mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
21ST CENTURY FLOOD REFORM ACT
Michael E. Capuano (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-11-14

I don't even know if I need 2 minutes. prgtoken Look, this bill has some good things in it. Everybody admits that. It does. Like every bill I have ever voted on, there is some good, there is some bad. But this bill has more bad in it than good. prgtoken It has some good philosophy that I won't agree with the details. I agree we should do something about repetitive loss properties. I think everybody agrees with that, but not the draconian measures taken in this bill. prgtoken We all agree that we need to help make it a stable fiscal platform, but not what this bill does. That is the problem here. This is not a--I have seen worse bills. As a matter of fact, I have seen worse flood insurance bills, so this, I will have to admit, is an improvement over the last horrendous flood insurance bill. But it is not even close yet. prgtoken And the problem here, this is a missed opportunity. Flood insurance doesn't need to be partisan. It doesn't need to be based on philosophical purity. This is a necessity to many Americans, many middle class Americans, and there is no doubt, without winning or losing any votes at home, we could work this out if the majority wanted to. But you don't. prgtoken You don't want any ic votes. Apparently, you don't want all the votes. Why? I don't know. Maybe lighting candles at the altar of certain philosophies. prgtoken When this bill--not if--when this bill fails in the Senate, you are going to find a lot of people over this side who continue to want to work with you to come up with a bill we can all embrace. I know that will happen, and I look forward to that day. prgtoken This bill isn't it, and everybody here knows it.
RECOGNIZING BARR-REEVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Joe Donnelly (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2017-11-14

today I wish to recognize Barr-Reeve Elementary School of Montgomery, IN, for being named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. prgtoken Established in 1982, the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools that have demonstrated a vision of educational excellence for all students, regardless of their social or economic background. Since its inception, this program has allowed schools in every State to gain recognition for educational accomplishments, particularly in closing the achievement gaps among students. prgtoken Barr-Reeve Elementary School's history traces back to 1910 when it was known as Montgomery School and had 20 students. Today Barr-Reeve Elementary teaches students grades second to fifth and has approximately 290 students. prgtoken The school supports students academically through small class sizes. When students face academic challenges, teachers help tutor them before and afterschool as well as during recess. prgtoken Barr-Reeve Elementary utilizes innovative technology to learn about the geography and culture of the world on a digital level. Students each benefit from having a Chromebook, enhancing their learning and helping to prepare them for the technology based workplaces they will encounter in the future. Many teachers also utilize the nearby Naval Surface Warfare Center located in Crane, IN, for professional development and to take advantage of its lending library that enhances various STEM skills they can teach to students. prgtoken Barr-Reeve Elementary School's staff, students, and families work together to teach and foster values that develop strong character. Each month, a different social skill is modeled and taught throughout the school. Students reinforce these positive behaviors through cards handed out by the student council to recognize students' positive character and leadership skills. The student council also instituted a tutoring program during the lunch recess to allow students to help their peers. prgtoken Barr-Reeve Elementary School is an example of how dedication, motivation, collaboration, and strong family engagement in education benefits both students and the local community. At Barr-Reeve, parents are not only involved through an active parent teacher organization, but also as coaches, guest speakers, and volunteers in the classroom. prgtoken I am proud to recognize Barr-Reeve Elementary School principal Dena Langacher, the entire staff, the student body, and their families. The effort, dedication, and value you put into education has led not only to this prestigious recognition, but will benefit you and the Montgomery community well into the future. prgtoken On behalf of the citizens of Indiana, I congratulate Barr-Reeve Elementary School, and I wish the students and staff continued success in the future.
Yemen Humanitarian Crisis (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-11-14

my colleagues, cholera is a truly awful way to die. It is a manmade disease, a man-caused disease that this world could easily eradicate from existence. You become so dehydrated, you vomit so much liquid, your body dispenses so many nutrients, so much water through unending diarrhea, that your body is thrown into shock. You literally die from vomiting and diarrhea, sometimes over the course of hours, sometimes over the course of days, sometimes over the course of weeks. prgtoken Inside Yemen today, by the end of this year, there will be 1 million people diagnosed with cholera. prgtoken This picture I have in the Chamber is a hard image to see. I will replace it with this one. prgtoken One million people will be diagnosed with cholera. Thousands and thousands inside Yemen today are dying because of this disease. There is a humanitarian catastrophe inside this country--which very few people in this Nation can locate on a map--of absolutely epic proportions. This humanitarian catastrophe, this famine--one of four famines across the world today--is being caused in part by actions of the United States of America, and it is time that we do something about it as a body. prgtoken As we speak today, the Saudi-led coalition that has been engaged in an incessant 2-year bombing campaign in Yemen is blockading Yemen, not allowing any humanitarian relief, not allowing fuel or food or water to get into the country. prgtoken The coalition's blockade has grounded U.N. flights. It has prevented humanitarian workers from flying in and out of the country. It has barred ships from delivering lifesaving food, fuel, and medical supplies. A 25,000-metric-ton World Food Programme ship is currently, as we speak, being denied access to the port. As we speak today, hospitals and aid organizations inside Yemen are shutting down because they do not have enough fuel to continue operating. Vaccines will run out in the country by the end of the month. Prices for food and medicine are spiking such that they are unaffordable to the majority of Yemenis. Because of cholera alone, 2,000 people have died. Thousands of other civilians have died because of other humanitarian nightmares, including a lack of access to the medical system. prgtoken I mentioned that the blockade is being run by the Saudi-led coalition. The United States is a member of that coalition. For 2 years, the United States has been aiding the Government of Saudi Arabia in a bombing campaign of the Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. That bombing campaign caused this outbreak of cholera. Why is that? The bombing campaign deliberately targeted the electricity grid of Yemen in and around Sana'a, the capital controlled today by the Houthis. The water treatment facility runs on the electricity from that grid. prgtoken As you can read in a lengthy story in the New York Times from 2 days ago, the country no longer has the ability to treat water that goes to its capital becau
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-11-14

I rise in opposition to the nomination of Steven G. Bradbury to be General Counsel of the Department of Transportation. prgtoken Typically, the Department of Transportation has been a bastion of bipartisan cooperation. As former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said: ``There are no ic or highways, no such thing as ic or traffic congestion.'' Similarly, it has been the overwhelming position of the U.S. Senate that torture is disqualifying for high office. Mr. Bradbury's nomination threatens both of these traditions. prgtoken Based on his role in the approval of enhanced interrogation techniques during the administration, I believe Mr. Bradbury has failed to demonstrate the judgment that would merit the Senate to advise and consent on his nomination to any post. In addition, I am deeply troubled by his failure to commit to recuse himself from all matters related to his former client, the now-bankrupt airbag manufacturer, Takata, whose products are responsible for at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries. prgtoken From 2005 to 2009, Mr. Bradbury was the acting head of the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel and was responsible for coauthoring numerous legal memos that authorize torture. During that period, enhanced interrogation techniques approved by the Office of Legal Counsel included techniques that constituted torture or cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment. We would not accept such techniques being used on our servicemen and women held in captivity by our enemies. Yet Mr. Bradbury approved those techniques and, in doing so, endangered our men and women in uniform, and that danger still exists today. prgtoken Mr. Bradbury authored four separate memos authorizing the harshest form of detainee abuse, including waterboarding and other forms of cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. Not only did these legal memos authorize techniques that have been deemed abusive, they provided a green light for those willing to abuse enemy combatants in U.S. custody. prgtoken Following the revelations of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, the Senate, led by Senator John McCain, passed the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 by a vote of 90 to 9. That law prohibited detainee abuse by the military and other agencies. prgtoken However, legal opinions by Mr. Bradbury sought to provide a legal cover for the continued use of techniques that ran counter to the intent of that law. Our most respected military leaders have spoken out against the use of these unlawful interrogation techniques. A letter signed by 176 retired senior military leaders opposed the kind of torture techniques approved by Mr. Bradbury's Office of Legal Counsel. prgtoken Having had the privilege to serve in the Army of the United States, I believe they did this because they understood if we did it, our enemies would do it with even more gusto to our men and women, and it would be unconscionable
VOTE EXPLANATION
Cory A. Booker (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-11-14

I was necessarily absent for the votes on confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 254 and the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 383. prgtoken On vote No. 272, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 254. prgtoken On vote No. 273, had I been present, I would have voted nay on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 383.
Barbara Lee (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-11-14

I want to thank Ranking Member Slaughter for her tremendous leadership on so many of these very critical issues. prgtoken , I rise in strong opposition to this rule and to H.R. 2810, the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. This bill authorizes $700 billion in defense spending for our already out- of-control Pentagon budget. It would also increase funding by $66 billion for wars that Congress has never debated or voted on. And once again, my colleagues have used off-the-books spending gimmicks to further expand the already-bloated Pentagon budget. prgtoken , enough is enough. prgtoken Instead of writing blank checks to the Pentagon, Congress needs to live up to its constitutional obligation to debate matters of war and peace. We need to rip up the 2001 blank check for endless war. We need to stop funding wars without end. prgtoken Simply put, , we need to do our job. prgtoken And this Defense Authorization Act does just the opposite. It allows Congress to kick the can down the road AGAIN, while funding wars with no debate on the costs and consequences to our troops or to the American people. prgtoken , I do have to say that I am pleased by the passage of my amendment, which I co-authored with my good friend Congressman Burgess, to report on the audit-readiness of the Pentagon. This is a good first step, but much work remains to bring some accountability to Pentagon spending. prgtoken So I call on Ryan to act to actually audit bloated Pentagon spending and to bring forth an authorization so Congress can vote up or down on these wars. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote 'NO' on the Rule and the underlying bill and reject this wasteful spending.
DACA (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-11-14

it was 16 years ago that I introduced a bill known as the DREAM Act. The purpose of the DREAM Act was to give undocumented young people brought to the United States under the age of 18 an opportunity to go through a background check and to earn their way to legal status--16 years ago. The bill passed the Senate at various times and it passed the House, though never quite in the same year at the same time. prgtoken Now we face a crisis, literally. It is a crisis involving hundreds of thousands of these young people across America. It was just September 5 when the President of the United States announced that he was going to eliminate DACA. prgtoken DACA was the Executive order of President that allowed these Dreamers to come forward, pay a filing fee of about $500 or $600, submit themselves to a criminal background check, and, after that background check, if they cleared it, to be given a 2-year allowance to live in the United States without fear of deportation--2 years at a time--and the legal capacity to work. That was what DACA was about. prgtoken So 780,000 young people did it. They came forward. They surrendered the information about themselves and their families. They submitted themselves to criminal background checks, and they ended up getting the protection of DACA. They went on to go to school, to go to work, to become teachers or engineers, to go to medical school, and to do things that really mean that they will have a future in this country that will be a benefit to them and to all of us. prgtoken So President said that program will end on March 5, 2018, and he established a deadline, for those who were going to see their DACA eligibility end during that period of time, for them to renew. The deadline was October 5. It meant that they had to come forward with the filing fee and at least apply to go through the process again. It was quite a hardship on many of these young people to come up with the money for the filing fee and to realize that the clock was ticking in a very meaningful way about their ability to protect themselves. Many of them stepped forward and asked for help from families, from churches, and from friends to come up with the filing fee to make sure that they renewed their DACA eligibility in time. prgtoken Let me tell you what happened to some of them who went through this process. prgtoken Here is one case. On September 14, Allison Baker, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society in New York, sent one of these young individuals' application to renew this permit that would let him stay and work in the United States legally as part of DACA. The date of September 14 should be remembered because the deadline for filing was October 5. To be sure, this lawyer sent this renewal application for this young man by certified mail. Back in the day when I practiced law, that was one way to make sure you had written proof of when you actually mailed something far in advance
Tax Reform (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-11-14

I come to the floor today to highlight yet another dangerous nominee who has been put forth by this administration. prgtoken During the campaign, President made promise after promise to workers. He said he would put them first. He said he would bring back good-paying jobs to our struggling communities. While he made this promise to all workers, he specifically called out miners on more than one occasion, so it would stand to reason that President would prioritize the Mine Safety and Health Administration and nominate a leader who is committed to the agency's core mission. prgtoken MSHA is critically important to ensuring that mining jobs are safe and that mining companies aren't unnecessarily endangering their workers' lives and safety. MSHA is responsible for inspecting mines and holding companies accountable when they violate safety and health standards. MSHA's top priorities are to eliminate fatal mining accidents, reduce the frequency and severity of accidents, and minimize health hazards for workers through inspection enforcement. prgtoken Unfortunately, we are already seeing MSHA safety standards lapse under the administration. Earlier this year, MSHA was set to implement a rule that would require safety exams of mines prior to the start of a miner's shift. Ensuring mines are safe before miners are put at risk should not be controversial. Yet the administration has delayed implementation of that rule and proposed changes to actually weaken it. prgtoken Given this concerning record so far, it is so critical--absolutely critical--that the MSHA Administrator is committed to standing up for our miners. But instead of nominating an advocate for workers' health and safety, President nominated one of the industry's worst offenders. prgtoken David Zatezalo is a mining industry executive who has made it clear that he cares more about corporate profits than workers. When he was the CEO of Rhino Resources, one of the mines under Mr. Zatezalo's control received unprecedented safety penalties. A Rhino mine was the first in history to be cited twice for a pattern of violations, an action that is only taken when there is a clear and demonstrated disregard for workers' health and safety. prgtoken When the administration issued commonsense rules to improve the pattern of violations process, the Ohio Coal Association, where Mr. Zatezalo sat on the board of directors, sued to block the rule. prgtoken Under Mr. Zatezalo's leadership, two separate mines owned by Rhino Resources had injury rates that far exceeded the national average. prgtoken As a mining executive, Mr. Zatezalo refused to play by the rules. His company violated the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act by giving advance notice of an MSHA inspection, meaning employees had the opportunity to cover up potential health and safety violations. prgtoken Rhino Resources was sued by the EEOC for creating an unlawful, hostil
NOT A TAX BILL FOR OUR TIME
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-11-14

this tax bill is not about the future. It is about our past. Millions of Americans, middle class families, will have increased taxes under this tax scam. prgtoken In fact, in the State of Texas, 230,000-plus Texans will pay an average of over $6,000 more in taxes. That is a tax scam. prgtoken In addition, , this is not a futuristic tax bill. This is not a tax bill for our times. This is a tax bill that implodes higher education. For instance, it does not allow the deduction of student loans or interest payments on those loans or tuition or expenses, eliminating the opportunity for educational growth. prgtoken It eliminates the tax credit for research and innovation; again, stymieing the growth of the United States as it relates to research and innovation. Then to the large universities, the endowments that are used to help our students to build complexes to educate the best and the brightest are eliminated. prgtoken This is a tax scam. It is a tax scam on higher education. It is a tax scam on hardworking middle class Americans. It deserves a resounding ``no'' vote because we don't want to go back. We want to go toward the future.
21ST CENTURY FLOOD REFORM ACT
David Scott (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-11-14

I thank Ranking Member Waters for yielding. prgtoken First, it is very important for us to understand that flooding, Mr is no longer just a coastal lawmaker's problem. Flooding is now running rampant in every part of our country. prgtoken So I think that every Member on the floor today and every Member of Congress needs to ask themselves a question, and that is: Are you really willing to put your name on this bill? Are you really willing to vote for this bill that will drastically raise premiums on your constituents without putting the necessary guardrails in place so those who can't afford the high costs can still buy flood insurance? prgtoken Now, one example I am talking about is this, --and I want to make this clear. I hope that there are listeners on C-SPAN who will tune in. Call your neighbors, call somebody. So you listen to this: This bill, H.R. 2874, will require policyholders to pay for any assistance they get when their States create affordability programs. prgtoken Here is an example: Mr. Duffy's bill allows for the creation of a voluntary State-run affordability program. But here is the catch, Mr. : there isn't one dime of funding provided in this bill to set up and implement this program. prgtoken Instead, Mr. Duffy's bill says the cost of any discount given to policyholders will have to be offset by fee increases on other policyholders within the same State. prgtoken Now, , this is the Achilles' heel in this flood insurance business. I can guarantee you that this would have a gravely negative impact on all of us who are low to middle income. prgtoken , I made it clear to Mr. Jeb Hensarling, our distinguished chairman; and to Mr. Duffy that we are willing to walk across party lines.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 2810, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-11-14

the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have demonstrated admirable bipartisanship in completing this year's NDAA. prgtoken This past weekend, as I celebrated Veterans Day in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by honoring local veterans, we spoke about the importance of taking care of our servicemembers, and I think this year's NDAA does a good job in doing that. prgtoken I am very proud of the assistance to legal permanent residents who serve in our Armed Forces in understanding their naturalization options. I am also very happy about investments we made in improving diversity, such as the DOD Cyber Scholarship Program, grants for women and minorities in STEM, and funding for HBCUs. I think that these investments will yield a diverse and stronger national defense workforce for our country's future. prgtoken I am also happy that we have continued support for the tactical aircraft that are manufactured in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, which are very critical to our local economy and our Nation's defense. prgtoken I am very happy to have been a conferee, and I am very proud of the hard work that the committee staff has done to help complete this vital piece of legislation. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this conference report, and I want to respectfully remind my colleagues on both sides of the aisle how critical this funding is to our national security.