mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO MARK BOOTH
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-3-15

today I wish to honor and recognize the outstanding service of Mark Booth on his retirement after 31 years of public service at the Congressional Budget Office. Mark's expertise as a forecaster and modeler has made him an invaluable contributor to CBO's analysis of the budget outlook. Since 2003, Mark has been chief of the revenue estimating unit of CBO's tax analysis division, overseeing its forecasts of tax revenues and cost estimates of legislative proposals. prgtoken Mark came to CBO in 1986 from the private sector, where he began his career as a forecaster and analyst. He took over responsibility for CBO's corporate income tax projections and quickly demonstrated his analytic skills. As a result, Mark's portfolio continuously expanded, as he soon also became the lead analyst for CBO's projections of individual income taxes and Federal Reserve System's earnings. In addition, Mark joined the tax analysis division's cost-estimating team, overseeing assistant analysts to produce timely estimates of legislative proposals. Over those years, Mark won the CBO Director's Award for Exceptional Service, the agency's highest recognition for work by a CBO staffer, twice. prgtoken In recognition of Mark's abilities and breadth of experience, he was promoted to the position of unit chief for revenue estimating in 2003, and he has overseen the division's projections and cost estimates ever since. As head of the revenue estimating unit, Mark has led his staff in providing high-quality and timely projections of revenues and analysis of budget issues. Mark has made valuable contributions to numerous reports, testimonies, and cost estimates in just about every subject area covered by CBO, including the economy, energy, transportation, and healthcare. He also has served a crucial role in trying to make CBO's analysis more transparent, preparing several background papers that describe CBO's methods of forecasting revenues and evaluate the agency's projections record. prgtoken I know my colleagues join me in extending our thanks and appreciation to Mark for his service to our Nation. We wish him well in his retirement from CBO and hope he will continue in future years to lend his expertise to the analysis of important tax policy issues.
ALLOW STATES AND VICTIMS TO FIGHT ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKING BILL
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-3-15

yesterday, the Senate took a big step forward for community banks, credit unions, and other small lenders on which communities across America rely for access to credit. prgtoken On a strong bipartisan vote, we passed Senator Crapo's legislation to streamline the Dodd-Frank Act so regulations intended for Wall Street place less of a crushing burden on Main Street. prgtoken Next up is legislation to combat sex trafficking. Debate on this issue will begin today. prgtoken It might be easy to imagine sex trafficking doesn't happen here. It would be easy to pretend it is only a problem in other parts of the world, but that is dead wrong. prgtoken Trafficking is a crisis right here in the United States. From 2010 to 2015, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children saw reports of suspected child sex trafficking increase more than eightfold--an eightfold increase. Last year alone, more than 8,500 cases of human trafficking were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. prgtoken As Senator Portman has been informing us throughout his tireless work on this issue, sex trafficking has moved from the street corner to the smartphone. That is, in large part, because a 1996 law meant to protect online speech is now misused as a shield to stop sex traffickers and those who profit from their crimes from facing the rightful consequences. prgtoken I am as strong a defender of the First Amendment as you will find. I was in the Congress in 1996. I voted for the Telecommunications Act that included this provision, as did the vast majority of my colleagues. Let me assure you, not one of us intended to create a special protection for platforms that knowingly allow sex traffickers to exploit children. prgtoken The legislation we will consider would ensure that institutions that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking can be held accountable for their actions. prgtoken There is a reason why 67 Senators have joined Senator Portman in support of legislation to accomplish this. There is a reason why the White House prgtoken is strongly supportive. American children should not be sold--online or anywhere else. America's families should not be victimized by such evil, and America's laws should not be misused to protect those who perpetrate these crimes or those who, according to the stunning subcommittee report, knowingly give them space and tools to operate while profiting in the process. prgtoken Several of us have worked hard on this issue for a number of years. It is now past time to take this additional step. When we vote next week, that time will have come.
RECOGNIZING DIABETES ALERT DAY
John Katko (Republican, NY) \u2014 2018-3-15

today I rise to recognize the American Diabetes Association Alert Day. Observed annually on the fourth Tuesday in March, this is a day to inform the American public about the seriousness of Type 2 diabetes, particularly when left undiagnosed or untreated. I would like to thank the American Diabetes Association, as well as numerous other organizations and researchers, who work to raise awareness of this far-reaching disease and seek an eventual cure. Diabetes affects over 30 million Americans--almost 10 percent of the U.S. population--and nearly 1 in 4 adults are unaware that they have this disease. What's more, another 84 million Americans have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. 9 out of 10 adults with prediabetes are unaware of their condition and susceptibility to developing diabetes. Whether it is a parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or neighbor, we all know someone who struggles daily with the medical upkeep of living with diabetes. That is why I join the American Diabetes Association in strongly encouraging all Americans to take the time today to learn more about Type 2 diabetes, its wide-ranging impact upon our nation and its citizens, and the susceptibility to this disease. Testing can take only 60 seconds and results can make a lifetime of difference. I applaud the American Diabetes Association, for raising awareness about the potentially life-threatening complications associated with diabetes, and their advocacy to promote a healthy lifestyle.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS EXAMINATION FAIRNESS AND REFORM ACT
Keith J. Rothfus (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-3-15

I thank the chairman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise in support of the Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act. prgtoken As the vice chairman of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee, and as a longtime advocate for examination and review reforms, I commend my colleague, Representative Tipton, for his hard work on this issue. prgtoken As we all know, our financial regulatory agencies are not without their flaws. From time to time, examiners offer decisions that are misguided, and these decisions deserve to be challenged. Managers of financial institutions that believe that the decisions passed down by their examiners are wrong deserve a chance to challenge those decisions at an independent forum and, if necessary, in the courts. We are all better served by a financial supervisory structure that subjects decisions to the scrutiny of further review. prgtoken I know community bankers in western Pennsylvania who have struggled with their examiners for years to get flawed determinations changed. In many cases, these individuals were doing the right thing for their companies and their communities. Without the benefit of a clear timeline, this process has been allowed to drag on. prgtoken Without a truly independent review process and protection against retaliation, these men and women working in prgtoken our community financial institutions understand that they are facing an uphill battle. The current system is not independent and it is not sufficiently transparent. This is unfair. It is bad for our community financial institutions and it is detrimental to the integrity of our regulatory system. prgtoken I again urge my colleagues to support Representative Tipton's work.
REGULATION A+ IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2017
Thomas MacArthur (Republican, NJ) \u2014 2018-3-15

I am proud to advance this bill--this bipartisan bill. I am grateful for my ic cosponsor, Congresswoman Sinema; ic Congressman Gottheimer; and Congressman Hollingsworth, for joining me in this effort. prgtoken The purpose of this bill is pretty simple and pretty narrow. Seven out of ten new jobs in this country come from our Nation's 28 million small businesses. When we help those businesses grow, we help them create new jobs. prgtoken I think of the biopharmaceutical companies in my home State of New Jersey as an example of companies that desperately need capital to continue to grow, and that growth creates new jobs. The Federal Government cannot do everything, but we can surely help these companies grow in our country. prgtoken The 1933 Securities Act laid the groundwork that all interstate security offerings have to be registered with the SEC. It was cumbersome, it was expensive, so that Congress made some exceptions. Regulation A allowed a limited amount of offerings for Main Street investors, and Regulation D allowed unlimited offerings for accredited investors. This bill is working at Regulation A. prgtoken Over time, those limits have gone up periodically. The last time it was lifted was effective 2015. It was raised to $50 million, and it has been helpful. It has created growth. It has created new jobs. prgtoken This bill is a modest improvement, raising that $50 million to $75 million. This was contemplated in the original JOBS Act, where we raised it to $50 million. In that law, the SEC was required to either increase the $50 million or to explain to us why they weren't doing it. Their deadline for doing that expired at the end of 2017. So this is an overdue increase, and I think it is high time that we do it. prgtoken I could offer a lot of anecdotes of how this benefits companies. I thought I would offer the one that is closest to home, my own story. prgtoken I was fortunate enough to buy a fairly small business in 2002. I did three capital raises in the years that followed. The first was for $12 million, the second was for $75 million, the third was for $500 million. And those capital raises continued during my period of ownership of the company. prgtoken I can tell you, without any question, the smallest capital raises were the hardest for me. It is much harder to raise this much money than it is to raise this much. When I was raising a lot of money, I had a lot of interested parties. When I was raising the smaller amount, it was difficult. prgtoken What this bill does is allow growing companies to have another point in the market where they can raise money. It is not just banks or private equity funds; it is regular, Main Street investors. prgtoken I heard the remarks that this creates risk. I can tell you that there are dozens of people in my old company who became shareholders, who are living a better life today, them and their families, because they had an opportunity
ALLOW STATES AND VICTIMS TO FIGHT ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2017-- MOTION TO PROCEED
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2018-3-15

I rise today to continue my tribute to Nebraska's heroes: the current generation of men and women who lost their lives defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each of these Nebraskans has a special story to tell. Sergeant Lonnie ``Calvin'' Allen, Jr. prgtoken Today, , I will recall the life and service of Sergeant Lonnie ``Calvin'' Allen, Jr a native of Bellevue, NE. prgtoken Calvin grew up in a military family. His father, Lonnie Allen, Sr was a senior master sergeant in the Air Force. When Lonnie Sr. was assigned to Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, both he and his wife Sallie thought they would be there only for a short time. However, they enjoyed ``the good life,'' and soon after the birth of their two sons, Nuru and Calvin, they decided to stay. prgtoken As a young child, Calvin spent much of his time in the kitchen. His mother still talks about how Calvin learned to cook at the age of 5. Sallie has vivid memories of Calvin in the kitchen in the early mornings or on the weekends, experimenting with new recipes or dishes. There were times when she would still be in bed and Calvin would bring her food or a new dish to try. She said that he was always open to trying new things, whether it was in the kitchen or elsewhere. This also pertained to sports, where Calvin played basketball and football, ran track, and wrestled. prgtoken Calvin also had a caring attitude, which extended to church on Sundays. Calvin was widely known amongst the congregation at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Bellevue. He often volunteered to be an usher and displayed his musical talent in the choir. Calvin had a personal and very open relationship with God, and he happily shared it with everyone he met. prgtoken Throughout his high school years at Bellevue East, Calvin spent much of his time with friends and family. Sallie recalled many video game parties and sleepovers at their house, which would end with many of Calvin's friends sprawled out on the Allen living room floor. prgtoken Calvin was a member of a close-knit family who spent time playing games together. Whether it was card games or board games, the competitive spirit would always come out in the Allen boys. They loved to compete. prgtoken After graduating from Bellevue East in 1998, Calvin enrolled at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, CO, to study criminal justice. He long envisioned a career in law enforcement and thought this would be a good starting point for him to launch his career. prgtoken After completing 2 years at Northeastern, Calvin enrolled at Colorado State to finish his criminal justice degree. Soon after enrolling at Colorado State, however, he returned home to Bellevue. Calvin's vehicle had been involved in a wreck, which left him without any means of transportation. Due to this, he enlisted in the Army as a way to pay for a new vehicle, while also pursuing his law enforcement career while servi
MAPLE WEEKEND
Claudia Tenney (Republican, NY) \u2014 2018-3-15

I rise today to recognize an exciting spring tradition in upstate New York and, particularly, the 22nd Congressional District. prgtoken Vernon-Verona-Sherrill School District, or VVS, is holding its Maple Weekend this coming weekend. Maple Weekend is run for two weekends each year by the Future Farmers of America, also known as FFA. This FFA organization has approximately 125 members, and its success has been recognized both on the State and national levels. prgtoken Despite the two nor'easters that New York has received in March alone, VVS' FFA organization has worked tirelessly to prepare for the upcoming maple season. This weekend, VVS will join 170 other local organizations across New York to prepare demonstrations on how to harvest and produce maple syrup products, host pancake breakfasts which feature our award-winning syrup, and provide tours of the mouthwatering ``sugar shack,'' where maple products are created. prgtoken Last year, VVS' Maple Weekend extravaganza drew more than 2,000 visitors. I am thrilled to attend each year and to take part in this educational and delicious local event that is expertly organized each year by high school students from FFA. prgtoken These same FFA members from VVS travel throughout New York State, from Buffalo to New York City, using their Maple Syrup Trailer to educate other high school students across our State, teaching them how to produce maple syrup and to produce maple candies and other delicious maple products. prgtoken New York State still produces the very best maple syrup in the world and is continually winning the award for the best maple syrup. prgtoken I would like to congratulate these outstanding VVS and FFA students on their hard work, and I wish them and the hundreds of other maple producers across the State the best of luck during this very difficult season for maple production.
ALLOW STATES AND VICTIMS TO FIGHT ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2017-- MOTION TO PROCEED
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-3-15

I enjoyed that little bit of history there. I am sure that the Irish everywhere--and those who are, perhaps, not quite as Irish--will find good reason to celebrate on March 17 whether one is in Florida or in the Northeast or in Alaska, as the Presiding Officer certainly knows. The Iditarod prgtoken , I am here to share a little bit of Alaska. I know that the Presiding Officer will also appreciate the update on an event that we in Alaska celebrate every year and have for the past 46 years--the annual Iditarod race. prgtoken This is a sled dog race of international fame, a race that begins just outside of Anchorage, AK, and ends in Nome. It is about 1,000 miles. I think this year's southern route was 998 miles to be exact. It is one of the longest sled dog races on Earth, and it travels over some pretty interesting terrain. ``Interesting'' is a choice word to use as you cross mountains and frozen tundra and forests and the frozen ice. The Iditarod is, truly, a race for only the most hardy, only the best. prgtoken The Iditarod, itself, commemorates the deadly 1925 diphtheria outbreak that happened in Nome. There was no way to get the diphtheria antitoxin from the coastal area, down in Seward at the time, all the way up to Nome. This was before we had air transport as a viable option. So the real question was, How do you move this? How do you move this quickly? It was the middle of the winter. This was not a race. This was a lifesaving mission to move serum, again, 1,000-plus miles to the north to save a community. They resorted to a relay of dog sleds, of dog teams, to move that serum. prgtoken Today, the Iditarod is no longer a relay. It is a race of individual sled dog teams. Again, it is about a 1,000-mile race. It is a test of determination, certainly, of the K-9 mushers, and it is tough. It is always in the first weekend of March. At this time of year in Alaska, sometimes conditions can be pretty good--above zero. Sometimes they can be 30 degrees or 40 degrees below zero. Sometimes you can have a ground blizzard and wind conditions that move close to 80, 90, 100 miles an hour, and when you want to talk about windchill, out there, it is real; it is extreme. prgtoken This 46th annual running of the Iditarod hasn't been that challenging in terms of the cold, in terms of what they have seen in the past, but there is always some bump. There is always something that causes the race to be a little bit different. This year, the mushers had a scheduled checkpoint on Eagle Island. This is a place where they take a mandatory 8-hour break. The game changer in the race this year was in the snow conditions. Because of the ceiling, planes could not drop food for the mushers, so they had to take this very critical checkpoint off of the board. The mushers plan all of this out in advance of the trip. They kind of know where they are going to be along the way. They
ALLOW STATES AND VICTIMS TO FIGHT ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2017-- MOTION TO PROCEED
Lamar Alexander (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-3-15

I want to talk for a moment about something that is on the minds of anybody in this country who is making $60,000, $70,000, $80,000, $90,000 too much to have a subsidy to pay for your healthcare insurance and maybe are paying $15,000, $20,000, $25,000 of that salary for your insurance this year and who has heard from a lot of people that on October 1, the insurance companies are going to announce that your premium is going up. That is whom I would like to talk with today. prgtoken Specifically, let me use the example of a woman named Marty in Tennessee. She came up to me before Christmas at the Chick-fil-A on Charlotte Road in Nashville, and she stopped me while I was getting my mac and cheese at Chick-fil-A, and she said: My name is Marty. I am a self-employed farmer. A few years ago, my health insurance was $300 a month, today it is $1,300 a month, and I cannot afford that. prgtoken Well, in Tennessee, prices for health insurance for people who work and don't get any subsidy to help them buy their insurance and don't get insurance on the job, they don't get it from Medicare or Medicaid, people who work, the self-employed farmer, the contractor, the plumber, the songwriter, somebody who might be making $60,000, say--they are like Marty. They are paying $20,000 for their health insurance, and they cannot afford that. prgtoken I told Marty: I think we have a Christmas present for you. I think Congress, when we pass the omnibus spending bill, is going to include in it a set of policies we have that is going to lower your rates when they are announced on October 1 of next year, which is 2018. prgtoken Well, unfortunately, we had a continuing resolution at the end of the year, and Marty didn't get her Christmas present. Then I thought she might get a Valentine's present, and we went by Valentine's Day and did another CR, a continuing resolution. prgtoken Now we have until the end of next week to fund the government for the year we are halfway through. I am on the floor today, and I can say to Marty and to every plumber, songwriter, self-employed person in this country, someone who might be between jobs, that if the Congress will act, we can lower their rates next year for up to as much as 40 percent--40 percent. That is according to Oliver Wyman, one of the leading healthcare consulting firms in this country, which announced on Monday that a set of policies which we call Alexander-Murray-Collins-Nelson, which President supports, which Congressman Walden, who is the chairman of the House committee in this area, supports, which Senator McConnell supports, which I support--we have broad support for this. This policy we have been working on for months, according to Oliver Wyman, over the next 3 years, assuming States take full advantage of all the options we are giving them, could lower rates by 40 percent. prgtoken What does that mean? That means that if you are paying $20,000 for your health in