mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Johnny Isakson (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-10-4

from Missouri. I make the point that I have enjoyed the last 19 years serving with him in the Congress of the United States. He was elected 2 years before me to the House of Representatives. I came a little bit later, but I preceded him in the Senate in 2004. He has been great to work with. prgtoken The Show Me State of Missouri is an awful lot like my State of Georgia. They are proud of their country. They are proud to be Americans. They are proud of the chance to have an opportunity to make an honest living and want to be a part of a country that continues to grow and have prosperity for the future. prgtoken We had a hearing in the Finance Committee yesterday where there was an interesting study I had not seen before. It had been done by a Harvard student, who I assume was correct. Ninety percent of the people born in the 1940s ended up making more than their parents did when they went to work. But only about 40 percent of the people born in the 1980s will end up making more than their parents did, meaning that as we have gone along the way since World War II, we have taken more and more away from the opportunity in the earning level and more money has gone to different places, like taxation. prgtoken Personally, I think the Finance Committee and the leadership of the Big 6, so to speak, have done us a great favor to open the debate on tax reform in America. Unlike some of the debates we have had recently, this debate is open-ended. We are starting with a framework, not an absolute dictate but a framework. We are talking about an opportunity we have to see if we can lower the burden of taxes on the American people, while incentivizing the American people to work more, to make more, and to earn more. prgtoken There are two ways to increase revenue to the government. First, you can increase the rate of taxation. But then you are not necessarily taking in any more money. You might incentivize somebody to go somewhere else. The other way is to improve the opportunity to make money and the atmosphere in which people make money so they invest their time and effort and they grow their revenue, which grows the revenue of the United States of America. prgtoken The proposal in the framework before us has any number of outlines and any number of targets. The four things I want to focus on are these. One is the middle class. I have gotten tired of hearing this reference to dividing us as Americans by class. We are all Americans. Regardless of our station in life, we are all important. The code ought prgtoken to be important to every single person who is an American and, if they can come to this country, to improve their life, raise their children, and live a good life. prgtoken I am not into a class society. I am into an opportunity society. If you take a look at this proposal, for those people you put in the middle class today, it proposes lower rates, less brackets, and more opportuni
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-4

beginning today, the Senate Budget Committee will take the next step in our effort to enact pro-growth tax reform, this time by marking up a budget resolution. prgtoken The committee's work follows the release last week of our unified framework--the tax blueprint on how to create jobs and how to put more money back in the pockets of the hard-working Americans who earn it. prgtoken Even though the framework is just 1 week old, there are some who are imagining the worst-case scenario. Rumors are spreading like wildfire. Last week, the Tax Policy Center fanned the flames when it published a report analyzing the plan--which, I want to emphasize, hasn't been written yet. Let me say that again. The Tax Policy Center published a report criticizing a plan which hasn't been written yet. prgtoken This alleged or so-called nonpartisan think tank has looked into its crystal ball and now claims to be able to see the future, and it said the future doesn't look very good. The tax plan, it says, will be a resounding flop. Well, give me a break. I, for one, am sick and tired of this sort of pessimism parading as expertise--people talking about things they know nothing about and claiming to be the experts. It is pretty common here, in Washington, DC, you might have noticed. prgtoken It is not helpful to assume the worst prematurely and to condemn this important exercise before we are even starting, and it is irresponsible to masquerade biased, partisan analysis as somehow objective. prgtoken As the Wall Street Journal wrote a couple of days ago, in response to the Tax Policy Center's economists, they made at least two baseless claims: first, that our proposal would ``reduce federal revenues by $2.4 trillion over the first ten years and $3.2 trillion over the subsequent decade''; second, the top 1 percent of taxpayers would ``receive about 50 percent of the total tax benefit.'' prgtoken These statistics were pretty quotable and indeed raged like a prairie fire across the news media in our country, especially when the media is predisposed to believe the worst, without any question or semblance of skepticism. After all, the Tax Policy Center's report made for easy headlines, reciting the same tired refrains we have all heard before that are all too predictable; that, somehow, our tax plan is only designed to help the rich. prgtoken Apparently, the temptation was just too great to resist, even though the report didn't have a real author since no self-respecting economist wanted his or her name attached to it. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out, however, last week's tax blueprint was just that--a starting place, a plan, a framework, and nothing more. It excluded many important data points which would be important to a real analysis. prgtoken For example, the income ranges for the three consolidated tax brackets, those weren't in the blueprint. The value of the expanded child tax credit and when it would be phased out,
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
A. Drew Ferguson IV (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-10-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken I certainly understand our colleagues' desire to fight poverty. I would like to share a little bit of my experience and what we have done to fight poverty at the local level. prgtoken For generations now, we have continued to throw more and more money towards eliminating poverty, with fewer and fewer results. prgtoken Yes, we have succeeded in alleviating the effects of poverty, but we have made very little progress in actually lifting people out of poverty. Instead of giving people a hand up, we are giving them a handout and essentially telling them life can't get any better than where they are. That is morally wrong, and I think that we can do better. prgtoken The key to solving poverty isn't just simply throwing more money at the problem. It is to try something different and find innovative ways to fix our welfare entitlement system, improve our education system, and return the dignity of work to our fellow citizens. prgtoken The proposed amendment does none of these things. It simply perpetuates the cycle of generational poverty that has been passed down from parent to child. prgtoken I saw the same situation in my hometown of West Point, Georgia. In fact, it is what motivated me to enter public service and run for mayor. prgtoken We had a community that was dying. Folks were trapped in generational poverty and had been stripped of the dignity of work. prgtoken Instead of continuing the current system, we made changes. We worked to get the government out of the way and allow the job creators to innovate and grow their businesses to hire more workers. We invested in our infrastructure and we were able to create over 15,000 advanced manufacturing jobs. prgtoken For the first time in a generation, we saw more people moving into the middle class than moving into poverty. prgtoken We made changes to our education system, working to break through the generational cycle of poverty and prepare today's students to work in a 21st century workforce. prgtoken With all of these changes, we saw our community come back to life. People had jobs and opportunity. They took advantage of it. They had the advanced manufacturing sector spring back to life, and we saw a revitalization of not only our community, but of our people. prgtoken These lessons are from the folks in the Third District. They sent me here to push those same type of ideas here in Congress. prgtoken The budget puts us on a path to this type of reform, and I believe my colleagues and I share the desire to fight poverty in this country. However, I do not believe that the CBC budget proposal does us that justice. prgtoken I look forward to passing the House budget. prgtoken , .
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Patrick J. Tiberi (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-10-4

I would again like to point out this little chart that shows facts. At the bottom of the chart, if the viewers can see, is the United States with our corporate tax rate. All of these other countries, most of whom are our friends, even France, is lower than the United States, Spain, Canada, Netherlands, Austria, Turkey, Italy, New Zealand, Japan--you can go on and on. prgtoken , we have the highest corporate rate in the industrialized developed world. Facts are a stubborn thing to deal with, . This budget, as Congressman Paulsen said, is the first step into dealing with something that we haven't dealt with in 31 years. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
YOU HAVE EARNED YOUR REST CORPORAL MICHAEL PAUL MIDDLEBROOK
Louie Gohmert (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-4

when someone with the service of my friend from Louisiana, Mr. Higgins, pays tribute, you know it is somebody worthy, because my friend from Louisiana served with distinction in the United States Army, wearing the uniform of this country. He served as a law enforcement officer. He knows about serving, protecting others, and a willingness to lay down his life for others. prgtoken It has been deeply touching to have seen accounts of what is going on in Las Vegas. To understand what I have seen in my years as a prosecutor, judge, and chief justice, when everyone is running away from the sound of a gun, first responders and law officers are running into harm's way to help and protect others. prgtoken It was Jesus who said, ``Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'' prgtoken Those who wear the uniform, as my friend has, of law officer and in the military, they know what that means. My 4 years in Active Duty in the Army, we were not in combat, but Jesus was right. prgtoken There were so many there in Las Vegas that put their own lives on the line for the sake of the lives of others. prgtoken There are others that couldn't wait to rush to a microphone to demand: Gun control, gun control. prgtoken I am waiting for them to rush to the mic and scream: Knife control, knife control. prgtoken Or after a van is used as the weapon: Van control, van control. prgtoken What is clear is we need to look at the real causation, whether it is machetes being used to torture and kill 800,000 precious humans in Africa, whether it is knives, whether it is ammonium nitrate. People with evil in their hearts are going to find a way to wreak havoc. prgtoken We know that without a gun being used, the biggest--worst tragedy and loss of life attack was on 9/11 in 2001. I don't believe there was a gun used in the whole process, yet it was a worse loss of American life than at Pearl Harbor. prgtoken You have got to look at what is in the heart, what's causing it. If they are going to use knives, if they are going to use planes, if they are going to use vehicles, yeah, we need to protect ourselves, but we need to look at what is in the heart. prgtoken I know the sheriff said the shooter may have been radicalized. We don't know yet. We know there was a trip to the Philippines prgtoken I am very proud to have met out in the jungles of the southern Philippines with some of our special forces. Amazing. Some of the best America has to offer, and they were out in the jungles teaching the Filipino soldiers, the best that the Philippines had, how to go after the radicalized Islamists in the southern Philippines. prgtoken But we don't know if this man with evil in his heart had been radicalized. prgtoken Others say there were no indications. But one thing was certain, he looked down on that crowd of people enjoying life, enjoying their families, enjoying their loved ones, and all he could see was worthless people that neede
A CHIEF HISTORIAN
Tom Emmer (Republican, MN) \u2014 2017-10-4

I rise today to celebrate the renowned historian Dennis E. Frye for his dedication to preserving our nation's history and for his passion on sharing our history with anyone lucky enough to meet him. prgtoken Dennis Frye serves as the Chief Historian at Harper's Ferry National Historical Park. Dennis has authored several books on the Civil War and has lectured on the topic throughout the nation. prgtoken Recently, my staff had the good fortune of taking a tour of Harper's Ferry, led by Dennis. He not only gave them great insight into the battle that took place at Harper's Ferry, but he also gave them a wider understanding of one of the most tumultuous times in our nation's history. prgtoken As Dennis so aptly pointed out on their tour, while our nation's history has not always been pleasant, it is critical that we never try to forget or erase it. If we do, then we have not learned from our history and we are more likely to repeat mistakes of the past. prgtoken I thank Dennis for sharing his knowledge and wisdom with my staff. They will never forget him
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Mike Rounds (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-10-4

today I rise to speak about our country's need for tax reform. As our previous speakers have indicated, this is a critical time in our country, and we have an opportunity to make some good decisions that will impact our Nation for literally generations to come. prgtoken Reforming our Tax Code is a top priority not only for myself but for many of my colleagues and the President. We are committed to delivering tax reform that will provide more jobs, bigger paychecks, and a fairer tax system for the American people. prgtoken Over the 8 years of the previous administration, economic growth averaged a paltry 1.5 percent annually, which is about half of the post-World War II average. This anemic growth has led to stagnant wages and, according to the Joint Economic Committee, has cost families an average of $8,600 in income on an annual basis. It is no wonder that half of the American public says they are living paycheck to paycheck. This is simply not acceptable. prgtoken Even more concerning, the Congressional Budget Office is projecting economic growth to remain under 2 percent over the next 10 years if we do not act. If that happens, let me just share with you the real concern. If we allow economic growth to stay under 2 percent, then we will literally bring in revenue based upon the size of our economy. If we allow economic growth to move at a paltry 2 percent or less, then we won't have the revenue to pay our bills. prgtoken Today, right now, we are looking at trillion-dollar deficits. Yet, if we take a look at where the dollars are going, they go basically-- looking at our entire budget, about 28 percent of the money that we spend today is found within the 12 appropriations bills that make up the defense and the nondefense discretionary side of the budget. All of the remaining items, making up 72 percent, are in areas of mandatory payments--Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the debt. If we don't do anything and if we continue on this same path, with the type of growth we have, then we can expect that within 9 years now, by the year 2026, our country's 250th birthday, 99 percent of all of the revenue we take in will go into Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and interest on the debt. That means there will be only 1 percent remaining for defense of our country, roads, bridges, research, education, and all of those other items that many people really want to see and that help us to move ahead as a country. prgtoken We have to make changes now that will allow our country's economy to grow and prosper the way it used to. The way we believe we do that is by changing our Tax Code, changing the regulatory environment in the United States, and sending the message back to the businesses that this is the place where they want to do business. They don't have to leave our shores in order to actually make a profit and be able to keep that profit. prgtoken It is our intention to deliver po
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-10-4

I am not aware of any Missouri constituents, for whom I work, who wouldn't like to see a tax code that was simpler, fairer, that did more to create jobs, that was better for individuals, and one that they understood. I don't have anybody come up to me and say: What can we do to complicate the Tax Code further, or what can we do to make us less competitive, or how much more of my money would you like to have to do what you think the government ought to do? I don't have anybody say that to me. prgtoken We are now at a time when we have the tools available. We have the focus available that will allow us to move in the right direction. For almost a decade now, hard-working families and hard-working individuals have had to deal with a below-average economy and with below-average wage growth in that below-average economy. Surely, we don't want that to be the new normal. prgtoken I kept hearing the last 3 or 4 years that 2 percent growth is what we should expect now. The growth since World War II has averaged 3.4 percent for over 70 years. Suddenly, we were told: No, 2 percent is the best we can do. prgtoken I understand that, even counting the Great Depression, growth in the entire 20th century was over 3 percent. What do we need to do to get our economy growing in a way that creates better opportunities and better jobs? prgtoken Why would it create better jobs? Because you have people who are looking for workers who are more eager to pay and keep a workforce in a growing economy than you do in an economy that is not growing. You have people who understand they can compete better if they have a workforce that is the workforce they want rather than the workforce they just happen to get and that there is competition for that workforce. So our goal here in tax reduction and tax reform should be to help families and individuals keep more of their hard-earned money, to empower people to invest in their own prgtoken future in ways that we currently are not encouraging or just simply not allowing because we don't let them take enough of their money home from work that they make at work, and to make it easier for families to see a pathway toward success and not to penalize people when they make the right decisions. prgtoken The tradition has always been this: If you want more of something, you don't tax it. You don't regulate it. You encourage it. prgtoken We need a tax code that encourages more success, that encourages higher take-home pay and better jobs. Most people don't realize that the individual income tax is still the biggest source of Federal money. More than half of all Federal taxes collected come from the income tax. prgtoken One of our goals should be how do we get more taxpayers and not how do we make more from the taxpayers we have. Perhaps the greatest voluntary compliance in the history of the world is how Americans have complied with the income tax system. prgtoken The more Americans think the s
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Peter Welch (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-10-5

kids going to school get out with a debt the size of a mortgage. We have got an inequality problem. It has never been worse. It goes back to the Great Depression, when we had this divide between what hardworking people made and what the top 1 percent made. prgtoken We have got a healthcare affordability problem, but you don't solve that by slashing access to healthcare and throwing 24 million people off of healthcare. We have got an infrastructure problem that we are totally neglecting. It is not addressed in this budget. prgtoken We have got a DREAMer problem. prgtoken How is it that, in this Congress, we are literally not allowing 800,000 young people who came here, through no fault of their own, not voluntarily, and we are going to give them the hook and deport them? prgtoken It is outrageous? prgtoken We have got a rural America problem. Rural America has been left behind. The inequality in this country is really hitting hard on rural America, in parts of Vermont, and in all parts of this country. And there is nothing in this budget that says: We are going to give hope to rural America by investing in them.
Equifax Breach (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-10-5

I say to the Presiding Officer--and the Senator who is about to become the Presiding Officer--I appreciated the work of you two together, in tandem, today for two nominees in front of the Agriculture Committee. I thank you. (Mr. SASSE assumed the Chair.) prgtoken , I rise to talk for a moment about a hearing yesterday, which the Presiding Officer sat through, too, with the outgoing CEO of Equifax. We know what happened with Equifax, yet we really don't know entirely what happened. We know there was a breach of Equifax's information, and 145 million Americans--more than half of the adult population in our country--had their data breached. Criminals will now have access to the data of far too many Americans. prgtoken I am hopeful because I and Senator Crapo, the chairman of the committee, and others on the committee were pretty unhappy--not to speak for others, certainly, but we were pretty unhappy with Equifax's performance yesterday because we didn't get a lot of answers to a number of our questions. prgtoken When you think about what we do with medical language, with our personal medical information, we have laws to say that our personal medical information belongs to us. We, of prgtoken course, can share it with a hospital or a doctor or whomever we want, but our doctor can't share it with other doctors without our permission. Our hospital can't share it with other hospitals without our permission. But our personal financial data doesn't fall into those categories. prgtoken We know how this happens. Equifax is a company that many have rarely thought about. A lot of people have never thought much about it, and many have never really explored who they are. Equifax is a company in Atlanta. There are three data agencies like this. They get your data without your permission. They get it from a utility company or from a bank or from somebody else. They have two jobs: to collect your data and then to protect your data, your personal financial data. prgtoken This company--this CEO has been paid $69 million over the last 3 years. The CEO we met with, who has retired, has been compensated very generously. Who knows if he will end up getting bonuses and golden parachutes and all? The American public has come to unfortunately expect that these CEOs will abuse the public trust. prgtoken Look at what happened at Wells Fargo, creating all kinds of accounts for people who didn't even want those accounts, who didn't even know they were having those accounts opened. And look at Equifax. prgtoken In far too many cases, these companies don't protect our information the way they have promised they would. It makes all of us, the 145 million, subject to some kind of criminal activity in all kinds of ways--to violate our privacy and to take advantage of us financially and all the identity theft and all the things that come with that. prgtoken If you were a student at Bowling Green State University who grad