mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Remembering LaVell Edwards (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-2-3

I wish to thank my many colleagues who have been here this morning to talk about this critical appointment, the Secretary of Education, who oversees all of our K-12 and higher education in this country. It is a principle so many of us care about. I have heard passionately from so many of my colleagues here today about what public education means to them, what it means to our country, what it means to our prgtoken democracy, and what it means for kids of all different backgrounds to come together in a public education system that is guaranteed by this country. The dangerous views of this nominee, Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education--who has said repeatedly she will not protect the investments we have made, but rather has the philosophy that we should take money away from our public education students and put it to vouchers for private schools--will undermine our whole entire democracy. It is why we have heard across this country from so many parents and teachers and students and grandparents and business leaders who are urging Senators from every State to vote no on this nominee. prgtoken Certainly we can do better. Certainly the last election was not about sending our K-12 and higher education system into chaos, certainly not at a time when one of the most important things people care about is the stability of our economy, the ability to get a job. Fundamental to that is being able to know you can go to a school, no matter where you are or where you live or how much money you have, and get a good education. We need to keep that, and no one wants to send that system into chaos at this time. That is why people are speaking out. prgtoken As I mentioned earlier today, I have heard from thousands of people in my home State who have contacted me with concerns about this nomination of Betsy DeVos to be the Secretary of Education. An overwhelming number of them are people who have spent time in our classrooms with our kids; that is, our teachers. Many of them have spent decades in public schools dedicating their own lives to helping our children learn in school districts of all different sizes, and those teachers deserve a voice today. prgtoken So I thought I would take a few minutes to tell my colleagues a little bit about what I am hearing and why they believe we should oppose Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. prgtoken I heard from a teacher from my hometown of Bothell, WA, who wrote me and said that public education is the basis of equality for all students in this country. Our Founding Fathers recognized the importance of having educated citizens and the need to provide it for all of our children. Education for profit doesn't work. And we need to do what we can to make sure we fight privatization of our education system. prgtoken I heard from another woman in central Washington who works with low- income students. As she noted, taking title I funding and putting it toward private schools will
NOMINATION OF BETSY DeVOS
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-2-3

very briefly because I know we have to vote, the nominee for the Secretary of Education is one of the worst nominees who has ever been brought before this body for a Cabinet position. On the grounds of competence, on the grounds of ideology, and on the grounds of conflict of interest, she scores very, very low. That is why my good friend, who has great integrity, the Senator from Tennessee, had to rush her hearing through. Five minutes of questions and nothing else--they were so afraid to hear what she might or might not know. prgtoken So I would urge my colleagues over the weekend--those who have committed and those who have not--to look into their consciences. Sometimes loyalty to a new President demands a bit too much. With this nominee, it does. Please think about it over the weekend. This person, Mrs. DeVos, does not deserve to be Secretary of Education. prgtoken .
Nominations of Jeff Sessions and Scott Pruitt (Executive Session)
Heidi Heitkamp (Democrat, ND) \u2014 2017-2-3

I come to talk about a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Although I don't serve on the committee of jurisdiction, I will tell some stories today that will demonstrate to you about why I feel so strongly about this nominee and so strongly about this position. prgtoken I want to start with my dad's story. My dad grew up on a small family farm outside the town of Barney, ND, not that you would know where that is. When he became an eighth grader--when he graduated with an eighth- grade education, he wanted to go to high school in Wyndmere, but as was the custom at the time, the oldest son was expected to stay on the farm and not get an education beyond the eighth grade and help support the family. That is not unusual. There is probably a number of people in this body whose parents have a similar experience, but this story really came home to me when my dad was diagnosed with melanoma. prgtoken Unfortunately, with part of that disease, the cancer moved to his brain and something remarkable happened for all of us, and that was that he would relive parts of his life. He would believe--as the cancer took over his brain, that part would activate his memory, and he would be doing things like calling bingo in the middle of the night during this time when he was in hospice care. It would alarm us, and maybe sometimes even amuse us, but he would prgtoken truly believe he was calling bingo at the Mandan VFW Hall. prgtoken I remember taking care of him one night, when he started reliving the experience of not going to high school and started really talking about how that affected his life, begging his father. I would never have known that without the cancer, but that education experience was so critical to his future and the future of his children. That experience that he had taught us and informed us and mandated that we appreciate public school education and the opportunity that came with it. prgtoken That leads to our story, the seven children of Ray Heitkamp who had a great public school education in Mantador, went to high school in Hankinson. Some of my siblings were fortunate enough to go to parochial school before St. Francis closed down, but we all graduated from Hankinson High School. Then something truly remarkable happened in this country--truly remarkable because we had a chance to go to college. From the time we were just children, my mother would tell us we were going to college. We would wonder, back in the sixties, how that was ever possible. prgtoken Then the Federal Government did something truly remarkable. It said our most important asset and our greatest future lies in the education of our children, and we want to help our children advance with that education. We saw what happened with the GI bill when GIs came home from World War II and went to college and became doctors and lawyers, became bankers, became businessmen, and worked to build their communities. We saw that. prgtoken We
Remembering LaVell Edwards (Executive Session)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-2-3

I rise in opposition to the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be the Secretary of Education. This is not a position I take lightly. I have never opposed the confirmation of a nominee for Secretary of Education. I also have never seen the intensity of opposition to a nominee for this position as we have witnessed with Mrs. DeVos. prgtoken Thousands of Rhode Islanders--educators, parents, community leaders-- have written or called to express their dismay that a person with Mrs. DeVos's record and background would be chosen to lead the Department of Education. What I have seen and heard about Mrs. DeVos leads me to agree with my constituents--she is uniquely unsuited and unqualified for this critical position. prgtoken The U.S. Secretary of Education oversees the Federal Government's role in ensuring educational equity in our public schools regardless of family income, race, ethnicity, language, or disability. Mrs. DeVos's work has been in the opposite direction. She has dedicated her time, political capital, and personal fortune to creating private sector alternatives to public education. prgtoken She has also fought to shield those alternatives from the same standards and accountability that apply to public schools. For example, she spent a reported $1.45 million to reward or punish Michigan legislators as part of her effort to kill an accountability plan that would have included charter schools. This hostility to public schools and affinity for using public dollars to fund private schools or for- profit education companies makes her, in my estimation, a poor choice to lead the U.S. Department of Education. prgtoken Mrs. DeVos's crusade for vouchers raises another fundamental question about whether she respects the separation between church and state. This is a founding principle of our Nation. However, in the past, she has talked about her education reform efforts in religious terms as advancing God's Kingdom and reversing what she feels is a trend of public schools displacing church in community life. In an administration that has signaled a willingness to discriminate based on religion, prgtoken these views are cause for real concern and they have no place at the U.S. Department of Education. prgtoken Mrs. DeVos's crusade for school choice in Michigan has been a failure for students. Since 2000, student achievement in that State has fallen. In 2000, Michigan students scored above the national average on the National Assessment of Education Progress in fourth grade reading and math. By 2015, they were below average. prgtoken As a single-issue educational reformer, Mrs. DeVos does not have the breadth of knowledge necessary to oversee our national education policy from preschool through adult education and postsecondary education. Her policy solution for education is choice. As they say, when all you have is a hammer, everything is a nail. This one-size-fits-all approach is a real danger given the div
INTRODUCTION OF PUTTING OUR VETERANS BACK TO WORK ACT
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2017-2-3

I rise in support of the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act, a bill I introduced earlier today to help veterans gain skills for good paying jobs by reauthorizing the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP). The VRAP program, signed into law in 2011 and expired in March 2014, provided training for education that led to high demand occupations, including management, business and financial operations, protective service, construction and transportation among other careers. In the two years of the implementation of VRAP, the Department of Veterans Affairs approved over 126,000 applications, of which, 76,000 veterans enrolled in a training program. prgtoken The Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act extends the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the Armed Services with severe injuries or illnesses, extends rehabilitation programs for persons who have exhausted their rights to unemployment benefits under state law and reauthorizes collaborative veterans' training, mentoring and placement programs. prgtoken This legislation builds on our vow to hire our nation's heroes by directing the Secretary of the VA to establish a Federal web-based employment portal containing information on Federal programs and activities concerning employment, unemployment and training programs that are geared towards veterans. This legislation also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General to award grants to hire veterans as firefighters and law enforcement officers. Finally, the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act directs the heads of executive agencies to consider favorably as an evaluation factor for civilian and defense contracts at or above $25 million, a prospective contractor with a workforce of at least 5 percent veterans. prgtoken The men and women who signed up to defend America and our values, whether they served during Vietnam or more recently in Iraq or Afghanistan, are owed our gratitude and our promise to support them as they transition to civilian life. I urge my colleagues to pass the Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act to ensure that our heroes are afforded meaningful employment opportunities. This is a promise that we must keep.
BABY FATEMEH
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-2-3

this is Fatemeh. She is not a terrorist. She is a 4-month-old baby girl who is in immediate need of open heart surgery. Her parents desperately want the best care for her, so they planned to bring her from their home in Iran to Portland, Oregon, to one of the best hospitals for pediatric heart surgery. That is where Fatemeh's uncle and grandparents all live. They are U.S. citizens. prgtoken Then President hastily issued the executive order, and the family's plans were brought to a halt. The order is supposed to expire in 90 days, but Fatemeh's family does not know if she can wait that long. prgtoken Now, I don't know what the President had in mind when he signed that order, but it probably wasn't baby Fatemeh. Keeping 4-month-old babies out of our country does not make us safer. It puts her life in danger and it diminishes the United States in the eyes of the world. prgtoken My office has reached out to Fatemeh's family in Oregon to be of assistance, but it is heartbreaking and disgraceful that this even happened. I hope the courts invalidate this unconstitutional executive order soon, and I hope it is in time for baby Fatemeh.
INTRODUCTION OF THE RETURN TO PRUDENT BANKING ACT
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-2-3

this year marks the nine-year anniversary of the greatest financial crisis in a generation. This economic disaster nearly caused the destruction of our country's entire financial infrastructure and led to what we call now the Great Recession. prgtoken However, during the last nine years Wall Street Banks have succeeded and in the process have caused the financial failure of millions of Americans. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have all reported record profits during the recession. Wall Street in the last nine years has regained ALL of its pre-crisis wealth with interest, while Main Street has yet to see a real recovery. prgtoken During the 1990's, Wall Street's biggest banks and speculation houses concocted a fraudulent and greedy scheme to create false money. Then, in 2008, their crime exploded, nearly destroying capitalism. Their recklessness was so extreme it wiped out the net worth of 44 percent of Hispanic American households, 33 percent of African American households, and 11 percent of Caucasian households, respectively. prgtoken This was a taking of historic dimension never reimbursed to this day. It sucked out the wealth from millions of American families. It's time for Congress to ensure that these failures in our banking system are never repeated. prgtoken That is why I have reintroduced the Return to Prudent Banking Act. To build on the momentum and the movement to reinstate Glass-Steagall. prgtoken Since last summer, fifteen state legislatures introduced resolutions calling for Congress to reinstate Glass Steagall. and s have memorialized support for Glass-Steagall in their respective political platforms. Even President has declared his support for a new Glass-Steagall law and we are obligated to work with him to do just that. prgtoken I was proud to join with 57 members of the House who several years ago voted against the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the bill that overturned Glass Steagall. As the anti-regulation movement won the day, that law was a clear signal that Wall Street was in charge. Banks grew larger and riskier, and American taxpayers were given the bill when the deregulated financial sector fell apart. prgtoken This is a reality that has sunk its teeth deep into the flesh of our Republic, influencing more and more who is elevated to office. prgtoken , these banks have to be defanged. Restoring Glass Steagall is a first step among other items, like a campaign finance reform, better trade deals, and better deals for American workers.
ORDERS FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2017
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-2-3

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 12 noon, Monday, February 6; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; further, that the Senate proceed to a period of morning business for leader remarks, with no motions in order, for up to 15 minutes; and following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the DeVos nomination.
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
Doug LaMalfa (Republican, CA) \u2014 2017-2-3

this week many people and leaders from the USA and all around the world converged on Washington, D.C for the National Prayer Breakfast. prgtoken Its tradition started 65 years ago under President Eisenhower and with partners in the Congress to take a little time to come together as leaders and a people in prayer and fellowship. It is a bipartisan effort--indeed, ideally, a nonpartisan coming together. Some might say a bunch of politicians coming together, well, but some very powerful testimonies come from this time together. prgtoken This year, from right here in this building, Senate Chaplain Barry Black, who also served as a Navy admiral, gave a strong message on the power of prayer, that our prayers are, indeed, heard in Heaven. prgtoken Two years ago, an amazing, humble, personal testimony delivered by NASCAR race driver Darrell Waltrip had everyone talking later. I would recommend anyone to find this video and enjoy that moving personal message of the lows and the highs, the lows and the highs of fame and celebrity and that you need God in your life. prgtoken This can also happen, and does, in local communities as tens of thousands of prayer breakfasts happen on the National Day of Prayer, which this year will be May 4, as it is always the first Thursday of May, as proclaimed by President Reagan. prgtoken I urge you as Americans, if you don't have one in your community, start one. If you do have one, please participate.
RECOGNIZING NATIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-2-3

as our nation celebrates National Catholic Schools Week, I rise to recognize the lasting contributions of Catholic education in my South Florida community. prgtoken Marian Center School and Services, Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School, Cardinal Gibbons High School, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School, Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School, Immaculata-LaSalle High School, Monsignor Edward Pace High School, Our Lady of Lourdes Academy, St. Brendan High School, Archdiocese of Miami Virtual Catholic School, St. John Vianney Seminary, Belen Jesuit Preparatory, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory, Christopher Columbus High School, and Archbishop Curley Notre Dame are just a few of the Catholic institutions serving my district. prgtoken These schools do more than provide their students with an excellent education. prgtoken Each one of them is also dedicated to instilling a religious grounding, academic excellence, and moral values in their students so that they can dedicate their lives to serve God, their families, and their community. prgtoken Congratulations to the teachers, administrators, and staff at our fantastic Catholic schools. prgtoken Thank you for your dedication to building a brighter future for South Florida.
Nomination of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Session)
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-2-3

I rise to talk about what is going on in the Senate right now and the work that is done. It is early in the morning right now. It is 8 a.m. In Senate time, we have already done a series of votes that started at 6:30 this morning to be able to work through some of the nominations, and we have a great deal of work to be done. prgtoken In the middle of the work that we are taking on right now, there is a lot of conversation about personnel. As you know well, the Senate is in the personnel business as much as we are in the legislative business, especially at the beginning of a Presidential term. One of the biggest decisions that we will make in the Senate will be the Supreme Court. prgtoken Americans voted last year, in great measure, about the Supreme Court--in the direction of the Supreme Court. President put out a list of 21 individuals he said he would choose from so the American people would be fully aware that this is the type of individual he would go after, and you can look at any of these to be able to evaluate it. prgtoken As I looked through that list of 21, one name stuck out to me. It is the name Neil Gorsuch, who is from Oklahoma, as many people in this Chamber know. Neil Gorsuch represents the Tenth Circuit. He served on that circuit with great distinction, which includes Oklahoma. We have been able to see his work in what has happened on the bench, the opinions he has put out and the consistency, how he has been respected by individuals on both sides of the aisle throughout Oklahoma and across the Tenth Circuit. prgtoken Neil Gorsuch went onto the bench in 2006. He was put on the bench by President . What is interesting is this body, when they debated Neil Gorsuch in 2006, unanimously approved him with a voice vote. Not a single Senator opposed Neil Gorsuch when he went onto that Tenth Circuit bench in 2006. That means at that time Senator supported him. Senator Hillary Clinton supported him. Senator supported him. Senator Chuck Schumer supported him in 2006. All these individuals looked at who he was, what he was about, and supported him going on the Tenth Circuit bench. prgtoken What has he done since that time? He has been a remarkable judge. He has advocated for something very clearly; that is, the role of each branch of government and each branch of government doing its job and only its job. He prgtoken has spoken out on an issue I have spoken out on this floor about several times and oftentimes in committee, an issue called Chevron deference. It is one of those issues that most people don't track, but I hear a lot of people say the Executive orders are out of control and the executive branch is putting all these Executive orders out. I will typically smile at folks and say, actually, if you want to go down into the heart of it, it is not Executive orders, it is Chevron deference. prgtoken In the 1980s, the Supreme Court gave the ability to ever