mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ACT OF 2018
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-6-21

I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding the time. prgtoken I would offer to say that those Guatemalan Americans, El Salvadoran Americans, those Americans from the country of Mexico, and others who serve in the United States military, certainly reflect the diversity of this Nation. prgtoken I would offer to say that, sadly, this is the image that is America today. It is not the Statue of Liberty. I stand to oppose this bill because I know, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, we had a plan that was bipartisan that would provide for border security that included technology and barriers. prgtoken Now, we have succumbed to a process which every good-thinking person has to oppose, including the business community. Law enforcement opposes this legislation, in particular, because it makes communities less safe. prgtoken Just this week a Texas sheriff's deputy was arrested for sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl and threatening to deport the undocumented mother if she reported the claim. Good law enforcement officers understand that they need to have people report the crime. prgtoken We know that it was an immigrant, a researcher, who helped us get the polio vaccine. prgtoken Finally, young people who now are coming to this country, snatched away from their parents, unaccompanied youngsters as well, will no longer have the protections of the special immigrant juvenile status. It strips crucial protections for abused, abandoned, and neglected children by limiting their ability to access special immigrant juvenile status. prgtoken This bill is a bad bill. It is not an immigration bill. It is a bad bill and it really is not for the American people.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-6-21

I ask that the following statement from Mona Wadsworth, a Florida constituent, be printed in the Record. prgtoken The material follows: prgtoken Until my memory begins to fail me there will be one date that will remain one of the most significant to me. prgtoken That is not to say that there are not other dates in my life that are important; birthdays, weddings, graduations, holidays, the usual dates we all mark on the calendar. prgtoken Then there are those dates that hold great value to us because on those days something happened to alter our lives in some way. prgtoken For me there is one that stands out among all others. December 15, 2017. That is the day God sent an angel into my life and that angel is here in this room. prgtoken Before I identify that angel I want to tell you a story about a woman. prgtoken There was nothing exceptional about this woman. She was much like most of us. She played as a child, drove her parents crazy as a teen, became a young adult, fell in love, married, raised a family, worked and was basically the average everyday woman in her community. prgtoken She had always wanted to own a house of her own but no matter how she tried life's ups and downs always dipped into her savings and that dream never came to pass. prgtoken She may not have owned any of dwellings she and her family lived in, but she took pride in her home. It was always well furnished, clean and had many of the comforts of the day. prgtoken In the hustle and bustle of everyday life we tend to take for granted all the things that give us joy and comfort. She was no different. She never prgtoken thought about how nice it felt to sleep in a comfortable bed or how nice that warm shower felt. I could go on and on and on, mentioning everything that made her life comfortable but I think you all have the general idea. prgtoken Age creeps up on us subtly. It may begin with your eyes not seeing as clearly as they used to or you don't seem to hear as well. One day you might get up off the floor and find that it took a little longer this time. You start to feel aches and pains you didn't before. prgtoken Fighting off a cold is harder this time. Trips to the doctor become more frequent. When once you were a mother or a father you're now gram or gramps. No matter how you've tried to deny it, one day you look in the mirror and wonder who this old person is looking back at you. prgtoken And so it was for this woman. Now in her 60's, her children grown, she still counted herself pretty lucky. Except for the glasses she put on each morning, the need to take blood pressure medication and insulin, she was doing pretty good health wise. She still made holiday meals, still cleaned her home with the same determination, she basically was living her life as much as she always had. prgtoken Then one day something happened in this woman's life that would forever-more change it. prgtoken In September 2017 Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida. I
SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ACT OF 2018
Jerrold Nadler (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-21

3 minutes. prgtoken , I strongly oppose H.R. 4760. prgtoken This legislation is nothing more than a wish-list of the far right anti-immigrant fringe. It would do nothing to solve the real problems plaguing our immigration system, while causing untold suffering for millions of people. prgtoken The world has watched President create a family separation crisis out of thin air. I personally met with fathers whose children had been ripped from their arms, who have no idea when, or if, they will ever see their children again. prgtoken One father I spoke to was promised he would be kept with his young child, only to have officers enter his room in the middle of the night and forcibly take away his young daughter. prgtoken We have all seen the anguished faces of the parents separated from their children, and listened to the desperate cries of sobbing children screaming for their parents. This is government-sponsored child abuse. prgtoken This bill does absolutely nothing to solve the crisis. The President, after falsely claiming that he had no choice but to enact this cruel and brutal policy, now says he will end it, proving that he and his administration were lying all along. But it is not clear that yesterday's executive order immediately ends family separation. It also puts our country on a dangerous path to prolonged detention for parents and children. prgtoken The Keeping Families Together Act, which I introduced this week, along with virtually every ic Member, would actually prevent children from being separated from their parents, except in extraordinary circumstances. prgtoken We could vote on that legislation today. But instead, we have this bill before us now. This bill turns all undocumented immigrants into criminals. It takes particular aim at families, children, workers, businesses, public safety, and our fundamental values as a nation, all at once. It is almost impressive how many bad ideas have been crammed into one comprehensive package. prgtoken For example, it eliminates most visa categories that promote family reunification, as well as the diversity visa program, which provides residents of many countries the only method of immigrating to the United States. It removes critical protections for unaccompanied children, and it does away with other important safeguards for children traveling with their parents. prgtoken It would decimate the agriculture community by requiring employers to use the E-Verify employment verification system without fixing the underlying immigration system. And it would undercut American workers by importing guestworkers at drastically depressed wages. prgtoken It would also undermine our asylum system, breaking with our proud tradition of being a beacon of hope and freedom for the oppressed. prgtoken In exchange for all these harsh, anti-immigrant provisions, it offers the most minimal protections to Dreamers, creating a renewable temporary status with
SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ACT OF 2018
Luis V. Gutiérrez (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-6-21

. Madam , the reelection strategy for every single Member of the House is to stand strong with a President willing to take children from their parents in order to look mean and nasty and cruel to children who are fleeing for their lives. You own that. That is your campaign strategy. prgtoken As of today, s want to put the children in the same jails as the parents and fight to hold them indefinitely and demand we charge asylum seekers as criminals and jail them with their children. The more than 2,300 children who have been taken from their parents and put in a vast system spread over thousands of miles, we just don't know if those children will ever see their families again. You own that, too. That is what you are campaigning on to save your jobs this coming November. prgtoken Taking DACA away from Dreamers: that is your policy, too. And then putting bills on the floor to cu legal immigration and build a wall are your strategies to blame for what you are doing. prgtoken s want to be both the arsonists and the firefighters, and you can't be both. prgtoken I don't blame Ryan and Chairman Goodlatte. They are not bad people. They are both decent men of faith who have been put in a position of defending policies that are cruel, inhumane, and run deeply contrary to the will of the American people and the values of our Nation. prgtoken This must be morally wrenching for them. But honestly, I have little sympathy. Each has made a devil's bargain to trade their reputation for Stephen Miller's agenda and 's name. prgtoken Legal immigration? No. prgtoken An asylum policy that protects human lives? No. prgtoken DACA to protect Dreamers? No. prgtoken Policies that treat wife-beating, rape, and human trafficking as matters that require us to protect women? No. prgtoken A nation of immigrants? No. prgtoken All they want is a wall. prgtoken Even though both are leaving office because the Party is no longer home for decent men and women of values, faith, and conscience, both are leaving us with one last commitment: to put the needs of this erratic President above the will of the people and above the good of our Nation. prgtoken At some point, someone needs to stop complimenting the emperor on his new set of clothes and start telling the President he is naked. Covering his rear end from all the lies, the deceit, and the soullessness is no longer sustainable.
IMMIGRATION LEGISLATION
Yvette D. Clarke (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-21

this evening the Congressional Progressive Caucus is going to be sharing some thoughts with the American people about this extremely horrible zero-tolerance policy that Mr. has subjected our Nation to. prgtoken , I rise today in opposition to this administration's cruel and inhumane zero-tolerance policy at the border that has resulted in the separation of more than 2,000 children from their families and their loved ones. prgtoken This policy calls to mind the worst of our history, including the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, our refusal to grant safety to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust, and the treatment of Africans who were brought here as chattel slaves during and throughout the Middle Passage. prgtoken Unlike what the administration says, this policy is not required by law, and I think that has been made plain to all Americans. It is not President 's doing, and I think that has been made plain to all Americans. It is not in any way justified by the Bible. In fact, as a Christian and someone who grew up in the church, I know that these very same verses were falsely used to justify four centuries of chattel slavery, and that the Bible teaches us to welcome the stranger and to beware of spiritual wickedness in high places. prgtoken So don't be deceived. This policy of choice is solely the result of a racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, and antifamily values agenda adopted by this administration to intimidate immigrants of color seeking asylum from violence and persecution for their own political gain. prgtoken The administration has also sought to avoid responsibility for its decisions by cowardly claiming that no such policy exists, as Secretary Nielsen claimed in a reply to my March 20 letter and then reiterated more recently via Twitter--more lies and deception. prgtoken However, when 2,000 children are separated from their families, many of whom have been dispersed across this Nation as a result of a decision made by the Department of Justice, a policy of depravity indeed exists. prgtoken But that is not all. Children are now, as I have stated, being shipped all across this Nation, including to New York City where there are currently at least 239 children being detained just a few miles from my district and thousands more who are miles away from their caregivers. prgtoken Yesterday, finally gave way to public pressure by signing an executive order that he claims will end this horrific policy. Unfortunately, he did so by abrogating his responsibility under the Flores agreement to release children without unnecessary delay and to keep those who are in custody under the least restrictive conditions possible. This means that children will be detained with their families, which is also unacceptable. prgtoken Unfortunately, this body, too, is neglecting its responsibility to the American people by debating the most restrictive immigration bills
ENERGY AND WATER, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH, AND MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2019
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-6-21

first, as the Senate continues to process appropriations bills on the floor, I thank Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy for their hard work on the appropriations process. prgtoken The leader and I have both committed to work through appropriations in a bipartisan way, through regular order, which is something the Senate hasn't achieved in some time. Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy are leading the way. We want to continue along this road in a bipartisan, cooperative way, wherein what we bring to the floor basically has approval from both sides of the aisle. Family Separation Policy prgtoken , on immigration, let me address the humanitarian crisis at our southern border. prgtoken For a little over a month, President 's family separation policy has resulted in more than 2,300 children being separated from their families. Young children, toddlers, babies are being held alone. I have seen the pictures of these tiny, little girls with forlorn looks on their faces--it breaks your heart--and they are being placed into what are being called tender age facilities. That is an Orwellian term if there ever were one. Other minors have been flown, scattershot, to different parts of the country to live in foster homes that are hundreds of miles away from their parents. A 5-year-old is sent hundreds of miles away from his or her parents? What kind of country are we? prgtoken Yesterday the President signed an Executive order that made it 100- percent clear that what the have been saying--that the President can fix this problem on his own--has been correct. The President vindicated everything we had been saying and undid everything he had been saying when he said only Congress could fix this problem. Of course, he made it partisan. prgtoken It is a relief that the President has reversed himself and recognized the cruelty of his policy of separating children from their parents. I would like to believe he found it in the goodness of his heart. We certainly know there was a ton of pressure on him to do this and that he didn't do it when he first looked at the problem. prgtoken After weeks of acting like his administration bore no responsibility for this policy--contravening all fact and all reality--I hope this represents a turning point with the President. I hope it means this President will stop blaming others for problems he creates and will start fixing them himself. I hope it means the President realizes, just because he says something, it doesn't make it so. So often, more than any other President many times over, what he says is just outright false, made up. It pops into his head, and he says it. Yet this Executive order raises several questions. That means the President must continue to deal with these problems, which, again, he can do on his own. prgtoken First, the way the Executive order was drafted means it will not go into
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT IS GETTING RESULTS
Erik Paulsen (Republican, MN) \u2014 2018-6-22

today is the 6-month anniversary of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. And few would have thought that 6 months ago we would have seen such progress so fast because of tax reform, and the results are significant: bigger paychecks and employers giving workers pay raises; we have got faster economic growth; we have got 1 million new jobs that have now been created since the beginning of the year already; unemployment is at one of its lowest rates ever, under 4 percent; and we actually now, for the first time in history, have more job openings than jobseekers. prgtoken This is a good thing, with more business investment, record optimism among small businesses and manufacturers, and consumer confidence nearly at an all-time high. prgtoken , tax reform was just the shot in the arm that our economy needed to put Americans back to work and get our economy back on track.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Jack Bergman (Republican, MI) \u2014 2018-6-22

on Roll Call Votes No. 269, No. 270 and No. 271 I am not recorded because I was absent from the House of Representatives. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner. prgtoken On Roll Call No. 269. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. prgtoken On Roll Call No. 270. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA. prgtoken On Roll Call No. 271. Had I been present, I would have voted NO.
SUBSTANCE USE-DISORDER PREVENTION THAT PROMOTES OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT
Peter J. Roskam (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-6-22

I want to thank Chairman Brady for his leadership on this. prgtoken I have done a lot of work over the past several months, as I know we all have, of listening to my constituents in suburban Chicago, and here is what I have heard: They want us to take a multifaceted approach. prgtoken One of the things that I am doing this morning is highlighting a portion of this bill that Mr. Brady mentioned in his opening statement, and that is a lock-in phenomenon. prgtoken Here is the story: The power of this molecule, when it gets into our bodies, is breathtaking and is sobering. Here is one statistic that should make us shudder: One-third of part D Medicare beneficiaries were prescribed an opioid in 2016--one-third of Medicare part D beneficiaries were prescribed an opioid in 2016. There is nothing good that is going on with that. prgtoken So here is what we are trying to do: We are saying that we need to resist pharmacy shopping. We need to resist doctor shopping. And we need to make sure that people can be identified who have a predisposition towards this addiction. prgtoken So what this bill does--what part of this bill does--is it says: Medicare part D programs don't just have the option of requiring a lock-in program, we are now locking in on lock-in. We are saying: You have got to do this. prgtoken Unambiguously, it is a mandate, it is a good mandate, and it is something that has been a long time coming. TRICARE uses this, and a number of other distribution systems use it, but the time is ripe and we have absolutely got to get this done. It is part of a holistic approach that I think is really welcome. prgtoken , I congratulate and thank Mr. Levin, the ranking member; Mr. Bilirakis; and Mr. Lujan, also who similarly worked on this legislation. I am confident that in 10 years' time, our country, based on the work that this House is doing now, is going to reflect back, and it is going to say: America responded. We did it on a bipartisan basis. And we are going to be having a better and different conversation.
RECOGNIZING THE NORTH PLATTE CANTEEN
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2018-6-22

I rise today to recognize the community of North Platte, Nebraska, for its many decades of service to our men and women in uniform. prgtoken Earlier this week, the North Platte Canteen came together once again to host more than 700 Army National prgtoken Guard soldiers based in Arkansas who were returning from a training mission in Wyoming, not having eaten a hot meal in days. prgtoken The North Platte Canteen traces its history to World War II, when the community came together to feed more than 6 million servicemen and - women as they traveled by train across the country. prgtoken The North Platte Canteen was organized this time to feed more than 700 soldiers, like I said. They were transported on 21 buses over 2 days, and these experiences included homemade birthday cakes for those celebrating, which is that time-honored tradition at the Canteen. prgtoken I would like to thank Lisa Burke, Muriel Clark, Amanda Connick, Courtney Fegter, and Michelle Thomas at the North Platte/Lincoln County Visitors Bureau, who coordinated what became a whole-community effort with just a few days' notice. prgtoken This is really what Nebraska's support for our troops is all about.
SUBSTANCE USE-DISORDER PREVENTION THAT PROMOTES OPIOID RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES ACT
Mike Bishop (Republican, MI) \u2014 2018-6-22

I thank Chairman Brady for his steadfast leadership in finding a solution to this crisis. prgtoken , I rise in strong support of H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. I am pleased that we are voting on this legislation today, which includes important reforms to Medicare and Medicaid policies, to help combat the opioid crisis in our country. prgtoken , the opioid crisis has affected every segment of our Nation's population. Every Member of this Chamber has a community in crisis. Each and every day, 115 Americans die from opioid overdoses. We are talking about valued members of our communities: mothers, fathers, and, especially, so many young children who have left us way too early because of the tragedy of opioids. prgtoken As I travel across my district in Michigan, I hear frequently from constituents about this crisis at townhall meetings and roundtables I have hosted. I have heard personal stories from constituents about the devastating impact this crisis is having in southeast Michigan. prgtoken I have also been meeting with elected officials across the district on this crisis, including firefighters, police officers, emergency responders, and medical professionals. They all want me to do something, do it urgently, and for Congress to be involved. prgtoken While there is no silver bullet to address this issue, I am pleased that over the past several weeks the House has passed over 70 bills to address the opioid crisis. It includes the legislation that I authored, the STOP Act, to stop the flow of synthetic opioids into the country. prgtoken H.R. 6 will do more than that. It will expand the Medicare coverage for opioid treatment services, like substance abuse counseling, individual and group therapy, and medication-assisted treatment. These reforms will empower our Americans to overcome addiction and once again become productive members of our society. prgtoken , again, I thank Chairman Brady and Chairman Walden for prgtoken their leadership in crafting this legislation, and for their steadfast leadership to address the opioid crisis.