mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
EXECUTIVE CALENDER--Continued
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-16

as the Senate Finance Committee continues to mark up the Senate tax bill, the House will take a vote this afternoon on their version of the bill. prgtoken There are plenty of reasons for House s to vote against this bill. For those who care about deficits, you should vote no because the bill increases deficits by over $1.5 trillion, likely more. Any deficit hawk should be against this increase. prgtoken Any defense hawk should be wary of this bill for the same reason. High deficits make it harder to fund important priorities like the military. This morning, three former Defense Secretaries--Leon Panetta, Chuck Hagel, and Ash Carter--penned a letter warning that the tax plan could result, in their words, in a ``hollowed-out military force'' wracked by cuts to training, maintenance, flight missions, and other vital military programs. prgtoken I spoke to General Mattis yesterday. He is definitely afraid of a CR because a CR is at sequestration levels. If we pass this tax bill with its huge deficit, we will have no choice but to go back to sequestration, and the fears of our defense leaders that they cannot fund the military adequately will be very real. So my shout-out is to all of those who care about defense, particularly our defense hawks: If you vote for this bill, you are going to be voting for a ``hollowed out military force,'' as three former defense secretaries have written to us this morning. prgtoken For those House s who represent middle and upper class suburban districts, you should vote no because this bill will raise taxes on a prgtoken high number of your constituents. Members of Congress from New York, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Virginia know that State and local deductibility is crucial to working families in their districts. Today, House s in many districts will take a vote to raise taxes on their constituents. And the compromise--the first three-quarters of the break is rescinded even with the compromise over in the House, but, second, the Senate, so desperate for money, has not even included the compromise here. You can be sure when it comes back, that compromise will not be in the bill--certainly not as generous as it is now. It was not very generous to begin with. prgtoken According to the New York Times, the House bill would raise taxes on a third of middle-class taxpayers next year and almost half by 2027. The rich, meanwhile, will do just fine. prgtoken The Senate bill, similarly, would raise taxes on 20 million middle- class Americans by 2027. Meanwhile, folks making over $1 million will get an average cut of $50,000. People say: Well, they have more money; they should get a bigger tax cut. No. The wealthy are doing great. They don't need any tax cut. Give the money to the middle class. prgtoken The number of middle-class families who would lose money from this bill may even be higher now, considering
EXECUTIVE CALENDER--Continued
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-11-16

unlike past occasions when I have spoken on the topic of gun violence prevention, I am actually pleased to talk about some good news. A powerful alliance across the aisle has enabled us this morning to introduce a measure that will be a modest but significant breakthrough. It is a breakthrough in prgtoken hopefully providing better data, more complete information for the database that provides for background checks. It is essential that more accurate and thorough data be provided in the database because background checks are no better than the information provided to them, as we have seen again and again, in Sutherland Springs most recently but also Charleston and Blacksburg, where individuals legally barred from accessing firearms were permitted to do so because of gaps in the NICS system. Each of those killers walked out of a gun store having purchased firearms from a federally licensed dealer, even though they should have been ineligible, because of gaps in the reporting system; that is, the information reported to the national system that collects that data and provides the underpinning for this program. prgtoken We are a bipartisan group that says, in effect, enforcement must be rigorous, as complete and effective as possible. New laws may be sought, and we will continue to seek a broader background check law, as well as a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. We in this coalition may be divided on those issues, but at the very least, we can join arms and link together on this measure. prgtoken These provisions will help enforce public safety protections that could mean the difference between life and death. Nonreporting now puts people at lethal risk, riddling with gaping holes a system that should keep guns away from killers. The Federal background check system is only as good as the information provided to it. prgtoken I am proud to be part of this alliance. I look forward to the next steps--the prompt passage of this legislation and other measures that perhaps will evoke the same kind of bipartisan spirit across the aisle. prgtoken I am working with a number of my colleagues on a measure relating to military reporting, particularly as it concerns domestic violence. All of us who have been attorneys general, as the Presiding Officer has been, know the scourge of domestic violence and how much more dangerous it is--five times more lethal--when there is a gun in the house. More than half of the homicides in this country occur as a result of domestic violence. More effective enforcement requires steps that enable resources as well as awareness in the military and in our civilian courts. Judicial Nominations prgtoken , on the topic of effective enforcement of the law, I rise today on a related topic, which is the quality of our judiciary. Our laws are only as effective as the judges who implement them. prgtoken I rise with regre
Republican Tax Plan (Executive Session)
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-11-16

I rise today to make a simple request of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. When it comes to the tax legislation that colleagues are rushing through Congress, please stop, slow down, and let's start over together. prgtoken We need real tax reform with clear policy goals that will make our Nation more competitive, not a partisan attempt to pass something-- anything--that can get 51 votes in the Senate. Our shared policy goals should be making the Tax Code fairer, simpler, and fiscally responsible. If we can achieve these goals, that would be real tax reform. prgtoken If we worked together, we could take long overdue steps and build a tax code that lets working families in Michigan and across the country keep more of their hard-earned money, levels the playing field for our small businesses, and keeps good jobs here at home in the United States. Fairer, simpler, responsible--those are three key points making a tax code that works. If we don't start over, I am afraid the current tax legislation will fail on all three accounts. prgtoken First, this tax legislation is not fair. It dramatically moves toward benefiting the wealthiest people in this Nation, with only a little sliver of the benefits going to working-class families. prgtoken The tax bill was clearly written to cut rates for CEOs and large corporations and treats the middle class like an afterthought. I would argue that working Americans who are struggling with stagnant wages--while the cost of prescription drugs, college, and housing continue to rise--need tax cuts that are built around them. prgtoken Instead, we are looking at a tax plan that repeals the alternative minimum tax--a fail-safe designed specifically to make sure that wealthy Americans cannot deduct their way to paying nothing in taxes. From what little we have seen of President 's tax returns, we know that the AMT--the alternative minimum tax--is the only reason he paid income taxes at all. The bill will eliminate the AMT, and President and folks like him will receive a huge windfall and may not have to pay any taxes at all--zero. prgtoken Wall Street loves this bill, too, because hedge funds will continue to be taxed at lower rates than small businesses in our local communities. This means many hedge fund managers making millions of dollars will have a lower tax rate than an office assistant working at their firm. Simply put, this proposal fails on the test of making the Tax Code fairer. prgtoken I also believe this effort fails on the test of making the code simpler. For small business owners back in Michigan, they want to spend their time doing what they know best, which is running their business, not spending days or weeks trying to figure out the taxes they owe. But, as many of my colleagues in the Finance Committee have pointed out throughout this week, the provisions for a small business passthr
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-11-16

in this Ryan-McConnell tax bill, s are touting the largest set of corporate tax cuts in our country's history. They are raving that their corporate cuts will create jobs, even though we know that trickle-down economics has never worked and never will. prgtoken Instead of bringing and the public into the process, s have made the most cynical tradeoffs, only hurting people who need help the most. prgtoken This is wrong. Tax reform should be about coming together and making choices that reflect our values. prgtoken Yet, under this plan, teachers, who buy supplies for their students, like pens, pencils, and paper, will lose the ability to deduct those costs from their tax returns, but corporations still can deduct supply costs. prgtoken Firefighters will no longer be able to deduct their State and local income or sales taxes, but corporations still can. prgtoken Homeowners will no longer be able to deduct all of their property taxes, but corporations still can. prgtoken And if workers have to move because their employer is forcing them to relocate their families or lose their jobs, they will no longer be able to deduct their moving expenses, but corporations, even those offshoring jobs, still can. prgtoken This bill increases taxes on 36 million working families and rips away key lifelines that help people struggling with long-term illness, childcare, and education expenses. It blows a $1.5 trillion hole in the deficit and burdens our children and grandchildren with debt, triggering an automatic $25 billion cut to Medicare. This bill gives massive permanent tax cuts to corporations, prgtoken but working families will have to live with the temporary scraps thrown at them. prgtoken Bottom line: this bill hurts Americans from cradle to retirement, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
James A. Himes (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-11-16

on October 3, 2017, I was unable to be present for the vote on the motion to recommit on H.R. 36, offered by Ms. Brownley of California. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 548, I would have voted ``AYE.'' prgtoken I was also unable to be present for the vote on passage of H.R. 36, offered by Mr. Franks of Arizona. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 549, I would have voted ``NAY.'' prgtoken I was also unable to be present for the vote on the motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended, S. 782 offered by Mr. Cornyn of Texas. Had I been present for Roll Call No. 550, I would have voted ``AYE.''
IN MEMORY OF MRS. LAURA DIXIE
Al Lawson, Jr. (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-11-16

I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Laura Dixie, one of Tallahassee, Florida's foot soldiers in the Civil Rights movement, who passed away on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at the age of 92. Laura Dixie was a civil rights trailblazer, and played a crucial role in the Reverend C. K. Steele's quest to desegregate Tallahassee's public transportation system in 1956. She also worked with Reverend Steel and others in the original 1962 lawsuit calling for the desegregation ofLeon County Schools. prgtoken Laura saw early in life that obtaining civil rights was going to be challenging. One of her favorite stories was about going downtown one day with her parents and seeing water fountains marked for ``Whites only, and Colored only.'' prgtoken Life took Laura from sampling water on a dare, from a segregated Whites only fountain inside the Leon County Courthouse, ``to see if it was sweeter;'' to playing a pivotal role in the Tallahassee Bus Boycott. She traveled during troubled times to Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to participate in Voter Registration drives; to seeing a black man elected President of the United States. It was one of her proudest moments to see President in the White House. prgtoken In the early 1950's, Laura joined her husband Samuel L. Dixie at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, where together they worked closely with the church and in the community to promote Civil Rights. Her involvement in Tallahassee's Civil Rights movement went along with her active membership in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Inter-Civic Council in Tallahassee and the NAACP, of which she was a life member. prgtoken At the time of her death, Laura lived in the house that she and her husband owned since the mid50s on Tanner Drive in Jake Gaither Park. They often found room in their house to help Florida A&M University students in need of a place to live when their funds were depleted. prgtoken , Laura Dixie was simply a trailblazer and an icon, who fearlessly battled the horrors of being a black woman in the south during desegregation. Laura Dixie's spirit and attitude will be truly missed.
TRIBUTE TO IKE MORRIS
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-11-16

today I wish to celebrate the 80th birthday of Ike Morris, a proud honorary West Virginian, a legendary businessman, and one of the dearest friends I have ever known. prgtoken There is no better position to find yourself in than being able to give back to the community you love. I can attest my small hometown of Farmington helped mold who I am, and it brings so much joy to my life to be able to give back to the place that shaped me. Ike and I share a bond rooted in public service. Whether supporting Glenville State College or getting the tab at the Cornerstone Cafe in Glenville, Ike enjoys every minute of it. prgtoken Ike got his start working for his father in the oil and gas business. Wanting to set out on his own, Ike moved to West Virginia in 1962 and worked servicing rigs until he established Waco Oil & Gas in 1975. No one in the north central region of the Mountain State gets confused when someone mentions ``Waco.'' When you say ``Waco'' around here, people think of Ike Morris. They don't think of Texas. prgtoken It was in Glenville where Ike met the love of his life, Sue. He knew Sue was the right woman for him, and he knew that West Virginia was the right State for him. They have been married for over 50 years. As Ike can attest, once you come to West Virginia, it becomes part of you forever. The Mountain State made a lasting impact on him, and he and his family have made a lasting impact on the Mountain State. Ike is truly one of the most humble, generous and hard-working people I know. prgtoken Together, Ike and Sue have contributed to the success of many projects at Glenville State College, which is also home to the I.L. ``Ike'' and Sue Morris Stadium. As a lifelong educator and 1965 alumna of Glenville State, Sue knows how vital it is that our educational institutions are provided with the tools needed to keep up with ever- changing technologies. Their generous spirit and compassion extend throughout the Glenville community and beyond, touching the lives of countless West Virginia workers, students, and businessowners--all traits they have passed to their children and grandchildren. prgtoken Ike and Sue's children, Shelly and Doug, have both made Glenville their home. Ike and Sue are blessed with and immeasurably proud of their four grandchildren--Hannah, Luke, Ian, and Jordan--and their great-granddaughter, Arianna. Ike wouldn't let me stop without mentioning his beloved companion, Waco, his Labrador Retriever. prgtoken Ike, as your family and friends honor you, I know this will be a sincerely memorable occasion for you to reflect on your many accomplishments and experiences, while you enjoy the company of your loved ones. You have provided so much happiness and wisdom to the lives of those around you throughout the years. It is my wish that the memory of this special day remains with you and Sue just as your guidance and influence will remain in all the lives you have touched. prgtoken
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
John Lewis (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-11-16

I include in the Record an article about this bill's impact on graduate students in my district. [From the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Nov. 16, 2017] prgtoken Opinion: Only Wealthy Can Afford Grad School Under House Tax Plan Up for Vote Today (By Maureen Downey) Jenny C. Bledsoe is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in English at Emory University, specializing in medieval literature. She was featured in a New York Times story last week that examined how the GOP House tax plan would impact a range of American students. In this essay, Bledsoe focuses on the change that makes graduate tuition waivers taxable income. The tax plan is expected to come to the House floor today where passage is predicted. The Senate, however, is not expected to take up its own tax bill until after Thanksgiving. And then House and Senate conferees will have to hammer out their differences and come up with a compromise plan. Under the House plan, Bledsoe and other doctoral students would be hurt by a new provision that would tax graduate students on tuition wavers granted them in exchange for working as teaching assistants or researchers. The tax accountants hired by The New York Times estimated Bledsoe and her husband would pay an additional $7,194 in taxes under the House tax bill. When I about this last week, some readers contended the increase in the standard deduction will offset the eliminations of these education deductions. However, some reviews found that not to be true for graduate students.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION
Peter J. Visclosky (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2017-11-16

on November 13, 2017, and November 14, 2017, I was absent from the House and missed Roll Call Votes 623 through 628. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: on Roll Call Vote 623, on passage of H. Res. 599, I would have voted No; on Roll Call Vote 624, on passage of H.R. 3071, I would have voted Yes; on Roll Call Vote 625, on approval of the journal, I would have voted No; on Roll Call Vote 626, on ordering the previous question, I would have voted No; on Roll Call Vote 627, on approval of H. Res. 616, I would have voted No; and on Roll Call Vote 628, on approving the journal, I would have voted No.
Introductory Statement on S. 2139
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-11-16

today I am introducing the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act of 2017 to accelerate our efforts to restore the health of one of America's greatest natural treasures--the Chesapeake Bay. This legislation will strengthen our Bay clean-up program by increasing and better targeting resources under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which is administered by the Department of Agriculture (USDA). prgtoken I have long advocated for more effective protection, preservation, and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. During the development of the Farm Bill of 2008, I worked with my colleagues to adopt the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative, which provided assistance to farmers to help them prevent the excessive runoff of nutrients and sediments into the Bay and its tributaries. As a result of that initiative, about $50 million was invested annually in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. prgtoken In the 2014 Farm Bill, the RCPP was established to expand the successful concept of the Chesapeake Bay Initiative to our vital watersheds in the country. The goal of RCPP is to encourage stakeholders to partner with agricultural producers to increase the restoration and sustainable use of soil, water, wildlife and related natural resources on regional or watershed scales. prgtoken , while very successful nationally, the overall investment in Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts through the RCPP has been reduced relative to investments that were made under the stand- alone Chesapeake Bay Watershed Initiative. That is why today I am introducing the Chesapeake Bay Farm Bill Enhancements Act to make refinements to the RCPP in order to improve conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay--and other vital watersheds--through providing additional funding, bolstering the role of critical conservation areas, and improving technical assistance. prgtoken On funding, this bill will triple the amount of mandatory funding for RCPP available per fiscal year from $100 million to $300 million. The bill also allows in-kind support to count towards a partner's matching contribution to a project. prgtoken The Chesapeake Bay has already been designated as a Critical Conservation Area under the RCPP. However, my bill will make refinements to the requirements for partnership agreements awarded within Critical Conservation Areas that recognize key prgtoken strengths of the Chesapeake Bay region. For example, the bill will strengthen the definitions of a critical conservation area to include critical conservation conditions that would improve water quality and water quantity. Furthermore, the bill adds a prioritization for partnership agreement applications that implement the project consistent with multi-State watershed restoration plans and bring together a diverse array of stakeholders into a project. prgtoken I have heard from many organizations in my state and others states in the Bay watershed that there is a
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Kenny Marchant (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-11-16

I thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue. It is an honor for me to serve on the committee. prgtoken , I rise today in support of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This is a historic opportunity to reject the status quo and provide real tax relief to the families, individuals, and businesses in my district. prgtoken America's Tax Code is broken. It is uncompetitive for American companies, and it is unfair to American workers. The American people deserve a Tax Code that works for them, not one that works for special interests in Washington. They deserve a Tax Code that rewards their lifetime of hard work, not one that squeezes and depletes their savings. prgtoken They deserve a Tax Code that prioritizes their goals, not penalizes their success. prgtoken The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act creates a Tax Code that is focused on growth, fairness, and a booming economy for everyone. prgtoken The reforms in this bill level the playing field for small businesses in my district in north Texas around the DFW Airport, giving them an opportunity to grow and hire more people and spend more money in our economy, and allow the hardworking taxpayers whom I represent to keep more of their paycheck and increase their family's budget. prgtoken , I thank the chairman for allowing me to represent the views of my constituents throughout the process of the committee work. I urge my colleagues to take advantage of this very historic opportunity and vote in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.