mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION--Continued
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-2-14

I am here principally to speak about the NICS Social Security Act, Congressional Review Act resolution that is before our Chamber, but events of the last 24 hours really raise before us the urgent and unavoidable issue of needing an investigation into the recent activities of Michael Flynn. He resigned as the National Security Advisor last night after revelations that he misled Vice President and other top White House officials. He may have misled the President and others in the White House, but there are also very serious questions about who knew what when. These classic what did they know and when did they know it questions must be answered by an independent counsel or commission, and the reason it must be independent is the same very profoundly important reason that I gave to then-Nominee Jeff Sessions, now Attorney General. prgtoken The Attorney General must appoint a special counsel in cases where there is reason to question his complete impartiality and objectivity; the reality as well as the appearance mandate here that there be an independent investigation by a special counsel. prgtoken Only a special counsel, independent of the Attorney General and of the White House, can ask with penetrating, aggressive, unflinching analysis whether the President knew before Michael Flynn made those phone calls to the Russian Ambassador and other phone calls to other foreign powers what the subjects of the conversations were, even whether they were going to be made, and only an independent counsel can know, with complete credibility and being regarded that way by the public, as to what happened and who knew what happened and when they knew. prgtoken This issue is about more than just a phone call to the Russian Ambassador. It is about the integrity and honesty of public officials, about the protections we give to our intelligence, and about the independence of our justice system. prgtoken I certainly have respect for the Office of Attorney General, but Jeff Sessions was deeply involved in President 's campaign and in the Presidential transition. I expressed to him in the hearing on his nomination that he would have to distance himself from an investigation of exactly these issues to maintain impartiality and objectivity in that investigation. So I will write to him today, and the letter will be made public shortly, asking for an independent counsel, a special investigator who can produce the information that is necessary for the public to be assured that there has been an inquiry that is impartial, objective, comprehensive, and thorough. It has to be unflinching and unstinting, and it should be done as soon as possible. prgtoken , I want to address the issue that is before us on the floor relating to the Congressional Review Act resolution that we will vote on shortly and in my view that will undermine existing law if it is passed. Too many times in recent years we have h
NICS (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-2-14

. We can also read editorials in the St. Louis Post- Dispatch, the Charlotte Observer, the New York Times, and more. prgtoken Now listen specifically to the pleas of gunshot victims and their family members. Listen to Patrick Korellis, of Chicago, whom I have met. He was shot in a classroom 9 years ago at Northern Illinois University by a man who had a serious mental illness. He wrote to me and he said: I was shot in my classroom by someone who was mentally ill, and was able to obtain guns and a lot of ammunition because the background checks weren't strong enough. Rolling back some of these background checks doesn't make any sense, and will allow more people to get through the loopholes. prgtoken Now listen to Janet Delana of Wellington, MO. She wrote to Congress: My daughter Colby, a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who lived at home with her father and I, received monthly Social Security disability payments for her mental illness. In 2012 she used the money from her disability check to buy a gun at a local gun dealer. Because she was ill and suicidal, I had contacted the gun dealer and begged him not to sell her a gun. However, my pleas were ignored and the dealer sold her a gun anyway because Colby passed the background check. An hour later, she shot her father to death and tried once again to take her own life. She is now in an institution for life, and my husband is gone. prgtoken Janet said: This SSA Rule is vital. I am very concerned this resolution would preclude SSA and possibly even other agencies from enacting any future regulations on this or related matters. prgtoken We have a public health crisis when it comes to gun violence--in Chicago and in communities across the Nation. We have a responsibility to do what we can on the Federal level to reduce the violence and protect our citizens from getting shot. Voting for this resolution of disapproval today would be a step backward. It would weaken the gun laws on the books and make it easier for severely mentally ill people to get guns. On this, the ninth anniversary of the shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, it is unthinkable that we are going to try to revoke a rule that would keep guns out of the hands of those who should have no business owning them. prgtoken Let me conclude with a statement from Bloomberg business magazine, published in an edition several weeks ago: Advocates for the mentally ill caution that mental illness shouldn't be equated with a penchant for violence. They're right. But America's tragic experience with mentally ill gunmen--from shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007 to Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012--shows the folly of simply dismissing the danger. In recent years s have prioritized instant gratification for anyone who desires to buy a gun. Last year
RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MS. MONTANA BYERS TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND CALIFORNIA'S 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN THE SPRING OF 2017
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-14

I rise today to recognize an exceptional young woman who is spending the spring semester interning in my Washington, D.C. office. Ms. Montana Byers came to our office as part of the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme (UCWIP), and has been a valuable contributor to our efforts on behalf of California's Eleventh Congressional District. prgtoken Since 2000, UCWIP has worked with congressional offices to foster strong ties and understanding between the United States and Australian governments by bringing the best and the brightest from top Australian universities to intern on Capitol Hill. I am proud to be involved in this wonderful program for the second year in a row. prgtoken Montana Byers, a student from the University of Wollongong, has worked in our office since January and quickly proved herself to be a highly valuable member of our team. She has drafted legislative requests, attended briefings, written constituent mail, and researched important issues, among many other duties. She consistently displays a deep desire to learn and treats everyone that she encounters with respect. Her hard work and dedication is a tremendous asset to our office and the Eleventh Congressional District. prgtoken My team has learned a great deal from Montana about her native country as she has learned about the United States and the U.S. Congress. She is an absolute pleasure to have in the office and I offer her my thanks for a job well done. I wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors.
FROM DESEGREGATION TO RESEGREGATION
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-2-14

I will simply say this in my last 2 minutes. I am grateful that the NAACP was there not only for me, but for this country. The NAACP filed and won many cases, but Brown v. Board of Education has to be one of the most outstanding pieces of litigation that it engaged in. prgtoken Of course, you can't talk about Brown without mentioning the Honorable Thurgood Marshall, who was the lead counsel in the Brown case who went on to become a Justice on the Supreme Court. prgtoken The Brown case has transformed American life. It desegregated and integrated American society, the economic order, and the political order as well. I am blessed to be here because of prgtoken Brown v. Board of Education, and my hope is that we will understand that desegregation and integration are here now--and we will fight for them--but we have to also understand that we can go from desegregation to resegregation. We must be careful, we must vigilant, and we must protect the gains that we have made. prgtoken , .
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-2-14

I have heard my friends tell those prgtoken of us who want the laws of this country changed to protect our constituents against gun violence that what we should focus on is enforcing the existing law; that we don't need any new laws, all we need to do is focus on enforcing the existing law. prgtoken Senator Wyden said he wished he had a nickel for every time he has been told our focus should be on background checks. Well, I wish I had a nickel for every time my colleagues told me we should focus on enforcing the existing law. Yet I would also be a rich man if I had a nickel for every time s came to the floor and tried to undermine the existing law, tried to rewrite the existing law to make it harder to enforce it. prgtoken The Appropriations Act is, on an annual basis, loaded up with riders that hamstring enforcement agencies, don't allow them to actually enforce existing laws. The CRA we have before us today will make it harder for the Federal Government to do what we have told them to do for decades, which is to put dangerous people and people who are seriously mentally ill on the list of those who are prohibited from buying guns. That is the existing law. The existing law says that if you are convicted of a serious crime or you have a serious mental illness and you have gone through a process by which a determination has been made by a government agency as such, that you should not be able to buy a weapon. prgtoken Why do we have that law on the books? Why have we come together as s and to say that people with serious mental illness or people who have been adjudicated of a violent crime shouldn't be able to buy weapons? It is because the evidence tells us over and over again that if you have committed a violent crime, you are likely--more likely than if you haven't committed a violent crime--to commit another one. And over and over again, as we have seen these mass shooters walk into places like Sandy Hook Elementary School or a movie theater in Colorado or a classroom in Blacksburg, we know that people with serious mental illness in this country can go buy a very powerful weapon and do great damage with it. prgtoken That does not mean there is an inherent connection between mental illness and violence. In fact, we know the opposite to be true. If you are mentally ill, you are probably more likely to be the victim of violence than you are to be the perpetrator of it. But we do know that in this country, given the fact that weapons are so easy to come by, people with mental illness--serious mental illness--who have an intersection with visions of violence often do great harm. So we made a collective decision as s and that if you have a serious mental illness, you probably shouldn't be able to go and buy an assault weapon. That is what the law says. prgtoken Section 101 of the NICS Improvement Act is titled ``Enhancement of require
CONGRATULATING THE HOTEL CHINESE ASSOCIATION OF USA ON THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY GALA
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-2-14

I rise today to congratulate the Hotel Chinese Association (HCA) of USA on their 10th Anniversary Gala. prgtoken Over the past decade, the Hotel Chinese Association of USA has been a leader in the New York City immigrant community. By providing assistance to workers in the Hospitality industry, the HCA has helped thousands of hotel workers in their 10 year history. prgtoken Founded in 2007, the HCA's mission is to promote the understanding of the rights and responsibilities of hotel employees, primarily immigrant workers, who have language and cultural barriers. HCA coordinates with hotel unions and management, as well as recruiting and training immigrants, many of whom aim to have a career in the hospitality industry in New York City. prgtoken The HCA has become an important anchor in New York's Chinese community by offering communication assistance and vocational training to Chinese employees. Whether it is providing networking and job opportunities, education, or cultural activities, the HCA aims to assist and lift up striving employees and give them the tools they need for success. prgtoken I thank and congratulate the HCA for their 10 years of continuous service to our community and hope they continue to be a fixture in New York City.
ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES AT THE VA
Timothy J. Walz (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-2-14

I thank the gentleman from El Paso. prgtoken I very much appreciate, always, the story and the passion that you have for that great community and look at the leadership that comes out of there. I certainly know in your work for veterans your name will be added to that list. The passion, the willingness to solve problems, the willingness to find and make the tough choices to fulfill this Nation's commitment to our veterans is something I am just proud to serve alongside you. prgtoken I would echo the gentleman's comments, having the opportunity today to witness the swearing in of Dr. David Shulkin as our next VA Secretary, being there with Vice President along with Senators Isakson and Tester on the Senate side and Dr. Roe, of whom you spoke very accurately, Mr. O'Rourke--a true gentleman, an impassioned advocate for veterans, and a no-nonsense legislator, exactly what we need. prgtoken You just have to watch the sense of can-do spirit up there and see Dr. Shulkin and his family--with young children--and the sacrifice that goes into public service. This is a gentleman who could make far more money and probably have a lot less headaches if he would continue to serve in the private sector. He chose not to do that for all the right reasons. prgtoken I think it probably brings us to the message that Mr. O'Rourke is delivering. This is something that unites this country more than anything else: the care and service to our veterans. prgtoken It doesn't matter your political persuasion, it doesn't matter where you fall on the spectrum, it doesn't matter what you necessarily think of the wars or the conflicts that we are engaged in, but the care for those veterans is something that my folks in Mankato, Minnesota, your folks in El Paso, folks in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle, and every small town in between want us to get right. They want us to use the data to deliver the benefits that were earned. They want us to get it right to show that this Nation's commitment is not something that is fleeting or comes and goes. I think most people understand this is a complex issue. prgtoken Again, I was reading recently--to put this into perspective--when they make this promise, when they raise their hand to serve this Nation, they are in it for the long haul. The Veterans Benefits Administration is still paying out $73 a month to the daughter of a Civil War veteran. 152 two years after the end of that conflict, this Nation still needs to keep its commitment. prgtoken So, when you go to war, it comes with a long tail attached to it. That long tail attached is doing what President Lincoln asked us to do: care for those who bore the battle, their widow, and their orphan. prgtoken I think it is within that spirit that I would encourage our constituents, , to take an eye and look at what is happening with veterans' issues. When they don't believe anything can work, and they believe everything up here is a fight and that
NOMINATIONS
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-2-14

I thank the ic whip for his remarks, and I will have much more to say on the circumstances surrounding General Flynn's resignation as National Security Advisor later today. prgtoken This morning, I rise to speak about the nominee on the floor, Representative Mulvaney, to be the Director of OMB. prgtoken Each nominee who comes before this body seems to be another indication of a Cabinet whose ideology is so far removed from the American mainstream and whose ethical conduct is more questionable than any other in our Nation's history. Representative Mulvaney is a walking demonstration of both shortcomings in this Cabinet. prgtoken First, on his views, which are way out of touch with most Americans, with average Americans. Representative Mulvaney has been a consistent ideological warrior against crucial safety net programs like Social Security and Medicare. He said it plain as day: ``We have to end Medicare as we know it. . . . Medicare as it exists today is finished.'' prgtoken That is from his mouth, and President appoints this man head of OMB, one of the most powerful agencies in the government. Not only has Mr. Mulvaney advocated for cutting benefits, he wants to jack up the retirement age for Medicare to 67, and for Social Security he wants to raise it to 70. prgtoken After the confirmation of Representative Price to lead HHS last week, the confirmation of Representative Mulvaney will be the launch of week 2 of the war on seniors. prgtoken Let's be clear. These are fringe positions, way out of touch with how most Americans feel about these programs, and it just proves that when our colleagues go back home to campaign, not one of them says: Raise the age to 70. I don't see ads saying that. They say they are going to protect Medicare. Well, where are they now? You can't go home and campaign one way and then vote for Mulvaney, who wants to do the opposite and hurt our seniors--a war on seniors. prgtoken Literally, tens of millions of Americans rely on these programs and don't want to see their benefits cut. Millions more are on the cusp of retirement and know it is deeply unfair to move the goalpost on qualifying for these programs--changing the rules in the middle of the game--to hurt those who have spent their whole lives working and are now looking forward to receiving Social Security and Medicare. That is not what most Americans voted for, whether they pulled the lever for Secretary Clinton or Mr. . prgtoken Candidate promised that he was ``not going to cut Social Security like every other and I'm not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid,'' but then he turns around and nominates a man to OMB who has relentlessly argued the opposite. He nominates a Secretary of Health and Human Services who has also argued that, with all of our colleagues voting for him--none of us. So if people think is going to be a defend
RESIGNATION OF MICHAEL FLYNN AND RUSSIAN INFLUENCE
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-2-14

the resignation of President 's national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is the third senior adviser to resign amid allegation of ties to Russia and the Kremlin. Two others were attached to the campaign: his manager, Paul Manafort, and Russian energy adviser, Carter Page. prgtoken Meanwhile, Russia's Putin is the same KGB thug he always has been, continuing to invade countries in eastern and central Europe and propagating a war in Syria as well as a bloody war against Ukraine. prgtoken The American people deserve to know the full extent of Russia's financial, personal, and political grip on the administration, and Congress prgtoken should meet its constitutional responsibilities to protect our national security and to protect our Nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. prgtoken The American people need to know whether Russian creditors or their intermediaries are helping prop up the commercial empire. This Congress needs to do its job, conduct hearings, subpoena witnesses, and bring truth to the American people about the administration's ties to Russia.
IN RECOGNITION OF MOREHOUSE COLLEGE'S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2017-2-14

it is my honor and pleasure to rise today to recognize my alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, as it celebrates 150 years of educating, training, and empowering outstanding leaders. prgtoken The year-long sesquicentennial celebration began in January 2017, and will include many events for students, faculty, staff, administrators, donors, families, and friends of Morehouse College. The theme of the celebration is ``A House United,'' which highlights Morehouse's position as a unifying force around the globe and here at home. prgtoken Tracing its roots back to the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, Morehouse was founded in 1867, as the Augusta Theological Institute in Augusta, Georgia. The school was founded by Reverend William Jefferson White, with the encouragement of Reverend Richard Coulter and Reverend Edmund Turney. It aimed to prepare Black men for ministry and teaching. prgtoken In 1879, the Augusta Theological Institute moved to the basement of the Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta and was renamed the Atlanta Baptist Seminary. In 1885, the institution relocated to its current site in Atlanta's West End community. The seminary became a liberal arts college and was subsequently renamed the Atlanta Baptist College. prgtoken During these early years in Morehouse's history, the institution expanded its curriculum and established the tradition of educating leaders for all areas of life. In 1913, Atlanta Baptist College was renamed Morehouse College after the corresponding secretary of the Northern Baptist Home Mission Society, Henry L. Morehouse. prgtoken Throughout its 150-year history, Morehouse College has made a significant mark on our State, our Nation, and the world. Here, many notable men gained the knowledge and training that enabled them to become some of the greatest influences of our time, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; noted theologian Dr. Howard Thurman; civil rights leader Julian Bond; filmmaker Shelton ``Spike'' Lee; Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses; CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Emmitt Carson; and many more. prgtoken Morehouse principles often instill a desire for public service to benefit mankind. In the United States Congress, Representative Cedric Richmond, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, as well as many staff members and former Members of Congress, hold degrees from Morehouse. prgtoken U.S. Presidents have relied on alumni such as former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. Louis Sullivan, former Surgeon General Dr. Daniel Satcher, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations James Nabrit, Jr. prgtoken Around the country, State and local governments have been led by alumni such as Maynard H. Jackson, the first African-American mayor of Atlanta, Georgia. prgtoken As a 1968 graduate of Morehouse College, this one-of-a-kind institution has a special place in my heart. During