mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF S.J. RES. 7, DIRECTING THE REMOVAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF YEMEN THAT HAVE NOT BEEN AUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS; PROVIDING FOR...
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2019-4-2

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I have to give the s credit for one thing. They are consistent on the issue of healthcare, in trying to avoid talking about the issue at hand. prgtoken We are not talking about universal healthcare, although I support universal healthcare. We are not talking about Medicare for All, although I personally support Medicare for All. We are not talking about the Canadian system or the German system or any other system. prgtoken We are talking about preventing this President and his allies from null and voiding the Affordable Care Act, thereby taking away healthcare protections for every single American. We are talking about preventing the President from throwing prgtoken tens of millions of people off health insurance. We are talking about protecting the over 100 million people in this country who have preexisting conditions. That is what we are talking about. prgtoken I loved it when the gentleman from Texas said that the first vote that the s asked for in this Congress was a procedural motion to protect people with preexisting conditions. Does the gentleman not know that people with preexisting conditions already have protections under the Affordable Care Act? prgtoken I mean, it sounds to me--and it seemed to me at the time--that that procedural vote was about covering your rear and not about serious legislating, about trying to get the American people to believe that we really do care about healthcare and we really do care about protecting people with preexisting conditions, even though we all know here that that is just not the case. prgtoken When I hear the gentleman say that the s care deeply about people's healthcare and want to make sure that everybody gets coverage, it is just not true. The reason I say that so emphatically is because I have been around here for the last few years, and I have watched the dozens of votes that the s have brought up, one after another after another after another after another, to repeal healthcare protections for people in this country without proposing an alternative. prgtoken Now, the President is saying: Trust us. prgtoken Madam , I include in the Record a Politico article that just appeared that is entitled `` punts health care until after 2020.'' [From POLITICO, April 1, 2019] Punts Health Care Until After 2020 (By Quint Forgey and John Bresnahan) prgtoken just last week the president had seemed to go all in on a new effort to wipe out obamacare President signaled Monday that congressional s would wait until after the 2020 elections to vote on a GOP replacement for care--putting off a presumably savage legislative battle on a hot-button campaign issue until after his re-election bid. ``Every
RECESS
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-4-2

let me thank my colleague from New Hampshire for being my ally in showing real leadership on this issue. prgtoken As a member of the HELP Committee, you will be sitting there in those key hearings when we discuss the reauthorization of higher education. That will be our opportunity to bring in some of these reforms that make a difference in terms of this industry of for-profit colleges and universities. I thank you for that, and I join you in this PROTECT Students Act, as I have come to the floor so many times to talk about this sector. prgtoken Most Americans don't know what we mean by for-profit colleges and universities. Who are they? Well, some of the familiar names are the University of Phoenix, DeVry University and others like it, which portray themselves as institutes of higher education, and in prgtoken some respects, they bear similarity. Yet when it comes to the actual performance of these schools, it is much different. Many families don't know the difference. prgtoken I find in the city of Chicago, IL, that students--particularly when they reach their junior and senior years--are inundated with all this advertising on social media about for-profit colleges and universities. prgtoken I would say to Senator Hassan, there was a time in Washington before she arrived where you could find television ads that showed a young lady who appeared to be about 20 years old, in her pajamas, saying: I am here in my pajamas going to college at a for-profit college and university. prgtoken They tended to make it sound like it was a pretty easy formula. All you needed to do was log on, and the next thing you knew, you had a diploma, a certificate, and you were off for employment. That is not the real-world of for-profit colleges and universities. The real world is a much starker place. prgtoken I have often said that you can define this issue between for-profit colleges and universities and non-profit and public universities and colleges in America with two very simple numbers. This will be on the final. The numbers are 9 and 34. For-profit colleges enroll 9 percent of all postsecondary students. Nine percent go to for-profit schools. Thirty-four percent of all Federal student loan defaults are students from for-profit colleges and universities. prgtoken Nine percent of the students and 34 percent of the loan defaults. What is going on here? The answer is very obvious, and it really tells the story about for-profit colleges and universities. prgtoken They charge too much. All the surveys we looked at say their tuition is higher than you might run into at a local community college or a public university or a not-for-profit school. They charge too much tuition. prgtoken Secondly, too many students drop out before they finish. They are in so much debt, they can't continue. prgtoken Third, those who do finish and get a diploma find out it isn't worth much. They don't really end up in a job where they can pay off th
IMPROVING PROCEDURES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF NOMINATIONS IN THE SENATE--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-4-2

I want to associate myself with the comments of the Senator from Washington. She is exactly right. prgtoken We are rising today to speak about a very disturbing annual milestone that we are once again marking today. Today is known as Equal Pay Day, and here is what it means. prgtoken The average woman has to work 15 months just to get paid what the average man earns in 1 year alone. The reason today is Equal Pay Day is that it is today in the new year when the average woman finally gets paid what the average man earned the year before. If you are a woman of color, on average, you have to work even longer just to get paid what the average man earns in 1 year. prgtoken It is outrageous that we still don't actually have equal pay for equal work in this country, and it is the year 2019. It is shameful that women all across this country are being underpaid for the hard work they are doing every day. It is disgraceful that the gender wage gap is as wide as it is. This is happening in a moment in our Nation's history when women, more than ever before, are working outside the home, when many women are the actual primary breadwinner or the sole breadwinner for their family. prgtoken This is an alarming, glaring reminder of how badly our economy is failing so many workers and their families all over the country. Above all else, it is a reminder to all of us that as a country, we are still struggling to value women. We are still struggling to protect women from wage discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, workplace harassment, and unfair minimum wage; that we are still struggling to ensure that women and their families have access to paid leave, affordable daycare. All of these things add to the gender wage gap and make it even worse. prgtoken If a woman isn't getting paid a fair wage, the way she actually deserves, the wage she earned by putting in the hours of hard work, then that hurts her, her family, her children. It hurts our entire U.S. economy. It weakens the middle class. It is bad for our country. prgtoken There is no excuse for any of this. It is something all of us should be thinking about what we can do to correct, using our power to correct, because the fact that we still don't have equal pay for equal work in this country is an embarrassment. prgtoken We need equal pay for equal work, and we need it now. In this Chamber, we have a responsibility to make sure our workplace policies and our laws are actually protecting women, protecting their families, and protecting our economy as a whole. One of the best ways we can actually solve this problem is by finally passing this law. It is common sense. It guarantees equal pay for equal work once and for all. prgtoken The good news is we already have a bill, and it is ready to go right now. It is even bipartisan. It is called the Paycheck Fairness Act. It has already passed the House, and the only thing stopping it right now is the Senate. This bill
HONORING THE AMERICAN RED CROSS NORTHWEST CHAPTER
Jared Huffman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-4-2

. Madam , I rise today along with my colleague, Representative Mike Thompson, to recognize the important role of the American Red Cross Northwest Chapter which contributed to the 2019 presidential declaration of March as Red Cross Month. prgtoken Since its founding in 1881, the American Red Cross has become one of the nation's largest humanitarian organizations, providing disaster relief, emergency volunteer training, and support to military families across the country. Each year the Red Cross responds to an average of 62,000 disasters across the country, operating emergency shelters, serving meals and distributing relief materials to millions of disaster victims. These efforts are largely completed by a resilient network of volunteers that the organization has trained throughout the country, who are estimated to respond to an emergency once every eight minutes. This scale of service and rate of response is truly unmatched by other humanitarian efforts nationwide. prgtoken In the last few years, my colleague and I have both witnessed the importance of the American Red Cross Northwest Chapter in a time of crisis. During the 2017 and 2018 wildfires, the Northwest Chapter operated shelters, collected and distributed relief materials, and provided emotional and mental health support of fire victims throughout Northern California. In fact, the Northwest Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted 330 families with 123 local disasters and assisted 98 military families with emergency assistance this past year alone. And as recently as last month, the Red Cross was engaged in flood relief efforts in parts of my district that were severely impacted by rain and flooding caused by atmospheric rivers. prgtoken Since President Franklin D. Roosevelt first declared March as Red Cross Month in 1943, we have come together at this time, each year, to celebrate the accomplishments of the organization and raise awareness of its value to the American people. And as natural disasters continue to rise with each coming year, the humanitarian efforts of the American Red Cross and its many volunteers become that much more important. prgtoken Madam , the American Red Cross performs a critical humanitarian role throughout our country. The success of their efforts is largely connected to the organization's ability to recruit and train volunteers who can be called to action in their local communities. The American Red Cross Northwest Chapter has provided invaluable assistance to our congressional districts in time of highest need. Therefore, please join my colleague and I in thanking them and in helping to raise awareness for the American Red Cross by supporting the annual declaration.
IMPROVING PROCEDURES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF NOMINATIONS IN THE SENATE--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-4-2

the Senate failed to pass emergency relief funding yesterday to help the American families recovering from natural disasters. It failed for one reason--the s removed critical aid for Puerto Rico and other territories from the House bill after President told them to do it. Under this administration and with Leader McConnell's blessing, even disaster relief has now become political. prgtoken I don't need to litigate why we are here. Over the last 2 years, the American people have endured staggering natural disasters that have devastated communities across the country. These Americans need help. They need help now. I would parenthetically add, if there were ever evidence of global warming or of climate change, this would be it despite the fact that just about every has his head or her head in the sand and will not admit it. prgtoken Regardless of what you think the causes were, Americans have always stood together when American citizens have been hit by disaster. We band together and say we are going to help one another--all American citizens, all. Yet one part of America is not being treated like the others, and why not? It is because President , for reasons that defy decency, harbors an apparent contempt for the people of Puerto Rico. He tweeted again last night and erroneously claimed that $91 billion has been afforded the people of Puerto Rico. He ridiculed the leadership that has desperately tried to rebuild the island in the wake of these megastorms. prgtoken Let's get the facts straight. prgtoken The s know the storms that hit Puerto Rico over a year ago were not ordinary storms; they know these were historic catastrophes. We are talking about the deadliest disasters to hit American soil in over a century. We are talking about the worst power outage in American history. We are talking about 3,000 lives lost. Yet here we are, 18 months later, and the island hasn't recovered. prgtoken It is surreal that a disaster so awful has been met with a Presidential response that is so tepid and so heartless. It is surreal that our colleagues go along with this and say we are not going to help Puerto Rico in the way that is needed. Billions in funding for recovery and mitigation efforts right now remain locked in the Treasury. Congress already appropriated $20 billion that the administration has not allocated. All we want to do is make sure the money is allocated. That is one of the things we want to do. prgtoken Are our colleagues opposed to that? That is what it sounds like. Some of them say it is political. What is political is President 's saying no aid for Puerto Rico and having the s jump in line, even those with many Puerto Ricans in their States. Make no mistake, we have reached this impasse because the President has said himself he opposes help for Puerto Rico, and the s follow along. prgtoken Some of my col
IMPROVING PROCEDURES FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF NOMINATIONS IN THE SENATE--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2019-4-2

I would like to raise a few key points on this whole matter. prgtoken First, this is a question of international trade, which is a subject that has been handled by the Senate Finance Committee for literally decades. The full committee has not been consulted on this resolution. It is less than a week old, which, in my view, has not given Senators an adequate amount of time to consider it. Suffice it to say, the prospect of reshaping the American economy with sweeping trade deals is not something that ought to just rocket past the committee of jurisdiction. prgtoken Second, with respect to the substance of the request, I simply do not believe it is the role of the United States to give aid and comfort to the UK's nationalist right while it inflicts irreparable harm on the UK's own economy and citizens. prgtoken Third, thinking kind of objectively about the future, I don't believe anybody can pretend to know what the UK and its relationship with Europe is going to look like even in the near future. The Senate simply cannot make promises about trade talks months or years down the line when the May government doesn't even know what is coming down the pike in a matter of days. prgtoken Finally, there are serious issues that need consideration with respect to our trade relationship with the UK and Europe. That cannot happen if the debates play out in a slapdash process here on the floor of this Senate. prgtoken For example, European governments are in the process of implementing a new copyright regime that provides an easy way to chill free speech online with bogus copyright claims. A number of European governments, including the UK's, have proposed new digital services taxes. Let me repeat that. A number of these governments have proposed new digital services taxes. What they are attempting to do is loot American technology companies with discriminatory taxes--slapping what is essentially an extra tariff on American firms. prgtoken The UK would need to commit to abandoning these unfair policies, which, in my view, are serious barriers to trade, as a precondition of negotiations in the future. Otherwise, if the Senate were to, in effect, make promises on trade in the dark, we would risk surrendering our negotiating positions on these key issues which I have outlined without getting anything in return. prgtoken For the life of me, I just can't see the case for undermining our American businesses and American jobs for the benefit of the UK's nationalist right as they steer their own economy and international stature off a cliff. prgtoken For those reasons, , I object.
CONDEMNING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S LEGAL CAMPAIGN TO TAKE AWAY AMERICANS' HEALTH CARE
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-4-2

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I would hope that we could do what the gentleman from Oregon wants to do and work together in a bipartisan fashion. prgtoken I will say to him, however, that his party was in control from 2011 to last year, and there was almost no effort to accomplish that objective. There were, however, over 65 votes to repeal, and there was no replace. When his party won the Presidency as well, there was no replace. We passed something through this House that couldn't get through the Senate. The Senate was controlled by the gentleman's party. prgtoken This is something that is not optional for any of our citizens. Healthcare is essential, and they expect us to sit down and work together. prgtoken Unfortunately, today, we saw in a tweet--the President who campaigned on the basis of everybody was going to be covered at less cost and higher quality. We are now, I suppose, in about the 29th month in the President's term. He has sent us no bill--and this morning, he has the gall, in my opinion, to tell the American people: I have got a plan. It is secret, and I will show it to you in 2021. prgtoken What is interesting about 2021? It is after the election. prgtoken Elections ought to be about policy. The election of 2018 was about policy, healthcare, and, very frankly, our argument prevailed. Our argument was that we wanted to protect the Affordable Care Act; that we wanted to make sure that the protections included in the Affordable Care Act were available to all Americans. prgtoken Madam , I want to thank Representative Allred for introducing this resolution, and I rise in support of it. prgtoken Since taking office, President and his administration have been focused on doing everything it can to take affordable healthcare coverage options away from American families. prgtoken Madam , you can make healthcare a lot cheaper. Offer them no coverage--it is very simple--not hospitalization, not doctors' reimbursement, not this, not that, and not the other. We call them junk policies. They pretend to be health coverage when they are not. prgtoken The President did make two failed efforts along with his party to repeal the Affordable Care Act in Congress. They came after s tried to repeal or undermine the bill in more than 65 votes during their years in the majority. The American people do not want to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, because if they did, then they wouldn't have us in the majority because they know we want to keep it. They want Congress, however, to work to improve and make our healthcare system work better for all Americans, and, yes, have it affordable and accessible. prgtoken Instead, President and s have doubled down and tripled down on their agenda of sabotaging the law through executive actions on an almost weekly and monthly basis and through lawsuits like the one now pending in Texas. prgtoken I am not sure who convinced the Presiden
CONDEMNING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S LEGAL CAMPAIGN TO TAKE AWAY AMERICANS' HEALTH CARE
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-4-2

as the first registered nurse elected to Congress, I can attest to the importance of the Affordable Care Act in improving our country's health care, especially for the 133 million Americans living with pre-existing conditions--of which 11.5 million live in my home state of Texas. prgtoken Today, we bring a resolution to the floor that reaffirms our support of the Affordable Care Act and defends its protections. It is clear as day that this president and his administration will stop at nothing to tear down the very law that has expanded critical health care coverage to millions of Americans. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join us to protect the health care of all our constituents. We cannot stand silent when our health care system is thrown into chaos. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
Joseph D. Morelle (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-4-2

I thank the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi) for his eloquence and his leadership on this critically important issue. prgtoken I rise to express my strong opposition to the administration's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and pull the rug out from millions of Americans who rely on the ACA for essential health coverage. prgtoken Quality, affordable healthcare should be a right for every American, and we should make it easier, not harder, for individuals and families to get the insurance they deserve. prgtoken The House majority made a promise to always offer protections for individuals with preexisting conditions and fight back against those who seek to dismantle their fundamental protections. prgtoken That is why I am proud to cosponsor a resolution to reverse the administration's cruel attempts to sabotage care for Americans in need, and I thank Mr. Garamendi for his leadership with House Resolution 1884. prgtoken We will not allow people with preexisting conditions to go back to the days where they were denied coverage when they needed it the most. And I might also say, parenthetically--and I appreciate very much the gentleman from California's leadership as the superintendent of insurance in the State of the California--I had the privilege of working on legislation in New York back in the early nineties as a new member that introduced community rating in the State of New York and offered protections for preexisting conditions. prgtoken Subsequent to that, I had an opportunity to serve as the chair of the Insurance Committee in the New York State Assembly. prgtoken In that role, I was responsible for helping to implement the Affordable Care Act in the State of New York. prgtoken Many of the protections in the Affordable Care Act were already part of New York law. I am very, very proud of that; and continued to work on that as majority leader of the State Assembly. prgtoken But the protections which we, I think, rely on in New York are not available to all Americans, and to those plans which we are not able, as a state, to regulate, self-regulated plans and other plans protected by ERISA, don't have those protections. prgtoken So I think it is critically important as we continue to move forward that we work tirelessly. And I will work with my colleagues to protect and expand the Affordable Care Act, to lower costs and ensure hardworking families everywhere in America have healthcare that they can rely on.