mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2018-3-14

today is 1 month to the day from a tragic shooting in Parkland, FL, where 17 high-school-aged students lost their lives. As so many of my colleagues have done, I come to the floor to remember them, to honor their loss, to speak to their classmates, colleagues, and families, and to share from the experience of my own home State of Delaware. prgtoken This morning, today, there are high school students across our country and across my home State of Delaware who are walking out of class to try and draw the attention of those of us in Washington to the urgent need that we work across the aisle to tackle the plague of gun violence that affects communities all over this country. That is why we see young people not just across the country but including in my home State of Delaware demanding that we take action. We need to answer their call. prgtoken Let me speak to my hometown of Wilmington, DE. Just last month, 5 people--5 people, last month--under the age of 21 were shot in Wilmington, prgtoken and 2017 ended as one of the worst years ever for gun violence and homicides--197 individuals shot, 32 wounded fatally. prgtoken If I could, I wish to read the names of 31 individuals who were victims of gun violence in the city of Wilmington in 2017. We are working--Federal, State, and local officials; police departments and community and civic leaders--to try to tackle these challenges, but some of the core causes can only be addressed here. We need to find a way to work together, to respect each other, to compromise, and to tackle the very real epidemic of gun violence in our country. prgtoken These 31 Delawareans lost their lives in the city of Wilmington to gun violence in the year 2017: Dariberto Velazquez Mendez, age 32; Santanu Muhuri, age 64; Jermaine Francois, age 34; Charles Mays, age 66; Jamiere , age 21; Kayden Young, age 21; Ainsley Cumberbatch, age 23; Jamiel Congo, age 23; Keevan Hale, age 38; Tajuane Helton, age 41; Richard Crosby, age 30; Yaseem Powell, age 18; Tyree Robinson, age 23; Bryan Brooks, age 29; Tynesia Cephas, age 16; Joquon Coverdale, age 22; Derrius Jackson-Paul, age 23; Sherman Pride, age 22; Shamar Lindsay, age 25; Cyree Watson, age 22; David Bailey, age 23; Nycire Mills, age 23; Kai'Mel Ennals, age 20; Barry White, age 19; Allen Melton, age 28; Albert Hazzard, age 33; Dwayne Grimes, age 19; Justin McDermott, age 18; Andrew Pennewell, age 25; Shawn Lockhart, age 29; and Keanan Samuels, age 20. prgtoken The facts of all of these different episodes of violence and loss vary widely, but the conclusion must be the same: We have to find ways to listen to each other, to work across the aisle, and to stop deadly shootings in our country. prgtoken I am encouraged that many of my colleagues today have introduced legislation that would take meaningful steps to tackle gun violence and make all of us safer. We must act. We must listen to the voices of young Americans demanding that w
DANGERS OF BURN PITS
Darren Soto (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-3-14

I rise to honor Vetnah ``Yemen'' Monessar. prgtoken Vetnah ``Yemen'' Monessar is a community organizer and political activist with over 13 years of experience in mobilizing and elevating the narrative of Muslim Americans in our community. prgtoken She has led legislative and electoral campaigns at all levels of government, advocating for equitable healthcare, education reform, fair access economic development, and human rights, in addition to numerous other issue-based campaigns. prgtoken Vetnah serves as the executive director of Emgage Florida, a civic engagement nonprofit that aims to educate, engage, and empower Muslim Americans in the civic engagement process. prgtoken She made history as the first hired woman State director for a Presidential campaign as the State coalition director for Hillary for America. prgtoken Vetnah currently serves as the vice president of the Orlando American Muslim Chamber of Commerce, on the Young Professionals Board of Harbor House, and on the Orlando Chapter 57 Citizen Review Board and has received numerous community service and leadership awards. prgtoken She received her degree in Islamic studies and religion from the Islamic University of Dr. Bilal Philips, as well as a degree in paralegal studies with a focus on transactional and litigation law. prgtoken As a community leader, she is a constant champion of those who traditionally do not have their voices heard and empowering them to be involved in the democratic process. prgtoken For that, Vetnah ``Yemen'' Monessar, we salute you. Honoring Margie Viera During Women's History Month
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-3-14

at this moment all across the country, students are walking out of school for 17 minutes in memory of the 17 Americans who died at Stoneman Douglas High School 1 month ago today. prgtoken Here on the floor of the Senate, I join with those students in remembering the fallen students and teachers of Stoneman Douglas. I join with them in remembering the beautiful children who died at an elementary school in Newtown. I join with them in remembering a long line of American children who perished in the slow-moving tidal wave of gun violence that is consuming our country--all the unopened presents and uncelebrated birthdays, all the empty chairs at dinner tables, graduations, and holidays. These kids had their whole lives ahead of them. prgtoken This has gone on for too long. When a disease plagues our people, we seek a cure. When we see drug addiction stealing the lives of our youth, we get together here in Congress and try to do something about it. Why is it that when it comes to gun violence--which is responsible for just as many, if not more, deaths--we throw up our hands and pretend there is no solution? prgtoken We know there are commonsense things we could do. Close the dangerous loopholes in the background check system; ensure that anyone with a criminal history or history of mental illness can't get their hands on a gun; and, yes, we should debate the assault weapons ban because weapons of war have no place on our streets and no place in our schools. prgtoken While so many students today are mourning their friends and classmates, we in Congress are in a unique position. We alone have the ability to change our laws to make America safer and, God willing, prevent another one of these massacres--these horrible, horrible massacres. prgtoken What will we do with that awesome responsibility? I was here on the floor of the Senate when this body failed to advance any legislation in the wake of Sandy Hook. The shame we all felt, and America felt, as this body was unable to act because a powerful special interest seems to have its grip on too many of our colleagues. Well, let this time be different. Let this time be different. prgtoken In a moment, I will read the names of 17 Americans--14 children--who were killed in the horrific attack at Stoneman Douglas High School. I am joined by a good number of my colleagues who wish to read the names of children and other victims who died at the hands of gun violence in their States. May their memories--may their memories--inspire us to act. prgtoken Alyssa Alhadeff, Martin Duque Anguiano, Scott Beigel, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Christopher Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, Peter Wang. prgtoken .
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2018-3-14

on Friday I held a townhall in Springfield, MA. On Saturday we had another townhall, this time in Weymouth, MA. I met with kids at Weymouth High School who are forming a ``Never Again'' group and who want to pass some sensible gun regulations. I met with Dreamers who want to pass DACA. I met with people who fled the hurricanes in Puerto Rico and who want to get a comprehensive plan for rebuilding the island. I met with people who live along the South Shore and are deeply worried about rising oceans and the need for building resilience into our coastline housing and infrastructure. I met with people alarmed by the rising cost of healthcare and about efforts to roll back Care, Medicaid, and Medicare. I met someone who wants to see us focus more on criminal justice reform. prgtoken There is so much Congress could do. There are so many problems the American people are asking us to solve, but not one single person at any of my townhalls, meetings, press interviews, or picking up pizza at Armando's asked for Congress to work on rolling back the rules on some of the biggest banks in the country so they will have a chance to crash the economy again, and that is what the bill on the floor of the Senate does--really. Don't just take my word for it. prgtoken The Congressional Budget Office experts say the bill will increase the chances that taxpayers will have to bail out the big banks again. CBO also says the bill could allow Wall Street banks, like Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, to significantly reduce their capital requirements. Professor Jeffrey Gordon, an expert in financial regulation at Columbia Law School, says the bill ``will produce a race-to-the-bottom dynamic that will dramatically increase the chance of another financial crisis.'' The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg both editorialized that the bill includes dangerous giveaways to big banks. Nobody back in Massachusetts asked for that. prgtoken Buried down in the details of the bill are even more landmines for American families. The bill guts protections for families who buy traditional and mobile homes, and it undermines our ability to enforce civil rights laws--and for what? So banks that are already making record profits can tack on a little more to their bottom line? prgtoken If the Senate is going to spend 2 weeks dealing with the big banks, we should be making the rules tougher, not easier. Today, I introduced the Ending Too Big to Jail Act, which would help make sure that big bank executives are hauled out of their corner offices in handcuffs the next time they break the law. That would do more for America's working families than anything in this bill, and I am going to fight to help make it law. prgtoken What does it say about Washington s and who can't come together to support commonsense gun reforms or solutions for working families but can come together to deregulate big banks on the 10th anni
HONORING CONGRESSWOMAN MARCY KAPTUR, THE LONGEST SERVING WOMAN IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Jackie Speier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-3-14

it is a personal thrill for me to participate in this special hour. I want to thank the gentlewoman from California for doing a very good job of surprising our guest of honor this evening. She did it very well because she did it on policy. prgtoken She got Marcy to come here on a night when she should be celebrating, but she didn't hesitate to come down here to talk about what is wrong with Wall Street, which shows you how committed Marcy Kaptur is. prgtoken When I think of Marcy Kaptur, I think of a string of pearls. She is always providing pearls of wisdom to all of us. We have heard from many Members who have spoken about the fact that she has mentored them. I know when I was a young Member here--young only in time served--that it was Marcy who came up to me a number of times to show support and to provide me guidance. prgtoken She also has a very elegant way, a very simple and elegant way that she comports herself. When she talks about issues, she talks with great passion, but with great dignity--again, a reflection of a string of pearls. prgtoken She has never forgotten her roots. She has never forgotten her constituents. Now, her blood may be red, but there is a lot of blue running through them because she has always been there for the blue- collar worker. And she oftentimes in caucus is the conscience for all of us because she reminds us about the working class: What are we doing for the working class, lower middle class Americans? prgtoken Her commitment to economic justice cannot be lost on any of us because that has been one of the main principles that has really directed her work here and has been a moral compass for her. prgtoken So when the financial meltdown happened, Marcy had such a passion for wanting to right this terrible wrong, and she was no longer serving on the Financial Services Committee, but she had a thirst to learn everything she possibly could about what was necessary to reform the system. And I remember her coming to a briefing that I had with some experts, and then she invited me to a briefing that she had with some experts because all she wanted to do was get to the truth of what we needed to do. prgtoken She has conviction that she, I think, reflected in all she did through that financial meltdown because she was going to stop at nothing less than wholesale changes to fix the system, because, as many of us felt: never, ever again. prgtoken So as I think about the fact that we are celebrating the longest serving woman in the history of the United States House of Representatives, I feel so privileged to say that I know you; that I have served with you. There is no one who is more ethical in this building than you; there is no one more compassionate in this building than you; and there is no one more committed to economic justice in this building. prgtoken There has never been, nor do I think will there ever be, anyone who cares about Ohio like Marcy Kaptur. prgtoken Marcy, thank y
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-3-14

today is a momentous one in the Capitol because the students of America are giving us a real life lesson in the American Constitution. Their energy and passion are a civics lesson for America. What a proud and wonderful moment today is for our democracy. It is sad--indeed, tragic--that this lesson must concern gun violence that has taken such a devastating toll, most recently in Parkland, FL, but literally that toll is true of America every day. We can never become numb to the catastrophic costs of gun violence in America today. prgtoken I have the honor to read the names of some of those victims of gun violence; indeed, the Sandy Hook victims. Their deaths are still in our hearts. Their lives are still with us. Their memories are alive today. My friendships with their loved ones, particularly their parents, inspire me to continue this fight against gun violence in America. Their courage and strength have inspired so many of us in this country, and their names deserve to be remembered and read again in this Chamber. prgtoken Noah Pozner, age 6; Charlotte Bacon, age 6; Jack Pinto, age 6; Olivia Engel, age 6; Dylan Hockley, age 6; Catherine Hubbard, age 6; Avielle Richman, age 6; Jessica Rekos, age 6; James Mattioli, age 6; Josephine Gay, age 7; Caroline Previdi, age 6; Benjamin Wheeler, age 6; Chase Kowalski, age 6; Ana Marquez-Greene, age 6; Grace McDonnell, age 7; Emilie Parker, age 6; Madeleine Hsu, age 6; Allison Wyatt, age 6; Daniel Barden, age 7; Jesse Lewis, age 6. And their teachers: Victoria Soto, age 27; Lauren Rousseau, age 30; Anne Marie Murphy, age 52; Rachel D'Avino, age 29; Mary Sherlach, their psychologist, age 56; Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, the principal of the school, age 47. prgtoken All of them died in December of 2012. All of them will be remembered not only on this day but forever, not only in Connecticut but around the world. We must always keep them in our hearts as a reason to keep this fight against gun violence going. prgtoken In the hearing presently underway in the Judiciary Committee, as I speak, there is testimony from members of the government investigative agencies which have responsibility for stopping gun violence. My fear is, this hearing will be an excuse for inaction and continued complicity by Congress in the failure to act. The complicity in those deaths is on our hands in this body by failing to take action. prgtoken There are actions we can take that will help to save lives-- commonsense, sensible action--that Congress has failed to take: universal background checks, ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, a red flag statute that will prevent people who are dangerous to themselves or others from having or buying guns. Many of these measures are bipartisan, and we can come together with the lesson from the students and young people who are in the streets coming to the Capitol today. That lesson should be a reminder that the right side of histo
MICHIGAN PTA CENTENNIAL
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-3-14

today I wish to pay special tribute to the Michigan Parent Teacher Association, which this year is celebrating 100 years of advocacy on behalf of Michigan's children and families. prgtoken A lot has changed since the Michigan PTA was first established in Battle Creek on May 19, 1918. Parents today are as likely to learn school news via Facebook or text messages as they are from notes sent home, and students are as likely to learn their lessons on laptops and tablets as they are on the chalkboard. prgtoken However, one thing hasn't changed at all: Michigan PTA members are still working together every day to provide a quality education and nurturing environment for every Michigan child. prgtoken They do that in the best way possible, by bringing together families, educators, school boards, nonprofit organizations, businesses, community leaders, and elected officials around a common cause: promoting the welfare of Michigan children in school, at home, and in the community. prgtoken It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child, and the PTA is building that village. prgtoken They are building that village by offering parents resources on important topics like teen driving, bullying prevention, online safety, and career planning. prgtoken They are building that village by presenting the Fran Anderson Michigan PTA Scholarship to high school seniors who have demonstrated leadership and advocacy skills through their involvement in PTA. prgtoken They are building that village through Advocacy Day and advocacy training that gives members the tools they need to speak up for policies that benefit students, families, and schools. prgtoken They are building that village by ensuring that parents remain strong partners in the education of their children. prgtoken For a century, the Michigan PTA has made sure that the voices of our parents are heard and that the needs of our children are not forgotten. I have been honored to join them in this effort and look forward to continuing our work together. prgtoken Michigan's future is found in our children. Thanks to the Michigan PTA for 100 years of making that future a bright one. prgtoken Thank you.
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT
Amy Klobuchar (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2018-3-14

these are the names of 17 children who were killed with guns in my State. I will read their first names only because it makes us remember they could be anyone's children. prgtoken Lisa Marie, age 15; William Robert, age 15; Anthony, age 16; Jacob Alexander, age 14; Joseph Anthony, age 17; Terrell, age 3; Joshua Albert, age 15; Alisha, age 17; Jesse, age 18; Cedric, age 18; Darion Joseph, age 15; Justin Daniel, age 17; Jennifer Ellen, age 17; David Andre, age 17; Tabitha Lee, age 16; Terrence, age 16; Anthony Michael, age 3. prgtoken Thank you, . prgtoken .
HONORING THOMAS H. McCARTHY AS CHAIRMAN OF THE 47TH ANNUAL BUFFALO IRISH CENTER CIVIC LUNCHEON
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-3-14

I rise today to honor Mr. Thomas H. McCarthy, who has been selected to serve as Honorary Chairman of the 47th Annual Civic Luncheon to benefit the Buffalo Irish Center. A proud Buffalonian, born and raised, Tom is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas School, Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School, Canisius College, and Simmons School of Mortuary Science. prgtoken One year after graduating from Simmons, he founded the Thomas H. McCarthy Funeral Home. Through his funeral home business, he has provided care and compassion to neighborhood families during difficult times. prgtoken Tom is a dedicated community servant. He served in the Buffalo Fire Department for 37 years, retiring as a Lieutenant. Additionally, he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, an organization of nearly two million Catholic men. Tom embodies their principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. prgtoken Organizations that benefit from Tom's stewardship include his alma mater, Bishop Timon, where he raises funds for student scholarships with the Hillery Foundation. For almost 60 years, he has been a member of the Blackthorn Club, a group which encourages the camaraderie and connection of its members with Irish ancestry through social events. At one point, he served as President of the Club. prgtoken Married for 63 years, Tom and his wife Mary Ellen have raised six children together. They now have twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Alongside his wonderful family, Tom has been an active participator in this Luncheon since the beginning. prgtoken , I am proud to honor Mr. Thomas H. McCarthy here today, to recognize his countless contributions to the Irish community in Buffalo, and the Western New York community as a whole. His time and talents have made a difference in the lives of so many, and he is deserving of our most sincere gratitude.