mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY RELATING TO ``COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT...
Mike Crapo (Republican, ID) \u2014 2020-10-19

I rise to oppose the resolution vacating the OCC's final rule on the Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA. prgtoken Acting Comptroller of the Currency Brian Brooks has noted: ``The new Community Reinvestment Act rule was finalized for one reason--to promote more lending and investment in underserved areas--including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.'' prgtoken The key changes the rule makes are these: It clarifies what counts for CRA credit, updates where activity is evaluated, evaluates CRA performance more objectively, and makes record-keeping and reporting timelier and more transparent. prgtoken The OCC's efforts to improve the CRA framework began in 2017 with an extensive and deliberate process, engaging numerous stakeholders along the way. The OCC issued its advance notice of proposed rulemaking in 2018, and in December 2019, the OCC jointly issued a proposed rule with the FDIC, which received 7,500 comments. The OCC says those comments made it better and significantly different from the proposal. prgtoken The status quo was failing. The OCC found that the regulatory status quo had failed to improve economic outcomes for underserved groups, including minorities and low- and moderate-income communities. prgtoken The CRA regulatory process was broken. Acting Comptroller Brooks stated: In addition to not achieving the societal goals of the statute, the regulatory process around CRA was broken. Banks and stakeholders were uncertain of what activities would qualify for CRA consideration from exam to exam. The framework's lack of objectivity, transparency, consistency, and fairness left the whole process open to sweetheart deals and made it nearly impossible to assess the impact of billions of dollars that were spent each year. Stakeholders have voiced the need to update the CRA regulations now for more than a decade. prgtoken What does the final rule do? The final rule establishes objective criteria for determining and an illustrative list of what qualifies for CRA credit, while also creating a preapproval process for banks. It updates and expands assessment areas to better reflect how banks serve customers today by adding deposit-based assessment areas. It also incentivizes CRA activity in new areas of need, including Indian Country and rural and distressed areas. The final rule establishes new general performance standards to more objectively evaluate a bank's CRA performance. Finally, the rule requires banks to report better data to improve the transparency and accountability of banks and their regulators to their communities. prgtoken Importantly, the rule does not change the OCC's authority or obligation to fight discrimination and illegal practices. prgtoken Several organizations have praised the final rule, including the Consumer Bankers Association, the National Disability Institute, the National Congress of American Indians, and the
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-10-19

I am honored to recognize Dawn Curtis and her late husband Danny Curtis on being named 2020 Angels in Adoption award recipients. prgtoken The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, CCAI, was established in 2001 to raise awareness about the need for adoption in the United States and eliminate barriers standing between orphan and foster children becoming part of a family. Angels in Adoption is the CCAI's signature public awareness program, which annually recognizes outstanding individuals, families, and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to adoption, permanency, and child welfare. I am honored to congratulate Dawn and Danny Curtis for their exemplary work that led to this well-deserved national honor. prgtoken Dawn and Danny had two biological children and dreamed of a bigger family. The call to expand their family was answered during a visit to their local Walmart, where Dawn and Danny were browsing a photo album of children in foster care at a booth hosted by the Arkansas Department of Human Services. They fell in love with the picture of a 4-year-old girl and learned she had three brothers. The siblings had been in the foster care system for 3 years and multiple homes when the couple adopted all four of the children. prgtoken After their first adoption experience, Dawn decided to follow her passion to work with children in foster care and obtained her master's degree in social work. She went on to work for the Arkansas Department of Human Services and served in a variety of roles during her career, including as an adoption specialist. During these years, the family was approached to consider adopting others in foster care and eventually added six more children to their home. prgtoken Danny worked for many years as a police officer and a bus driver while caring for his growing family. Danny and Dawn also visited Washington, DC, on several occasions to advocate for adoption and children in foster care. The 12 Curtis children span 20 years of age and are all adults now, but the example and dedication of their parents continues to move everyone around them. prgtoken The Curtis family is an amazing example of putting love into action. Their personal commitment changed the lives of the children they brought into their family and serves as an inspiration for others as to the impact of foster care and adoption.
Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett (Executive Calendar)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2020-10-19

last week, the Judiciary Committee held its hearing on Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination, and it was easy to see why Judge Barrett is held in such high regard by her colleagues, students, and peers and why the American Bar Association gave her its highest rating of ``well qualified.'' prgtoken We knew long before the hearing that Judge Barrett possesses an extraordinary intelligence and a comprehensive command of the law. But over 3 days of testimony, Americans got to see her qualifications for themselves, and they saw why she has been described as ``a jurist of formidable intellect,'' a ``brilliant and conscientious lawyer,'' and ``a staggering academic mind.'' Even the ic ranking member on the committee, the senior Senator from California, couldn't hide the fact that she was impressed. prgtoken Most importantly, however, Americans saw that Judge Barrett understands the proper role of a judge in our system of government. As Judge Barrett made clear, she understands that the job of a judge is to interpret the law, not to make the law; to call balls and strikes, not to rewrite the rules of the game; or, as Judge Barrett said to the whip at the hearing last week: ``I apply the law. I follow the law. You make policy.'' prgtoken Judge Barrett has made it clear that when cases come before her on the Supreme Court, she will consider the facts, the law, and the Constitution, and nothing else--not her personal beliefs, not her political opinions, just the law and the Constitution. That is the kind of Justice that all of us-- or , liberal or conservative--should want. prgtoken I could spend hours highlighting all the extraordinary tributes to Judge Barrett that have poured in since her nomination, from lawyers and scholars of every background and political persuasion, but I don't want to tie up the Senate floor. So I will just mention one piece of testimony that struck me in particular. prgtoken As I mentioned, the American Bar Association released its rating of Judge Barrett last week, a rating that the ic leader, by the way, has called the ``gold standard''--the ``gold standard''--by which judicial candidates are judged. Well, the ABA gave Judge Barrett its highest possible rating--``well qualified.'' And the chairman of the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, the ABA committee that issues these ratings, testified before the Judiciary Committee during Judge Barrett's hearing. I would like to read from the testimony that he submitted to the committee. Lawyers and judges uniformly praised the nominee's integrity. Most remarkably, in interviews with individuals in the legal profession and the community who know Judge Barrett, whether for a few years or decades, not one person uttered a negative word about her character. Accordingly, the Standing Committee was not required to consider any
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY RELATING TO ``COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT...
Rob Portman (Republican, OH) \u2014 2020-10-19

I am glad we just voted down the motion by the ic leader to adjourn because we have work to do here, including the COVID-19 legislation that we need to be here to be working on. So I am glad the motion to table was successful. And, yes, we also have to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Tribute to John Ruthven prgtoken , I have come to the floor today to pay tribute to John Ruthven, a beloved son of Ohio who passed away last week at the age of 95. prgtoken John Ruthven was a nationally recognized wildlife artist and a naturalist whose extraordinary artistic skills earned him numerous awards and other recognitions. But it was John's integrity, his humility, his generosity, and personal warmth that led to so many admirers. prgtoken John never met a stranger, and even in these strident times, John never had an enemy. He was an eternal optimist who looked for the best in people and in doing so, brought out the best in everyone. prgtoken John was a true son of Ohio who grew up in Cincinnati and, as a boy, was often found fishing and hunting and sketching along the Ohio River. He was a lifelong patriot who was very proud of his country and proud of having served his country as an 18-year-old sailor during World War II. He was generous of spirit and generous in giving back to his community, contributing his time and artwork to literally hundreds of good causes. prgtoken John loved his family--his kids, Ricki and Kevin; his grandsons, Adam and Matt; and his great-grandsons, William, Jack, and Michael. He lost the love of his life, Judy, just under a decade ago. They were inseparable, and they are now together. prgtoken My wife Jane and I feel John's presence every day through his artwork that hangs on our walls at home and at work. Here in my Washington, DC, office, we displayed his painting ``Eagle to the Moon,'' for the past decade, a masterpiece of natural painting signed not just by John but also John's good friend, the famous astronaut Neil Armstrong. prgtoken Each Ruthven painting has its own story, and ``Eagle to the Moon'' is no exception. Ohio Governor James Rhodes had commissioned John to paint an eagle on the Moon in honor of the Apollo 11 mission and Neil Armstrong's famous words, ``The eagle has landed.'' John told the Governor there were no eagles on the Moon, and as a naturalist painter, he refused to place one there. Governor Rhodes insisted, so John-- always a peacemaker--found a compromise. He painted a majestic bald eagle flying past an Ohio buckeye tree--tying the eagle, therefore, to the Earth and to Ohio--and put a glowing Moon in the background to please Governor Rhodes. The Governor could not say no to such a beautiful portrayal, and it is beautiful. prgtoken His paintings are displayed in the statehouse in Columbus and in thousands of offices and living rooms all across Ohio and beyond. You will see his work when strolling through my
RECOGNIZING RANDY DRUVENGA
Joni Ernst (Republican, IA) \u2014 2020-10-19

I am honored to congratulate Waverly's Randy Druvenga on the conclusion of his tenure as Chair of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies--NAMIC--a member organization of property and casualty insurance companies. Randy has helped lead this organization through its 125th year of existence, including the NAMIC Mutual Insurance Foundation's drive to raise $125,000 for scholarships to help talented young Americans pursue their college degrees toward careers in insurance. It is fitting that Randy led NAMIC during this milestone anniversary as the association was founded by Iowans in 1895. prgtoken While the Hawkeye State is happy to share Randy with NAMIC, we are most proud of his servant leadership in his home State. Randy has served as the past president of the Mutual Insurance Association of Iowa and is currently president of First Maxfield Mutual Insurance Association, a farm mutual insurance company serving more than 7,900 policyholders in northeast Iowa. He is a constant presence in his community, supporting numerous causes including the Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools Foundation, and as a former referee and member of the Iowa High School Athletic Association Officials Hall of Fame. prgtoken I want to again congratulate Randy Druvenga for his leadership. Iowans are famous for their commitment to their communities, and Randy embodies that spirit at home and beyond.
Paycheck Protection Program (Executive Calendar)
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-10-19

shortly, we will be voting on whether or not to extend the Paycheck Protection Program, which has been hugely successful in helping our small businesses keep their employees. prgtoken In Maine, three out of four small businesses have received $2.3 billion in forgivable loans. Most important, these loans have helped to sustain 250,000 jobs in the State of Maine and 50 million jobs nationwide. prgtoken A bipartisan group of us--Senator Rubio, Senator Cardin, Senator Shaheen, and I--put this bipartisan program together in March. We added funding in April, and we extended it in June until August 8. prgtoken The pandemic, unfortunately, is still forcing shutdowns and mitigation measures months later. Many of the small businesses that were sustained by their PPP loans are still unable to return to normal operations. prgtoken Without more assistance, without being eligible for a second PPP loan, many of the hardest hit small businesses, including our restaurants, our gift shops, our hotels, and our B&Bs, will be forced to close their doors, and, worse yet, lay off their workers. That is why it is so important that we reach bipartisan agreement quickly to provide further assistance to small businesses and nonprofits that have been kept alive by their first PPP loan, that have been able to retain and pay their employees but now are still struggling to survive due to this persistent pandemic. prgtoken The amendment that we are about to vote on would provide approximately $258 billion in funding to allow eligibility for a second PPP loan for the hardest hit small businesses and nonprofits, while also expanding and improving the program in some commonsense ways. prgtoken This is all about keeping Americans employed. This amendment is endorsed by the NFIB, the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the International Franchise Association, HospitalityMaine, the United Fresh Produce Association, the National Fisheries Institute, and the International Foodservice Distributors Association. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this important step to renew and strengthen the PPP program to save our small businesses and their employees' jobs. prgtoken Thank you.
U.S. SENATE CHAMBER AND GALLERIES REGULATIONS
Roy Blunt (Republican, MO) \u2014 2020-10-19

in accordance with rule 23 of the Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Rules and Administration and pursuant to Senate Rule XXXIII, on October 7, 2020, the Committee on Rules and Administration adopted the ``United States Senate Chamber and Galleries Regulations,'' which supersede and replace the current ``Rules for Regulation of the Senate Wing of the United States Capitol and Senate Office Buildings.''
Coronavirus (Executive Calendar)
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-10-19

first, I would like to commend my colleague, the Senator from Maine, for her absolute, unquestioned leadership in this issue of paycheck protection. She knows, in Maine, as I do in Wyoming, the importance of small businesses to our communities, to our Main Streets, to the vitality of our economies, and she has led the fight from the beginning of coronavirus to make sure our businesses would remain viable; that they would have opportunities to keep people on the payroll; that they can continue to contribute to their communities. prgtoken She was the one who brought up this idea in the first place, shepherded it all the way through Congress as part of the CARES Act, and continues in that leadership role today. prgtoken I come here today on the floor to first commend my colleague from Maine and also to talk about the ongoing fight against coronavirus and the plan forward, guided by data and doctors, to put the disease behind us and let all of these small businesses that the Senator from Maine has been working to allow to continue to strive and to thrive. prgtoken Those in the fight against the virus--and I talk to you as a doctor now--continue to hold our respect and our admiration. They are doing remarkable work in community hospitals and clinics all around the country. And across the country, as a result of the PPP program, our Main Streets are getting a little busier; our economy is gaining strength; kids are going back to school; and even some football is being played. prgtoken Most importantly, we are learning more about this disease and how we can successfully treat COVID-19. What doctors and clinicians and researchers and scientists have been able to accomplish in such a relatively short period of time is nothing short of remarkable. These men and women are fighting a battle every day in the labs and the hospitals around the world; they are racing against time; and they are saving lives. They are our heroes today at work all across our Nation. prgtoken An effective vaccine will allow everyone to get back to work and to school. It will also be the protection our most vulnerable Americans desperately need: our seniors, patients with preexisting conditions, anyone confined to a nursing home. prgtoken Congress has already directed $10 billion for vaccine development. I, for one, and other Members of the conference believe that we should be doing more. A month ago, the Senate tried to begin debate on our plan to finish the fight against coronavirus. The bill we brought to the floor of the Senate would get people back to work safely, would get kids back to school safely, and would put the disease behind us. Instead, , on this very floor--on this very floor--blocked the focused, targeted bill. prgtoken Now, this week, once again are blocking another vote on relief for coronavirus--relief that is needed all around the country; relief that I hear about in Wyoming and,
NOMINATION OF AMY CONEY BARRETT
Mitch McConnell (Republican, KY) \u2014 2020-10-19

. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the entire country heard from one of the most impressive nominees for any public office in a long time. Judge Amy Coney Barrett demonstrated that she has the deep legal expertise, dispassionate judicial temperament, and sheer intellectual horsepower the American people deserve to have on the Supreme Court. Her nomination prompted an outpouring of praise from across academia, the legal profession, and, importantly, the political spectrum. Last week, our committee colleagues saw why fellow legal scholars called Judge Barrett ``a brilliant and conscientious lawyer who will analyze and decide cases in good faith'' and say she is ``tailor-made for this job.'' They heard firsthand why her former law clerks and students called her ``a woman of unassailable integrity'' and ``a role model for generations to come.'' prgtoken They heard thoughtful answers that explained why the American Bar Association--an institution the ic leader has called ``the gold standard''--deems Judge Barrett ``well qualified'' to sit on the Supreme Court. They heard why the legal professionals behind that rating call her ``a staggering academic mind.'' prgtoken The Chair of the ABA's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary told the committee directly that ``in interviews with individuals in the legal profession and community who know Judge Barrett, whether for a few years or decades, not one person uttered a negative word about her character.'' prgtoken Of course, there is another way you can tell that Judge Barrett is so impressive and so qualified. It is the fact that the people who precommitted to oppose her nomination have completely retreated from arguing the merits. Virtually none of the politicians, pundits, or special interests that opposed Judge Barrett from the beginning have even tried to lay a finger on her qualifications or credentials. prgtoken We have seen inaccurate claims that it would be abnormal for the Senate to fill this seat. We have seen bizarre, barely disguised insinuations about the nominee's religious faith, and now, this morning, there was improper press scrutiny of her children. We have heard try to take hostage our very institutions of government to stop this precedent-backed process from moving forward, but none of the distortions can even begin to cloud the incredible qualifications of the nominee. prgtoken I look forward to the Judiciary Committee's vote on Thursday. The full Senate will turn to Judge Barrett's nomination as soon as it comes out of committee. I will be proud to vote to confirm this exceptional jurist