mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
China (Executive Session)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-5-23

first, I want to add my comments to those by my friend from Florida, Senator Rubio, about China. prgtoken I remember years ago, when I was helping to lead the opposition to China's admission into the World Trade Organization, when American CEOs came to this body and said one after another to Members of Congress that they wanted access to billions of Chinese consumers when what they really wanted was access to hundreds of millions of Chinese workers. U.S. companies, as part of a business plan, consistently shut down production, whether it was in the Florida Panhandle or whether it was in Northeast Ohio, and moved those productions overseas. They enriched that Communist government and gave China the wherewithal that Senator Rubio talks about now. prgtoken That is the importance of the CFIUS legislation we did yesterday in the Banking Committee that Senator Crapo, Senator Van Hollen, and I worked on. It is the importance of many of the issues that Senator Rubio raised, so from Florida. prgtoken , I rise to oppose the nomination of Brian Montgomery. He has been nominated by the President to serve in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as an Assistant Secretary of Housing and as the Federal Housing Commissioner. prgtoken If confirmed, Mr. Montgomery would oversee the Federal Housing Administration, the FHA, which insures loans for homeowners, multifamily rental buildings, and healthcare facilities originated by HUD-approved mortgage lenders; oversees HUD's Housing Counseling Program; and provides rental assistance for over 1.2 million low-income seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families. prgtoken We are considering this nomination at a time when the Nation faces all kinds of housing challenges. Thanks to a deep shortage of affordable rental housing--think about this--a quarter of all renters, of all households, are paying more than half of their incomes for housing. That means, if anything goes bad in their lives--if their cars break down on the way to work or if their children are sick, and they have to decide to send their children to school anyway or to stay home and lose a day's pay and get behind on their rent--then everything will go bad for them. prgtoken Far too many creditworthy borrowers still struggle to access sustainable credit in the mortgage market, particularly in communities of color. In February, the Center for Investigative Reporting released data showing that people of color were far more likely--in some cases, more than five times as likely--to be denied conventional mortgages. They found this data in 61 metropolitan areas around the country. It is not limited to only a few places. prgtoken Mr. Montgomery, in his having served previously in the position for which he has been nominated, would bring both valuable experience and an appreciation for the importance of the programs he would lead if he is confirmed. He has spo
VA MISSION Bill (Executive Session)
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2018-5-23

I thank the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Isakson, for the leadership he has shown from the get-go. From the moment he took the gavel in the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, he has been wanting to work together in a bipartisan way, put aside our differences, and get things done. prgtoken This VA MISSION Act had a great vote yesterday, and people might say: prgtoken Well, gee, this is just another one of those slam-dunk bills. It is not. We would not be here today if it wasn't for Chairman Isakson and the great work he has done on this bill. prgtoken I also thank the entire Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. I thank the leadership of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. I thank the 38 veterans service organizations that offered their support for this bill. I said many times during the hearings, we will take our cues from the veterans. This is exactly what the entire Senate, hopefully, will do in a minute or two with this bill, is take our cues from the people who serve this country in the military. This is a big win for them. They are also going to put a lot of pressure on the VA to deliver for them, but, nonetheless, this is one of those rare times when the Senate and House have done their job and done it in a bipartisan way, worked together, and worked for the benefit of the veterans of this country. prgtoken I also thank my staff, Tony McClain, Dahlia Melendrez, and Jon Coen for their great work. prgtoken In a brief review, what this bill does is scrap the Choice Program and all the community care programs and puts them into one program where the veteran and the doctor control where to seek care, whether it is within the VA or the private sector. It strengthens the VA and helps build capacity in the VA in two ways, with a loan repayment program for our employees, and it incentivizes medical residencies within the VA. It also improves rural healthcare in States where I come from in Montana by deploying mobile health teams and by expanding telehealth. prgtoken Finally, this bill expands the caregiver program to veterans of all eras--something Senator Murray has worked on for years and years. I was there when Senator Murray came up to the chairman of the committee on a previous bill and said to Chairman Isakson: We really need this caregiver bill in. Chairman Isakson said: We are not going to forget about you, Patty. We are going to make sure this is taken care of. He lived up to his promise to her, and he lived up to those veterans who have a family member who takes care of them at home, where people don't even know what is going on. They don't even know what is happening. Sometimes these folks have to quit their job to take care of a veteran at home who needs help. So the caregiver program is a very important part of this bill. prgtoken It happened because we worked together. When I go home to Montana people ask: How come you guys can't work together? We kind of broke
SHARING STUDENTS' `MARCH FOR OUR LIVES' REMARKS
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-5-23

on May 9, I came to the Floor and spoke about the March For Our Lives on March 24 and the nine extraordinarily poised students in Morristown, New Jersey, who spoke at the rally there, which I attended. I include in the Record remarks by Raniya Madhi. I hope my colleagues will read them and internalize the sense of fear in which our nation's students are living every day--and our responsibility as Members of Congress to do something to address this crisis of gun violence. March for Our Lives (By Raniya Madhi) Hi everyone, my name is Raniya Mahdi, and I'm a junior at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and I'm participating in this march to honor the lives lost at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where we lost seventeen of our school companions and teachers to yet another mass shooting in this country. Today is March 24. Millions of people are marching for their lives across the country to demand change so that no student, teacher, or parent has to fear for their or their loved ones life while they are receiving an education at school. When I heard about this shooting, I had mixed emotions. I was shocked, shocked, that we had to lose seventeen more innocent kids to another senseless killing, and yet some of us haven't even addressed this issue that is killing our kids day after day. I was upset, upset to think about how their families must be feeling, that they will never get to kiss their kids goodbye ever again. They will never ever be able to see their loved ones, maybe in another world, but not this one. This world, this country, has made it impossible for us to be able to feel safe in our own schools. We should never have to think about the possibility of being shot by someone who can easily break through our defenseless walls and enter our school like an ordinary person, until they whip out their AR-15 and start firing at students and staff without a care in the world. The ones who we lost should not have been taken away. Why did they need to suffer because of the inaction and stagnance of our congressmen? I thought to myself: These innocent kids came to school, on Valentine's Day, like any normal school day, yet they did not live to see their families and friends the next day. This is horrifying to me, that countless school shootings like this have happened over the years, but no change. Picture this: A nineteen-year-old walks into a liquor store and lawfully be denied any sort of alcohol. Now picture how is it that a nineteen-year-old cannot legally buy a beer but can legally buy an AR-15 assault rifle at this age? And how can our country allow a person to take the lives of fourteen fellow students and three
RECOGNIZING ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-5-23

in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I would like to recognize Khalid Muneer. prgtoken Born in Pakistan, Khalid's family moved to the United Kingdom in 1961, where he graduated from the University of Aston in Birmingham. prgtoken After 17 years in investment banking and working in eight countries, he moved to Florida and built a successful real estate commercial business. At the same time, he devoted his time and passion for civic duties to the Asian community. prgtoken Khalid Muneer has been a very active leader in our community in central Florida. He was the President of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce CFL in 2016, won the International Leadership Foundation Award in 2017 for his accomplishments, and was on the top 100 most influential people list reported by the Orlando Sentinel. This year, Khalid is president of the American Muslim Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida. prgtoken Khalid is also a husband, father, grandfather, and has dedicated his work to strengthening the Asian American community in central Florida. prgtoken For that, Mr. Khalid Muneer, we honor you. Honoring Neal Abid
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-5-23

. Mr. Chair, I thank the for allowing a vote on my amendment, number 17, which would for the first time include blast exposure history in service records. This would drastically improve the care our service members receive when they return from theater by identifying injuries sustained from blasts on the field. prgtoken This bipartisan policy was recently recommended by the Center for a New American Security, and is supported by my co-chair of the Brain Injury Task Force, Congressman Thomas J. Rooney (R-FL), as well as independent researchers and brain injury advocates. prgtoken The effects of our service members' repeated exposure to blast events are largely unknown and could take years to show up. Accurate records of blast exposure, including during training, are needed to improve our understanding of blast-induced brain injury. prgtoken NDAAs in recent years have authorized funding for critical programs like DOD's Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program. Throughout the appropriations process, I hope to see continued funding for this and other brain injury programs at Defense, such as the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. prgtoken This funding, coupled with this amendment, will allow us to further understand and improve the care provided to service members who have sustained a brain injury.
LOUIS ZAMPERINI POST OFFICE
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-23

I rise today in recognition of the life and legacy of an American hero, Louis Zamperini. prgtoken Louis Zamperini was an Olympic runner who, while serving as an airman during World War II, was captured and held as a prisoner of war. Many remember Louis Zamperini as an inspirational symbol of resilience, athleticism, and service. prgtoken The city of Torrance and the residents of our community in the 43rd Congressional District of California are especially proud and inspired by Louis Zamperini. prgtoken Louis Zamperini was the son of Italian immigrants. He moved to Torrance, California, at the age of 3 and was a graduate of Torrance High School. It was during his tenure at Torrance High School that Zamperini's abilities in track and cross country first gained notoriety. prgtoken Nicknamed the ``Torrance Tornado,'' Louis Zamperini set the national high school record in the mile at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1934. His record time of 4 minutes 21.2 seconds was unbroken for 20 years. prgtoken As a teenager, Zamperini qualified and competed in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, where he finished eighth in the 5,000-meter run. After the Olympics, Zamperini earned a scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he became one of the university's most celebrated student athletes. prgtoken Louis Zamperini enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps and served in World War II as a B-24 Liberator bombardier in the 372nd Bomb Squadron. prgtoken During a rescue mission on May 27, 1943, Zamperini's plane crashed into the sea. Zamperini spent 47 days adrift in a life raft fending off starvation and fighting to survive. The United States military believed he had perished in the crash and informed his parents of his death in June 1943. prgtoken In actuality, Zamperini was captured by a Japanese patrol boat and held as a prisoner of war. Over the next 2 years, he was regularly beaten and starved. Louis Zamperini was finally liberated following the Japanese surrender in September of 1945. prgtoken Zamperini became an evangelical Christian and gave inspirational speeches across the country. He also founded the Victory Boys Camp, a wilderness camp, to assist at-risk youth. prgtoken Louis Zamperini passed away on July 2, 2014, in Los Angeles at the age of 97 years old. Zamperini was married for 54 years to his wife, Cynthia, who preceded him in death. He was survived by his son, Luke, his daughter, Cynthia Garris, and his grandson, Clay. prgtoken People across the country are familiar with Louis Zamperini's story, which was told in the 2010 book, ``Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,'' by Laura Hillenbrand, which rose to number one on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2014, director Angelina Jolie released a movie about Zamperini adapted from Hillenbrand's book. prgtoken Because of his remarkable athletic abilities and heroic service to our country, Louis Zamperi
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019
Daniel Lipinski (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-5-23

Iran is the world's foremost state sponsor of terrorism. In spite of their weak economy and U.S.-imposed sanctions in response to Iran's support for terrorism, abuse of human rights, and acquisition of prohibited weapons, they continue to support violent groups abroad. prgtoken As our diplomatic and military leaders determine how best to respond to Iran, they and the world, including Iranians, should have a detailed accounting of the amount spent by Iran to support specific terrorist groups. This is especially important in light of the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran-backed forces in Syria. prgtoken My amendment requires an annual report from the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence describing Iranian expenditures on military and terrorist activities outside their country. This will send a clear message to Iran and our allies that we do not tolerate support of terrorism. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman and ranking member for including my amendment in this en bloc, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Antitrust Enforcement (Executive Session)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-5-23

I come to the Senate floor today to discuss what I consider an often overlooked issue that is of central importance to the well-being of American consumers and our Nation's economic strength, and that is antitrust enforcement. prgtoken Before I was a Senator, I was a prosecutor for 8 years, and before that, I was a lawyer in private practice. Early in my legal career, my main client when I was a brandnew lawyer was MCI. At the time, MCI was a young, innovative telecom company that was determined to disrupt the telecom industry by competing with first long-distance carriers and then local monopoly carriers. It was exciting for me to represent a company like that. They had a lot of scrappy lawyers who viewed themselves as fighting for consumers to give them some alternatives and lower prices. prgtoken I remember that at one of my regulatory hearings, I actually quoted the first words Alexander Graham Bell said over the telephone: ``Come here, Watson, I need you.'' But in the Wild West world of MCI, when they were getting ready to relay the first-ever communication between St. Louis and Chicago--which seems odd to the younger pages here--at the time, Bell companies dominated all telecoms, and we only had those old-style telephones and only one company in an area that offered service. So MCI came in to compete by building their own line between St. Louis and Chicago. One of their investors, Irwin Hirsh, memorialized this great moment, and instead of saying ``Come here, Watson, I need you,'' he said, ``I'll be damned. It actually works.'' prgtoken But make no mistake--without antitrust law, MCI would never have worked. We would have had no competitors. We would have been stuck in the old Bell operating company world. MCI took on Bell operating company and AT&T and ultimately broke up that monopoly. This breakup lowered long-distance prices for consumers across the country and ushered in an era of amazing innovation and revolutionized the telecom industry and, yes, brought down those long-distance prices. prgtoken Antitrust may not always make front-page headlines these days, but antitrust enforcement is as important now as it has ever been. It remains vital to the welfare of our country, and we ignore it at our own peril. prgtoken People often ask me, what does antitrust law have to do with our economy? The answer I always give is, everything. Let me repeat that. Antitrust has everything to do with our broader economy. That is becoming clearer to the American public. People intuitively understand that there is too much industry consolidation in this country. They understand that is not necessarily good for them whether they are a or a or an Independent. They understand that the benefits of big corporate mergers go largely to the merged companies and their investors and not to the public. prgtoken This highlights the fact that antitrust is not just a subject for competition poli
DACA (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-5-23

on September 5, 2017, President announced the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA. As a result of that, hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the United States as children and are known as Dreamers have faced losing their work permits and face deportation to countries they barely remember. prgtoken DACA provided temporary legal status to Dreamers only if they registered with the government, paid a fee of almost $500, and passed a thorough criminal background check. This DACA Program has been a success. More than 800,000 Dreamers have come forward and received DACA protection, which has allowed them to become a part of the only country they have ever called home. prgtoken Many of these Dreamers were brought here as infants and toddlers, raised in this country, pledging allegiance to that flag. They believed they were part of America, and usually at some point when they became teenagers, their parents gave them the terrible news that they were undocumented. prgtoken When President decided 8 months ago to repeal DACA, he set March 5 as the deadline for the final expiration of the DACA Program. However, two Federal courts have stepped in and issued orders blocking the President's repeal of this DACA executive order. This means that Dreamers who have DACA can continue to apply to renew their status for now. prgtoken I urge every DACA recipient to file their renewal application immediately. The administration is doing everything in its power to fight this court protection, and that court protection could be lifted any day. This means there is a need for Congress to do something. prgtoken Again, I urge the s who control Congress to immediately pass the Dream Act--bipartisan legislation I first introduced 17 years ago that would finally give these Dreamers a path to becoming citizens of the United States. prgtoken The reality is that tens of thousands of Dreamers are already at risk of losing their work permits and being deported. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, has promised me that her Department will not deport any DACA recipient with a pending DACA application, even if their status expires. I am going to hold her to that commitment because lives hang in the balance. prgtoken However, for DACA recipients whose status has expired, the Department will not authorize them to work unless and until their DACA is renewed. This means that tens of thousands of DACA-eligible individuals could be forced to leave their jobs while their applications are pending and before the renewals are approved. prgtoken Then consider the fate of Dreamers who are eligible for DACA but never quite reached that status. They can no longer apply for protection because of President 's decision to prohibit new DACA applications after September 5, 2017. For example, a child turning 15-- the youngest age at which you can ap