mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
RECOGNIZING UNICO NATIONAL
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of UNICO National, founded in Waterbury, CT, by Dr. Anthony P. Vastola and 15 other proud Italian-Americans. UNICO began as a small service organization, helping people in the greater Waterbury area gain access to higher education through scholarships, promoting Italian heritage, and contributing to charities throughout the State. prgtoken In the century since its inception, UNICO has grown into the largest Italian-American service organization in the United States. UNICO started as a way to combat anti-Italian prejudice and discrimination, showing non-Italian Americans that their culture was founded in philanthropy, civic engagement, and charity. As our Nation's Italian- American population grew, so, too, did the membership of UNICO and its spirit of generosity. prgtoken While UNICO was founded in Connecticut, its reach stretches far past our State's borders. When an earthquake ravaged parts of Italy, UNICO members raised thousands of dollars to build shelters for those affected. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, UNICO once again rose to the occasion by supporting victims' relief funds and restaurants around Ground Zero. By funding research to help find cures for diseases like Cooley's anemia and cancer and giving to institutions like the University of Connecticut and Seton Hall University, UNICO ensures that future generation will also benefit from its members' selflessness. The endowed chairs of modern Italian history and Italian studies at these schools, help teach students about Italian heritage, and work to advance UNICO's mission of eliminating discrimination. prgtoken The impact this organization has had on communities is immeasurable. For 100 years, UNICO has been a model of service towards others. I am proud and grateful for its work and its deep roots in Waterbury. I can't wait to see what more the members of UNICO accomplish as they continue their pursuit to make our world a better place.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Alex Padilla (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise to introduce the Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022. prgtoken This legislation would ensure that noncitizen service members have access to the information and resources they need to apply for citizenship in the United States and avoid deportation from the country they have promised to protect and fight for. prgtoken The Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022 would implement important changes to ensure that servicemembers as well as their spouses and children are not removed from the United States after leaving the military because they were never provided support and resources to help them adjust their status. prgtoken Specifically, this bill would require the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to create a program to help ensure that servicemembers and their families have a pathway to naturalization. The program would also include training for JAG officers and recruiter training on the naturalization process for servicemembers. prgtoken The bill would also create a Military Family Immigration Advisory Committee that would provide recommendations to DHS on whether a noncitizen who has served in the military or their family members should be granted a stay of removal, deferred action, parole, or be removed from the country. prgtoken Finally, the bill would require DHS to establish a program that allows removed veterans and their family members to be admitted back into the United States as lawful permanent residents and directs DOJ to reopen their removal cases. prgtoken Our noncitizen servicemembers have risked their lives in service to our country. For over a century, the United States has recognized the contributions that noncitizens make in the military. They deserve a clear path to citizenship for themselves and their spouses and children. prgtoken Over the past several years, programs to help facilitate these processes have diminished, and this lack of support from Federal Agencies has made it more difficult for noncitizen servicemembers to become U.S. citizens. Veterans who are unable to naturalize are at risk of deportation if they commit certain crimes and are forced to leave the country they promised to defend. Many believe that they are citizens already due to their service and are shocked to learn years later that they are not. prgtoken It is imperative that we work to protect our noncitizen veterans from deportation and that we bring back those veterans who were removed from the United States. These veterans have shown nothing but loyalty to the United States, and they deserve to stay here, receive their benefits, and live fulfilling lives alongside their family members.
MERGER FILING FEE MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2022
David N. Cicilline (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2022-9-29

I thank the chairman again for yielding. prgtoken I just want to make clear, once again, that this bill does not appropriate money to the FTC, and I think the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and I will continue to advocate for more funding. But this is not an appropriations bill. The ultimate decision about whether money will be appropriated to the FTC or the Department of Justice will be made like every other appropriation: by the Members of the Congress of the United States after a robust debate, and the Congress will decide. prgtoken This generates revenue and makes certain that big mergers are paid for by gigantic near monopolies of big corporations and not by our constituents, and it lowers the price for merger reviews on smaller transactions. So that is all it does. prgtoken Secondly, it is important to remember that, as Mr. Buck said, this isn't a or bill. prgtoken I want to read to you a statement from Senator Klobuchar and Senator Durbin: ``The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act is the product of years of bipartisan work in both the House and prgtoken Senate to improve the enforcement of our antitrust laws and protect competition and consumers. This package of bills will update merger filing fees and help ensure that the Federal antitrust agencies can be properly funded, that information on foreign subsidies is made available to Federal enforcers, and that State antitrust enforcement can proceed more efficiently and without needless delays.'' prgtoken I have a statement from Senator Lee, Senator Cotton, and Senator Grassley--s in the Senate--who say: ``This package represents a strong, bipartisan consensus approach to strengthening enforcement of the Federal antitrust laws, against both Big Tech and other bad actors.'' prgtoken So this is widely supported by s and in both Chambers, and I think it is an example of where we can work together collectively to respond to a serious problem: the consolidation of economic power. Antitrust is important because we know competition is the single greatest driver of innovation. Without competition you don't have innovation, and innovation produces more choices, better quality, and lower prices. It benefits consumers, small businesses, and workers.
HONORING KRISTY AND BOB BRINDLEY WITH THE JUST1MIKE FOUNDATION
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-9-29

. Madam , I rise today to honor Kristy and Bob Brindley, founders of the Just1Mike Foundation. I have named the Brindley's as Public Safety Heroes of the Year for Sonoma County in California's 5th District as a result of their extraordinary selflessness, dedication, and service to others. prgtoken Kristy Brindley is a native of Chicago, Illinois and a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Bob Brindley was born in Buffalo, New York and is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Michigan. The Brindley's met and married in Chicago, where they lived for 29 years and raised their three boys, Robbie, Jack, and Mike. In 2016, they lost their youngest son Mike to sudden cardiac arrest. A year later, they founded the Just1Mike Foundation, in honor of Mike's beloved sports blog, to increase survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest in children and young adults. The Just1Mike Foundation began its work in the Chicago area where it supported cardiac screenings for thousands of high school students. In the first screening alone, 13 students were found to have previously undiagnosed heart conditions. prgtoken After moving to California in 2018, the Brindley's broadened their foundation's reach even further. The Just1Mike Foundation donated four automated external defibrillators (AED) SaveStations to Sonoma Valley High prgtoken School, eight to the Sonoma Valley Boys & Girls Clubs, and many more throughout Northern California. They plan to continue providing vital equipment and screenings well into the future. On June 15, 2022, a 16- year-old boy at Sonoma Valley High School collapsed while playing basketball from sudden cardiac arrest. Thanks to the quick action of three friends and an AED provided by the Just1Mike Foundation, the boy is still alive today. prgtoken Madam , I thank Kristy and Bob Brindley for the great work of the Just1Mike Foundation. For this reason, it is fitting and proper that we honor them here today.
Introductory Statement on S. 5065
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2022-9-29

we all recognize that a postsecondary education is often the key to a family-sustaining, middle-class job. We also know that an educated workforce is essential to a modern, productive economy. However, our system that relies on student loan debt to finance that education is broken. At the end of fiscal year 2021, over 43 million Americans owed more than $1.6 trillion in Federal student loan debt. prgtoken The pandemic has forced a long-overdue reckoning with the cost of student loan debt to our society. But the warning signs have been clear for some time. A National Center of Education Statistics Report found that students who graduated in 2016 still owed 78 percent of the amount they borrowed. Black graduates owed more than they had originally borrowed. Thirty-four percent of graduates reported negative net worth. As student loan debt has prgtoken grown, young adults have put off buying homes or cars, starting a family, saving for retirement, or launching new businesses. They have literally mortgaged their economic future. prgtoken In response to the pandemic, Congress and two administrations took unprecedented steps to ease the burden of student loan debt. While those steps provided urgently needed relief to current borrowers, we need to take steps now to reform the student loan system so future graduates are not saddled with crushing debt. Part of the answer is requiring institutions of higher education to have a greater stake in the outcomes for student loan borrowers. prgtoken While institutions are largely shielded when student borrowers can't repay their loans, students who fall into default face catastrophic consequences with little opportunity for relief. Only in rare instances can the debt be discharged in bankruptcy, and the Federal Government has the power to withhold tax refunds, garnish wages, and even garnish Social Security benefits to collect defaulted student loans. prgtoken We have seen the costs to students and taxpayers when institutions are not held accountable. The Department of Education has forgiven over $13 billion in student loans for students cheated by their colleges since 2021 alone. Just recently, Stratford University announced it would be shutting its doors leaving thousands of students in the lurch. prgtoken We cannot wait until an institution is catastrophically failing its students before taking action. Institutions need greater financial incentives to act before default rates rise. Simply put, we cannot tackle the student loan debt crisis without States and institutions stepping up and taking greater responsibility for college costs and student borrowing. prgtoken That is why I am pleased to reintroduce the Protect Student Borrowers Act with Senators Warren and Durbin. Our legislation seeks to ensure that institutions have more ``skin in the game'' when it comes to student loan debt. The bill will create stronger market incentives for colleges and universities
MERGER FILING FEE MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2022
Janice D. Schakowsky (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-9-29

I also include in the Record Mr. Kovacic's testimony. House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, prgtoken Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce prgtoken Safeguarding American Consumers: Fighting Frauds and Scams During the Pandemic Testimony of William E. Kovacic, February 4, 2021 prgtoken Federal Trade Commission Budget and Compensation Levels for Employees There is a grave mismatch between the duties Congress has assigned the FTC and the resources it has given the agency to carry out its mandate. There is a serious need to raise the FTC's budget, but not simply to build a larger staff by hiring more people. Reforms to the federal compensation system are necessary to attract and retain a larger number of elite personnel. I do not see how the FTC or many other public agencies can recruit and retain necessary personnel without a significant increase in the salaries paid to managers and staff. Consider two possibilities for compensation reform. The first is to align FTC salaries with the highest scale paid to the various US financial service regulators. One model would be the compensation scale used to pay employees of the banking regulatory agencies; the salary scale for these bodies exceeds the General Schedule (GS) federal civil service wage scale by roughly twenty percent. In adopting the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in 2010, Congress concluded that the importance of the mission of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warranted higher salaries for the agency's personnel. If the higher salary scale made sense for the CFPB, I see no good reason why a more generous compensation schedule is not appropriate for what is the nation's leading consumer protection agency (and its leading federal data protection authority. A second, more ambitious alternative would be to triple the FTC's existing budget of about $330 million per year and use the increase mainly to raise salaries and partly to add more employees. This experiment might be carried out for a decade to test whether a major hike in pay would increase the agency's ability to recruit the best talent, retain the talent for a significant time, and apply that talent with greater success in a program that involves prosecuting numerous ambitious cases and devising other significant policy initiatives. A major increase in compensation, either by adopting the CFPB model or trying our my more ambitious proposal, is a crucial test of our national commitment to improve the foundations for effective consumer protection enforcement. The nation should
ACCESS TO A PHOTO ID
Sean Casten (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2022-9-29

there are over 21 million Americans who don't have a photo ID. That is 21 million Americans who can't obtain employment, lease or purchase a home, or open a bank account. prgtoken If you are a veteran, you need an ID to access the VA benefits you have earned. If you are a single mom, you need an ID to access WIC and SNAP benefits for your children. In 35 States, you need a photo ID to vote. prgtoken The current process for obtaining an ID is inconsistent across States. It can be expensive, and it often requires documentation that many Americans just don't have. prgtoken That is why, last week, I introduced the IDs for an Inclusive Democracy Act. This will provide a free Federal ID to any American citizen over the age of 14 who wants one. prgtoken It will ensure that every American has access to the services that they need. And no less important, it will ensure that America has the access to every American's opinion at the ballot box. prgtoken , I urge all of my colleagues who support our founding promise of equality and our commitment to democracy to support this important legislation.
EMERGENCY NURSES WEEK
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2022-9-29

on behalf of myself and Mr. Wicker, I rise today to celebrate Emergency Nurses Week and all of the nurses throughout the country and around the world working day in and day out on the front lines to care for those in need. prgtoken More than 2 years ago now, the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic turned our emergency rooms into battle zones against the virus virtually overnight, and our nurses fought that battle every single day. They fought it when they were understaffed and didn't have personal protective equipment. They fought it through a rise in violence in their workplaces. They fought it as tireless advocates for their patients, even while risking their own health and the well-being of their own families. And they fought it through exhaustion and burnout. These challenges came on top of an already existing shortage of trained and qualified nurses, a raging opioid epidemic, and a mental health crisis--and now a fentanyl crisis and the monkeypox outbreak. prgtoken Our nurses are heroes, and throughout the week of October 9, we will join together to honor and celebrate their heroic work. They deserve all the respect, admiration, and support of a grateful nation--not just for 1 week, but indeed, every day of the year.
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENACTMENT OF THE TIBETAN POLICY ACT OF 2002
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-9-29

I rise today to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Tibetan Policy Act, which I was pleased to introduce in the Senate in May 2001, along with 20 bipartisan cosponsors. This critical legislation solidified Congress' commitment to the Tibetan people, and it makes me so proud to know that it continues to shape U.S. policy toward Tibet today. prgtoken From its enactment, this law set the foundation for U.S. policy toward Tibet, with the primary goal of preserving the Tibetan way of life. The Tibetan Policy Act makes it official U.S. policy to preserve the Tibetan language, religious freedom, and cultural expression and to press for improved respect for human rights. prgtoken The act also addresses the importance of economic development, education, and healthcare for the preservation and prosperity of the Tibetan people. This includes addressing the humanitarian needs of Tibetan refugees and diaspora communities and promoting activities to protect the environment and sustainably manage the water and other natural resources of the Tibetan plateau, which has become even more important now as we deal with extreme heat, flooding, and drought as a result of climate change. prgtoken To achieve these objectives, we established in statute the position of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues at the State Department, whose primary role is to coordinate U.S. Government policies, programs, and projects concerning Tibet. These include U.S. Government assistance for nongovernmental organizations to work in Tibetan communities in China and programs to support human rights and democracy in Tibet, among others. prgtoken The Special Coordinator's central objective, however, is to promote dialogue between the Chinese Government and Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his representatives. This is very important to me as I have always believed in the importance of dialogue to improve mutual understanding and respect, especially with those with whom you have the deepest disagreements. It was important to me as mayor of San Francisco, when we developed the first ``sister city'' relationship with Shanghai in 1980, and it remains important to me today as a U.S. Senator. prgtoken However, to my disappointment, dialogue between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama's representatives have stalled since 2010. I have encouraged this and prior administrations at every opportunity to open and exercise channels of communication with China, and I likewise call upon the Chinese Government to engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama, who is unquestionably the cultural and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. prgtoken The Tibetan people remain close to my heart, as they are for so many in California and as they were for my late husband, Richard Blum, who introduced me to Tibet and felt so passionately about advancing the human rights of Tibetans and preserving their unique heritage. prgtoken
NORTHWEST COMMUNITY ACTION CENTER 40 YEAR CELEBRATION
Dan Newhouse (Republican, WA) \u2014 2022-9-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the Northwest Community prgtoken Action Center as they celebrate 40 years of service to the communities of Central Washington. prgtoken The Northwest Community Action Center first opened in 1982 to help expand on the mission of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, helping families weatherize their homes, pay their bills, navigate the healthcare system, and provide them with after-care school services. prgtoken Since its opening, the Northwest Community Action Center has expanded its service programs to meet the needs of families across Washington and Oregon. prgtoken Today, community members can take advantage of the variety of services they now offer, which include adult education classes, English language classes, homelessness services, citizenship classes, and so much more. prgtoken I extend my congratulations and gratitude to the Northwest Community Action Center for its leadership and many years of service to our Central Washington communities.