mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UNION CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Albio Sires (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise today to recognize the Union City Public Schools for their outstanding achievements. prgtoken Having come to the United States from Cuba as a child, I experienced the challenges of assimilating into a new community firsthand. As the representative of one of our Nation's most diverse districts, many of my constituents experience these challenges every day. Giving immigrants the tools they need to succeed is not only beneficial to our country, it is sound policy. prgtoken According to The Wall Street Journal, Union City Public Schools ``have become a model for ushering low-income English-language learners into the mainstream.'' prgtoken With a student body that is 95 percent Hispanic, one of the keys to Union City Public Schools' success is their English as a second language program and their early childhood programming. The programming has become a model for educators in the U.S. and as far away as Europe. Graduation rates have also increased by nearly 10 percent, in just 2 years, in the district. prgtoken , I am proud to represent a school district that has made tremendous strides in easing the transition of immigrant youth into our society and become the foundation of success for thousands of children and young adults.
RECOGNIZING KRISTIN NICHOLSON
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-1-11

it is always difficult saying good-bye to a Member of our Hill family. When I was first elected to Congress, I sought a chief of staff who could work with me to help lead my team and shape my policy portfolio: someone who knew the Hill as well as the legislative process in Congress; someone who was smart, strong, and compassionate; someone with sharp instincts; and, most importantly, someone I could trust. I found all of those qualities and so much more in Kristin Nicholson. prgtoken As my chief of staff, Kristin has been a trusted confidant, adviser, and a true friend. So it is with both sadness and pride that after 16 years in my office I say good-bye to Kristin as she leaves the Hill to become director of the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University. prgtoken Kristin's leadership has been essential to me and my entire staff; and although we will miss her tremendously, she leaves behind a team that has benefited from her professionalism, passion, humor, and grace under fire. prgtoken Kristin, I cannot thank you enough for your service to me and the people of Rhode Island. Congratulations and best wishes.
REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-1-11

I oppose this amendment which would prohibit Federal agencies from making any public communications that would promote a pending regulatory action. prgtoken We can all agree that the rulemaking process should be transparent, flexible, and accountable to the public. But rather than achieve this goal, my colleagues' amendment would decrease transparency in the rulemaking process and burden agency rulemaking with little corresponding benefits to the public. prgtoken A variety of statutes, including the Administrative Procedure Act and agency specific statutes, already prescribe the method that agencies may communicate to the public with regard to proposed rules. Agencies should, and indeed are required by law to, communicate why rules are beneficial to the public. For example, in 2014, the Department of Defense proposed a rule to protect servicemembers and their families from predatory lending schemes. In a press release discussing the rule, the Defense Department highlighted the benefits of the rule such as ``this proposed rule would better protect Active Duty servicemembers and their families from excessive debt.'' prgtoken This plain language explanation of the proposed rule would be flatly prohibited by this amendment. Indeed, there is little that an agency could discuss about a pending rule that would not be considered to be promoting the rule within the meaning of this amendment. prgtoken In the context of the proposed deregulation actions, in 2003, administration officials posed with chainsaws and scissors next to a stack of papers to promote efforts to cut red tape. It is doubtful that this form of public communication would be permissible under this amendment. By the way, to see the administration officials with a chainsaw and scissors going at regulations reminds me of what we are doing here today. prgtoken In the context of a veto threat of a similar antiregulatory proposal last Congress, the administration stated that similar requirements would prevent agencies from efficiently performing their statutory responsibilities and potentially lead to a less informed public. prgtoken , I oppose this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do so as well. prgtoken .
RUSSIA
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise today to speak on a matter of great importance to the foreign policy of this country: our relationship with Russia and the efficacy of international sanctions to achieve our international security goals. prgtoken The reports of the past 24 hours are extremely troubling. But one thing we now all agree on is that Russia is behind the hacking of our election, as even the President-elect has now just said. This makes it even more important that we not only keep the existing sanctions in place but that we institute a new, tough sanctions regime in response so Russia can't get away with what they did and other countries will know as well that they will suffer penalty if they try to interfere with our elections. prgtoken Unfortunately, this morning's Cabinet hearing on Mr. Tillerson's nomination is a very troubling sign of things to come. In one breath, Mr. Tillerson said that the invasion of Crimea is a violation of international law, and in the next, amazingly enough, he declined to commit to maintaining the existing sanctions regime against Russia. He said he wants to get classified briefings first and then consult with the President-elect. But I remind the prgtoken country, as my friend the Senator from Florida, Mr. Rubio, from across the aisle, did, that these sanctions are a result of past crimes. prgtoken We don't need a classified briefing to know what Russia has done in the past. To duck the question and to refuse to commit to continuing these sanctions is tantamount to sweeping Russia's flouting of international laws under the rug. It sort of says: Go ahead, interfere in our elections again; nothing will happen to you. It says the same to China and Iran or to any other country that might try to hack. prgtoken Secretary Nominee Tillerson has also not committed to new sanctions. Just yesterday, a bipartisan group of Senators, including the Senators from South Carolina, Maryland, Florida, California, Nebraska, introduced a tough, new sanctions-on-Russia bill for their interference in our elections. I support this effort. I believe the Senate should act soon upon it. I am very concerned that thus far the President- elect, Mr. Tillerson, and Senator Sessions have not endorsed these tough new sanctions. prgtoken The Senator from Florida--not from my party--also pressed Mr. Tillerson on a series of war crimes committed by the Assad regime and the Russian military in Syria. These crimes have been reported in the press and detailed extensively by people on the ground and discussed at length by my friend, the Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain. Mr. Tillerson will not even acknowledge these violations of human rights and war crimes. prgtoken Finally, I am very concerned that despite the fact that we have registered lobbying disclosures from ExxonMobil itself, documenting their involvement in lobbying against Iran sanctions, Mr. Tillerson said this morning that Exxon did not lobby on sanc
REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
Kathy Castor (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-1-11

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Castor amendment to protect children's health, to protect the health of our older neighbors. We value the air that we breathe. prgtoken H.R. 5 would inject unnecessary barriers into the ability of our environmental agencies--heck, all of the agencies of government--to protect us. prgtoken When it comes to the final bill itself, if you believe in checks and balances as a foundation of our constitutionally-based government, I urge my colleagues to oppose the bill. prgtoken .
CREATING TECHNOLOGY JOBS
Ro Khanna (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-11

I have the great privilege and honor of representing Silicon Valley in the United States Congress. We are living through revolutionary times. If 100 years ago we had the industrial revolution, today we have the software revolution, and the forces of automation and globalization are fundamentally changing our economy. prgtoken We first must thank the hardworking Americans who helped build this economy--the steelworkers and the coal miners and those who were machinists who built the economy that made us an exceptional Nation-- that were the foundation of everything that Silicon Valley does today. We need to thank them for the extraordinary hard work and grit that they showed. prgtoken We also need to recognize that our economy is changing, and not everyone has participated in the technology revolution. Some folks have benefited, and they are creating jobs and wealth, and others have been left behind. We have an obligation to make sure that every American and their daughters and their sons get to participate in this technology revolution and have technology jobs. prgtoken Enrico Moretti, an economist at Berkeley, has shown for every one technology job, it creates four to five other jobs in communities, from the barista to a lawyer, to a construction worker. Tech jobs have a larger multiplier today than manufacturing jobs had in previous eras. prgtoken My commitment, my vision is to see how Silicon Valley can help create technology jobs not just in my district, but across America. There is no reason that Des Moines, Iowa, and Wichita, Kansas, and Dayton, Ohio, cannot become centers for technology innovation and have extraordinary technology jobs. prgtoken I look forward to working across the aisle with my colleagues and ic colleagues to figure out how we create tech jobs across this Nation.
HONORING THE LIFE OF GINA QUATTROCHI
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-1-11

I rise today to honor the life of Gina Quattrochi, a champion for HIV/AIDS healthcare and housing, who passed away in December. prgtoken In 1986, at the height of the AIDS crisis, Ms. Quattrochi was named to the board of the AIDS Resource Center and led negotiations to acquire a former hotel on Christopher St in my district, which was renamed Bailey House. This hotel became the first group residence for people with AIDS in the country. At a time when HIV/AIDS was shrouded in fear and paranoia, Gina was fearless. She later served as CEO of Bailey House for 25 years. It was under Ms. Quattrochi's leadership that Bailey House grew from a small housing agency to a multimillion- dollar organization that provides a wide range of health and housing services to over 1,800 clients. prgtoken In addition to Bailey House, Ms. Quattrochi was a board member of several HIV/AIDS advocacy organizations, including the National AIDS Housing Coalition, where she also served as president; the Harlem Hospital Community Advisory Board; the Ryan White Integration of Care committee; and iHealth NYS. In 2014, she was appointed to Governor Andrew Cuomo's task force to reduce new statewide HIV infections to just 750 per year by 2020. prgtoken Ms. Quattrochi also fulfilled her longtime goal of extending the city's HIV/AIDS Services Administration, or HASA, services beyond just AIDS diagnoses to qualified people with HIV. Her lifetime of work transformed the conversation about how to help house, provide health care to, and feed people with HIV/AIDS. prgtoken As a longtime supporter and advocate for the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS, or HOPWA, I am proud to have represented Gina and Bailey House for many years, but I am more proud to have called her a friend. She leaves behind an indelible legacy, she will be profoundly missed by the city of New York, the country, and the HIV/AIDS advocacy community. I can think of no greater tribute than the words of Emmy and Tony Award-winning author and AIDS activist Larry Kramer: ``She was the most noble of heroines. She fought not only for us, but for all of mankind.''
REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
Collin C. Peterson (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-1-11

I strongly support H.R. 5 and urge my colleagues to do so as well. This bill will reform our regulatory system and reduce burdens on our farmers, ranchers, and businesses. prgtoken H.R. 5 will create a more streamlined, transparent, and accountable regulatory process and give the American people a stronger voice in agency decisionmaking. prgtoken Requiring agencies to choose the lowest cost rulemaking option and providing additional opportunities for judicial review will ensure that regulations are narrowly tailored, addressing the issues at hand; and this will reduce the burden on farmers, ranchers, businesses, and everyday citizens. prgtoken This is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
amendment no. 83
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-1-11

I come to the floor to ask that my colleagues support this very important amendment with Senator Sanders. I will match his passion with numbers. prgtoken The price of insulin, as our colleagues know, has tripled in the last decade. The antibiotic doxycycline went from $20 a bottle to nearly $2,000 a bottle in 6 months. Naloxone, the drug used to help with overdose, went from $690 to $4,500 to date. We cannot sit here and do nothing. We have an opportunity, for those who believe in the free market, to allow in competition--competition from the safe country of Canada, our neighbors to the north. In Minnesota, we can see Canada from our porch, and we want to see that competition come in and save our constituents' lives.
HONORING MR. RICHARD THOMAS
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-12

I, along with Congressman Huffman, rise today to honor Richard Thomas, the recipient of the 2017 Nick Frey Community Contribution Award. This award was established by the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission in 2013 to recognize members of our community who have made important contributions to grape growing. prgtoken A Sonoma County native, Mr. Thomas graduated from Santa Rosa High School, where he was an award-winning member of the Future Farmers of America. He studied agriculture at the University of California, Davis, before going on to work as a vocational agriculture instructor at Healdsburg High School and livestock manager of the Sonoma County Fair. prgtoken Mr. Thomas saw Sonoma County's potential for viticulture and became an instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College, where he taught thousands of vineyard owners and workers throughout his 28 year career. He enjoys sharing that ``God put Sonoma County on earth for one reason: to produce great wines.'' His past students are now at the helm of many of the great viticulture operations in our Sonoma County wine community today. prgtoken Mr. Thomas is a life-long learner and educator. After taking a sabbatical to study wine trellising in New Zealand and Australia, he brought the skills he acquired back to winegrowers in California, helping to shape the look of Sonoma County Vineyards. He has lectured in the United States and around the world, sharing his mastery of grape growing. prgtoken He is the founder of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association and the Sonoma County Vineyard Technical Group, which support our community by discussing and implementing the best practices in grape production. prgtoken , Richard Thomas has been a leader in the transformation of Sonoma County into some of the best of Wine Country. He is respected as a world-class educator and our Sonoma community considers him the Dean of Sonoma County grape production. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we honor him here today and congratulate him on this well- deserved award.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Xavier Becerra (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-12

I was unable to cast my floor votes on January 4 and 5, 2017. Had I been present for the votes, I would have voted ``yes'' on roll call vote number 7, ``no'' on roll call vote number 8, ``no'' on roll call vote number 9, ``no'' on roll call vote number 10, ``no'' on roll call vote number 11, ``no'' on roll call vote number 12, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 13, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 14, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 15, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 16, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 17, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 18, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 19, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 20, ``no'' on roll call vote number 21, ``yes'' on roll call vote number 22, and ``no'' on roll call vote number 23.
SEC REGULATORY ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-1-12

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of this amendment to the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act in a spirit of cooperation. It is most important for the integrity of the SEC, for the investor community, for the entire U.S. population, and indeed for the economic benefit of the United States that integrity and transparency are paramount. So this amendment strengthens the bill, I believe, on behalf of the American investor as well as industry by reaffirming transparency as a core principle of efficient markets and places public service ahead of personal gain. prgtoken By requiring the head of the SEC and his immediate family members to divest themselves of all securities connected to the financial institutions regulated by the agency, we reinforce investor confidence that agency decisions are driven by market forces, not the portfolio of the Chair. prgtoken , the power and stability of U.S. markets rely on the fundamental belief that the system is transparent and fair. Anything that causes investors to question the integrity of the U.S. markets, including lack of information or opaqueness of information, will necessarily hurt our markets and make capital formation more difficult. prgtoken The SEC plays a critical role in promoting adequate transparency. Requiring the SEC Chairperson to cut financial ties with institutions that the SEC oversees is a commonsense protection of the agency's credibility and improvement to the underlying bill in my belief. prgtoken I hope my colleagues agree and will support this amendment that puts public service ahead of potential personal gain. prgtoken , .
PROVIDING FOR AN EXCEPTION TO A LIMITATION AGAINST APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS AS SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WITHIN SEVEN YEARS OF RELIEF FROM ACTIVE DUTY AS A REGULAR COMMISSIONED OFFICER OF THE ARMED FORCES
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-1-12

I rise today to discuss S. 84, a bill that would provide a one-time exception from the longstanding law that requires a member of the military to be retired from the armed services for at least 7 years before being appointed as Secretary of Defense. We are considering this legislation today because the President-elect's nominee for Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, has only been retired from the U.S. Marine Corps for 3 years. prgtoken In considering the unique situation presented by this nomination, this week the Armed Services Committee held two hearings. The first hearing, on Tuesday, had a panel of two excellent outside witnesses who discussed the history of the retirement restriction law and the benefits and challenges of legislating an exception to that law. Then, this morning, the committee held a nomination hearing with General Mattis and examined his views on a wide range of defense challenges facing our country and the Defense Department. prgtoken General Mattis has a long and distinguished military career, and he is recognized by his peers as a thoughtful and strategic thinker. However, since its passage in 1947, the statutory requirement designed to protect civilian control of the Armed Forces has only been waived one other time. Therefore, I believe it is extremely important that we carefully consider the consequences of setting aside the law and the implications such a decision may have on the future of civilian and military relations. prgtoken Civilian control of the military is enshrined in our Constitution and dates back to George Washington and the Revolutionary War. This principle has distinguished our Nation from many other countries around the world, and it has helped ensure that our democracy remains in the hands of the people. prgtoken The National Security Act of 1947, which established the Department of Defense, included a provision prohibiting any individual ``within ten years'' of ``active duty as a commissioned officer in a regular component of the armed services'' from being appointed as the Secretary of Defense. However, in 1950, President Harry Truman nominated former Secretary of State and former Chief of Staff of the United States Army General George Marshall to serve as the Secretary of Defense, thus causing Congress to pass an exception to the statute. prgtoken While Congress ultimately waived the restriction for General Marshall, the law included a nonbinding section that stated: ``It is hereby expressed as the intent of the Congress that the authority granted by this Act is not to be construed as approval by the Congress of the continuing appointments of military men to the office of Secretary of Defense in the future. It is hereby expressed as the sense of the Congress that after General Marshall leaves the office of the Secretary of Defense, no additional appointments of military men to that office shall be approved.'' prgtoken Nearly 70 years la