mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Tribute to Johnny Isakson (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2019-12-11

I oppose the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to fill a Nevada seat on the Ninth Circuit. When my colleagues decided to abandon blue slips for circuit court seats, many on our side warned that we would start to see nominees with little connection to the States in which they were nominated to sit. Those warnings are coming true. We saw it earlier this year, when the Senate approved the nomination of Daniel Bress to fill a California seat on the Ninth Circuit, even though he had barely lived or practiced in California as an adult. prgtoken Now, we are seeing it again with Mr. VanDyke, whose ties to Nevada are minimal. He did not grow up in Nevada or attend any schools there. He did not move to Nevada until 2015, after he had lost a race for the State supreme court of Montana. He did not become an active member of the Nevada Bar until October 2017. He does not have family ties to Nevada. He does not currently live in Nevada. Since he moved to Virginia 8 months ago, he has not been to Nevada even once. Mr. VanDyke's only real tie to Nevada is that he was given a job there for a few years as solicitor general, apparently as a landing spot after he lost his race in Montana. prgtoken There are many longtime members of the Nevada legal community who are well qualified to serve as a Federal circuit court judge. But none of them will get the chance to fill this seat. Instead, Senate s are going to rubber-stamp someone with minimal Nevada ties for this Nevada judgeship. How would my colleagues like it if that happened to their States? Mr. VanDyke also has a deeply troubling record. prgtoken When he was Montana's solicitor general, we saw from his emails that he allowed political considerations to guide litigation decisions. For example, in a 2013 email, he urged that Montana join an amicus brief supporting the NRA in a cert petition involving a challenge to a gun law on the books. VanDyke wrote, ``I'm not sure I agree with the strategy of bringing this case to SCOTUS, but I think we want to be on the record as on the side of gun rights and the NRA.'' prgtoken I am troubled that, for his judicial election campaign, he filled out an NRA endorsement questionnaire in which he said he agreed that ``gun control laws are misdirected.'' He also has a lengthy history of criticizing and undermining LGBTQ rights. This includes his 2004 column where he wrote that there is, ``ample reason for concern that same-sex marriage will hurt families, and consequently children and society.'' prgtoken Mr. VanDyke is the ninth judicial nominee who has been rated ``Not Qualified'' by the ABA, out of over 260 nominees the ABA has reviewed. The ABA conducts a peer review process. In VanDyke's case, the ABA interviewed 60 attorneys and judges who knew him and his work. prgtoken Mr. VanDyke's peers said that Mr. VanDyke ``is arrogant, lazy, an ideologue, and lacking in knowledge of the day-to-day practic
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-12-11

I appreciate the comments of Senator Carper and Senator Wyden and all the members of the tax-writing committee with Senator Stabenow. I believe a couple more Senators will join us--I believe Senators Cardin and Cantwell. prgtoken Thanks for the work you do, Senator Stabenow, on this issue and so many others. prgtoken We all know now what the tax scam did. We know it was a giveaway to the richest people in the country. It was a $1.5 trillion tax cut. Seventy percent of it went to the wealthiest people in the country. We know that. We pretty much knew that in the beginning. We know the President said all kinds of things--one lie after another-- about it. prgtoken I want to tell two stories. One of them is from when I was at the White House with the President and half a dozen other Senators sitting in the President's Cabinet Room when he was talking about the tax bill. He said to me and to other Senators that every American will get at least $4,000 more in their paycheck--at least. I guess he meant people in Gallipolis and Ironton, OH, and Portsmouth and Cleveland and Lansing, MI, and Kalamazoo and everywhere else. He said everybody was going to get $4,000. That is what he said when the bill was being written. When he signed it, he said everybody was going to start seeing a lot more money in their paychecks. Well, he lied. No surprise there-- he always does that. He lies about a lot of things. But I particularly take it personally when he lies about something like that; when voters in Lima and Piqua, OH, don't get what he promised them; when citizens and workers just don't get the help. prgtoken At the same time, when I was at that meeting, I went up to the President. I had in my hand a bill I was working on called the Patriot Corporation Act. I went up to the President after the meeting. I had mentioned it during the meeting, and then I walked up to him and said: , this is the Patriot Corporation Act. I want you to consider this. prgtoken Unlike the bill we were looking at, which gave tax cuts to all kinds of corporations and all kinds of the wealthiest people in this country, the Patriot Corporation Act was simple. The Patriot Corporation Act said: If you pay your workers a decent wage; if you provide adequate benefits--health and retirement--to your workers; and if you are in manufacturing and you do your production in the United States, then you will get a break on your taxes. So if you do things right as an employer--decent wages, decent benefits, do your production in the United States--you get a lower tax rate. But if you don't, if you pay low wages or outsource jobs, you pay something called the corporate freeloader fee. prgtoken This is because so many companies in this country--they might be retail outlets, whatever these companies are--pay $8 or $10 or $12 an hour, and their workers are eligible for Medicaid, food stamps, Section 8 housing, and, basically, those compan
Tribute to Johnny Isakson (Executive Calendar)
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-12-11

yesterday, I went to the Senate floor to ask unanimous consent on the DETER Act, bipartisan legislation that I authored alongside Senator Rubio that is languishing in the Senate legislative graveyard. prgtoken The DETER Act is absolutely critical to protect our democracy from foreign interference. It serves a clear, simple, and essential purpose. It says to Russia and any other foreign power that, if they interfere in our elections and undermine the integrity of our democracy, they will face severe consequences in the form of tough sanctions. Foreign interference in our elections remains as critical a threat as ever. That is why, on November 5, seven U.S. Federal agencies jointly stated, ``Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign malicious actors all will seek to interfere in the voting process or influence voter perceptions. Adversaries may try to accomplish their goals through a variety of means, including social media campaigns, directing disinformation operations, or conducting disruptive or destructive cyberattacks on state and local infrastructure.'' prgtoken The Senate endorsed the inclusion of this bill in this year's National Defense Authorization Act, unanimously passing a resolution in the fall instructing NDAA conferees to include such a provision in the conference report. However, the leadership has stonewalled the inclusion of this bill in the NDAA. Instead, we are voting this week on two Ninth Circuit judicial nominees of dubious qualifications, including one who was rated ``Unqualified'' by the American Bar Association, ABA. prgtoken Circuit courts play an important role in our country. Circuit court judges review the decisions of district court judges. Instead of nominating experienced jurists, s have chosen to advance two nominees, Messrs. Bumatay and VanDyke, neither of whom have absolutely any experience as judges, at the Sate or Federal level. Mr. VanDyke was harshly described by his peers and colleagues as someone who is ``arrogant and disrespectful to others, both in and outside of this office. He avoids work. He does not have the skills to perform, nor desire to learn how to perform, the work of a lawyer.'' This harsh criticism of a judicial nominee from their peers is extremely rare and factored in heavily into the ABA's ``Unqualified'' rating. prgtoken Instead of trying to confirm unqualified radical ideologues to the bench, s should be working across the aisle to pass bipartisan legislation to secure our elections and address other national priorities. Failing to do so is a dereliction of our duty.
CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1790, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-12-11

. Madam , I want to thank the ranking member for his service and the chairman for his service. prgtoken I also want to thank the staff. It has been an extraordinarily arduous, sleep-depriving and angst-creating process, I know, to get this bill from this floor over to the Senate floor and through conference, so I congratulate the staff. prgtoken We are blessed as a country and as a Congress to have extraordinarily qualified people who could, frankly, make very significantly more in the private sector stick with us and with our country. Their patriotism and their talent is an extraordinary benefit to us all. prgtoken Madam , I want to thank Chairman Smith and the ic members and the majority staff of the Armed Services Committee, as well as the ranking member and the minority staff. They have been working very hard on this legislation. prgtoken The conference report before us represents a compromise. No one ought to think that is a pejorative. It is what we do. And it means, in compromising, you do not get everything you want. prgtoken Obviously, many of the things that we passed on the floor of this House that we believed were very, very important items are not in this conference report. It could lead some to say, well, then we won't vote for it. That would be a mistake on either side of the aisle. prgtoken I am particularly pleased, however, that this report, this bill does include, for the first time, 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child for all Federal civilian employees. There was, for a period of time, a suggestion that it only apply to defense employees. prgtoken I would suggest that the national security of our country is, in interrelated ways, dependent upon all of our employees, and we ought to treat them equally. I wrote a letter urging that, and others weighed in as well. prgtoken I am pleased that the committee ultimately decided to treat all Federal employees the same, even though we limited it not to family leave, but to parental leave. prgtoken Now, that is a step in the right direction. We know that the bonding between moms and dads and infant children is critically important, and this will give them the opportunity to do so. And it will give them the opportunity to not have to make a determination whether or not they don't get paid in order to create this bond, but they will be enabled to, as so many could not if they were not paid, take advantage of this benefit. prgtoken So I am disappointed that we don't have full coverage, but this is a first and very significant step. prgtoken I want to congratulate the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who has been a giant in her advocacy of this policy for our people, for our employees, and, by the way, for our infants, whether they are adopted or whether they are naturally born. prgtoken I will continue to fight for the full measure of paid family and medical leave to be extended to our employees and wou
Tax Reform (Executive Session)
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2019-12-11

I want to join with my colleagues today in expressing great dismay as we are approaching the 2-year anniversary of the massive tax giveaway. Middle-class families and workers have not gotten even remotely close to what they were promised. Instead, President and s gave the big drug companies, the wealthiest Americans, and other special interests an enormous tax cut just in time for the holidays. Merry Christmas to them. But what did he give the majority of families in Michigan? He gave them the equivalent of a beautifully wrapped gift box with nothing in it. There is a word for that, when you make a bunch of promises and fail to keep them. In Michigan, we call that a betrayal. prgtoken President made some really big promises about the tax giveaway. In his words, it would be ``one of the great Christmas gifts to middle-income people.'' Unfortunately, President turned out to be less like Santa Claus and more like Ebenezer Scrooge. The wealthiest 1 percent of taxpayers received an average tax cut 64 times the size of the one given to the middle class. prgtoken He said--as my other colleagues have referred to--people would get an average of $4,000 more in their income. We in Michigan are still waiting for that $4,000 per person who is working to show up. What happened is, the real number is about $514. And what is even worse is that bonuses for working people have actually gone down 22 percent since the tax giveaway passed. Bonuses are down, not up. You don't have to have the math skills of Bob Cratchit to know that is far from what was promised. prgtoken He also promised that businesses would use their tax windfall to invest in workers and create jobs. Unfortunately, that has not happened. We know that in the third quarter of this year, business investment was a negative 2.7 percent. That is the second straight negative quarter for business investments despite the promise of ``tremendous'' business investment. I am deeply worried because we have had two straight quarters now of contraction on manufacturing, which is actually the technical definition of a recession. Coming from Michigan, where we proudly make things and grow things, that is deeply concerning to me. prgtoken Meanwhile, in the first year of the tax betrayal, businesses rewarded CEOs and wealthy shareholders with more than $1.1 trillion in stock buybacks. What does that mean? That means you do a buyback of your stock. It drives up the price of the company stock. It enriches the CEOs and major shareholders but does nothing for the workers. In fact, corporations spent 140 times as much money on stock buybacks as they did on increasing wages and benefits for workers. In 2018 alone, the 10 biggest drug companies spent $115 billion--with a ``b''--on stock buybacks and dividends, but I don't recall seeing the cost of medicine go down. Instead, they keep raising the prices, which
CONFERENCE REPORT ON S. 1790, NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020
James R. Langevin (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2019-12-11

. Madam , I want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to congratulate and thank Chairman Smith for his leadership on the House Armed Services Committee, as well as Ranking Member Thornberry. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in strong support of the conference report to accompany the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. I was honored to be a conferree, and I am very proud that we have concluded our work on this defense bill and reached bipartisan consensus in support of our national security and our servicemembers. I am particularly pleased with the provisions that are under the oversight of the Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, which I am honored to chair. prgtoken I also want to thank my subcommittee ranking member, Ms. Stefanik, for her contributions to this bill and her bipartisan participation and partnership throughout the process, and our wonderful staff for all their work to make this happen. prgtoken In the IETC portfolio, this bill supports a robust Department of Defense science and technology ecosystem to deliver the best capabilities to the warfighter while protecting critical technologies. It provides for additional investments in emerging technologies like 5G and additive manufacturing and supports educational programs to strengthen the STEM workforce and improve ties with historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. prgtoken On the cybersecurity front, we strengthen oversight of military operations, synchronize efforts, and leverage best practices to improve the Department's network, industrial base, and military installation cybersecurity. prgtoken This bill also reflects our IETC priorities that Special Operations Forces remain professional, ethical, agile, and postured for high-end missions and that the Defense Intelligence Enterprise is oriented to provide maximum support to Department requirements. prgtoken I am especially pleased that this bill continues to support the production of the Virginia-class submarine program and the Virginia Payload Modules as well as the Columbia-class submarine program, which are shining examples of Rhode Island's contributions to our national security. prgtoken This bill supports our servicemembers with a pay raise and demonstrates a strong commitment, also, to families by providing all Federal workers with paid parental leave. prgtoken Madam , there is a lot to be proud of in this bill. I thank Chairman Smith, again, for his leadership and Ranking Member Thornberry, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
ALLOW DIRECT NEGOTIATION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES BY MEDICARE
Ann M. Kuster (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2019-12-11

I have long called for Congress to take meaningful action to lower prescription drug costs by allowing the direct negotiation of prescription drug prices by Medicare. prgtoken I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, and I am pleased to see it includes my legislation, the Respond Now Act, as the basis for much needed funding to combat the opioid epidemic. prgtoken H.R. 3 provides $10 billion in direct funding, including investments directly into our communities who are the front lines of this epidemic. prgtoken I am also grateful to see that H.R. 3 includes funding to support children impacted by this crisis, so that they can access trauma- informed practices in schools. prgtoken I thank the for the inclusion of this critical funding to help Granite State families and communities across this country. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill.
CLOTURE MOTION
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2019-12-11

the Food and Drug Administration plays an important part in our families' everyday lives. When people across the country do anything from using a medical device, to getting a prescription filled, to sitting down together to eat, they rely on the FDA to keep them safe and healthy. prgtoken There is a lot at stake for our families, and it is critical that we know the FDA's leadership will uphold its gold standard of safety and effectiveness and put people's health and well-being first. I am not convinced that is the case under Hahn's leadership. prgtoken I have reviewed his records and carefully considered his answers on key issues. I want the Senate to know I was particularly concerned by his evasive response when it came to how to address skyrocketing youth e-cigarette use. Just a few months ago, the administration promised it would take action and pull non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products from the market until after the FDA had reviewed them, only to reverse its course. prgtoken We need a leader at the FDA who will fight for our families and stand up to this administration on this important policy. When Members from both sides of the aisle asked him about this, he refused to commit to follow through on the promising step President decided to abandon. So given his answers--or lack thereof, really--on this concerning issue, I am voting no on this confirmation.
LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 2019
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-12-11

. Mr. Chair, such time as I may consume. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I just want to comment about a letter that we received from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. This letter states, in part: ``Enactment of H.R. 3 is needed because: ``It directs our government to stand on the side of all Americans and protect us from price gouging by directly negotiating for lower prescription drug prices. ``It creates a new $2,000 out-of-pocket limit on prescription drugs for people on Medicare. ``It reinvests Federal savings into much-needed new Medicare benefits to cover dental, vision, and hearing. ``The cost of inaction is too high. It is calculated in the suffering of individuals who are forced to ration their medicines or choose between buying medicines or paying for housing and groceries. Prescription drug companies must be made accountable. We urge you to send a clear message that Congress is on the side of all Americans by directing the government to directly negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Please vote in support of H.R. 3.'' prgtoken Mr. Chair, .
FARM WORKFORCE MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2019
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-12-11

. Madam , I stand as an original cosponsor of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. prgtoken Agricultural workers are crucial to our economy and this bill would establish a legal and reliable farm workforce. prgtoken I support this bill because it recognizes the humanity of farmworkers and their families. prgtoken This is personal to me. prgtoken I grew up poor picking cotton in the fields of South Texas. prgtoken I can testify firsthand about the incredibly hard, back breaking work farm workers do, especially in the heart of South Texas. prgtoken Not much has changed since I worked in the fields. prgtoken This bill is long overdue and would provide farm workers with important worker protections and legal rights that they desperately need. prgtoken Texas is home to nearly 250,000 farms and the need for a strong agricultural workforce is vital.
LOWER DRUG COSTS NOW ACT OF 2019
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-12-11

. Madam Chair, I want to thank Frank Pallone, Richard Neal, and Bobby Scott for all their hard work on the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. prgtoken The science and innovation behind lifesaving drugs is light-years beyond our wildest imagination. prgtoken As the medicine chest of America, New Jersey leads the way in biopharmaceutical research, which is integral to discovering lifesaving treatments. But with the blessing of living longer, the curse of high costs lingers. After too many years of inaction, it falls on us to address exploding costs in the health system. prgtoken Pharmaceutical innovation demands the best science, not the highest prices. But if medications are not affordable for all, how can they be lifesaving? prgtoken H.R. 3 is landmark legislation that helps us address the cost crisis by allowing Medicare to negotiate fair prices for American families. prgtoken We talked about this in 2009. The minority rejected it then, too. We should have done it then. prgtoken Medicare beneficiaries, our seniors, will save $150 billion in lower premiums and out-of-pocket costs. On top of that, Medicare part D beneficiaries will see an average discount of nearly 55 percent on current prices of the first drugs chosen for negotiation. prgtoken Our seniors will ultimately benefit from lower premiums, cost sharing, and a cap on their out-of-pocket expenses. prgtoken By the way, Medicare would finally, at long last, cover dental, hearing, and vision care services to help our seniors stay healthy-- instead of bumper stickers and empty promises. prgtoken This legislation requires drug manufacturers to justify price increases and launch prices for drugs. By making this information public, manufacturers will be accountable. prgtoken This bill also includes a reauthorization of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants program, or HPOG, to prgtoken provide education and training to low-income individuals for health occupations that are in high demand or are experiencing labor shortages.