mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BANKRUPTCY JUDGESHIP ACT OF 2017
Bill Nelson (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2017-10-24

just as the Senator from California has outlined the needs of her State, having been hit by a natural disaster, so, too, natural disasters, not wildfires--although we have had plenty in Florida--but hurricanes have hit other States. prgtoken Yesterday, this Senator spoke at length about the effects on a particular industry, the citrus industry. I showed pictures of 75 percent to 90 percent of the fruit on the ground. This Senator made a unanimous consent request to include a bipartisan amendment to get money for agriculture, not just in Florida but Texas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the wildfires in California into the package-- specifically, about $3 billion for agriculture. The losses in Florida's agriculture are $2.5 billion, of which three-fourths of a billion is just losses to citrus growers. prgtoken That is all the bad news because the unanimous consent request was rejected. The good news is, although the prgtoken White House rejected it, they made a promise to put it in a continuing supplemental emergency appropriations in November for all these natural disasters and get that funding in there for agriculture. Some of us on both sides of this aisle, in order to make sure that promise is kept, have put a hold on the nominee for Deputy Budget Director. I will take the White House at its word, and this ought to all be worked out in November. That was the subject of my address to the Senate yesterday, along with my colleague Senator Rubio from Florida, as we talked about the losses particularly to agriculture. prgtoken Today I want to talk about how a month after the hurricane in Puerto Rico and 2 months after the hurricane in Florida, the aftermath is not going so swimmingly because people are not getting the assistance they need. Mind you, this is 2 months after the hurricanes. People lost all the food in their freezer because they didn't have any power. They are supposed to get assistance in order to be able to buy food. If you are living paycheck to paycheck and you don't have a paycheck, you don't have any money to buy food. Therefore, you should get financial assistance from FEMA and the USDA. Yet you ought to see the lines in Miami, in Orlando, in Tampa, and in Belle Glade, and then they are cutting off the lines. The people who are getting cut out are going without food. So we have a long way to go. prgtoken The USDA's Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, called D-SNAP, is supposed to help all of our people recover from losses incurred by Irma by making short-term assistance available. It is especially important for families who are low income, who don't have income, or they are not getting a paycheck. Now they are saddled with unexpected repairs like a storm-damaged roof. They spent money evacuating or they lost wages during the storm, or they lost power and lost all the food in their freezer. Some people buy food in bulk because they can get it cheaper and s
BANKRUPTCY JUDGESHIP ACT OF 2017
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2017-10-24

I rise today to oppose the Congressional Review Act resolution repealing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's forced arbitration rule. At a time when millions of Americans are suffering the consequences of abusive practices by major financial institutions--including the massive consumer fraud by Wells prgtoken Fargo and the exposure of up to half of the national population's personal information due to inadequate cyber security by Equifax--it is simply wrong to give immunity to bad corporate actors against lawsuits by the very customers they harmed. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to think about the millions of Americans who still don't know all the facts about whether they are victims of one of these or other major banking scandals. They deserve the chance to gather the facts and hold the responsible parties accountable. This anticonsumer resolution strips away those victims' constitutional first line of defense against lending fraud and permits corporations more opportunities to take advantage of consumers. prgtoken We have known for years that forced arbitration clauses harm the financial security of those who are most vulnerable to lending scams. Companies slip these clauses into the fine print of contracts for everything from loan applications to purchases on a smartphone. Let's be clear. Even if every American had the time to read and understand the fine print of every contract they sign, most of these contracts by major financial institutions are one-sided, and the consumer has no power to bargain the terms in the fine print. prgtoken With these in place, consumers who learn their bank or lender has overcharged or defrauded them also learn quickly that they have signed away their right to take the corporation to court. Instead, they must choose between dropping their claim or going it alone in an arbitration process that is clearly and notoriously stacked in favor of the corporation. prgtoken Forced arbitration makes it easier for predatory lenders to avoid the consequences for taking advantage of consumers. This reality is even more outrageous when we consider the fact that predatory lenders view servicemembers, military families, and veterans as prime targets for financial scams. The CFPB has noted that servicemembers are attractive targets because, among other things, they are required to maintain good finances, their pay is consistent, they often relocate, and many are just starting to make significant financial decisions. The Department of Defense is also well aware that military bases draw predatory lenders selling bad or illegal loans, which is one reason why the Department of Defense recently issued new rules banning forced arbitration for many loans covered by the Military Lending Act. But these rules still don't cover the full range of financial products that may be used to take advantage of military consumers and their families. That is why I have worked for years with Se
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
Chris Van Hollen (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-24

. Thank you, . prgtoken I want to start by thanking my friend and colleague from Rhode Island for pointing out why we have a jury system, a system of our peers who can listen to all sides of an argument in a fair way and render justice. prgtoken What this resolution does is prohibits many consumers around the country from having the choice of going before a jury as part of a group of people who have been wronged. prgtoken For months, the American people had been hearing stories of how big banks, big financial institutions, have engaged in various schemes that harmed consumers and cheated consumers out of millions and millions of dollars. The most notorious recently, of course, was the case of Wells Fargo, which opened up a lot of fake accounts--meaning they opened accounts without consumers asking them to open accounts--and then charged consumers for those accounts. It is a fact that Wells Fargo in many cases tried to use forced arbitration to prevent those people who had been wronged from getting access to justice, from being compensated for their harm. prgtoken We also heard about the Equifax case. Equifax is a credit reporting agency. They collect gobs of information on all of us--on over 170 million Americans--without our permission. We don't say: Equifax, go out and dig up as much information about us as you can and put it on your computer system. They go out and do it. We all know that they were subjected to a massive hack and that very confidential, highly personal information on over 100 million Americans has now been compromised. prgtoken One of the things Equifax did after that was they said to consumers: You know what, we know that your information may have been compromised because of this hack on our system, and we want to help protect you, but if you want our protection, you have to sign away your rights to be part of a class action lawsuit against us. prgtoken That was their original plan and their original instinct. Well, there was a big public outcry about that, and they backed off. But the former CEO of Equifax, in a Banking Committee hearing just a few weeks ago, said they backed off in response to the public outcry, but if they had done business as usual, they would have prevented those consumers from getting compensation for wrongs through the court system. prgtoken Even after we hear about Equifax and that scandal and the Wells Fargo banking scandal, we are here on the floor of the Senate not to help even the playing field for consumers but to take away a right that consumers now have to help even the playing field against these big banks and financial institutions. It is entirely backward. prgtoken I want to read from the statement that was issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB, on July 10 of this year when they issued their new rule. Here was the headline: ``CFPB issues rule to ban companies from using arbitration clauses to deny groups of people their day
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2017-10-24

the resolution we are debating today demonstrates the lengths and the Party will go to protect the special interests that contribute billions of dollars to their political campaigns. prgtoken Earlier this year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB, issued a rule to prevent certain financial service companies from forcing consumers to sign predispute arbitration clauses that block class action lawsuits. This might sound like a boring, technical change, but it is not. At stake is nothing less than the right of millions of Americans to be heard in a court of law. prgtoken Contracts mandating forced arbitration can be found in virtually every contract someone signs these days. Every time you agree to an update to the iTunes terms of service, purchase a Fitbit, or open a credit card, you are signing away your right to join together with others to sue in a court of law if something goes wrong. prgtoken In 2010, President and in Congress created the CFPB to protect the American people from predatory business practices by consumer finance companies. And while the prgtoken CFPB can't do anything about the iTunes terms or service, it can protect you, through the rule we are debating today, from companies that sell products and services related to consumer credit, automobile leasing, debt management, credit scores, payment processing, check cashing, and debt collection--industries that serve some of our most vulnerable communities. prgtoken The resolution we are debating today would eliminate these protections and expose millions to the tyranny of forced arbitration. This is particularly relevant in light of two major news stories this year in which the negligence, fraud, and malfeasance of major financial institutions harmed consumers across the country. This rule, for example, would protect the 805 Hawaii residents who had fake bank accounts opened in their names by Wells Fargo. These people suffered real and material harm, but the fine print in their agreements explicitly prevents them from banding together in a class action lawsuit. This rule would prevent banks like Wells Fargo from doing this now and in the future. prgtoken In the wake of the massive Equifax data breach, the company initially forced consumers who registered for credit monitoring to forgo their right to join a class action and instead force them into private arbitration. These are high-profile examples of the problem but aren't the only ones. Hundreds of Hawaii residents have filed complaints with the CFPB about problems with credit reporting agencies and credit report errors that can increase the cost of a loan or result in the denial of credit. prgtoken Under a recent class action settlement, Hawaii customers falsely matched with someone on the terrorist watch list can receive over $7,000 from TransUnion. Is it really any wonder why TransUnion and other credit bureaus have fought so
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL OF A RULE SUBMITTED BY BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2017-10-24

this vote really gives the U.S. Senate a choice. On one side, we have the biggest banks in America, financial institutions, which are arguing that you as a consumer, as someone who uses their banks, should be basically signing an arbitration clause that denies you the freedom to go to court. On the other side, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has argued these financial institutions are misusing this power, denying people access to courts, and it should come to an end. That is the choice. prgtoken I think I know who is going to win. I am not sure if the party on the other side of the aisle would have called this issue if they didn't already have it lined up for the financial institutions. I know many on the other side, maybe most, hate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau like the devil hates holy water. The notion that this agency is going to stand up for consumers across America is something they find repugnant, something they would like to end tomorrow. I say thank goodness they are there. prgtoken There ought to be one agency in the Federal Government, at least just one, that speaks up for the little guy when it comes to these transactions. Think about the 3\1/2\ million people defrauded by Wells Fargo. These were people who had their identities stolen, had their Social Security numbers purloined for opening credit card and bank accounts that they never asked for--3\1/2\ million of them. prgtoken Let me tell you the story of one of them. It is a pretty interesting story. Her name is Tracy Kilgore. She is from New Mexico. She was not even a customer of Wells Fargo Bank, but she went in because she was the treasurer of a local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She went to the Wells Fargo branch one day in 2011 to have the names on the organization's existing account changed. A few weeks later, she received a rejection letter for a Wells Fargo credit card that she had never applied for. prgtoken It turns out the bank teller at Wells Fargo had taken the information she had given and submitted a credit card application on her behalf without her knowing it. The application was rejected and hurt Ms. Kilgore's credit score for a credit card she never asked for. Ms. Kilgore is fighting for her right to hold Wells Fargo accountable in court and to join with millions like her who have been victims of Wells Fargo's misconduct. prgtoken The s tonight are saying they feel sorry for Wells Fargo. They really do. To think that this company manufactured and created 3\1/2\ million phony credit card and bank accounts at the expense of customers like Tracy Kilgore doesn't seem to move them at all. Instead, they want to stand by Wells Fargo, which put in that credit card application an arbitration clause which said: Tracy Kilgore, you can't go to court. You can't have your day in court. You have given it up. You signed it away to Wells Fargo. prgtoken Would Tracy go to cou
FAMILY OFFICE TECHNICAL CORRECTION ACT OF 2017
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-24

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , H.R. 3972 would expand the definition of ``accredited investor'' to organizations known as family offices and their family clients. prgtoken Family offices manage the financial interests of wealthy families. Deeming family offices and family clients to be accredited investors would allow them to more easily invest in private, unregistered security offerings. prgtoken Today, each family client, family member, and associated employees and entities must independently meet the accredited investor definition. This would require, for example, that each individual in a family independently meet certain income or net worth thresholds. prgtoken As I understand it, this process can be cumbersome for private funds that may lose their private, unregistered status if they fail to appropriately verify their investors as accredited or otherwise qualified to invest in private offerings. If there is any doubt, a private fund could deny a family office or family client the opportunity to invest. prgtoken This bill seeks to remedy that problem by recognizing that family offices and family clients are financially sophisticated in their own right. Thanks to an amendment by Representative Maloney that was unanimously accepted during the committee markup, the bill ensures that these family offices and family clients have the financial wherewithal and knowledge to invest as accredited investors in typically risky, illiquid private security offerings. prgtoken Specifically, the bill would apply the same standards currently in place for trusts so that, number one, the family office must have more than $5 million in assets; two, the family office and family clients must not be formed for the specific purpose of acquiring the securities offered; and, three, the family office and family client must be dedicated--or directed, rather, by a sophisticated person. prgtoken These restrictions limit the potential unintended consequences of the bill so that, for example, someone who could not otherwise meet the accredited investor test alone could not circumvent the rules by investing with another family member as a ``family office.'' prgtoken They would also prevent estranged family members, who could be up to 10 generations removed, from investing as an accredited investor without receiving any services of or otherwise being affiliated with the family office. prgtoken I support the bill, and .
NATURAL DISASTERS
Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-10-24

I join my colleagues Congressman Thompson and Congressman Huffman in paying tribute to the first responders who responded to the fires in northern California and, indeed, in southern California as well. prgtoken The spirit of our community is so magnificent seeing people come together to help each other. I salute our colleague Mike Thompson, who so much of his district was like an inferno, but much of his district is still thriving and one group helping another, and Mr. Huffman there, side by side with him, the whole time. prgtoken This is very tragic. The loss of life is heartbreaking, the loss of livelihood is devastating, and the loss of homes, of course, takes a while to replace. prgtoken We have seen other natural disasters in the rest of the country, in Harvey and Irma and Maria and Nate, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Louisiana. So many of the people of our country devastated in a short period of time. prgtoken So, in times of natural disaster, it is very important for the Federal Government to honor its social compact with the American people and to be there for them. I look forward to working in a bipartisan way for us to have the resources for FEMA to do its job and for the SBA to do its job to help businesses and homeowners recover their losses. And, again, pray; our hearts and prayers are with the families of those who lost their loved ones, their livelihoods, and some who are still in need of recovery. s' Devastating Tax Cut Plan
CELEBRATING THE THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF REV. JONATHAN L. WEAVER AS PASTOR OF THE GREATER MT. NEBO AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-10-24

I rise to congratulate Rev. Jonathan Leslie Weaver on his thirtieth pastoral anniversary with the Greater Mt. Nebo African Methodist Episcopal Church in Bowie, Maryland. Throughout the past three decades, Rev. Weaver has been ministering to a growing community of worshippers in Bowie and the greater Washington metro area. I've been honored to know him, to call him a friend, and to work closely with him to strengthen our communities in Maryland's Fifth District. prgtoken Since 1988, Rev. Weaver has overseen both the expansion of his church and a plethora of charitable endeavors through more than fifty ministries serving its members and the wider community. These have included programs to prevent domestic violence, to empower families through economic literacy, and to combat hunger. Under his guidance, Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E. Church members have participated in Christmas in April, Tools for School, and other social service projects. Rev. Weaver has also carried his ministry across the ocean, visiting Rwanda, the ic Republic of the Congo, and Benin to engage in mission projects there for more than a quarter century. prgtoken As National President of the Collective Empowerment Group, Rev. Weaver has helped build a network of churches across seven states and the District of Columbia that host financial literacy seminars, educational programs, health care screenings, and homeownership clinics. The Collective Empowerment Group also partners with banks and local businesses to facilitate wider access to economic opportunities for those living in their communities. I have participated in a number of Collective Empowerment Group programs, and I can attest to the wonderful work the organization performs to help families reach for the American Dream. prgtoken Rev. Weaver holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; and Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When he arrived at Greater Mt. Nebo A.M.E the church had 100 members; today, he has overseen its growth to more than 1,600 members. It is a testament to his vision, his inspiration, and his faith. Rev. Weaver also has overseen the construction of the community's present church building as well as its Christian Academy school and Family Life and Wellness Intergenerational Center assisted-living facility. prgtoken I hope all my colleagues will join me in congratulating Rev. Weaver and his wife, Pamela Lynn Weaver--who have two daughters and four grandchildren--on reaching this milestone. I thank them both for their work and spiritual guidance to so many in Maryland's Fifth District and for their friendship over the years.