your 1040. It is collected by the IRS. It doesn't get more ``taxy'' than that. prgtoken My second point is on the claim that 13 million Americans will lose their insurance--lose their insurance--if we repeal the mandate. Well, two-thirds of the American people want us to repeal the mandate, so they must be up to something. Secondly, let's think about what the mandate repeal does. It doesn't cut a single dime out of Medicaid, it doesn't cut a single dime out of insurance subsidies for people on the exchanges, and it doesn't change a single regulation of care. All it says is that the IRS cannot fine you for being unable to afford the insurance that Care made unaffordable in the first place. That is right. Today, if you cannot afford your insurance because Care made it unaffordable, the IRS will fine you and your family up to $2,000 a year, and that number goes up every year. Let me tell you, more than five out of six households who pay that fine make less than the median income in this country. That is right. That is a direct tax on working families and poor people because they can't afford the insurance that Care made unaffordable. In Arkansas, there are over 55,000 families who already have to deal wit
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Roger F. Wicker (Republican, MS) \u2014 2017-11-15

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 Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 9 a.m in SR-366 to conduct a hearing. Committee on Environment and Public Works prgtoken The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 10 a.m in SD-406 to conduct a hearing entitled ``Promoting American Leadership in Reducing Air Emissions Through Innovation.'' Committee on Finance prgtoken The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 9 a.m in SH-216 to conduct hearing on the bill entitled ``Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.'' Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions prgtoken The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 10 a.m in SD-430 to conduct hearing entitled ``Encouraging Healthy Communities: Perspective from the Surgeon General.'' Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions prgtoken The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 2:30 p.m in SD-430 to conduct hearing on the following nominations: Mitchell Zais, of South Carolina, to be Deputy Secretary, and James Blew, of California, to be Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, both of the Department of Education, and Kate S. O'Scannlain, of Maryland, to be Solicitor, and Preston Rutledge, of the District of Columbia, to be an Assistant Secretary, both of the Department of Labor. Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, November 15, 2017, at 10 a.m in SD-226 to conduct hearing on the following nominations: James C. Ho, of Texas, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, Don R. Willett, of Texas, to be a Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Claria Horn Boom, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, John W. Broomes, to be United States District Judge for the District of Kansas, Rebecca Grady Jennings, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky, and Robert Earl Wier, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern Distric
AUTHORIZING ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY USES FOR MEDICAL PRODUCTS TO REDUCE DEATHS AND SEVERITY OF INJURIES CAUSED BY AGENTS OF WAR
Mike Coffman (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-11-15

I rise today in support of H.R. 4374, having served in the first Gulf war when military analysts were saying or predicting that there could be 30,000 coalition casualties in a ground war with Iraq. prgtoken We knew that Saddam Hussein had both chemical and biological stockpiles, and, at that time, there was an experimental drug given for the pretreatment to increase the survival after the exposure to nerve gas. It was untested in terms of the FDA, did not go through their lengthy bureaucratic process, but it was, I think, correctly assumed by military leaders that the risk of giving this drug that didn't go through all the bureaucratic processes that I think are important, that the risk of nerve gas exposure outweighed those risks. prgtoken So I just want to commend the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the leadership of the Armed Services Committee, the leadership of both committees, for working together with the Department of Defense and the FDA to find that middle ground where the military can have access to drugs and medical devices expeditiously in order to meet the rapidly changing threats on the battlefield. prgtoken I again thank Chairman Thornberry for his unyielding support on this issue. I also thank Chairman Walden for offering legislation that seeks to put this process on the right path.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-11-15

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.