mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2017-11-30

this tax bill is truly astounding. Only in Washington--only in Washington--could s borrow $1 trillion from China to fund massive tax cuts for big corporations and still need to raise taxes on millions of Americans in order to pay for it. prgtoken Look, I understand my friends are in a pickle. They need to give President a win. The problem is that this White House is asking them to pass a tax plan built on the most unpopular policies in America, and I think my colleagues know it. prgtoken They know that after all the American people have been through--the financial crisis, the great recession, decades of wage stagnation, soaring education, housing and healthcare costs--after all of this hardship, cutting taxes for corporations, taking healthcare away from 13 million people, and raising taxes on the middle class aren't exactly a recipe for winning the hearts of voters, let alone a strategy for building a more dynamic, inclusive, and prosperous economy for all Americans. prgtoken So, yes, s are in a tough spot. They know that if we had a sensible campaign finance system, policies this disastrous would spell disaster for them in 2018. That is why they designed a tax bill that has nothing to do with simplifying our Tax Code and nothing to do with growing the wages of American workers. prgtoken I appreciate my friend from Alaska talking about growth. I am all for growth. But first of all, I want to see growth in American wages, and it is really hard to have growth when you take $1 trillion, or more, and add it to the debt of the next generation and think that you are going to have growth when you are saddling them with greater and greater debt. This bill has nothing to do with creating jobs and everything to do with pleasing corporate special interests that fund their campaigns. prgtoken That is what brings us here today. That is how Senate s are on the verge of trying to pass massive tax cuts for corporations that will be permanent. They don't have to worry about it. They will be permanent--paid for, however, by raising taxes on working families and saddling our children and grandchildren with trillions in debt. prgtoken I know some at home might wonder: How does the GOP get away with parading this bill around as a middle-class tax cut? It is because they are using smoke and mirrors to dupe you into thinking you are getting something of a tax cut. These so-called deficit hawks passed a budget that gives themselves permission to add $1.5 trillion to the national debt by 2026--only a short 9 years from now--so long, however, as they don't add a dime to our deficit the year after, in 2027. Isn't it nice if you can be at home and give yourself permission to go ahead and add an enormous amount of debt and not worry about it? That is what they do. prgtoken Here is the problem. It is damn near impossible to permanently slash the corporate tax rate from 35 perce
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-11-30

during Thanksgiving last week, families across the country came together to give thanks for the blessings of the past year. One group in particular--corporate CEOs--had a special reason to be thankful: the tax bill we are considering today. Rather than engaging in a bipartisan process to develop and enact meaningful tax reform that will benefit working Americans and small businesses, s in Congress have spent the last few weeks. crafting tax cut legislation that will overwhelmingly favor large corporations and ultrawealthy Americans. Just in time for the holiday season, this bill delivers everything on the donor class's wish lis while providing the vast majority of working Americans with little more than a lump of coal. prgtoken This tax bill would have harmful and far-reaching effects, in countless ways, for our economy, for the budget, for our healthcare system, for our environment, and for the pocketbooks of middle-income Americans from coast to coast; yet despite these enormous threats across the board, rarely, if ever, have I seen such a secretive and slapdash process and such a shoddy result. leaders purposely chose a partisan process, not a bipartisan process. prgtoken This bill has one clear goal: provide corporations with permanent tax cuts at any and all costs. Unfortunately, the costs of providing these unnecessary cuts are high and fall disproportionately on lower and middle-income Americans, who will only see temporary cuts that will expire in 2025. The true purpose and slant of this bill are belied by the fact that huge tax prgtoken cuts for corporations would be permanent, while the meager adjustments for hard-working Americans are only temporary. Critical deductions relied upon by many Vermonters, including the State and local tax deduction, are reduced or eliminated. These changes are likely to result in higher taxes for many working families. To add insult to injury, even after targeting the middle class to pay for permanent corporate tax cuts, the bill will still end up adding more than $1.4 trillion to our deficit and debt over the next 10 years. prgtoken This is a bill that cheats our future for the sake of a tax-cut windfall for the 1 percent. It does absolutely wonderful things for the wealthiest taxpayers, like the President, his cronies, and his family, but it does not advance the common good. It offers crumbs to hard- working Americans, while the wealthiest individuals and corporations reap the rewards of this bill, with the false promise of trickle-down benefits to everyone else. The wealthiest are doing just fine, and big corporations already are pulling in record profits, which they are not investing but salting away. They don't need more tax cuts. More than 400 millionaires have urgently told Congress that they don't need more tax cuts. prgtoken Even more appallingly, to pay for these tax giveaways for corporations, Republ
ENSURING A QUALIFIED CIVIL SERVICE ACT OF 2017
Alcee L. Hastings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-11-30

for far too long, the majority in Congress has treated Federal workers as if they are the problem. prgtoken We have spent years beating up Federal employees, implementing pay freezes, implementing hiring freezes, and cutting benefits in order to drive employees away from government service. The legislation we are debating today continues this offensive unfair trend. prgtoken This bill doubles the probationary period for employees of the civil service, in an effort to make it easier to fire the employees without giving them any chance to challenge that decision. In doing so, my friends are sending a clear message, and that message is that they see Federal employees as untrustworthy and unworthy of being secure in their employment. prgtoken The amendment I am offering would exempt those who have served this country through programs such as the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps from the 2-year probationary period under this legislation, instead keeping them at the 1-year level of probation already in effect. prgtoken Last night, I offered an amendment at the Rules Committee to extend this same exemption for veterans, but it was blocked from consideration. prgtoken Let me say that again because I want every one watching to hear me loudly and clearly. Last night, the majority on the Rules Committee voted to block an amendment that would have protected veterans employed in the government from being fired without cause. prgtoken I was told by my colleague who introduced this measure that being able to fire veterans within a 2-year probationary period--footnote right there: veterans would have already served 2 or more years before becoming civil servants at that level--but I was told that, without giving them any legal protections, recourse, or even an ability to improve ``helps the veterans, just like it helps everyone.'' prgtoken Well, , I am here to tell you that is hogwash. Veterans should not need to prove themselves worthy of a government job for a full 2 years before they are afforded the rights that should be inherent their position. prgtoken We ought to be spending time working to strengthen our Federal workforce through better training and more plentiful diversity programs. Instead, this bill needlessly undermines our civil service and the fine people who work within it, while simultaneously making it a less attractive place of employment for our best and brightest at a time when we are in desperate need of such people. prgtoken This amendment would protect those who have already served our country in the national service from this bill's intentions. In my opinion, we should be expanding protections for everyone--for veterans, women, minorities, LGBTQ Americans, and especially for disabled Americans. prgtoken Let me say one more thing that I said last night, and this is with due respect to my colleague, Mr. Connolly, who is managing for the minority in this case,
REQUIRING COMPLETION OF TRAINING PROGRAM IN WORKPLACE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Pramila Jayapal (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-11-30

today I rise to support H. Res. 630, which would require that prgtoken each member of Congress, as well as officers and employees of the House of Representatives, complete anti-harassment training each session of Congress. We are in a watershed moment in our country and we in Congress must draw a line in the sand and make it clear that sexual harassment will not be tolerated. prgtoken We have witnessed countless accusations come out in the news about high-profile individuals, and millions of women around the country have opened old wounds and shared their stories to show just how systemic this problem truly is. Congress is not impervious. Accusations against current and former members have flooded the news, and it has highlighted how insufficient our sexual harassment prevention and remediation processes have been in both the House and the Senate. prgtoken I am proud to join so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of this resolution, which is the first step in creating an environment on Capitol Hill that is safe and supportive for everyone. However, we must not let this be our last action. We cannot introduce this bill and wash our hands of the problem. We must continue to work in a bipartisan manner to improve the complaint and investigation procedures in both chambers, and we must evaluate the rules and scope of the Ethics Committee to ensure the committee is fully staffed and prepared to evaluate sexual harassment cases in a timely manner. We need to implement a process that does not silence women, but gives them a voice and allows them to be heard. prgtoken And, together we must condemn this behavior--regardless of party. We must show that we are united in our commitment to dismantle this system that has shielded perpetrators for so long. We must stand with survivors and demand justice. Today we are showing that we want to ensure that this process starts within the halls of Congress.
PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS: GOP TAX SCAM
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-11-30

I thank my friend, the gentleman from Maryland, for yielding. prgtoken I want to quote Congressman Raskin, who has said before, and I think it actually accurately captures what is happening: The s are moving at the speed of light in the dark of night to jam through this proposal which will visit so much harm upon our economy and upon the American people, and particularly onto working families. prgtoken I think it is important to say, at the outset, that the process that has produced this piece of legislation that is now under consideration in the Senate--their own version of the same proposal--is an important thing to understand. prgtoken The last time that we did comprehensive tax reform--it was before I arrived in Congress--there were hundreds of people who testified. There were hearings to really understand the implications of these proposals. prgtoken Our economy is complicated. Tax policy is complicated. You want to be sure that you are making the right decisions based on good information, good evidence, and the guidance of experts. prgtoken This proposal in the House and, similarly, in the Senate happened with no hearings. Not a single witness testified. In fact, it was drafted even without the participation of some of the Members of Congress. It was presented as a finished product and then brought to the floor for a vote. prgtoken One of the reasons I would say, , that my colleagues are trying to get this done so quickly is because the more the American people learn about this proposal, the more they realize that it is not something they support, and it undermines the long-term health and prosperity of our country. prgtoken What does it do? prgtoken It provides a huge, gigantic tax cut for the people at the very top. About 50 percent of the proposal goes to the top 1 percent. prgtoken It creates greater economic incentives to ship American jobs overseas. Think about that. It creates better incentives to send good jobs overseas. prgtoken It raises taxes on 82 million middle class families. prgtoken It imposes $1.5 trillion additional debt on the next generation. prgtoken To pay for all of this, it imposes deep cuts on things that are so important to the economy and important to working families: Medicare, Medicaid. We will see more cuts in infrastructure, education, and all the things that are necessary to build and strengthen our economy. prgtoken This is a gigantic giveaway to the biggest corporations and the wealthiest people of this country, and it is paid for by the middle class. It is paid for by hardworking Americans. prgtoken There are, as I said just a moment ago, millions of people who lie awake at night worrying about whether or not they can make ends meet, take care of their families, and pay their bills because they are just not making enough money. prgtoken But instead of addressing that with a real tax reform proposal that provides real tax relief to middle class fami
IN MEMORY OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN MAURICE HINCHEY
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-30

last week we lost one of the finest people ever to serve the people of New York State and the country when Congressman Maurice Hinchey passed away. prgtoken I would like to express my deepest condolences to his wife, Ilene; his sons, Reese and Josef; his daughter, Michelle; and the entire Hinchey family. prgtoken Maurice leaves behind a legacy of service that is second to none. During his 18 years in the New York State Assembly, he became what former Governor Mario Cuomo called ``the environmental conscience of New York State'' for his groundbreaking investigations into polluters and landmark environmental laws. prgtoken When he came to Congress in 1993, he continued that work, creating the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, preserving wild public lands, and doing everything possible to clean and protect his beloved Hudson River. prgtoken Maurice and I came to Congress in the same class and we became fast friends. I already miss him dearly, but I know that his work and his legacy will be remembered for generations to come. To know him was to love him. prgtoken Rest in peace, my dear friend.
BROWNFIELDS ENHANCEMENT, ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT, AND REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2017
Grace F. Napolitano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-11-30

I thank Mr. Pallone and Mr. Shimkus for their hard work. prgtoken , I am pleased to rise today in support of the Environmental Protection Agency's brownfields program, H.R. 3017, a highly successful program by all accounts. prgtoken In the past two Congresses, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment has evaluated the program prgtoken in multiple hearings. What we have learned each time is that the program continues operating, as it has since its creation, very efficiently and successfully. prgtoken Data provided by the EPA shows that, since its inception, the brownfields program has leveraged more than 122,800 jobs and over $23.6 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding. For every dollar of brownfields funding--Federal funding--more than 16 other public and private dollars are leveraged on a national level, and more than eight jobs are leveraged for every $100,000 of EPA brownfields funds expended. prgtoken It is undeniable that this program is working as it should and that communities across the Nation are benefiting from the investment of the Federal dollars in this program. prgtoken The changes made to the program in this bill before the House today will improve it and increase the flexibility with which communities will be able to utilize the program. prgtoken Although I support the bill, I am puzzled by this body's reluctance to increase the funding for a very successful program for the brownfields. This program's successes have been continually hindered by insufficient funds, as you have heard from other speakers. prgtoken By the EPA's own estimates, over the past 5 years, funding deficiencies have caused 1,676 viable proposals to go unfunded. These sites are not only sitting idle and unproductive, but we are missing out on the return on the investment that these sites could realize. In fact, had these proposals received funding, it is estimated those grants would have leveraged approximately 54,680 jobs and over $10.3 billion in public and private financing. prgtoken This begs the question: Why aren't we investing more in the redevelopment of brownfields space? prgtoken If this is the success rate of an underfunded program, imagine the potential economic impact and potential for job creation that could come from fully funding the program. prgtoken Nevertheless, the program received bipartisan support, and I am pleased to support the legislation to reauthorize the program and improve its success. prgtoken I also plan to continue working on the issue of ensuring that local governments maintain their existing obligation to exercise care in preventing potential exposure of our citizens to hazardous substances found on brownfields sites. prgtoken In reconciling the differences between H.R. 3017 and H.R. 1758--the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's reported brownfields reauthorization bill--a provision in H.R. 1758 requiring communities to maintain an appropriate level of care in as
HONORING THE LIFE OF CONGRESSMAN MAURICE HINCHEY
Nita M. Lowey (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-11-30

I rise today to honor the life of my longtime friend and colleague, Maurice Hinchey, who passed away this month at the age of 79. prgtoken A lifelong public servant, Congressman Hinchey was a steadfast champion for New York's Hudson Valley and never wavered in his commitment to the people he served, the communities he represented, and the causes in which he believed. prgtoken Over his 20 years in the Congress, Congressman Hinchey helped shape the course of his environmental movement and record, and as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, he always put the Hudson Valley and New York State first, ensuring that our priorities were reflected in the Nation's spending policies and securing New Yorkers' fair share of Federal resources. prgtoken Congressman Hinchey inspired and influenced not only a generation of public servants and community leaders, but also those of us who had the good fortune to serve alongside him in this body. We will miss him deeply. prgtoken My thoughts are with Congressman Hinchey's wife, Ilene; his children, Michelle, Reese, and Josef; and the countless people in the Hudson Valley and beyond whose lives he enriched.
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2017-11-30

. prgtoken Of course, I don't believe that is the new normal. It is the same old game they played before. If you are not for our tax plan, then you are not for tax reform. Nobody believes that. prgtoken Of course, we don't think 1.5 percent is the normal. But do you know what else we know? We know that the last time, 20 years ago, when we focused on the middle class and cut taxes on the middle class during the Clinton years, the economy exploded. There were 22 million private sector jobs. prgtoken But do you know what happened a dozen years ago? President did two tax cuts for the wealthy, under the view that it trickles down and everybody will do better. During 8 years of President , there was no net job growth. prgtoken Yes, during the last few years, we have had this low level of GDP growth for a whole lot of reasons, but you don't fix it--you don't grow the economy--by giving tax cuts for the rich with the hope of it trickling down. One of the ways you fix that is to do the patriot corporation legislation. If a company does the right thing, if a company pays good wages, if a company provides decent health benefits and retirement benefits and keeps its production in the United States, that company gets a better tax rate--$1,500 for workers, the way this amendment would work. That is how you grow the economy. That is what Candidate said and then President said to me in a meeting with all my Finance Committee s in the room--in the President's Cabinet room. Now, we know that. That just goes without saying, in spite of the myth that we continue to propagate on the floor. prgtoken Before I turn it to Senator Durbin, who is one of the original authors of the patriot corporation legislation, I want to say one other thing. We have seen some pretty charts on this floor about middle-class tax cuts. Well, what we didn't hear mention was that on about the third year of this bill, the tax cuts go down and down and down and then they cross zero, and then you have tax increases. The Tax Policy Center said that, in 2019, 13 million prgtoken households will have a tax increase; in 2025, 19 million households will have a tax increase; and in 2027, 87 million will have tax increases. Those aren't the family that will have tax increases. Those aren't Senators' families that will have tax increases. Those are working families in Toledo, in Dayton, and working families in Omaha and in East St. Louis, IL. They are the ones who are going to get hit with these tax increases while the wealthy continue to get more tax breaks. prgtoken I will yield the remainder of the ic time to the assistant ic leader, Senator Durbin