mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Nomination of Neil Gorsuch (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-2-6

I will just point out to the Senator from New Hampshire--perhaps she knows it, perhaps she doesn't, but her leader has suggested a 60-vote threshold for this nominee. prgtoken I am delighted to hear her say that they are going to provide a hearing for consideration. I hope that she, like all of our colleagues, will provide this judge an opportunity to be heard, to respond to questions because I think they will find, as most of us who have looked at his record, that this is an exceptionally well-qualified judge. He is a very bright legal mind and somebody who I think understands what the role of a judge is in our constitutional democracy. prgtoken With respect to the nominees we are considering, we are here right now, and the Senator from New Hampshire and some of her colleagues were here overnight last night stalling, if you will, to allow for votes on nominees that have been put forward by this administration. prgtoken I don't think you can dispute the record. At this time 8 years ago, President had 21 of his nominees in place. This President has seven. What I mentioned earlier, you have to go back to the time of Dwight Eisenhower, roll back to today, and every President from that point forward has had, on this day, all or most of their nominees in place and confirmed by the Senate. So there is no question. There is no question what is going on here. prgtoken I am not calling anybody names. I am just pointing out what I see every single day; that is, foot-dragging and delays and obstruction trying to prevent a President--whom they, understandably, didn't like getting elected--from being able to get his team in place. prgtoken All I am simply saying is I think the American people expect more of us, I think they expect better of us, and I think we have to answer the call to duty to allow that team to be put in place so this President and his team can go about the important business of governing this country. prgtoken But you cannot dispute the facts with respect to the number of nominees who have been confirmed to date with this President and Presidents going back in history, and I said earlier, you have to go back to George Washington. I think that is accurate. I think you have to go back a long way in the annals of history to find any time where you see what is happening today happen in the Senate with any President historically of either party. prgtoken , .
INTRODUCTION OF THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION WATER PROJECT STREAMLINING ACT OF 2017
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2017-2-6

I rise today to introduce my legislation, the Bureau of Reclamation Water Project Streamlining Act. This legislation will help many communities in the west that have been severely impacted by the recent droughts affecting the western United States. The legislation requires the Bureau of Reclamation to accelerate studies and provide more accountability in the agency's process to study the feasibility of new and/or expanded surface water storage, rural and Title XVI water projects, as well as water recycling projects. By streamlining Reclamation's environmental planning and study process for these water projects, the bill will ensure that communities in the arid West can address the critical need for water supplies that grow with demand. This is accomplished by applying the same streamlined water project development process used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which were established under the Water Resources Reform Development Act of 2014, to the Bureau of Reclamation for surface water, storage, infrastructure, and recycling projects. prgtoken Water is an indispensable resource in Central Washington and is the foundation on which our future will be built. However, water has become increasingly limited and the current supply and infrastructure is unable to meet existing human and environmental needs. The droughts and water shortages that have impacted much of the western U.S. highlight the critical need for new water supplies that are able to meet this growing demand. A streamlined process for new water storage projects is vital to prepare effectively for droughts and provide adequate water resources for future development. This bill improves the Bureau of Reclamation's permitting process to create new opportunities for water storage, recycling, and rural water projects. Put simply, my bill reforms the current cumbersome and lengthy process so that there is a mechanism to build new water and infrastructure projects in Central Washington and across the west. prgtoken I welcome all members to join me in supporting this legislation and I urge its swift passage through the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
WELCOME ANYA CHIRAG SHAH
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2017-2-6

I am happy to congratulate Chirag Shah and his wife, Sejal, on the birth of their daughter. Anya Chirag Shah was born at 6:18 p.m. on Sunday, January 15, 2017, at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Anya weighed eight pounds and eleven ounces and measured 21 inches long. She is the first child for the happy couple and I look forward to watching her grow as she is raised by talented parents who will be dedicated to her well-being and bright future. prgtoken I would also like to congratulate Anya's grandparents, Kamal and Jagruti Shah of Mequon, Wisconsin, and Vikram and Kalpana Bavishi of Secaucus, New Jersey. Congratulations to the entire Shah and Bavishi families as they welcome their newest addition of pure pride and joy.
Repealing ObamaCare (Executive Calendar)
Dean Heller (Republican, NV) \u2014 2017-2-6

I want to take a few moments to discuss an issue, one that is on everybody's mind; that is, the status of Care. Congress has taken the first step to repeal Care. I was in the House of Representatives when Care was passed into law. I opposed the law five times while I was in the House before it was passed with zero bipartisan, zero support and was signed into law by the President. prgtoken I opposed Care because I feared that this law would increase costs, make it harder for patients to see a doctor, increase taxes on the middle class, increase taxes on seniors, and hurt the economy. prgtoken Over the last 7 years, all of these fears have become a reality. A new Congress and a new administration have heard the people's response loud and clear, and that response is that we must repeal Care. Repealing Care means repealing all of the taxes that go with it-- not part of them, not some of them, but all of them. prgtoken Care increased taxes on hard-working Americans by $1.1 trillion. Higher taxes lead to more money being taken out of the pockets of hard- working families. Health care costs have increased to a degree where I have heard from Nevadans across the State, of all ages and backgrounds, all with similar concerns. prgtoken What I wish to do is take a moment to read an email that I received just last week from a 13-year-old boy who lives in Las Vegas. He said: I wanted to write an email to express my concerns about care and hopefully persuade you in making a change. My family used to have health insurance until Care kicked in and forced my family to drop our insurance since it tripled the cost and wasn't affordable. We are getting penalized now for not having insurance. prgtoken Think about that. Care kicked their family off their insurance by tripling the costs, making it unaffordable, and then Care penalized that family for not having insurance. prgtoken Going back to the young boy, he said: Since then we have had medical bills piling up. This is an issue with a lot of people and I don't know a lot about policies but I do know that something needs to change for the good of the people. I've heard President will be addressing this issue. I just hope you will represent Nevada in favor of getting rid of Care. prgtoken I can assure my constituents back home in Nevada, and especially this young man who is advocating for his family, that I am committed to repealing Care. This young man's parents had employer-sponsored health care coverage that took care of their family when they needed medical care. And as a result of Care, the costs were too high to afford the health insurance they had. prgtoken One of the biggest drivers of cost increases on the middle class is the 40-percent excise tax on employee health benefits, better known as the
EXPRESSING STRONG OPPOSITION TO D.C.'S ASSISTED SUICIDE PROGRAM
Keith J. Rothfus (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-2-6

I thank Dr. for taking a long, hard look at what is going to happen here in the District of Columbia if we do not bring H.J. Res. 27 to the floor to block this misguided legislation. prgtoken Dr. talked about compassion. Certainly, we all have family members, we all have friends who have had very difficult illnesses, and we have been at bedsides when people have passed. prgtoken It is good to know that we have palliative care that is available to help people in pain, to make sure that they are getting everything they can without having a doctor violate his or her Hippocratic oath to do no harm. prgtoken I really thank Dr. for his words and for reminding us how he was called to the healing arts. He has got family members engaged in the healing arts. prgtoken , from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), another Representative that we are joined by this evening, a newer member from the Big One, I think it is called, also having served in the Army Reserve. He did not do his physician's work in the Army Reserve, because I don't know what the rules are with women servicemembers and giving birth, but certainly we have women servicemembers giving birth. I don't think they are overseas, although they may be in Germany and other places. I don't think they are going to be in a war zone. prgtoken Certainly, he has got plenty of experience. He has delivered over 5,000 babies. He certainly has seen his share of difficult cases with patients. It is good to have him here this evening to talk about this legislation.
NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELING WEEK
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2017-2-6

I rise today on the start of National School Counseling Week to recognize the tremendous impact that school counselors have on our students. prgtoken School counselors are committed to helping students realize their full potential. They encourage students to explore their ability, strengths, interests, and talents as these traits relate to career awareness and development. prgtoken National School Counseling Week is sponsored by the American School Counselor Association and is always observed during the first full week of prgtoken February. This week's theme is ``School Counseling: Helping Students Realize Their Potential.'' prgtoken , what we know is that school counselors are integral to student success. Counselors not only help students reach their academic and career goals, but they focus on assisting with social and personal development, too. Many parents also benefit from the assistance of school counselors as they encounter the challenges of raising children in today's world. prgtoken Our counselors play a vital role in the total education of children. I salute these professionals in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and throughout the United States for their dedication to preparing our students to achieve success and become productive members of society in this ever-changing world. prgtoken Thank you to our school counselors for all you do to help educate students nationwide. Happy National School Counseling Week.
ARAPAHO NATIONAL FOREST BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2017
Jared Polis (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-2-6

I urge my colleagues to pass this bill. prgtoken Furthermore, I call upon the United States Senate to bring up these series of bills that are very important to those of us like Mr. Tipton, Mr. Lamborn, and me, who represent areas with substantial public land where our constituents in the private sector, our residents, interact every day with issues around public land and land management. These issues will improve the quality of life in our communities. This bill will help improve the quality of the tourism experience, as well as the conservation goals of Rocky Mountain National Park. prgtoken I urge a ``yes'' vote. prgtoken .
Trump Administration and the Judiciary and Free Press (Executive Calendar)
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-2-6

. The Denver Post editorialized yesterday, stating the obvious horrible truth here: American journalists have been killed reporting on terrorists. They've been beheaded. . . . To suggest that some kind of shared bias exists throughout American newsrooms so strong that it compels journalists to hide truth and thereby endanger the public is as dangerous as it is demonstrably untrue. prgtoken That is right. It is dangerous. It is dangerous for the leader of the free world to be saying that journalists are crooks; that the facts they are publishing in newspapers and online are untrue when they are true. It is dangerous when we are engaged in an experiment of self- government that goes back about 240 years to the founding of this country to refute things that are absolutely true as false and to claim that the reason they are being raised is because people lack integrity; that journalism is all about false news. prgtoken The White House put out a list of, I think it was in the seventies, of terrorist attacks they claim had never been reported, and newspaper after newspaper after newspaper had to run lists of the events that the White House described as unreported and then have links to the stories in their own newspapers and other newspapers that had reported on terrorists. As the Denver Post noted, and it is worth remembering this, there are journalists who have lost their lives trying to cover this story to have us better understand what is happening in the Middle East, what the threat of terror looks like, and have been beheaded on television because they took that risk. prgtoken With respect to the judges, for years it has been so painful around here to get anybody confirmed. I see these folks who are lawyers who have to put their law practice on hold for something that should be the greatest reflection of achievement of their life, being appointed to a Federal district court in this country, and who wait and wait and wait because of the unconscionable delay and disputes and partisan bickering that happens here instead of getting people on the court to do the job that they need to do. prgtoken Now we are going to be in the business of accusing judges and the judiciary of being crooked, of not following the law, of just playing politics. I think it is really important for us--not just but also s--and I know my colleague is here from Florida. I wish to say in this body how much I appreciated his comments last night. He may not appreciate that I am saying that, but I appreciate his comments because a lot of what he said I completely agree with. prgtoken I know it has become fashionable to tear down rather than work to improve the democratic institutions which generations of Americans have built. This place didn't get here by accident. It is not a fluke. The Founding Fathers would be shocked--shocked--to know this Republic still exists. They would be proud. I thin
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Continued
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-2-6

we gather on the floor of the Senate at an unusually early hour. In fact, the Senate has been in session all night. The question before us is the nomination of Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education. It is possibly the most controversial nomination made by our new President . prgtoken This is an office which doesn't usually attract this kind of controversy. Former Secretaries of Education have included Arne Duncan, who ran the Chicago Public Schools system. He was the first to be appointed in the first term of President . Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee--who is a friend of mine and whom I have served with-- before his service in the Senate, was also the Secretary of Education. prgtoken The choice is usually one that is bipartisan and largely supported by not only teachers but parents and administrators and education officials from across the United States. In this case, though, we have in Betsy DeVos of Michigan a person of some controversy. prgtoken Last Saturday, I spoke to the Illinois Education Association, a group of about 150 teachers who had gathered in Springfield, IL. They have been my friends for many years. Cinda Klickna, who is the President of the organization--we have a relationship that goes back to the days when she was a classroom teacher--she now has risen through the ranks and heads up one of the major teachers organizations in our State. prgtoken Cinda is a true teacher at heart and really cares for students, cares for schools. She has devoted her life to it. She brought together 150 of her best teachers from around the State, preparing them to become more active politically in our State and Nation. prgtoken Naturally, they were tuned into this nomination of Betsy DeVos. They have a lot on their minds these days with the selection of the new President. Nearly all of them have written me, sent me an email, or contacted me personally opposing the nomination of Betsy DeVos. prgtoken I have not met Betsy DeVos. We tried to set up our schedules so I could, but it didn't work. I take as much blame as necessary for that not happening. I have studied her background. I have paid close attention to what she has said since she has been nominated and tried to understand where she comes from. prgtoken It is true that she is a person of wealth. The Prince family, which she was born into, is well known in the Midwest and in Michigan for its success in the automotive industry and many other endeavors. Then, she married into the DeVoses of Amway, another legendary business, where she has been able to accumulate some money. prgtoken There is nothing wrong with that in America. In fact, many people aspire to it and reach that goal and are admired for reaching it. It doesn't disqualify her for anything in life as far as I am concerned, but it does not necessarily qualify her for certain things in life. prgtoken It is not clear to me from her record, when it comes to the field of educat
Repealing ObamaCare (Executive Calendar)
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2017-2-6

. I say to Senator Durbin, there has been a lot of talk about the fact that the number of Cabinet appointees were much higher in the administration than they are now. Could you take us back 8 years ago? I mean, we just confirmed a lady to be Secretary of Education who has never spent 1 minute in a public school classroom, on a school board, teaching, student, otherwise. There are claims out there about some of these nominees being involved in insider trading. There are claims out there that some of these nominees did not pay their taxes. prgtoken Could you take us back 8 years ago and tell us how those folks were treated, if there was anything wrong with them when they came to this floor?
EMAIL PRIVACY ACT
Eric Swalwell (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-2-6

I rise in support of H.R. 387, the Email Privacy Act. prgtoken As I said last Congress, current law is woefully out of date when it comes to protecting privacy in electronic communications. I support H.R. 387, just as I supported the same legislation previously, because it is long past time we afforded Americans the privacy they are due online. prgtoken At the same time, I am disappointed this bill has come straight to the Floor, and not through the Judiciary Committee, a committee on which I sit. Nor are any Members able to offer amendments on the Floor. Going through the committee process and allowing amendments on the Floor would have enabled us to address some of the concerns raised by law enforcement about H.R. 387, such as its view that the bill fails to enable personnel to expediently obtain critical evidence. As a former prosecutor I share its interest in making sure that while we improve privacy protections we do not impede the ability to bring people swiftly to justice. I urge the Senate to work to address the points raised by law enforcement so we can continue to improve H.R. 387. prgtoken I encourage all Members to support H.R. 387.
Motion to Proceed in Order (Executive Calendar)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-2-6

pursuing Senator Merkley's hypothetical, if it came before the Senate that a Member of the Senate who was a nominee seeking the advice and consent of the Senate to the position was, for example, in fact, a horse thief, and we found the fact that he was a horse thief to be relevant to whether or not he should be confirmed, say, to the Department of Interior, which has authority over lands, does the ruling of the Chair mean that it would not be in order for the Senate or for Senators to consider what in my hypothetical is the established fact that the Senator was a horse thief as we debate his nomination here on the floor?
Congratulating the New England Patriots (Executive Session)
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-2-6

I rise today as a product of New Jersey public schools, the son of Cuban refugees whose parents decided to leave everything behind because they did not like the dictatorship from the right and did not like what they saw in the Sierra Maestra, as the Castros were seeking to overthrow that government from the right, and who fled their own country in order to seek a better life in the United States. prgtoken They were the lucky ones. They saw the handwriting on the wall, and they got out before the true brutality of the Castro regime took hold in Cuba. When they arrived here, they had nothing more than the promise of a brighter future and, if not for them, then for their children. prgtoken In so many ways, it is the quintessential immigrant story; indeed, the quintessential American story. My mother worked as a seamstress in the factories of New Jersey. My father was an itinerant carpenter. We didn't have a lot of money--just enough to live in a small apartment in a tenement in Union City and put food on the table. But that was plenty. It was plenty because my parents knew that living in America gave their children access to a free public education, and they always taught us that an education was the key toward a better life. prgtoken Growing up, I was a quiet kid. I was very studious. I got good grades, but I struggled with public speaking. I know some of my colleagues wouldn't believe that today, but it is true. prgtoken Unfortunately for me, one of the final requirements before I graduated high school was a public speech class. Again, I did all the work, but I refused to actually stand up in front of the class and speak. I thought I could get away with it, but my teacher, Gail Harper, had other ideas. prgtoken She kept me after class. After my classmates left, she forced me to recite short stories and poetry and speeches I had written that were part of the classwork. Eventually she told me that I was going to be the narrator in a school production, which meant that I was going to be speaking on stage in front of the entire student body. I was prgtoken petrified--petrified. And I was inclined to refuse. prgtoken I am not sure if there would have been a more terrifying thought to me in the world than having to get up in front of my entire student body, but Ms. Harper told me that she knew that I could succeed. If I refused, however, she would have no choice but to fail me. And if you knew my late mother, that was not an option. prgtoken So I swallowed my fear, and when I got out there, I found that Ms. Harper's work paid off. Not only did I realize that I could overcome all of that fear and anxiety, but it had instilled in me a hunger to keep working, to get better at speaking in front of people, a skill that I honestly owe my life's work to. prgtoken For me, Ms. Harper was so much more than a teacher; she was a mentor and one of the unsung heroes of our public education system. And I am privileged to