mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VERIFY FIRST ACT
Judy Chu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-6-13

I rise in strong opposition to this misguided bill. This bill will prevent people who have a legitimate right to healthcare from accessing it and will harm them, and it is for reasons that are completely unjustified. prgtoken Currently, taxpayers must provide a Social Security number or tax I.D. number in order to qualify for a premium tax credit for healthcare. While the taxpayer's citizenship and immigration status are verified, they are given a 90-day grace period in which to prove their legal status. prgtoken This grace period was put into place to ensure that people do not lose critical healthcare coverage and continue to have it while their paperwork is cleared. This bill would remove this safeguard and make it more difficult for numerous people to obtain health insurance. That could be a matter of life or death. prgtoken This bill would certainly create barriers for immigrants who are here legally. It would also create barriers for U.S. citizens who have complications with their Social Security numbers. This includes people who recently change their name after marriage, have an error in their records, were born abroad, or were victims of human trafficking. It would also affect newborns, who do not get their Social Security number right away. prgtoken s claim that reports released by the GAO and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee were proof of immigrants defrauding the government, but neither of these reports back up this claim. prgtoken First of all, the GAO report was actually a test to identify vulnerabilities prgtoken for fraud in the system. They did not find instances of immigrants committing fraud for healthcare subsidies. The Senate report found that 500,000 individuals did not complete their verification process and were, thus, deemed ineligible for subsidies. prgtoken The author of today's bill takes this information and leaps to the conclusion that all those who did not complete the process were undocumented immigrants and were attempting to commit fraud, but there is nothing in either report to substantiate this. In fact, the ACA requires undocumented immigrants or anybody who does receive subsidies in error to pay back every cent on their tax return at the end of the year. prgtoken This bill seeks to address a problem that does not exist. Instead, it would harm people by denying or delaying health insurance subsidies to people who need them. This is wrong. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''
TRIBUTE TO CAROLYN LERNER AND MARK COHEN
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-6-13

today I wish to recognize the service of Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner. Ms. Lerner's term as the leader of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, OSC, has expired. By many accounts, she has been the most successful leader of that office in the agency's 40 year history. prgtoken This office has a critical mission, one that is more important now than ever. It protects government whistleblowers and helps to eliminate government waste, fraud, and abuse. It is also responsible for the enforcement of the Hatch Act, which keeps the Federal workplace free from improper partisan politics. prgtoken Special Counsel Lerner was confirmed unanimously by the Senate in June 2011. During her tenure, she restored the integrity of the Office of Special Counsel after a difficult period. Moreover, she reestablished the OSC as a safe and effective office to defend government whistleblowers. prgtoken Moreover, I would also like to recognize the exemplary service of her principal deputy, Mark Cohen, who is leaving government service as well. The OSC played a critical role in protecting hundreds of whistleblowers at the Department of Veterans Affairs. They worked with these courageous employees to improve care for veterans at hospitals across the country, including efforts to improve conditions for veterans in the Baltimore VA. prgtoken Under Ms. Lerner and Mr. Cohen's leadership, the OSC worked with Homeland Security whistleblowers to end an improper overtime program, saving the taxpayers $100 million a year according to the Congressional Budget Office. prgtoken These and many, many other victories for whistleblowers and taxpayers set a new standard in terms of effectiveness for this important office. prgtoken As my colleague and friend from Maryland, Congressman Cummings, stated in a recent Washington Post article, ``Ms. Lerner turned the Office of Special Counsel `into a model agency and set the bar as the head of that office.' '' I ask unanimous consent to have this article printed in the Record at the conclusion of my remarks. prgtoken As Senator Grassley, a longtime champion of government whistleblowers, stated in the same article, ``Her leadership should be a road map for future leaders of this office.'' prgtoken Given the office's important good government role, the OSC enjoyed broad, bipartisan support under Lerner and Cohen's leadership. I concur with my colleagues and encourage the next leaders of that office to follow their lead as I pay tribute to their government service.
HEALTHCARE LEGISLATION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-13

finally on healthcare, there are only 11 calendar days of Senate business left before the July 4th recess, and yet s are looking to vote on a final healthcare bill before the deadline, and not a soul outside the caucus has seen the bill. I am not sure that every Member of the caucus inside has seen it. prgtoken To everyone in America, this should be a red alert. This should be a red alert for doctors, hospital administrators, and patient groups, groups that represent older Americans, groups that fight for children's healthcare, groups that fight for better treatment for substance abuse and mental health. This should be a red alert for working families across this country whose lives depend on affordable healthcare and yet have no earthly idea what their representatives in Congress might pass in just 2 short weeks. prgtoken They might never know. The s have not scheduled a single committee hearing--not one--not a single committee hearing on a bill that would reorganize one-sixth of the American economy, touch the lives of millions of Americans--a life-and-death issue for some--not a single committee hearing or public debate on a bill that would potentially change drastically the way Medicaid is funded, the way women are treated in our healthcare system, the way we treat older Americans and those with preexisting conditions. prgtoken Why on Earth haven't we had a single committee hearing on a bill of this magnitude? Why on Earth is this bill being hidden from public view? prgtoken There is only one reason. The majority is afraid of the American people learning what is in their healthcare bill. They don't want the American people to know how much they cut and destroy Medicaid or how fat of a tax break they give to the wealthiest few because they know the backlash would be severe. In short, by their actions, it seems our colleagues are ashamed of this bill, and they know their chances of passing the healthcare bill would plummet if they release a bill that looks anything like the House healthcare bill, which only a tiny sliver of Americans support--17 percent in the last poll. The majority of s and the majority of voters are opposed to Care. prgtoken So our colleagues have made a calculation, which is ultimately self-defeating, to keep their healthcare bill hidden from view under lock and key until the last possible moment. Maybe this is the only strategy to pass a bill as unpopular as this prgtoken bill is going to be. Maybe it will shield their bill from criticism in the short term, but make no mistake, there will be a reckoning if this bill is passed. prgtoken Passing a bill of this scale, with so many consequences for the American people, without telling them what is in it, without telling them how they would fare, the political retribution will be swift. It will be a catastrophe for the Re
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 42
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-6-13

while my friend's remarks on the motives of are fresh in people's minds, let me address this directly. There is a new President today, but there is a different policy, and that is what this resolution is about. Let me be very clear about what we are talking about today. prgtoken Senator Graham would have you believe that we are about to vote on the entirety of the $110 billion in arms sales that was proposed--that was unveiled--by President during his visit to Saudi Arabia. That is not the case. We are voting today on $500 million of that $110 billion sale. You can still be friends with Saudi Arabia and sell it $109.5 billion worth of arms rather than $110 billion worth of arms. The specific set of arms that we are talking about--precision-guided munitions that are going to be used to perpetuate the Saudi bombing campaign in Yemen--was the specific set of weapons that the administration refused to transfer to the Saudis at the end of 2016. We did not take a vote on this in 2016. We took a vote on a different arms sale. prgtoken It is not simply that there is a new President and that are objecting to the arms sale that President is moving forward with. It is that we have a new policy. This specific set of munitions that President is asking us to consent to is one that President would not sell. The policy is different, not just the personnel. Let's talk about why the policy is different. prgtoken What is happening today in Yemen is a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions. There are four famines that exist in the world today. One of them is in Yemen, and only one of those four is caused, in part, by the United States. The United States supports the Saudi-led bombing campaign that has had the effect of causing a humanitarian nightmare to play out in that country such that 8 million people right now in Yemen are in starvation or are on the brink of starvation. Last week, we received word that 100,000 people in Yemen now have cholera. Cholera? All of this is directly a result of the civil war. prgtoken The reason that the administration decided not to transfer the precision-guided munitions to the Saudis is that the Saudis were using the weapons we were giving them in order to deliberately target humanitarian infrastructure and civilian infrastructure inside Yemen. The Saudis have made it pretty clear that time is on their side, that they can wait out the Yemeni population and drive it to the negotiating table. They suggest that this humanitarian catastrophe, ultimately, accrues to their benefit because it eventually will push the Houthis into supporting a better deal than they would have otherwise for the Saudis. prgtoken Let me give you some direct evidence of how this bombing campaign is leading to the humanitarian crisis. prgtoken This cholera outbreak, which has been covered in the news, began, in part, because the Saudi airstrikes w
COUNTERING IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES ACT OF 2017
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-6-13

I just want to follow up briefly with Chairman Corker. The two of us became friends in 2007, when we were both elected to the U.S. Senate the same year and were part of the same class. But I think the two of us really became close friends a little over 2 years ago, when we were confronted with how Congress should deal with the nuclear agreement being negotiated by President with Iran and our European friends, along with Russia and China. prgtoken As the two of us worked around the clock to try to develop an appropriate review process so that Congress could play a constructive role--we recognize that we are the legislative branch, and we have oversight functions, but there is an appropriate role for us with regard to Executive actions--we came out with something that no one expected could be done; that is, nearly unanimous support in this body for a review statute in regard to the Iran negotiations. prgtoken Chairman Corker has taken this same template and has now used that to apply to Russia in the removal of sanctions on Russia. It started with a bill that was put together by Senator Graham and me. It has been modified through the negotiations we have had, as Senator Corker has commented, with Senator Brown and Senator Crapo. But it does, in effect, provide that there will be notice to Congress before the administration can give any sanction relief to Russia, so there can be transparency and a discussion and a debate. Then there is a process by which Congress, if we feel strongly and can get the necessary support, can disapprove of sanction relief. prgtoken I think that is the proper way for us to deal with one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world--between the United States and Russia--and it is appropriate that it is going to be an amendment to the Iran sanctions bill because the review process came out of the Iran agreement. prgtoken The review process would be triggered if there is action taken by the President to give relief, but the legislation also includes additional sanctions, as the chairman pointed out, with Russia. It does this in a way that codifies the President's Executive orders so that there is now congressional support for Executive orders. It expands those sanctions in the area of cyber, as the chairman pointed out, and for energy projects, financial institutions facilitating transactions, Russian arms and related materiel to Syria, the corrupt privatization of government-owned assets. prgtoken I particularly thank the chairman for the way he was able to recognize that, in Russia, what we don't want to see us contribute to is corruption, and we concentrate on the corruption issue, not the business issue. It is the area of corruption that becomes the important thing. prgtoken We tighten up a lot of the different sanctions. Then we set up a process where there needs to be certified progress made; otherwise, these are mandatory sanctions the President
MOTION TO DISCHARGE--S.J. RES. 42
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-6-13

I thank the distinguished senior Senator from Illinois for his comments. Certainly we hear those same things in town meetings in Vermont. Russia Investigation prgtoken , on another matter, this afternoon, Attorney General Sessions will return to the Senate for the first time since his confirmation hearing. It has been more than 3 months since the press revealed that the Attorney General gave false testimony in response to questions from both myself and from Senator Franken about his contact with Russian officials; yet the Attorney General has made no effort to come back before the Judiciary Committee to explain these actions-- actions that some could construe as perjury. prgtoken There are now countless new and troubling questions swirling around the Attorney General. In fact, he was scheduled to appear before the Appropriations Committee this morning--a committee that would have to vote on his request for a budget--but, for the second time in as many months, he abruptly canceled. Neither I nor Senator Franken sit on the Intelligence Committee, so we are not going to have the opportunity to follow up with the Attorney General in person. I am not going to be able to ask him why he hid his contacts with the Russian Ambassador, including a reported third meeting at the Mayflower Hotel, nor will I be able to ask about the timing of his recusal or his involvement with the Russia investigation both before his recusal and after. I will not be able to ask whether the President ever suggested he intervene in the Russia investigation in any way. And especially I will not be able to ask how the Attorney General can justify violating his recusal from the Russia investigation by working to fire its lead investigator. prgtoken The American people deserve answers to each of these questions--not only answers, they deserve truthful answers. That is why I shared my questions for Attorney General Sessions on these topics. But I also shared them with members of the Intelligence Committee. prgtoken So, at least, on the plus side, Attorney General Sessions will finally face some serious questions, but I am still concerned he is not going to be the most forthcoming witness. We saw last week that administration officials have invented a brand new claim of privilege to insulate themselves from congressional oversight--and to protect themselves from giving answers that would be embarrassing or damaging to the President. prgtoken I asked the Congressional Research Service to provide me with a list of valid reasons to refuse to answer a question from a Senator. There is executive privilege, of course, but it has to be invoked by the President, and it is not absolute. Of course, there are also constitutional privileges, such as the Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate oneself. Even in my days as prosecutor, I strongly protected the rights of people, no matter what crime
VERIFY FIRST ACT
Linda T. Sánchez (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-6-13

such time as I may consume. prgtoken My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are calling this bill and the two other healthcare bills on the floor this week ``fixes'' for Care. But what exactly is it that you are fixing? prgtoken This bill does nothing to address the more than 23 million individuals who will lose their coverage or the $800 billion cut to Medicaid under Care. Nothing in this bill will do anything to fix the waiver allowing insurers to discriminate against individuals with preexisting conditions by jacking up their rates, and nothing in this bill will do anything to roll back the massive tax cut that they are handing out to the top 400 households in America. prgtoken Instead of addressing the real issues with our healthcare system, you bring prgtoken a racist bill to the floor that you use to buy a vote, literally, for your Care bill.
STUDENT LOAN DEBT BURDEN
Brendan F. Boyle (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-6-13

today, Americans are more burdened by student loan debt than ever. The statistics are truly stunning. They owe over $1.4 trillion in student loan debt spread out among 44 million borrowers. That is about $600 prgtoken billion more, or double the total United States credit card debt. prgtoken And the problem is only getting worse. The average class of 2016 graduate has more than $37,172 in student loan debt, which is up 6 percent from the previous year. Yet President just proposed gutting the best lifelines and safeguards that these borrowers have. prgtoken The budget cuts the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which makes public interest and nonprofit work attainable for students, despite their debt loads; it consolidates income-based repayment programs that are critical to managing repayment; and it completely scraps subsidized interest on some student loans. prgtoken , we cannot profess to stand for the middle class, for American workers, and for American values while pulling the rug out from under 44 million borrowers bearing the weight of what is the greatest systemic threat to our economic stability.
HONORING DR. ANTOINETTE IADAROLA ON THE OCCASION OF HER RETIREMENT
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2017-6-13

it is with my sincere thanks and heartfelt congratulations that I rise today to join staff, faculty, students, board members, and alumnae in paying tribute to Dr. Antoinette ``Toni'' Iadarola, President of Lauralton Hall, as she marks her retirement from an auspicious career in education and administration. Toni's leadership and vision over the course of her tenure as President has ensured that Lauralton Hall will continue to meet its mission of empowering young women for life. prgtoken Toni earned her bachelor's degree in history and political science at St. Joseph College, her master's and doctoral degrees in European diplomatic history from Georgetown University, and post-doctoral grants for studies at Yale and Fordham Universities. A former Fulbright scholar associated with Oxford University, Toni held an impressive list of academic and administrative posts before coming to Lauralton Hall; Chair of the History Department and Coordinator of Women Studies at Saint Joseph College in Connecticut, Dean of Faculty at the College of Mt. St. Joseph in Ohio, and Provost at Colby-Sawyer in New Hampshire, and 16 years as President and Professor of History of Cabrini College. prgtoken Toni's background extends far beyond academia. Her passion for community service led to her participation as a volunteer consultant on several projects funded by the State Department: working with women NGOs in Belarus, discussing privatization issues in higher education in Russia, Kazachstan and Kyrkystan. She was also invited to the United Nations to serve on the Commission for Disarmament Education, Conflict Resolution and Peace, an NGO established by the International Association of University Presidents, presenting on behalf of the Commission in South Africa, Australia, and Thailand. Toni has prgtoken also done volunteer work in orphanages in Swaziland and Guyana. prgtoken It was this awe-inspiring world of experiences that she brought with her as she took the helm at Lauralton Hall in 2009 and that she has shared with faculty, staff, and students. Over the course of her eight- year tenure as President, she has focused her attention on modernizing the campus, which has not only met the needs of today's educators and students, but has made Lauralton Hall more competitive as a whole. The creation of an Internet Cafe, a Center for Guidance and College Planning, the addition of an athletic practice field, classroom renovations to accommodate today's technologies, and the conversion of the carriage barn for the music program are just some of the projects that have been started or completed under her guiding hand. Toni has given Lauralton Hall a solid foundation on which to continue its success in preparing young women for their future success. prgtoken I would be remiss if I did not extend a special note of thanks to Toni for her friendship over the years. Lauralton Hall holds a special place in my heart--some of my fondest memories a
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA NATIONAL PARK SERVICE IMPROVEMENT ACT
Eleanor Holmes Norton (Democrat, DC) \u2014 2017-6-13

today I introduce the District of Columbia National Park Service Improvement Act, a bill that would clarify that D.C. has the authority to enter into cooperative management agreements (CMAs) with the National Park Service (NPS) to maintain and invest in NPS properties in the city. NPS is the steward for many of our country's most beautiful natural wonders, but they are uniquely responsible for most of the small, urban parks here in the District. Given NPS's prgtoken limited budget and resources, we should be encouraging local jurisdictions to work collaboratively with NPS to make sure that our national parks are being cared for. States have already explored these opportunities, but my bill would remove any doubt that the District has the same authority as the states to enter into CMAs with NPS. prgtoken The city already has plans to enter into a CMA with NPS to take over operational jurisdiction of Franklin Park, an NPS park in downtown D.C. that has seen better days. The city plans to work with the Downtown Business Improvement District to transform the park to its former glory by ensuring regular maintenance and providing amenities such as food, gardens, and other services. As the city's downtown core has grown to include more housing, businesses, and workers, the need for green space has also grown. The city's plans for Franklin Park are a model for what can be done when local jurisdictions get creative about protecting and improving our nation's parks. prgtoken My bill is uncontroversial and simply clarifies that the District can provide financial support. to NPS in order to maintain their property. This is a win for the city, the federal government, and all those who live in or visit the District and enjoy our NPS parks. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.