mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION ACT OF 2017
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-3-29

for years, I have been working to make sure that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has reliable tools to forecast hurricanes. Today the Senate will come together on legislation to get us closer to that goal. In May 2016, just before the start of hurricane season, the Commerce Committee held a hearing on preparedness. At that hearing, I asked the then-Director of the National Hurricane Center, Dr. Rick Knabb, about the fact that NOAA has two P3 propeller aircraft that fly into the storm, but only the one Gulfstream jet that can fly high enough and long enough to get above the storm. Flying above the storm is critical because the scientists drop sondes out of the belly of the aircraft that fall through the storm sending measurements of the entire vertical profile. This is vital to telling us where the storm is headed and whether it is weakening or strengthening. prgtoken Having only one Gulfstream is a single point of failure because, if the plane is out of commission, we do not have a backup ready to go. Unfortunately, my fears were realized a few short months later. During a Hurricane Hermine reconnaissance mission, NOAA had to ground the Gulfstream for emergency corrosion repairs. Luckily, a plane owned by the National Science Foundation and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research was not on a mission at the time and was able to fill in for the NOAA Gulfstream, but you can imagine that this will not always be the case. While the hurricane season seems to be getting longer, the NOAA plane is getting older. We must have a reliable backup. So, in January, I filed S. 153, legislation to require NOAA to acquire sufficient backup capability for our hurricane hunter aircraft. I am pleased today that the Senate will unanimously pass this measure as part of a broader weather bill. prgtoken I take comfort that even in times of great divisiveness, the Senate can come together on matters of public prgtoken safety. The power of Mother Nature must be taken seriously. Consider the flooding in California or the devastating tornadoes that hit Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida early this year. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew took 46 lives in the United States alone. In addition to requiring backup capability for the hurricane hunters, the broader bill we will pass tonight, the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act, will improve NOAA s ability to understand, predict, and--most importantly--to warn people about all kinds of weather events that dramatically affect the economy and people's daily lives. It also includes a reauthorization of the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act. These provisions will give NOAA the tools to protect life and property and to support continued economic growth. It is my hope that the House follows suit.
RECOGNIZING SOCIAL SCIENTISTS FROM THE CONSORTIUM OF SOCIAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATIONS
Daniel Lipinski (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-29

. Madam , I want to recognize the 80 social scientists from the Consortium of Social Science Associations, who are visiting Washington, D.C today, and to thank them for their hard work keeping our STEM enterprise strong. prgtoken They are here to highlight the value of social science research to the Nation, and to support funding for the social, behavioral, and economic sciences in the National Science Foundation budget. prgtoken Social science research has provided us with numerous benefits. Some of these include: strengthening cybersecurity by showing us how changes in behavior can eliminate cyber vulnerabilities; making our soldiers safer by working with the Army to improve its cross-cultural training; and saving lives by improving the system of matching kidney donors with patients. prgtoken Madam , we must have strong Federal funding for social science research. Cuts would make America weaker, not greater. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to oppose any cuts to social science funding in the NSF budget.
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-29

s are in charge of the Senate, and so far they haven't put up for a vote in this Congress a single piece of original legislation to help working families--not one. They haven't fixed a single piece of our crumbling infrastructure. They haven't put Americans back to work. They haven't brought down the soaring cost of prescription drugs. And they haven't done a thing to help the 55 million Americans who don't have access to a workplace retirement account to save for their retirement. But they have been busy. prgtoken Here is what they have done so far: They have made it easier for giant corporations to hide the payments they make to foreign countries. They have made it easier for companies to discharge filth into our rivers and streams. They have made it easier for Americans suffering from mental illness to buy guns. They have made it easier for hunters to shoot baby bears and wolf cubs from planes. They have made it easier for companies that get big-time, taxpayer-funded government contracts to steal wages from their employees. They have made it easier for employers to hide injuries their workers suffer on the job. They have made it easier for States to divert Federal education dollars away from struggling schools and students. They have made it easier for States to block people who are out of work from getting unemployment insurance payments that they are entitled to by law. And they have made it easier to keep local residents from having a say in how Federal lands are managed. prgtoken Now they are back at it again, this time to overturn a rule that will help millions of Americans start saving for their retirement. For years, the -controlled Congress has done nothing to help the 55 million Americans who don't have an employer-provided retirement plan save for their retirement. Nothing. Because of this Federal inaction, 7 States have passed legislation to provide retirement accounts to their constituents, and 23 others are considering proposals. The efforts of just those 7 States could expand coverage to 15 of the 55 million Americans who don't currently have an employer- sponsored retirement account. prgtoken In addition to these State efforts, three cities are actively considering proposals to curb the retirement savings gap, potentially covering another 2 million Americans. Extending coverage to 17 million Americans would go a long way toward starting to chip away at the retirement crisis in this country. prgtoken Today, among working families on the verge of retirement, about one- third have no retirement savings of any kind, and another one-third have total savings that are less than 1 year's income. This is a real problem, and Senate s should be working hard to come up with solutions to fix it. But if they don't have any ideas of their own, the least they can do is step aside and let the hard-working Governors, mayors, State treasurers, city councils, and
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-3-29

I rise to express my grave concern about Russian aggression and interference in our political system. My concerns have been compounded over the last several weeks by the response to these allegations by President and his administration. prgtoken First, let's step back for a moment. We know that the Russian Federation is an adversary of the United States. That is without question. Vladimir Putin is what I would like to call a 24-hour bad guy. There are a lot of other ways to express it, but that is one way. There is not a moment of the day when he isn't using his power to undermine our Nation's interests and the interests of freedom and democracy across the globe. prgtoken We know that the Russian regime kills journalists, jails and silences their critics, and commits war crimes in places like Syria and Ukraine. Russia meddles in elections throughout the Western world. prgtoken Mr. Putin has a warped world view. His view is that the freedom and democratic rights of tens of millions of people in Europe should be subject to the interests of a few in the Kremlin because those countries lie within Russia's supposed sphere of influence. prgtoken The work done by our intelligence agencies indicates that Russia meddled in our election with the intent of aiding President . We know that now. In January, our intelligence agencies concluded: We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russia's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect . prgtoken That is what our intelligence agencies tell us, and I am quoting verbatim from that basic finding. prgtoken President 's refusal to accept the assessment of our intelligence agencies was deeply concerning--and that is an understatement. My concerns were compounded by the fact that President ran on the most pro-Russian platform in modern history. Since President has taken prgtoken office, he has harshly criticized our allies, from Australia to Mexico, yet when it comes to Russia's provocations and war crimes, President is silent. prgtoken This deference that President shows to Mr. Putin is troubling and, when combined with Russia's meddling in our election, it raises profound questions that need answers. That is why I strongly support the establishment of an independent commission to investigate Russia's interference in our political system, and I believe that the Justice Department must appoint a special counsel to investigate this matter as well. prgtoken What the American people need to know, once and for all, is at least three things: No. 1, what specific actions Russia took to aid President durin
DISAPPROVING A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-3-29

I am deeply frustrated that s, in one of their first actions following their and President 's disastrous attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, have decided to bring to the floor yet another CRA that would hurt workers, hurt the middle class, and hurt our economy. prgtoken Last week, millions of families sent a very clear message to President and s: Enough with the attempts to turn back the clock on progress for working families. prgtoken Clearly, President and s are not getting the message because, today, in what can only be described as a truly shameless giveaway to Wall Street, s are poised to roll back a rule that would, simply, allow cities to help small businesses provide their workers access to easy, affordable, and high-quality retirement savings programs. prgtoken Before I continue, I want to reiterate what is at stake if s roll back this rule. If s pass this anti-worker resolution that is on the floor today, over 2 million workers in Philadelphia, in New York City, and in prgtoken Seattle--in my home State of Washington--will lose the opportunity to access a retirement savings program. prgtoken I expect my colleagues to make several claims as to why they are pushing to repeal this rule, but I want to be very clear that this is a deliberate attempt by s to deny millions of workers the opportunity to save for retirement just to ensure that Wall Street remains in charge of our retirement system and can continue to write its own rules. prgtoken The 2 million workers who are at risk today in these three cities are part of the nearly 55 million workers across the country, which include 2 million workers in my home State of Washington, who do not have access to a workplace retirement plan through their employers. That is about one-third of all of the workers in our country. These are workers--particularly low-income and young workers--who are putting in long hours, meeting all of their responsibilities, but who lack access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. prgtoken Because Congress has been unable to come together to address our retirement savings crisis, cities and States have now stepped up to help more workers save for their own retirements. These programs vary, but they all generally include several things. prgtoken First of all, they allow employers to automatically enroll workers while giving workers the opportunity to opt out. Several studies have made clear that, when workers are automatically enrolled, they are more likely to save simply because it is easier to save. We all want that, and that is a fact. prgtoken Secondly, these programs apply only to businesses that do not currently offer retirement plans, and they, in no way, limit an employer's ability to seek out and offer its own employer-sponsored plan. prgtoken Lastly, these programs are worker and business friendly. There
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-3-30

I hear colleagues from the other side of the aisle talk again and again about how they want patient-centered healthcare. That is the refrain--patient-centered healthcare. Make no mistake about what this resolution is all about. It turns that phrase on its head because what it says to certainly women who are patients: You are not free to go get the healthcare you want. prgtoken It seems like this never ends--another day, another effort to deny women the opportunity to have the kinds of healthcare choices and the healthcare services that they feel strongly about. prgtoken I am not going to take long; I know colleagues are in a hurry. I just want to say that the next time you hear this lofty rhetoric-- particularly from the majority--about how everything they are going to do in American healthcare is going to put the patients at the center of healthcare, give people more choices, and protect the freedom that they talk about in healthcare--understand, if you vote for this resolution, you are repudiating all of those speeches. I have heard Senator Murray talk about it. She says it very eloquently. prgtoken The bottom line is that this resolution not only doesn't support that lofty rhetoric about patients being at the center of healthcare, this resolution deprives women of choices and access to healthcare services they want. prgtoken I hope my colleagues will join Senator Murray and understand the dangerous consequences of what is at stake. Oppose this resolution and save the Vice President the trip to the Hill. prgtoken .
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-3-30

since coming to Washington, I have observed something interesting about politicians. s talk a big game about respecting women, but when it comes time to vote on laws to help real, live, American women, a lot of s turn their backs. prgtoken Take Paul Ryan, of the House of Representatives. Just a few months ago, Ryan was adamant that American women deserve respect. ``Women,'' he said, ``are to be championed and revered.'' ``Championed and revered''--so what exactly does championing and revering women mean to Ryan? Does it mean he will promote policies that make us healthier, that he will help us access basic medical services, that he thinks we can make our own decisions about our bodies without government interference? No. prgtoken Over the past few months, Ryan has worked overtime on the American Health Care Act--a bill that would make it harder for millions of women to access healthcare. That miserable bill even included a special provision singling out certain health clinics and stripping them of the funding they use to provide women's health services. prgtoken Last week, Paul Ryan failed to get that bill out of the House, but s are back to take another shot at cutting women's access to healthcare. This time the plan is to undermine the title X family planning program. This plan, just like their healthcare bill, is incredibly unpopular, even with s who had to rush Vice President over from the White House this morning to cast a deciding vote to start this debate on attacking women's healthcare. prgtoken Title X is a bipartisan program started back in 1970. It is the only Federal grant program dedicated to providing Americans with high- quality, low-cost family planning services. Title X funded clinics provide birth control, cancer screening, STI testing, and counseling. Just so there is no confusion about this, title X dollars cannot be used to fund abortion services--none. prgtoken In 2015 alone, title X clinics helped 2.9 million women access birth control. They provided over 700,000 Pap smears, performed 1.1 million HIV tests, and gave over 1 million breast exams. And Paul Ryan's way of making sure that women are ``championed and revered'' is to try to reduce their access to these lifesaving services. prgtoken Last December, the Department of Health and Human Services passed a very simple rule to keep States from pulling political shenanigans to shut down women's health centers. The rule prevents States from blocking a healthcare provider from the program ``for reasons other than its ability to provide Title X services.'' In other words, follow the law. If a provider is doing a bad job at delivering family planning services, by all means, kick them out of the program. But you don't get to kick someone out because you don't like the name of their organization or you don't like their politics or because of your politics or becaus
RUSSIA AND TRUMP CAMPAIGN INVESTIGATION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-30

last week in testimony to the House Intelligence Committee, FBI Director Comey confirmed what many of us have been urging for months: the need for an independent commission to look into the Russian act of cyber war on our election and any possible collusion with members of the campaign. prgtoken Comey confirmed that the FBI was ``investigating the nature of any links between individuals associated with the campaign and the Russian government, and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russian efforts.'' prgtoken He continued that FBI agents would pursue the investigation ``no matter how long that takes.'' prgtoken This is incredible. I am not surprised, but it is incredible. Our Nation's top law enforcement agency is investigating possible links between those involved in President 's campaign and a foreign adversary known to have conducted an aggressive intelligence operation to help him get elected, and all the while, this President continues to deny any such attack, praise the dictator who launched the attack, and pursue policies that mirror those of the attacker, including the weakening of the Western security alliance. prgtoken Yet what has been the priority of the majority party amid this mounting and serious breach, one we already knew about 5 months ago? prgtoken Has it been to set up an independent commission to look into this unprecedented threat to our Nation and democracy? No. prgtoken Has it been to work with the White House to disclose all information in an open and transparent manner to clear up any concerns or suspicions? No, in fact the opposite--we still haven't even seen the President's tax returns to get answers on Russian money in his businesses. prgtoken Has it been to pass sanctions on Russia for its attack on our Nation? No. prgtoken Has it been to pass meaningful cyber security legislation, legislation blocked by the majority in the last Congress to make sure our next elections in less than 2 years are secure from attack? No. prgtoken So what has been the priority instead? Well, last week, the majority voted to make it easier to kill baby bears and their mothers in their dens. The majority also reversed internet privacy protections for consumers. A few weeks ago, the majority voted to reverse a law to help mitigate corruption in some of the world's most impoverished nations. prgtoken Of course, the majority failed to advance Care, which would have prgtoken stripped 24 million Americans of healthcare, a cruel bill that would have disproportionately hurt those who voted for President . prgtoken This is a dereliction of our responsibility here in the Congress. Not one of these issues is more important than getting to the bottom of possible collusion with the Russians or of the possibility that some in the White House have been compromised by a foreign government. prgtoken I want to praise the few on the majority side who have spoken out on
SUPPORTING PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Brenda L. Lawrence (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-3-30

I rise today to express my unwavering support for Planned Parenthood. prgtoken Planned Parenthood is America's most trusted provider of reproductive health care. One in five American women has chosen Planned Parenthood for health care at least one time in her life. prgtoken The heart of Planned Parenthood is in our local and rural communities. These healthcare centers provide a wide range of safe, reliable health care; and the majority is preventive care, which helps prevent unintended pregnancies through contraception, reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections through testing and treatment, and screen for cervical and other cancers. prgtoken In my district, Planned Parenthood was instrumental in providing the following services to over 50,000 constituents in 2016, including: prgtoken 23,215 pregnancy tests and counseling; prgtoken 5,798 breast exams; and prgtoken 5,052 pap smears. prgtoken This is the end of Women's History Month. That is why I am here today to stand with Planned Parenthood, and I will continue to fight.
EPA SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD REFORM ACT OF 2017
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-3-30

less science, more pollution--that is, unbelievably, the plan. prgtoken I want to just refer to what my colleague said. This is not long-ball time. This is emergency time where we have to deal with a worldwide environmental crisis, and this bill is just the latest attack on clean air and clean water. And as the threat of climate change becomes increasingly clear, s are trying to reverse the progress that we have made to address this global challenge. prgtoken President proposed gutting the Environmental Protection Agency, and this week he signed an executive order to ignore the effects of climate change, increase drilling on Federal lands, and undo efforts to promote renewable energy. prgtoken Meanwhile, s in Congress have voted to block environmental protections. s are replacing President 's Clean Power Plan with, essentially, a dirty power plan that will pollute our air and contaminate our water and put our children and our grandchildren at risk. Those actions further confirm s' place on the wrong side of history. prgtoken It is time for America to lead, not to ignore reality. We should be investing in clean, job-producing energy. We should be at the forefront of the fight against climate change. prgtoken My constituents and most Americans expect to drink clean water and breathe fresh air. They want to protect our planet for future generations. s, today, have it backward. We need more science and less pollution. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill and resist those attacks on our environment.