mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
NOMINATION OF GREGORY KATSAS
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-28

. Finally and briefly, , because I know my colleagues are waiting, on the Katsas nomination, the DC Circuit is often called the second most powerful court in the Nation because it adjudicates so many highly charged political issues, including cases that deal with the limits of Executive power and regulations issued by Federal agencies. As examples, major cases on climate regulations, the CFPB, and gun safety laws in the District of Columbia are now before that court. On such a court, we should prize independence and moderation and look warily at candidates with highly political backgrounds. prgtoken Unfortunately, Gregory Katsas has been intimately involved in a number of the most partisan and legally dubious Executive orders of the current administration. He was involved in the President's controversial travel ban, his decisions to terminate DACA, to end transgender service in the military, and to establish an election integrity commission based on the lie that 3.5 million people voted illegally in the last election. prgtoken His tenure and views in the administration raise important questions about his independence and moderation, particularly on a court that will likely hear cases related to the very same issues he worked on in the White House. He appears to be another example of the majority pushing judges from a political extreme of their party as a way of advancing their interests in lieu of a legislative agenda, which has floundered. prgtoken I will vote no on his nomination and urge all of my colleagues to do the same. prgtoken , .
LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACT OF 2017
Val Butler Demings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-11-28

I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for being a leading voice on this issue. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act, which I am proud to cosponsor with my friend and colleague, Representative Susan Brooks from Indiana. prgtoken , I also want to thank all of my colleagues for their support on this very important issue. prgtoken Our law enforcement officers respond to some of the most horrific scenes and situations. After 27 years in law enforcement, how well I know. They respond without regard to their own personal safety, and they are the thin blue line that stands between a safe place and the dangers that lurk in our society. prgtoken We should all thank God for the men and women who patrol our streets, our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, and our highways to keep us safe. prgtoken Being a law enforcement officer is not just what they do, it is who they are--all the dangers, the unknowns, the graphic crime scenes, split-second, life-and-death decisions. Don't be fooled. There is no other job quite like it. prgtoken The national president of the Fraternal Order of Police said this: ``Unlike many other professions, sometimes you can't leave the job at the office.'' prgtoken , as a former law enforcement officer, I am proud to cosponsor the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act. This important piece of legislation would ensure that agencies are better equipped and officers have the resources needed to effectively deal with the stress and mental health challenges associated with the job. prgtoken , what an amazing opportunity we have to pass legislation to protect the mental health and overall well-being of the men and women in blue as they continue to protect and take care of us.
LAW ENFORCEMENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS ACT OF 2017
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-28

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act. This bill would take a number of steps to help protect the mental well-being of those who take extraordinary steps to protect all of us. prgtoken The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at the Department of Justice reports that law enforcement has an occupational fatality rate three to five times higher than the national average for the working population. Officers respond to horrible situations that are dangerous, stressful, and sometimes life-threatening. prgtoken In addition to protecting law enforcement officers from the physical hazards associated with doing their daily jobs, we must also do more to protect them from the mental and emotional difficulties resulting from their work. That is why I support this bill, which would initiate several efforts to help the mental wellness of our law enforcement officers. prgtoken The bill calls for the collaboration of the Justice Department, the Defense Department, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine which mental health practices and services from the military agencies may be adopted to help civilian law enforcement. prgtoken The bill would expand the allowable uses of existing Justice Department grants to include establishment of prgtoken mental health and wellness programs within State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. prgtoken The bill would direct the Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop educational materials for mental health providers about the culture of law enforcement agencies. prgtoken Finally, the bill would consider improvements to crisis hotlines to better serve those from law enforcement who seek to use them. prgtoken Although I am particularly proud of New York's finest, I am glad that this bill will help law enforcement officers in every jurisdiction across the country. Their service certainly deserves the assistance this legislation will provide. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today.
HONORING ROBYN KRUEGER ON 40 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO COMMUNITY MISSIONS OF NIAGARA FRONTIER, INC.
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-28

I rise today to honor Community Missions, Inc. (CMI) of Niagara Frontier's Executive Director, Ms. Robyn Krueger on the occasion of her 40th Anniversary of dedicated service to those in need throughout the City of Niagara Falls and beyond its borders. prgtoken Since 1925, Community Missions' guiding principle to provide ``Compassion in Action'' remains a clarion call to all those who lead, work, volunteer and engage with individuals and families to reach their full potential. This organization has expanded its reach beyond its initial population of homeless individuals to now include 19 programs within four divisions known as Crisis & Community Services, Mental Health Housing Services, Mental Health Recovery Services and Youth Services, reflecting the changing needs of the community throughout the decades. prgtoken Community Missions' vision to help people find their place in the world is certainly personified in its long-time Executive Director, Robyn Krueger. Hired in 1977, she began her career with CMI as a live- in houseparent to six adolescent males in the City of Niagara Falls. She graduated from SUNY at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1985 and completed several selected graduate studies in the Counseling and Educational Psychology Department. Ms. Krueger was named Executive Director of CMI in September of 1994. For the more than two decades since she assumed this role, CMI continues to open its doors to better reflect the changing needs of the community. As CMI provides almost 50 percent more meals than it did 10 years ago, it is clear those needs are growing. In 2016 alone, Community Missions provided 11,104 nights of shelter, 89,366 meals, 6,744 individuals with clothing, 2,295 care days in Youth Services, 46,888 care days in Recovery Services, 73,994 care days in Housing Services and 182 opportunities for Faith Development. prgtoken Ms. Krueger's extensive professional and community involvement spreads beyond her duties as Executive Director as she serves on a variety of local, county and state committees, boards and associations in leadership and active roles. These include the Association for Community Living, Homeless Alliance of Western New York, Juvenile Detention Association of NYS, Niagara Behavioral Healthcare Network, Niagara County Juvenile Justice Taskforce and NYS Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Inc. prgtoken A member of the Who's Who among Outstanding Business Executives, this determined administrator is a graduate of Leadership Niagara's Class of 2004. Her achievements have earned her the 2006 Anthony J. Cuccurullo Award from the New York State Juvenile Detention Association, the 2011 Niagara Award for Management from the YWCA of Niagara Frontier, and the 2013 Killian Vetter Individual Achievement Award given by the Homeless Alliance of Western New York. Other well deserved recognitions include the Woman Vanessa Scott Ministries ``I Shall Wea
The Deficit (Executive Calendar)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-11-28

the judges appoints to lifetime positions on our Federal courts will be a lasting legacy, and he is determined to do whatever it takes to place as many nominees with an ideologically driven agenda on the bench as possible. prgtoken Today the Senate is debating whether to give Gregory Katsas a lifetime appointment to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. Throughout his career, including as Deputy White House Counsel under and as a senior official in the Justice Department under , Mr. Katsas has demonstrated a profound conservative bias that is inappropriate for service on the country's second most important court. prgtoken As Deputy White House Counsel, Mr. Katsas has been deeply involved in crafting the legal justification for many of the administration's most controversial policies. He also played a key role in deciding which court cases the administration would support or oppose and recommending candidates for various executive and judicial appointments. prgtoken The legal issues he has managed, the advice he has given, and the appointments he has recommended raise serious concerns about whether he should receive a lifetime appointment to the Federal bench. prgtoken In the early days of the administration, Mr. Katsas participated in crafting the legal justification for the President's Muslim ban, a policy at odds with the Constitution and our values as a nation. Mr. Katsas has also been involved in orchestrating the administration's opposition to LGBTQ rights in the courts. In particular, he openly admits his role in the Justice Department's decision to argue in a case before the Second Circuit that title VII in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. This position is inconsistent with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's 2015 guidance and with a recent en banc decision from the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. prgtoken During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Katsas testified that he was involved in the administration's decision to file an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Civil Rights Commission. He thus supports the position that a private business prgtoken should be able to refuse to sell a wedding cake to a gay couple. prgtoken By elevating a corporation's religious views over the rights of their customers, Mr. Katsas and the administration argued that businesses should be able to say that their work is an expression of their religious beliefs. This would allow them to discriminate against certain customers and turn our system of antidiscrimination protections in public accommodations on its head. These actions and positions should disqualify Mr. Katsas from serving on the DC Circuit. prgtoken But there is more. prgtoken We can also trace his record of pushing a partisan, ideological agenda during his time in the Justice Depar
HONORING THE WISHES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-11-28

recently, I met with a group of engineering and nursing students from Rutgers University. These young people have worked hard to get an education so they can help communities in need, but they came to the Nation's Capital asking for help that only Congress can provide. prgtoken These bright young minds are not U.S. citizens; they are what we call DREAMers. Each day that passes without Congress voting on the Dream Act darkens their futures. Like the 20,000 other DREAMers in my district, these are young people who fear that they will be detained and deported to places they have never seen or known before. prgtoken , the holiday season is supposed to be a time of joy and celebration, not fear and uncertainty. I implore my colleagues to honor the wishes of the American people and do the right thing by history. Let us finally pass the Dream Act.
NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-11-28

today I wish to call attention to the more than 112,000 foster children in our Nation who are waiting to be adopted. Of these, more than 14,000 are in California. prgtoken These are children with no permanent place to call home, who have experienced severe neglect or abuse. Through no fault of their own, these kids are uprooted from their lives, separated from everything they know, and unable to be safely reunited with their biological families. Many are moved from home to home with their few belongings in a garbage bag. prgtoken These are children who are waiting for a family, wanting to belong, and needing our help. Of these children, more than 20,000 age out of the foster care system every year without a place to call home. We can and must do better. prgtoken What happens to children who age out of the foster care system? They are shown the door and expected to suddenly be self-sustaining, successful adults. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the majority of our foster youth. I say ``our'' because these kids are all of our responsibility. They are in every community, and we are failing prgtoken them. For those who age out of the system, 20 percent become homeless. Only half are employed by age 24. Seventy percent of young women who age out of the system are pregnant by age 21. Less than 3 percent complete a college degree. Foster youth are also at higher risk of being victims of child sex-trafficking. prgtoken We can do better. Our children deserve better. Every child is meant to be in a family. In America, families come in all sorts of wonderful shapes and sizes, and every foster child waiting to be adopted deserves the love, safety, and support that only a permanent family can provide. No child is unadoptable. prgtoken During the month of November, our Nation celebrates National Adoption Month, and recognizes the families that have opened their hearts and homes to children in need of a family and the joy that adoption brings. I encourage anyone interested in building their family through adoption to visit www.adoptuskids.org. It is also important to recognize the efforts of the volunteers and mentors who provide a positive, stable relationship for a child whose entire world is changing. In addition, programs that provide comprehensive resources--from mental health services to tutoring--help foster kids succeed. There may not be a simple solution, but we do know what gets us closer. There are programs in California and across the Nation that have shown improved permanency rates, nearly universal high school graduation rates, and success in college and employment. There is hope and not a second to waste. prgtoken As National Adoption Month comes to a close, we must remember our foster youth year-round and strive to ensure that each one is connected with a permanent, loving home. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure a better future for foster youth in our Nation. prgtoken
TAX REFORM
John B. Larson (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-11-28

I thank the ic leader for yielding, and I thank the gentleman from Michigan for joining us here. prgtoken As Mr. Hoyer stated at the outset, this is a very dangerous bill and a very dangerous precedent for this body and the other body and for Congress in general. prgtoken It was Lincoln who said: ``A House divided cannot stand.'' prgtoken And in this bill, when you pit the sick against the well, the poor against the wealthiest 1 percent, blue State against red State, small business against large corporation, you begin to see the inequity in the bill. prgtoken Rich Neal, the lead on the Ways and Means Committee, lamented that this was a lost opportunity--a lost opportunity because there was ample time to come together both in the committee and here on the floor to do something constructive for the country, put the Nation back to work, and resolve issues that President had put forward that I know have been on the front burners of everyone's concern to get lower taxes, and greater fairness in equity across the board, but that didn't happen. prgtoken Now, much is said about process, and people pooh-pooh that, but here are the facts: prgtoken It was Ronald Reagan who said: ``The facts are a stubborn thing.'' prgtoken Back in 1986, the last time we impacted policy of this nature, the Ways and Means Committee, in fact, had 30 hearings in the committee, 12 subcommittee hearings, 450 expert witnesses, and 26 days of markup before it came to the floor for debate. prgtoken It was done bipartisanly, in fact, done between Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill because they knew that this would be the best way to get cohesive, comprehensive tax reform. prgtoken That is not what happened here. There were zero hearings in the committee on this bill, zero subcommittee hearings, no expert witnesses, not a single person from the State of Maryland or Connecticut. prgtoken , I include in the Record a letter from the Commissioner of Revenue Services from the State of Connecticut that details factually, not based on averages, what happens to people in States who use itemized deductions like the State and local property tax deduction, like medical deductions, et cetera, all of which have a direct impact on them, all of which are going to find our citizens paying more money, in fact, not getting a tax cut, getting a tax increase so they can pay for lowering the rate of an individual who is already receiving $11 million from an estate tax gift. November 8, 2017. Hon. John B. Larson, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Larson: Thank you for opportunity to comment on the federal tax changes being considered in H.R. 1. We appreciate your leadership in trying to set the record straight as this partisan effort is rushed to judgment with no real input and much fiscal uncertainty. Unfortunately, what we see so
GUN VIOLENCE
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-29

this past weekend, as Americans across this country were enjoying Thanksgiving with their families, over 438 Americans were victims of gun violence. prgtoken So what is the response of the House leadership? prgtoken Advancing the misguided Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act that would eviscerate State laws meant to keep people safe from gun violence. prgtoken This bill being marked up today in the Judiciary Committee would put lives at risk by forcing all States to recognize weapon permits from other States, regardless of how lax State permitting laws may be. prgtoken House s have no right to curtail the safety reforms that New York and other States have put in place to protect their citizens. That is why law enforcement organizations from across the country strongly oppose this legislation. It should never come to the floor. prgtoken Americans deserve a better deal and more protection from gun violence, not less.
REQUIRING COMPLETION OF TRAINING PROGRAM IN WORKPLACE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Robert A. Brady (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-11-29

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , in closing, make no mistake about it, this is bullying: sexual bullying harassment. prgtoken I have a wife, a daughter, a granddaughter, and a great- granddaughter. I have a responsibility to protect them. In the people's House, we have mothers, wives, daughters, granddaughters, great- granddaughters, and we have a responsibility to protect them. prgtoken Men have a responsibility to stand up and confront this behavior when we see it. We have a responsibility to demand better of other men. We have a responsibility to confront these bullies. prgtoken Men who use their power to harass and abuse others are disgraceful, and we cannot tolerate their behavior. We need to stop having a system that enables it. prgtoken , I personally witnessed an incident back in my perch, where I stay back in the corner there, of a Congresswoman that was leaning back talking to me, and a Congressman walked by and groped her from behind. I reached over and, lucky for him, I just couldn't grab him. I wanted to chase him down the aisle, but the Congresswoman, as classy as she is, said: ``No, don't do that. You may get in a little trouble. We will take care of him.'' And he got taken care of pretty well. prgtoken I wonder if women would be disrespected or sexually bullied if their husbands or their fathers were standing next to them when somebody tried to sexually harass them or grope them. That is why I say men who do that are bullies and cowards. Just treat women with the respect and dignity that you would your own mother. prgtoken , I ask for a unanimous vote on this resolution, and .
TAX REFORM
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-11-29

I come to the floor today to join other colleagues from both sides of the aisle to talk about this tax debate. We don't do tax reform nearly enough here in the United States. It seems we have taken it on about every 35 years whether we need to or not. But if there is one lesson we have learned from previous tax reform efforts, it is that while they can do a lot of good, they can also do a lot of harm. prgtoken I have to start by expressing my extraordinarily deep frustration with the process we have gone through. Today we are considering a bill that was drafted in secret, designed with more gimmicks and loopholes than I have ever seen, and is being rushed through the process without input from all of us on this side of the aisle and without even appropriate analysis of its true financial impact. prgtoken In many ways, to quote the President, what got us here is the worst of Washington. If you want to see swamp 101, look at the process of this tax bill. It is a 300-page tax bill that was released on the eve of a holiday weekend, only days before it was marked up in committee. Over a 4-day markup, two significant rewrites of this bill were presented. One consisted of over 100 pages of changes, and a second was released a mere 30 minutes before Members were asked to vote on its myriad of provisions. Now, less than 2 weeks later, we are considering that bill or a variation of it on the Senate floor. We are voting to proceed to the bill later today and then maybe on amendments tomorrow, before we even have any analysis from JCT. prgtoken We know that near the end of the debate on the floor, another bill will prgtoken magically appear from the majority leader's office without any time for those of us who want to do tax reform to have a chance to genuinely review or analyze its provisions. I believe it makes this process enormously dishonest. prgtoken I know my friend from Delaware has just come on. I will speak quickly because I know he will raise some of these same concerns. prgtoken One of the things I have been most involved with since I have been here in the Senate is trying to grapple with our Nation's overwhelming debt. We are a country that has run up close to $20 trillion in debt, and both sides--both sides--have been a party to that over the last 70 years. prgtoken But what I have heard from colleagues on both sides of the aisle is that when you are in that deep of a hole, you ought to stop digging, and that we need to make sure that if we are going to do tax reform, we do it in a fiscally responsible way. prgtoken This legislation is the absolute opposite of any kind of fiscal responsibility under anybody's guideline. It starts with a $1.5 trillion acknowledgement that that money will somehow magically appear through magical growth. But when you peel that away a little bit, it is bad enough that it is not really $1.5 trillion in additional debt that we are adding, the real number is $2.2 trill