mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
prayer
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-4-4

I rise to speak in opposition to the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. prgtoken Let me begin by making clear my view that the vacancy on the Supreme Court created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia was President 's to fill. In an act of unprecedented obstructionism that makes a filibuster pale in comparison, Senate s broke with longstanding Senate tradition and refused to hold a vote or even a hearing on President 's nominee, Judge Merrick Garland. prgtoken As we now consider President 's nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, we cannot ignore or forget this hyperpartisan action. We also cannot ignore how President came to nominate Judge Gorsuch. President went to two of the most partisan, conservative organizations he could find--the Koch brothers-supported Heritage Foundation and the rightwing Federalist Society--and said to them: Who do you want on the Supreme Court? They compiled their dream team of 21 ultraconservative candidates. President looked at the names on that list and asked himself which judge could pass the rightwing litmus tests he had articulated during the campaign. His choice was Judge Neil Gorsuch. prgtoken On the campaign trail, Candidate made clear that he was pro-life and would appoint pro-life judges to the Supreme Court. In one interview, he was asked about his pro-life position as follows: So, how important is that issue to you now? When President picks Supreme Court justices, would there be a litmus test? prgtoken responded: It is. It is. prgtoken During the second Presidential debate, Candidate doubled down on this issue. He was asked specifically about Roe v. Wade, the longstanding Supreme Court precedent establishing a woman's right to choose. The question to Candidate was ``Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade?'' prgtoken responded that he would ``be appointing pro-life judges,'' adding, ``Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on . . . that will happen,'' meaning Roe v. Wade will be overturned. prgtoken We know from 's own words that he had a litmus test for Supreme Court nominees on a woman's right to choose. That litmus test is that he will appoint only pro-life Justices who are committed to overturning Roe v. Wade. prgtoken What about a litmus test on guns? During the Presidential campaign, Candidate repeatedly emphasized his pro-gun views, which are in lockstep with the National Rifle Association. He was asked about a litmus test for the Second Amendment--specifically, the precedent established in the 2008 Supreme Court case of District of Columbia v. Heller. In Heller, the Justices ruled 5 to 4 that a commonsense Washington, DC, law banning handguns and requiring other firearms to be stored unloaded or locked vio
EQUAL PAY DAY
Jimmy Panetta (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-4

I rise today to recognize Equal Pay Day. This day marks how far into this year that a woman must work to earn what a man earned up to December 31 of last year. prgtoken In the United States, a woman is paid 20 percent less than her male counterpart. In California, a woman earns 86 percent of what men earn. Pay disparities in California are even more stark for women of color. Latinas make just 56 percent of what a man makes. prgtoken In order to continue to close the pay gap, Congress must pass the Paycheck prgtoken Fairness Act. That law would strengthen the Equal Pay Act by requiring employers to demonstrate that wage differences are not due to gender, and they would hold employers accountable for discriminatory actions. prgtoken This bill, which I proudly cosponsored, is only one step forward. Congress must also pass legislation to address family leave and fight to protect a woman's right to choose, because, ultimately, the challenges and burdens women face are shared by all Americans, and when half of our citizenry is in any way impeded from their full potential, all of our country suffers.
Introductory Statement on S. 842
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-4-4

I rise today to introduce the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act of 2017, also known as the Fair Chance Act. This criminal justice reform bill is designed to help returning citizens successfully obtain jobs and reintegrate into society. As the nation's largest employer, it is time the Federal Government leads by example and delays the criminal history inquiry until later in the hiring process. I thank Senator Johnson for his leadership on the Fair Chance Act, and I deeply appreciate Senators Baldwin, Ernst, Brown, and Portman for joining the bill as original cosponsors. prgtoken Everyone deserves the dignity of work and the opportunity for a second chance to earn a living. But far too many Americans who return home from behind bars have to disclose convictions on their initial employment application or initial job interview that often serve as insurmountable barriers to employment. This legislation would ensure that people with convictions--who have paid their debt to society and want to turn their lives around--have a fair chance to work. prgtoken By encouraging Federal employers to focus on an individual's qualifications and merit and not solely on past mistakes, the Fair Chance Act would remove burdensome and unnecessary obstacles that prevent formerly incarcerated people from reaching their full potential and contributing to society. It would also help reduce recidivism, combat poverty, and prevent violence in our communities by helping people get back to work. prgtoken Creating employment opportunities for our returning citizens benefits public safety. With little hope of obtaining a decent paying job, returning citizens are often left with few options but to return to a life of crime. A 2011 study in the Justice Quarterly concluded that the lack of employment was the single most negative determinant of recidivism. A report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that of the over 400,000 State prisoners released in 2005, 67.8 percent of them were rearrested within 3 years of their release, and 76.6 percent were rearrested within 5 years of their release. prgtoken Creating employment opportunities for our returning citizens strengthens our economy. Poor job prospects for people with records reduced our Nation's gross domestic product in 2008 between $57 billion and $65 billion. With an increasingly competitive global economy and to maintain America's competitive advantage, we must promote employment of all Americans. prgtoken Today, I introduce the Fair Chance Act, which would help eliminate barriers to employment for formerly incarcerated people and bring America closer to truly being a land of opportunity for all. It would preclude the federal government--including the executive, legislative, and judicial prgtoken branches--from requesting criminal history information from applicants until they reach the conditional offer stage. prgtoken This bill strikes the right balance. It would allo
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-4-4

I come to the floor to join my colleagues in speaking on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. As you know, Senators have a solemn obligation to advise and consent on a President's nominee for the Supreme Court, and I take that obligation very seriously. prgtoken My goal during the hearing as a member of the committee was to understand the judge's view on the law, his judicial record, and his philosophy. We needed to know what kind of Justice he would be and what that would mean for Americans. prgtoken Although many cases decided by the lower courts are less complicated, even though some of them are complicated, many of them are more straightforward than the ones that come before the Supreme Court. The cases that go before the Supreme Court are the hardest cases. They involve the most complicated legal gray areas. prgtoken I have heard my colleagues many times talk about some of the unanimous decisions that the judge was involved in. I know that. But when I look at the kinds of cases that come before the Supreme Court, those are different kinds of cases. As I looked over the judge's record, I tried to focus on situations where he faced hard cases like those he might decide as a Supreme Court Justice. In my mind, the question was this: What would Judge Gorsuch do if he were appointed to the Supreme Court? What kind of philosophy would he have? prgtoken In difficult cases, one judicial approach is to try to find consensus by ruling on the narrowest possible grounds. Judge Merrick Garland, who was nominated last year, was known and praised for that approach by Senators on both sides of the aisle. prgtoken Congress actually provides a helpful analogy. When and s pass legislation, we try to find common ground. We often have different views, but we do find areas of consensus. Sometimes that ground is narrow, but we can find agreement and then come together. prgtoken In reviewing the judge's record, I saw that he often took a different approach, one where he often tried to go a step further than the consensus opinion, sometimes really further than the consensus opinion by suggesting a provocative change in the law or by making a broader ideological leap, which I felt was not consistent with the precedent and was not consistent with the kind of philosophy of a judge that, regardless of their political beliefs--I did not expect to agree with everything he said or how he answered the questions, but what I saw was a strikingly different philosophy. prgtoken Many of the judge's opinions presented opportunities for narrow judicial consensus, but the judge decided more than the case in front of him. That is what concerns me if he were to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, where he would have to decide the toughest cases and hardest legal questions facing our country. prgtoken So after thorough examination and consideration of his answers
ENCOURAGING EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP ACT OF 2017
Keith Ellison (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-4-4

. Employees could decide to forego a salary increase and accept lower pay in order to receive more stock options; yet, those stock options could be worth way less than they expected. prgtoken Why should employees receive less information than any other minority shareholder? prgtoken If an employee is trusted enough to run day-to-day aspects of the business, they should be trusted enough to receive full disclosure about the stock. Employees should be able to receive information on the financial position of the company so they can make an educated decision. prgtoken It is not difficult to allow participating employees to sign nondisclosure agreements, and it can't be because these disclosures are an additional burden on the firm. These firms prepare these types of disclosures to receive rule 701 exemption from the SEC in the first place. prgtoken So I am also concerned about the mismatch of power between corporations and their employees, and I am very concerned that employees can be susceptible to pressure. Let me do a quick example. prgtoken George Maddox was one of 21,000 people who worked for Enron. After working at Enron for 30 years, he had 14,000 shares of company stock valued at $1.3 million. When Enron collapsed, he had literally nothing, . All of his retirement was Enron stocks. If you haven't watched the movie ``Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room'' recently, I would urge you to watch it again. You could also read Bethany McLean's book by the same name. prgtoken One image consistently stuck with me: a staff rally where leaders extolled the virtues of the firm. Just as we heard on the other side of the aisle a moment ago, leaders whipped employees into a frenzy to buy Enron stock, even as leaders knew it was worthless. In fact, corporate leaders had already sold their stock while urging employees to buy. Enron had a strategy of buying companies and then pressuring new employees to buy Enron stock to keep the stock price inflated. Since Enron usually fired 10 percent of the workers every year, workers felt pressured to buy stock to show commitment to the firm. prgtoken I can't just support a bill that gives employees fewer protections than investors. I can't support a bill that encourages employees to possibly forgo cash in their paychecks in exchange for some unverified investment option. It is not right. prgtoken , I see you reaching for the gavel. I will include the rest of my comments in the Record. I urge a ``no'' vote on this particular piece of legislation until it allows for disclosures. prgtoken Today we consider another bill requested by corporations. prgtoken But, I got to wonder, of all the things the American public want, why is a revision to the Securities and Exchange Commission rules--Section 701 to be precise--the priority for this week? prgtoken We've been here for three months now. prgtoken House s set the agenda. prgtoken They lead this governing body. prgtoken Why do they keep bring
DON'T CUT INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET
Albio Sires (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-4-4

. If I might, I couldn't agree with the gentleman more. Just to bring it even closer to home, we recently met with the attorneys general from the Northern Triangle. These attorneys general have been fighting corruption, have been fighting the cartel. We have assisted them with a small amount of money. These people put their lives every day in peril fighting the cartel, fighting this corruption. prgtoken In our conversation, they said to me: We need America's support to continue our work. If we stop now, all that we have accomplished until now is going to go for naught. prgtoken When you are talking about a small amount of money, the strong impact that it has on countries that, for decades, have experienced a great deal of corruption, and we finally have people that have stepped forward and want to fight this corruption and put their lives in peril every single day, I think we should support those people. Cutting and running away from these people can only hurt us. prgtoken This is just one small example of the impact that this 30 percent cut would have on this region.
prayer
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-4-4

I rise today, as I have risen so many times, basically for all of us to understand that we have the greatest country on Earth, a superpower of the world. prgtoken If you want to know the backbone of the United States of America, look up in the stands. These are the United Mine Workers of America, who made us the country we are today. They gave us the life we have and our freedom, and for people not to understand that makes no sense to me at all. prgtoken All I am asking is for my colleagues to understand that the miners protection simply is this: Keep your promise, the promise that we made basically to all the miners who have given their lives. They have given everything they have--their blood, sweat, and tears basically for us to have energy for this country of ours. Now all they are asking is: Can't we at least keep our healthcare? Can't we at least keep our pensions? We have worked for that. We have negotiated for that. Every contract they negotiated basically was a give-and-take proposition so that they would be able to continue to have this after they retire. prgtoken For a lot of our colleagues and comrades who have passed away, the widows and families they leave behind are still dependent on this healthcare. prgtoken We have been fighting for this. On April 28, we are going to lose it again--April 28. I know the way things work around here. Someone will come down and say: Well, we have negotiated a little extension. prgtoken I want to make sure everyone is on notice: We will use every vehicle we can, absolutely every pathway that we can to make sure we will not leave here until we have our miners protected. Our miners will be protected with their healthcare and their pensions. prgtoken All 48 are united. Many of our colleagues on the side have joined us or are willing to join us. All we are asking for is that vote. prgtoken I want to make it very clear: We will do anything and everything that we must. We have been very patient, but I am not going to have another notice sent out to our retired miners, to their families, to their widows saying: Well, we have given you another 90-day or 120-day extension. That is not going to happen this time. That is my commitment to them and their families. That is my commitment, basically, to the people who have depended on them. prgtoken Really, each and every one of us in this great country of ours should say thank you to them for the job that they have done. prgtoken We will fight this and we will continue to fight this onslaught, and I can't figure out why. prgtoken In October, 16,300 of our Nation's coal miners and their families were told that they would lose their healthcare on December 31. Then we extended it. prgtoken Can you imagine an elderly person receiving a notice the first of February, the end of January that says: Guess what, in 90 days, you are going to lose it again because we gave an extension until April of this year. <|
ENCOURAGING EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP ACT OF 2017
Eric Swalwell (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-4-4

this is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken Russia attacked our democracy this past Presidential election. This motion asks Members of this House: Do you want to do something about it? Do you want to do all you can to make sure it doesn't happen again? prgtoken If you do, support this amendment. If you don't, vote against it, and watch Russia and other adversaries of ours with similar cyber capabilities carry out similar attacks, and the very democracy that we treasure will erode before our eyes. But I believe we are a better body than one that would let another country attack us and then divide us. prgtoken What does this motion to recommit do? It requires any company-- particularly, I am concerned about financial institutions--to cooperate with all investigations into collusion between President , his campaign, his family, his businesses, and anyone on his team and Russia's interference campaign during the 2016 election. prgtoken The evidence is overwhelming. In the 2016 election, Russia ran a multifaceted electronic interference campaign against our democracy. They used paid social media trolls. They hacked ic emails and disseminated the information in those emails through cutouts like WikiLeaks and Guccifer 2.0. They had a clear preference for as their candidate. It was ordered by their own President, Vladimir Putin. prgtoken And most concerning for every person in this House--should be--they are sharpening their knives, and they intend to do it again. That was the final finding in the intelligence report. They are sharpening their knives and intend to do it again not just to the United States, but to our allies like France and Germany, who are a part of the best check on Russia, the NATO alliance. prgtoken Why are we concerned about finances and companies cooperating with the United States in this investigation? Well, we know from the Kremlin's playbook that they use financial entanglements as a means to recruit individuals or to peddle influence. prgtoken Why are we concerned about financial ties among and his team? Because unlike any Presidential candidate in the history of our Presidential elections, there are an unprecedented amount of personal, political, and financial ties to a foreign adversary. They include, but are not limited to: prgtoken Paul Manafort, where it is alleged he was paid by pro-Russian Ukraine Government individuals and also paid up to $10 million a year by Vladimir Putin's associates; prgtoken Former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who should have known better as the former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, should have known about Russia's playbook and their ability to influence people, but after leaving the DIA, went over to Moscow, sat next to Vladimir Putin, and was paid by Russia's p
DON'T CUT INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS BUDGET
Joaquin Castro (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-4-4

Congressman Engel mentioned maintaining the United States' position as a leader in the world and not ceding that to another country, whether it is China or Russia, who has been very aggressive, and it is not just maintaining a strong defense. prgtoken I represent what is known as Military City, USA: San Antonio, Texas. Once upon a time we had five military bases in San Antonio. We still have Joint Base San Antonio, which is a large operation. So it is not just about a strong defense, which we all support, but also about the hard work of diplomacy and development. prgtoken The United States, who has been a leader for so long, if we back away from our commitments, then we not only cede it to somebody else, but there is a good chance that a lot of that work is not going to get done, that the peoples in many nations around the world are going to become poorer, more desperate; and from that, only bad things can happen both for those peoples, but also for the neighboring countries, for the United States, and for the world. prgtoken Thank you for lending your strong voice to support for the diplomatic budget. prgtoken from New York.
WEATHER RESEARCH AND FORECASTING INNOVATION ACT OF 2017
Suzanne Bonamici (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-4-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , in addition to thanking all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have worked so hard on this legislation, I want to take a moment, also, to thank all of the staff in our offices and committee on both sides of the aisle who worked so hard on this legislation. prgtoken I encourage all my colleagues to support the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act, which includes the Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act. This legislation will improve weather forecasting and tsunami preparedness. prgtoken , I encourage everyone to support this bipartisan legislation, and .
HONORING THE LIFE OF SHERIFF BOB VASS
Doug Collins (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-4-5

I rise today to recognize the courageous life of Bob Vass, who was a true public servant to the Hall County community. prgtoken Mr. Vass was elected to be the sheriff of Hall County in 1992 and held that position for eight years before becoming a member of the State Board of Pardons and Parole. Our community will remember his dedication to the department and the citizens whom he served for years to come. prgtoken When he wasn't enjoying his favorite meal at the Longstreet Cafe, Sheriff Vass was continuously telling his neighbors stories of his time in law enforcement and his work for the Georgia Olympic Games. During the Atlanta Olympics he was in charge of studying terrorism in preparation for welcoming the centennial games to our great state. No matter the capacity, Bob's contagious smile and great sense of humor made him a bright figure around Hall County. prgtoken In addition to his work as a sheriff, he was a member of the Lanier Technical College Advisory Board, Edmonson-Telford Center for Children, and the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors. In each of these roles, he worked selflessly to change the lives of hundreds of individuals in the northeast Georgia community. prgtoken , while we mourn the loss of Sheriff Vass, we celebrate his many contributions to our state and the life of service that he led.