mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands Recovery Effort (Executive Calendar)
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise to speak about the disaster supplemental that the administration is expected to send to Congress as early as tomorrow. While Congress has passed two supplemental aid bills since this year's hurricanes, I want to make it very clear that what we have already passed is not even close to what we will need to help Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands fully recover and rebuild. prgtoken Hurricane Maria destroyed their power grids and has significantly damaged their water infrastructure so as to make clean drinking water dangerously scarce. Three of Puerto Rico's biggest industries-- manufacturing, finance, and tourism, which drive their already struggling economy--remain severely damaged because the hurricane wiped out so many factories, buildings, and hotels. Many Puerto Ricans who had jobs the day before Maria struck no longer have anywhere to go to work. In other words, in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, this is not just a natural disaster; it is also an economic disaster that these local governments cannot dig out of on their own. Our fellow citizens desperately need our help. prgtoken Listen to what one New Yorker told me about how dangerous things are right now, especially for the sick and elderly. prgtoken My constituent was trying to help someone in Puerto Rico who was autistic and bedridden and under the care of his 93-year-old father. He needed surgery. He was taken to at least three separate medical facilities, and he spent countless hours in an ambulance with his elderly father. He was transported from one location to the next, but the medical facilities were finding it extremely difficult to communicate with each other. After all of that, his doctor could not find any facility on the island that would accept him into its care. He was finally able to get his treatment, but how many more people are still waiting for help? prgtoken Another of my constituents is struggling to help her father, who is in a rural area of Puerto Rico. She has only been able to speak to him briefly and exchange limited text messages. Her father suffers from heart issues and glaucoma, and he may need a prescription refill very soon if not right now. There are countless more stories just like these throughout my State and, no doubt, in many of my colleagues' States as well. prgtoken The $36 billion that is for all of Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands is just not enough. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, it cost the Federal Government $120 billion to rebuild the Gulf Coast. That is the amount of funding that we need to be thinking about for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands right now. prgtoken It will take at least $5 billion just to rebuild Puerto Rico's power grid, and that will not even cover improvements to make the system more resilient and more efficient than it was before the storm. Right now, two-thirds of Puerto Rico still does not have power. That means
Wasteful Government Spending and Economic Growth (Executive Calendar)
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-31

. . I agree with my colleague from Georgia that we need to simplify our Tax Code. We need real tax reform. We have seen a lot of junk built up in the Tax Code over many years, put there by special interests that seek special deals for themselves--deals that are not enjoyed by the American public. We should do tax reform. prgtoken What we should not do is increase our national debt and our national deficits, and we all know that the budget plan that passed this Senate--and just recently passed the House--has written right into it an increase in the national debt of $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years. In other words, it is engineered right into that bill. So I hope our colleagues who really do care about reducing our national debt will make sure that, as we discuss this tax proposal, we do not increase our national debt. prgtoken We should, of course, eliminate unnecessary and wasteful expenditures, but we should not have a tax proposal that increases our debt by $1.5 trillion and possibly more. As it appears now, that would primarily be done to provide big tax breaks to very wealthy people and big corporations, at the expense of everybody and everything else in the country. prgtoken But we will have a fuller debate starting tomorrow when the House Ways and Means Committee unveils its proposal.
Gun Violence (Executive Session)
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-10-31

last week, we voted on a judge who felt it necessary to sign up for a lifetime membership with a political organization in order to get his nomination forwarded back before this body. prgtoken The judge we voted on last week became a lifetime member of the NRA in between his appointment by President and, then, his appointment by President --a signal, apparently, to the new White House that he would align with their interests and views on issues related to the regulation of firearms in this country. prgtoken We are going to see a parade of very interesting choices for the Federal judiciary come through this body, and they are going to be moved in rapid succession, as they are this week. I have been told that never before have we taken four votes on appellate nominees in a single week. Of course, that stands in contrast with the Senate that refused to give even a hearing to one Supreme Court Justice over the entirety of 2016. I think it is worth noting that this body can move fast when it wants to, and yet we watched a Supreme Court seat be stolen by this Senate from a ic President who, by constitutional right, had the ability to make that appointment. prgtoken I bring up the lifetime membership in the NRA because it is increasingly clear that you have to signal a level of extremism on issues like firearms in order to get your name brought before this body. That signal is wildly out of step with where the American public is on many of these issues. prgtoken I have come to the floor over the course of the last 4 years every few weeks in order to talk about the fact that there is no other country in the world where 80 to 90 people every single day die from guns. The numbers are just absolutely stunning. Some 2,800 people a month die from guns, and 33,000 a year. The majority of those are suicides, but there are record numbers of homicides and accidental shootings in this country. Americans by and large don't accept this rate of slaughter. Americans want us to change our laws, and they don't want a judiciary that is going to stand in the way of Congress's ability to follow the wishes of our constituents. prgtoken I have been coming down to the floor to tell the story of the victims. My hope is that, although the data hasn't moved this Congress--90 percent of Americans want stronger gun laws--the data incontrovertibly shows that in places that have universal background checks or laws requiring you to get local permits before you buy a gun, there are less gun crimes. prgtoken Maybe if the data doesn't move my colleagues, the story of the victims will. Deon Rodney was shot on October 14 of this year, just a few weeks ago. He was working at Just Right Cutz, where he was a barber, in Bridgeport, CT. He was the 22nd homicide victim in Bridgeport this year. prgtoken He had just finished cutting a young boy's hair in a chair when a masked gunman chased somebody else i
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OPEN ENROLLMENT SEASON
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-10-31

before I start, I would like to express my sympathy and concern for those who lost their life in New York through an alleged terrorist act and to pray for their families. prgtoken Let me also make mention of the fact, , that tomorrow, November 1, begins the open enrollment. We know that this President has tried to sabotage the Affordable Care Act; but, in fact, you have until December 15. We believe that more than 12 million people will register. prgtoken This is a very important opportunity because, many times in the past, under the previous affordable healthcare structure, you wouldn't have this time to apply. But the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land, and we should extend that law for everyone to be able to enroll. prgtoken Finally, let me thank the Texans for taking a knee in recognition of opposing language where football players were called inmates in a prison. I, frankly, believe I wanted to come to the floor to make that point. Later in the week, I will take a knee on this floor to acknowledge them. prgtoken Finally, I would like to indicate that I hope that there will be an apology coming from General Kelly for Congresswoman Wilson. prgtoken Finally, I want to be able to say something good, which is, Go Astros, the greatest team in the world. Go Astros. prgtoken , tomorrow, November 1, 2017 marks the beginning of the fifth ``Open Enrollment Season'' for the Affordable Care Act. prgtoken During open enrollment people can sign up for health insurance coverage for 2018. prgtoken Open season ends on December 15, 2017, so I encourage all Americans to act without delay to ensure that they and their loved ones are covered. prgtoken More than 12 million people nationwide have selected individual healthcare plans through federal and state marketplaces. prgtoken If you held individual or family health insurance, and we all do, now is the time to sign-up. prgtoken Under the Affordable Care Act--more commonly known as ``care''-- you can sign up for health insurance on your state's health insurance exchange or individual marketplace but only during an annual open enrollment period that this year starts November 1 and will end on December 15. prgtoken The only other times you may purchase health insurance is following a ``qualifying life event,'' such as getting married or divorced or having a baby. prgtoken If you buy health insurance through your workplace, your employer will inform you about its open enrollment period. prgtoken The following information is for people buying health insurance on their own. prgtoken If your are buying health insurance on your own, you have several options for purchasing a policy: prgtoken From your state's health insurance marketplace--check Healthcare.gov to find the market place for your state; prgtoken Directly from a health insurance company; prgtoken From websites like Insure.com that offers health insurance quotes from multiple carriers; or prgtoken From a health insuranc
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHICAGO'S NAVY PIER
Tammy Duckworth (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-31

today I join my close friend and colleague, Senator Dick Durbin, to honor one of the magnificent landmarks of Illinois, Chicago's Navy Pier. prgtoken Since Chicago architect Daniel Burnham first established his vision of a public pier to transform Chicago's landscape and draw visitors to experience the lakefront, what opened as Municipal Pier in 1916 has been a gathering point for the community. In World War I and World War II, it became central to the war effort and Navy Pier got its name to honor the sailors who served and continued to serve in defense of our Nation. prgtoken Many institutions of Chicago began in Navy Pier before finding their home elsewhere in the city, like the University of Illinois' Chicago campus, the Taste of Chicago, and the trade shows that continue to come through Chicago to take advantage of the city's commercial infrastructure. Navy Pier has been a place for people to meet and experience the Great Lakes, city skyline, and various attractions that have sprung up and grown through the city. prgtoken Locals, Illinoisans, Americans, and international visitors alike experience the Midwest through the lens of the pier, and it reflects back on our city the multicultural, historical aspects of our city and this Nation. You only have to look at the iconic ferris wheel to see how it has transformed Chicago's skyline and become such an integrated, iconic part of the city. prgtoken As a public venue for culture and commerce, Navy Pier continues to revitalize so that it can be sustainable, universal, and accessible to all. I am proud to come before this body with Senator Durbin and honor Navy Pier as it celebrates its centennial anniversary. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.)
HONORING THEODORE D. YOUNG COMMUNITY CENTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY
Eliot L. Engel (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise today to honor an organization in my community that this year is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the Theodore D. Young Community Center. prgtoken TDYCC has helped countless individuals throughout the entire county of Westchester, strengthening individual communities in the process. prgtoken This year marks the 50th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson's Community Action Program that eventually created the Fairview Greenburgh Community Center. Of the hundreds of Community Centers that were created as a result of that law, only few remain. Renamed the Theodore D. Young Community Center in 1999, it continues to be dedicated to the goals set in place so long ago, and remains a viable and necessary cornerstone of the Fairview community and beyond. prgtoken TDYCC has changed the lives of Greenburgh youth by providing wholesome, educational, and relevant programs, such as summer camps, dance classes, leadership workshops, advocacy outlets, and much more. TDYCC programming makes for more mature, self-sufficient, and culturally aware youth. Known as the hidden gem in Westchester County, it is a place that truly welcomes and serves all. prgtoken As Congressman representing parts of Greenburgh, I am extremely thankful for the work TDYCC has accomplished and the wonderful programming they do for my constituents. They are a tremendous organization and I want to congratulate their leadership team, employees, members and the public commissioners who support them on 50 tremendous years. Here's to 50 more just like it.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-31

Senator McConnell has come to the floor to complain about what he calls obstruction of President 's judicial nominees. The majority leader must feel that many of us suffer from amnesia. prgtoken It was just last year Senate s, under the leadership of the same Senator McConnell, set a new standard of obstruction. The most prominent victim of obstruction, Chief Judge Merrick Garland, was President 's nominee for the Supreme Court. Never, never in the history of the U.S. Senate has the Senate denied a Supreme Court nominee a hearing and a vote. Senator McConnell led the s last year in doing that. prgtoken Then, Senator McConnell refused to even meet with Judge Garland, refused to give him the courtesy of a meeting, even though the judge's qualifications were unquestioned and even though he had been confirmed to the DC Circuit with broad bipartisan support. prgtoken The way Senate s treated Merrick Garland was disgraceful, but Judge Garland was far from the only victim of systematic obstruction during the Presidency. In 2016, there were 30 noncontroversial judicial nominees--17 women and 13 men--who were denied a floor vote by Senate s. All but two of these nominees were reported out of the Judiciary Committee with a unanimous vote of and s. Some of these nominees--like Edward Stanton of Tennessee and Julien Neals of New Jersey--sat on the Senate calendar for more than a year, waiting for a vote which the majority leader and his Members refused to give them. prgtoken During the last 2 years of President 's administration, the -controlled Senate confirmed only 22 judges in 2 years. That is the lowest number of confirmations in a Congress since 1952. By comparison, in the last 2 years of 's Presidency, the ic-controlled Senate confirmed 68 judicial nominees--22 under s and and 68 under for President . prgtoken That is not all. s also obstructed 18 nominees by denying them blue slips. That is the permission slip from a Senator from the State of the judicial nominee. That included five nominees who had been State supreme court justices who were not approved by Senators to move to the Federal bench: Lisabeth Tabor Hughes from Kentucky, Myra Selby from Indiana, Don Beatty from South Carolina, Louis Butler from Wisconsin, Patricia Timmons-Goodson from North Carolina. prgtoken Senate s turned obstruction of judicial nominees into an art form under President . Yet Senator McConnell, day after day, has said: ``I think President has been treated very fairly by any objective standard.'' prgtoken He comes to the floor now regularly to complain about ``obstruction'' of nominees. Senator McConnell and the Senate s set the standard for obstruction. If Leader McConnell thinks Presi
INTRODUCTION OF THE PROTECT OUR STUDENTS AND TAXPAYERS (POST) ACT
Steve Cohen (Democrat, TN) \u2014 2017-10-31

I rise today in support of the Protect Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act. prgtoken If enacted, this legislation would take steps towards eliminating an incentive for for-profit colleges to aggressively recruit and enroll veterans, service members and their families, who have sacrificed for this country and deserve the highest quality of education. prgtoken Current law prohibits for-profit colleges and universities from deriving more than 90 percent of their revenue from the U.S. Department of Education's federal student aid programs. The other 10 percent is required to come from sources other than the federal government. However, because of the way the law was written, veterans' and active duty service members' federal student aid does not count towards the 90 percent. Instead, it may be included among a for-profit institution's calculation of its 10 percent non-federal revenue. prgtoken As a result, for-profit colleges and universities are left with a powerful incentive to recruit veterans, service members and their families, offering them degrees that are often less valuable than those from not-for-profit institutions. prgtoken The POST Act would strengthen the definition of ``federal aid'' to include G.I. bill funds, Department of Defense Tuition Assistance benefits, and all other federal funding sources. prgtoken Furthermore, the POST Act would reinstate a 15 percent minimum on revenue that for-profit colleges must receive from sources other than the federal government. The requirement was lowered from 15 percent to 10 percent in 1998. prgtoken The bill also takes steps towards eliminating accounting tricks used by for-profit educational institutions that inflate their declared amount of non-federal funding. prgtoken Finally, the POST Act increases the penalty for rule-breakers by causing colleges to lose eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs after one year of noncompliance with the new 85-15 rule. Currently, they do not face penalties until they have been noncompliant for two years. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and help get it passed.
Recognizing the National Cancer Institute (Executive Calendar)
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2017-10-31

I wish to explain my vote today in opposition to the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to serve as a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit. In Professor Barrett's hearing before the Judiciary Committee, I focused my questions on Professor Barrett's views and previous writings on the circumstances under which judges must adhere to precedent and on the doctrine of originalism. It was on the basis of her responses to those questions that I have concluded that I am unable to support her nomination.
Russia Investigation (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-10-31

yesterday morning we learned that two members of the campaign--Mr. Manafort, his one-time campaign chairman, and Mr. Gates, a close associate of Manafort's--were indicted on a dozen charges as part of Special Counsel Mueller's investigation, including prgtoken money laundering, conspiracy to commit fraud, and conspiracy against the United States. prgtoken The fact that the activity in question took place partially before the campaign offered Mr. Manafort the role of chairman in no way diminishes the gravity of the situation. If anything, it suggests that the campaign was negligent in hiring as its chairman a man who was an unregistered foreign agent working for a pro-Russian proxy party in Ukraine. That man is now alleged to have been laundering large sums of money and concealing his identity as a foreign agent from the FBI and the Department of Justice, including during his time during the campaign. Imagine having such poor vetting and poor judgment to hire such a person as your campaign manager. prgtoken We also learned that a campaign adviser met with a Kremlin contact to discuss ``dirt'' they possessed on Secretary Clinton and had several email exchanges with other officials about his outreach to the Russians. This disclosure should put an end to the idea that there was no communication or possible connection between the campaign and Russia. prgtoken It is not fake news, . It is not fake news. There was a connection between the campaign and Russia. Who was involved, how much, and what happened are yet to be determined, but there was a connection, even though the President has denied that connection for months. prgtoken The President can assert whatever he wants on Twitter, but the facts are the facts. There were official members of the campaign who were receptive to working with a hostile foreign power to obtain damaging information about their political opponent. These revelations should concern every Member of this body--, , Independent, liberal, moderate, and conservative. prgtoken I understand the strength of the centrifugal forces in our politics that warp everything into a partisan battle between two sides. There are two sides to every argument, but no one is above the law, no matter what side of the argument one is on. The rule of law and American democracy are indisputable as our bedrock. We cannot abandon it for political expediency. prgtoken Special Counsel Mueller, who served both and ic administrations--a lifetime public servant and a man of unimpeachable integrity--was appointed by President 's Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Mueller was a career prosecutor and is as straight of a shooter as they come. He must be allowed to finish the work he started without any interference. If he had nothing to fear, as he claims, President would encourage Special Counsel Mueller to
SUPPORT NAFTA RENEGOTIATION
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-10-31

smart dealmakers don't divulge their tactics. Yet, according to a report from Inside Trade, President told a group of prgtoken Senators that his so-called threats to withdraw from NAFTA are just a negotiating tactic workers in Ohio will tell President that too much is at stake in NAFTA renegotiations to be playing games and telegraphing empty threats. prgtoken I hope that the President's focus is on balancing our ballooning NAFTA trade deficit with Mexico and Canada, which just accumulates more red ink at astronomical levels of outsourced jobs. We need an agreement that stops job outsourcing, an agreement that creates a level playing field for workers and businesses alike. It should give farmers and laborers on this continent equal status and a living wage. prgtoken Among other protections for workers, I have called for a tri-party labor secretariat that will represent workers in all three NAFTA nations. NAFTA must address fair labor standards and robust enforcement of rules, including for agricultural labor, the largest segment of our tri-national workforce. prgtoken NAFTA renegotiation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a continental compact to boost fair opportunity across North America. Let's not indulge in phony boardroom brinksmanship. Let's come together and put our communities and workers first.