mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF THE ACA
Bradley Scott Schneider (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today in strong opposition to efforts to undo the Affordable Care Act without offering at least an equal solution for American families. prgtoken Take, for example, the story of a woman I will call Anne, a constituent who contacted my office. At 62 years old, Anne's husband lost his job of nearly 30 years. Along with a good portion of their income, her family lost the source of their health insurance. Because Anne works 29 hours per week, she does not receive healthcare benefits through her employer. prgtoken On the ACA marketplace, Anne's family was able to find affordable coverage. She says that when the bottom dropped out of her health care, the ACA was there. prgtoken She writes: ``My husband, myself, and our daughter in college all work and pay taxes. I cannot fathom why our Federal Government wants to penalize us by undoing a program that is working. Work to improve the ACA. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.'' prgtoken I could not agree more. prgtoken Repeal and run is irresponsible and will hurt real people like Anne. We need to build on the foundation of the ACA so more of our families have access to quality, affordable health care.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 44, DISAPPROVING RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR RELATING TO BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.J. RES. 57...
Joseph Crowley (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-2-7

I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding. prgtoken , first, let me say that the previous question and the rule should be defeated not just because it is designed to undo the protections that help the American people but because voting for this will prevent Congress, this Chamber, this body from clearly rejecting some of the White House's worst behavior. prgtoken Just over a week ago, the White House issued a statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. That statement failed to mention that 6 million Jewish people were killed in the Holocaust. It never mentioned them. prgtoken It is deeply troubling because the United States has, until now, been at the forefront of the fight against efforts that would deny the extent of Jewish suffering and death during the Holocaust. And yes, there are still many deniers of the Holocaust who traffic in conspiracy and claim the whole thing never happened. prgtoken It should be a shocking omission coming from the White House, but, frankly, not all that surprising for an administration based on a campaign that trafficked in anti-Semitism. prgtoken But you know what? I thought to myself: maybe they will fix the statement; maybe this is all a misunderstanding, an accident. But no, they didn't fix it. They doubled down and they defended it. Not only that, we found out that the White House purposely took out the language stating that Jews died in the Holocaust. So it was not an error. It was purposeful from beginning to end. prgtoken Now, I know this: the White House thinks it is living in a post- factual world. They think that they can get away with saying anything they like and anything they want and that people will just believe it. But the truth is, what they say has very, very real consequences. prgtoken Even after our parents and grandparents, the Greatest Generation, fought and worked so hard to defeat Nazism, now we see a public dinner party held right here in this city where people were doing the Nazi salute. prgtoken Even after there has been so much work to stop targeting religions, now we are seeing a resurgence of swastikas across the country and around the world. prgtoken Even after law enforcement has worked hard to protect our people, now there is a wave of bomb threats against synagogues. prgtoken This is what is happening. This is fact. Frankly, those now feeling emboldened were inspired by the President, first in his campaign and now in his Presidency. prgtoken We all know that one of the President's members of his National Security Council led a website that fosters extremist views. So don't count me amongst the surprised when the White House issues a statement like this, but don't expect me to accept it either. None of us, nor , should accept it. prgtoken So I urge my colleagues to vote against this previous question, against this rule, to allow consideration of a resolution that states this Congress' clear position against Holocaus
WHAT HAS WASHINGTON DONE TO YOU?
Jamie Raskin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-2-7

. Thank you so much, Mr. Garamendi. Thank you for convening us to talk about the first month of the administration. The attacks on our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and the rule of law are coming fast and furious, so it is hard to collect all of them, and I appreciate the effort to try to inventory them today. prgtoken I represent the wonderful people of Montgomery County, Frederick County, and Carroll County, Maryland, the Eighth Congressional District, and I am, by training, a professor of constitutional law which I have done for the last quarter century at American University. prgtoken So in reviewing the highlights--or the low lights--of the last several weeks, Mr. Garamendi, I thought I would start, actually, with my very first day on the job. I went to sign up for health insurance in the basement of the Longworth House Office Building, which I was delighted to do because my job entitles me to sign up for health insurance, and I recognized how fortunate I was. As I was down there, a number of other new Members began to form, and I looked at them. prgtoken Then, as I was going through, at the same time, some memoranda that my office had received, I noticed that some of the first bills we were going to be looking at were to set the stage for dismantling the Affordable Care Act, for voucherizing Medicare, for pulverizing Medicaid and downsizing it, for demonizing Planned Parenthood, and for making it impossible for hundreds of thousands of citizens across the country to get basic health care. prgtoken I said to myself: Tell me that it is not the case that I am entering Congress with other Members who are going to be signing up for health insurance that they get as part of their job, and then they are going to go upstairs to the floor of the House and vote to strip 22 million Americans of their health care in the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken But, believe it or not, this is precisely what has transpired, and there is a very clear move on to try to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. The majority has voted more than 60 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but America has woken up to the fact that it is for real this time, and we have hundreds of thousands--millions--of citizens mobilizing across the country to defend the Affordable Care Act and to demand accountability from their Member of Congress. I am thrilled to see that. prgtoken Also, during the last few weeks, we all read a report from 16 intelligence agencies of the United States, including the FBI, the CIA, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and a dozen more, all of them expressing their confidence and their very strong belief that Vladimir Putin, the KGB, and the Russian Government worked a campaign to undermine and sabotage American democracy in the 2016 Presidential election. It included acts of cyber sabotage, espionage, fake news, and propaganda that all entered into American political discourse and our inst
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO ACCOUNTABILITY AND STATE PLANS
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 57. This reckless measure rolls back the progress made by the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, by making it easier for schools to ignore vulnerable or underachieving students. prgtoken Before ESSA, American schools operated under the one-size-fits-all model of No Child Left Behind. What we got was a lopsided understanding of our education system--one that focused on meeting unforgiving benchmarks and turned a blind eye to students who needed more support. prgtoken Then, after years of careful, bipartisan work, we finally succeeded in passing ESSA last Congress. Thanks to the work of the Congressional Tri-Caucus, this bill made needed changes to ensure that vulnerable students, including English language learners and students of color, didn't slip through the cracks. In fact, the accountability provisions within ESSA were specifically designed to protect the rights of every student and ensure that struggling schools have the resources and support they need to succeed. prgtoken Now, by rescinding the rule which implements the core of this law, s are undoing all of that work in the name of relentless deregulation. Worse, they are, once again, using the little-known Congressional Review Act, which means no future administration can issue a rule like this ever again. prgtoken Most Americans are unfamiliar with the Congressional Review Act because, before this Congress, it has only been used once before. Now s are using it almost daily to weaken our government and support fewer people. prgtoken With today's vote, s are taking an ax to equity provisions of ESSA and prioritizing politics over students. Rather than pass this extreme measure, we should focus on a way to enforce ESSA and ensure that every student, no matter their race, income level, or language ability, has access to a quality education. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to prioritize our Nation's students and vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 57.
COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY
Joaquin Castro (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today to voice my serious concern regarding President 's respect for, and adherence to, the United States Constitution. In short, something is not right at the White House. prgtoken His behavior suggests that he has little regard for the judicial branch of our government. If the President has purposely acted in contradiction of a court's order, he would be in violation of the Constitution, and this Congress would be required to act. prgtoken Today, I am filing a resolution calling for the Department of Justice to appoint an independent counsel to investigate whether the President or his staff directed, or knowingly allowed, Customs and Border Protection to violate court orders designed to freeze the implementation of the January 27 Muslim travel ban executive order. prgtoken I strongly disagree with the contents of the executive order in question. It targets people based on their religion, and it instilled fear across the country. It violates our Nation's values and the idea that, in America, people aren't judged by the color of their skin or by the religion they practice but, instead, by their character. This plays right into the hands of terrorists who would use it as a recruiting tool around the world to inflame those who seek to do Americans harm at home and abroad. prgtoken Let me be clear, though. My disapproval of the President's unfair executive order did not motivate the introduction of this resolution. This resolution concerns only the President's adherence to a judicial order. The question is whether he knowingly allowed Customs and Border Patrol to violate that order. prgtoken I hope the investigation will find that the President and his administration fully complied with court orders concerning his executive order. However, if President overstepped and purposely violated the judiciary, the Congress should censure him. If, after censure, the President again disregards our Nation's systems of checks and balances and separation of powers, the Congress should take steps to remove him from office. prgtoken During his campaign and in the time since his election, President has promised to be a law-and-order President. Well, the court system is central to upholding the law and ensuring order in our Nation. It represents the way that we, as Americans, peacefully and civilly resolve disputes. Respect for the judiciary isn't just a constitutional requirement for the President, it is a requirement for all of us. prgtoken President is no stranger to our judicial system. He spent his career using the courts to sue his foes and settle his broken promises. Now it is time for him to keep the promise he made to the American people when he took the oath of office last month. He must follow the law and abide by our Constitution. prgtoken Defending our democracy requires vigilance and stern action. Our Founders wisely designed our government so that no court, no Congress, and no Presi
HONORING CHERYL REDGATE
Linda T. Sánchez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-7

I rise today to celebrate National School Counseling Week, and to honor a treasured member of my community and school counselor at Santa Fe High School, Cheryl Redgate. Ms. Redgate has been a counselor at Santa Fe High School for 35 years and is an inclusive and caring support system for her students. She has dedicated her life to empowering students and instilling in them the values of selflessness and giving, and she has made a tremendous impact on the lives of every student she meets. prgtoken In addition to her position as counselor, Ms. Redgate serves in many leadership roles at Santa Fe High School. She has been the leading representative for the school's anti-drunk driving program ``Every 15 Minutes,'' leading parent debriefs for the parents of those who participated. She designed Parent Education Day and the Service Learning Program, which acknowledges students for their participation in community service and reinforces her dedication to teaching the values of selflessness and giving. prgtoken Ms. Redgate has devoted her life to helping others. She founded the Christmas Family Program to provide gifts for those in need during the holidays, and the Serenity Center which acts as a safe zone on campus where licensed clinical social workers are available for students. prgtoken Santa Fe High School is a special place because of dedicated professionals like Ms. Redgate, and I couldn't be more proud to honor her today. If more people were like Ms. Redgate, the world would be a much nicer place. In honor of National School Counseling Week, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking all the school counselors who are making a positive impact in the lives of our students.
DISAPPROVING RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR RELATING TO BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS
Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-2-7

I think the real question for the majority is: What do you have against Secretary-elect Ryan Zinke? He is being given a brand-new rule and the keys to the castle. He has a clean slate to develop the playbook for a hugely impactful planning process and free rein to make it what he wants. prgtoken Yet, one of the first moves the majority is making, before Mr. Zinke has even been confirmed, is to undo Planning 2.0 and leave the agency with a planning process that was written before my staff was born. In other words, the majority is tying Mr. Zinke's hands. prgtoken Quite simply, the majority is laboring under the false impression that Planning 2.0 makes the BLM's planning process worse when, in fact, it makes it better. Under the current regulatory framework for resource management plans, it takes BLM an average of 8 years to update and revise a plan, and this matters because, by the time the plan is completed, it is almost already out of date. Significant public involvement doesn't happen until the end of the process. There is often litigation which stalls the process even more. This is a huge waste of government resources and taxpayer money. prgtoken , as Ranking Member Grijalva said earlier, the use of the Congressional Review Act to revoke BLM Planning 2.0, or any other Federal regulation, is a radical step. That is the reason why the Congressional Review Act has only been used once before this year. prgtoken Once Congress approves the Congressional Review Act resolution, the agency can never issue a similar rule. So this is an extreme overreach in general, but especially for something like BLM's Planning 2.0, which is designed to enhance efficiency and make BLM more responsive to public input. prgtoken Isn't our goal to improve how government works and make it more efficient? This resolution will permanently lock us into an old rule that didn't work for anybody. prgtoken I know House s and President are eager to roll back regulations, but we should pump the brakes on this particular resolution. A lot has changed since 1983.
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF RULE SUBMITTED BY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELATING TO TEACHER PREPARATION ISSUES
Danny K. Davis (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-2-7

I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) for yielding. prgtoken I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 57 and 58 that undermine equity in public education. prgtoken Until I moved to Chicago when I was 19, I attended segregated schools because our States failed to follow Federal laws and the Federal Government demonstrated weak enforcement. The Civil Rights Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act advanced equal educational opportunity for African-American students and other students who faced discrimination and barriers in education, making this country stronger and better. prgtoken During Black History Month, the GOP will advance a bill to undermine the educational civil rights of African-American students. The scope of this joint resolution of disapproval clearly reflects the discrimination and the intent. It doesn't target a narrow regulation. It encompasses each of the critical civil rights elements of ESSA--data collection and reporting to ensure transparency about whether schools are educating vulnerable students comparably to other students, and accountability to ensure that schools take action to improve and receive support in meeting the needs of all students. To do so leaves States confused and Federal protections for disadvantaged students hollow. prgtoken H.J. Res. 57 is an extreme, calculated effort to promote discrimination, removing any transparency and accountability related to educational civil rights. prgtoken African-American students do not yet have equal educational opportunity. Black students are suspended and expelled three times the rate that their White peers are, only about two-thirds of Black students graduate high school on time compared to 86 percent of White students, and one in three Black men who start as a full-time student at a university graduate with a bachelor's degree within 6 years. prgtoken Students with disabilities, English language learners, low-income students, Latino students, and Native-American students also do not yet enjoy equal educational opportunity. This resolution will erase this data and allow schools that continue these disparities to continue performing poorly in perpetuity. prgtoken Out of respect for our country's history of educational discrimination against vulnerable students, out of respect for Black History Month, and out of respect for the American value of equal opportunity, I ask my colleagues to reject this discriminatory resolution.
Nomination of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Session)
Mark R. Warner (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2017-2-9

I am here to speak about Mr. Price, but I want to respond to my friend the Senator from Nebraska. prgtoken I appreciate very much the independence the Senator has shown in his tenure in the Senate. My hope would be that his comments about civics, his comments about our three branches of government--I hope we will take that speech and actually send it down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue because I concur with him. I concur with him about the basic civics lessons he laid out. I concur with him about three equal branches of government. I concur with him about the fact that I look forward to hearing from Judge Gorsuch and having my chance to view him. prgtoken But I would also think that in any kind of objective analysis of what our country is going through right now, we have currently a President of the United States who--I have real questions whether he has read that document, the Constitution, whether he understands the basic tenets of three coequal branches. prgtoken We saw his activities during a campaign where he called out a judge because of his ethnic heritage and somehow impugned that judge's independence. At some point, he walked that back, and perhaps those of us who were kind of scratching our heads thought, well, that is just during the campaign, and candidates do strange things during the campaign. prgtoken Then we saw the President get elected, and we saw throughout a transition period decrees by twitter that are, again, unprecedented in modern activity. I know the President wants to be a disrupter, but there is some level of comity and some level of civics and some level of recognition of coequal branches that--candidly, when the President of the United States attacks a judge because he doesn't like the ruling in a way that calls into substance not the substance of the ruling but the very nature of the judiciary, I think all of us--and I know the Senator from Nebraska would agree with this--all of us need to sit up and say this is not what the Founders intended. prgtoken I look forward to giving Judge Gorsuch and everyone else the President might nominate a fair look, a fair appeal, and then making a judgment on whether I think one of the most important positions--a lifetime position of serving on our Nation's highest Court--whether he is appropriate or not. But this President makes that case harder for his nominee when he shows such blatant disregard of the fundamental basics of our Constitution. prgtoken I would be more than happy and glad if we would all dial it back a bit, but we are in uncharted territory in a way that, as somebody who believes every bit as much in the Constitution as the Presiding Officer does, it makes me very concerned about making sure we maintain those basic liberties, making sure we have a government that can live within its means, making sure we maintain the independence of the judiciary, the independence of our legislative body, and an Executive who knows t