mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2017-10-18

I am very happy the Senate is engaged in this debate on tax policy. It actually is long overdue. It has been some 30-odd years since this country has undertaken a massive reform of our Tax Code. prgtoken It is interesting. If we go back and think what life was like back in 1986, it was just a different planet, a different world, different economics. So, at a minimum, our code needs to be modernized. Everybody who has run for office--certainly every candidate for President from both parties for over two decades now--has run on the promise of tax reform and the need for it. So this is a very important debate. prgtoken What we are debating now on the budget, so people who are watching at home understand--you and I at home think of a family budget as a plan on what you are going to spend money on, and that is what the Federal budget is. It is kind of an outline, a framework of how and the parameters under which the government would spend its money. Then you have to actually go out and spend it through a separate process called appropriations. So this budget creates a framework for how we are going to spend money in the year to come, and then it is going to be used as a vehicle to pass tax reform, which is obviously the way and the system under which we generate revenue for the government to pay for the things we need to pay for. That is the first debate. But obviously the debate on the budget has led us to this debate on tax reform, because that is the primary purpose this year it is being used as a vehicle for. prgtoken Why does that matter? There are a lot of speeches going on already about tax reform and how bad the bill is and how this is a giveaway for this group of people or that group of people. That is hard to do since there is still not a bill, and the reason there is not a bill is that it is going to be worked through the normal process of the Senate. prgtoken That was the criticism, for example, from my friends on the other side and many outside of this building in the press. The criticism was, you put together a healthcare plan, and you didn't even go through committee, no one had any input, and there were no public hearings. That is what they are going to do with tax reform, and that is what is going to produce a bill. prgtoken The only thing that has been put out is called a framework, and the framework basically says: These are some of the ideas we have. This is our starting point that we want to operate from. But we are going to go through the committee process, there are going to be votes, there is going to be an opportunity to weigh in and make differences, and from that, we intend to produce a tax bill. prgtoken So they can criticize the framework, I suppose, but to basically go out and start trying to convince people that there is a tax bill that will do this versus that when it is just not true and when you have a seat here in the Senate and potentially on the committee where yo
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Cory Gardner (Republican, CO) \u2014 2017-10-18

. If the Senator would like to work with us on fixing the budget process, I hope he will. I hope we can change the budget process. It is fundamentally broken. We haven't changed it since 1974, the year I was born--maybe a few years after that. We ought to change this process so it works for the American people. We ought to do something to make this process more effective. prgtoken We have heard people come and talk about Medicare and Medicaid. These are very critically important social safety nets for this country. People in my community, my parents, our families, and people we have lived with and known for our entire lives rely on Medicaid and Medicare, but there is this big myth out there that Washington has this ability to increase funds but yet rename it as a cut. You have a group of people in Washington, DC, who are trying that Washington, DC, Kabuki dance, where they say a decrease in the rate of increase is a cut. That is like saying that my son, who is 6 years old, is supposed to grow 4 inches next year, and the doctor says: Your son is going to grow 4 inches next year, based on the charts. If my son grows only 2 inches that year, did he shrink? No. He still grew. But in Washington, DC, they would say: No, he is shorter than he was. This is absurd. prgtoken Let's be honest with the American people. Medicare increases in funding. We are trying to be more responsible with the dollars we have because the United States is in debt, and the way we are going to fix that is to be responsible with the dollars we have and to grow our economy. prgtoken A couple of weeks ago, I saw a map of the United States. It showed distressed communities in this country. It showed that the haves have more and the have-nots have less. It is time we do something about that in this country. It is time we fix the fact there are counties in our country that are suffering. There are communities in our country that haven't seen a new net job for nearly two decades. We can do better than that. prgtoken It has been 30 years since Congress last passed major tax reform. It was 1986. I was 12 years old. For those who are wondering what the No. 1 movie was the last time we passed tax reform, it was ``Top Gun.'' The one thing I wanted that same year, the last time we did tax reform, was an Atari 7800. That is what I wanted the last time this body passed tax reform. prgtoken Fast forward to today, 30 years later. The last time we did tax reform was 30 years ago. We now live in a world of Wi-Fi, self-driving cars, and Smartphones, but we still have an Atari-era tax code. It is clunky. It is outdated. It is bloated to more pages than any of us would care to read. I wish I had come up with this, but I didn't. I will repeat it: The Tax Code is longer than the Bible, and unlike the Bible, there is no good news in it. It feeds the suspicion that you can game the Tax Code if you are wealthy. If you are average, you will be stuck with the bill. <|
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2017-10-18

I assure our colleague from Pennsylvania that nothing in this budget resolution will deprive any person of the benefits they receive under Medicaid--no one. This budget resolution will not do that to anyone in the country. I can promise him that. prgtoken It is ironic, though, to hear my colleagues talk about cuts in Medicaid when no one is proposing cuts in Medicaid--no one. All we are talking about is reducing the rate of increase in the growth of a very important and necessary entitlement program. Someday, when they grow up, these same children are going to have to pay back the money that we have borrowed in order to sustain these programs today. So we need to look at the whole picture here and learn and figure out how we can meet our current needs but also be responsible enough not to spend money today that our children and grandchildren are going to have to pay back tomorrow. prgtoken , I have come to the floor to talk primarily about tax reform because that is going to be the task that we undertake following the passage of the budget resolution. prgtoken The President of the United States invited the members of the Senate Finance Committee over to the White House, and I have just returned from that meeting. It was a bipartisan meeting of the tax-writing committee in the Senate. That is what the Senate Finance Committee is. We heard during the discussions that the President's preference would be for this to be done on a bipartisan basis, and there was no one there present who said: We insist that this be done on a partisan basis. In other words, everybody there agreed with the President that it would be better for the country and that we would be able to come up with a better product--it would be durable, and it would be sustainable--if, in fact, we prgtoken were able to do so on a bipartisan basis. prgtoken In taking that to heart, Chairman Hatch, who is the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has previously stated his intention to have an open amendment process in the Senate Finance Committee. Typically, what happens is that there is some base bill--sometimes referred to as the chairman's mark--that is the starting place for legislation in our committees. What we do is to come up with what we think represents the closest thing to a consensus of those who are interested, actually, in pro-growth tax reform and what that would look like, and then open it up to and s alike to offer their amendments to change it. If they have a majority vote in the committee, it will pass and change the bill. If they have a vote and it loses, then the bill will stay as it is. prgtoken I am, frankly, a little bit surprised to hear from some of our colleagues that they actually want us to avoid the committee process and want us to come out here on the floor and come up with a bill that all 100 Senators can agree to. That is a terrible way to operate. It is, basically, a re
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Dean Heller (Republican, NV) \u2014 2017-10-18

I rise to speak in support of Heller amendment No. 1146. Amendment No. 1146 provides tax relief for families with children. This week we are setting in motion one of my top legislative priorities in the Senate; that is, to bring tax relief to American families. prgtoken For decades, Nevadans have been waiting for an affordable and fair tax code that they can understand, and I have long said that the Tax Code is too costly and too complex. We need to simplify our code in a way that creates jobs and allows Nevadans to keep more of their hard- earned tax dollars. With this budget, we are taking an enormous first step in providing meaningful relief to Nevadans and middle-class families across the Nation. prgtoken Under our leadership and thanks to the work of the chairman of the Budget Committee, we are finally in a place where we can provide real, meaningful tax relief for all of America. As a member of the Senate Finance Committee, I have been working with my colleagues to craft a tax bill that accomplishes three major goals. The first is to create more jobs; No. 2 is to increase wages; and, finally, No. 3 is to boost American competitiveness. prgtoken So the question is, What does tax reform mean to an average Nevadan who works hard and is trying to provide a better life for themselves and for their children? It means you can keep more of your hard-earned paycheck, and it will be easier for you to file your taxes, less paperwork, more money. Lower rates for businesses mean more jobs, they mean higher wages, and they mean growth in our communities, all of which will benefit you. prgtoken As the son of a school cook and an auto mechanic, I understand discipline and hard work--all of it--that goes into every dollar and every paycheck, and I am working to see that we have more of it in your back pocket. That is why my amendment is absolutely critical, because it delivers this desperately needed relief and lets the middle-class families keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, helping them make ends meet and invest in their families. prgtoken For too long, American families have been struggling with stagnant wages and incomes, as well as slow economic growth made worse by the policies of the administration. In inflation-adjusted terms, nationwide median household incomes stayed below what it was in 2007 all the way up to 2015. Last year, it was only $890 more than it was in 2007. In my home State of Nevada, the situation is even worse. Median household income still hasn't fully recovered and is $7,000 lower today than it was in 2007. prgtoken Tax relief for families with children, through an enhanced child tax credit, for example, will help begin to address the financial insecurities facing American families and will help families confront the rising cost of raising children. Expansion of the child tax credit will help hard-working, middle-class families in many ways, allowing them to keep mor
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2017-10-18

it is probably not surprising but, unfortunately, so far have shown little disposition to work with s on tax reform legislation, despite the fact that parts of our plan, like lowering corporate tax rates and switching to a territorial tax system, have been supported by as well as s. prgtoken One particular aspect of the plan that have been taking aim at lately is our plan to repeal the death tax. They complain that it is not something to really worry about, since, they claim, relatively few estates actually have to pay the tax. prgtoken One of my ic colleagues released a report detailing some of the ways people try to avoid the death tax. From the tone of the press release and report, one would think that anyone trying to avoid the estate tax was a multibillionaire and a tax cheat--and greedy, to boot. But I can tell you, the actual situation is very different. prgtoken Of course there are wealthy individuals who try to reduce or eliminate their death tax liability. After all, who wants to be taxed a second or third time on money they have earned during their lifetime that they could be passing down to their children or grandchildren? prgtoken There are also a lot of small business owners and owners of family farms and ranches who have to spend tens of thousands of dollars a year trying to avoid the death tax in order to preserve their family business for another generation. Many of the farmers and ranchers in my State know that without careful and costly planning, the prgtoken Federal Government will come around after their death demanding a staggering 40 percent of their estate and that their children won't have the money to pay without risking the farm or ranch. prgtoken How does that work? Well, farming and ranching is a cash-poor business. Farmers and ranchers may own valuable land, but they are only earning cash on the crops they grow or the livestock they raise on that land. Thus, while their overall farm or ranch may have a substantial value, the amount of money they have coming in is relatively small and subject to the swings in the market from year to year. prgtoken Frequently, when farmers and ranchers die, the vast portion of their estate is made up of their land, while actual cash or liquid assets are a very small part of it. If they don't take measures to avoid having their family hit by the death tax, the family will have no choice but to sell off the land to pay the government, which means losing income- generating property or the family's farm or ranch overall. prgtoken Family-owned businesses across the country face the same situation, where the value of the estate is tied up in the business. prgtoken The threat of the death tax is a constant burden hanging over the heads of farmers and ranchers in my State who want nothing more than to be able to pass on the family farm or ranch to the next generation. prgtoken That
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Thom Tillis (Republican, NC) \u2014 2017-10-18

while Senator Enzi is on the floor, I want to thank him for his leadership in the Budget Committee and taking us through this very important vote today. prgtoken I want to talk a little bit in terms that maybe people can understand what is going on here and what will be going on over the next few days. prgtoken What we are doing right now is passing a budget. Our budget is no different than your household budget, when you sit down and you figure out, over some period of time, how much money you have and how much money you need to spend, where maybe you need to spend more and maybe you need to spend less. That is all we are doing with this budget. prgtoken This budget is not the tax reform bill. That will come after we pass a budget, but if we don't pass this budget, there is no possible way we can actually pass tax reform. That is why I support this budget. That is why I will work to defeat any amendments that will prevent this budget from being passed. Then we can start having an honest discussion about what we need to do around tax reform. prgtoken I know the Senator from South Carolina did a great job, as he always does on the floor, talking about why he supports tax reform. He is somebody we should really listen to. He is somebody who came up through truly humble means. You have people come on this floor and they talk about how the people who are supporting tax reform are just doing this for the billionaires and the rich. prgtoken I would encourage you to go out to the internet and take a look at Senator Scott's story and tell me if that is somebody predisposed to helping the rich. He is here to help the little guy. He is here to get the economy going so people can get back to work. He is here to actually create opportunities for wages to go up. He is here to actually do what we have been promising for 20 years and haven't done-- almost 30 years. prgtoken Over that span of time, America has lost traction as the greatest economy that has ever existed. This tax reform measure, after we pass the budget, is to really get to a point to where States like West Virginia--you heard Senator Capito talk about 95 percent of the jobs created in West Virginia are small businesses. How could anybody sincerely come to this floor and say Senator Capito is only supporting this for the wealthy corporations? They just don't exist in any large number in West Virginia. prgtoken In my State, 80 percent of the jobs that are created are small businesses as well. So how anybody could suggest that there are those of us coming to the floor just talking about tax breaks for the rich and for corporations really need to go back and look at our States. Look at who is struggling and whom we are here trying to help. We get to the tax reform bill after we pass the budget. That is why I am going to support the budget. prgtoken Now, to some of my colleagues on this side of the aisle, the Founding Fathers did strive to create a more
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2017-10-18

there has been a great deal of discussion about what the appropriate tax rate should be for large corporations. That is important because we want them to create jobs right here in America and not overseas. prgtoken Let us not forget the true engine of our economy, and that is our small businesses. We need to provide true tax relief to our small businesses, the job creators in our economy. prgtoken I rise to discuss my amendment, which is No. 1151, which would create a deficit neutral reserve fund to support small business tax relief while preventing wealthy taxpayers from sheltering income from taxation at the appropriate rate. prgtoken It would send the message that through tax reform, we can help our small businesses thrive and be the engine of job creation and economic growth in communities all across our great country. prgtoken Small businesses make an out-sized contribution to our economy. According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses employ nearly half of all workers and generate two out of three net new jobs each year. Nationwide, they generate nearly half of our private, nonfarm GDP and one-third of our Nation's export value. prgtoken The State of Maine is truly a small business State, with nearly 300,000 of our residents employed by our more than 141,000 small businesses. That is nearly 60 percent of our workforce. prgtoken Most small businesses are organized as so-called passthrough entities, which means that their profits are passed on to their owners and reported on individual income tax returns. prgtoken Under current law, this income is taxed at individual rates, which can reach nearly 40 percent at the Federal level and can be significantly higher than the corporate tax rates that larger firms face. prgtoken Given the administrative costs and these high tax rates, small businesses are forced to devote more resources to compliance and tax payments and fewer resources to creating good jobs and investing in their local communities. prgtoken It is no wonder that a recent survey by the National Federation of Independent Business found that concerns about Federal taxes on small businesses ranked third on the list of the top 10 concerns. prgtoken With tax reform, we have the opportunity to fix this problem. Of course, we should aim to do so in a way that prevents people from abusing rates intended for small business passthrough income. prgtoken My amendment would allow for changes to Federal tax laws and to provide relief to small businesses, while not allowing wealthy individuals to shelter their income from taxation at the appropriate rate. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support it.
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2018
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2017-10-18

I am very pleased to be here on the floor of the U.S. Senate with my colleague, the Senator from North Dakota, who just talked a lot about some of the details but also some of the results of the tax reform that we are talking about. Also, I was very inspired to hear Senator Scott from South Carolina talk about how he believes--and I believe--that tax reform for someone like his mother, who was a nursing assistant raising two boys as a single mom, will have great impact on her. We all have a story to tell, and that is why I think this tax reform bill that we are talking about will be, can be, and should be very impactful for everyone across this great land. prgtoken My colleagues and I have talked a lot about this over the last several weeks because it really presents an incredible opportunity for us to make a difference for every American family, every American business, and individuals from all walks of life. prgtoken Just last week, when I was home in West Virginia, I had a small business roundtable. I hosted about seven or eight owners of small businesses, and we sat down to talk about tax reform and what kinds of impacts this would have on them, their businesses, and the people they employ. It didn't take long prgtoken because the first question I asked, right off the bat, was: What does tax reform mean to you? Well, they didn't say ``Tax breaks for the wealthy'' because that is not what they believe and that is not what I believe. prgtoken We had a woman who has a family-owned business. She employs six people as a highly technical, small manufacturer. She said that what tax relief means to her and her small business is that after she trains people--it takes a year and a half to train--a lot of them will leave and go to a bigger company because they are searching for a higher wage. She said: What I am going to be able to do is reward the good workers in my business and raise their wages so they will stay. prgtoken I almost closed my book and left. I said: Well, do I need to hear anything more? These are the impacts, I think, tax reform will have on small businesses. prgtoken I had another person there who employs 36 people in a communications company. What does tax reform mean to you? She said: Well, I have two locations. I have 36 people evenly split between the two locations. But in communications you really have to modernize your IT for graphics and be able to do the best communications and advertising you can do. That is expensive. It is really expensive. She said: What tax reform means to me is, I am going to be able to modernize my infrastructure, my IT, my software, and still keep the 36 people who work for me. And she said: I am looking next year to hire another six, and this gives me the certainty to be able to do that. prgtoken Well, I almost closed my book up and left then. What does that mean? That means more investments. Somebody is selling that software. Somebody is creating th