mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
UNLEASH THE STUDENT DEBT STRANGLEHOLD
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2019-6-26

. Madam , today I rise to introduce the Transforming Student Debt to Home Equity Act of 2019. prgtoken My bill would enable graduates current on repayment to renegotiate their student debt into an opportunity to purchase and own a home, which, of course, is an equity-accumulating instrument. prgtoken With an estimated $1.6 trillion student debt, it is no wonder homeownership rates among young adults have plummeted. prgtoken Luckily, there is a proven financial instrument already in widespread use that could facilitate a solution: the home mortgage. prgtoken This common lending tool has the power to incorporate student loan repayments into a means for building equity, not just debt: the home mortgage. prgtoken This bill directly asks HUD and the Federal Housing Administration to establish a pilot program that connects creditworthy Federal student debt holders with eligible homes by arranging financing that recalculates terms, debt-to-income ratios, interest rates, community reinvestment thresholds, and other factors. prgtoken Short-term student debt in certain situations could transition into longer-term home mortgage ownership opportunity. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to help unleash the student debt stranglehold on so many in the aspiring generation.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-6-26

it is with great pride that I name All Time Toys of Eldersburg, MD, the U.S. Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken All Time's story and that of its owner Jason Barnes is one of perseverance. That is because All Time has recovered from two 1,000- year flood events in less than 18 months. prgtoken On July 31, 2016, less than 2 months after Jason purchased All Time, 75 percent of his inventory was destroyed by a historic, fatal flash flood that washed through Ellicott City, leaving millions of dollars' worth of damage in its wake. prgtoken Within hours, countless videos of the destructive torrent rushing down Main Street were being shared on social media and on the news. One of those videos was of Jason leading a human chain to rescue a woman trapped in her car. Jason's selfless act has been seen by millions of people around the globe, and it earned him an award from the Carnegie Hero Fund. When asked about his act of heroism, Jason said that he ``just wanted to help any way'' he could and that he could not ``just stand idly by.'' prgtoken After the waters receded, Jason had to figure out how he would move forward. Thanks to his persistence, and with support from the Maryland Small Business Development Center,--SBDC--All Time reopened less than 6 months later on January 20, 2017; 2017 was a very successful year for Jason and All Time. The company's sales doubled, it drastically improved its business practices and systems, and Jason was scouting locations for a second store. prgtoken Then on May 27, 2018, less than 2 years after the 2016 flood and less than 18 months after All Time reopened, Ellicott City was devastated again by another historic flash flood. This time, however, Jason was prepared with a readiness plan and the business continuity strategies he learned from the Maryland SBDC. prgtoken According to FEMA, 40 percent of small businesses that go through a major disaster never open their doors again, and given that Jason was a brand-new entrepreneur who had lost the vast majority of his stock, to say that All Time beat the odds would be an understatement. prgtoken Jason's story is why the Small Business Committee invited him to provide testimony during our hearing on the Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Assistance. In his deeply moving testimony, Jason made clear that his recovery would not have been possible without support from SBA, the Maryland SBDC, and its two secret weapons: Maryland SBDC consultants Craig Panos and Garrett Clover, whose advice and knowledge Jason called miraculous during the hearing. prgtoken For too many small businesses, a major natural disaster marks the end of a dream, but for Jason and All Time, surviving two historic floods has opened up a new chapter defined by resilience and persistence. He recently reopened All Time in nearby Eldersburg, MD, and he is once again scouting locations for a second store. prgtoken I am proud of Jason's Free St
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Thomas R. Suozzi (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2019-6-26

there is bipartisan agreement in this House that there is no greater obligation in our Nation than to our Nation's veterans. prgtoken I have an amendment before us that increases funding from the Small Business Administration's Entrepreneurial Development Programs, specifically for the Veterans Business Outreach Centers. prgtoken These centers provide a wide range of services to our veterans, including training and counseling. They also provide transitioning service members with a large network of successful business advisers and veteran businessowners. prgtoken There are over 800,000 veterans in my State. These veterans bring a wealth of skills and experience that make them uniquely suited to be successful small business owners. They have sacrificed a great deal for our Nation, and it is our responsibility to support them as they transition to the next stage of their lives and careers. prgtoken Veterans Business Outreach Centers support an aspiring small business owner through every step of the process. They organize workshops that walk veterans through the key considerations of starting a small business. They also help clients set up business plans to help strategic, legal, and financial requirements. prgtoken , according to the SBA, there are over 2.5 million businesses in the United States that are majority owned by veterans. These businesses employ over 5 million people and generate annual revenues of over $1 trillion. prgtoken In the State of New York alone, there are over 137,000 businesses owned by veterans that create jobs and support our communities. prgtoken In the State of New York, we have the Arsenal Business and Technology Partnership located in upstate New York that provides support to veterans and their spouses throughout not only our State of New York, but New Jersey and Puerto Rico, that are all looking to start and expand or purchase a business. These services are offered both in person and online and are available at no cost to veterans. prgtoken The SBA's Veterans Business Outreach Centers represent an outstanding opportunity to invest in our communities while also supporting the returning service members who have sacrificed for our Nation. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I strongly urge the passage of my amendment, and .
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
Christopher Murphy (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2019-6-26

on July 9, the administration will be in court defending the Texas v. United States lawsuit. Let me rephrase that. They will not be defending the lawsuit. They will be arguing on the side of the plaintiff in that lawsuit. prgtoken This is a virtually unprecedented move. Administrations traditionally defend the statutes of the United States, no matter what they feel about the politics of the underlying statute. But the administration has made the decision to join with 22 attorneys general to argue that the entirety of the Affordable Care Act should be dismantled, with nothing to replace it. prgtoken There are those of us who believe that it would not be wise policy to kick 20 million people off of insurance and get rid of all of the insurance protections in the Affordable Care Act, with no idea as to what comes next. We have begged our colleagues to join us in telling the administration--demanding that the prgtoken administration argue against the attorneys general in this case. prgtoken I have listened to my friends, and I have listened to the President himself over and over again say that they don't like the Affordable Care Act. They want to replace it with something else, something that insures more people, and something that continues to protect people with preexisting conditions. If that is your position, it stands to reason that you would oppose a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the entirety of the Affordable Care Act with nothing to replace it. prgtoken The bewitching hour is upon us. The oral arguments are the week after next. This lawsuit was successful at the district court level, so there is no reason not to believe there is a substantial possibility that it could be successful at the appellate court level as well. prgtoken I wanted to come to the floor, as we head into this week while we will be back in our districts, just to make sure that everybody understands what the stakes are on July 9 when the administration will argue in court to get rid of insurance for 20 to 30 million Americans and what the stakes are for this Senate--in particular, Senate s refusing to stand up to the President in his perpetuation of this lawsuit. prgtoken If the Affordable Care Act is struck down, there are 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions who could see insurance rates increase by up to 50 to 60 percent. Others will have their insurance withdrawn when they go through open enrollment next because no insurer will cover someone with serious, very expensive preexisting conditions. That was the way things worked before the Affordable Care Act was passed. prgtoken Gone is Medicaid expansion, which today covers 17 million people across the country--and I have been happy to see more and more States with Governors or State legislators adopt the Medicaid expansions and become a source of bipartisan agreemen
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Gerald E. Connolly (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2019-6-26

. Mr. Chair, the administration is currently threatening Congress with the furlough of 150 employees at the Office of Personnel Management unless we, the Congress, acquiesce to the administration's so-called plan to abolish OPM altogether and give the White House control of governmentwide Federal employee policies. prgtoken My amendment would put an end to the administration's plan to use the careers of 150 loyal civil servants as bargaining chips for the proposal to abolish OPM altogether. This proposal lacks merit, justification, or even a coherent rationale. prgtoken And you don't have to take my word for it. The Government Accountability Office has testified that OPM's leaders ``have not established outcome-oriented goals, developed a cost-benefit analysis or implementation plans, and have not fully involved or communicated their efforts with the Congress, employees, and other key stakeholders.'' prgtoken Both s and have expressed similar skepticism about this plan here in the House and in the other body. prgtoken My counterpart in the Senate, Chairman James Lankford, has said: It is hard to get to the determination of how this makes anything better, meaning the proposal. prgtoken The Federal Government's most essential resource is its 2.6 million employees, who comprise the most professional, nonpartisan civil service in the world. Developing and enforcing the policies to protect them from political interference has been the task of the independent agency OPM. prgtoken OPM administers the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program and processes retirement benefits for 2.5 million Federal retirees and survivors. It vets and trains candidates for some of our Nation's most important civil service positions. It also provides dental, vision, and medical insurance to 8 million Federal employees and their families. In short, , OPM is the agency that serves the people who serve the American people. prgtoken We have watched as this administration has attempted to curtail the independence of the civil service itself and reverse more than a century of protected reforms implemented by professionals in the civil service and to insulate them from political influence. Now the administration is holding the careers of 150 civil servants hostage in an attempt to force Congress' hand to this terrible idea. Much is at stake, and we cannot allow civil servants to serve as bargaining chips. prgtoken On May 21, my subcommittee held a hearing that eviscerated the administration's half-baked plan to eliminate OPM, and criticism was bipartisan. I told Acting Director Weichert then that the plan was dead on arrival and that she needed to start over to find a way that we could work together on a bipartisan basis to improve this essential agency. She said she would, and I took her at her word. prgtoken Despite clear messages and continued oversight, Ms. Weichert has moved forw
HONORING JOHN McNAMARA OF THE CAPITAL GAZETTE
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2019-6-26

. Madam , I include in the Record an obituary of John McNamara, a reporter for the Capital Gazette in Annapolis Maryland. [From the Baltimore Sun] prgtoken John McNamara, Capital Gazette Sports Reporter, Recalled for His Vast Knowledge and Love of the Terps (By Jacques Kelly) John McNamara, an editor and sports reporter for The Capital Gazette who covered the University of Maryland Terrapins and was a high school basketball history specialist, died June 28 at the attack at the Annapolis newspaper's office. The Silver Spring resident was 56. ``Basketball was a love of his and he had a great feel for the game,'' said former Maryland men's basketball coach Gary Williams. ``He could have made a lot more money elsewhere, but he had the job he wanted and it was what he wanted to be. I gave him a lot of credit for that.'' Born in Washington and raised in Bethesda, he was the son of Thomas McNamara Sr a federal Department of Education financial analyst, and his wife, Elizabeth Lynch. He was a 1979 graduate of St. John's College High School in Washington and obtained a journalism degree from the University of Maryland College Park, where he had reported sports for campus newspaper, The Diamondback. ``John was one of the most honest and fairest reporters I have ever met,'' said Johnny Holliday, sportscaster and longtime radio personality. ``I enjoyed being around him. ``He was of the mindset that he was going to pick out the positive aspects of an individual player. He told me he understood the greatest thrill for a 9- or 10-year-old was seeing their name in print.'' Mr. McNamara played softball and basketball informally in school and had delivered newspapers for the old Washington Evening Star. He retained childhood memories of watching the old Washington Senators play at RFK Stadium. He was also a Bullets basketball fan. While at Maryland, he covered high school sports for The Washington Post. ``He had two job offers right out of college,'' said his wife, Andrea Chamblee, whom he met while both were Maryland students. ``One was for $15,000 a year as an agate-type clerk doing box scores for USA Today. The other was writing sports for $13,000 at the Hagerstown Herald-Mail. He took [the Herald-Mail] because it allowed him to do what he wanted to do--and in that first year [1983] he covered the Orioles, who were in the World Series. ``He felt he made the right choice. His first year out of the college and he was covering a World Series. He was exhilarated.'' She said they married in 1985 because by then he was making $15,000--they had agreed to delay their wedding until he had passed that financial mi
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
Robert Menendez (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-6-26

as I said, we worked all weekend long with the Senator from Pennsylvania's office, and we are happy to continue to work with him to see if we can come to a common ground. His original amendment that we were discussing did include the elimination of democracy promotion, and that is something that China would only be too happy to achieve. prgtoken I understand that in this amendment--which I have not had the full opportunity, nor my staff, to fully analyze--he may have excluded that. That is another step forward. So we are happy to engage with the Senator and see if we can come to common ground beyond today. prgtoken My goal, however, is to join the Senator in punishing countries that are ultimately allowing this to happen, but not to do it in a way that doesn't punish the country but actually denies those whom we are trying to help inside of those countries in the pursuit of our own interests. So if we come to that point, I hope we can ultimately come to an agreement. prgtoken With that, .
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Jim Banks (Republican, IN) \u2014 2019-6-26

a few billion dollars here, a few billion dollars there, $25 billion over there, eventually it adds up. That is why the American people are demanding now more than ever for their Nation's leaders to do something about a $22-trillion-and-growing national debt. prgtoken , we are running out of time to put our fiscal house in order. Deficits will soon top $1 trillion and grow to nearly $2 trillion over the next decades. prgtoken My constituents back home in northeast Indiana see this reckless spending and ever-growing national debt and they ask me every time I go home, Are you serious? prgtoken It is a valid question, , and I honestly don't know what to tell them, when we have spending bills like the one before us that spends more than ever before on this particular division, just like the other seven divisions that we voted on previously. prgtoken I have offered this amendment now seven other times in addition to today in an attempt to prevent sequestration and the devastating effects it will have on our Nation's military. Our national security is dependent upon the state of our fiscal house, and unfortunately, these spending bills do nothing to protect the security and prosperity of our Nation. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support my amendment to cut 14 percent of nondefense spending in this bill, to rein in out-of-control spending. prgtoken , .
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-6-26

I am here to address the specific topic about energy laws, but hearing my friend and colleague from Connecticut talk about the healthcare law, I would just point out that as 20 ic candidates for President assemble tonight and tomorrow night in Miami, they are going to be there calling for a repeal and replacement of the healthcare law. prgtoken The leading candidate, the Senator from Vermont, is going to say, under this healthcare law that we have now in this country, this healthcare system is the most bureaucratic, inefficient system in the world, and he is going to propose a one-size-fits-all healthcare system that repeals and replaces the Care healthcare law with a system where people will pay more to wait longer for worse care. As a result, 180 million people who get their insurance through their jobs will lose their insurance. Also, as a result, the 20 million Americans who are on Medicare Advantage will lose that coverage as well. Energy Policy prgtoken , I come to the floor today to discuss my continued efforts to modernize our Nation's energy laws. prgtoken Since my arrival in 2007 in the Senate, I have worked in the Senate on pro-growth energy policies. My goal has always been to protect workers, to promote American energy, and to provide for innovation. prgtoken The Presiding Officer is from an energy State. He knows that today the United States is the world's top energy producer. We are the global leaders in oil as well as natural gas. Still, the energy sector is evolving at a fast clip. We need to stay ahead of the curve to stay on top, so our laws should reflect this changing reality. prgtoken The key, of course, is innovation. That is why I am constantly talking with folks in the industry, people back home in Wyoming, and taking the pulse. I listen to the workers in coal mines and oilfields of Campbell County, to the researchers at the labs at the University of Wyoming. What we discuss are best practices and issues such as: How can we streamline energy permitting? How can we speed research? How can we ensure safety and protect the environment? prgtoken My point is, we need to know the situation on the ground. I know the Presiding Officer hears that in North Dakota on a regular basis. That is how we need to make sure energy laws make sense--knowing what is happening on the ground. prgtoken I proposed practical reforms that reflect that reality. I recently offered legislation to modernize the Federal electricity law. It is called the UPDATE PURPA Act. PURPA refers to the 1978 Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act. Senators Risch, Cramer, and Daines are original cosponsors of this UPDATE PURPA law. Principally, we want to protect families from inflated electric bills. prgtoken People in Wyoming and North Dakota and other States are overpaying. prgtoken That is because PURPA requires State utilities to purchase renewable power an
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2019-6-26

we are going to spend over $4 billion today, and I just propose that we pay for it. There is a humanitarian crisis at the border, but there is also a debt crisis. prgtoken We spend hundreds of millions, if not billions, on wasteful projects. Let's take it from foreign aid welfare and spend it on our southern border. We spend hundreds of thousands of dollars subsidizing guinea pig farmers in Peru, a llama fair in Bolivia, and advertisements to buy carbon credits in Mexico. There was $273 million spent trying to teach foreigners how to fill out grant applications to get more welfare from the United States, $300,000 to help Brazilians get off of Brazilian welfare, and half a million dollars spent jump-starting the Haitian film industry. There are billions of dollars that we can spend on the southern border, but we should take it from somewhere and not add it to the debt of our kids and our grandkids.
FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2020
Tom Graves (Republican, GA) \u2014 2019-6-26

. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment. prgtoken This is another en bloc amendment, and, unlike the one we spoke on previously, this is purely a partisan amendment with really no reflection of a bipartisan tone whatsoever. In fact, it is really nothing more than a partisan attack on the administration and an attempt to make their lives a little bit more difficult, which we see every day around this place. prgtoken It would be nice if the other side would recognize that the administration needs certain resources and needs access to those resources in order to carry out the functions of their job, just like we do here. prgtoken Mr. Chair, because of those reasons, I object to the amendment, encourage a ``no'' vote, and .
EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND SECURITY AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER ACT, 2019
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2019-6-26

I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture vote on Senate amendment No. 764 occur at 12 noon on Thursday, June 27; further, that if cloture is invoked, amendment Nos. 864, 863, and 862 be withdrawn and the postcloture time be considered expired and the Senate vote on amendment No. 861, with no further amendments in order. prgtoken I further ask that the time until 1:45 p.m. be equally divided; that at 1:45 p.m the Senate vote on the substitute amendment, as amended, if amended; that the cloture motion with respect to S. 1790 then be withdrawn and the Senate vote on the passage of S. 1790, as amended, if amended, with no further intervening action or debate; finally, that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the ic leader, on Friday, June 28, the Senate vote on the Udall amendment, No. 883, notwithstanding the passage of S. 1790, and that it require 60 affirmative votes for adoption.