mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
REFUGEE ADMISSIONS
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-10-3

last Friday, President announced that he will slash our refugee admissions to 45,000 in fiscal year 2018--the lowest annual target since the passage of the 1980 Refugee Act. Instead of embracing our moral and legal obligation to address the worst refugee crisis in global history, as has been our tradition for decades, President seems intent on relinquishing our role as the humanitarian leader of the world. The dimming of our beacon is not just a symbolic loss; tens of thousands of human lives are now placed at risk. prgtoken There is no rational basis for this shameful retreat. The administration's own analysis shows that refugees contributed a net benefit of $63 billion to our economy between 2005 and 2014. National security leaders across the political spectrum, including former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mullen, are unanimous in their view that refugees are the most stringently vetted travelers to the United States. Our commitment to welcoming refugees plays a critical role in strengthening our alliances in areas of conflict. prgtoken The President stands alone in his disregard for the staggering suffering we are witnessing around the world. Last month, the Senate Appropriations Committee--on which I serve as vice chairman-- unanimously approved a funding bill that demonstrates our unwavering commitment to refugees. It fully funds offices that are critical to the continuity of refugee programs and even provides a $50 million increase to the State Department's refugee assistance and resettlement missions. Our bipartisan bill repudiates any claims by President that the United States is unwilling to commit the resources required to fund a refugee program that honors our history as a refuge for the persecuted. Even the conservative Heritage Foundation has called on President to set annual refugee admissions ``based on historical refugee levels,'' which have never dropped below 67,000 per year since the beginning of the Reagan administration. prgtoken I am proud that my own State of Vermont has welcomed and resettled approximately 7,500 refugees since fiscal year 1989. The city of Rutland was preparing to resettle an additional 100 refugees mainly from Syria last year and this fiscal year, until the administration inexplicably halted certain refugee admissions and announced drastic reductions to the refugee resettlement program. Vermont and other States stand ready to do more to address this global crisis, but the leader of our country is shamefully directing them to do less. prgtoken Presidents have an obligation to protect our Nation's fundamental values. Presidents of both parties have long understood this. They have not forsaken our history as a nation founded by enterprising individuals seeking refuge and freedom from persecution. They have ensured that our policies do not betray our proud tradition as the humanitarian leader of the world.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 36, PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-3

like every physician, I took an oath to do no harm and make every decision in the best interest of my patients in the emergency department. prgtoken That oath drives every choice a doctor makes, whether it is prescribing medications, treating chronic illnesses, and even choosing how best to triage and treat a trauma patient. H.R. 36 would stand in the way of a doctor's ability to best care for their patients. This bill would force doctors to ignore the symptoms that they have learned through years of training and practice that show a patient's condition could become a more serious medical condition. prgtoken Can you imagine going into your doctor's office as a pregnant woman and being told your twins would not live and that giving birth could rupture your uterus, causing severe bleeding? That is what happened to Phil and his wife from Missouri. They learned at week 21 that she was at risk of a ruptured uterus and that the twins would die because of twin-twin transfusion syndrome. prgtoken Phil said: ``Decisions about abortion need to be made with families and the best medical information available.'' I couldn't agree more. A physician's sole focus should be the health of their patient, not the consequences of an arbitrary law that has no basis in medical evidence, and no basis that this bill is even necessary or that it will improve health outcomes.
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-3

. Madam , it is always hard for me to understand why our colleagues on the other side of the aisle embrace junk science, whether it is around global warming, where 99 percent of the scientists say, yes, it is happening, or in this case. prgtoken We have the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists from 2010 indicating that ``connections from the periphery to the cortex is not intact until 24 weeks. The cortex is necessary for pain perception.'' prgtoken In 2012, ACOG, in the Journal of American Medical Association embraced that statement. So the vast majority of physicians and scientists say there is not pain perception at 20 weeks. prgtoken But let me talk about Dr. Jenn and Sammi. Sammi was 17, terrified, and pregnant when she went to a ``clinic'' that ended up being a crisis pregnancy center. The center gave Sammi a free, private ultrasound, which was actually broadcast throughout the clinic for all to see--a violation, I might say, of HIPAA. When Sammi said she wanted to end the pregnancy, the center called her almost daily saying she would die, get sick, and go to hell.
COMMEMORATING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF FANNIE LOU HAMER
Bonnie Watson Coleman (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-10-3

I think it is vitally important on this 100th anniversary of Ms. Hamer's birth to also recognize that we are still fighting for the unfettered access to the vote, and that here in Congress, we have the opportunity to eliminate barriers and to fix the problems with the Civil Rights Act that just negatively impacts access and unfettered access to voting. There are just so many fundamental things that we could be doing today that honor the work that she did and that she gave her life's work to. prgtoken In closing for me, I want to just say that I thank the gentleman so very much for doing this because I know that there are people who listen to these moments of Special Orders hours on C-SPAN, or catch it in some other form. It is important for our communities to recognize just how significant this woman's role was in ensuring that they have the access to the things that they have access to today, and to demand their right to vote, and to exercise that right to vote every chance they get. prgtoken I am very grateful for the gentleman carrying this message this evening.
Remembering Pete Domenici (Executive Calendar)
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-10-3

I am really proud to come to the floor today to join my fellow Senator from New Mexico, Tom Udall, to recognize the life and service of the longest serving Senator from our incredible State of New Mexico, Senator Pete Domenici. prgtoken Senator Domenici dedicated his entire life to the State and to the people he loved. He served our State in the Senate for 36 years. His decades of service to New Mexico left a lasting impact that will continue to be felt in every corner of our State for many years to come. Many in New Mexico called him Saint Pete because of how relentlessly he fought on the Appropriations and Budget Committees to secure resources for the people of New Mexico. We can still see the fruits of his labors at our State's National Labs, at our military installations, at our colleges and universities, and in water systems and community centers all over our State. That is because, while he worked on the forefront of major policy debates here in the Senate, Pete Domenici always put the interests of New Mexico above all else. prgtoken Like myself, Senator Domenici's first public service experience came on Albuquerque's City Council, then called the City Commission. And, at least in my experience, I know that working at that local level was an invaluable way to learn how to hear from diverse viewpoints and stakeholders and find ways to build consensus and get the results for your constituents that you hope to achieve. I have tried to bring that approach with me into the Senate, and I know that Senator Domenici was, in part, so successful because of the skills he learned there. prgtoken I am grateful for the example Senator Domenici set for all of us here in this body on how to advance important and complex policy goals in Washington with civility for our colleagues. s and alike who worked with him on issues like the budget, energy, national defense, nuclear deterrence, and mental health parity still point to his dedication to bipartisan cooperation and compromise. prgtoken Although they didn't always see eye to eye, Senator Domenici, a , and Senator Jeff Bingaman, a , who served New Mexico alongside him for the vast majority of his time in the Senate, always made a point of improving the lives of New Mexicans by working together. It set a great example for people like me to watch how the two of them worked together. Their spirit of cooperation across party lines is still present in our State's congressional delegation, and I believe Senator Domenici's focus on putting policy results above party politics still resonates today. prgtoken One of the greatest examples of this was Senator Domenici's work alongside two progressive ic lions of the Senate--Paul Wellstone and Ted Kennedy--to pass mental health parity legislation. Senators Domenici and Wellstone didn't agree on many issues, but they found they both had close, personal experience with and a
PROVIDING RESOURCES, OFFICERS, AND TECHNOLOGY TO ERADICATE CYBER THREATS TO OUR CHILDREN ACT OF 2017
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-10-3

. Madam , on October 3rd, on rollcall votes 546, 547, 548, 549, and 550, I was not present because I was tending to my community in Las Vegas, in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Nay'' on rollcall vote 546, ``Nay'' on rollcall vote 547, ``Yea'' on rollcall vote 548, ``Nay'' on rollcall vote 549, and ``Yea'' on rollcall vote 550.
PROVIDING RESOURCES, OFFICERS, AND TECHNOLOGY TO ERADICATE CYBER THREATS TO OUR CHILDREN ACT OF 2017
Bob Goodlatte (Republican, VA) \u2014 2017-10-3

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , s on both sides of the aisle for their strong bipartisan support and our staff on both sides of the aisle for their outstanding work on this very important legislation to reauthorize a program that I am very, very familiar with. prgtoken The sheriff of Bedford County, Virginia, has been a leading advocate for this program and has provided services in his sheriff's department that have protected thousands of children not just in our immediate region in southwest Virginia, but all across the country. prgtoken I am very, very familiar with the work that goes on, day in and day out, of training law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and others, as well as the detection and prosecution of individuals who would commit these heinous crimes. This bill has done as much as any I know to keep children safe on the internet. prgtoken This law and this bill are important to reauthorize for another 5 years. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. prgtoken , .
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2017-10-3

I have 12 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Armed Services prgtoken The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 10 a.m in open session, to receive testimony on the political and security situation in Afghanistan. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing entitled, ``Wells Fargo: One Year Later.'' Committee on Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate in order to hold a Business Meeting on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, beginning at 10:15 a.m. in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate in order to hold a hearing on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 10:30 a.m. in Room 366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. Committee on Finance prgtoken The Committee on Finance is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to conduct a hearing entitled ``International Tax Reform.'' Committee on Foreign Relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 10 a.m to hold a hearing entitled ``Nominations .'' Committee on Foreign Relations prgtoken The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 2 p.m to hold a hearing entitled ``Nominations.'' Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions prgtoken The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet, during the session of the Senate, in order to conduct a hearing entitled ``The Every Student Succeeds Act: Unleashing State Innovation'' on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 10 a.m in room 430 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. in order to conduct a hearing on the nomination of John
PROTECTING LIFE
Ted Budd (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-10-3

the Founding Fathers enshrined the guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They regarded life as a core promise and one that was to be protected. The Federal Government is responsible for protecting those rights, and currently we are failing at that responsibility. prgtoken As I speak in this body, America is one of only seven countries in the world that have legalized late-term elective abortion after 20 weeks. More specifically, it is estimated that approximately 13,000 late-term abortions are carried out in our country each year on healthy babies. prgtoken This is simply immoral and, as lawmakers, we have the ability to take commonsense measures to protect the unborn. The bill that we are voting on today, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, is one of those measures. prgtoken , every human being was given inalienable rights, chief among them being life itself. Governments are supposed to protect those rights. As a lawmaker, I plan to do so by supporting the bill before us today. I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-10-3

a recent survey reported that 50 percent of people in this country consider themselves living paycheck to paycheck, and one third of these people say they are just $400 away from financial crisis. That is not acceptable. prgtoken Unfortunately, after 8 years of economic stagnation under the administration, living paycheck to paycheck is starting to feel like the new normal for most Americans. But it doesn't have to be. We have the resources to be the strongest economy in the world. American workers and job creators are as dynamic and creative as ever, and they can get our economy thriving again. In order to get them to do that, we need to clear some obstacles in their path. That starts with reforming our complicated and outdated Tax Code, which has increasingly been strangling our economy. prgtoken This month, s in the House and Senate are making comprehensive tax reform one of our top priorities. After weeks of work, last week leaders from the Senate, the House, and the White House unveiled the framework that will guide our final tax reform legislation. prgtoken The framework is built around s' five principles for tax reform: first, providing tax relief for the middle class; second, increasing wages, jobs, and economic growth; third, keeping good-paying jobs here at home in America; fourth, increasing American competitiveness in the global economy; and, finally, fifth, simplifying the Tax Code. The framework outlines our plans to provide relief for middle-class families. prgtoken First, we will lower rates for hard-working Americans. By collapsing the seven income tax brackets to three, we will ensure that working families get prgtoken to keep more of what they earn. Our plan will also expand the child tax credit and make it available to more families, and our plan doubles the standard deduction, which will provide significant relief for those who need it the most. Under our plan, a family making $24,000 a year will no longer owe any Federal income taxes. All of these measures will provide direct relief to working families. prgtoken Just as important for families, however, is the other half of our tax reform plan, which involves creating the kind of economic environment where hard-working Americans can thrive--the kind of environment where Americans have access to good jobs, higher wages, and more opportunities. prgtoken Over the past few weeks, I have come to the floor to talk about s' tax reform principles and have highlighted some of the ways our tax reform plan will improve the economic outlook for American families. Last week, I talked about our third principle, reforming our Tax Code to keep those good-paying jobs here at home. This week I would like to spend a few minutes talking about our fourth principle, which is keeping American businesses competitive in the global economy. prgtoken In order for individual Americans to thrive economically, we need ou
WESTERN CAUCUS: WILDFIRES
Paul A. Gosar (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-10-3

I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his excellent leadership. He is very modest. prgtoken Listen, folks, I made a comment. Around here in Washington, D.C we talk about the being the opposition and the Senate being the problem. Well, as you know, this is a very bipartisan bill. He is very modest. prgtoken Let's go back through what H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act, actually does. prgtoken It allows for the streamlined review of projects up to 30,000 acres if the management strategy is put forward by collaborative stakeholders. Imagine that, something so simple. prgtoken It also requires litigants opposing active management projects to propose an alternative proposal as opposed to just saying ``no.'' ``No'' isn't a solution. It is what you are for. prgtoken It removes incentives for extreme special interest groups to file frivolous lawsuits--boy, once again, coming to the table with a solution. prgtoken It empowers local stakeholders and decisionmakers. So often we overlook the people on the ground, on Main Street, who have to live with the consequences for bad policy decisions. prgtoken It also empowers Tribal communities to be part of the solution and to help reduce the risk of wildfire. We see this time and again, that the Native Tribes that are in charge of their forests have pristine management practices. prgtoken H.R. 2936 also maintains current protections for our environmentally sensitive areas, including wilderness and roadless areas. What a concession. prgtoken We need to be clear about larger risk areas and get to these in a more timely manner that we really want to handle. prgtoken This bill is good for forest-dependent species as it allows for improvements to their habitat. prgtoken This bill adopts a forward-thinking, active management strategy that combats dangerous wildfires before they get started, which includes reforms that would end the practice of fire borrowing. prgtoken I want to thank the gentleman for his excellent piece of legislation. It is time that it moves forward. prgtoken Once again, it is not the House that is the problem, but our colleagues across the street. Once again, talk is cheap; actions speak. Americans need help. prgtoken The fact that these disasters are quite natural might lead one to think they are inevitable, but according to forestry officials and experts, it is our stunted Federal forestry management and underfunded and misallocated Forest Service accounts that are to blame. prgtoken Our system is broken. These fires start naturally and decimate our natural ecosystems, but the ultimate cause at the level of their severity and recurrence is manmade. prgtoken The facts about the relationship between management and wildfires speak for themselves. Forest Service data indicates that active forest management reduces wildfire intensity, while improving forest health. In spite of this, only 1 to 2 percent of high risk areas are actively treated and subj
Las Vegas Mass Shooting (Executive Calendar)
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2017-10-3

my colleague from Massachusetts has referred to the tragedy that we all watched unfold late on Sunday evening in Las Vegas, NV--the tragedy, the horror, the shock of so many. Alaska has felt the brunt of that tragedy as well. We lost two Alaskans; at least one other was injured. Mr. Adrian Murfitt from Anchorage, a commercial fisherman, lost his life that evening. Dorene Anderson, who is a mom and self-described hockey promoter, will not be returning to Alaska with her family. Rob McIntosh, who is a realtor prgtoken from the Fairbanks-North Pole area, was also injured. Our prayers are with him and with all of the families. prgtoken Whether they are from Alaska or from around the country, the tragedy, the loss, is just a shocking emotion that has been brought to this Nation. It is really horrifying on so many different levels. I express my condolences not only to the families of the Alaskans whom we have lost but to all of those who are suffering.
PAIN-CAPABLE UNBORN CHILD PROTECTION ACT
Ann Wagner (Republican, MO) \u2014 2017-10-3

today I rise because our family will welcome its first grandchild in the coming months. This is her 17-week ultrasound, and I cannot wait to meet her. This child is already known by her mother, Julia, quoting Psalm 139: ``For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.'' prgtoken , this child is a gift from God, a gift that we have far too often abandoned in this country. prgtoken Today, we know so much more. We know that, after 3 weeks, my granddaughter had a heartbeat. After 7 weeks, she began kicking her mother, like any good Wagner child would. By week 12, she could suck her thumb, and at week 20, my granddaughter knew the sound of her mother's voice and could feel pain. prgtoken , I stand for life, from conception to natural death. I stand for H.R. 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. And on behalf of my granddaughter, I will continue to fight for the day when abortion is not only illegal, but it is unthinkable.