mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING METRA CEO DON ORSENO ON HIS RETIREMENT
Daniel Lipinski (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-12-13

I rise today to honor Don Orseno on the occasion of his retirement from Metra, Northeast Illinois's commuter rail agency. Don's retirement is well-deserved after 4 years leading the agency and 44 years in the railroad industry. Don began his railroading career in 1974 when he was hired by the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company as a commuter train ticket taker, later working his way up to become a locomotive engineer. These experiences gave Don the applied knowledge that helped propel him to the top spot at one of the nation's premier commuter railroads. After joining Metra in 1984, Don continued his upward trajectory by advancing to Deputy Executive Director before his appointment as CEO/ Executive Director in 2013 and confirmation in 2014. Don's leadership at Metra could not have come at a more critical point in the agency's history, as he faced an uphill battle in tackling the many issues with Metra's operational performance and overall health. Leading a $1 billion commuter rail agency that runs 750 trains per day across a 3700-square mile, six-county region is a challenge under normal circumstances, but Don quickly showed he was the right fit for the job. Under Don's tenure, Metra has pursued ambitious modernization efforts while dealing with political uncertainties and complex regulatory mandates. Don's recent successes at Metra include improving on-time performance, expanding train car rehabilitation programs, modernizing the ticketing and fare system, and beginning the installation of wireless internet on Metra trains. Don is not just an excellent leader and seasoned railroader, but he is also a great person and those of us who have worked with him or have come to know him are fortunate for that opportunity. Metra is a better place because of Don and he will be missed as he starts a new chapter to spend more time with his wife, Charm, two children, and five grandchildren. I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Don Orseno for his many years of service to Chicagoland commuters and wishing him well in his retirement.
FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF SANDY HOOK SHOOTING
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-12-13

. Madam , I want to thank my colleagues who are here this evening. I also want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Esty, for her indomitable efforts and work in making sure that we focus our time and our attention to the prevention of gun violence. prgtoken Madam , I rise to honor and to commemorate the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, 5 years ago. We lost 20 beautiful innocent children and 6 wonderful caring adults. While the grief and pain of the families who lost a loved one at Sandy Hook endures, we can all find hope and strength in the resilience of Newtown, and, together, we must honor their loss with action. prgtoken Tonight, I want to share an essay from ``Bullets into Bells: Poets and Citizens Respond to Gun Violence.'' Abbey Clements, a teacher at Sandy Hook, wrote the following: ``154 shots. They heard them all. I thought they were folding chairs falling. We huddled into the coats and backpacks. Some of them cried. Some of them laughed--how could they know? And if they knew, how could they believe? We shared a water bottle, a blue one, passing it around. Little arms poking out to take it. We waited. We had to believe the police were who they said they were. I opened the door. They scattered. A few in my outstretched arms. We ran. We were lucky. Surviving is a gift and a burden. What do you do with that? ``For me, as soon as I could, I started to fight. I fight to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. I fight to keep guns locked up and away from curious toddlers and depressed teens. I fight against arming teachers, and I fight to keep guns out of college dorms and classrooms. Lockdowns, active-shooter drills, and backpacks that morph into shields aren't the answer. ``Parents shouldn't have to worry about whether or not their kids will make it home from school. A year or two after the tragedy, one mom told me that, every day after school, she left a gift for her daughter sitting on her bed--a celebration for making it home.'' prgtoken Those are the words of Abbey Clements, a teacher at Sandy Hook. prgtoken It is our job to make sure that those children get home safe from school. We have the ability to do that in this institution. What we need is the will to do it. prgtoken Again, , Congresswoman Esty, for her leadership in this effort.
WALL STREET AND WORKERS' WAGES
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-12-13

this month, this body has spent much of its time pushing a tax bill that rewards corporations that ship jobs overseas while doing nothing for hard-working families. It has spent time cutting taxes on the wealthiest people in the country--cutting taxes for corporations that ship jobs overseas and giving them more incentives to do it by the way they have actually constructed the bill and rewarding their largest billionaire contributors. At the same time, they have ignored the Children's Health Insurance Program. prgtoken Letters are going out to families. There are 200,000 children in my State who are enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program. Parents in many States are getting letters from prgtoken the government that read: Sorry, your insurance is going away. Because of the inaction of this body--of Senators and House Members who have insurance provided for by taxpayers--we are not doing our jobs. We get insurance paid for by taxpayers while 200,000 children in Ohio and 60,000, 70,000, 80,000, 90,000, 100,000 families are going to lose theirs. That is it. prgtoken We are giving tax cuts to the richest people in the country and tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas instead of fixing the healthcare law, instead of doing the Children's Health Insurance Program--instead of doing infrastructure, instead of doing the things that we should be doing. Forget about what we are not doing to serve the public; the priorities reflected in this tax bill are completely backward, which has become pretty standard in this Congress. prgtoken Time and again, our economy, our leaders, our politics reward Wall Street, not just instead of workers; we reward Wall Street at the expense of workers. The people of Ohio and people around the country are working harder than ever and working longer than ever, but they have less and less to show for it. prgtoken Imagine this: 44 percent of Americans who have an emergency--that would be four out of nine Americans--cannot afford that emergency expense of $400. Four out of every nine Americans cannot come up with $400 to pay for an emergency, but Wall Street is doing just fine. It is getting richer. So what do we do? We give more tax cuts and more tax breaks to corporations that outsource jobs, and we give more help in the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee for some of the most profitable banks in America. Yet we can't do anything for workers, and we can't do anything for families. prgtoken The wealth held on Wall Street has gone up. Corporate profits have gone up. CEO salaries have gone up. CEO salaries are 271 times greater than workers' pay. For a worker who makes $20,000--I almost can't even do the math--it is 271 times that. Imagine that. For every $1 a worker makes in the country, the average CEO makes $271. How much do they need? Do you know what the answer to that is? Let's give tax cuts to the people making $271 and maybe a few crumbs for
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-12-13

I introduced the Senate's first strong net neutrality bill back in 2006. I rise today to give my strongest possible condemnation of what the Federal Communications Commission's head, Mr. Pai, is seeking to do, which is to roll back protections that ensure a truly free and open internet for our people. prgtoken This is a handout. It is a holiday gift to a collection of giant internet companies to increase their profits at the expense of the consumer. prgtoken Before I actually begin my remarks, I see Senator Franken is on the floor, as well. I would like the public to know how important his leadership has been on these issues. He and I have partnered on these issues ever since he came to the Senate. He was on the key committee, the Judiciary Committee. He has been a go-to figure in a key spot on this issue. prgtoken I want to continue this discussion after Senator Warren's terrific presentation. I know my colleague is going to speak on this, as well. prgtoken I want the public to know that Senator Franken has made a big difference for the consumer on these issues. Those prgtoken of us who have been toiling in these precincts are very appreciative of what he has done. prgtoken I want people to understand what net neutrality is, because Senator Franken and I have talked about this over the years. I think there is a little confusion over what it is. Net neutrality means that after you pay your internet access fee, you get to go where you want, when you want, and how you want. It is the essence of ensuring that everybody gets a fair shake, that all bits are created equal. It is the foundation of what has kept the internet free and open. prgtoken Before I get into my prepared remarks, I want people to understand what happens if you don't have net neutrality. If you don't have net neutrality, in effect, big companies can manipulate who is going to win and who is going to lose in the marketplace. They will continue to manipulate who wins and who loses until and after we get fewer services and the consumer gets higher prices. So this is not some kind of abstract discussion. prgtoken Let me flesh out some of these remarks for a few minutes because I know my colleagues have been waiting, as well. prgtoken Since the origins of the internet, the defining feature has been that all information--all bits, as we know it--gets the same fair shake. If you are a big company or a mom-and-pop ice cream shop with a website, your content gets to everybody's home at the same speed. That is what net neutrality is all about. Net neutrality keeps internet service providers from favoring one type of content over another. prgtoken The market has changed since 2006 because the market for access to the internet has changed. Where once there were legions of dial-up providers and DSL resellers, we were seeing a few monopolies and duopolies dominating neighborhoods across the country. With their power to dictate where you could go and
Net Neutrality (Executive Session)
Al Franken (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-12-13

. . from Oregon, my friend, for his extraordinarily kind words. He, too, has been a leader introducing the first net neutrality bill back in 2006, before I came to the Senate. prgtoken I rise to talk about tomorrow's vote at the FCC on a proposal that would throw out the strong net neutrality rules Americans have fought so hard for. They are rules that ensure that all content on the internet receives equal treatment from broadband providers regardless of who owns it or how deep their pockets are. prgtoken Plain and simple, these rules are about ensuring that the internet remains the platform for innovation, economic growth, and freedom of expression, as it has always been. prgtoken As I reflect on my time in the Senate, there are, of course, moments that stand out as particularly significant. One such moment came in February 2015, when American consumers and businesses celebrated the FCC's landmark vote to preserve a free and open internet by reclassifying broadband providers as common carriers under title II of the Communications Act. prgtoken While I had long urged the FCC to ground net neutrality rules in the agency's authority under title II, it wasn't just the outcome of this vote that made such an impression on me then, or now, as I am looking back. prgtoken The FCC's 2015 vote came after the agency received nearly 4 million public comments, making it the then most commented on FCC issue by a factor of three. The vast majority of these comments urged the agency to enact strong rules protecting net neutrality, protecting the equal treatment of all content on the internet, which has been the architecture of the internet since the very beginning. Americans from across the political spectrum organized to ensure that their voices were heard, and they were. This was democracy in action. prgtoken Now, as Chairman Pai pushes forward to undo the open internet order, we have seen another awe-inspiring demonstration of grassroots advocacy. Millions of Americans from every corner of the Nation and background imaginable are joining the movement online and in the streets to ask the chairman to rethink his dangerous proposal and to preserve net neutrality. prgtoken When things get tough, as they have, time and time again in the last year, Americans have resisted in protest. It is these movements that make the difference. Just look at the s' failed attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken Ironically, the kind of civic participation that has aspired so many of us in recent months and has affected real change depends, in no small part, on an open internet. If the Chairman ultimately has his way, we will be entering a world where every voice might not matter, a world where a handful of multibillion-dollar companies have the power to bury sites offering alternative viewpoints or control how users get their information, a world where the deepest pockets can pay fo
LETTER SUPPORTING SPECIAL COUNSEL ROBERT S. MUELLER
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-12-13

. Madam , for the past several days, there has been an organized attempt to discredit and undermine the work of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. I rise today to speak on behalf of many Members of Congress who believe Special Counsel Mueller is doing a great job. prgtoken At this time, I am circulating a letter, and other Members of Congress are joining me. This is a letter of support for Special Counsel Mueller urging that he not be interfered with and that he is allowed to continue this very important investigation in the interest of the security of our country. prgtoken I will be circulating this letter for another 24 hours. However, at this time, I would like to read the contents of the letter into the Record. This, again, is a letter in support of Special Counsel Mueller. The letter is addressed to the Honorable Rod J. Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice. prgtoken The letter reads as follows: Dear Deputy Attorney General, We write to express our support for the work of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III, and to urge you to ensure that he be allowed to continue his investigation--unfettered by political influence or threats to his authority--to its natural and appropriate conclusion based on the law, the facts, and the evidence. The Special Counsel is Conducting a Methodical Investigation, Yielding Results. It is unimaginable that s would seek to intervene, discredit, obstruct, or terminate the special counsel's investigation. Thus far, from every public indication, it appears that Mr. Mueller is conducting a thorough and methodical investigation. He and his investigators have not sought, and instead avoided, the public spotlight. His team has not leaked or hinted at criminal allegations for which they have yet to develop charges. Furthermore, the charges that have been filed to date have been sufficiently strong and well founded as to elicit guilty pleas from President 's former National Security Advisor, Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, and a former policy adviser to 's Presidential campaign, George Papadopoulos. The Appointment of a Special Counsel Was Necessary and Proper. As you know, pursuant to U.S. Department of Justice Order Number 3915-2017, which you issued on May 17, 2017, Mr. Mueller was appointed to serve as special counsel and authorized to conduct an investigation into matters, ``including any links and/or coordination between the Russian Government and individuals associated with the campaign of President ; and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation; and any other matters within the scope of 28 CFR 600.4(a),'' which includes ``authority to investigate and prosecute Federal crimes committed
DACA
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-12-13

on September 5 of this year, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, known as DACA. That same day, President called on Congress to come up with a solution to legalize DACA. prgtoken He challenged us; he said to the Senate, and he said to the House: I am going to eliminate this Executive order of President . Now it is your turn. Pass a law if you want to protect 780,000 young people who had signed up under DACA. prgtoken DACA was the direct result of the DREAM Act, which I introduced 16 years ago, to try to protect young people who came to the United States, brought here by their parents at an early age, who grew up here and don't have a future. They don't have a home. They don't have a legal status. They don't have a country to call their own. prgtoken It strikes me that these young people themselves did nothing wrong. I can even argue that their parents did what every parent would do--the best thing they could for their kids. But in this situation, trying to focus on what their future will be, their future is clearly in doubt, and right now many of them are worried about what is going to happen next. prgtoken You see, without the protection of DACA, they can be deported. They are undocumented. They can't legally work in the United States, and many of them have wondered whether they should continue school or what they will do when they can't go to work. These are real-life challenges, and many times they break down emotionally as they talk about the uncertainty of their future. prgtoken Just outside this Capitol is a beautiful Mall, and smack dab in the middle of it are two white tents. They are tents that have been built by these young Dreamers in an effort to process hundreds of people, just like themselves, who are coming to Washington to tell their stories to Senators and Congressmen in the hopes that we will do something. prgtoken There are some in the Senate who don't want to help them at all. They prgtoken don't believe they should receive any help in any way whatsoever. There are others who say: Let's put it off. Let's do it sometime, maybe next year. Next year is coming soon, and under the President's decision, on March 5 of 2018--just a few weeks from now--there will be no DACA protection whatsoever. prgtoken It means that today, 122 a day of these DACA-protected young people will fall out of protected status. March 5 of next year, the number goes to 1,000 a day--1,000 a day--who will be subject to deportation, uncertain about what their future might be. prgtoken I think it is time for us to do something, and I hope that we can do it on a bipartisan basis and do it in a timely fashion. It is important that we fix our entire immigration system, but let's not try to do everything that needs to be done on immigration when we should be taking care of these young people as our highest and first priority. prgtoken I am r
HONORING SHERIFF'S DEPUTY DAVID SOLIS
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-12-13

I rise to honor the outstanding service and heroism of one of California's finest, Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy David Solis, who serves in Coachella, California. prgtoken On May 25, 2017, Deputy Solis engaged in a chase with a suspect in a vehicle, which led to a foot pursuit. The suspect unexpectedly drew a firearm and shot Deputy Solis six times at close range. Though he was critically injured, Deputy Solis continued to feed his team information, ensuring other officers could secure the area, which led to the eventual capture of the suspect. prgtoken Incredibly, Deputy Solis was back to work after just 4 months of recovery. His bravery, strength, and professionalism exemplify the very best in law enforcement, which is why his department selected him to receive the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor for exhibiting ``extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty.'' It is the highest decoration for public safety officers. prgtoken Deputy Solis, you truly embody these values. Your courage has made our entire valley a safer place. You and all law enforcement officers put yourselves in harm's way each day to keep us safe. prgtoken On behalf of my wife, Monica, and the entire 36th Congressional District, I thank you, Martha, and your children--Caleb, Jonah, Grace, Jeremy, and Penny--for your service and sacrifice. GOP Tax Plan
Election of Doug Jones (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-13

as we know, last night a won in the State of Alabama for the first time in a quarter century. prgtoken Last night's election of Doug Jones was not only the repudiation of a candidate unfit to serve in this body; it was an affirmation of a candidate who represents the very best of public service. prgtoken I read Doug Jones' bio. One story stands out in my mind. As a second- year law student, Doug Jones skipped class to attend the trial of the Klansman ringleader of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church--an event, as we all remember, that shook the conscience of our country and helped launch a mighty movement for civil rights. Although a young Doug Jones was moved by the disposition of justice in that trial, he was left with the impression that other members of the conspiracy had escaped the reach of the law. So 24 years later, when Doug Jones became the U.S. attorney in Alabama, he pursued charges against two more Klan members involved in the bombing, winning their conviction, and delivered a long-delayed but mighty righteous justice. prgtoken Doug Jones deserved to win the race last night. He is a fine man, was an excellent candidate, and is going to make an outstanding Senator for the people of Alabama. I congratulate Senator-Elect Jones and look forward to welcoming him to this Chamber and our caucus. prgtoken Two additional points in regard to the election, which has a link to the Chamber here: prgtoken First, the election of a in such a conservative State, which hadn't had a ic Senator since 1996--they elected one in 1990, I guess--is a clarion call for bipartisanship. The American people are clamoring for us to work together, to eschew the politics of divisiveness and once again conduct our politics with civility, decency, and an eye toward compromise. That is what Doug Jones represented as a candidate, it is what he campaigned on, and his election should signal to all of my colleagues that the American people, from the deepest red States to the deepest blue States, yearn for our politics to function again in a bipartisan way. prgtoken The election of a in such a conservative State is a clarion call for bipartisanship. The people of Alabama have spoken, and they have sent a message asking both and s to work together to solve our greatest challenges. That is how Doug Jones campaigned. Roy Moore did not try to pursue any scintilla of bipartisanship, and it might have been one of the reasons he lost, particularly in the suburbs of Birmingham and other cities. I hope we in this body will take this election in earnest and pursue a course of bipartisanship.