mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
HONORING CHIEF EDWARD SWITALSKI
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2017-7-26

today, I wish to honor the 38-year public service career of Comstock, MI, fire chief Edward Switalski. Known for his bravery and devotion to his family and community, Chief Switalski was killed in the line of duty on June 14, 2017, having been struck and killed by a motorist on Interstate 94 in Kalamazoo County, as he was responding to a previous car crash at that site. He is survived by his wife, Holly, and two daughters, Alison and Emily. prgtoken Chief Switalski's dream of becoming a firefighter arrived early. As a child, he volunteered to clean equipment and perform other tasks for his local fire department. His career began as a part-time paramedic at Pleasantview Fire District in Illinois in 1982; while there, he rose to become battalion chief before retiring after 32 years of service and moving to Michigan to be closer to his daughters. prgtoken While in Illinois, Chief Switalski won numerous awards and citations, including one for running into the basement of a burning building in an attempt to rescue one of his colleagues. The chief was also a compassionate volunteer who traveled to New Orleans to help rebuild the community in the wake of the devastating Hurricane Katrina. prgtoken After his relocation to Michigan, Switalski became the chief of the Comstock, MI, fire department in 2013. Chief Switalski quickly became known as a visionary leader who would often pick up open firefighting shifts in his small department. Active in the community, the chief was involved in numerous organizations and was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Kalamazoo. prgtoken Colleagues have paid numerous tributes to Chief Switalski. A former chief of his remarked he ``did not know anyone who enjoyed being a firefighter more than he did.'' The public safety chaplain of a neighboring fire department said that, on June 14, ``we lost a great man on Earth that day, but we gained one in heaven.'' The leader of a local ambulance service called Chief Switalski ``an extraordinary man who had a deep compassion for his family and the communities that he served. He was a man of integrity, who believed in doing the right thing.'' prgtoken It was entirely appropriate that United States and State of Michigan flags flew at half-staff on all State buildings on the day of the chief's funeral. prgtoken Chief Switalski was a brave and selfless public servant who was taken from our world much too soon. The tremendous outpouring of support demonstrated at his funeral service is a reminder of the risks undertaken every day by our first responders and the gratitude the public has for their vital work.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Joe Manchin, III (Democrat, WV) \u2014 2017-7-26

. Madam Pesident, I intend to offer the following motion to commit that would send H.R. 1628 to the Finance Committee with instructions to eliminate any provision that would hurt the clinics serving miners with Black Lung by increasing the number of uninsured individuals. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record. The motion is supported by Senators Manchin, Brown, Warner, Kaine, and Coons.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2017-7-26

I intend to offer a motion to commit H.R. 1628 to the Finance Committee to review the impacts of this bill on the Indian Health Service, Tribal Health Programs, Urban Indian Health Programs, or Indian Tribes or other Tribal organizations, or with respect to services provided to individuals who are American Indian or Alaska Native. prgtoken I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the Record, and it is supported by Senators Cantwell, Cortez Masto, Heinrich, Heitkamp, Franken, Murray, Merkley, Schatz, Stabenow, and Tester.
COUNTERING AMERICA'S ADVERSARIES THROUGH SANCTIONS ACT
Gene Green (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-7-26

I rise today in support of H.R. 3364. prgtoken I rise in support of the Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act, to strengthen sanctions against Russia, North Korea, and Iran. These sanctions have been a long time coming. prgtoken Russian aggression towards the United States and our allies is at a level not seen since the Cold War. Although you wouldn't know it from the conduct of our president, Russia is unparalleled in its willingness to use illicit ``active measures'' to try to weaken the rules-based international order that has benefited the world for decades. Although the techniques in many ways aren't new--we saw similar tactics during the Cold War--the power of social media and the Internet have only amplified Russia's capabilities. prgtoken It's thought that Russia has been behind the hacking of the attempted hacking of campaigns, infrastructure systems, and government entities in many of our European allies, including Denmark, France, Georgia, the Netherlands, Germany, Ukraine, and Estonia. In Ukraine, Russia is thought to be behind a power blackout in 2015. prgtoken Many of Russia's attempts have failed, but in Russia's influence campaign in the 2016 presidential election, it was partially successful. Russia and its government-backed hackers have undermined the integrity of our democratic processes and our system of representative government, the foundation of our country, since its inception. It may not have succeeded in changing the outcome of the election, but it has accomplished one of its goals, to sow discord and mistrust in an already-divided country. We must not let it accomplish its other aims. prgtoken President has often seemed more admiring of Vladimir Putin and Russian officials than he has of his own country. In many cases, he's been friendlier to the Russian government than to his own advisors. As president, astonishingly, he's talked about a joint cyber-security task force with our biggest cyber adversary. prgtoken This bill is a crucial step in ensuring that we make clear to Russia that we will not accept the meddling of foreign governments in our democratic processes or the endangerment or intimidation of our allies and our people. We must make sure that Russia is not emboldened by our president's apparent determination to improve relations with Russia at any cost, and that it does not continue to endanger our democracy, our infrastructure, or our allies. prgtoken Make no mistake--Russia poses a huge threat to the United States. If the U.S. government fails to respond, Ukraine's power blackout should serve as a warning of what is to come, to ignore at our peril. Russia's appetite for cyber and information warfare and its willingness to employ criminals and malicious hackers forsworn by other countries make it especially dangerous. We must protect our people and our infrastructure, and this bill makes sure that Congress has the ability to do that.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-7-26

I have been here long enough to recognize that, at times, the majority party will come to some level of disagreement with the Congressional Budget Office. We were here during the healthcare debate, we were here during tax cuts and all kinds of different things that happened in the last 15 years that I have been here. prgtoken They are not perfect, and they sometimes annoy us. As I can tell from my good friend on the other side, he is in the annoyance period with the Congressional Budget Office. But this is an essential component to what we do here. prgtoken The Congressional Budget Office sincerely attempts to give us the best, most accurate information that they could possibly provide us, and those estimates change over time as circumstances change over time. When you are talking about one-sixth of the entire United States economy, it is going to be difficult to give you entirely accurate information. prgtoken But not having this essential service here, I think, would be detrimental to this Congress, detrimental to our ability to even gauge and forecast into the future, and so I oppose this amendment strongly and vigorously. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) who I know also has a strong opinion on this matter.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3219, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
James P. McGovern (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2017-7-26

process matters. And I have come to the conclusion, after having served here for some time now, that a lousy process leads to a lousy product and lousy legislation. prgtoken I know many of my colleagues were moved, like I was yesterday, when Senator John McCain appeared on the Senate floor and not only engaged in Senate business, but actually gave a very eloquent, passionate speech. prgtoken I want to quote Senator McCain from yesterday. He said: ``Let's return to regular order. We've been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle. prgtoken That's an approach that's been employed by both sides, mandating legislation from the top down, without any support from the other side, with all the parliamentary maneuvers that requires. ``We're getting nothing done.'' prgtoken I agree with Senator McCain, and I believe that a majority in this House, and s, agree with Senator McCain. But at some point we have to stop saying: ``Well, we will get better. We will get better. It will be better next time. It will be better next time.'' prgtoken Because what is happening is, it is getting worse each time we bring legislations or appropriations to the floor. We are getting more and more restrictive. We are shutting out more and more voices, not just ic voices, but voices as well. prgtoken This is a deliberative body. We ought to be able to deliberate a little bit. And both and s have good ideas. Let us use this opportunity to change things, to go back to the regular order that Senator McCain talked so eloquently about yesterday. prgtoken There is an opportunity to do that. It doesn't stop us considering the appropriations bills, but what it says is that we will do so under an open rule. We will go back to the way we all say we want it to be, an open process. prgtoken If you like some of these amendments, you vote for them. You make this legislation better. If you don't like the amendments, then you vote against them. I mean, that is the way this body is supposed to operate; none of this underhanded, self-executing of controversial provisions that may not have the support of the majority in this House. prgtoken Let's go back to regular order. This is the moment. This is a defining moment. prgtoken and s, if you really mean it when you say you want regular order, then you have to vote for regular order once in a while. You can't keep on making excuses. I think this is the moment that we have on these appropriations bills to send a message to the leadership that we want things done differently here. We want to open things up. I think that is what the majority on both sides really want. But the question is whether or not we all have the guts to vote for an open process. So we have an opportunity to do that. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question s
HONORING THE CHRISTIAN RECORDER
Jim Cooper (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2017-7-26

I rise today to honor the 165th Anniversary of The Christian Recorder. As the oldest periodical continually published by African-Americans in the United States, The Christian Recorder is the heart of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. prgtoken Originally founded in 1848 as The Christian Herald, the publication has been a leading voice for African-Americans ever since. It relocated to Nashville in 1852 with a new name, The Christian Recorder. Twenty- one editors have led The Christian Recorder including John Thomas III, the current leader and the first layperson to serve in this prestigious role. prgtoken The Christian Recorder is a reputable news service for religious news. It serves as the voice of two million members of the AME Church in thirty-nine countries around the world. prgtoken Its reach extends far beyond the Sunday School Union in Nashville where it is headquartered. From offering guidance to slaves during the Civil War to the battle for voting rights and fighting segregation, The Christian Recorder has been a pioneer for Civil Rights and equality for African-Americans. prgtoken I am proud to salute The Christian Recorder for its courageous efforts and its more than 165 years of service to the community.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Donald Norcross (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-7-26

. Mr. Chair, this is the first time I have ever heard ``gutting'' by giving millions of additional dollars over the administration. prgtoken I have worked in nuclear power houses, I have worked in coal power houses, gas-fired, I have worked in solar fields. This is absolutely about the future of our energy needs. We don't know what it holds, but I do know that investing in research and development is the way to go. prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Jacky Rosen (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2017-7-26

I want to echo the sentiments of my colleague from Nevada (Mr. Kihuen) by making one thing perfectly clear: Nevadans are completely against becoming the Nation's nuclear dumping ground. And make no mistake, that is exactly what this appropriations bill does. prgtoken Without Mr. Kihuen's amendment, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor, Congress will tie the hands of this administration by explicitly prohibiting, even considering, closing Yucca Mountain or conducting a technical review before licensing activities begin. prgtoken You heard that right. The underlying bill forbids any funds from being used to conduct activities that preclude Yucca Mountain from becoming the Nation's dumping ground for radioactive waste, no matter the science, no matter the evidence. prgtoken And we already have the evidence that bringing America's nuclear waste to Yucca is bad for Nevadans and bad for Americans. We know that Yucca is unsafe for nuclear waste because it is seismically active and sits above an aquifer. And with 70,000 metric tons of radioactive waste through my district and through the heart of Las Vegas, those visitors from all across the country and the world will be exposed.
MARKING THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-7-26

I join in celebrating the twenty-seventh anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), legislation I was proud to introduce and shepherd to passage with bipartisan support. prgtoken Few laws have had as broad an impact as the ADA, which reshaped the very landscape of America for people with differing abilities, literally opening doors and, with them, opportunities. It has enabled millions to live with greater independence and dignity, and it continues to inspire other nations to adopt their own laws guaranteeing equal access and equal opportunity for all. prgtoken I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in both parties to build on the ADA's successes and ensure that the promise of America can be kept in full for those with disabilities.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-7-26

I rise this evening to announce the will offer no further amendments to the pending legislation until the leader shows us what the final legislation will be. prgtoken Clearly, the Senate bill--repeal and replace--has failed. Senator Paul's bill--repeal without replace--has also failed. We know the s are not going to take a final vote on the underlying House bill, which is still the pending legislation. prgtoken Now the leadership team has been telling the press about a yet-to-be-disclosed final bill. If the reports are true, the s will offer a skinny repeal plan. prgtoken We just heard from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that under such a plan as reported in the press, 16 million Americans would lose their health insurance and millions more would pay a 20-percent-- 20-percent--increase in their premiums--at least 20 percent. prgtoken I thank Senator Murray and Senator Wyden for working with CBO so that we could figure out what exactly is going on, if this skinny bill is the bill that is brought to the floor. prgtoken My friends come to the floor every day to assail the problem of high premiums. If the reporting is accurate and skinny repeal is their plan, it makes premiums far higher than they are today. We don't know if skinny repeal is going to be their final bill, but if it is, the CBO says that it would cause costs to go up and millions to lose insurance. prgtoken In the meantime, are not going to continue to try and amend the House plan that is already dead. Certainly, we are not going to do that while there is some secret legislation--skinny repeal it is reported--waiting to emerge from the leader's office. prgtoken The leader has said that this is a robust amendment process. No, it isn't--far from it. We don't even know what bill to direct our amendments to. Certainly, a process that bypassed the committees and public hearings was never an open and transparent process. There was never a robust amendment process to this bill, but now it has gotten even worse. Since the beginning of this debate, we have just been taking votes on amendments to a piece of dead legislation. prgtoken What kind of process is this? Anyone who listened, as we all did, so intently to Senator McCain's wonderful speech yesterday and applauded the sentiment that he mentioned--getting back to regular order and proper procedure--anyone who listened to that speech would blush at this sham of an amendment process thus far. We don't even have a final bill to amend. The idea that this is a robust amendment process, I would say to my dear friend the leader, defies credulity. No one believes it. I bet not a single person on either side of the aisle believes it. So are not going to participate in this one- sided and broken process. prgtoken Once the majority leader shows his hand, reveals what his bill will actually be, Dem
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3219, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2018
Earl Blumenauer (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-7-26

I would just say this was an opportunity to bring us together. It passed last Congress on the floor of the House with a 40-vote margin. There is more support now, today, in the public and in the other body. prgtoken This was an opportunity to avoid unnecessary controversy, to send a signal to our veterans, to change a destructive policy from the Veterans Administration that is overwhelmingly supported by the American public. If you would have allowed us to vote on the floor of the House, I will guarantee you we would have had even more votes this time.
JCPOA NEGOTIATIONS
Alan S. Lowenthal (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-7-26

``irresponsible, reckless, duplicitous,'' all words used to describe Iran during the JCPOA negotiations. prgtoken Soon, if this administration abrogates the JCPOA, those words would apply to us: ``irresponsible'' for shredding an agreement that makes the world a safer place, ``reckless'' in giving Iran an excuse to immediately restart the nuclear program, and ``duplicitous'' in breaking an international agreement for no legitimate reason but to fulfill a campaign promise. prgtoken Make no mistake, Iran is still a bad actor. It destabilizes the region. It funds terrorist activities. That is why we voted to increase nonnuclear sanctions on Iran yesterday. But the Iran nuclear agreement is being adhered to, and it is working. prgtoken Under this administration, are we, as a nation, no longer as good as our word?
IN RECOGNITION OF THE CAREER OF TOM BEEDE
Doris O. Matsui (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-7-26

today I stand to recognize Mr. Tom Beede's illustrious and successful career as President, CFO, and CEO of MetroList Services, Inc. On the occasion of his retirement, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Beede and his outstanding career at MetroList. prgtoken Mr. Beede has served more than thirty-two years with MetroList and more than forty years in the MLS industry. Before his time with MetroList, he was an Account Manager for PRC Realty where he created the first MLS computer system for the Sacramento, El Dorado, and Placer Associations of Realtors. He was eventually hired by MetroList to help manage, build, and lead it as the first MLS company in the United States to own and operate its own MLS computer system. prgtoken In large part due to Mr. Beede's hard work and visionary leadership, MetroList became an organization with a culture of unparalleled customer service, subscriber value, and high level data integrity. His success can be attributed to his ability to bring the best products and services to MetroList's customers, and to his commitment to forming regional relationships and finding new, cost-effective ways to share MLS data. prgtoken , it gives me nothing but pride to stand and honor Mr. Tom Beede today and wish him the best of luck in retirement. I ask all of my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Beede and his outstanding service to the Sacramento region.
AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2017
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-7-26

no one should normalize what is happening on this Senate floor right now. We are all waiting for the white smoke to come out of leadership offices so that the millions and millions of very scared people in my State will be able to see what is about to happen to their lives. prgtoken This isn't a game. People's lives are at stake. People's health is at stake. Yet, because this debate is now devoid of policy and substance and seemingly just about delivering a political victory to s, we wait and we wait and we wait. prgtoken People are scared. All over the Capitol today there are parents of children with disabilities, many of whom rely on Medicaid in order to keep their children alive. I have spent a lot of time with them over the course of the last 6 months because, to them, the measure of a civilization is how it treats the most vulnerable, and their kids, with these deep disabilities, are among the most vulnerable. For much of the last 6 months I have seen anger in their eyes--anger that Congress would choose to hurt their kids or to force their family to go bankrupt. prgtoken Yesterday, I saw something new in their eyes. I saw fear. I saw deep, debilitating fear because they sense that we are on the precipice of doing something that they didn't think was possible--a piece of legislation passing the Senate and the House that would deliberately and intentionally hurt their children. prgtoken There is no way around it. It is not hyperbole. The House bill that we are debating right now guts Medicaid to the point where 15 million people--the most vulnerable Americans--would lose access to healthcare. prgtoken I know it is very hard for people in this Chamber to understand because we all have really good healthcare. But when you have an expensive disease or your child has an expensive disease and you lose insurance, you can't pay for it. You can sell your house, you can sell your car, and you can exhaust your savings. For some families, that will cover 6 months' worth of expenses for their sick child. At some point, the patient dies if they don't have access to healthcare. prgtoken So people are scared. They are really scared. They are scared not just at the consequences of the House bill eventually passing, but they are also scared at the casualness with which this debate seems to treat their plight. prgtoken There are rumors now that, at the end of this process, we are going to vote on what has been described as a stripped-down, gutted version of the original healthcare bill. It might have one or two provisions in it--maybe the elimination of the individual mandate, maybe the elimination of a few taxes. The intent would be to essentially punt the more comprehensive debate about what our healthcare system is going to look like to a conference committee. prgtoken I want to talk about that for a few moments and what the consequences of that are. First, I want to talk about