mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PRESERVING OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Luke Messer (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-12-6

the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads: `` . . . the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.'' prgtoken That right is a fundamental freedom guaranteed by our Bill of Rights. That is why I am proud to cosponsor the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which protects the Second Amendment rights of all Americans. prgtoken This legislation says that if you are qualified to carry a gun in your own State, then you can carry a gun in any State that has a similar law. This bill will eliminate significant obstacles to the right to keep and bear arms for millions of Americans in every State. prgtoken Hoosiers get it. Law-abiding gun owners have a right to defend themselves, and that right should not end at the State line. I urge support for this legislation and I ask my colleagues to join me in doing more to uphold our Second Amendment rights.
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-12-6

last week I came to the floor to talk about why we needed to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. I am proud to say that the Senate has passed that bill. I expect the Senate to move to conference with the House this week, and I am confident that the final bill will be an even better bill than the bill passed by either the House or Senate. More importantly, I am confident that it will get us on track for real tax relief for working families, and we will have this bill on the President's desk by the end of this year. prgtoken Last week when the bill passed, I said that it isn't just about changing the trajectory of our economy, it is about changing the future we hand to our kids and our grandkids. I really think that is what this bill will do. prgtoken There is a lot of talk in Washington about things that, frankly, will never turn out to be the facts--maybe they are the alternative facts-- but one thing I think will happen is that working families will see, in one of their first paychecks next year, that this tax bill and these tax cuts really affect them. Whatever your paycheck is--reflected in what you start getting paid on January 1--in virtually every case, working families are going to have more take-home pay, and those numbers are pretty big. prgtoken A few weeks ago, I was at Patriot Machine in St. Charles, MO, and spoke to the employees who work there. The one thing they were concerned about was, what does this mean to me? What does this mean to my family? What is my take-home pay going to look like next year? prgtoken , you and I said many times during this debate that the two things we were committed to were more take-home pay immediately by taking less out of it and even more take-home pay in the future by doing things that make our economy more competitive and make that paycheck bigger to start with. prgtoken Middle-class families, working-class families, and this country have lost a lot of ground with the slow growth we have had and the almost no growth in some years we have had in the past 10 years. We need better jobs, we need higher wages, and we need the government to let people take home more of what they earn. prgtoken This bill will allow them to do that. It will double the standard deduction. That is the deduction that is about $6,000, and suddenly it is $12,000, and for a couple, it is $24,000. You start the tax process on something the size of a postcard by deducting that $12,000 or that $24,000 off what your W-2 forms say. prgtoken The Senate bill doubles the child tax credit, so you go from a thousand to another thousand, and you take that credit off your tax obligation. prgtoken Ninety percent of the people are going to fill out their taxes just that way. It is a form that you may not even have to turn over to sign the bottom and say, here is what I need to send back; here is what my tax obligation is. prgtoken Helping families has been and continues to be at the hear
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 38, CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY ACT OF 2017
Steve King (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-12-6

. I support also the section of the judges, but offered an amendment in committee--too many Members weren't there; at least 10 s were gone--to protect congressional Members of Congress in the same way as the judges. We didn't have that opportunity to actually have a hearing on it in the committee--a legitimate one-- and we didn't have an opportunity to bring that amendment to the floor, so I have this apprehension. prgtoken , I urge that we get back to regular order.
COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-12-6

I rise today as one of the senior members on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and co-chair of the Career and Technical Education Caucus to note that this week is Computer Science Education Week. prgtoken Computer science drives job growth and innovation throughout our economy and throughout our society. Computing occupations are the number one source of all new wages in the U.S. and make up two-thirds of all projected new jobs in STEM fields, making computer science one of the most in-demand college degrees. prgtoken Computing is used all around us in virtually every field, but fewer than half of the United States' schools offer any computer science courses, and only 8 percent of STEM graduates study it; 93 percent of parents want their child's school to teach computer science, but only 40 percent of schools teach it; 67 percent of parents and 56 percent of teachers believe students should be required to learn computer science; 50 percent of Americans rank computer science as one of the two most important subjects of study after reading and writing. prgtoken In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there are currently 16,976 open computing jobs. The average salary for a computing occupation in Pennsylvania is $85,654, which is significantly higher than the average salary in the State of $47,540 only 169 schools in Pennsylvania offered the advanced placement computer science course in 2015-2016, and there are fewer AP exams taken in computer science than in any other STEM subject area. prgtoken But technology connects the world in ways like never before. From everyday conveniences at our fingertips to improved communications, technology plays an ever-increasing role in our lives. We are becoming more dependent on applications or apps, and the students of today will become the leaders of tomorrow by developing such technology. prgtoken Proudly, the House of Representatives has encouraged America's students to focus on computer science and STEM subjects through the annual Congressional App Challenge. This competition allows K-12 students from across the country to practice their code writing skills by developing an app. Winning apps will be displayed in the Capitol Building later this year. prgtoken This year's winner from Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District is Lachlan Campbell. He redesigned the Hack Club website to make it more user friendly. Hack Club is a nonprofit network of coding clubs run by high school students around the world. Lachlan started a Hack Club this past spring at his very own State College Area High School, and taught more than 40 students how to code and create a website. prgtoken His project for the Congressional App Challenge was to redesign hackclub.com, and his overhaul has been welcomed by the club. prgtoken I congratulate Lachlan on winning the Congressional App Challenge for Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. He is a two-time winner, having come in fi
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
John Hoeven (Republican, ND) \u2014 2017-12-6

I am pleased to follow my esteemed colleague from West Virginia. I wish to join her in her comments and emphasize what she emphasized so well--that this really is all about hard-working taxpayers across this country, not just in terms of making sure they keep more of their hard-earned dollars after taxes but making sure that their wages and income go up. Over the last decade, we have seen real stagnation in terms of wages and income. So as we work on this tax package, we want to make sure that across all income groups, we see real tax relief. prgtoken The other aspect of this bill is that it is pro-growth. It is about stimulating investment across this country by entrepreneurs, by innovators, by small companies--and, with big companies, bringing money from overseas back home to America, to create jobs in America. As we create those jobs, that competition for labor pushes wages and salaries higher. So it really is a two-for. It is about real tax relief for hard-working Americans, and it is about making sure that their wages and income go up. prgtoken These are just some of the estimates that have been put forward so far as to the impact that this tax relief package will have. According to the Council of Economic Advisers, there will be $4,000 in higher wages. So that is what I am talking about. It is not just tax relief; it is about higher wages. For an average family of four--median income, average family of four--there will be a savings of $2,200 in taxes. That is from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. prgtoken So it is the combination of both of those things: higher wages, lower taxes. prgtoken It comes from creating more jobs. The estimate is, again from the Council of Economic Advisers, almost 1 million more jobs. It is those jobs that not only create opportunity, but that competition for workers is what pushes those wages higher. prgtoken Also, a 3.7-percent larger economy--that larger economy is a very important consideration, as well, because by growing the base, even with lower taxes, you generate more revenue, more revenue for the government to invest in our priorities and to reduce the debt and deficit over time. Of course, we have to find savings where we can, but at the same time we have to have economic growth to address debt and the deficit, and that is exactly what we create, not just through tax relief but the combination of tax relief and the regulatory relief that we have done through the course of this year. It is that regulatory relief and that tax relief that really empower our small businesses across the country, which are really the backbone of our economy. We are talking farmers, ranchers, small businesses of all kinds. We are talking entrepreneurs. We are talking innovators. We are talking about the job creators in this country, creating more jobs and opportunity, and the wage earners and the workers benefiting through lower taxes and higher wages. prgtoken This next cha
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT--Continued
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-12-6

this harkens back to a moment earlier in this debate when the Senator from Oregon, the ranking member of the Finance Committee, described the repeal of the individual mandate as driving a stake through the heart of Care. Think of what a confession this is by our colleagues on the other side of what a disaster Care is--that it is dead, that it is done if people are not forced against their wishes to purchase a product that does not suit their families' needs and/or that they cannot afford. What kind of business model--what kind of person?--could possibly justify having to force people to buy its product? This is not only an egregious affront to any sense of personal freedom, but it is proof positive that this doesn't work. prgtoken There is another aspect to this as well, and that is that the tax that we impose on people who cannot afford these Care plans but that they are forced to buy is a regressive tax that falls wildly disproportionately on lower and middle-income folks. In my State of Pennsylvania, 83 percent of the families who are hit with this tax live in households that earn less than $50,000. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to reject this motion.
CONFIRMATION OF SUSAN BODINE
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2017-12-7

the Environmental Protection Agency needs strong and experienced leadership. That is why I come to the floor today to speak in support of President 's nomination of Susan Parker Bodine to serve as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at the EPA. prgtoken Her expertise and her experience make her an exceptional pick to lead this important office at the Agency. She has extensive environmental policy knowledge from years working as a private attorney, a staffer on Capitol Hill, and in leadership at the EPA. prgtoken From 2006 to 2009, during the administration, she served as the Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. She also served as the staff director of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment. prgtoken Most recently, Susan served as my chief counsel at the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. That is why I know Susan is committed to finding commonsense ways to protect America's land, air, and water. prgtoken In this new role, she will work to help communities and small businesses comply with the law, while holding polluters accountable. and s, alike, agree that she is the right person for the job. prgtoken Mathy Stanislaus, a former EPA Assistant Administrator, said: ``Ms. Bodine understands both the internal side of the agency and the proper balance of enforcement'' and is a ``standup person.'' prgtoken Ben Grumbles, a former Assistant Administrator and currently Maryland's secretary of the environment, said: ``She's tough and fair and committed to public service.'' prgtoken Susan is an excellent pick to lead the EPA's Office of Enforcement. Taking on the critical task of enforcing our Nation's environmental laws is a big job. I can think of no better candidate for this job than Susan Bodine. prgtoken Thank you, . prgtoken . prgtoken .
PEARL HARBOR
Ted Poe (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-12-7

it was a calm, cool Sunday sunrise over the Hawaiian Islands when the planes came over the horizon. They were carrying the emblem of the rising sun on their wings and fuselages, the symbol of the imperialist regime of the Kingdom of Japan. They were headed for a surprise attack on a place called Pearl Harbor, an American naval base. It was December 7, 1941. prgtoken Meanwhile, here in Washington, D.C hypocritical diplomats from Japan were talking peace with the United States. prgtoken The Japanese planes bombed American battleships in the harbor. They bombed American aircraft on the ground. After the destruction was over, 2,403 Americans lay dead, murdered by the imperialist kingdom. It was the beginning of America's entry into World War II. prgtoken Nearly 4 years later, over 416,000 Americans were killed in the Second World War. Victory over Japan occurred on August 14, 1945, and the ``rising sun of aggression'' sank into the sunset of history. prgtoken We honor and remember Pearl Harbor and all the men and women of the Greatest Generation who served in that war. prgtoken And that is just the way it is.
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Tom Cole (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-12-7

I thank the chairman, and I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. prgtoken , I rise to urge support for H.J. Res. 123, the short-term continuing resolution. prgtoken I want to begin my remarks by, frankly, congratulating the chairman. It is his leadership, and my good friend on the other side, they have put together the bill in April that actually is funding the government today. A majority of voted for that in the House and the Senate. A majority of s voted for it. The President signed it. prgtoken Under the chairman's leadership, all 12 bills passed well before the deadline that fund the government of September 30. He has been prepared to negotiate for 80 days. He hasn't been sitting around in those 80 days. He also passed two disaster relief bills and is working on a third one right now. I think you probably have the hardest working chairman and committee in Congress. The rest of the government, the Senate prgtoken in particular, needs to catch up with us. prgtoken Now, to their credit, they are actually sitting down with the President today, and we are beginning to see some progress. We need this additional time to allow us to fund the government. prgtoken To my friends who oppose it, what is your alternative? Shutting down the government? I know they don't want to do that. They have always argued against it. I have always thought they were right when they argued against it, but if we follow their advice and reject this amendment, the government will shut down on Friday. That doesn't do any American any good. prgtoken , the chairman has offered the responsible alternative here. I urge its passage.
Rob Woodall (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-12-7

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I would be interested sometime, , having a team building expert take a look at some of our proceedings here on the House floor and see if they think that the conversations that happen here bring us closer to working together on serious solutions, or push us further away. prgtoken I agree with my friend from Michigan; we need to get about the business of the American people. The business of prgtoken the American people is not figuring out who to blame, it is figuring out how to fix things. And to continue to perpetuate the inaccurate message that we don't collaborate on those issues is to do our bosses, the American people, a terrible disservice. prgtoken On bill after bill to combat the opioid epidemic, we have come together in this institution. We have passed these bills in a collaborative way and sent them to the United States Senate. Bill after bill on human trafficking, we have come together in this institution. We have passed these bills. We have sent those bills to the United States Senate. prgtoken , we are talking about funding the American Government. I have been in this Congress since 2011. I got to vote, for the very first time, on funding the Centers for Disease Control, which sits right in my back yard in the great State of Georgia. prgtoken I got to vote, for the very first time, on funding the National Institutes of Health, which do such amazing research, both for our seniors and for our children. The kind of talent that we have there, , boggles the mind. We came together, and we funded those institutions in the annual appropriations bill for the first time ever. prgtoken Now, we can spend our time together talking about who hates children and who hates old people, and why it is everybody is an untalented buffoon; or we can recognize that, on issue after issue, we come together and get about the business that our bosses sent us to get about. prgtoken I don't think any of us are going to be rewarded by figuring out who to blame. I think we are going to be rewarded by getting it fixed. prgtoken , I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney), who has worked, through the Financial Services Committee, again, in a bipartisan way, to deal with local community financial institutions and local home buyers who are getting shut out of the process by an overly burdensome Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2017-12-7

it would mean continued access to healthcare for approximately 9 million children across the country who are enrolled in CHIP, another 122,700 in Oregon alone. prgtoken Our House bill was fully funded. We did the heavy lift. We funded it through responsible reforms like asking seniors who make $40,000 a month, that is $480,000 a year, to pay about $135 more for their Medicare. Rich seniors pay a little more, and I am sure these grandmothers and grandfathers would do that to help kids afford their health prgtoken insurance, and that is what happened here. prgtoken , we paid it. It is ready to go. We need the Senate to act. I commend the Appropriations Committee and the leadership there for putting this provision in so we won't let kids fall through the gap.
FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Mario Diaz-Balart (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-12-7

I want to first thank the chairman for, again, bringing the 12 bills, once again, through the process. This is just a short-term continuing resolution. It is a clean date extension, and this CR will give an opportunity to continue to move forward quickly, by the way, towards finalizing appropriations bills. prgtoken It is important to note that, for example, in the Transportation and HUD bill, we considered 22 amendments in committee, 39 amendments here on the floor. You see, this has been an open and fair process the entire way. Now we must--we must--move quickly to finish the job and conference all 12 of these bills. prgtoken In the meantime, however, we must keep the government open and funded. This is especially, by the way, important now that our communities are pulling together to recover from three devastating hurricanes, as well as the thousands of families threatened by raging wildfires in California. prgtoken Look, we can't take the risk of shortchanging our first responders, our military, given the natural disasters at home and the threats from our adversaries abroad. A vote against this CR would do just that. prgtoken Again, just for the Transportation and Housing segment, this CR will support ongoing transportation and safety missions, air traffic control, housing for vulnerable citizens, including our veterans. prgtoken , I strongly urge a ``yes'' vote on the CR. We cannot let those folks down. We cannot shut the Federal Government down, and it allows us to finish the job, and I thank the chairman for his steadfast leadership.
STOP THE BLEED
Roger Marshall (Republican, KS) \u2014 2017-12-7

when I say the term ``CPR,'' everybody in the room knows what I am talking about; but when I mention ``Stop the Bleed,'' few of us know what it is. prgtoken This past summer, I had the opportunity to take part in a Stop the Bleed training program offered for my good friends and fellow physicians at the American College of Surgeons. This simple training teaches individuals how to treat bleeding injuries and help save a life. prgtoken Every year, almost 200,000 Americans die from traumatic injuries sustained as a result of events, including vehicle crashes, falls, industrial and farm accidents, shootings, and natural disasters. The most common preventable cause of these deaths is losing too much blood in the minutes before trained responders can arrive. This is something we need to change. prgtoken The ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and the ability to intervene effectively can save a life. Whether the injury was the result of a car crash, home accident, or farm accident, one person who is there at the right time and has the right skills can make all the difference. prgtoken Just like CPR training, a civilian familiar with basic bleeding control techniques is better equipped to save a life. The effort to make this training available to the public is driven by the goal to reduce or eliminate preventable death from bleeding. prgtoken The American College of Surgeons, working in partnership with many other organizations, has now made the training needed to address such incidents available to the public. Through nationwide advocacy efforts, the American College of Surgeons will work to ensure that all people have access to training opportunities. prgtoken I would implore and encourage folks like the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, American Red Cross, and other organizations that teach CPR to add this very simple course on Stop the Bleed to that training course program. It is a very simple concept of putting pressure where the bleeding is occurring or how to make a quick tourniquet out of a belt or a piece of clothing. prgtoken Today, I also take this opportunity to encourage fellow congressional Members of Congress to get trained in Stop the Bleed.