mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017
Mike Lee (Republican, UT) \u2014 2018-1-17

the Founding Fathers knew and understood well what it was like to live in a dangerous world. When America was founded, we were threatened by foreign adversaries. The military might of the United States was feeble compared to the great powers of that day. Yet the Founders insisted on a Constitution that would protect the civil liberties of the American people. They knew it was possible to defend the homeland and Americans' rights at the same time. It still is. prgtoken The War of Independence was fought in part because King George III abused general warrants that let his officers snoop through the papers and property of law-abiding subjects. The abuse of general warrants and the use of things like writs of assistance prompted the American people into action, representing that their fundamental liberties were at stake. That is part of what ushered in the American Revolution. prgtoken The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution was put in place specifically to protect these very kinds of liberties and to protect the American people against this very type of snooping. The Fourth Amendment does this by prohibiting unreasonable searches and seizures of Americans' persons and property. The very wording of the Fourth Amendment itself recognizes that this is part of what our security means. It is not just that we are protecting privacy; we are protecting privacy by protecting our security, to make sure that we are secure in our persons, our papers, houses, and effects. prgtoken The Fourth Amendment also requires search warrants to be limited in scope and to be based on evidence producing probable cause that a crime has been committed. Those warrants also have to be particularized so that they are not open-ended, so that they can't be applied to any and every circumstance. prgtoken Critics of the Fourth Amendment complain about it. They complain about it from time to time as if it were somehow an annoyance that has to be dealt with, ultimately circumvented. Some people refer to it even as something of a security threat in and of itself. This is wrong. Our Nation's history should itself be enough to convince us that the Fourth Amendment is no annoyance. It is an essential safeguard of our liberty in the face of a vast, powerful, and frequently overreaching government. Just think of how much more powerful the government has become in the age of supercomputers and the internet. The kinds of abuses endured by the founding generations will be repeated on an even greater scale if we are not vigilant in checking the power of government. prgtoken Last night, this body--the U.S. Senate--voted to close debate on a bill to reauthorize section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This program may sound dry. It may sound inconsequential or even uncontroversial to many people's lives. But supporters and critics who are familiar with it often agree that it is anything but. prgtoken FISA's section 702 autho
DACA
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-1-17

I thank Congressman Castro for his great leadership on this issue. prgtoken I want to take a moment to talk about the story of Mariana Castro. Mariana is going to be interning for us this year, and she is an ambitious young DREAMer from Florida. prgtoken In 2005, Mariana left Lima, Peru, at the age of 10 with her mother, leaving her father and brothers behind for a safer life. prgtoken She was in the high school IB program. Not until the 10th grade did she realize that regardless of her excellent grades and involvement in hundreds of hours of community service, her undocumented status would be a hurdle to pursuing higher education. prgtoken A few months before graduation, DACA--Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals--was a miracle. She would now be able to provide for her family, drive, and no longer live in the shadows. prgtoken Mariana enrolled in the University of Florida, but faced severe financial difficulties due to her status. As her only way to higher education, she temporarily paused her education and fought for tuition equity in the State of Florida. I had the honor of having a role in that, having been in the Florida Senate at the time when we passed instate tuition along with a bill that I had that admitted DREAMers into The Florida Bar. This would spark her passion for social justice. prgtoken Throughout her time at UF, she utilized her voice to speak for immigrant rights and human rights by taking several leadership positions within Chispas, the only student-led immigrant advocacy organization at UF. prgtoken She has helped start programs that provide training for professional staff under student affairs about relevant immigration laws that affect students as well. prgtoken She has helped raise thousands of dollars for Out of the Shadows, a scholarship specifically for undocumented students in Florida that she oversaw for 3 years. prgtoken She spent a semester working for the Florida Senate and has also worked as a Know Your Rights trainer for the Florida Immigrant Coalition, where she was able to educate the immigrant community about their rights in the United States through mobile consulates. prgtoken Due to her status, she is unable to qualify for loans and only qualifies to be eligible for a very limited amount of scholarships. Mariana has been paying for her education out of pocket, working 20 to 30 hours during school and 50-plus hours during school breaks. prgtoken Her only close relative in the States, her mother, has been undergoing difficult medical procedures, including treatment for human papillomavirus prgtoken and, most recently, severe glaucoma, making her unable to support her daughter. prgtoken After graduation, she hopes to attend law school to continue her fight for immigrant families across the Nation. But if the DACA program doesn't exist, if DREAMers aren't given their rights, then she will never be able to practice law under Florida law. prgtoken I am proud to announce that Mariana
HONORING TOBY COSGROVE
Marcia L. Fudge (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-1-17

today I rise to recognize Dr. Toby Cosgrove, an innovative leader and the recently retired president and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic Hospital System. I am fortunate to know Dr. Cosgrove personally, and I am privileged to call him a friend. prgtoken Some say a picture is worth 1,000 words. That was certainly true of Toby Cosgrove. Toby was an accomplished sailor as a young man. That was his path until he saw a photo of his neighbor in an operating room. That photo inspired Dr. Cosgrove to become a surgeon. prgtoken He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts and earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. prgtoken After medical school, Dr. Cosgrove served our Nation in Vietnam as a captain in the U.S. Air Force. He was awarded a Bronze Star and the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal for his service during the war. prgtoken Dr. Cosgrove joined the Cleveland Clinic staff in 1976. Dr. Cosgrove was a world-renowned heart surgeon for more than 30 years. He performed more than 22,000 operations and pioneered the first minimally invasive heart valve surgery. Throughout his remarkable career, he acquired 31 registered patents. prgtoken Dr. Cosgrove took the helm of the Cleveland Clinic in 2004 and made the health of the clinic employees a priority. Some of his wellness initiatives included implementing a smoking ban on all campuses, ensuring healthier food options in cafeterias, and opening weekly farmers' markets. prgtoken During his tenure, Dr. Cosgrove focused on enhancing patient outcomes and a better patient experience. Dr. Cosgrove is credited with instilling a vision and culture that has led to the Cleveland Clinic being described as ``a role model of healthcare delivery.'' prgtoken He coined the phrase ``Patients First'' and made headlines by hiring America's first chief experience officer to ensure caregivers were meeting the medical, physical, and emotional needs of patients. prgtoken Dr. Cosgrove led the expansion of Cleveland Clinic's footprint to over 100 locations in northeast Ohio, including 10 regional hospitals and 21 family health centers. prgtoken Under his leadership, the Cleveland Clinic has become Ohio's largest employer. Total visits increased to 7.1 million and research funding grew to $260 million. prgtoken The Cleveland Clinic health system includes facilities in Florida, Nevada, Canada, Abu Dhabi, and a new London facility scheduled to open in 2020. prgtoken Dr. Cosgrove stepped down at the end of 2017. In tribute, the Cleveland Clinic community came together to raise over $50 million for the Cosgrove Transformation Campaign to honor his career and legacy. prgtoken The Cosgrove Transformation Campaign will ensure Cleveland Clinic remains a world leader in innovation, research, education, and improving the patient experience. prgtoken On behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio, I thank Dr. Cosgrove for his years of innovative leaders
CONGRATULATING JOEL WEISMAN OF WTTW-CHICAGO UPON HIS RETIREMENT
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2018-1-17

I rise today to congratulate the longtime host of Chicago Public Media's ``The Week in Review'' for 40 years of helping to keep the Windy City well informed. Joel Weisman conceived the longest-running series in the history of WTTW over coffee at the Palmer House with colleague John Callaway and William J. McCarter, the then-president and CEO of WTTW. The Emmy Award-winning program has welcomed a rotating four-person panel from print, broadcast and digital news media to discuss politics and other news relevant to Chicago each Friday since. Mr. Weisman's last stint as host will be on Friday, January 19, for an hour-long special with special guests and highlights from the past four decades. Mr. Weisman, a lawyer and lifelong Chicagoan, began his journalism career at the City News Bureau after graduating from the University of Illinois. He has also worked for The Gary Post-Tribune; The Chicago American; as a reporter, columnist and metropolitan editor for The Chicago Sun-Times; and as Midwest correspondent for The Washington Post. He is also the father of my legislative director, Matt Weisman. I want to wish him all the best as he retires from ``The Week in Review.''
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2018-1-17

this Friday, the Federal Government runs out of money. We owe the American people a long-term solution to keep the government open. prgtoken insist that this solution address the urgent issues facing the American people, those we represent. That means long-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program; funding for communities fighting the deadly opioid epidemic; funding for the VA Choice Program so that our heroic veterans get the care they need and deserve; passing the Dream Act; and providing additional disaster recovery funds for Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida, and Colorado. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to be sure that these issues are addressed in the continuing resolution. Work with the . Let's get this done for the American people.
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-1-17

here we are again, facing the possibility of a government shutdown. It is one of the most foolish acts possible. What we have seen in the past when this occurs where there are some people who decide they want to force the government to shut down. prgtoken It only hurts our employees, and it hurts the public, having a denial of service in many instances. The employees are sent home. They are off the payroll temporarily. But what has always happened is that we always end up paying them because it is not their fault, and, as a result, the taxpayer loses twice. They lose the services, and they end up having to pay, essentially, public employees to take a forced vacation. prgtoken Now, the current controversy is largely about the fate of almost 700,000 undocumented young people who were brought here as children. This shouldn't be a matter of major debate. We can take care of the immigration issues if we allow the process to work. prgtoken Remember a couple years ago the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill--not perfect, maybe a C-plus on the scale, but it would have fixed the problem in the short and intermediate term. Unfortunately, the House leadership never allowed us to vote on it, probably because they knew it would pass. prgtoken Now we are facing anxiety again. We have had people arguing about what vulgarity the President used or who is acting in good faith, but the fact is that we have a proposal from Senator Durbin and Senator Graham, a bipartisan proposal, that met the broad outlines that the President earlier talked about that looks as though it will pass the Senate, and we have a strong possibility of passing here in the House. prgtoken Now, there is some controversy. People are suggesting want to shut the government down. Absolutely not. My friends are in complete control of the House and the Senate and the White House, and they can, as they did recently with the short-term extension, pass it themselves. But if they want to work with us, they ought to include us in this effort. prgtoken I would suggest that we stop governing behind closed doors and having the majority party cater to a small handful of people who are making demands that would not be acceptable to the broad House and probably aren't even acceptable to most s. Let's bring the best approaches forward. prgtoken It is pretty simple. Allow the House to vote on the Graham-Durbin proposal. I understand there is one from our friend Mr. Goodlatte, Congressman McCaul. Bring them forward. prgtoken There are legislative processes--queen of the Hill, king of the Hill--where you can have multiple votes on issues that are related, and at the end there is one that is left standing that represents the majority. prgtoken I would suggest that there is no reason to play games with the integrity of government services, play games with our employees, and play games with providing key services to the public; and, mos
WORLD BANK ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2017
Nydia M. Velázquez (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-1-17

I thank the ranking member for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in opposition to H.R. 3326, the World Bank Accountability Act of 2017. prgtoken Let me be clear, from the outset, that I support the World Bank and its mission. The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries. It works to reduce poverty and support development around the globe. prgtoken Let me also be clear that I support this bill's authorization of $3.29 billion to the World Bank's International Development Association, which provides grants and very low-interest loans to the poorest 77 countries on the planet. These countries use this funding for a wide array of investments in areas like education, health, public administration, infrastructure, and resource development, but when I voted for this bill in committee, I joined the ranking member and the rest of my ic colleagues in making clear that my support was dependent on working together on making changes to the bill as we moved to the floor. prgtoken This is about the right of the minority to provide meaningful input into legislation, and that was an agreement that we struck before we voted on the bill. prgtoken Despite ' best efforts, that did not happen, and there continue to be provisions in this bill that need to be addressed. prgtoken For example, the bill calls for withholding 30 percent of the U.S. contribution to IDA in any year over a 6-year period in which the Treasury Secretary cannot certify to Congress that the World Bank has adopted or is taking steps to implement two sets of reforms mandated in the bill. prgtoken In addition, if the Treasury Department cannot report that the World Bank has met either or both of these reforms in any given year, the bill forces U.S. funding to the World Bank to be withheld and makes it more difficult for the World Bank to implement these reforms going forward. prgtoken As currently drafted, this bill reflects a total misunderstanding of how the international system works. Multilateral institutions, like the World Bank, which we set up, require sustained U.S. involvement and leadership. prgtoken It is unrealistic to think that the U.S. can impose its will on the World Bank. Withholding funds is not an effective approach to reform. The only way to achieve the reforms we are seeking at the World Bank is through our participation and commitment. prgtoken At times like this, we must not retreat from our involvement or responsibility on the world stage.
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017--Continued
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-1-17

in my typically classy fashion, I dropped the microphone before I began to speak. prgtoken I was glad to yield to my friend from New Jersey when he told me the reason why because I have three daughters at home, and if one of them-- if I were fortunate enough to have one of them here in Washington, I would want to be having dinner with her, too, instead of being here, but I am here tonight for them and for families just like the other Senators have talked about. prgtoken My family has an interesting immigration history that people are surprised by sometimes when I talk about it. My mom and her parents were Polish Jews when World War II broke out. Miraculously, they survived the Holocaust. They and one other member of the family survived, and they actually lived for 2 years behind the Iron Curtain, in Eastern Europe. They were finally able to get to Sweden where they lived for 1 year, and they came to Mexico--of all places, Mexico City-- where they lived for 1 year. Then they finally made it to America, a country they believed was the only place on the planet where they could rebuild their shattered lives, and that is what they did. They contributed mightily to this country. They contributed mightily to me, to my brother, and to my sister. prgtoken When I hear the stories that I hear from my colleagues tonight, what it makes me realize is that my family's story is not unique, but it is what makes America unique because you can't tell my family's story in almost any other country but this country. prgtoken I had the chance, when I was first in this job, to go to Fort Carson in Colorado to a naturalization ceremony there. There were 30 people from every corner of the globe in our uniform because they were fighting for America, but they weren't yet citizens. They took the oath to that flag, and I used to carry around the list of the countries they came from because out of 30, only 2 came from the same country. Twenty eight came from places all over the Earth, and I sat there thinking to myself how lucky we are to live in a place where that could be true. It is not true in any other country on the planet. prgtoken I want my children to grow up in the country I grew up in--a country that is a nation of immigrants committed to the rule of law. That is why I was grateful to have the chance to be part of the Gang of 8 that negotiated the comprehensive immigration bill. I was sorry when that didn't ever get a vote in the House, because I think it would have passed had it been voted on in the House. That bill, which contained $40 billion for border security, would be well on its way to implementation today, and I think our political debate as a country would be very different than the political debate we have been having now, which would be good for our country and remind us of the values that we share. Unfortunately, we are not in that position today, and we are left with a problem, trying to deal with th
RAPID DNA ACT OF 2017--Continued
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2018-1-17

let me start off by thanking my colleague from Colorado, who got here earlier than I and is giving me the opportunity to move ahead. My daughter is in town. I would like to see her, but this is important, and I appreciate his courtesy. prgtoken I am thankful for Senator Durbin. As someone who has been involved in immigration reform for the better part of the 26 years that I have been in the House and the Senate, his passion on this singular issue within the overall immigration question is unquestionable in how we take care of these young people--young people who, in every respect except for birth, are Americans. It has been extraordinary. It couldn't have a better champion, and I appreciate that. prgtoken To my friend and colleague Lindsey Graham, I appreciate his courage because it is not one of those things he really has to tackle. I appreciate his understanding of the institution as to how to get there and his knowledge in bringing people together. I don't always like what I hear from him, but by the same token, he doesn't always like what he hears from me, particularly on this issue. Nonetheless, he is an extraordinary American. prgtoken To the rest of my colleagues and certainly Senator Bennet, who was part of the Gang of 8, when we went through this a couple of years ago, it passed in this very same body with 68 votes--comprehensive immigration reform. Unfortunately, it just languished in the House of Representatives or we wouldn't be talking about any of this, largely, today. We would be well on our path to border security, well on our path to future flows, well on our path to what immigration would look like in the future, and, of course, a pathway for all of those who have worked hard in this country and obeyed the law in every other respect. prgtoken To Senator Flake, who was part of that group, I really appreciate him. We don't always agree on everything. On foreign policy, we have a disagreement or two, but on this, we have been locked in laser-like. I appreciate his willingness, especially in the final year he has decided to serve here, to take on this challenge. prgtoken Look, we are about working on finding common ground on some of the most pressing immigration issues that really go to so many things-- national security, the national economy. I cannot secure America if I don't know who is here to pursue the American dream versus who is here to do it harm. For that, one has to bring people out of the shadows and into the light and have them go through criminal background checks to know. I cannot thrust that economy even beyond--into warp drive unless we have everybody fully participating in an open, above-the-ground economy. One of the most urgent of these issues is the uncertainty faced by 800,000 Dreamers across America who qualify for protective status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, which we call DACA. prgtoken It is no secret that I deeply disagree w