mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
COMMUNITY BANKS AND DODD-FRANK
Martha Roby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2017-6-8

since the enactment of Dodd-Frank in 2010, a total of 357 financial institutions have been forced out of business. Four community banks in Alabama are on that list. That amounts to nearly $7.5 billion less in Alabama's economy that could be lent to small businesses and farmers. In all, nearly 20 percent of Alabama's community banks have either closed or been forced to merge under Dodd- Frank. prgtoken Why is this happening? Because homegrown banks can't keep up with the crazy compliance costs that Dodd-Frank mandates. Here is an example: prgtoken One credit union in Alabama's Wiregrass region, their compliance department size has tripled. They estimate that these new costs have limited their growth by as much as $60 million. That is not right. Hometown lenders in Alabama didn't cause the financial crisis of 2009, but now they and their customers are paying the price. prgtoken There is no question we need strong laws to govern our financial markets, but Dodd-Frank is not the answer. We now have a chance to fix this broken law, untangle this regulatory web, and unleash the capital investment that is so crucial to economic growth. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support the CHOICE Act.
HONORING JOHN DEEDER ON HIS RETIREMENT
Jaime Herrera Beutler (Republican, WA) \u2014 2017-6-8

. Madam , I rise today to honor the career of John Deeder, a valued member of the community in southwest Washington. John spent 48 years in education and announced his retirement earlier this year. prgtoken Throughout his life, John has been a coach, counselor, teacher, principal, superintendent, and more. More recently, he served as superintendent of the Evergreen Public Schools, the fifth largest in Washington State, for 11 years. His career in teaching exhibits how much he values educating students and setting them up to succeed. Those who have worked with John know that he has been dedicated to improving the learning experiences for kids in southwest Washington for just shy of 5 decades. prgtoken Under his innovative leadership, an incredible bioscience high school called the Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School was built. HeLa High School places an emphasis on workforce development in health sciences and biotechnology that is an investment in our future leaders. It took a decade to research, plan, and build this transformational school, but John remained committed to the vision of this school. Though John's formal career has ended, the legacy of his persistent leadership can be seen throughout HeLa High School and its students. prgtoken While John has extensive involvement in education, his community engagement also spans well beyond his career as superintendent. He has taken every opportunity to serve, and is a shining example of what makes this expansive and populated region feel like a tight-knit and caring community. He is an inspiration to all in southwest Washington, and I am confident he will continue working to improve education here and beyond. prgtoken I congratulate John on his retirement and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.
IN MEMORY OF GREGG ALLMAN
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2017-6-8

I rise today to recognize the groundbreaking and altruistic life of Mr. Frank Chappell, who passed away on Saturday, May 27, 2017, at the age of 85. prgtoken Originally from Quitman, Georgia, Mr. Chappell always had a passion for serving others. He grew up as an integral member of his church and joined the Army directly after high school to serve his country and fight in the Korean war. In the Army, he gained the motivation he needed to continue his education, enrolling in Savannah State University upon his return home from Korea. prgtoken He moved to Savannah permanently after graduation and continued using his passion for service to make Savannah a better place to live. In 1957, he joined the Savannah police department. prgtoken Mr. Chappell was in the second group of African-American police officers the department had ever hired. However, at that time, these officers were still unable to drive in police cars or arrest potential criminals. Nevertheless, Mr. Chappell's personable nature created a connection with neighbors around Savannah that, before 1957, had felt underrepresented. prgtoken He retired from the police force after 35 years but, subsequently, embarked on another service position as a member of the city council for Thunderbolt, Georgia. During his term there, he was instrumental in building a new town hall and senior citizen building. prgtoken I am proud to thank Mr. Chappell, as well as his family, for all of his outstanding work in the Savannah community. He certainly will be missed. American Patriot Award Winner Judge J. Alexander Atwood
FINANCIAL CHOICE ACT OF 2017
Warren Davidson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2017-6-8

I thank the chairman and the work of the committee for doing the work of the American people. prgtoken Prior to coming to Congress, as a small-business owner and small- business leader, I was feeling the pain of the Dodd-Frank Act, wondering whether anyone in Washington, D.C was listening. Now that I have had the opportunity to serve just this 1 year now in Congress, I have gone around the district. I have gone around and talked to businessowners, to farmers, and to community bankers who have been suffering under this law. prgtoken One of the things that hasn't been talked about is how the Dodd-Frank Act has harmed the SEC, how it has deprived people of due process. All but the wealthiest Americans are trapped in a system where the SEC has quasi-judicial hearings using administrative law judges. They have a 90 percent win rate because they have all the keys. They can block discretion, they can block discovery, and they can limit the facts and limit the debate. prgtoken So one of the good things that the Dodd-Frank reform--known as the CHOICE Act--accomplishes is ending this process so that people do have the right to due process in our courts. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 10 and to end the abuses of the previous era.
CREATING OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AMERICANS
Kevin Yoder (Republican, KS) \u2014 2017-6-8

today the House will take up and consider an important bill that will help create opportunity for all Americans: the Financial CHOICE Act. prgtoken The Financial CHOICE Act repeals the most harmful aspects of the Dodd-Frank legislation that halted the flow of capital to our constituents, destroyed small community banks, frustrated small businesses, and generally made life harder for Americans. The Financial CHOICE Act provides relief to Main Street businesses that had nothing to do with the 2008 financial crisis, but were slammed with onerous and unnecessary regulations anyway. prgtoken , we need smart regulations that protect consumers and make our markets less risky. In many cases, Dodd-Frank did the opposite, and this has been a wet blanket on the economy, destroying jobs and opportunities for millions of Americans. prgtoken Importantly, , the bill also ends government bailouts for large banks considered too big to fail once and for all. It will cut our deficits by $25 billion and finally subject the Federal Reserve to a proper audit. prgtoken , above all, our bill promotes economic growth so that all Americans can have the freedom and ability to get the job they want, create the small business they have always dreamed of, and secure their family's future.
CLIMATE DISRUPTION
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2017-6-12

climate disruption is a significant concern for the health of our planet. It is affecting everything from our agriculture to our economy, to our forests, to our world's glaciers, to our ice sheets, and, certainly, to the distribution of the world's insects and the diseases they carry. prgtoken President 's decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement has attracted additional attention to the role that America should play in taking on this major challenge. How significant are the impacts of climate disruption to our forests and our farming and our fishing? What are the business opportunities of transforming an economy from that based on fossil fuels to that based on clean and renewable energy? What are other nations doing? How fast do we need to move to save the planet? prgtoken There will be many scholarly speeches on these topics here on the floor--many who will have been informed by the experiences that Senators will have had in their home States, both in the evolution of wind and solar energy and the changes that they are seeing in their forests and their farming and their fishing. I hope to draw attention and, hopefully, insights as to these issues in a more lighthearted fashion by presenting periodic episodes of a Senate Climate Disruption Quiz. Today, I am presenting episode No. 1 of this Disruption Quiz series. Let's get started. prgtoken Question No. 1: Which famous CEO resigned from three Presidential councils after President announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement? Was it Bob Iger of Disney? Was it Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX? Was it Travis Kalanick, the CEO of Uber? Consider which of these individuals made this decision. prgtoken The right answer is Elon Musk. Congratulations if that is what you guessed. prgtoken Bob Iger of Disney resigned from a Presidential council, but he resigned only from one, not three. He resigned from the Presidential Strategic and Policy Forum, and he has been quite significant in putting forward other environmental issues, such as the zero waste of Disney's theme parks. prgtoken He said when he resigned: Protecting our planet and driving economic growth are critical to our future, and they aren't mutually exclusive. prgtoken He continued: I deeply disagree with the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. prgtoken Travis Kalanick, the controversial and besieged Uber CEO, also resigned from the same council, that being the Presidential Strategic and Policy Forum, but he did so in response to the President's Muslim ban, not to the announcement that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Agreement. prgtoken That takes us to Elon Musk, who resigned from three councils--the President's Strategic and Policy Forum, Manufacturing Initiative, and Executive Council on Infrastructure. prgtoken He tweeted: Am departing Presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS
Marc A. Veasey (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2017-6-12

. The gentlewoman is absolutely correct. prgtoken In 1989, he encouraged and celebrated the wrongful imprisonment of the Central Park Five and took out full-page ads in New York area newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty in response to a very infamous case in which a woman was beaten and raped while jogging in Manhattan's Central Park. prgtoken Back then, before he was President, said: They should be forced to suffer, and when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes. I want these murderers and always will. prgtoken Of course, there was a lot of public outrage over that case. It was very well talked about. It was on all the talk shows and what have you. prgtoken Those men wrongfully spent time in prison because the DNA evidence exonerated them.
COUNTERING IRAN'S DESTABILIZING ACTIVITIES ACT OF 2017--MOTION TO PROCEED
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2017-6-12

I rise to recognize the first anniversary of a horrific tragedy that shook this Nation. One year ago, in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016, we all witnessed an unthinkable act of hatred and terror at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, FL. It was Pride Month and Latin night, and dozens of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, along with friends and family, were gathered simply to have fun in what should have been a place of acceptance, affirmation, and safety. In a matter of moments, what should have been a celebration turned into one of the worst mass shootings in American history--a targeted act of terror and hate, an attack on the freedoms we all hold dear. These 49 innocent people lost their lives in this attack, and 53 others were wounded. Many, many others bear the emotional scars. prgtoken This was not only a deadly act of domestic terrorism; it was a hate crime--a crime that targeted victims because of who they were and was designed not just to harm its victims but to terrorize everyone in the community. prgtoken Last year, I came to the floor to read the names and tell the stories of the victims of this massacre in Orlando, because we cannot and we must not forget these men and women. Their stories need a voice. Today, I rise again to remember the victims. prgtoken As I did 1 year ago, I come to the floor to ask my colleagues to find the courage to stand up, speak out, and act to confront the rising tide of hate crimes and discrimination in America. We must never forget the victims of this hate crime, and we must honor them with action. prgtoken While the Pulse shooting was an unimaginable horror, it is, sadly, far from the only act of violence that has been perpetrated out of hatred. Even before June 12 of last year, we had seen an alarming increase in reports of hate crimes against LGBTQ people but also against racial and religious minorities and immigrants. In the aftermath of a divisive election, we saw hundreds of documented instances of discrimination, harassment, and even violence against members of minority communities as well as increased hostility within our Nation's schools. In this year alone, at least 11 transgender people have been murdered, most of them women of color. prgtoken The fact is that many members of racial, ethnic, disability, and religious minority communities, as well as LGBT people, live in very real fear for their safety. They are scared, and it is prgtoken incumbent upon President as our Nation's leader to demonstrate to them and to all Americans that discrimination and violence against any individual because of who he is, whom he loves, and how he worships will not be tolerated in this country. prgtoken When I stood here last year, I called for a greater investment in the Federal Government's effort to both try to prevent hate crimes and fully investigate and prosecute them whenever they happen. After President took office, I was
CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS
Stacey E. Plaskett (Democrat, VI) \u2014 2017-6-12

. Thank you so much, Mr. Payne, for your words, your enlightenment, and for sharing that very personal piece of you and your own experience. There are so many African Americans and so many people of color in this country who have those exact same experiences. prgtoken Whether it is us, personally--I know I have mine exactly like that. You know, I have four sons, and each one of them have had that kind of experience here in this country. prgtoken With the rise of hate that is occurring, we have to be careful for every American and we need to be concerned that this country is no longer becoming a safe place for groups of individuals; that there are people that are rising up and attempting to terrorize other Americans. This should be of concern to Congress. This should be of concern to our President. prgtoken I thank Mr. Payne again for that. prgtoken , at this time I yield to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee from Texas, who sits not only on the Budget Committee, but, very relevant to our discussion this evening, is one of the senior members of the Judiciary Committee, as well as Homeland Security Subcommittee, where so many of these issues form a confluence. prgtoken Thank you so much for being with us this evening, Congresswoman Jackson Lee. We look forward to your remarks and to the enlightenment that you will be giving us here in this Chamber as well as the American people. prgtoken , from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
WILDLIFE INNOVATION AND LONGEVITY DRIVER ACT
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-6-12

I wanted to express my support for the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Act, also known as the WILD Act. I commend my Senate colleagues for passing this legislation last week. prgtoken I firmly believe that we have a moral duty to be good stewards of our planet, and that includes working together to conserve species and their habitat in the United States and around the world. We face many pressing wildlife management challenges; yet we have heard in the Environment and Public Works Committee that State and Federal agencies do not have adequate resources to face these troubling challenges. That is what makes innovation and collaboration so important, and the WILD Act inspires both. prgtoken The WILD Act incentivizes innovators by establishing cash-prize competitions for new technologies that prevent poaching, promote conservation, manage invasive species, protect endangered species, and use nonlethal methods to control wildlife. It directs Federal agencies to manage invasive species on public lands and reauthorizes effective government conservation programs, including those that protect some of our most loved species--elephants, great apes, tigers, rhinos, and marine turtles. prgtoken The WILD Act also reauthorizes the Department of Interior's Partnership for Fish and Wildlife Program, which leverages Federal funding by working with hard-working private landowners to restore and improve fish and wildlife habitats on their land. prgtoken Wildlife conservation is not a partisan issue, which is why I was so pleased to join with Chairman Barrasso and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of this legislation. prgtoken The WILD Act has also been endorsed by a diverse group of stakeholders, including the World Wildlife Fund, National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited, and the Family Farm Alliance. I want to thank these organizations for their commitment to this issue and their interest in helping our challenged fisheries and threatened ecosystems, as well as internationally treasured rhinos and elephants. prgtoken I urge the House to pass the WILD Act and the President to sign it into law. prgtoken Thank you.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2017-6-12

today I wish to honor the life of William G. Sesler, Esq 89, who passed away peacefully on May 22, 2017. Bill's exceptional service to our country in the U.S. Air Force, his dedication as a public servant in Pennsylvania, and his unwavering commitment to underserved communities throughout his career are worthy of recognition. His contributions to the Commonwealth will never be forgotten. prgtoken I ask that the obituary from Gregory P. Sesler from May 26 be printed in the Record. prgtoken The material follows: Thank you to the hospital care takers, physicians, pastors, friends, relatives, church community and family. I was on my way home from the hospital last week after having just left my father and after the decision had been made by the family to put him on palliative care. It was hard, my mother was awesome. A wave of sadness swept over me as I began to think of all of the things I would soon not be able to with him again in this world. But then I thought of all the things we had been able to do together and what a blessed life he had lived. Maybe we wouldn't climb Mount Washington together again, but we did it once. No longer would we sail the Chesapeake, go iceboating, travel on the German autobahn, see the Reformation Wall in Geneva, go to Africa to Ngorongoro crater, or go transatlantic on the QE II, but we had had a chance to do them all before. We had travelled thousands of miles and done dozens of business deals together, eaten lunch together at the Maenerchor Club hundreds of times. No he wouldn't drive my Jaguar way too fast again, or sail our Catalina sailboat or visit Civil War Battle Fields or see the wild horses of the Outerbanks, or see the Northern Lights in Alberta or the great cathedrals of Europe, or return to Kenyon College for another reunion or read his letters to the Editor. But we had been able to do all of those things together. We got the chance to shoot pheasants in South Dakota, geese in North Dakota, go to Mexico with his grandchildren, see the cliffs of Western Ireland, listen to Pavarotti at the Warner, smoke cigars on the back porch, banter about an article in the New York times, argue about business decisions, drink too much wine on a fishing trip in Canada, and enjoy over 50 Christmas parties together. Although I will never again have to endure his criticism or crave his praise or chase a bear out of our campsite within the Smokey Mountains, I have been able to do all of those things with him. Although he won't be bursting into my office on December 23rd and having me accompany him to buy an apartment's worth of furniture for a refugee family, or feeling the pride of seeing my aged parents volunteer in the homeless shelter, I did get t
SANCTIONS LEGISLATION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-6-12

on Russia sanctions, soon we will move to a cloture vote on the motion to proceed to the Iran sanctions legislation. The two leaders, Chairmen Corker and Crapo, the two ranking members, Brown and Cardin, continue to negotiate a package of strong Russia sanctions that can be offered as an amendment to the bill. I am hopeful we can come to an agreement soon, one that at the very least includes legislation put forward by Senators Graham and Cardin that would establish a process for Congress to review any Russia-related sanctions relief. Senator McCain, along with Senator Cardin, has also submitted an amendment for tough, new sanctions, which I very much support. feel strongly that Russia sanctions should move alongside Iran sanctions, and we are prepared to do what we can to make sure we get a vote on a good amendment and hopefully a bipartisan one.