mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Deb Fischer (Republican, NE) \u2014 2018-3-7

I rise today in support of the bill before us, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. This bill is a product of a multiyear, bipartisan process. It is the result of stakeholder input, multiple legislative hearings, a committee markup, and a committee report. prgtoken There are a lot of great provisions in this bill, but what I would like to focus on today is what this bill will accomplish for smaller financial institutions--our community banks and our credit unions-- especially in the State of Nebraska. I also want to touch on the important regulatory relief included for small public housing agencies that are in Nebraska and all across this country. prgtoken Over the course of the past year, I received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from people and businesses across Nebraska about this bill, but the outpouring of support from community banks and credit unions has been particularly notable. These institutions are the pillars of our local communities. They sponsor local Little League sports teams. They provide scholarship funds. They award grants to students. prgtoken The prosperity of America's small financial institutions is directly tied to the success of the communities they serve. These institutions, from Eastern Nebraska to the Panhandle, have shared with me their support for this bill we have before us today. For example, Lee Potts from Security Bank in Laurel, NE, wrote: The bill is a step in the right direction to remove ill- fitting regulations on community banks. As a lender in my community, I am not against regulations in general, as there is a need for certain regulations. However, the regulatory spectrum has become so burdensome that it often has affected otherwise creditworthy borrowers in my community. prgtoken Brandon Luetkenhause from the Nebraska Credit Union League cited the positive effect this legislation will have on seniors in America's communities. He wrote: This bipartisan, commonsense reform legislation will protect seniors from elder abuse, make mortgage processing easier and quicker, increase affordable rental housing in our communities, and help my credit union provide better service to members. prgtoken Under this legislation, well-managed, well-capitalized community banks with less than $3 billion in total assets would qualify for an 18-month exam cycle that is currently only available for banks with less than $1 billion in total assets. prgtoken Furthermore, the legislation allows banks with less than $5 billion in total assets to use short form call reports in the first and the third quarters of the year. The quarterly call report community banks currently have to file comprises 80 pages of forms and 670 pages of instructions. Only a fraction of the information that is collected is actually useful to regulators in ensuring safety and soundness of these institut
ARMS SALES NOTIFICATION
Bob Corker (Republican, TN) \u2014 2018-3-7

section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. prgtoken In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.
BLOCKING REGULATORY INTERFERENCE FROM CLOSING KILNS ACT OF 2017
Steve Chabot (Republican, OH) \u2014 2018-3-7

I appreciate Mr. Shimkus yielding. And I want to thank Chairman Walden, as well, for his hard work in this area, as well as Mr. Shimkus', and the entire Energy and Commerce Committee for their leadership in this area. prgtoken As chairman of the House Small Business Committee, I continue to hear from small-business owners all across America that compliance with regulations is one of the greatest challenges that they face, and this is, in essence, what this is. prgtoken In fact, today, I chaired a hearing on how the regulatory process is impacting small businesses. The bill before us today, the BRICK Act, would provide crucial relief to America's brick, clay, and tile industries, the majority of which are, by definition, small businesses; and we should always remember that small businesses create about 7 out of every 10 new jobs in America. prgtoken The BRICK Act would ensure that small-business owners don't have to worry about spending millions of dollars to comply with a regulation that may well be thrown out in court. I would urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
LET'S NOT INCREASE TAXES AS A WAY OF PROTECTING JOBS AND CAPITAL IN THIS COUNTRY
Mark Sanford (Republican, SC) \u2014 2018-3-7

I rise to encourage folks at home, folks in this body, folks wherever they may be scattered across this country to speak out against what the administration has proposed with regard to raising tariffs on steel and aluminum. At the end of the day, I believe it would be disastrous not just for the economy at large, but, frankly, for every one of us in the way that it would impact our pocketbook or our wallet. prgtoken In short, what I guess I am saying is that you don't have to do stupid to find that stupid is indeed stupid. prgtoken What I am getting at here is that we have had real-world experiments about once every 100 years in this country on these kinds of policies. prgtoken It was in 1828 that you had the so-called tariffs of abomination, and it was designed to supposedly protect jobs and protect industry. It proved to do neither. It actually proved to be disastrous for the South and, in particular, South Carolina, where I am from. prgtoken About 100 years later, you had the Smoot-Hawley tariffs that were equally disastrous in not producing what they were supposedly designed to do. They didn't protect jobs, didn't protect industry, and, in fact, world trade declined by about two-thirds during that time period. prgtoken So as a country, what I am suggesting is that we need to take a breath, we need to look before we leap. prgtoken In life, I would say there is a value to listening to the advice and counsel of others. In this case, Gary Cohn, the President's chief economic person, who is actually leaving based on this dispute, has said this is not a good idea. Steelworkers unions have said this is not a good idea for the way it will impact Canadian steel and, by virtue, American steel. The markets, which are sort of the collective opinion of what we all think is going to come next economically, dropped 600 points on Thursday and Friday, saying this is not a good idea. In fact, the Prime Minister of Sweden was here yesterday, and he was saying it was not a good idea. prgtoken A lot of folks have spoken out and said: This is a genuinely bad idea. Let's not move forward. prgtoken I would say further that, in negotiations, rescue teams shouldn't be the ones shooting the hostage. prgtoken In this case, we have our Cs mixed up. The administration talks about doing something about China, but, in fact, the group--the country--most impacted would be the Canadians. The Canadians have to be some of our staunchest allies over a long period of time, with us in war, with us in trade, with us culturally; yet the bulk of all steel that is imported to the United States comes from Canada and 50 percent of what we export in steel goes to Canada. prgtoken Let me put it this way: what I am saying is that what we need to do here is to trust our allies. If you walk into a bar and somebody says, ``If you take one step closer, I am going to hit you in the face,'' we need to trust them that they are telling the truth. And prgtoken what th
RECOGNIZING THE GENEROSITY AND COMMITMENT OF PENN COMMUNITY BANK
Brian K. Fitzpatrick (Republican, PA) \u2014 2018-3-7

I rise today to recognize the generosity and commitment to community service of Penn Community Bank in my district in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. prgtoken Over the course of the last year, 325 bank employees, executives, and directors raised nearly $78,000 for a variety of programs and activities in our community, which they generously donated to the United Way of Bucks County. Todd Hurley, Penn Community Bank's executive vice president and chief relationship officer, explained it best. He said: ``Each of our team members is proud of Penn Community Bank's continued support of United Way of Bucks County. We're dedicated to improving our local communities and helping United Way alleviate poverty, support education, and increase self-sufficiency across Bucks County.'' prgtoken , this gift will ensure that the United Way of Bucks County can continue their important mission, better serve the needs of the community, and reach even more of our neighbors in need. I applaud Penn Community Bank and encourage everyone throughout our community to follow their lead in helping those in need. prgtoken Congratulating Pennsbury High School Students For Their Fundraising Efforts
BLOCKING REGULATORY INTERFERENCE FROM CLOSING KILNS ACT OF 2017
Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Republican, GA) \u2014 2018-3-7

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , I rise today in support of the Blocking Regulatory Interference from Closing Kilns Act of 2017. This bill is very simple, , as it simply aligns the timeline for compliance with judicial review of these rules and regulations. prgtoken American businesses are finding themselves facing millions of dollars in compliance costs due to burdensome EPA regulations. It is estimated that the EPA's rules may cost the brick and ceramics industry millions annually, with the cost of compliance for the average facility at over $4 million. prgtoken Industry won't be able to meet the requirement deadlines imposed by the rule, which is currently being reviewed prgtoken in our court system. The EPA's first attempt at a rule was vacated, but not before the industry spent millions in compliance measures that were ultimately found to be invalid. prgtoken Small brick and ceramics businesses have been the hardest hit by the first rule; and if something isn't done, many of these small businesses will be forced to close their doors for good. prgtoken H.R. 1917 would provide much-needed regulatory relief to brick and ceramics businesses by simply stating that we need to let the judicial review process move ahead before we penalize hardworking people. prgtoken I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and to support businesses all across the country.
IN HONOR OF SYLACAUGA WINNING AHSAA CLASS 5A HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL TITLE
Mike Rogers (Republican, AL) \u2014 2018-3-7

I ask for the House's attention today to recognize Sylacauga High School Varsity Boys for winning the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 5A basketball state title for the first time since 1988. prgtoken The Aggies beat the Eufaula Tigers 79-78 on March 3, 2018 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama. prgtoken , please join me in congratulating the students and faculty of Sylacauga High School, the coaches, the players and all the Aggies fans on this exciting achievement. Go Aggies.
BLOCKING REGULATORY INTERFERENCE FROM CLOSING KILNS ACT OF 2017
John Shimkus (Republican, IL) \u2014 2018-3-7

a Member uses a motion to instruct or recommit to change or amend the bill. I don't think we build and use bricks to make our airplanes, and I don't think we power our planes with wood heaters. prgtoken So what is the deal with this motion to instruct and recommit? prgtoken It is just purely politics, and it is not surprising. prgtoken Why? prgtoken Well, because want to distort us from our economic success of the agenda. And it is built on two foundational principles. One is the very successful tax reform and bill that we passed in December. And Americans are seeing it. Fifty percent of all manufacturers around the country are going to invest in capital expansion. People have bigger paychecks now. They are getting bonuses. prgtoken In fact, I was on the floor last night with Illinoisans. We were reading stories from constituents about the benefits they are receiving, either in less money being taken out on taxes or increase in wages; trucking companies expanding. So it is an incredible success of optimism when we have been in an economic malaise for the past 8 years. prgtoken And that is the kind of society I want to live in. I want to live in a society where, when my kids enter the workforce, there is a job there. And I want them to say: If I work hard and play by the rules, man, there is an opportunity for me. And that is what is coming back. prgtoken There is another component to this economic success, and that is calling prgtoken off the EPA dogs who have been attacking the job creators in our country over the past 8 years. Ease the regulatory burden, provide historic tax relief, excitement in the economy, new jobs, new energy. So I understand why my opponents on the other side would like to distort us from this record. prgtoken This motion to recommit is purely politics to do that, so that is why I ask my colleagues to reject the motion to recommit and, once we do that, support the underlying bill. prgtoken , .
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2018-3-7

when we debated the Dodd-Frank bill in 2010, I concentrated most of my effort on talking about the third portion-- the third third of the bill; it is one of those several-hundred page bills again--but this was kind of hidden at the end, something called the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, known as the CFPB. prgtoken I opposed its creation during the debate. I opposed it because it is not a government agency under any way, shape, form, or rule that we have. There is no control whatsoever over this group. The makeup of the Bureau is quite unique in that a sole Director, rather than a bipartisan commission, is the singular decision maker of the agency, and it doesn't even require approval by Congress for who that person is or the length of their term. Furthermore, the Bureau is not subjected to the congressional appropriations process, having guaranteed money from the Federal Reserve to fund the agency's existence. prgtoken How does that work? Well, they get a percentage of the revenue of the Federal Reserve that would normally come to the Federal Government and then be allocated. They get it before it comes to the Federal Government, so they are outside the control of an appropriations process. They have guaranteed money. Not only do they have guaranteed money, they have a guaranteed inflation factor built into their money. It is feasible that with enough inflation, they could control the entire revenue from the Federal Reserve. That funding source is more assured than Social Security. And if the agency is running amuck, Congress has no ability to use the appropriations process to bring oversight to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. That is a great name. It seems to protect it, even if that is not primarily what it seems to be doing. I am only picking on a very small portion of that with this bill. prgtoken You may be familiar with something called the transparent General Schedule for Federal employees, often referred to as the ``GS scale.'' It is the primary way that the government ensures that Federal employee salaries are appropriate and reasonable. This pay scale, however, doesn't apply to the least accountable agency in the Federal Government--you guessed it, the CFPB. prgtoken At the CFPB, the Director has the sole discretion to determine employees' salaries. Government employees at the CFPB--if you want to call them government employees, because they are really outside any control by the government, either the executive branch or legislative branch, and it takes a court case to get it to the judicial branch-- government employees at the CFPB receive some of the highest paychecks of all Federal workers. According to data my office obtained from the Office of Personnel Management and the CFPB itself, there were over 170 employees at the CFPB who were paid salaries in 2017 that ranged from $180,000 to $259,000. To put this in perspective, in 2017, the highest paid appointees i
CONGRATULATING CADET CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JAMES SMITH
Adrian Smith (Republican, NE) \u2014 2018-3-7

I rise today to congratulate James Smith of Kearney, Nebraska, on his promotion to Cadet Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Cornhusker Division. This is a great accomplishment. Of the 415 cadets who have served in the Cornhusker Division, only four have been promoted to Chief Petty Officer (CPO), the highest rank a cadet can achieve in the program. The three other cadets to achieve this rank prior to CPO James Smith were CPO Dan Seaman in 1993, CPO Crystal Simmons in 2002, and CPO Vincent Lombardo in 2014. It was also my honor to nominate James to the U.S. Naval Academy earlier this year. He has clearly demonstrated the dedication and drive necessary to succeed in our military. On behalf of the people of Nebraska's Third District, I commend James for his leadership and commitment to serving our country.
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR (Executive Session)
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2018-3-7

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc with no intervening action or debate; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that no further motions be in order; and that any statements relating to the nominations be printed in the Record.
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Continued
Lisa Murkowski (Republican, AK) \u2014 2018-3-7

and congratulate him. I recognize him and Senator Crapo, as well, for their efforts. prgtoken I think, as we look to those energy solutions that can take our country and our planet to a place that is better, that demonstrate a truly greater environmental stewardship through the uses of clean energy, one should almost immediately look to the benefits that nuclear is able to provide for us. prgtoken In my coming from a fossil-producing State like Alaska, people often ask, if I were not someone in Congress, would I be a supporter of nuclear. I truly believe that when it comes to our energy portfolio and those that will allow us to have a balanced approach to our energy and our energy solutions and when we are talking about the affordability, the accessibility, the diversity of supply, and the security of supply, you must also include and emphasize the clean energy supply. prgtoken What the Senator from Rhode Island continues to repeat is worth repeating. Focusing on how we move ourselves to a cleaner energy environment is something we have had opportunities to visit and is something to which I am committed. So I look forward to finding those areas of balance. Remembering Jim Balamaci prgtoken , I am here this afternoon for a brief few moments to pay tribute to an Alaskan whom we lost just within the past 2 weeks. prgtoken My State is a State that is well known for the strength of its nonprofit sector, and we lost one of our leaders of that sector--a very special person who was beloved by many. He was a gentleman, a friend, by the name of Jim Balamaci. Jim was the president and chief executive officer of Alaska's Special Olympics. He unexpectedly passed away at the age of 63. prgtoken This Sunday, I will be going home and will join with thousands who will fill the Alaska Airlines Arena on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus to pay tribute to Jim and to celebrate his contributions to the Special Olympics. Jim was really a giant in the Special Olympics, both at the local level and at the national level. prgtoken I think it is most fitting that the celebration of Jim's life will occur during the weekend of the Special Olympics Alaska Winter Games. This will provide an opportunity for the many Special Olympians, the coaches, the volunteers--I am actually going to be there to help pass out awards--and for so many of us whose lives have been touched by Jim's inspiration to gather together to show our love and our admiration for, again, a truly great man. prgtoken Being born in Alaska affords one a certain quantum of bragging rights when it comes to leadership, but truth be told, when the history of Alaska post-statehood is written, it is people like Jim who came from somewhere else and chose to make Alaska their home--their lives will be remembered for making Alaska the extraordinary and very special place that it is. Jim really fit that bill.
ECONOMIC GROWTH, REGULATORY RELIEF, AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED
Shelley Moore Capito (Republican, WV) \u2014 2018-3-7

I come to the floor today to talk about the bill we have in front of us, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. That is a mouthful right there, but what it is, is a culmination and reaction to the Dodd-Frank bill that was passed in 2010 as a result of the crisis of 2008 and 2009. prgtoken I think it is important for us to note where this is directed. In Dodd-Frank, so much of the focus was placed on large banks and larger institutions, but what has been lost in the debate and what really is an unintended consequence, I think, is that the massive and burdensome regulatory legislation would affect the smaller banks, the community banks, and the credit unions. prgtoken Senator Rounds of South Dakota and Senator Blunt of Missouri and my State of West Virginia have more rural areas for the most part, and these community banks and credit unions are absolutely critical to our individuals but also to our businesses. They have been bearing the brunt of Washington's response to that in the form of Dodd-Frank. prgtoken We know that larger financial institutions have the capital, resources, staff, and expertise to handle a lot of these regulatory requirements that are placed on them, but smaller institutions have really struggled under the weight of Dodd-Frank. We didn't come to this point today without a lot of discussion, compromise, and thoughtful input from a lot of different entities to figure out the best way to serve all our States. These smaller institutions play a critical role in a State like West Virginia. Our small businesses rely on them to open and succeed, our communities rely on them to expand, and our economy relies on them to grow, especially in our rural areas. prgtoken Our community banks and credit unions really had to shift their attention away from what they know best, which is relationship-based lending and borrowing, and put it more into this regulatory environment to devote bank resources, time, energy, effort, and legal resources to make sure they are complying with regulations that were really intended for larger financial institutions. It has been tough. prgtoken From 2010, which was the year Dodd-Frank was enacted, until 2016, the number of community banks in our country has decreased by 1,600. That is a significant decrease in the number of community banks. With little or no access to community banks, our Main Street borrowers have been forced to turn to larger institutions for loans. That is fine, but a lot of times our Main Street businesses and individuals get lost in the shuffle. Sometimes it is stiffer terms, and sometimes it could mean rejection. prgtoken We are talking about farmers, families looking to buy a home, and of course our small businesses. We are really talking about the hard- working men and women trying to live that American dream. prgtoken With smaller institutions constantly forced to merge with larger ones to help shoulder th