mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Remembering Ursula K. Le Guin (Executive Calendar)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2018-2-27

I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and work of one of Oregon's finest, Ursula K. Le Guin, who, after a long life, passed away in my hometown of Portland on January 22 at the age of 88. prgtoken You would have a tough time overstating Mrs. Le Guin's impact on American literature, particularly on the genres of fantasy and science fiction. She didn't invent science fiction or fantasy literature, but what she did, in true Oregon fashion, is redefine them. prgtoken Millions of school children in Oregon and around the world know her best as the author of the unforgettable Earthsea series. She also wrote essays, poetry, and short stories throughout her life. To the end, she fiercely resisted the constant attempts to pigeonhole her as a sci-fi author. prgtoken Over five decades, she upended conventions, shattered ceilings, and inspired generations of readers and authors. She is going to be missed, even as her legacy lives on. prgtoken Ursula Le Guin was born Ursula Kroeber on October 21, 1921, in Berkeley, CA. Her parents were both successful anthropologists who encouraged their kids to think and to question. Exposed to mythology and science fiction at an early age, she soon grew tired of what she would later describe as White men and soldiers going forth and conquering the universe. prgtoken A shy young woman, she escaped the anxieties of adolescence by reading authors like Austen, Shelley, and Tolstoy in her local public library. She went on to Radcliffe College, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 1951. She earned a master's degree from Columbia University the following year and won a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to continue her studies in Paris. prgtoken She met fellow Fulbright scholar Charles Le Guin on her way there, and they were married shortly thereafter. prgtoken The pair returned to the United States and ultimately settled in Oregon in the late 1950s, when her husband took a job at Portland State University. She focused on the couple's three children and on her writing, returning to science fiction with ``Rocannon's World'' in 1966. Two years later, she published ``A Wizard of Earthsea,'' the first in a series of highly acclaimed fantasy novels that have remained in print to the delight of millions. prgtoken I can't imagine it is an easy feat for any author to create an entire universe that sticks in the minds of readers for generations. In building Earthsea, Mrs. Le Guin joined that elite group of fiction writers, like Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, who have done just that. prgtoken More impressively, she used her writing to push back against social injustices and social constraints. She wrote about environmental destruction, about feminism and gender inequality, about racism, about war and peace. She wrote about women protagonists and about non-White heroes when they were even less commonly highlighted than they are today. She wrote about multidimensional characters and others who sought to
INTRODUCING THE GATEWAY AT BUFFALO
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2018-2-27

yesterday we unveiled plans for a new, state-of-the-art land port of entry at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, New York. prgtoken Deploying the most advanced detection technology, the Gateway at Buffalo will improve national security and prgtoken public safety. It will cut wait times for both passenger and commercial vehicles in half. It will greatly improve air quality in the neighboring community. It will improve aesthetics with new L.E.D. lighting, landscaping, and public art. prgtoken This plan will improve our region's growing economic relationship with Canada, leveraging $30 billion in commerce and over $200 billion in economic activity, supporting over 1 million jobs. This plan is long overdue. It is a plan that our community deserves and a gateway that is worthy of the promise and potential of our future in Buffalo and western New York and our relationship economically and otherwise with the great country of Canada.
ALLOW STATES AND VICTIMS TO FIGHT ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKING ACT OF 2017
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2018-2-27

I have already raised the picture of Desiree, who is dead. Her death was driven by being exposed as a so- called prostitute in the sex trafficking of a little girl on Backpage. prgtoken Or J.S who, in fact, was victimized in Seattle. She was raped. She was put on Backpage. Then she was rescued by her family. Since it was before this legislation, it failed in court. prgtoken My legislation is very simple: Does this bill work? What more can we do? prgtoken I am asking for a study where the GAO would be instructed to assess the damages awarded to victims and restitution amounts imposed against defendants as a result of this bill. prgtoken Victims of sex trafficking require a multifaceted response to rebuild their life. That includes housing; counseling; job training; and, in many cases, drug treatment and rehabilitation. We as Members of Congress need to be able to know if it works. prgtoken A citizen-led movement called Fight for Us, along with a team of influential citizens called The Houston 20, work to fill in the gaps and strengthen the services for victims and survivors in the city of Houston. prgtoken I was very proud to meet with them at the Community of Faith Church, a socially motivated church, led by Bishop James Dixon. Jackie is the lead. They were all committed, Children at Risk and many other organizations, to eliminating some of the gaps for The Houston 20, which will allow them to utilize resources for greater work. prgtoken So I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 1865 which requests the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of the civil and restitution provisions enacted by H.R. 1865. prgtoken In an effort to determine if we are actually providing justice to victims of sex trafficking through this legislation, GAO would be instructed to assess the damages awarded to victims and restitution amounts imposed against defendants as a result of this bill. prgtoken Victims of sex trafficking require a multi-faceted response to rebuild their lives that includes: housing, counseling, job training, and, in many cases, drug treatment and rehabilitation. prgtoken There are well-meaning, dedicated victim advocacy groups all over the country, that offer their help and services that are dependent on state and federal grants, charitable donations, and private funding. prgtoken A citizen-led movement called Fight For Us, along with a team of influential citizens called the Houston 20, work to fill in the gaps and strengthen the services for victims and survivors in my city of Houston. I commend these selfless individuals and hope that they continue their important work. prgtoken Fortunately though, H.R. 1865 creates a civil cause of action for victims of the aggravated violation, and requires judges to impose mandatory restitution orders in criminal cases involving such victims. prgtoken It is my hope that t
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 35--AUTHORIZING THE USE OF EMANCIPATION HALL IN THE CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER FOR A CEREMONY TO PRESENT THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL COLLECTIVELY TO THE MEMBERS OF THE...
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2018-2-27

our Nation's ongoing success and economic mobility depends on the skills and education of the American workforce and its preparedness to meet and adjust to the demands of today's economy. Career and technical education (CTE) programs are an essential component to each student's education, giving students the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to secure careers in growing, high-demand fields. Today, approximately 12 million students are enrolled in CTE across the country with CTE programs in thousands of CTE centers, comprehensive high schools, career academies, CTE high schools, and community colleges. Through applied learning, these students obtain technical and employability skills that parallel workforce demand. prgtoken According to the American Federation of Teachers, 94 percent of parents approve of expanding access to CTE and other programs that prepare students for jobs. CTE ensures that competitive and skilled workers are ready, willing, and capable of holding jobs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career fields. Throughout Virginia, I've heard manufacturers express discontent with shortage of qualified skilled production employees--roles that require the instruction and training offered in CTE classrooms. It is vital that we heighten awareness of CTE's role in helping the United States to meet the very real and immediate challenges of economic development, student achievement, and global competitiveness. prgtoken This is why today, with my Senate CTE Caucus co-chairs Senator Portman, Senator Baldwin, and Senator Young and 41 colleagues in the Senate, I am proud to introduce a bipartisan resolution to designate February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) month. CTE Month offers an opportunity for students, parents, counselors, educators and school leaders to become more informed about the educational opportunities attainable in their communities, and acknowledge the importance of CTE in cultivating a skilled and well-educated workforce in our nation. prgtoken Through formal recognition of CTE Month through this resolution, it is our hope that we can foster greater support for the importance of improving access to high-quality CTE for millions of America's students and our country's continued economic competitiveness.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2018-2-27

. . No American should have to relinquish all of their privacy rights in their cell phones, laptops, and other electronic devices, simply because they are coming home from a trip abroad. Yet that is exactly how our Government views it: currently, if a Vermonter crosses the border into Canada for a day, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) can search through the Vermonter's emails, text messages, photos, and anything else contained in their electronic devices without any reason to suspect the person is in violation of anything. Let me repeat that: without any suspicion at all. That is unacceptable. prgtoken That is why I am joining with Senator Daines to introduce legislation to require the Government to have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search or seize Americans' electronic devices at the border. This legislation is a vital step toward protecting our Fourth Amendment rights, while also ensuring that officers protecting our homeland have the lawful authorities they need to do their jobs. prgtoken Last year, CBP searched the electronic devices of over 30,000 travelers, and this number continues to grow. These searches can take place at any international airport, or at any land border point such as U.S.-Canada border crossings in my home state of Vermont or Senator Daines's home state of Montana. prgtoken Nothing in this legislation will prevent CBP officers from doing their jobs to protect the homeland, detect contraband, and enforce the law. Our legislation simply says that if an officer of the Government wants to search an American's electronic device at the border, at a minimum they should have reasonable suspicion. If they want to seize the device, they should have probable cause. And if they want to conduct a forensic examination of the device, they should get a warrant from a judge. prgtoken Our legislation also requires the Department of Homeland Security to collect statistics on such searches and seizures and report them to Congress. This will significantly increase transparency on the Government's use of these invasive tools, providing Congress and the American people an opportunity to assess the balance between the needs of law enforcement and the imperative of protecting privacy and civil liberties. prgtoken I urge other Senators to join us in support of this legislation. It should not be controversial to be concerned at the Government's ability to search our electronic devices at the border without any suspicion at all. All of us-- and --can support the goal of protecting our borders while also protecting the Fourth Amendment.
OPERATIONAL RISK CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BANKING ORGANIZATIONS
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2018-2-27

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4296. This bill is simply another rollback of rules put in place after the financial crisis. It would undermine the stability of our country's largest financial banks by restricting the way regulators set capital requirements for these institutions. prgtoken Before I get into why this bill is problematic, let me take a moment to clarify what capital is and what it is not. prgtoken Some have said that capital is money that is held on the side or in reserve and cannot be used to lend to borrowers. This couldn't be further from the truth. Capital is not a reserve. Capital refers to the terms of the financing a bank receives. prgtoken In the most simplistic example, a bank receives funds from customers making deposits, loans it receives from other institutions, and stock it has issued to investors. The bank uses all of these sources of funding to make mortgages and other loans to customers. However, there are important differences. prgtoken Bank debt has terms like regular interest payments that, if it stops paying, the bank fails. prgtoken However, a bank can stop paying dividends on a stock without it failing. Banks funded with lots of debt are described as being higher leveraged and risky because only a small drop in the value of their mortgages and other assets can cause them to default. prgtoken Funding a bank through higher levels of capital makes the bank stronger, because even if the loans it has made lose value, the bank can avoid default by temporarily halting payments to their investors or lowering the value of the stock. prgtoken H.R. 4296 would impact something called operational risk capital, which is the capital used to cover the possibility of losses to the largest banks caused from their operational failures, such as rogue traders, fraudulent sales practices, and cyber breaches. prgtoken H.R. 4296 would diminish this type of capital, which only about 10 megabanks are required to maintain under an enhanced framework, by restricting the information that regulators can use to determine the appropriate balance of safe funding, like bank stock versus debt, that megabanks should have to address potential operational losses that may occur. prgtoken The bill would direct regulators to primarily consider a megabank's current activities and not their past behavior when setting the capital level, thereby enabling the bank to take on more debt. prgtoken According to Americans for Financial Reform, a nonpartisan coalition of more than 200 civil rights, consumer, labor, business, investor, faith-based, and civic and community groups: ``While current activities are obviously central to operational risk, and are already treated as such, the recent loss experience of banks is the best concrete evidence regulators usually have as to the magnitude of current and future risks. Recent past activities are also vital to understand
JANUS V. AFSCME AND THE IMPORTANCE OF UNIONS
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2018-2-27

I live in Broward County, Florida, where the Marjory Stoneman Douglas mass shooting tragedy took place nearly 2 weeks ago. prgtoken I am here to talk about our teachers and other public sector employees, but I want to take a moment to make sure that people within the sound of my voice understand what is at stake here. To hear the messages of these valiant students, in the memories of their friends whose lives were lost, their teachers whose lives were lost, and also on their own behalf as survivors. Their message is clear that we need to make sure that we are preventing weapons of war from being in the hands of civilians by banning assault-style rifles; by banning high- capacity magazines; and by closing gun show loopholes, and every other loophole, that exist today on background checks so that we can make sure that we take concrete steps to prevent mass shootings from happening in this country, anywhere. prgtoken If anything else, their message is a diversion tactic, whether it is more investment in mental health or arming teachers. In particular, the idea that we should put more guns into a school environment is ludicrous to them. Their teachers already did everything they could to protect these children, and some of them lost their lives. That is unacceptable and something that we need to come together to prevent. prgtoken , I want to commend my colleague, Congressman Mast, for taking a stand that was extremely difficult on banning assault weapons. I know that is not politically popular for me to do, but he deserves that credit, so I thank him. prgtoken The Janus v. AFSCME case is a case related to public sector unions. Simply put, teachers and other employees would be dealt a serious blow in terms of their ability to organize, organize on things like the conditions in a school and how we can keep them safe, all the way to wages and benefits. prgtoken Today, despite being more productive than ever, we have Americans who work longer hours for less money and fewer benefits. While working people continue to struggle, we have corporate CEOs, whether they are the CEOs of gun manufacturers or any other corporation, who continue to use their wealth to influence politicians and rig the economic rules to benefit the wealthy and the powerful at the expense of everyone else. prgtoken A major part of this effort is a decades-long attack on unions. Unions increase the bargaining power of workers by allowing them to negotiate collectively, together, rather than individually with employers. Imagine how a single or handful of employees would do if they were trying to negotiate with a major corporation for better benefits and wages on their own. When workers bargain collectively, employers have no choice but to work with them to pay them higher wages and offer more generous benefits and better working conditions, like school safety. prgtoken Big corporations and their overpaid CEOs don't like paying higher wages and offe
HONORING READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY AND IMAGINATION LIBRARY
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2018-2-27

this week, teachers, students and families across the country will celebrate the importance of reading by taking part in the National Education Association's Read Across America Day. Research shows that literacy begins before school even starts. Young children who have been read to at home and have had access to a variety of reading materials, develop into stronger readers. That's why programs like Dolly Parton's Imagination Library are so important. Each month, Imagination Library mails over one million free books to children around the world, including seven thousand in Baltimore. Today, as Dolly donates her hundred millionth book to the Library of Congress, I thank her for her inspiring dedication to children's literacy and I applaud everyone participating in Read Across America Day.
ILLINOIS FLOODING
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2018-2-27

last week, rainstorms and melting snow caused flooding across Illinois, with more than 20 counties throughout the State placed under a flood warning. As the water level of rivers continued to rise, several communities had to evacuate their homes for their own safety. Sadly, these storms were so severe that flooded roadways claimed the life of an Illinois resident after her car rolled into a rain-filled ditch. Multiple communities were evacuated, and in some areas, residents had to be rescued by boat. prgtoken Some of the worst impacted areas were in Iroquois, Kankakee, and Vermilion Counties. The Governor declared a State disaster for these counties, and the American Red Cross established shelters for evacuated residents. prgtoken These floods were not just limited to communities in east central Illinois. Counties in western and downstate Illinois were also among the most impacted. In Ford Heights, a suburb of Chicago, at least 100 homes were impacted and seven residents were rescued by boat. In north central Illinois, a nursing home in LaSalle County had to be evacuated, and the next day, parts of the county were placed under mandatory evacuation order. prgtoken Downstate, rain continued through the weekend, and crews from the Department of Corrections worked to install flood gates in Hardin County, and the Department of Transportation delivered pumps, hoses, and sandbags to aid in recovery. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources also provided boats to aid with flood patrols. prgtoken Some of the areas that experienced heavy rains and flooding throughout last week, like Freeport in northwestern Illinois, were also impacted by flooding just last year. Freeport was flooded in July 2017, and on Friday night, the Red Cross once again opened an emergency shelter there. Situations like this are the reason that communities that often experience flooding need more assistance, both to plan for emergencies and to quickly mitigate the aftermath. prgtoken With extreme weather conditions like these becoming more frequent and more severe, I have heard from many Illinois constituents who are concerned about their ability to recover from repeated flood events like these. I stand ready to assist at the Federal level to help these communities rebuild and recover in a way that will allow them to be more resilient when the next flood occurs. prgtoken As is often the case when a disaster like this occurs, I was so impressed with the residents, first responders, and local officials who worked tirelessly to protect their communities. I want to thank our local law enforcement--firefighters and police--who always do the best job to keep our communities safe and work long hours because of it. prgtoken I also want to recognize the hard work of the State and Federal employees that have pitched in at every level, including the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Illinois Emergency Man