mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
VOLCKER RULE REGULATORY HARMONIZATION ACT
J. French Hill (Republican, AR) \u2014 2018-4-13

I thank the chairman, and I appreciate the chairman's leadership in bringing this bill to the floor today. prgtoken I think the American people should be very pleased that this bill is coming to the floor in the form that it is, because we are doing two things here, , that I hear about from constituents all the time in terms of the way Congress should work. prgtoken First, the Dodd-Frank Act was passed 8 years ago this July and has been scrutinized by Congresses since that time on how it can be improved. What are the implications of it? What are the unintended consequences of it? prgtoken No section of this bill was talked about more than section 619, the Volcker rule. So we are evaluating it, and we are bringing today a bipartisan solution to something that regulators say is a problem, bankers say is a problem, and our consumers and businesses have had the unintended consequences of being hurt by, because it has not allowed our capital markets to function efficiently. prgtoken So, first, Dodd-Frank is subject to review after it was passed. That is something our constituents want. We know no law is perfect when it is passed. It is not a piece of the true cross discovered by St. Helena in Jerusalem. It is not part of the Rosetta Stone. It is subject to the scrutiny of the people--our people--the American people. prgtoken Secondly, people tell me all the time: Why can't you be more bipartisan? prgtoken So, , this is people's exhibit A of bipartisanship. prgtoken The Financial CHOICE Act that this House passed last year repealed the Volcker rule. We believe it harms the capital market system of this country. We believe it was an overreaction to the financial crisis. prgtoken We had members of the administration who said that proprietary trading didn't even contribute to the financial crisis. But set that issue aside. We proposed repeal. Over in the United States Senate, they passed the bill with two-thirds of the Senate, , to say that the Volcker rule is not perfect. prgtoken Section 619 is not right, and they exempt community banks under $10 billion that don't have trading activity. They exempt them completely in the U.S. Senate bill passed with two-thirds of the Senate. I think all Americans know that two-thirds of the Senate agreeing on something is shocking. They can't even agree that there are 24 hours in a day. prgtoken So this bill represents an improvement. This bill represents bipartisanship. With my friend, Dr. Foster, we have worked from the yin of full repeal to the Senate-exempt community banks. We have identical language to exempt community banks in this bill, . That is why we got a 50-0 vote in our committee. It is common sense. prgtoken But we add one feature that we think improves that Senate language, and that is the heart of what is changed in this bill and the heart of what Dr. Foster worked on, which is, how do we harmonize the interpretation of this 1,000-page complex rule that our Feder
COMMEMORATING THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BIRTH
Glenn Thompson (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-4-13

today we commemorate the birthday of a monumental figure in our Nation's history, Thomas Jefferson. prgtoken Jefferson, who was our third President, was the principal author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and is known as one of the country's founding farmers--Founding Fathers. He was a founding farmer also. prgtoken Today marks the 275th anniversary of his birth. He played a monumental role in shaping American politics. prgtoken While his legacy is not without complication, Thomas Jefferson projected a down-to-Earth attitude and desired to be seen as a common man. prgtoken An intellectual, architect, philosopher, musician, and essayist, he was anything but common. prgtoken He founded the University of Virginia in 1819. The university has kept the Jeffersonian values--discussion, collaboration, and enlightenment--relevant today. Its mission is to develop tomorrow's leaders and to ensure that they are well prepared to help shape the future of the Nation and the world. prgtoken Students in Charlottesville will use Founder's Day to reflect on Thomas Jefferson's legacy and also acknowledge the growth that has been made in its history. prgtoken , on this day, we remember a Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, and all the contributions he made to this great Nation.
VOLCKER RULE REGULATORY HARMONIZATION ACT
Randy Hultgren (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-4-13

I first want to thank the hardest working, most effective chairman in all of Congress; and I also want to thank my good friend and colleague French Hill for sponsoring this legislation. I also want to thank my friend and colleague from Illinois, Bill Foster, for his work on this. prgtoken I am also very happy to be a cosponsor of the Volcker Rule Regulatory Harmonization Act. This legislation strikes a bipartisan balance for simplifying some of the regulatory burden of the Volcker rule and provides a clear exemption for community banks. prgtoken The Dodd-Frank Act granted responsibility to five different financial regulators with implementing and enforcing the Volcker rule: the Fed, OCC, FDIC, SEC, and CFTC. Every Member of this body knows that it can be difficult to come to an agreement when you have too many cooks in the kitchen. Imagine if this were the case for promulgating, implementing, and enforcing something as complicated as the Volcker rule. prgtoken One Illinois bank, that serves thousands of my constituents, explained it is this way: ``This overlapping authority with respect to interpretations and guidance, as well as examinations and supervision, is inefficient and requires unnecessary time and effort, on the part of banks as well as regulators, to ensure compliance.'' prgtoken The Volcker Rule Regulatory Harmonization Act is an artful solution to dealing with this issue. It grants the Federal Reserve the exclusive rulemaking authority under section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act and provides the sole examination and enforcement authority by an entity's primary Federal regulator. The bill also addresses the concerns that community banks have raised with the Volcker rule. prgtoken H.R. 4790 exempts banking organizations that do not have or are not controlled by entities with $10 billion or more in total consolidated assets and total trading assets or trading liabilities that are more than 5 percent of total consolidated assets. prgtoken Because of the Volcker rule's complexity, even those community banks that do not conduct any proprietary trading have, nonetheless, had to incur large costs simply proving what the regulators already know, that they are not engaged in activities covered by the rule. This is simply not fair to subject community banks to these costs associated with this. prgtoken , I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.
IN RECOGNITION OF ALMA WHEELER SMITH'S DISTINGUISHED PUBLIC SERVICE
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2018-4-13

I rise today to recognize Alma Wheeler Smith for a lifetime of service to southeast Michigan. Her work has bettered Michigan for years to come. prgtoken A lifelong Michigan resident, Alma Wheeler Smith graduated from the University of Michigan with a journalism degree and the desire to make a meaningful impact on the community that she loved. She grew up in a prominent Michigan family with her father, Albert Wheeler, serving as Ann Arbor's first African-American Mayor. After graduating, Mrs. Wheeler Smith worked at the University of Michigan's Television Center for nine years before taking a position as a staffer with a State Senator in 1990. After her boss left the Legislature, Mrs. Wheeler Smith decided to run for the Michigan State Senate herself. She started what would be a successful political career, serving as both the 18th District's State Senator and the 54th District's State Representative until she termed out of both offices. Although she is no longer an elected official, Mrs. Wheeler Smith remains extremely passionate for public service and a leader for positive change in the community she loves. prgtoken Those who know Alma Wheeler Smith cannot recall a time where she did not help someone in need. She leads by listening, and that is what she attributes to her success as a community leader. Mrs. Wheeler Smith remains involved in many activities including the Library Board of Trustees, Regional Transit Authority and the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. Women throughout the state know Mrs. Wheeler Smith as both an inspiration and a mentor. She started her political career during a time where women were not running for elected office, so she knows the importance of encouraging women to reach their full potential and follow their dreams. Mrs. Wheeler Smith has effectively and passionately served our southeast Michigan community throughout her lifetime. We are thankful for her years of public service and look forward to her leadership yet to come. prgtoken , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Alma Wheeler Smith for a lifetime of tireless public service. It is my hope that she continues to be engaged in civic activities for years to come.
VOLCKER RULE REGULATORY HARMONIZATION ACT
Bill Foster (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-4-13

I thank Ranking Member Waters for yielding me the time and for her commitment to thoughtful debate in our caucus to get the best results for the people that we represent. prgtoken I thank Congressman Hill for working with me and our staff for months to craft the bipartisan bill that you see on the floor today. prgtoken When I first entered Congress, the Great Recession required an emergency response for lawmakers to save the economy from collapse, and then it required a thoughtful response to make sure that we would have an economy that would remain stable and work for everyone. prgtoken That is why I worked hard to draft the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and I am proud that it has succeeded in creating a more stable and better capitalized financial system so that hardworking families should never have to endure a similar financial crisis. The balance has generally been good between reining in risk and allowing financial services firms to play their necessary role in our economy. prgtoken We have to constantly monitor for new risks and ways that regulation may unintentionally reduce liquidity or restrict access to capital. But first and foremost, we need to fight to preserve the substantive pieces that we got right and to build on its success with improvements to the law. That includes the Volcker rule, a crucial aspect of protecting the system. The current arrangement uses a committee of five agencies--the Fed, OCC, FDIC, SEC, and CFTC--to write and update the rule. prgtoken During Volcker rulemaking, each regulator on the committee has an effective veto over any proposed policy. I spoke with former regulators who were involved in that rulemaking process and came to understand that the committee decision often formed around the weakest regulatory position, which is not good. The veto of each regulator also applies to interpreted guidance, which makes it very hard for either industry or watchdog groups to get a straight answer on what the details of the Volcker rule actually are. prgtoken H.R. 4790 would strengthen Dodd-Frank by making regulatory practices more efficient and clear. The bill, including my amendment, would make the Federal Reserve the sole rulemaking agency for the Volcker rule, identify the regulator primarily responsible for oversight of an institution, and provide relief to community banks who are not going to threaten our economy by setting up a massive proprietary trading desk. prgtoken Consolidated rulemaking at the Fed will also streamline the process for updating the Volcker rule to new market conditions that may create new threats. As markets change, we need a single nimble regulator to respond by amending the rule and providing an interpretation for new conditions. prgtoken Identifying the single regulator responsible for Volcker oversight of an institution ensures consistent implementation and enforcement. This will be the Fed for a bank holding company,
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-4-13

. You had that opportunity to do it. You won't do it. I guarantee you that you won't do it. You can say whatever you want. prgtoken , they won't do it. They haven't done it. There will not be a balanced budget on this floor from either side because we have dug such a deep hole. To balance the budget tomorrow or 2 years from now would decimate Social Security and Medicare. Now, maybe that is what is in store. Maybe that is what is contemplated. prgtoken But when I hear, , the majority leader talking about the Budget Act, first of all, the American public does not know what the Budget Act is. They do know who we are, and they sent us here to be responsible and have discipline and have the courage of our convictions. prgtoken The reason I say pay for it is because the constraint we have abandoned, and we have pretended that we could cut taxes and magically things would be paid for. They have not been, and what we buy today we are expecting our children to pay for it tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. prgtoken I suggest that is an intellectually bankrupt policy, and it is also an immoral policy. And to pretend that somehow we can fix that either by an amendment--which, by the way, could be waived--or by amending the Budget Act--is the Budget Act perfect? Could it be perfected? I am sure it could be. But that is not the problem. prgtoken The problem is the pretense that somehow we are going to grow ourselves magically without discipline and without paying for what we buy, whether that is defense or nondefense. prgtoken Now, , we need to get on to some other issues, and I want to explain to the majority leader why I didn't vote for the bill. prgtoken The President of the United States did something I think was bad judgment and put millions of people at risk. It is called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Eighty-six percent of the American people think that we ought to protect those children who came here not of their own volition but as children. prgtoken The majority leader, myself, the minority leader, and the of the House met with leaders of the Hispanic community, leaders of the African-American community, and leaders of the Asian Pacific Islander community. When I say leaders, the three chairs of those caucuses. We talked in late September about a week and a half after the President had withdrawn DACA protections and said we need to solve this. prgtoken Now, , let me quote the of the House, Mr. Ryan: My commitment to working together on an immigration measure that we can make law is a sincere commitment. prgtoken Let me repeat: My commitment to working together on an immigration measure that we can make law is a sincere commitment. We will solve this DACA problem, said the , once we get this budget agreement done. prgtoken This was not the omnibus. This was the precursor to the omnibus which set the level of spending. prgtoken He said: We will solve this DACA problem, and we will get this done no matter
IN RECOGNITION OF WARREN CENTRAL STUDENT ATHLETES
André Carson (Democrat, IN) \u2014 2018-4-13

I rise to congratulate Warren Central High School on its numerous athletic achievements over the 2017-2018 school year. The Warriors men and women's basketball teams were crowned the IHSAA 4A State Champions, the Winter Guard won the Tri State Championship, and the Special Olympics team is set to compete in the upcoming Special Olympic state finals. Warrior Nation is taking over the City of Indianapolis. prgtoken The undefeated men's basketball team secured a record of 32-0 for the season and the first Indiana high school boys basketball team to go undefeated since 2009. The women's basketball team never expected to be in the state championship, but fought their way to the title game and won a resounding victory over Zionsville 50-46. prgtoken The Winter Guard was the first U.S. high school team to compete in an international competition at the Winter Guard International Regional Championship. prgtoken This amazing group of student athletes have secured their place in the storied history of Indiana athletics and should be proud of everything they have accomplished. I extend my congratulations to the athletes, coaching staff, faculty and the entire school as our city celebrates this season's achievements.
TRUMP CABINET'S SPENDING HABITS
Ted Lieu (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-4-13

Mr. Gallego and I both served in the Active Duty U.S. military because we believe America is an exceptional country, the best in the world. But what really bugs us is the fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayers' funds and taxpayers' money, and the culture of corruption in this administration starts at the top with the President. So I am just going to go through some numbers--these are facts--of how much has wasted of taxpayers' money. prgtoken He has spent over $58 million on 95 trips to golf clubs, including Mar-a-Lago, Bedminster, and other -owned properties. Every time he takes one of these trips, according to The Washington Post and Politico, it costs about $3 million, with all the staff and everyone that has to go and travel with him. In addition, $137,000 was used for golf carts for the Secret Service between January and October 2017 alone. prgtoken At least $190,000 of taxpayers' money was used for brothers' business trips in the first 3 months of 2017; $17,000 for custom rugs in the Oval Office; over $12,000 on a custom conference table for the West Wing of the White House from, by the way, the same company used by President Nixon. prgtoken So this corruption starts at the top, and now you are going to see, as you go along through the Cabinet, the fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayers' money.
HONORING MS. VERONICA ``RONNIE'' BRADLEY
Elizabeth H. Esty (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2018-4-13

I rise today to honor the life and service of Veronica ``Ronnie'' Bradley, a groundbreaking Marine Corps veteran. Ronnie, a longtime resident of New Milford, Connecticut, passed away on February 25 at the age of 95 after a long and inspiring life. prgtoken As a young woman, Ronnie became one of the first women to join the Marine Corps in 1942 during the Second World War. Following boot camp and training, Ronnie was stationed at an air base in Santa Barbara, California. The Marine Corps was one of the last to welcome women into service, and Ronnie and her compatriots were instrumental in changing the service's culture to recognize the passion and value women brought to the Marines. During the war, Ronnie literally became a poster child of the Marine Corps--her image was used in a recruiting flyer encouraging women to enlist and serve. prgtoken After the end of World War II, Ronnie left the Marines and began her family, but she remained active in the veteran community throughout her life. She shared her story and passion for service with countless others across Connecticut and our country, and was recognized by the Marine Corps as the 2011 Marine of the Year. prgtoken , Ronnie Bradley not only volunteered to serve her country during a national crisis, but also broke the ground for generations of women to follow her in serving as Marines. Her passion and humility are examples to all of us who pursue public service. My condolences go out to Ronnie's family and all those who will miss her special spirit, and it is right that we celebrate her achievements here today and keep her story and memory alive.
RECOGNIZING THE DEEP ELLUM FOUNDATION
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-4-13

today I rise to recognize the great work of the Deep Ellum Foundation. Deep Ellum is the beating heart of Dallas, and the individuals behind this non-profit organization work hard to rejuvenate a district of great historical and cultural importance. prgtoken True to the name, Deep Ellum boasts a deep-rooted history of business and culture, but also of inclusion. As undertakings such as the Continental Gin Company and the Ford Factory expanded the area, what started off as a small stop on the old Dallas railroad line, blossomed into a bustling community of industry and growth. As the neighborhood made its ascent, it attracted people from all walks of life, etching Deep Ellum as one of Dallas' first commercial districts to welcome African-Americans and European immigrants. Deep Ellum's population grew together as a community because of its rich diversity and unique culture, which still thrive today. prgtoken The rise of music became a part of the culture that defines Deep Ellum to this day. It is in Deep Ellum that the ``Father of Texas Blues'' Blind Lemon Jefferson spent time crafting the sound that would inspire generations to come. Other musicians such as Robert Johnson and Alex Moore are also part of the legacy that found its birth in the 1920s. This tradition is one we're proud to continue, as Deep Ellum is still one of the biggest entertainment districts in the state. It features 30 live music venues, and much of the local art, inspired by this culture, is reflected in murals and public buildings that decorate the City of Dallas. prgtoken The Good-Latimer tunnel once welcomed local aspiring artists, and though it gave way for the city to expand with the building of the DART system, the Deep Ellum Foundation works tirelessly to ensure that influential paintings are displayed and artists are still welcomed. Every year, through the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, the foundation and the city highlight the district's vibrant culture by hosting over 100 musical artists, 200 visual artists, and countless street performances. prgtoken , I would like to thank the Deep Ellum Foundation for recognizing the neighborhood's continuing importance. The Deep Ellum Foundation represents a community determined to build on its historical and cultural legacy. This organization is committed to allowing locals to grow together and to hosting Deep Ellum's Bark Park, Bike Friendly Deep Ellum, and projects like Foundation 45. All of these projects emerge from a neighborhood that lives its commitment to encouraging individuals to be active participants in their area and to determining, as one community, what defines Deep Ellum.