mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
DACA AND TPS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-1-18

the Dreamers are part of this country. They are America's future. They are helping to build this great Nation, and they need our attention now. prgtoken The s control the House, the Senate, and the White House. One of their principal responsibilities is to pass a budget. We are now 4 months into the fiscal year and we don't have a budget and we are talking about another continuing resolution through mid-February. prgtoken A couple weeks ago, we were told on the floor to give it a couple more weeks and we would work some of these issues out, but that time has now come, and we still do not have a budget. We should not be going into February without dealing with the problems of this country. We need a deal on the budget. We need a deal for an agreement on the Dreamers. We have so many issues that need to be addressed. There is no excuse why the leadership has not brought these issues to the floor of the Senate for action. prgtoken I want to start, in regard to the Dreamers, by commending the bipartisan work of a group convened by Senators Graham and Durbin. They have come up with a good plan that addresses key issues needed for a compromise on immigration reform. I was pleased to see they put on their website a summary of the proposed legislation that deals with the Dreamers. It deals with border security, deals with diversity visas, those who are in temporary protective status, and family reunification and migration. prgtoken The draft legislation we saw would provide a 12-year pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, with up to 2 years of credit for time with DACA. The qualified Dreamers must have entered the United States by June 15, 2012, when President and the Department of Homeland Security announced the creation of the DACA Program. I think most of us know DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program. prgtoken Let me just talk a few minutes about the Dreamers. These are individuals who entered our country as minors, when they were brought here by their parents to seek a better life. Under the DACA Program, they were entitled to a 2-year renewable work permit and the ability to remain in this country without fear of deportation. Each one has to go through a criminal background check. They need to be enrolled in school. They must either be high school graduates or in the U.S. military. prgtoken In the United States today, we have 800,000 who are registered under the Dreamers. There are about 10,000 in my State of Maryland, and they are contributing half a billion dollars to Maryland's gross domestic product. They are a key part of our economy. They are the next generation of teachers, doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs. They are going to help build America. Most know no other country but the United States, which is their home, and our values, which make America the great Nation it is. prgtoken We are a welcoming country. We are a country in which peop
GLOBAL HEALTH INNOVATION ACT OF 2017
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-1-18

I rise in strong support of H.R. 1660, Global Health Innovation Act, because it encourages the continual research and development of new global health strategies and promotes transparency between our Federal agencies and the United States Congress. prgtoken Under H.R. 1660, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) would be required to report to Congress on the development and use of global health innovations in USAID programs, projects, and activities. prgtoken This annual report would have to include a thorough description of: prgtoken The extent to which global health innovations include drugs, vaccines, and mobile technologies, as well as related service delivery improvements and behavior changes; prgtoken How innovation has advanced USAID's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, end preventable child and maternal deaths, protect communities from infectious diseases, and further its Global Health Strategic Framework; prgtoken Progress made toward health product development goals; prgtoken How USAID's investments in innovation relate to its goals; prgtoken How USAID leverages investments to improve health innovation, develops affordable global health products, and advances health innovations in development; prgtoken USAID's collaboration with other federal agencies; and prgtoken How USAID is coordinating global health innovation activities between its Global Development Lab, Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact, and Bureau for Global Health. prgtoken The report would have to be submitted within 180 days of the bill's enactment, and then annually for four years. prgtoken The critical research and development of global health technologies has facilitated the development of life-saving technologies saving countless lives across the globe. prgtoken Ultimately, the goal of H.R. 1660 is to support a long-term program to develop these much needed health technologies and innovative easy- to-use health solutions for low resource environment. prgtoken I have always been an advocate for the protection of women and children. prgtoken This bill would help to stifle the spread of infectious diseases in underdeveloped countries, and work to find new and improved ways to fight infection for those who cannot fight themselves. prgtoken So I stand for H.R. 1660; and I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of this bill, and the pursuit of improved global health.
THE ECONOMY
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-1-18

I rise very briefly to thank my friend, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. prgtoken One more time, I urge all of our colleagues to vote for S. 139, which will be coming up for a vote in a few moments. prgtoken This is a critical tool that our intelligence community uses on a regular basis to keep America safe. It is a tool that--as someone who has more, perhaps, observance of this program than most--I do not believe has been abused or will be abused. This legislation includes meaningful reforms on furthering civil liberties protections and making sure that a year from now, the questions that many Members have asked over the years, particularly of the Bureau, will be answered. prgtoken I think this foreminded legislation needs to pass and needs to pass with an overwhelming majority. prgtoken Again, I thank the chairman for his good work. We had a 12-to-3 vote out of our committee on this legislation. We had a 60-to-38 vote that moved us forward on the cloture motion. My hope is that many other colleagues who care deeply about national security will join us in the final passage of this legislation.
FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-1-18

s control every level of the Federal Government. They hold majorities in the House and the Senate. They have the Presidency. Yet the very people--the s--who set the agenda in Washington and have majorities in both the House and the Senate are desperately trying to convince the American people that a government shutdown should be blamed on anyone else but them. Give me a break. prgtoken Nobody wants a shutdown except, maybe, the President, who seems to relish a government shutdown as a way of ``shaking things up,'' regardless of who gets hurt. Members of Congress should know better, and s should get down to business and negotiate with in good faith. prgtoken s in the House and Senate have brought us to the brink of a shutdown because they are terrified of the ideological extremists in their own party who reject even the most reasonable bipartisan compromises. They are terrified of a mercurial President, who changes his mind on a whim, who explodes at even the most minor slights, and who has repeatedly said that maybe we need a good government shutdown so he can get his vanity wall. and the s will be held responsible for any government shutdown. They have created this situation, and the American people will hold them accountable. prgtoken have been open and transparent about the things we are fighting for. We are fighting to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP, so 9 million kids across the country can continue to access the lifesaving healthcare they need. We are fighting to restore funding to community health centers that serve millions of underserved Americans in rural communities, whether they live in Kansas, Ohio, or any of the other States won. We are fighting to protect the Dreamers who could be deported to countries they know little of because the President unnecessarily and cruelly ended the DACA Program. We are also fighting for parity in funding for defense and domestic spending in any budget deal. prgtoken These are not partisan ic priorities. If one were to put each of these priorities up for a vote, they would all pass with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. In fact, we could have passed each of these bills a long time ago. Yet, instead of doing something that would actually help people, the s spent months working as hard as they could behind closed doors to give the wealthiest 1 percent of the people in our country and corporations huge tax cuts. Now they are trying to convince the other 99 percent of the American public that this tax bill was a good deal for them, but that is another story and is another example of misplaced priorities. prgtoken In getting back to the matter at hand, which is the urgency of preventing a government shutdown, the House is trying to pass another short-term spending bill that only includes a reauthorization for
HONORING KRIS SADUR
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-1-18

I rise today to honor Kris Sadur, who is retiring after serving for 10 years as a remarkable Constituent Advocate/Outreach Coordinator in my Chicago district office. Kris' inspiring career included assisting and supporting senior citizens, health care consumers, the disability community, educators, students, artists, women's rights advocates, and ALL the constituents of the 9th Congressional District. prgtoken Kris has helped thousands upon thousands of Illinois 9th Congressional District residents throughout her ten years. She is an expert on issues affecting the senior citizen and disability community, including Medicare, Medicare Part D, Social Security, health care, senior housing, nursing homes, and postal issues. prgtoken Kris has earned a reputation as a go-to person who can solve problems, cut through red tape, and get things done for constituents. Her expertise in Social Security and Medicare have been invaluable to residents of the 9th Congressional District and to me and my office. prgtoken Kris is a fighter. I appreciated hearing her on the phone with government agencies, because she did not take no for an answer. She made sure that constituents were getting everything they needed and deserved. Sometimes she was told that nothing could be done to fix a problem, but somehow she would find a way. I call her a miracle worker. Recently she heard from a constituent who Social Security had determined was dead. This constituent and her family had been trying to rectify this mistake for weeks but were not successful. Kris was able to get Social Security to recognize that this constituent was alive and well and her benefits were immediately reinstated. prgtoken Whenever a problem was brought to her attention, Kris rolled up her sleeves and went to work. She learned that the Medicare website video was not useable for the deaf community and American Sign Language (ASL) users, so she worked with the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to get an ASL video on the website, thus getting critical information to hearing-impaired individuals across America. Kris also succeeded in making the local office that administers Medicaid more user-friendly. prgtoken Remarkably, Kris has returned or saved constituents more than $6 million since she started working for me. She has been able to rectify errors in benefits and payments made by the Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid, has gotten premiums reduced that were increased erroneously, corrected hospital billing errors, and helped constituents determine which Medicare Part D plan would be the least expensive with the most comprehensive coverage for their prescription needs. prgtoken Kris recognized that often seniors couldn't make it into one of our district offices and so she went to them--she established several neighborhood office hour locations across the district where she could meet with constituents in the community, including at th
FEDERAL REGISTER PRINTING SAVINGS ACT OF 2017
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-1-18

we are five months in the 2018 fiscal year, yet here we are again getting ready to vote on another short-term government funding bill. prgtoken Has this become the norm in the new -led government? prgtoken I'd like to point out that this will be the fourth continuing resolution since September. prgtoken Our country isn't winning when our military, government agencies, and important federal programs are operating under short-term spending bills. prgtoken The American people are tired of the partisanship that has kept Washington from doing its job. They expect results and it's our job to deliver. prgtoken It's our job to fund the military and domestic programs, deliver protections for DREAMers, keep our quality community health centers open, reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, and for those whose districts were impacted by natural disasters, it's our job to pass disaster aid for the families and small businesses that were impacted. prgtoken There's broad bipartisan support for all the priorities that I mentioned. prgtoken It's my hope that the majority will roll up their sleeves and get to work for the American people.
HONORING THE LIFE OF GENERAL EDWARD L. ROWNY
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-1-18

I rise to pay tribute to the persevering and prescient life of American General Edward L. Rowny, who passed away on December 18 of last year at the age of 100. prgtoken Proud of his Polish-American heritage, he attained a century of life in the Polish tradition of Sto lat, dear general. This valiant soul served our Nation under five Presidents, of both parties. prgtoken He served under the command of General Douglas MacArthur and rose to be a shining general in his own right, a brave guardian of liberty through courage, sacrifice, expertise, and wisdom. prgtoken General Rowny was born the son of a Polish immigrant and a Polish- American mother on April 3, 1917. A West Point graduate, he served in World War II and led a battalion with the 92nd Army Infantry Division, driving up the west coast of Italy. prgtoken He remained a dogged ally of then-occupied Poland and the Polish people and advanced the return of the remains of Ignacy Jan Paderewski to Poland in 1992 after the fall of the Berlin Wall 3 years earlier. prgtoken He later founded the Rowny Paderewski Scholarship Fund to bring Polish students to the United States to study American democracy. He continued to raise funds for it until his dying day. prgtoken General Rowny lived to see solidarity bring freedom to Poland and helped usher Poland into the NATO security alliance. prgtoken He was an esteemed arms control adviser under every President from Richard Nixon to George H.W. . prgtoken After being a chief negotiator in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with the former Soviet Union, he was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal. prgtoken General Rowny's life and being was imbued with his long history of fighting for freedom, justice, and democracy, including helping free his ancestral land of Poland. His accomplishments will not be forgotten. prgtoken Thank you, General Edward Rowny, for your service to liberty. You have been one of a kind, unceasing in your utter dedication to liberty at its cutting edge. ``Dziekuje bardzo. Bardzo. Bardzo.'' Thank you very much.
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN VIETNAM
Ro Khanna (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-18

my grandfather spent 4 years in jail during Gandhi's independence movement standing for human rights. One of his crimes was expressing unpopular views in a political newspaper. prgtoken Similar human rights abuses are occurring today in Vietnam. I speak out, today, for those who have been silenced. In many cases, the victims are the brother, the sister, the friend, or acquaintance of someone living in my district. prgtoken Over 100 activists and religious leaders are currently imprisoned in Vietnam for expressing their opinions and beliefs. For example, social activist and blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison for highlighting social injustices on her blog. prgtoken In California's 17th District, I am proud of organizations like The Good Will Brother-Sister Group that stand in solidarity for their oppressed friends and family in Vietnam. prgtoken The Vietnamese Government must release every political prisoner, stop harassing religious groups, and have the confidence in allowing a free press. Until they do that, we must do no business deals with Vietnam and make it clear that we expect them to honor human rights.
HOME MORTGAGE DISCLOSURE ADJUSTMENT ACT
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-18

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2954, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Adjustment Act, which would undermine efforts to monitor trends in mortgage lending, combat discriminatory and predatory lending, and ensure that consumers who reside in low- and moderate- income communities have fair access to mortgage credit. prgtoken In 1975, Congress enacted the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, also known as HMDA, in response to concerns that despite their responsibility to provide adequate home financing to qualified applicants on reasonable terms and conditions, some lenders' failure to do so had contributed to a decline in housing conditions in communities of color. prgtoken HMDA data provide the only comprehensive picture of the rates at which American consumers' requests for mortgages are approved and denied. As a result, it has many important uses. prgtoken HMDA data provide information on mortgage lending patterns and trends that allow regulators, lenders, researchers, and the public to better understand and address redlining concerns by identifying possible discriminatory lending patterns, and monitoring compliance with and enforcement of statutes, like the Community Reinvestment Act; and Federal antidiscrimination laws, like the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act. prgtoken Local governments also use HMDA data to determine which financial institutions are meeting the needs of their communities and should receive important benefits funded by the taxpayers of those communities. prgtoken For example, in Antioch, California, the local government uses HMDA data when selecting banks for contracts and participation in local programs. prgtoken HMDA data are also used by government officials to determine areas of disinvestment that are in need of targeted assistance. Take Flint, Michigan, for example. There, HMDA data has been used to target funds to remediate blight. prgtoken Communities also use HMDA data to identify discriminatory lending patterns and enforce antidiscrimination statutes. HMDA data, for example, were used in Chicago to identify discrimination and lending patterns in its neighborhoods, leading to a large discriminatory lending settlement. prgtoken It was precisely because of HMDA data that Congress learned during the run-up to the financial crisis that African Americans were routinely steered into predatory subprime loans, even when they qualified for prime mortgages, and they received these loans at higher rates than White borrowers. prgtoken Following the financial crisis, Congress updated HMDA when it passed the Dodd-Frank Act, directing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to close information gaps about mortgage lending patterns and practices that contributed to the 2007-2008 financial crisis, as well as other data that could better identify discrimination. prgtoken Accordingly, in 2015, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
GENERAL KELLY'S DEFINITION OF BIPARTISANSHIP
Luis V. Gutiérrez (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-1-18

I had an interesting meeting yesterday with General Kelly. Twenty-five Members of Congress, almost all of whom are descendants of immigrants who came here with nothing, whose parents came here with nothing, sat down with the Chief of Staff of the President of the United States. He said, basically, that we are the wrong kind of people in America, and that people like our parents who came here to this country really are bringing the country down. Because when he says he is for a merit-based system, he is saying he is not for my mom and my dad being able to come to this country. prgtoken But interestingly enough, all of us who came to this country because of a family-based immigration system wound up as being Members of the U.S. House of Representatives. prgtoken But he was saying: You know, I am meeting with a group of Congressmen, and you really shouldn't be here because your parents really are tearing the country apart and bringing it down. prgtoken That is what he means when he says: I want to replace the system with a merit-based system. prgtoken And that was very telling in the meeting yesterday. prgtoken But, you know, we want a system that is family-based. That is the system the want because we believe that businesses are created by prgtoken immigrants and that it is essential for their families to be united as they come to this country so that they can achieve American success and we can all achieve the American Dream together. prgtoken That is exactly what they want to stop with the merit-based system; unless, of course, they come from Norway, then they continue to come. prgtoken We hear from the party of family values and the party of , who even employs his children at the White House. The Organization, just think about. Here is an organization where the dad created the business, handed it down to the son. The son is now going to hand it down to his children. But they don't want immigrants to be able to do exactly the same thing and follow the same course that, apparently, has been so successful for the President of the United States. prgtoken Here is something else we learned from the Chief of Staff: when people from one party work with people from another party, that is not bipartisanship, he said. Bipartisanship, defined by General Kelly and this White House, is when people with completely different, opposite views of the world work together. prgtoken So only a Senate deal between people who believe in immigration and those who don't believe in immigration and who want to end our immigration system as it is, unless you come from Norway, that is the only way it is bipartisanship. That is like saying that if a and are working together on an environmental issue, it is not bipartisanship because it is a and , unless the and the are persons who believe in climate change, working together with a who believes tha