mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-5-16

I take this time to urge my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 52, which would reinstate the free and open internet. s, Senator Markey and others, for bringing this to our attention. It deals with the Congressional Review Act to block regulation which had been suggested that would repeal the protections we have on the free internet. Let me just give a little bit of background so we can put this in context. prgtoken Internet service providers--known as ISPs--are basically utility companies that provide internet service to our constituents, to our businesses, and to America. Without the protection for net neutrality, these utilities have the ability to block or throttle content on the internet or charging what is known as being in the fast lane, charging more. So this is a debate between whether we are on the side of the big utility companies that provide internet service and their special interests or the individuals and small businesses of America to guarantee them equal access to this critical service. Let me give one example, and there are many that can be given. prgtoken I am sure, in every one of our communities, we have a lot of small businesses. They recognize that they can now do business on the internet, and they have an opportunity to compete with the large companies that do most of their business through the internet. prgtoken In Baltimore, in Maryland, I have small shop owners. One I am particularly familiar with sells bikes. This shop owner now is using the internet in order to get to customers so he can show his wares on the internet and be able to compete against one of the large, giant retailers that does a lot of business on the internet. prgtoken If a consumer in Baltimore goes onto that bike shop's website, and if the product that consumer is interested in will not pop up within a couple seconds, the consumer is gone. There has been study after study that shows that about 3 seconds is the maximum attention span of a consumer shopping on the internet. prgtoken The large store that has access to the fast-service broadband will have an incredible advantage over our small businesses if we allow the utility that provides the internet service to discriminate against the smaller users. That is what this debate is about. It is about protecting individual consumers, and it is about protecting small businesses. prgtoken There is a reason why, in 2015, the open internet order was passed to protect utilities that provide internet service from blocking or slowing down internet service. prgtoken Broadband internet service is a public utility. It is interesting that almost half of the consumers have no choice in whom they have to provide their internet service. They have basically one internet provider to choose from. Competition does not exist. So this is not a matter of competition; this is a matter of preventing discrimination. prgtoken I have had the honor of being the ranki
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Alma S. Adams (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2018-5-16

. Mr. Chair, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to the 2018 farm bill. prgtoken As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, I have participated in countless hearings about the needs of our Nation's farmers and families that depend on SNAP to fight hunger. prgtoken Tragically, this bill doesn't reflect any of that testimony. It is a shortsighted, partisan bill that will have a detrimental impact on communities like mine. I cannot support it. prgtoken In my home county of Mecklenburg, North Carolina, more than 55,000 households depend on SNAP to eat every day. This bill would rob them of access to quality nutrition programs. In North Carolina, it is estimated that more than 133,000 people will lose their SNAP benefits if this bill passes, including over 51,000 children. Nationwide, 2 million people would be kicked off the program and an estimated 265,000 children would lose access to free or reduced meals at school. No eating at home. No eating at school. prgtoken Adding new work requirements through an unfunded, untested mandate will bankrupt States and force more needy people out of the program. Let's scrap this flawed partisan farm bill and let's work together in regular order to draft a bill that helps America's farmers and families who depend on nutrition assistance. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, opposing H.R. 2 because of the detrimental effects and impact that it will have on our children and families there. Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 17, 2018. Congresswoman Alma Adams, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Alma Adams: As you mark-up of the Farm Bill reauthorization, H.R. 2 this week, I write to you in support of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, formerly known as Food Stamps, which has historically made up a significant part of this legislation. This vital program offers nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economic benefits to communities. In total, more than 40 million low-income people depend upon this program to keep their families fed. The Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2) is the legislative vehicle for reauthorizing and reforming the programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2023. The last enacted Farm Bill (PL 113-79) is set to expire on September 30. The proposed reauthorization bill is scheduled for markup with the House Agriculture Committee this Wednesday, April 18. It contains several provisions and budget cuts that are troubling and could detrimentally impact our community. The bill includes pr
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-5-16

because, I think, that is what he identified 12 years ago when he introduced a net neutrality bill here in the Senate and what I had identified over in the House. We worked together on it at that time, and the need just continues, especially as we get deeper and deeper into this internet era. It is almost like oxygen for somebody now, especially for young people, young entrepreneurs. They need to know that they can gain access to the web in order to start up their new software or internet companies, but they shouldn't have to first raise money to pay exorbitant fees to the big broadband companies. First, they should be free to innovate and not worry that they be can be discriminated against. prgtoken Whether it is in Portland, OR, or in Springfield, MA, it is the same principle for which we have been trying to stand up for all of these years. It was the law until December of 2017, when Ajit Pai and the FCC took it off the books. That is what the debate is about today: Are we going to put those rules, those nondiscriminatory rules, back on the books?
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-5-16

only in Washington, DC, and perhaps only in the walls of this Capitol, is net neutrality regarded as a partisan issue. Only here are there accusations that the left or the right favor a position on net neutrality. In the rest of America, net neutrality is bipartisan; in fact, nonpolitical. It is the lifeblood of the internet. It is the animating principle that enables companies and individuals to have equal access to the internet without blocking, discriminating, price gouging, or favoring of some companies at the expense of others. prgtoken In fact, in legislatures across the country, like Connecticut, there have been proposals to do there what we are seeking to do here; that is, to preserve an open internet in accordance with the open internet order, which has been rolled back by the FCC. Strong net neutrality rules are accepted across the country on both sides of the aisle in State legislatures and State governments, in board rooms, and in all the communities where people come together seeking to communicate and use the internet in the highest and best way it can be used. One example, in New Haven, is SeeClickFix. SeeClickFix is a New Haven company that helps citizens communicate with their local governments to improve their community. The internet's incredible economic success and this company's have been made possible because it is a free and open platform. This company has a good idea. It can put that good idea to work, helping people make their local and State governments work better and be more responsive. prgtoken That success story has been repeated countless times because of net neutrality and the open internet. We are here to stop maligned rulemaking run amok. The FCC, under the leadership of its Chairman, has, in effect, rolled back the progress that was made with the open internet order. It defied 10 years of evidence and the pattern of market consolidation and merger that endangered the open internet. It defied evidence of discrimination that was taken over the rulemaking process, and it basically ignored a court order upholding the open internet order--a court order that was the result of indepth and determined litigation to stop that order, and that effort was rejected. prgtoken The Justice Department has shown, from AT&T's own internal documents, that it sought to use its merger with Time Warner to raise prices and to hinder competition from online video services. A proposed merger between T-Mobile and Sprint threatens to further reduce scarce competition in wireless. Big broadband companies have more financial incentive and less market deterrence to obstruct competition than ever before. prgtoken Chairman Pai's plan would enable those broadband companies holding near-monopolies over access to consolidate even more power. If broadband companies are able to block, throttle, or charge fees for certain applications on websites, the result will be higher pricing, less innovati
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-5-16

at this very moment, a high school junior is reading a report online for a class paper she has due at the end of the week. Not far from her house, a single mom who recently quit her job to follow her dream of becoming an app developer is online teaching herself to code. In a city thousands of miles away, a small business owner is processing an order online to keep the lights on and the bills paid for another month. Every night in living rooms across this country, grandparents pick up their smartphones to video chat with newborn grandchildren who are hundreds or even thousands of miles away. prgtoken Let's face it, the internet is intricately woven into the fabric of American society. It is a very important part of our lives, but right now our access to a fair and open internet is under siege. In December, the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC, voted to eliminate the net neutrality protections that stop internet providers from blocking access, filtering content, or charging higher fees for fast lanes-- three tactics that giant internet companies want to use to control the internet. prgtoken The repeal of these protections has corporate greed and corruption written all over it. This may be what the special interests want, but the American people are opposed to the very idea of a restricted internet. Net neutrality provisions are wildly popular. When it comes to a free and open internet, 83 percent of Americans are clear about their position. They want and demand a free and open internet. That is true for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and people from all backgrounds. You have to ask yourself, Why would the FCC vote to eliminate those protections? prgtoken I will tell you why. Because under this administration, the FCC has become a puppet for giant internet providers. The FCC's current Chairman, Ajit Pai, has made it clear he will work to put special interests over what is good for the American people. prgtoken The FCC was once an agency dedicated to protecting and promoting the public interest, but it has morphed into an agency that exists solely to do the bidding of giant telecom companies. It is a disgrace. Who can say we didn't see this coming? When won the White House, then-FCC Commissioner Pai said that net neutrality's days were numbered. prgtoken Once selected Pai to lead the FCC, Chairman Pai immediately got to work getting rid of net neutrality. He opened up a new public comment period, laying out a plan to destroy net neutrality, and he made it clear he would ignore the views of millions of Americans who weighed in to urge him to abandon that plan. prgtoken The FCC received more comments on Chairman Pai's plan to kill net neutrality than any other rule in the FCC's history. Millions submitted comments opposing Chairman Pai's plan to kill net neutrality, but the FCC said it would ignore those comments unless they were, in its opinion, serious legal argument
PROTECT AND SERVE ACT OF 2018
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-5-16

I was honored just a few minutes ago to be on the floor of the House with the chairman of the committee, Mr. Goodlatte; the ranking member, Mr. Nadler; the proponent of this bill, Mr. Rutherford; and our ic proponent, Mrs. Demings, to honor those fallen officers with a moment of silence in the most powerful lawmaking body in the world, to acknowledge to the Nation and to the world that we stand united in honoring those who have fallen in the call of duty. prgtoken I would like to express my deepest gratitude during National Police Week to all the brave men and women who continue to give of themselves selflessly. I also acknowledge my own hometown leadership: Sheriff Gonzalez, and, of course, our distinguished chief of police; all of the assistant chiefs, deputy sheriffs, and leadership; constables and their deputy constables; Texas rangers; and, of course, our Federal officers, over which this committee has jurisdiction. We thank not only them for their service, but also the families whose loved ones have fallen in battle. prgtoken This is not a discussion of the respect and admiration we have for officers, and there is no argument regarding the difficulty, danger, and stress associated with being a police officer. We all have seen the reports that show, in 2017, 129 police officers died in the line of duty; 46 of those brave men and women were shot, while 140, tragically, committed suicide. That says a lot about the toll this type of profession takes on a person physically, psychologically, mentally, and on their families. prgtoken The risks inherent in policing resulted in numerous statutes that deal with protecting our law enforcement officers via Federal and State law. Our law enforcement officers are most protected under our laws, and, in some instances, the statutes give life and the death penalty for such crimes. Even crimes against the broadly defined category of first responders are well addressed under Federal and State law. prgtoken My State of Texas has several criminal statutes addressing attacks on law enforcement officers; therefore, this legislation may be deemed to be a duplicate legal framework. But I want to propose to my colleagues, as I did when we sat together at the Rules Committee, that we can work together in moving forward. prgtoken I do want to say on this legislation that it does frame itself on the focus of the targeting of law enforcement. As well, it recognizes that the first prosecution level will be State and local laws to protect or bring to justice those who have shot police officers.
AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION ACT OF 2018
Marcia L. Fudge (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-5-16

. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman so very much for the fight he put up during this process. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I stand today with my ic colleagues fighting for the very soul of America. Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty are these words: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door. prgtoken We have lost our way, Mr. Chair. There is no longer a lamp, nor a golden door. And if we fail to protect the weak, the frail, the poor, the children, the seniors, and the disabled, we have lost our soul. We no longer live up to the promise of America and the true meaning of our creed. prgtoken Mr. Chair, it is just cruel to American families and food producers, those who rely on farm bill programs, to put them at risk, only to carry out a hateful, demeaning, and mean-spirited partisan agenda. It is dishonest to promote the idea that SNAP recipients are undeserving; that we are lazy. prgtoken Sixty-five percent of our SNAP recipients cannot work. They are children, seniors, and disabled. And most of the others do work--some of them in the very building in which we stand today. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues: What have poor children ever done to you? What have seniors done to you? What have the disabled ever done to you? s are paying for the $2 trillion debt they created in the tax bill on the backs of the poor. It is just sad, Mr. Chair. Really, really sad.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Brian Schatz (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-5-16

in December, the FCC made a colossal mistake by rolling back net neutrality protections. Today, the Senate has an opportunity to begin the process of righting that wrong with an up-or-down vote to overturn the FCC's repeal and to restore the free and open internet. prgtoken This is a big deal. We just had a vote with all , Independents, and three s, and we have another vote at around 3 o'clock. If we fail, the FCC will end net neutrality protections in early June. But if we succeed, then this fight will go on to the next step in the House of Representatives. prgtoken This vote is a no-brainer. Net neutrality is one of the most popular issues that the Senate will consider this year. There is no other issue that polls so decisively on one side. A survey by the University of Maryland found that 83 percent of people are in favor of net neutrality, and that includes 75 percent of s, 89 percent of , and 86 percent of Independents. prgtoken When you think about people's experience with their ISP, it makes perfect sense. People are already frustrated with the limited competitive options for the providers they have. Then, once they sign up for service, they find there are hidden fees. They have to pay for the installation. They have to wait for the installation. They have to rent the cable box. Their bill suddenly goes up within a year of service, finding out they were only engaged in a promotional offer. In other words, many people don't like their internet service providers. They like the internet, but they don't like the lack of choice and all the hassle and expense that comes with getting on the internet. prgtoken So if you ask people if we should get rid of the rules that actually give consumers control over their internet access, if we should give broadband companies more power over our lives, they say no. Providers promise to be good to consumers. In fact, many of them have said that they don't need the FCC to prgtoken maintain a free and open internet because they are already officially committed to the idea. But without net neutrality, there is nothing in the law that prevents companies from treating content or websites differently. prgtoken In fact, many of these publicly traded companies--once the dust settles, once the politics of this net neutrality issue wanes--will be talking to their chief financial officers, and their board of directors will be asking: Why are you not maximizing revenue? Why are you not charging consumers more when you can? prgtoken If the answer is ``In the process of trying to prevent a piece of legislation from passing, we made a promise,'' the board of directors will say ``Well, change your mind.'' prgtoken The only thing that can stop a corporation that provides broadband services to consumers from doing all the wrong things is a law. It is not a promise; it is a law. prgtoken So the question for the Senate is very simple: Whose sid
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-5-16

from Washington for her leadership and her articulation of a big issue before us. I too rise today ahead of a vote that is of vital importance to protecting a free and open internet. prgtoken Last week FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced that June 11 would be the date when key net neutrality protections will officially end. This backward, misguided decision from the FCC threatens the consumer friendly internet that Americans know today--an internet that ensures equal access to content, regardless of which internet service provider you use. prgtoken Ending net neutrality could impact all of our people. In New Hampshire, our citizens are rightly concerned, with thousands of Granite Staters contacting my office to urge Congress to save these key protections. prgtoken I am pleased to join my colleagues, both and , to force a vote to do just that. prgtoken Reinstating net neutrality is critical to promoting innovation, supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses across New Hampshire, and encouraging economic growth. By ensuring that our businesses can compete on the internet on an equal footing, we provide more opportunity for a wide range of businesses, from high-tech companies and startups to farming and agriculture. prgtoken On Monday, I visited Stoneyfield Farm in Londonderry, NH, to discuss the negative impact that repealing net neutrality will have on their business and countless other businesses across our State. Stoneyfield is a New Hampshire business that sells organic dairy products all over our country and relies on the internet to reach their customers. They also rely on the internet to connect with small businesses and dairy farmers that help source their products. prgtoken When I met with representatives from Stoneyfield and farmers from around New England on Monday, they made clear that they are worried about what could happen if smaller farms are charged more for access to websites and services--a potential effect of repealing net neutrality. prgtoken Farmers are already operating on pretty small margins, and they could be hurt by having to pay even more to get the kind of speed on the internet they need in order to be competitive. This is particularly troubling in rural areas, where many communities still face challenges with access to broadband. prgtoken It is not just rural communities and farmers. This decision would hurt small businesses in any number of industries across New Hampshire, all to give big internet service providers another opportunity to raise their profits. prgtoken It would be unfair to all consumers to give internet service providers the power to discriminate against certain web pages, apps, and streaming and video services by slowing them down, blocking them, or favoring certain services while charging more for others. prgtoken Protecting a free and open internet means we are protecting the farmers who need the internet to sell t