mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort (Executive Calendar)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-31

last night we held a cloture vote on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, who has been nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. prgtoken Thanks to a unanimous consent request by the majority leader just moments ago, we will be voting on that nomination at around 4 p.m. That appeals court covers cases from Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. prgtoken By all accounts, Professor Barrett is a devoted wife and the mother of seven children. She is also an exemplary scholar whose research focuses on Federal courts, constitutional law, and statutory interpretation. By all accounts, she is a consummate professional, a beloved teacher, a gifted writer, and a generous person. There is no doubt in my mind she would make an excellent addition to one of our Nation's highest courts. prgtoken We know, based on what we have observed in the Senate since President was sworn in on January 20--and some of the comments made by the distinguished former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee from Utah, Senator Hatch--we know that our ic colleagues are deliberately slow-walking judicial and other nominations, but it makes absolutely no sense to slow-walk the nomination of Professor Barrett. prgtoken They should remember some of their own previous statements. For example, the senior Senator from Vermont said in 2013: ``We need more women in our Federal courts,'' emphasizing that ``women are grossly underrepresented'' there. Well, Professor Barrett would help solve what the Senator from Vermont claimed he saw as a problem. prgtoken The junior Senator from Washington that same year said that having more females on the court is ``incredibly important.'' I agree. That is all the more reason for this body to expedite Professor Barrett's confirmation instead of dragging our heels because, as I said yesterday, thanks to the former ic majority leader, Harry Reid, the ic's delay tactics will not change the outcome. prgtoken In the Judiciary Committee, some attempted to argue against Professor Barrett's nomination because of the Law Review article she coauthored almost 20 years ago. I don't have time to discuss the article in depth, but suffice it to say that Professor Barrett has been attacked for, in effect, professing her Catholic faith. prgtoken Her article, however, makes clear that any line of criticism that she would somehow subjugate the rule of law and the Constitution to her religious views is baseless. That same Law Review article said: ``Judges cannot--nor should they try to--align our legal system with the Church's moral teaching whenever the two diverge.'' In other words, Professor Barrett is a strong proponent of upholding the rule of law over privately held desires for what it should say, whether they are based on one's religious convictions or some other reason. prgtoken Former Chief Justice William Rehnquist once said that no judicial nominee is a tabul
KAILEI McGOWAN HELPS HURRICANE HARVEY VICTIMS
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise today to commend Kailei McGowan of Richmond, TX for her dedication to helping victims of Hurricane Harvey. prgtoken Kailei and her family were forced to evacuate by boat after their apartment was flooded from Hurricane Harvey. But, that did not stop this 9 year old Girl Scout from helping other survivors at the Marshall High School Shelter where her family was staying. As soon as they arrived, Kailei put on her Girl Scout vest and started handing out canned food, water, clothes and cleaning supplies to folks in need. Like them, she too lost everything, but was determined to do as much as she could to help. Her spirit and commitment to serving others exemplify what it means to be both a Girl Scout AND a Texan. Thanks to people like Kailei we are Houston Strong. prgtoken On behalf of the Twenty-Second Congressional District of Texas, thank you again to Kailei for her selfless dedication to serving others in their time of need. We are very proud of her and look forward to her future success.
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort (Executive Calendar)
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise today to speak in support of a fellow Hoosier, Amy Coney Barrett, who has been nominated by President to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. prgtoken Professor Barrett's credentials are well known. She is a mother of seven children, a distinguished legal scholar at the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she herself graduated with high honors and served as editor of the Notre Dame Law Review. She clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge Silberman on the Circuit Court for the District of Columbia, and she is an expert on the Federal courts. prgtoken Unfortunately, some of my colleagues on the left have made an issue of Professor Barrett's Catholic faith. Echoing what Leader McConnell has said, we do not have religious tests for office in the United States of America, period. prgtoken I applaud all of those who have spoken up as the Senate weighs Professor Barrett's confirmation. That includes Notre Dame president, Rev. John Jenkins. He expressed deep concern at the questioning of Professor Barrett's faith. Following Professor Barrett's hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Reverend Jenkins wrote: ``It is chilling to hear from the United States Senator that this might now disqualify someone from service as a federal judge.'' prgtoken The president of Princeton University has also asked the Senate to avoid a religious test in judicial appointments. In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, President Eisgruber wrote that Professor Barrett and all nominees ``should be evaluated on the basis of their professional ability and jurisprudential philosophy, not their religion.'' He wrote: ``Every Senator and every American should cherish and safeguard vigorously the freedom guaranteed by the inspiring principle set forth in Article VI of the United States Constitution.'' prgtoken Despite the rhetoric surrounding Professor Barrett's nomination, I have yet to hear any significant doubts about her legal qualifications. prgtoken Professor Barrett has made clear that her personal views will have no bearing on her rulings as a judge. She brings the skill set and the temperament needed for the job. She will rule according to the law and according to controlling precedents, and she will be faithful to the Constitution. There is no question that Professor Barrett will make an outstanding appellate judge. prgtoken Also, 450 former students signed a letter to the Judiciary Committee in support of Professor Barrett's nomination. They wrote: ``Our support is driven not by politics but by a belief that Professor Barrett is supremely qualified.'' prgtoken All 49 of her fellow faculty members at Notre Dame Law School did the same. They said: We have a wide range of political views, as well as commitments to different approaches to judicial methodology and judicial craft. We are united, however, in our
Recognizing the National Cancer Institute (Executive Calendar)
Chuck Grassley (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-10-31

today the Senate will vote on the nomination of Notre Dame Law Professor Amy Barrett to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She is an eminently qualified and exceptionally bright nominee who has received praise and support across the legal profession. She clerked for Judge Silberman on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals and for Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court. She has experience in private practice and many years as a law professor teaching classes on constitutional Law, Federal courts, statutory interpretation, among others. She was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts to sit on the Advisory Committee on Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, where she served for 6 years. prgtoken Her nomination has also received wide support. For example, in a letter to the Judiciary Committee, a bipartisan group of law professors encouraged the committee to confirm her nomination, saying that Professor Barrett ``enjoys wide respect for her careful work, fair- minded disposition, and personal integrity.'' Her colleagues at Notre Dame described her ``as a model of the fair, impartial, and sympathetic judge.'' prgtoken Despite this, all the ic members of the Judiciary Committee voted against her nomination in committee, and I suspect most of the minority will vote against her confirmation later today. This, of course, is a shame, and it does not speak well of our institution, the U.S. Senate, and I would like to explain why. prgtoken When the Judiciary Committee voted on Professor Barrett's nomination, I listened to the reasons my colleagues gave for voting against her. Some said that she didn't have enough experience to be a circuit court judge. Well, the American Bar Association rated Professor Barrett as ``well qualified.'' prgtoken The have said that the ABA's ratings are very important to them when considering a nominee, once even calling it the ``gold standard.'' Their votes certainly don't reflect that. I suspect the ratings don't actually matter to them since they have voted against most of the ``well qualified'' nominees this Congress. The minority has even requested that I not hold hearings on nominees when the committee hasn't received the ABA ratings for that nominee, as if the ABA--an outside group--can and should dictate the committee's schedule. But even when we have ``well qualified'' or ``qualified'' ratings from the ABA, the minority still votes against these nominees, so the actual significance of the rating to the minority doesn't make a lot of sense. prgtoken Furthermore, lack of appellate experience hasn't mattered before. When President Clinton nominated Justice Kagan to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, she had no appellate experience. But I remember my friend from Vermont saying that the Senate should vote on her nomination because she was an ``outstanding woman.'' Her lack of appellate experience didn't appear to be of concern to my friends in the minorit
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-10-31

the House and the Senate are moving forward on a final draft of our tax reform bill, and I am excited about the progress we are making. We have one goal in mind with tax reform. It is to provide real relief to ordinary Americans--to the parents who are questioning whether they can afford the car they need to fit their growing family, to the single mom who is wondering how she is going to pay the bills this month, and to the middle-age couple worrying about a secure retirement. Everything in our tax reform framework is centered on providing relief to these Americans. prgtoken To start with, we are going to provide them with a substantial amount of direct relief by lowering their tax rates and doubling the standard deduction so that they are keeping more of their paycheck every month. prgtoken We are also going to significantly expand the child tax credit. prgtoken And we are going to simplify and streamline the Tax Code so that it is easier for Americans to figure out what benefits they qualify for and so they don't have to spend a lot of time and money filing their taxes. prgtoken All of these reforms mean more money in Americans' pockets. But we are not stopping there. We are also going to focus on reforming the business side of the Tax Code so that we can give Americans access to the kind of jobs, wages, and opportunities that will set them up for a secure future. prgtoken In order for individual Americans to thrive economically, we need American businesses to thrive. Thriving businesses create jobs. They provide opportunities. They increase wages and invest in their workers, and they invest in new equipment, facilities, and product lines to innovate and expand their businesses. prgtoken Right now, though, our Tax Code is not helping businesses thrive. Instead, it is strangling both large and small businesses with high tax rates. prgtoken Our Nation has the highest corporate tax rate in the industrialized world--at least 10 percentage points higher than the majority of our international competitors. That is a problem for American workers because high tax rates leave businesses with less money to invest in their workers, to increase wages, or to create new jobs. This situation is compounded when you are an American business with international competitors that are paying a lot less in taxes than you are. prgtoken It is no surprise that U.S. businesses struggling to stay competitive in the global economy don't have a lot of resources to devote to creating new jobs and increasing wages. A study from the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates that reducing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent down to 20 percent would increase average household income by $4,000 annually. prgtoken A second study shows a similar pay increase. Boston University professor and public finance expert Larry Kotlikoff found that lowering the corporate tax rate to 20 percent would increase household income by $3,500
JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2017-10-31

yesterday the Senate advanced the nomination of Professor Amy Barrett, President 's impressive nominee to be a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She is the first of four strong nominees to our Nation's circuit courts that the Senate will confirm this week. prgtoken Professor Barrett's experience as a distinguished law professor at the University of Notre Dame shows her qualifications to serve our Nation on the Federal bench. She is going to be an asset to our judiciary. prgtoken Of course, some on the left have tried to invent any reason to prevent this President's nominees from advancing. For an outstanding nominee such as Professor Barrett, their task was not easy. They can't attack her credentials, which are truly impressive; they can't attack her belief in the rule of law--Professor Barrett's writings and her testimony clearly show a nominee who will uphold our Constitution and our Nation's laws as they are written--as they are written--not as she wishes they were. prgtoken Unbelievably, some on the political left, including some of our ic colleagues, are actually criticizing Professor Barrett for a law review article she cowrote back in law school by saying it says the opposite of what it actually says. prgtoken They claim Professor Barrett wrote that a judge should put her personal beliefs ahead of the rule of law, when, in fact, she said a judge should not do prgtoken that--exactly the opposite. She wrote that if a judge's personal views were to impede that judge's ability to impartially apply the law, then the judge should recuse herself from the case. prgtoken As the coauthor of that article and current president of Catholic University recently put it, ``The case against Prof. Barrett is so flimsy, that you have to wonder whether there isn't some other, unspoken, cause for their objection.'' prgtoken It does make you wonder. prgtoken To those using this matter as cover to oppose Professor Barrett because of her personally held religious beliefs, let me remind you, there are no religious tests--none--for public office in this country. That is not how we do things here. Our government and our Nation are made better through the service of qualified people of faith. That will surely be true of Professor Amy Barrett. prgtoken I look forward to voting to confirm this accomplished law professor and devoted mother of seven later today, and I would urge our colleagues to join me. prgtoken Once we do, the Senate will advance another of President 's well-qualified circuit court nominees, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. prgtoken Justice Larsen is the second of three accomplished women whom the Senate will consider this week for appointment to our circuit courts. I assume that all three of these impressive women will receive strong support from our ic colleagues who never seem to miss an opport
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort (Executive Calendar)
Orrin G. Hatch (Republican, UT) \u2014 2017-10-31

the Senate will consider this week four nominations for the U.S. courts of appeals. Two are well regarded professors at prestigious law schools, and two are highly respected State supreme court justices. Each of them has received the highest rating from the American Bar Association, ``well qualified,'' which my ic colleagues have said is the gold standard for evaluating nominees. prgtoken I applaud the majority leader for committing to do what it takes to confirm these nominees, including, if necessary, working through the weekend to get it done. prgtoken I want to address the state of the confirmation process by focusing on one of these nominees, as well as attempts to change the process itself. prgtoken Later today we will confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Seventh Circuit. She has taught at the Notre Dame Law School for 15 years in fields that are especially relevant to the work of a Federal appellate judge. A distinguished and diverse group of more than 70 law professors at schools from Massachusetts to California and from Minnesota to Florida wrote that her scholarship is ``rigorous, fair-minded, respectful and constructive.'' prgtoken I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record that letter.
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
James Lankford (Republican, OK) \u2014 2017-10-31

I have 9 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 commerce, science, and transportation prgtoken The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, at 10 a.m in room SR-253 to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Leon A. Westmoreland, of Georgia, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors, Raymond Martinez, of New Jersey, to be Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Diana Furchtgott-Roth, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation, and Bruce Landsberg, of South Carolina, to be a Member of the National Transportation Safety Board. committee on energy and natural resources prgtoken The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, at 10 a.m in room SD-366 to conduct a hearing. 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 on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, at 2:30 p.m in room SD-430 to conduct a hearing entitled ``Implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act: Achieving the Promise of Health Information Technology.'' 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 31, 2017, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing entitled ``2017 Hurricane Season: Oversight of the Federal Response.'' 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 31, 2017, at 2:30 p.m to conduct a hearing entitled ``2020 Census: Examining Cost Overruns, Information Security, and Accuracy.'' select committee on intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-106 to conduct a hearing on the nomination of John C. Demers, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Attorney General, Department of Justice. select committee on intelligence prgtoken The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, at 2:30 p.m in room SH-219 to conduct a closed hearing. subcommittee on oceans, atmosphere, fisheries, and coast guard prgtoken The Subco
TRIBUTE TO KYLE BISCOGLIA
David Young (Republican, IA) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise today to recognize and congratulate Kyle Biscoglia of Waukee, Iowa for winning the Class 3A, 113 pound bracket at the Iowa High School State Wrestling tournament earlier this year. prgtoken Iowa has a long and proud history of strong wrestling programs, producing college and Olympic champions for years. Kyle, a sophomore at Waukee High School, capped off a great season with 54 wins, 1 loss and a state championship medal. He is the first Waukee wrestler to win a state championship in this particular weight class. prgtoken , I am honored to represent Kyle and his family in the United States Congress, and it is with great pride that I recognize him today. I ask that my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives join me in congratulating Kyle on competing in this rigorous competition and in wishing him nothing but continued success in his education and wrestling career.
Recognizing the Mayo Clinic (Executive Calendar)
John McCain (Republican, AZ) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise today to express my deepest gratitude to my friends at the Mayo Clinic's Arizona campus, where I was recently treated for cancer. This is not my first obligation to the Arizona branch of this landmark medical institution, which has been a synonym for medical excellence for more than 100 years. I received outstanding care for a prior, unrelated tumor in the year 2000. prgtoken In July of this year, I found myself at Mayo once again. It is no exaggeration to say that the team of doctors, nurses, and technicians who looked after me were my salvation. They located and removed a brain tumor--a glioblastoma--that threatened my life. I will always be indebted for their timely and skillful intervention and for the outstanding support provided to my family by the entire Mayo community. Their professionalism is unmatched, as is their compassion. Thanks to my physicians, I was able to return to the Senate after only 10 days of recuperation. Following my surgery, I received radiation and chemotherapy at Mayo in one of the most modern facilities in the world. prgtoken I mention this to draw attention to Mayo's renown as a center of excellence not only in the treatment of cancer but in virtually every field of medicine. A nonprofit institution, Mayo has large hospitals in Rochester, Minnesota, Phoenix, and Jacksonville, FL, which employ almost 50,000 people. Mayo also operates a network of more than 70 affiliated hospitals and clinics, to which more than 1.3 million persons turned for treatment this year, patients from all 50 States and 137 different countries. Moreover, the Mayo system operates several premier colleges of medicine and is a world leader in medical research. This breadth of activity, outstanding in each facet, is remarkable. It is no exaggeration to claim that the Mayo Clinic is central to the astonishing success of American medicine. prgtoken I have made my own career in public service, but as I reflect on my experience as a cancer patient, I am humbled by the example of service to mankind provided by the entire Mayo family. I am and will always remain deeply grateful to everyone involved in my care.