mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5645, STANDARD MERGER AND ACQUISITION REVIEWS THROUGH EQUAL RULES ACT OF 2018; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2152, CITIZENS' RIGHT TO KNOW ACT OF 2018; AND...
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-8

such time as I may consume. prgtoken As I mentioned, this rule includes three bills. One of those is H.R. 2152, the Citizens' Right to Know Act. The Citizens' Right to Know Act fails to address the real problems in our Nation's bail system and, instead, threatens to make things much, much worse. prgtoken I don't think many of us disagree with the need to assist our local governments in keeping dangerous criminals off the streets while respecting the rights of those who may be innocent of crimes and have yet to have had their day in court. This legislation makes things worse. It threatens Federal assistance and would encourage local governments to lean more on high bail demands. prgtoken Unlike many bipartisan proposals in Congress which seek to make real improvements to bail, this bill will likely result in more low-income individuals being kept in jail simply because they aren't one of the fortunate who can afford to pay bail. This is a real issue in southern California and why I have worked with my colleagues on legislation to implement ``ability-to-pay'' rules to bail demands. Your income shouldn't determine your freedom. prgtoken In our community, bail was so excessive that private companies found a way to get rich off people who couldn't afford to pay the high costs. We ended up with people stuck in permanent contracts, paying hundreds of dollars a month to companies that found ways to skirt the rules of bail bondsmen. prgtoken We support greater transparency in our criminal justice system; however, this bill falls short of that goal. Rather than shedding the light on our trial system, this bill undermines Americans' privacy rights and exposes defendants to vulnerability. prgtoken The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, has come out in strong opposition to this bill, citing privacy concerns due to the personally identifiable information that will be collected and publicly reported by the Federal Government. prgtoken , I include in the Record the text of the ACLU's position letter. American Civil Liberties Union, Washington, DC, March 7, 2018. Re ACLU Opposes H.R. 2152, the Citizens' Right to Know Act of 2017. Hon. Bob Goodlatte, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC. Hon. Jerrold Nadler, Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Nadler: On behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), we write to express our opposition to H.R. 2152, the Citizens' Right to Know Act of 2017,'' as the House Judiciary Committee considers this bill. This legislation raises privacy concerns for the ACLU given the personally identifiable data that is to be collected and publicly reported by the federal government. The bill also undermines efforts to eliminate or reduce juri
Nuclear Agreement with Iran (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-5-8

I think we should be honest with ourselves and the people around the world and present the reality of what Iran is today. prgtoken Iran pursues a host of dangerous activities around the world that threaten the United States, its interests, and its allies. It is fomenting a proxy war in Yemen. It supports Hezbollah and Hamas. It appears to be using its foothold in Syria to test Israel's defenses. And in tragic irony, Iran supports the Syrian butcher Bashar al-Assad, who has stooped to using chemical weapons and barrel bombs to kill his own people. How a regime like the Iranian regime--whose own people suffered under heinous chemical attacks from Iran during the Iran-Iraq War--can stand behind Assad and Syria is incredible. prgtoken Having said that, we entered into an agreement with Iran to stop them from developing a nuclear weapon. Despite all these other challenges and all the differences we continue to have with Iran, we said that-- gathering together with allies around the world--we wanted to make certain that Iran did not develop a nuclear weapon. There were lengthy negotiations and agreements, which led to the nuclear agreement with Iran to stop its development of nuclear weapons. I think it was a critically important step forward because Iran with a nuclear weapon would be a danger not only to Israel and the Middle East but also to the world. prgtoken It was that agreement which I supported and which was overwhelmingly supported by in the Senate when President negotiated it. The s opposed it. The candidate for President on the side, Mr said that it was a terrible agreement, and he thought we should never have entered into it. He had all sorts of derogatory things to say about the Iran nuclear agreement. But the fact is, that agreement went in place and was implemented. International inspectors were sent into Iran. Those inspectors enforced that agreement and have reported to the United States--and personally to Members of the Senate, including me--repeatedly that Iran is complying with the terms of this agreement and is not developing a nuclear weapon. For all of the differences we have with Iran, the facts and the evidence are clear: They were living up to the terms of the nuclear agreement so that they would not develop a nuclear weapon and threaten Israel and that region of the world. prgtoken Despite the progress made by this agreement, today President announced his decision to halt the waiver of sanctions related to Iran and the nuclear agreement--in essence, to step away from the agreement and to say that the United States will no longer be party to it. That nuclear agreement with Iran removed the threat of nuclear weapons being used to pursue destabilizing Iranian activities. Just imagine how hard and difficult it would be to push back on Iranian aggression if, in fact, they had a nuclear weapon. The purpose of the agreement was
Nomination of Michael Brennan (Executive Session)
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2018-5-8

just before we left for last week's State work period, the majority leader filed cloture on six nominees for Federal circuit courts. He did not take this action in a vacuum. prgtoken Over the past year and a half, the majority leader and the s in the Senate have joined with to try to pack our Federal courts with ideological judicial nominees who seek to change American law to match their partisan politics. prgtoken To accomplish this goal, the majority leader and Senate s have also been eliminating procedural checks designed to ensure a fair and qualified judiciary. One of those checks is the blue-slip requirement--a mechanism for Senators to indicate their approval of nominees from their States. prgtoken In the past, when Senators objected to a judicial nomination in their home State, with almost no exceptions, the Judiciary Committee took no further action on that nominee. This was because the Constitution requires the President to get the advice and consent of the Senate when nominating judges. prgtoken Traditionally, this has been done by consultation with the home State Senators, but the majority leader and his colleagues have largely abandoned this constitutional safeguard. prgtoken The Judiciary Committee has, though very rarely, scheduled hearings for nominees who lack one blue slip and whose home State Senators have returned negative blue slips. prgtoken Now, tomorrow, we will have a hearing for a Ninth Circuit nominee for whom no blue slips have ever even been returned. This has never happened in the modern history of the Senate, and it certainly was not the standard the majority leader and the chair of the Judiciary Committee applied to President 's judicial nominees. prgtoken It does not have to be this way. It is possible for home State Senators to confer with this administration and identify nominees acceptable to both prgtoken parties. For example, the administration consulted with Senator Schatz and me about nominees to fill Hawaii vacancies on the district and circuit courts. We worked together to identify nominees who would be qualified and appropriate for these lifetime appointments--Jill Otake for the district court and Mark Bennett for the Ninth Circuit. We returned our blue slips, and the nominations are moving forward. prgtoken Abandoning the blue slip has nothing to do with overcoming so-called ic obstruction of President 's judicial nominees. This President has seen more circuit court nominees confirmed at a faster pace than any modern President. In fact, he has bragged about the pace of confirmation of his judges, including at the State of the Union Address. prgtoken Instead, abandoning the blue-slip process is about gutting checks and balances that would prevent from packing the court with ideologically driven judges as quickly as possible. prgtoken This week, we are considering one of those judge
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
Mark Takano (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-8

I thank Ranking Member Waters for her leadership on the floor on this issue. prgtoken I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 57 because it erases measures established a half-decade ago to prevent auto dealers from using discriminatory data tactics. prgtoken I also rise because it signals the majority's intention to contort the Congressional Review Act to allow it to be used on a dramatically increased scale in ways never intended. prgtoken Let me start with the policy. prgtoken When auto dealers provide financing through a third-party lender, they can increase the rate offered to the consumer and pocket the difference. Evidence suggests these dealer markups are frequently higher for minority borrowers than for similarly qualified White borrowers. prgtoken In 2013, the CFPB sought to address this problem. The agency produced guidance that clarified the fair lending requirements of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act applied to auto loans. The CFPB's action simply spelled out that dealer markups were indeed illegal if they led to discriminatory outcomes, intentional or otherwise. prgtoken It also listed some useful steps that auto dealers could take to ensure fair lending compliance. In recent years, the CFPB has fined auto dealers more than $150 million for discriminating against minority borrowers. prgtoken A resolution of disapproval is not the way to change policy in this area. Instead, we should be going through regular order with public hearings, committee consideration, and amendments to achieve a bipartisan compromise, not just throwing out words like ``junk science.'' We can settle that in regular order through a process. prgtoken In bringing this resolution to the floor, the majority is setting a dangerous new standard for the use of the Congressional Review Act, which only grants Congress the power to rescind regulations within a 60-legislative-day window. The CFPB guidance on auto lending was established in 2013, well outside the CRA's window. prgtoken Make no mistake: Using the CRA to repeal guidance from more than 5 years ago is an unprecedented expansion of the law's scope, and it will imperil thousands of Federal decisions going back decades. Let's not make it easier for minority car buyers to be exploited and discriminated against. Let's not open the door to an even more extreme and unprecedented use of the CRA. prgtoken I strongly urge my colleagues to vote against S.J. Res. 57.
CHANGE ORDER TRANSPARENCY FOR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS ACT
Al Lawson, Jr. (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-5-8

I rise in support of H.R. 4754, the Change Order Transparency for Federal Contractors Act. This is an important piece of legislation that guarantees that small businesses have the necessary information regarding change order policies from Federal agencies. prgtoken The work of the Federal Government relies heavily on the support of our Nation's small businesses. For everything from construction of important military infrastructure to guaranteeing the proper design for Federal facilities, small businesses are at the center of infrastructure for the Federal workplace. prgtoken When taking on Federal contracts, small businesses are also taking a great risk. With Federal funds not always guaranteed in a timely fashion, change orders make the work that small businesses perform for the Federal Government complicated and unpredictable. prgtoken H.R. 4754 requires agencies to outline in a clear and defined manner the policies they have regarding change orders. This will make it easier for small businesses to compete for and understand the contracts which they are awarded. prgtoken It is vital for small-business owners to not only get a seat at the table, but to also have the same vantage point when competing for Federal contracts. This legislation will alleviate red tape and open more doors for opportunity. prgtoken , I am proud to work with my colleague Don Bacon on this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.
SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER CYBER TRAINING ACT OF 2017
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-5-8

I speak in support of H.R. 3170, the Small Business Development Center Cyber Security Training Act of 2017. prgtoken H.R. 3170 amends the Small Business Act to require the Small Business Administration to establish a program for certifying employees of small business development centers to provide cybersecurity planning assistance to small businesses. prgtoken Cybersecurity threats faced by small businesses are as serious as those faced by large businesses and government agencies. prgtoken According to the Better Business Bureau's 2017 report ``State of Cybersecurity Among Small Businesses in North America'' found that small business owners are becoming more and more aware of cyber threats, continue to be concerned about cyber risks, and are taking some proactive security steps in spite of their unique challenges in regard to cybersecurity. prgtoken Global spending on cybersecurity is expected to reach $170 billion by 2020 as businesses and governments work to security networks and the data they contain. prgtoken Cyberattacks in the form of ransomware, phishing, point-of sale malware, keyloggers, tech support phone scam, remote access Trojan or rat are some of the threats faced by small businesses. prgtoken According to the trade journal Small Business Trends: prgtoken 43 percent of cyberattacks target small businesses; prgtoken 14 percent of small businesses rate their ability to mitigate cyber risks, vulnerabilities, and attacks as highly effective; prgtoken 60 percent of small companies go out of business within six months of a cyberattack; prgtoken 48 percent of data security breaches are caused by acts of malicious intent, human error, or system failure; and prgtoken Small businesses are most concerned about the security of customer data. prgtoken Cyber criminals are not only interested in what may be of value on a small business computer or computing device. prgtoken Criminals can also see value in taking control of a small business' computers or computing devices to launch an attack on a third party. prgtoken These types of attacks can shield the attacker from being identified and cause problems for the small business as networks label their computing devices or web addresses as the source of an attack. prgtoken The overall impact of a cybersecurity incident according to the National Institute for Standards and Technology could include: prgtoken damage to information or information systems; prgtoken regulatory fines and penalties/legal fees; prgtoken decreased productivity; prgtoken loss of information critical to running your business; prgtoken damage to reputation or loss of consumer confidence; prgtoken damage to credit and loan worthiness; or prgtoken loss of business income. prgtoken There is a growing shortage of cybersecurity professionals with over a quarter-million positions remaining unfilled in the U.S. alone and a predicted shortfall of 1.5 million cybersecurity professionals by 2019. prgtoken Solutions like the ones c
OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2018-5-8

everyone in this Chamber knows how bad the opioid epidemic is. In my State, we have the second highest number of opioid deaths per capita in the country next to West Virginia. In my State, we also have more people die of opioid overdoses than any other State in the country. On average, 11 people died yesterday, 11 will die today, 11 will die tomorrow, and 11 will die on Thursday of opioid overdoses. prgtoken Last month at the Cleveland City Club, I called for a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained public health campaign to fight addiction through education, prevention, treatment, and recovery. prgtoken We know from history that we cannot arrest or execute our way out of this crisis, whether in Montana or in Ohio. I met with law enforcement officers in every corner of my State. They shoulder a huge burden. They all tell me the same thing: They need resources to fight this. That is why I joined Senator Portman and a bipartisan group of our colleagues on the POWER Act--to get State and local law enforcement the high-tech tools they need to effectively screen for dangerous opioids, such as fentanyl. prgtoken We also know from history that those enforcement tools are just one piece of this fight. We need a comprehensive approach, and that means recognizing how important treatment and rehabilitation are. We don't write off thousands of Ohioans struggling with addiction. We simply don't write off entire communities. That is where drug courts come in. These courts are partnerships between law enforcement and treatment providers. They are spearheaded by judges who see the same people back in their courtrooms over and over again for drug offenses. These judges realized that traditional court proceedings simply were not working. They weren't curing people's addictions. Fines and jail time don't cure a medical condition. So judges set up these special courts where participants agree to enter treatment programs and are strictly supervised by law enforcement. If they successfully complete the program, instead of going to prison, they have a graduation ceremony. prgtoken We have seen this model work successfully for veterans. There are hundreds of these courts across the country, which are built around counseling and treatment. Veterans who get into prgtoken trouble with the law often face unique issues, such as PTSD. prgtoken My office recently visited the first Federal Veterans Court in the Southern District of Ohio, in Dayton. We saw the difference it made in the lives of men and women who served this country. The court was created by my friend, Judge Michael Newman, with the support of Chief Judge Edmund Sargus. It works with the VA to help address the issues veterans are struggling with. My staff met with Page Layman, a veterans justice outreach coordinator who helps the participants in the program. He talked about how one of the participants in the court had limited transportation options and lived
HONORING FIRST SERGEANT DAVID H. QUINN
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2018-5-8

today I would like to honor the life of U.S. Marine Corps First Sergeant David H. Quinn of Temple, NH. prgtoken In 1941, First Sergeant Quinn enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He would train at Parris Island, SC, and Quantico, VA, before being assigned to a newly created amphibious tractor battalion based in Dunedin, FL, which was preparing for war in the Pacific Theater. prgtoken His unit brought him to San Diego, where he was promoted to first sergeant, and eventually to New Zealand for further training in amphibious assaults. It was there that he met Zoe Boeson, who was working to become a nurse. David and Zoe were married on June 28, 1943, just 4 months before his unit shipped out. prgtoken In 1943, with Company C, 2nd Amphibious Tractor Battalion of the 2nd Marine Division, First Sergeant Quinn arrived on Betio in the Tarawa Atoll as part of Operation Galvanic. The island was critical to the U.S. island-hopping campaign and also to the Japanese, who used it as a base for attacking U.S. Forces in the Central Pacific. prgtoken The marines successfully captured Betio, but 1,029 marines were killed and approximately 2,700 men wounded on what came to be known as bloody Tarawa. Among them was First Sergeant Quinn, who passed away on November 20, 1943. Though he and his new bride, Zoe, had spent just 4 months together prior to his death, she later remarked that they enjoyed more happiness in those 4 months than most people find in a lifetime. prgtoken Like many others, First Sergeant Quinn's remains were unidentified until 2016, when a DNA sample led to a positive match with his nieces. On May 4, 2018, nearly 75 years after his death, First Sergeant Quinn was reunited with his family and buried with full military honors back home in Temple, NH. prgtoken Though this expression of gratitude is long overdue, we must never miss an opportunity to thank those men and women in uniform who have put their life on the line to keep us safe, secure, and free. We must never forget their sacrifice. prgtoken I hope you will join me in honoring a brave Granite Stater, First Sergeant David Quinn. May he rest in peace.
HONORING NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK
Mike Thompson (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-5-8

I rise today to recognIze May 6 through 12, 2018 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Napa County, California, an occasion to commemorate, congratulate and celebrate the people who work in tourism and hospitality. prgtoken Travelers and their spending are essential to Napa County's, and all of California's, economy. The tourism and hospitality industries are responsible for strengthening the economy in California's Fifth Congressional District. Tourism is the second largest industry in Napa County and supports over 13,000 jobs in our community, mainly in the restaurant, hotel and retail sectors. In 2016, 3.5 million visitors to the Napa Valley spent nearly $2 billion, an increase of 17.5 percent from 2014. This spending generated over $80 million in tax revenues prgtoken to our local governments in Napa County. These tax dollars supported and benefitted our community in many ways, including improving infrastructure and public safety. prgtoken National Travel and Tourism Week recognizes the important impact travel and tourism have on our economy and celebrates our community and the people that work in this important sector. Through their customer service and positive interactions with visitors they promote Napa County as a world-class destination. This week is a chance to commemorate members of the hospitality and related industries and acknowledge the work they do and the important role they play in our economy and community. prgtoken , travel and tourism are essential to our region in terms of our economy and our community's character. Therefore, it is fitting and proper that we recognize May 6 through 12, 2018 as National Travel and Tourism Week in Napa County, California.
BRADY A. HACKBARTH
Ed Perlmutter (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2018-5-8

I rise today to recognize and applaud Brady A. Hackbarth for receiving the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. Brady A. Hackbarth is a student at Arvada High School and received this award because his determination and hard work have allowed him to overcome adversities. The dedication demonstrated by Brady A. Hackbarth is exemplary of the type of achievement that can be attained with hard work and perseverance. It is essential students at all levels strive to make the most of their education and develop a work ethic which will guide them for the rest of their lives. I extend my deepest congratulations to Brady A. Hackbarth for winning the Arvada Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth award. I have no doubt he will exhibit the same dedication and character in all of his future accomplishments.