mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Remembering Daniel Akaka (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-4-10

last Friday, America lost a good and gracious person, a statesman, and many of us in the Senate lost a personal friend. prgtoken Senator Daniel Akaka was as kind and decent a man as you would ever meet in life. For 3\1/2\ decades, Danny Akaka served the people of Hawaii in the U.S. Congress with dignity, humility, and deep caring. prgtoken The Hawaiian concept of ``aloha'' isn't a quality that many think of when they think of politicians. ``Aloha'' means mutual regard and affection. It means extending warmth and caring with no obligation in return, no strings attached. Danny Inouye, that giant of Hawaii and its history, once called Danny Akaka ``a true ambassador of aloha.'' prgtoken When Danny Akaka announced in 2011 that he would not run for reelection to the Senate, then-Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie said: The words aloha and Akaka are interchangeable. Daniel Akaka is Hawaii. prgtoken Now, at age 93, Senator Akaka is gone. I first met him in 1983. I was a newly elected Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Then we sat together on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, the two of us next to one another down at the far end of the table. Danny had 6 years' seniority on me. We served together, worked together, laughed together, traveled together, and came to be friends. prgtoken Here was a man, a great politician, who didn't have a personal ego. Politics was always about someone else, about helping other people. In fact, he went out of his way to avoid the spotlight. But don't think for a minute that he was weak. I have memories seared in my mind-- certainly October 11, 2002, when 22 Members of the ic caucus in the Senate voted against the resolution authorizing President to invade Iraq--the Iraq war resolution Danny Akaka opposed. I can recall that it was nearly 1 in the morning when that rollcall ended and he left the floor after that historic vote. Soft-spoken, yes. Capable of making hard, meaningful, courageous decisions, certainly. That was a lonely road. I believe history has judged it to be the right vote. prgtoken Danny Akaka's vote, like so many, was deeply influenced by his own experience in the U.S. military. At 17 years of age, he witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Two years later, after serving as a welder and diesel mechanic with the Army Corps of Engineers, he entered Active Duty with the Army and served in several areas across the Pacific. prgtoken After the war, he used his GI benefits to go to college, and only later did he realize he was still carrying a wound from that war--post- traumatic stress disorder. He said that earning a bachelor's and master's degree in education and working as a public school teacher and principal--his first profession--helped him to cope with PTSD. prgtoken In politics, his second career, he used his influence to help other members of the military, veterans and their families. prgtoken In 2008,
Equal Pay Day (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-4-10

thank you. prgtoken from Rhode Island, who has been a great advocate for moving this country forward on everything from campaign finance rules to labor, to justice, and to keeping our planet as clean as possible. prgtoken During his campaign, Candidate made a lot of big promises to workers in Ohio and across the country. He told them he would put American workers first, but too often the people he has put in charge have a record of doing exactly the opposite. That is certainly true of the two nominees to the Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board whom we will consider this week, Patrick Pizzella and John Ring. prgtoken Think about this. They have spent their careers working to strip workers of their rights, defending corporations that are accused of mistreating workers, and trying to undermine collective bargaining rights. prgtoken Mr. Pizzella worked for disgraced former lobbyist and convicted felon, Jack Abramoff. They worked on the same lobbying team at the law firm of Preston Gates, trying to keep workers from being protected by Federal labor laws. These are the candidates the President of the United States, who talked about empowering workers and being on the side of workers, has nominated, one for the Department of Labor and one for the National Labor Relations Board. They have been busy through their professional careers--and very well paid doing it--trying to keep workers from being protected by Federal labor laws. prgtoken I know everyone is entitled to representation, but when you devote your life to keeping workers from having collective bargaining, keeping workers from working in a safe workplace, and defending companies who are accused of mistreating workers, it makes you wonder. prgtoken Mr. Pizzella also previously served at the Department of Labor, but his record there gives us no reason to rehire him at the Department of Labor. He worked at the Wage and Hour Division. He was supposed to look out for workers being cheated by their bosses out of the paychecks they had earned. prgtoken All over my State, from Cleveland to Cincinnati, from Ashtabula to Lima, from Marietta to Bryan and Toledo, I prgtoken hear stories of workers who simply couldn't fight back when their employers would occasionally cheat them out of a paycheck or overtime or misclassify them. We know most employers don't do that, but we know it happens with some regularity in communities all over my State and all over our country. That is why it is so important to have someone at the Department of Labor who looks out for the worker who doesn't often have a strong voice, as opposed to always siding with the employer on every issue. prgtoken Instead, an independent review by the Government Accountability Office found that when he was in his Department, the Wage and Hour Division was ineffective and actually discouraged workers from lodging complaints to get their hard-earned mo
IN CELEBRATION OF CONNIE KALITTA'S 80TH BIRTHDAY
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-4-10

I rise today to recognize Connie Kalitta on his 80th birthday. He has bettered our nation's transportation industry through his lifetime of work. prgtoken Born in Mount Clemens, Michigan in 1938, Mr. Kalitta is a lifelong Michigan resident who has long spent his career giving back to the state that he loves. He has had a lifelong passion for drag racing, beginning in the 1950s and retiring driving in 1995. Throughout his driving career he has been awarded numerous accolades, including induction to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1992 and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2002, as well as receiving the National Hot Road Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in November 2016. prgtoken In addition to his storied racing career, Mr. Kalitta has played a large role in our state and country's aviation industry and history. He has been nominated to receive the prestigious National Air Carrier Association Ronald N. Priddy Partners in Airlift Medal just this year, signifying his longstanding influence on our state and the industry. He employs over 1,500 Michiganders at his air and motorsports stores in Oscoda. His friends know him as ambitious and kindhearted and always willing to try something new. We are grateful for his years of influence on our state and prestigious racing career and wish him a very happy birthday with many more to come. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Connie Kalitta on his 80th birthday. He has played an important part in our state's history and has had a prestigious racing career.
EQUAL PAY DAY
Joyce Beatty (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-4-10

this Equal Pay Day, I rise to call for the closing of the gender pay gap. prgtoken Last year, women earned a meager 80 cents for every dollar earned by a man. prgtoken That's a $10,000 difference in paychecks or another 100 days of work to earn what men earned just last year. prgtoken That's shameful. prgtoken Even more shameful: for women of color, the pay gap is even wider: 63 cents on the dollar for Black women; and 54 cents for Latinas. prgtoken In my own district, the gender pay gap stands at 89 cents. prgtoken While that is better than most, we cannot rest until women in Central Ohio and across the country are paid dollar-for-dollar. prgtoken Congress can help make pay equity a reality by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would make it harder for pay discrimination to infect the workplace. prgtoken Because, when women are given a level playing field, companies benefit, families prosper, communities grow, and our economy is stronger. prgtoken Yes, when women succeed, America succeeds.
VOTE EXPLANATION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-4-10

I was necessarily absent for the votes on the prgtoken confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 539 and the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 728. prgtoken On vote No. 65, had I been present, I would have voted yea on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 539. prgtoken On vote No. 66, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 728.
EVA VANG
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-4-10

I rise today to recognize and applaud Eva Vang for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Eva Vang is a student at Mandalay Middle School and received this award because her determination and hard work have allowed her to overcome adversities. The dedication demonstrated by Eva Vang is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives. I extend my deepest congratulations to Eva Vang for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt she will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of her future accomplishments.
Nominations of John Ring and Patrick Pizzella (Executive Session)
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-4-10

I am here today to urge my colleagues to oppose the confirmation of two nominees--John Ring, who has been nominated to the National Labor Relations Board, and Patrick Pizzella, who has been nominated Deputy Secretary of Labor. These two nominees have been selected to hold critical jobs to protect workers. That is what these jobs are about. prgtoken I will be blunt. I start with a pretty high bar here since, despite his campaign rhetoric from 2 years ago, the President's track record on standing up for workers has been absolutely miserable. From the day he nominated Andrew Puzder--an executive who delighted in mocking and belittling his own low-wage workers--to run the Department of Labor, this administration has delivered one gut punch after another to America's working people. prgtoken The National Labor Relations Board is responsible for protecting the rights of workers to organize and bargain for better wages and benefits, so as we consider President 's latest nominee for the Board, it makes sense to look at what his nominees so far have already done. prgtoken Look at the new majority's very first week back on the job back in December. In just 5 days, the Board mowed its way through a giant wish list of areas where giant companies were begging to be let off the hook for violating workers' rights. prgtoken Allowing employers to shirk their collective bargaining obligations by contracting out workers? Check. prgtoken Making it easier for employers to control the outcome of union elections. Check. prgtoken Opening the door for workplace rules that chill workers' ability to join together on the job. Check. prgtoken Allowing cases to be ``settled'' without input from the workers whose rights are affected by the settlement. Check. prgtoken Just as troubling as these anti-worker decisions themselves are the egregious conflicts of interest behind them. prgtoken From the moment he was nominated by President , I have repeatedly raised concerns about Board Member William Emanuel's history of representing big corporations that have abused their workers and about his mile-long list of potential conflicts of interest. Sure enough, after just a few months on the Board, NLRB's inspector general determined that Mr. Emanuel participated in not one but two important decisions involving his former law firm, which directly violated his ethics pledge. In response, the Board vacated one of its most consequential decisions of the last year, and Member Emanuel lost any remaining credibility that he could be an impartial Board member. So I called on him to resign. prgtoken Now the President wants us to put John Ring on the Board. I have asked Mr. Ring to provide a list of clients and cases that might require his recusal. To his credit, he has done so. But Mr. Ring's long list of clients is a huge red flag. Either he will ignore the ethics rules when they are inconvenient--like Mr. Emanuel did--or
Seizure of Information (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-4-10

yesterday FBI agents, at the direction of the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, seized information from President 's personal attorney, Michael Cohen. It was reported that the referral to the U.S. attorney's office originated with Special Counsel Mueller, but the raid itself was under the direction of the U.S. attorney's office and New York FBI agents. prgtoken We don't know the reason for Special Counsel Mueller's referral. We do know that any referral must have been signed off by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Furthermore, the U.S. attorney's office in New York would have to be convinced that whatever information Mr. Mueller passed along was worth pursuing, and the U.S. attorney would have to convince an independent magistrate or judge--nonpartisan--that there was probable cause to believe that seizing information from Mr. Cohen would yield evidence of a crime. That is a serious and high standard that had to be met. prgtoken I go through these details because it is important to understand that yesterday's events could only have been the result of a rigorous legal process, with checks every step of the way and with a very high burden of proof. Yet, last night, President said the FBI raid was a ``disgrace,'' part of a ``witch hunt,'' an ``attack on our country,'' and mentioned that many people have encouraged him to fire Mr. Mueller. ``We'll see what happens,'' he concluded. prgtoken Let's break this down. The President suggests that the latest events are part of the partisan conspiracy against him. I remind the President that the source of the referral, Special Counsel Mueller, is a lifelong . The Deputy Attorney General who signed off on the referral, Rod Rosenstein, is a , appointed by President . The Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, is a , appointed by President . The U.S. attorney for the Southern District in New York, who sought a search warrant based on that information, is a , appointed by President . The agents in New York who carried out the seizure are under the direction of Christopher Wray, a , appointed by President . prgtoken If President believes this to be a partisan conspiracy, he once again ignores the fact that every major player is a , and all but the judges are appointed by President himself. The partisan affiliation of those involved really doesn't matter. These are all law enforcement officers simply doing their job--a job enshrined by the Constitution of the United States. prgtoken The President also tweeted this morning that ``attorney-client privilege is dead.'' prgtoken , attorney-client privilege is alive and well, but there is an exception when the attorney might be involved in a crime or fraud. It is well known as the crime-fraud exception. That exception is obviously in play today. Law enforcement officers believe there is
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2018-4-10

I wish to recognize Scipio White for his service to our Nation, the Commonwealth, and to the Monessen community in Pennsylvania. prgtoken In 1941, Scipio entered the Army to defend our Nation during WWII. He was recognized early on for his leadership skills and his ability to interact with individuals of all backgrounds. Upon completing officer training school, Scipio was commissioned lieutenant. He became one of the first African Americans to serve as a field officer during WWII. prgtoken After the war concluded, Scipio continued his military career as an Army Reservist, eventually securing the rank of major. He served as branch president and vice president of his local Reserve Officers Association and is also active with the Military Officers Association of America. prgtoken Returning to Pennsylvania, Scipio continued his government service with the Post Office for 41 years. During that time, he completed a business degree from Douglas Business School in Monessen. Additionally, he was a board member of the Mon Valley Community Health Center during its inception and served on the board of the Washington County Postal Credit Union. prgtoken Today Scipio's devotion to the community remains evident. He actively works with the Monessen Clean Air Coalition to promote smoking cessation and remains a long-term member of the NAACP. For more than 50 years, he has worked with the Mon Yough Lodge No. 79 and is a 32 Sublime Prince with the St. Cyprian Consistory No. 4 in Pittsburgh, PA. prgtoken I commend Scipio White for his life of service and leadership on behalf of the Nation, the Commonwealth, and the residents of Monessen, PA.
COMBAT ONLINE PREDATORS ACT
Stephanie N. Murphy (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-4-10

I am proud to be the lead on this bill, and I want to thank my colleague and friend Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick for his leadership on this important issue. prgtoken This bipartisan legislation toughens Federal antistalking laws by increasing the penalty for convicted defendants by up to 5 additional years when their victim is a minor. The bill also requires the Department of Justice to review the enforcement of stalking laws at the State and Federal level and to identify best practices for enforcing such laws. Publishing best practices will help law enforcement agencies and prosecutors around the country secure convictions in these difficult cases. prgtoken There is nothing more important than protecting our children from harm. Those adults who harass or intimidate minors, whether in cyberspace or in our communities, must understand that the penalty for their conduct will be severe. prgtoken , I am pleased the House will approve this bill today, and I urge the Senate to swiftly do the same.
REMEMBERING DR. RITA JACKSON SAMUELS
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2018-4-10

it is with a heavy heart and solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding businesswoman, dedicated public servant, mentor to many, trailblazer, and one of Georgia's most prolific women's rights advocates, Dr. Rita Jackson Samuels. Sadly, Dr. Samuels passed away on Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at the age of 72. Her funeral service was held on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at noon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. prgtoken A native of Forsyth, Georgia, Dr. Samuels attended Claflin University, Morris Brown College, and Georgia State University and received her Business & Secretarial Science Certification from Dimery's Business College in Atlanta, Georgia. prgtoken As a young woman, she worked as a secretary for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under the administrations of several influential individuals and alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1971, Dr. Samuels became the first African-American female in Georgia's history to serve on the personal staff of a Georgia Governor as then- Governor Jimmy Carter's Coordinator of the Governor's Council on Human Relations. Governor Carter personally selected her to oversee the hanging of the Martin Luther King, Jr. portrait in the Georgia State Capitol. After Carter became president, she worked as a consultant with his prgtoken White House Staff in 1977. In 1983, served as Director of the Office of Citizens & Community Affairs under former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and on the national board of a National Anti-Poverty Rural Development Agency. prgtoken Dr. Samuels was not only a dedicated public servant but also a strong and passionate innovator and activist who fought tirelessly to preserve women's history and made sure that the achievements of African-American women were properly recognized. She founded the Georgia Coalition of Black Women, Inc. in 1981; advocated for the creation of the Georgia Commission on Women in 1991 and the Atlanta Commission on Women in 2001; and was the co-founder of the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda and Women Flying High, LLC, a 100 percent female-owned business enterprise that is dedicated to increasing women's share of public and private sector contracts, in 2005. She also founded ``The Ballot Power'' of Women Voters Lecture Series and the Women in Government Internship and produced ``Sisterhood Voices'' on the Air Radio Show. She helped to launch the careers of several African-American woman leaders from rural Georgia counties who would go on to serve as mayors, commissioners, and judges. prgtoken Over the course of her life, she served as on a variety of boards and in a number of organizations at the local, state, and national levels. She also received numerous awards and commendations, including ``Keys to the City'' of several cities, including her hometown of Forsyth, Georgia. Governor Joe Frank appointed her to the State Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission and a