mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
National Security (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2018-1-9

the beginning of a new session of Congress provides a good moment to look back at the previous year and take stock of the challenges ahead, and today what I would like to do is just take a few minutes to talk about the national security challenges facing our country and the importance of equipping our military to meet them. prgtoken By the end of the administration, our military was facing a serious readiness shortfall. The administration's failure to prioritize defense had left our armed services with manpower deficits and delayed the acquisition of 21st century weapons and equipment. Military effectiveness had been compromised by a culture of micromanagement in the administration that seriously hampered the ability of troops and commanders to respond to conditions on the ground in a timely fashion, but within days of his inauguration, President made clear that all this was going to change. prgtoken You can look at the situation we faced in the Middle East. The timeframe I am referring to right here, the mound of ground that is held by ISIS, that is in January of 2017. prgtoken Well, just a week after his inauguration, President issued a Presidential memorandum on rebuilding the military. He directed a review of our military's readiness, and he set out an action plan to address manpower shortfalls, maintenance backlogs, acquisition costs and delays, and other drains on our military capabilities. President also acted to free up military commanders to make decisions and to respond to conditions on the ground. prgtoken The fruits of his commitment to rebuilding our military and trusting our military leaders are already evident, most notably in the significant gains made against ISIS in 2017. prgtoken If you look at the chart I just showed, in January of 2017, and then you look at December of 2017, in terms of territory held, ISIS has been routed. In the first 11 months of the administration, over 15,000 square miles were liberated from ISIS control, exceeding the total area freed in the preceding 2\1/2\ years. ISIS has lost over 98 percent of the territory it once held, and it hasn't gained any back. prgtoken Just a month ago, Iraqi Prime Minister al-Abadi declared his country ``fully liberated'' from ISIS. In Syria, ISIS has lost control of its strongholds and now only remains in small pockets of the country. prgtoken All told, in the last year, more than 5.3 million people have been freed from the brutal grip of ISIS--more than double the previous gains. Families who have spent years fearing for their lives are seeing a chance for stability, peace, and order. If this year has shown us anything, it is that we can trust our military to do its job and deliver results. prgtoken President delegated tactical authority and permitted our military to take action when action was needed, and military leaders credit this tactical authority for significant gains
WOMEN AND THE TAX SCAM
Brenda L. Lawrence (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-1-9

last month, s rammed through a terrible tax bill with devastating consequences, and women are among the hardest hit. This tax plan drains funds from working mothers while giving huge tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy. prgtoken Women are breadwinners for half of the American families with children. These women often do more work for less pay. prgtoken Nearly six in ten workers in low-wage jobs are women. Women earn 82 cents on the dollar. In Michigan, it is even lower: 74 cents. prgtoken The tax plan takes away the individual mandate, so 9.5 million women could lose healthcare--annual exams, birth control, cancer screening, pregnancy support--and lose economic security. prgtoken Under this new law, the wealthiest continue to prosper at the expense of hardworking women in this country. We deserve better in America. People deserve better than this reckless tax bill.
COUNTER TERRORIST NETWORK ACT
Filemon Vela (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-1-9

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 4578, the Counter Terrorist Network Act. prgtoken , I introduced H.R. 4578, the Counter Terrorist Network Act, to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection's ongoing efforts to prevent individuals who pose a known threat to our country from entering the United States. prgtoken Over the years, the CBP has pushed out our borders through various programs, including international partnerships where officers are posted overseas. prgtoken The CBP's National Targeting Center, or NTC, uses the latest technology and analytical tools to identify threats and share that information with both domestic and international law enforcement partners. prgtoken The CBP vets foreign nationals traveling to the United States prior to arrival through the use of various sophisticated screening techniques. Time and again, we see terrorist acts carried out by individuals who were not on the Federal radar for terrorism. prgtoken In the 17 years since the September 11 attacks, we have made huge investments in this country in intelligence to better connect the dots about those risks. prgtoken My legislation seeks to ensure that the NTC is positioned to continue embedding its analysts in overseas operations so that individuals associated with terrorist and transnational criminal networks are prevented from operating with impunity. prgtoken H.R. 4578 authorizes the NTC to continue building its collaborative intelligence and law enforcement partnerships to stay one step ahead of those individuals who wish to do us harm or commit other criminal acts. prgtoken The bill also authorizes CBP personnel to be posted abroad to perform critical preemptive operations to make sure the travelers and visa petitioners coming to our country are thoroughly screened and vetted. prgtoken , it is imperative for the DHS and its law enforcement partners to do everything practicable to screen and vet individuals before they arrive at our borders. prgtoken H.R. 4578 underscores this imperative by authorizing the CBP to counter terrorist and criminal networks' efforts to infiltrate our borders in a way that has proven effective and adaptive. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4578. prgtoken In closing, H.R. 4578 is a bipartisan bill that was unanimously approved by the Committee on Homeland Security late last year. prgtoken The partnerships that the CBP has established to disrupt and dismantle terrorists and other criminal networks are valuable and merit congressional support. prgtoken H.R. 4578 provides the CBP with statutory authority to continue these partnerships and it enables CBP personnel to be posted within different Federal and international entities in furtherance of their antiterrorism and homeland security missions. Congress must continue to support this effort, and we can do so today by passing this bill. prgtoken , s on the Committee on Homeland S
FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-1-9

there are a number of outstanding matters before the Senate that must be addressed by January 19. We must pass an extension of government funding. We must reach a deal to lift the spending caps to spare devastating cuts to our military support and funding for urgent domestic priorities. We must extend the Children's Health Insurance Program and community health centers and the 702 FISA Court program. We must pass disaster aid, and we must resolve the future of the Dreamers. prgtoken Some of these issues, particularly CHIP and FISA, could have been dealt with by the majority a long time ago. There are bipartisan majorities that would have voted to extend those programs, but the majority leader chose not to put them on the floor because they were busy pursuing a partisan ``favor the wealthy'' tax bill. prgtoken Some of these issues still require further compromise. It is no secret that we haven't come to final agreement on the spending caps. Both and s want our troops to have the resources they need to do the tough job we ask of them. At the same time, we want to make sure that we are making the right kinds of investments in the middle class. The whole campaign was about the middle class, and now we are going to abandon them because there are such needs for defense. The two are not mutually exclusive. We don't believe they are, and our colleagues have sort of lost their grip on saying: Well, we can't increase the deficit, after a $1.5 trillion tax cut mainly for the wealthy and powerful corporations. prgtoken So we are fighting hard to make sure we are making the right kinds of investments in the middle class. That is why we are pushing hard to raise the spending caps on the domestic side, so we can do more in the fight against the opioid crisis, so we can do more to help our brave veterans get quality healthcare, and so we honor the promise made to over a million pensioners who contributed to and earned every penny of their pensions. These are all very important issues. Ask a mom or dad whose kid is addicted to opioids whether that can wait. Ask a pensioner who is so nervous that he or she will not get enough dollars to retire on and feed themselves. Ask a veteran who has been waiting in line for healthcare because the Veterans' Administration is not fully funded for the healthcare needs of our veterans. They all think those are just as important--not more, not less than funding defense. We will stand firm and strong that both are important. The only argument our colleagues seem to have against this is that it increases the deficit and, as I said, they lost all claim to that one with the tax bill. prgtoken Now, teamsters, carpenters, and miners have worked their entire lives under the expectation that they could retire with a sense of dignity afforded by a modest pension. These are the ones our colleagues seem to be just adamantly opposed to. Let them g
THE TAX SCAM AND THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Hakeem S. Jeffries (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-1-9

I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding and for his forceful advocacy and brilliant articulation of prgtoken the GOP tax scam and all that it represents. prgtoken It really is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It is the ultimate hustle. It is nothing but a classic bait and switch. It is a fraudulent Ponzi scheme. The notion that this bill is designed to help benefit middle class folks and working families, those who aspire to be part of the middle class, is such complete fiction when 83 percent of the benefits of the GOP tax scam will go to the wealthiest 1 percent in America. prgtoken We know that at least 36 million middle class families, if not more, will experience a tax increase. Medicare, as was just articulated, will be undermined, the deficit will explode, and our children and grandchildren are being asked to shoulder at least $1.5 trillion in additional debt to pay for tax cuts for millionaires, billionaires, special interests, corporations, and big donors to our friends on the other side. prgtoken Don't take my word for it. There have been Members of this House who have indicated they needed to get this massive tax cut for wealthy individuals done or their donors would stop contributing. We didn't say that. That is folks from this Chamber on the other side of the aisle when talking about the urgency of jamming this reckless tax scam down the throats of the American people. prgtoken As the Congressman, the distinguished gentleman from California, just articulated, the whole premise that anyone other than the wealthy and the well off is going to benefit is built upon the fraud of trickle- down economics, when there is absolutely no evidence that trickle-down economics has ever done anything for everyday Americans. prgtoken When Ronald Reagan cut taxes on millionaires in 1981, we didn't get explosive economic growth. We got an explosion in the deficit. prgtoken When cut taxes on millionaires and billionaires in 2001 and 2003, we didn't get explosive economic growth. We got the Great Recession in terms of the legacy of the economy. prgtoken Then there was the so-called great experiment in Kansas, where a State Legislature and a Governor massively cut taxes on the wealthiest, top folks in Kansas. prgtoken And was there massive economic growth? prgtoken No. We got prison riots, overcrowded classrooms, and crumbling infrastructure. prgtoken Those are the facts. That is what so-called trickle-down economics has yielded, and now this fraud is being perpetrated on the American people. prgtoken It is shameful. It is our children and grandchildren who are going to deal with the consequences of this highly partisan effort to benefit the wealthiest amongst us. It is a raw deal for the American people. prgtoken We are going to offer a better deal for the American people; focus on better jobs, better wages, and a better future; focus on higher pay, lowe
SECURING AMERICAN NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AGAINST TERRORISM ACT OF 2017
Donald M. Payne, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-1-9

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in support of H.R. 1486, the Securing American Non-Profit Organizations Against Terrorism Act of 2017. prgtoken , H.R. 1486 would authorize the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which awards grants to nonprofit organizations at risk of a terrorist attack, in statute. prgtoken Since early last year, nonprofit organizations throughout the United States have experienced an uptick in threats, vandalism, and violent acts. According to the Anti-Defamation League, anti-Semitic incidents jumped 67 percent from 2016 to the first three quarters of 2017. Many nonprofit organizations, however, do not have the resources to make their facilities more secure by installing proper surveillance, hardening their facilities, and undergoing general preparedness activities. prgtoken The need for nonprofit organizations across the country to have access to the Homeland Security grants to bolster security is substantial. Given the security challenges associated with the current terrorist threat environment, it is important that this critical Homeland Security grant program be codified in law. prgtoken This bill goes further than just codifying the existing program. It expands it to include jurisdictions that are located outside funded UASIs but are still at risk of terrorism. prgtoken H.R. 1486 authorizes the Nonprofit Security Grant Program at $50 million, a $25 million increase over its current funding level. Language similar to this measure was included in the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act of 2017, which passed the House earlier this Congress. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and .
OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING IS A RISKY PROPOSITION
Kathy Castor (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-1-9

last week, the administration proposed opening up all of the coast of the United States of America to offshore oil drilling. This is a very risky proposition for my home State of Florida. Our economy depends on tourism, clean water, a strong fishing economy, and we have a military mission line off of the West Coast of Florida that has to be protected from drilling. prgtoken We are not that far removed from the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster that caused loss of life, billions of dollars in economic damage, and significant environmental damage as well. Why would we put our economy, our environment, our military missions at risk for such a risky proposition? prgtoken There may be appropriate places to drill for oil, but it is not off of the coast of the State of Florida. prgtoken My colleague Francis Rooney and I have cosponsored a bipartisan bill, the Florida Coastal Protection Act, H.R. 2002. I urge the support of the Congress in turning back this very risky proposal for offshore oil drilling by the administration.
HONORING AND PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING
Al Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-1-9

I rise to pay honor and pay tribute to the Honorable Dr. Martin Luther King, and, , I am so proud and honored to have the preeminent privilege of doing so here in the well of the Congress. prgtoken , Dr. King was born at a time, to quote Dr. Benjamin Hooks, when he could buy a hat but he couldn't try it on. prgtoken He was born at a time when he could only sit in the balcony of a movie, and that was in some movies. There were others that he wasn't allowed in at all. prgtoken He was born at a time when he had to sit in the back of the bus or he might be barred from riding the bus totally. prgtoken He was born at a time when he would have to wait in line and others of a different hue could always stand in front of him. prgtoken He was born at a time when invidious discrimination and when segregation was apparent and lawful. prgtoken Dr. King was born at a time when there were few who were willing to challenge the hate and the bigotry that was emanating from this country in all of its arenas for the most part. prgtoken But Dr. King was a person who understood that that which you will tolerate you will not change. Dr. King refused to tolerate bigotry and hatred. He refused to tolerate it, and, in fact, that is what separated him from a good many other people, for the most part. prgtoken Dr. King, if I may recall, went to Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963. He went there to do something about the conditions, about the discrimination, about the hate and the bigotry. When he went there to do something about it, there were people who were tolerating hatred and bigotry. prgtoken There were people there who were very prominent members of the clergy--eight of them--who decided that they would write Dr. King a letter and explain to him that what he was doing was unwise and untimely. They explained to him that law and order should prevail. They commended the constabulary for protecting the city. prgtoken These were persons who were considered honorable people, but they were people who were willing to tolerate hatred and bigotry. They, in fact, insisted that we should let the courts handle this: Let's work it through peaceful means by which we might sit and negotiate with those who would perpetrate hatred and bigotry. prgtoken Dr. King, on the other hand, sought to use nonviolent protest as a methodology by which change might take place. The things that he could not tolerate he was willing to protest to bring about change. prgtoken There were other great orators of the time. Dr. King was indeed a great orator, one of the greatest ever, but there were other great orators. There were other persons who were knowledgeable, had Ph.D.'s, and who were very well versed in what was happening with discrimination and could have spoken up on it. Many did speak up, but many of them were willing to tolerate it. Dr. King was not, and that separated him from a good many people who were orators, who were learned, and who understood invidious discrimi
SCREENING AND VETTING PASSENGER EXCHANGE ACT OF 2017
J. Luis Correa (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-9

I am prepared to close and such time as I may consume. prgtoken , this bill seeks to make international travel more secure and fosters a strong relationship between our country and our allies. All nations must increase their vigilance with respect to security screening. There are thousands of ISIL foot soldiers who may seek to enter the Western world and other nations to carry out their attacks. This legislation seeks to harness the United States' best practices and capabilities to advance the safety of the global aviation community as we face an agile and evolving enemy. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to support this measure, and .
Safeguarding OUr Elections (Executive Calendar)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-1-9

2018 is going to be an election year. In just 10 months, Americans will go to the polls to exercise their franchise, believing in the integrity of our democratic process. I am here today to discuss a threat to the integrity of that process, which is getting little attention here in Congress--nothing near what it deserves. We really ought to be acting with some expedition to safeguard our elections this November. Yet, instead, the effort is one of chasing down partisan investigative rabbit holes. prgtoken What ought to be our job? Well, national security, intelligence, election, and law enforcement officials, many of them testifying before us here in Congress, have made what our job is very clear. We must counter Russia's well-established election interference playbook. Russia will hack. Russia will bully. Russia will propagandize. Perhaps more insidiously, Russia will seek to corrupt, particularly by exploiting cracks in our incorporation and campaign finance laws. We are warned: Russia will seek to interfere in 2018's election. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that an article entitled ``CIA's Pompeo says Russia and others trying to undermine U.S. elections'' be printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks. prgtoken To quote the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Heather Conley, testifying before Congress last spring, corruption is the ``lubricant'' for Moscow's election interference, so ``the battle of Western democracies to defeat corruption'' must be seen as ``a matter of national security.'' prgtoken Testifying before our Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee, former Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, agreed, saying of Russia's 2016 election meddling: I believe [the Russians] are now emboldened to continue such activities in the future, both here and around world, and to do so even more intensely. If there has ever been a clarion call for vigilance and action against a threat to the very foundation of our democratic political system, this episode is it. I hope the American people recognize the severity of this threat and that we collectively counter it before it further erodes the fabric of our democracy. prgtoken How to counter it? Well, there are two important solutions that witnesses have identified in recent testimony before the Judiciary and other committees here in the Senate. prgtoken First, guard against the use of phony shell corporations as facilitators of corruption. Ms. Conley, as I said, wrote that corruption is the ``lubricant'' with which the Russians operate their interference schemes. She and her colleagues warn that to fight the corruption that gives Russia this channel of influence--and I quote her here--``enhancing transparency and the effectiveness of the Western democratic tools, instruments, and institutions is critical.'' One central way to cut off this channel of improper influence would be t
COMMEMORATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIERRA SACRAMENTO VALLEY MEDICAL SOCIETY
Ami Bera (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-1-9

I rise today to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society. On March 18, 1868, twelve physicians formed the Sacramento Society for Medical Improvement, which is known today as the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society. The medical society's early goals of learning about diseases and cures, formulating public health, sanitation, and food safety ordinances, and supporting the principles and ethics of the medical profession continue to benefit Sacramento communities. The Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society founded the Sacramento Board of Health and helped form the first State Board of Health in California. SSVMS represents more than 3,500 physicians, medical students, residents and fellows. Thirteen SSVMS physicians have served as President of the California Medical Association and three have served as President of the American Medical Association. SSVMS's RX Safe Physicians program has partnered with opioid task forces in Sacramento and El Dorado Counties to create a physician led coalition that is fighting opioid abuse. As a member myself, I want to thank the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society for their work over the past 150 years I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Sierra Sacramento Valley Medical Society on 150 years of service to the Sacramento region.