mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO TEACHER PREPARATION ISSUES
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-2-9

I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 58, the Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution for Disapproval of the Rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to Teacher Preparation Issues, because the regulation s seek to rescind will have the effect of reducing educational opportunities in student achievement, quality of instruction, college readiness and other important outcomes. prgtoken Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual and for many of our nation's children, a teacher affects eternity; he or she can never tell where his influence stops. prgtoken Teachers cannot however succeed in shaping the lives of our children if we as a society fail to equip them with the tools necessary to master and hone the craft they pass along to our youth. prgtoken This joint resolution would nullify the Teacher Preparation Issues rule finalized by the Department of Education on October 31, 2016, tying the hands of any and all future administrations in improving the transparency and quality of teacher preparation programs until the Higher Education Act (HEA) is successfully reauthorized. prgtoken The Teacher Preparation Issues rule established indicators that States must use to report on teacher preparation program performance, to help ensure that the quality of teacher preparation programs is judged on reliable and valid indicators of program performance. prgtoken Section 205 of the HEA requires States and institutions of higher education (IHEs) annually to report on various characteristics of their teacher preparation programs, including an assessment of program performance. prgtoken Under the rule that this menacing legislation would obliterate requirements in the collection and dissemination of more meaningful data on teacher preparation program quality. prgtoken These reporting requirements exist in part to ensure that members of the public, prospective teachers and employers (districts and schools), and the States, IHEs, and programs themselves have accurate information on the quality of these teacher preparation programs. prgtoken These requirements also provide an impetus to States and IHEs to make improvements where they are needed. prgtoken The Department's existing title II reporting system framework has not, however, ensured sufficient quality feedback to various stakeholders on program performance. prgtoken A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that some States are not assessing whether teacher preparation programs are low- performing, as required by law, and so prospective teachers may have difficulty identifying low-performing teacher preparation programs, possibly resulting in teachers who are not fully prepared to educate children. prgtoken In addition, struggling teacher preparation programs may not receive the technical assistance they need and, like the teaching candidates themselves, school districts, and ot
Travel Ban Decision (Executive Calendar)
Maria Cantwell (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-2-9

I come to the floor this evening to continue my remarks from earlier today in opposition to the nomination of Congressman Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services and to continue talking about the Medicaid program. prgtoken My colleague from New Jersey was talking about the affordability of health care in general and some of the critique about where we are going with health care in the future. That is really what I think the next few years here in the Senate are going to be about--the future of health care. prgtoken Unfortunately, the nominee before us is more about the past of health care, focusing on issues like fee-for-service instead of the patient- centric health care that we need. prgtoken Earlier today, I was talking about the innovation that is happening in Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act and, specifically, what is happening in Midwestern States, Eastern States, Southern States, and Western States--how the expansion of Medicaid is not just giving more people access to health care but how innovative programs that are reaching that population are allowing people, instead of going into nursing home care and costing States more and having more expense, going into community-based care and home-based care that will help us keep costs down and give patients what they want: the ability to stay at home and have care. prgtoken I also talked about how, on top of the Medicaid expansion, we put a program like the Basic Health Plan into place, which drove down the costs of premiums for people in that program. prgtoken Through Medicaid, not only have we expanded health insurance by helping states cover their citizens, but the uninsured rate has also dropped. I mentioned that in our State of Washington, it dropped to just 6 percent. Through delivery system reforms, we are also driving a better way for us to improve the Medicaid Program. prgtoken Now I want to contrast that to the position of this administration and to Congressman Price, because it is a very different view. As I said, I think it is a very backwards-looking view about what we need to improve our health care system. I want to make sure that our colleagues on both sides of the aisle understand this. prgtoken Now, my biggest concern is that the current administration and members of that administration are talking about what they want to do with Medicaid. I know that Ryan has said that he would like to block-grant Medicaid back to the States. This may sound like some great idea until you realize that, right now, Medicaid is already a state option. Medicaid is a voluntary program for States to participate in. The money goes back to the State based on the need. It is not block- granted. prgtoken I talked earlier today about when you block-grant it and cap it at a certain level, you are asking people to do more with less. Instead of addressing their needs and improving the system, prgtoken like I mentioned on rebalancing to commun
Nomination of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Session)
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2017-2-9

I rise to urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the confirmation of Congressman Tom Price to be Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. prgtoken Congressman Price has a long political record in Washington of siding with Big Business and not American families. He has led efforts that would force families to lose their health care coverage, that would end Medicare as we know it, and increase costs for our seniors, and that would let politicians choose what health care is best for women and their doctors. Perhaps most troubling, though, are recent revelations about Congressman Price's deep and ethically questionable financial ties to health companies that are looking to turn a profit. prgtoken The people of Wisconsin elected me to the United States Senate to stand up to powerful interests, to stand up for the working people of my State. They surely did not send me to the Senate to take away people's health care. That is why I simply cannot vote for a nominee whose financial activities with health companies raise such serious ethical questions and who has repeatedly opposed measures that would improve the health of our hard-working middle-class families in America. prgtoken During his time in Congress, reports show that Congressman Price traded more than $300,000 in shares of health companies while he was advancing health-related legislation which could directly impact these companies' profitability. Congressman Price's financial disclosures show that he has purchased stock in medical device companies, leading pharmaceutical companies, and medical equipment companies. He also led a number of legislative efforts to restrict or delay implementation of several Medicare programs that would have impacted reimbursement for these very industries. prgtoken I don't know who Congressman Price is working for. Is he working for the American people or is he working for the powerful corporations to help advance his financial interests and his investments in them? This ethically questionable activity raises too many unanswered questions about his professional judgment and his ability to fairly lead a department that is charged with protecting the health of all Americans. prgtoken Even more troubling are reports that he had access to a special private deal to buy discounted stock in an Australian biomedical firm, Innate Immunotherapeutics. Reports show he received this special deal from his colleague in the House, Congressman Chris Collins, who sits on the company's board and is their largest investor. I sent a letter asking Congressman Price to explain his relationship, his involvement with Innate Immuno, and how his relationship with Congressman Collins influenced those purchasing decisions, but he hasn't responded. His financial dealings raise serious concerns about potential STOCK Act and insider trading law violations. That is why I have called on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Comm
THE PASSING OF VAINO HASSAN SPENCER
Karen Bass (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-9

I would like to honor the life and memory of California Appeals Court Justice Vaino Hassan Spencer. A month after Vaino was born in 1920, women gained the right to vote. She grew up during the Great Depression, started her professional career as a real estate broker, and married fellow broker Lorenzo Spencer in the late 1940s. She embarked on a legal career after graduating from Southwestern Law School in 1952, and practiced for nine years before then-governor Pat Brown appointed her to the Municipal Court bench in 1961, the first African American woman to hold a judgeship in California. She was elevated to the Superior Court in 1976 by then-Governor Jerry Brown, who went on to name her as presiding justice of Division One of the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal in 1980, making her the first Black woman to sit on a California appeals court. Justice Spencer believed in the concept of ``lift as you climb'' and worked to create opportunities for women and people of color, especially in the legal profession. She founded the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles in 1974 to provide support to those already in the profession, and to assist others with scholarships, mentoring and guidance. The very next year, she joined with another Appeals Court Justice to coordinate efforts in support of women nominated to federal and state supreme courts. That collaboration grew into the National Association of Women Judges, which aimed to increase the number of women in the judiciary and to address the gender bias problems experienced by the few women who were on the bench. President Jimmy Carter met with NAWJ in 1980, having appointed nearly four times the women to the federal bench (38) than had ever been appointed by all of his predecessors. In remarks later, she said: ``We have been warmly greeted [everywhere], and we've gotten tremendous support, even from local judges who were openly resentful of our organizing initially. They have come around to be quite supportive. . . .'' She served one of the longest tenures on the bench in California history, retiring in 2007. I salute the life and legacy of Justice Spencer, a legacy of service to the legal profession, to the state of California and to the nation.
Nomination of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-2-9

before I begin, I wish to note my disappointment about how rushed the consideration of this nominee has been. Calls for a thorough investigation into Congressman Price's ethically questionable and potentially illegal health trades have been ignored. prgtoken Hundreds of questions HELP Committee asked Congressman Price as part of the official committee process have gone unanswered, and the vote to advance Congressman Price's nomination to the floor took place without getting any notice--a clear break from long-standing committee rules. Unfortunately, those are just a few of the examples. prgtoken It is clear that Senate s are doing everything they can to protect President 's nominees from tough questions, which is only helping him rig his Cabinet against workers and families. That is really concerning, especially on issues as critical as our families' health and well-being. prgtoken As I have said before, when I evaluate a nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, I am interested in whether that person has a record of putting people first--not politics, partisanship, or those at the top. I want to know they put science first--not ideology. Critically, I consider whether their plans for health care in our country will help more families lead healthy, fulfilling, and secure lives, or take us backwards. prgtoken Unfortunately, I am very concerned that Congressman Price falls far short in these categories and that his nomination sends another clear signal: President is setting up his Cabinet to run our country in a way that benefits those at the top and their allies, but it really hurts the workers and families we all serve. prgtoken I will start with women's health and reproductive rights. I believe that when women have access to quality, affordable health care, when they can afford contraception and exercise their constitutionally protected rights to make their own choices about their own bodies, our country is stronger for it. That is because access to health care, which includes reproductive health care, is fundamental to women's economic independence and opportunity. When women have more resources, more freedom, and more ability to give back in whatever way they choose, we move forward as a country. prgtoken Congressman Price has a long record of fighting to take women's health care in the wrong direction. He has advocated for defunding Planned Parenthood, our country's largest provider of women's health care, time and again. He has been determined, since the start, to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which has really helped millions of women gain coverage and essential benefits. Especially given his background in medicine, he has displayed a shocking lack of understanding when it comes to the need for continued work to help women access birth control. He even suggested there ``was not one'' woman who couldn't afford contraception. prgtoken
CONGRATULATING THE HON. MP VIAN DAKHIL ON RECEIVING THE 2016 LANTOS HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-2-9

I rise to congratulate the Honorable MP Vian Dakhil on receiving the 2016 Lantos Human Rights Prize. I was very appreciative of the Lantos Foundation for inviting me to participate in today's ceremony conferring the award. For decades, Congressman Tom Lantos championed human rights in the U.S. House of Representatives, and I was very privileged to have served alongside him. Today, the Commission and the Foundation that bear his name continue his vital work, fighting for human dignity for all people. prgtoken MP Dakhil first captured the world's attention in August 2014 as she pleaded with the Iraqi parliament to help her people, the Yazidi, besieged on Mount Sinjar. Since then, she has spent the last two and a half years rescuing girls and young women enslaved by the Islamic State, coordinating rescue missions into ISIS territory to bring girls and women out of bondage. Even as she continues to represent her people in the Iraqi parliament, she works tirelessly to support survivors and children orphaned by the genocide. In taking a stand for the Yazidi people, MP Dakhil has embodied the very definition of heroism. Her bravery and moral clarity make her as fitting a recipient of the 2016 Lantos Human Rights Prize as any I can think of. prgtoken The Yazidi people have suffered a grave injustice at the hands of the Islamic State. ISIS has kidnapped and indoctrinated young boys into child soldiers. Thousands of men and women have been killed. Among the most savage of their crimes, the Islamic State has kidnapped thousands of Yazidi girls and women to sell on the market, creating a structured system of organized kidnapping, rape, and sexual slavery. The horrific nature of these crimes is beyond condemnation. Today, between 3,000- 4,000 Yazidi women and girls are still held captive by ISIS, the ``bleeding wound of Iraq,'' as MP Dakhil describes. prgtoken As we gather here, we must recognize that the international community, the United States included, has in large part failed to act. We continue to fail to exercise our moral leadership to bring aid to those in need, even as crimes against humanity occur on a daily basis. prgtoken Just two weeks ago, the world observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Many of us have heard the affirmation of ``never again'' in relation to the Holocaust. When I think of the Yazidi people, and the Shabak, the Turkmen, Shias, Sunnis, Christians, the Rohinga, and the Darfuri, I ask myself if the true meaning of this proclamation is, in fact, losing its meaning. Each of us has a responsibility to fight against injustice no matter where we find it in the world. prgtoken In Congress, I have introduced H.R. 379, the Justice for Yazidis Act, a proposal that would establish and fund vital programming for the Yazidi people and other religious minorities. My bill establishes a healthcare and psychosocial support program that places an emphasis on providing trauma therapy for children
Nomination of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Session)
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-2-9

I rise to speak about two of President 's nominees. I will first address Nominee Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Then I will discuss the nomination of Tom Price to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, which is currently pending before the Senate. prgtoken Last week, President nominated U.S. Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy left by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. I want to address both the process and the substance of what lies ahead for the Senate. prgtoken The Constitution gives to the President the power to nominate and, subject to the Senate's advice and consent, the power to appoint judges. The first step in the Senate exercising its power of advice and consent is to decide the best way to handle a nomination made by the President. prgtoken The Constitution does not mandate a one-size-fits-all process. In fact, the Senate has handled the Supreme Court nominations in at least a dozen different ways. prgtoken Nearly 1 year ago, shortly after Justice Scalia's death, I explained on the Senate floor the two reasons the next President should choose his replacement. First, the circumstances and timing of the Scalia vacancy supported separating the confirmation process from the Presidential election season, which was a hard-fought Presidential election. prgtoken When he chaired the Judiciary Committee in 1992, then-Senator urged the Senate not to consider a Supreme Court nomination in that Presidential election year. Each of his four reasons applied, with even greater force, to the circumstances we faced last year. prgtoken Second, I said that elections have consequences. The American people were increasingly concerned about the illegal and unconstitutional actions of the administration, actions that the courts struck down dozens of times. prgtoken The two Presidential candidates last year represented very different ideas about the power and proper role of judges in our system of government. The American people, therefore, had a unique opportunity to address the future course of the judiciary in general and the Supreme Court in particular. prgtoken Not surprisingly, the percentage of American voters who said that the Supreme Court was a very important issue tripled between 2008 and 2016. The issue was always when, not whether, the Senate would consider a nominee to fill the Scalia vacancy. prgtoken Plunging into a divisive, ideological confirmation battle in the middle of a confrontational and ugly Presidential campaign would have done more harm than good to the judiciary, the Senate, and the country. We were right to avoid such damage and, as a result, today we can focus properly on the appointment of Justice Scalia's successor. prgtoken and their left-leaning allies, however, sound as though they exist in some kind of parallel universe. In editorials since the election, for example, the New York Times claims that s stol
ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF SESSIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-2-9

it was great to see our now-former colleague, Senator Sessions, confirmed as the Nation's 84th Attorney General yesterday. We all had to watch as he was subjected to a terrible campaign of unfair and deeply personal attacks. He endured it all with grace, though, and with the same considerable dignity, respect, and courtesy we have long prgtoken known Senator Sessions for. We are going to miss him in the Senate, but we couldn't be more proud of him as he begins this new position.
RECOGNIZING THE POLISH LEGION MOTORCYCLE RIDING CLUB
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-2-9

I rise today to recognize the Polish Legion Motorcycle Riding Club. Since 2011 this organization has brought together members of our community of all ages who share a passion for riding motorcycles. I would like to give special recognition to the group's President, Szymon Moskal. Millions of citizens in the United States own and ride motorcycles, making ridership an American tradition. The Polish Legion Motorcycle Riding Club continues the proud tradition of motorcycle ridership and enthusiasm found in my district, and across our great nation. It is my privilege to assist them during their trip to our nation's capital.