mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
TRIBUTE TO LAWRENCE E. HENNING
Jon Tester (Democrat, MT) \u2014 2019-5-22

today I wish to honor an American hero who served bravely in the European Campaign of the Second World War. prgtoken Lawrence E. Henning of Great Falls, MT, served in the Third Army under the command of General George S. Patton. He marched with thousands of Allied troops across the Continent, through France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and finally into Germany, deploying his expertise of the tank destroyer in the final, decisive year of the war. prgtoken Lawrence's courage and ingenuity were critical to the effort. His resourcefulness allowed the battalion to maintain a maximum number of tank destroyers on the front line. His skills and bravery on the battlefield earned him commendations decades ago; it is my honor to finally deliver them today. prgtoken I am proud to present you, Lawrence, with the Bronze Star Medal for your Meritorious Service in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States in France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany during the period 15 September 1944 to 30 March 1945. prgtoken I am also presenting you with: the American Defense Service Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 3 Bronze Service Stars; the World War II Victory Medal; and the Honorable Service Lapel Button--World War II. prgtoken These medals are a small token of our nation's appreciation for your service and your sacrifice. prgtoken Lawrence, you are an American hero, and Montana is proud to call you one of our own.
CONSUMERS FIRST ACT
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-5-22

. Madam Chair, just briefly, while I respect some of the issues brought up by my colleague, I do think, if the data is already there and they are supplying it for the Department of Education, we should make it relatively easy for the Consumer Protection Bureau to get that same information and, if needed, get more. prgtoken As a former business owner, these are the kind of performance standards I would not be afraid to show to my clients; and I would think that Congress and the American people, considering the importance of this investment, at a minimum, would require these kind of performance standards. prgtoken So I would hope that Members on both sides of the aisle would support the effort in a spirit of transparency, and performance standards for privately-held companies. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
CONSUMERS FIRST ACT
Lloyd Doggett (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2019-5-22

I thank the chairwoman for her leadership because today's bill is about restoring effective law enforcement for consumers and protecting them from predatory Wall Street practices. prgtoken s want to shield Wall Street, granting it free rein to plunder. Instead of draining the swamp, this lawless President has drained the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of its strength. Public enforcement actions are down 75 percent. That is how they feel about law enforcement. prgtoken The President is refusing to protect our active-duty military from predatory lending; halting payments to consumers who have been wronged; eliminating the office that is designed to prevent discrimination in credit against Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans; and eliminating the office dedicated to addressing student loan abuses. prgtoken Enough is enough. Instead of handcuffing those who do wrong, this administration is handcuffing the agency designed to ensure law enforcement. prgtoken And while this President profited himself from scams like University, it is time to restore important consumer protections: law enforcement to protect students, active military, and the retirement savings of our seniors. prgtoken In just five years, $12 billion was returned to over 30 million American citizens. Wells Fargo would never have been penalized a penny for its multimillion-dollar fraud without a cop on the beat. prgtoken Mr. and Mr. Mulvaney have been about pulling that cop back so that there is no protection for those this agency was designed to serve. Let's approve this bill to protect Americans from financial piranhas who would strip their savings to the bone. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I salute the leadership of the chairwoman of the Financial Services Committee, for standing up for Americans who have been abandoned by this administration. It is essential we do our work in Congress to say it is consumers who come first, not those who would prefer to take advantage of them.
Senate Legislative Agenda (Executive Session)
John Kennedy (Republican, LA) \u2014 2019-5-22

I don't have a speech prepared. I just want to share a few thoughts with my colleagues. What I am about to say I intend to say gently and constructively, and that is this: We need to do more. We need to do more. By ``we,'' I mean the U.S. Congress. prgtoken We have completed almost 25 percent of the time allotted to this current Congress. And what have we done? Other than nominations, which are important--and I will come back to that--we have done nothing-- zero, zilch, nada. prgtoken Let me talk about my friends in the House of Representatives first. I have great respect for them. I wish I had served in the House. I would have loved to have had that experience. So far, our friends in the House--at least the leadership--have done two things. No. 1, they have passed bills they know have not a hope in Hades of passing the U.S. Senate. We call those bills messaging bills, as you know. They are not designed for the next generation. They are designed for the next election. They don't do anything to make the American people any more secure or improve the quality of their lives, and we all know that. prgtoken The second thing that my friends in the House leadership have done-- and I say this with all the respect I can muster--is to harass the President. prgtoken Again, I say this gently, and I say this, hopefully, constructively to my friends in the House leadership: The House leadership needs to urinate or get off the pot. The House leadership needs to indict the President of the United States, impeach him, and let us hold a trial-- he will not be convicted--or they need to go ahead and hold in contempt every single member of the administration so we can move those issues into our court system and get back to doing the people's business. prgtoken Now, if they decide to go the court route, I would caution my friends to be very, very careful because once it enters the court system, it becomes a zero-sum game. One or two things are going to happen. Either the administration will win, in which case the oversight authority of the U.S. Congress will be undermined, or the House leadership will win, in which case no American with a brain above a single-cell organism is going to want to run for President of the United States, because Congress will be able to find out everything about your life, even the most intimate details, whether it is relevant to your job or not and whether it happened when you were President or not. prgtoken What I hope happens is that my friends in the House leadership and the administration sit down and talk--not talk like 8-year-olds in the back of a minivan fighting but talk constructively about how their behavior could impact important institutions in this country--and work it out. prgtoken I thank the Attorney General for making overtures to the House leadership to try to find common ground. prgtoken Now, let me talk about the Senate. We need to do more. I am not saying we haven't
IN RECOGNITION OF THE HONORABLE GORDON HELSEL'S RETIREMENT FROM THE VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Robert J. Wittman (Republican, VA) \u2014 2019-5-22

. Madam , I rise today in recognition of The Honorable Gordon Helsel's retirement from the Virginia House of Delegates. His extensive history as a military serviceman and a public servant exemplify his selflessness and dedication to our great nation. prgtoken In 1967, Gordon Helsel was drafted into the United States Army and was deployed to Vietnam as an infantry soldier. Ten months into his tour of duty, Gordon was ambushed by North Vietnamese soldiers and sustained multiple injuries while returning fire on the enemy position. Gordon's injuries would require him to spend five months in recovery and rightfully earned him two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. Gordon has been a steadfast advocate for veterans and a tireless supporter of our active duty military members and families. The Vietnam veterans' community has benefitted tremendously from Gordon's efforts and advocacy and has an unshakable bond with him and his family. prgtoken Since his military service, Gordon has pursued his dream of owning a business, purchasing the York Box and Barrel Manufacturing Company, Inc which supplies containers for the region's seafood industry. He has helped many a seafood dealer and waterman throughout Tidewater Virginia. Anyone in the seafood processing or harvesting business has come across Gordon and his fantastic products. Consumers of seafood also greatly appreciate the preservation of quality that his products have provided to seafood lovers. prgtoken His service would continue at the local level where he served as city council member, Vice Mayor, Mayor, and Chief of Poquoson's Volunteer Fire Company. Gordon would eventually be elected to the House of Delegates in 2011, representing the 91st House District of Virginia. His efforts in serving his community on many levels has placed him as the quintessential servant leader in the eyes of folks through Virginia. His love of his country, Commonwealth and community shines through in everything that he says and does. His community loves Gordon and he loves them back. prgtoken Madam , I ask you to join me in recognition of Delegate Helsel's retirement from the Virginia General Assembly. Words alone cannot express our gratitude for his lifelong service to not only his community but to his country as well. May God bless Gordon Helsel and his family as he enters his retirement.
CELEBRATING 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-5-22

. Madam , I rise today to commemorate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of the House passage of the 19th Amendment to amend the Constitution to guarantee women the right to vote. prgtoken The struggle for women's suffrage was not an easy one, taking over a generation of women fighting to see it through to the end. Women like Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton took a great risk, stepping out of what many thought to be the role of women at the time to argue about the injustice they were facing. prgtoken After speeches, petitions, and failed attempts at change, the initial group of women were not able to see their work through to the end but made great strides that enabled future women to finish the job. prgtoken On this anniversary, I hope that we will all take the time to remember the hard work that these women had to put in to gain equal voting rights, to remember where our country has been and how we got to where we are today, and to remember that the right for everyone to vote is central to our democracy and a right that we need to continue to protect. prgtoken I am grateful for the women who led this effort 100 years ago, and I believe that it is something that should inspire all of us
CONSUMERS FIRST ACT
Blaine Luetkemeyer (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-5-22

such time as I may consume. prgtoken Since its inception, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has disregarded congressional intent in a number of alarming ways. Under the previous Director, Richard Cordray, the agency took it upon itself to essentially write law through guidance and regulate through enforcement. Bureaucrats at the CFPB worked diligently to eliminate options for Americans, arrogantly believing they were better equipped to make financial decisions than consumers themselves. prgtoken Thankfully, under Acting Director Mulvaney and Director Kraninger, the CFPB is striving to foster an environment that promotes transparency, legitimacy, and great consumer choice. The American people deserve a Bureau that enforces law rather than creates it, while placing power and choice back in the hands of consumers themselves. prgtoken Unfortunately, the legislation we are considering today accomplishes the exact opposite. prgtoken I appreciate the chairwoman's attempt to reform the Bureau and share the belief that it needs significant reform. However, instead of solving underlying issues that make the CFPB an unaccountable bureaucracy with little oversight, this legislation cherry-picks specific actions of former Acting Director Mulvaney and attempts to reverse his decisions. prgtoken Ignoring the underlying structural issues of the Bureau, are attempting to codify their CFPB agenda with respect to staffing by limiting political appointees, directing political initiatives through the creation of the Office of Students and Young Consumers, and emphasizing the powers and duties of the Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity. prgtoken Yet again, my friends across the aisle are more focused on who is leading the agency than on real reforms that would increase oversight and accountability at the CFPB and could shed light on some of the issues this legislation seeks to address. For example, if the CFPB were subject to an Office of Inspector General, we would have reports on whether or not staffing levels are sufficient to fulfill the Bureau's statutory goals. If the Bureau was subject to the appropriations process, Congress would have a voice in choosing the number of political appointees at the Bureau. Some of these issues, , are not even partisan, they're near bipartisan, and yet we can't get these things done. prgtoken Instead of working with s to reform the Bureau, create transparency, and avoid partisan policy shifts from Director to Director, the prgtoken majority is choosing to advance legislation that mandates the advancement of political priorities. prgtoken The bottom line here is the legislation before us is wholly partisan and does nothing to ensure the CFPB can carry out its mission to protect consumers. I oppose this legislation and I urge my colleagues to do so, as well. prgtoken , .
IN MEMORY OF RONNIE YOUNG
Joe Wilson (Republican, SC) \u2014 2019-5-22

. Madam , Ronnie Young was a model public servant who genuinely loved the people he represented. I was fortunate to work with him firsthand as Chairman of the Aiken County Council, where he uniquely ran countywide fairly serving every community. Each year as County Council Chairman and later, State House member, one of my highlights in public service was to be a guest of Ronnie in Christmas parades where he never had a shortage of candy to share. You could see the mutual love and affection between him and his constituents. Roxanne and I would like to extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Susan, family, and innumerable friends. Clearwater, SC--Funeral Services for Mr. Ronald ``Ronnie'' Young, 71, of Clearwater, SC, who entered into rest May 19, 2019, will be conducted Friday morning at 11 o'clock from the Christian Heritage Congregational Holiness Church. Bishop Phillip Napier and Pastor Stephen Phillips officiating. Mr. Young was a native of Aiken County, having made the Valley Community his life-long residence. He was a member of the Sweetwater Church of God, attended Leavelle McCampbell School and graduated from Langley-Bath-Clearwater High School and was a former HR Manager with the Graniteville Company. Mr. Young enjoyed a long career of public service including the following responsibilities, currently a Full-time Legislator as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives for District 84 serving on the Education and Public Works Committee and the Rules Committee; a member of the Aiken County Council, Valley Public Authority, Aiken County School Board, Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority, Three Rivers Solid Waste Technology Center, U.S. Selective Service Board and the Lower Savannah River Council of Governments. He was a member of several civic and governmental organizations including the Graniteville Exchange Club, Aiken Rotary Club, Midland Valley Lion's Club, Midland Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Has Been Club and the South Carolina Association of Counties. All whom he befriended enjoyed his well-known culinary skills. Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Susan Napier Young; a sister, Patricia Boyd, Warrenville; two brothers-in-law, Paul (Lucy) Felberg, North Augusta and Bishop Phillip (Sonya) Napier, Modoc; a sister-in-law, Mary Young, Graniteville; several nieces and nephews. Mr. Young was predeceased by a daughter, Tabatha Young, parents, Norris and Earlene Renew Young and a brother, Terry Young. Honorary Pallbearers will be members of the South Carolina General Assembly and the Has Been Club. Active Pallbearers will be Joel Randall, John Caleb Napier, Leighton McLendon, Tommy McElveen, Roger Boyd, Bubba Baker and Ray Taylor. The family will receive friends at the Christian Heritage
Energy Innovation (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-5-22

it seems a bit surreal but necessary, nonetheless, to come here to the Senate floor to talk about the perils of socialism and its sudden resurgence within the ic Party. prgtoken We have seen our ic friends push for policies like Medicare for All, which would completely wreck the system that provides healthcare for our seniors and force all Americans onto the same plan, regardless of the fact that they never paid anything into it, like our seniors have, and regardless of the fact that they may indeed like their private health insurance that they get from their employers. prgtoken Do you remember when the administration promised in 2013, ``If you like your plan, you can keep it''? Well, I don't really think they meant it, but that is at least what they said. have gotten so much more radical today that their motto should be, ``If you like your plan, you can't keep it under Medicare for All.'' prgtoken They have also promised things like free college--and, believe me, ``free'' is popular, especially if you don't think you are ever going to have to end up paying for it--promising anyone and everyone that they can go to college for free. prgtoken Now, there are some smart things we can do to help prepare high school students and college students to hold down their debt and to make sure that they get the sort of advice and counseling they need to make sure they are studying something that is going to be able to provide them an income with which they can repay the loans that they take out, and there is some work we need to do in that area. prgtoken Across Texas, I have had a chance recently to go to a number of middle schools and high schools, and in Texas--and I am sure we are not alone--there are many high schools where students can get dual credit, college and high school credit, and some of them graduate from high school with essentially 2 years of college behind them, and it costs them nothing. It is free. I guess that is free. Actually, it is not free, either, but they don't have to pay anything more for it, and their parents don't have to pay anything more for their property or sales tax for it. prgtoken So that is a smarter way to approach this, rather than this radical idea that things like college can somehow be free, knowing that, actually, there will be somebody that pays for it, whether it is our children, when they grow up and they have to pay back the money that we have recklessly borrowed in our deficits and debt, or by raising taxes, and you can't raise taxes enough on the rich people in order to pay for this. So, inevitably, that burden will fall on the middle class. prgtoken To put the icing on the cake on these radical policies, you have to look at this Green New Deal proposal that the have rolled out and really call this the icing on the cake in their socialist proposals. prgtoken They want to take over the entire energy sector of the economy,
CONSUMERS FIRST ACT
Bryan Steil (Republican, WI) \u2014 2019-5-22

. Madam Chair, I think the most important part here is that the findings are the political rhetoric that we are looking to remove. This town has far too much political rhetoric. prgtoken I am willing to work with my colleague to make this unaccountable entity accountable to Congress in the first place. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment. prgtoken Madam Chair, .
TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL SAMUEL A. GREAVES
Dan Sullivan (Republican, AK) \u2014 2019-5-22

I rise today to pay tribute to Lt. Gen. Samuel A. Greaves, Director of the Missile Defense Agency, on the advent of his retirement from the U.S. Air Force after 37 years of military service to this great country. prgtoken General Greaves' long and storied career began when he was commissioned in 1982 through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Program after he graduated from Cornell University. Throughout his service, he has held a variety of assignments in operational, acquisition, and staff units, including assignments at Headquarters Air Combat Command; the National Reconnaissance Office; and on the Air Staff. He commanded the 45th Launch Group at Patrick AFB, Florida, the Launch and Range Systems Wing, the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, also served as vice commander, Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB. He later served as the director, strategic plans, programs and analyses, Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado, and then was assigned as the deputy director, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Prior to his current assignment, he was the commander, Space and Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California. prgtoken His operational experience is exceptional and includes work on the space shuttle, Titan, Atlas and Delta space-launch systems. He currently wears the Command Space Badge, a joint Air Force and Army award for training, experience, and assignments in space warning, satellite command and control, missile operations, space surveillance, and/or space lift. prgtoken During his tour, the Agency and the Department of Defense made significant progress in addressing current and emerging ballistic missile threats by fielding, upgrading, and improving missile defenses to provide U.S. military commanders a highly effective ballistic missile defense capability to defend the United States and its deployed troops, U.S. allies, and friends around the world. He also laid the groundwork for the Agency's pursuit of technologies and systems to track and defeat hypersonic glide vehicle threats. General Greaves implemented a clear strategy focusing on maintaining the reliability of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, BMDS, to build warfighter confidence, increasing capability and capacity of fielded missile defense systems, and making measured investments to address the advanced threat. prgtoken While serving as the director, Missile Defense Agency, General Greaves demonstrated superior leadership, extraordinary dedication, and exceptional professionalism as the key interface between MDA and the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Combatant Commands, Services and Military Departments, the Department of State, and international partners. He also prgtoken worked very closely with the administration and Congress to support significant improvements to the Nation's missile