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 CURRENCY RELATING TO ``NATIONAL BANKS AND FEDERAL...
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2021-5-11

in December of 2019, as a new virus was emerging on the opposite side of the world, I spoke at the National Defense University, and the title of the speech I gave was called ``American Industrial Policy and the Rise of China.'' prgtoken The reaction of many people to that at the time was skepticism--from Wall Street investors who, frankly, saw no problem with the status quo on China; from these think-tank experts who mocked my claim at the time that our country relied too much on China economically in our supply chain; and from tech giants in Silicon Valley obsessed with access to the Chinese marketplace. prgtoken But the problem I pointed to at that time in that speech, almost 2 years ago--a year and a half ago--was that for over a quarter century, our economic policies have been mostly about one thing: how American investors and companies can make money by doing business with China. In that vein, it didn't matter if making money meant allowing China to steal our intellectual property, it didn't matter if making money meant stable American jobs kept disappearing, and it didn't matter if making money meant investing in Chinese companies developing technologies to help defeat our country in a future war. prgtoken Finally, Americans are waking up to what a mistake that was. It was a bipartisan consensus that was flawed. prgtoken The 21st century will be defined by the relationship between China and the United States. Frankly, I believe that this is our last chance to make sure that it is a balanced relationship. prgtoken What we do not have time for are China bills or a China bill that is a collection of half-measures and studies. Instead, an actually meaningful China bill is what we need. I believe most Members here want it, and I believe we can get to it in a bipartisan way. But, to do so, I think it has to have six things. If you want a meaningful bill on China, it must touch on six things. prgtoken The first is like I said in December of 2019: We need to identify industries which are critical for our future, and we must spur investment in these key industries. We have to remember that we are not in a strategic competition with foreign Chinese companies. We are in a strategic competition with the world's largest and second wealthiest nation-state. prgtoken There is no way to compete with China by relying only, solely on private investment, not while the Chinese Communist Party subsidizes and cheats to boost its favorite companies. From industrial corporate giants to small businesses that make up our supply chain, the private sector is the most important area of this competition. We can encourage them to step up, just like we did for semiconductors with the CHIPS Act. prgtoken Frankly, the way we developed the vaccine with Operation Warp Speed is an example of a targeted industrial policy in which government partners with the private sector to solve a big problem. You can say what you want about A
Liability Immunity (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-5-11

listening to my friend, the ic whip, reminds me that there is one type of business that my ic friends always support, and that is the lawsuit business. As he pointed out, about half of the States have taken steps to protect their citizens from frivolous litigation and other litigation that would arise out of their good-faith following of the guidelines laid down by the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control. That is what we proposed here in the Senate. prgtoken And my friend's, the Senator from Illinois's view did prevail because I found out that there is one--the most powerful lobby here in Washington, DC, is the trial bar, and, unfortunately, it is not just big corporations. I am sure big companies can take care of themselves. They have got lawyers; they have got compliance officers; and they have got people who can help them figure out how to deal with the pandemic. It is the mom-and-pop businesses, the music venues, the houses of worship, the schools, and the universities--those were the ones that were reluctant to reopen, even complying with the CDC guidelines, because they were afraid of being sued into oblivion. prgtoken So my colleague's views did prevail here in the Senate, unfortunately, but, thankfully, States like mine--Texas is currently in legislative session taking appropriate steps to avoid this sort of frivolous litigation, which will be like a wet blanket on our economic recovery and on job creation. Again, this is not a get-out-of-jail free card. These are citizens--American citizens--trying to do the best they can under very difficult circumstances who have, in good faith, complied with the Centers for Disease Control guidelines. prgtoken I would like to rewind just a little bit to 2019, before the pandemic hit, and recall that the American people were reaping the benefits of one of the strongest economies in American history. The driving force behind that economic boom, I think, was, in significant part, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which we passed in 2017, which sought to help American families and the economy thrive by keeping more of what they earned and turning over less to the Federal Government. In my opinion, there is no question that it was one of the biggest contributors to our booming economy. prgtoken Our national unemployment rate had reached a 50-year low, and we saw record unemployment rates for Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans. Unemployment among women fell to the lowest rate since the early 1950s. That was prepandemic. prgtoken The benefits did not stop there, though. Wages were on the rise. The poverty rate hit an alltime low, and millions of new jobs were being added to our economy. Families were bringing home more of their hard- earned paychecks, and median household income reached a record high. prgtoken But then the pandemic hit, as we know, and things took a very sharp turn downward. Businesses closed their doors; workers los
CANCEL CULTURE
Virginia Foxx (Republican, NC) \u2014 2021-5-11

for yielding tonight for a very short but very serious and solemn set of comments. prgtoken , I rise today to pay tribute to two members of the Watauga County Sheriff's Office who lost their lives in the line of duty on April 28. prgtoken Sergeant Chris Ward, an 8-year law enforcement officer, and K-9 Deputy Logan Fox, a former deputy of the Ashe County Sheriff's Office, left an indelible mark on Watauga County. prgtoken This is a tremendous loss not only for Watauga County, but also for law enforcement across the State and country. These two fallen heroes dedicated their lives to law enforcement, and many who knew them recognized that their passion for serving the community they were proud to call home was second to none. prgtoken This Monday, a Community Day of Remembrance in Boone, North Carolina, was held in their honor. prgtoken Businesses, organizations, and proud citizens of Watauga County came together to show their overwhelming support for law enforcement and for first responders. prgtoken , across America law enforcement officers like Sergeant Ward and Deputy Fox wake up every day with one important goal in mind: fulfilling their duty to uphold law and order. These proud men and women leave for work knowing that they may not come home to their families, but still, they answer the call to serve without a moment's hesitation. That level of commitment to one's duty and community is truly awe-inspiring, and I firmly believe that we owe law enforcement a profound debt of gratitude. prgtoken , I will always support law enforcement across this country. They are true gatekeepers of law and order, and they must be respected. prgtoken Calls to defund the police from the left are egregious and divisive. That rhetoric is profoundly dangerous and is an insult to the men and women who work around the clock to protect us. prgtoken God bless the countless law enforcement officers across this country and their families. We are forever grateful for the sacrifices you continue to make.
RECOGNIZING THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF DOROTHY M. SWEENEY
Scott Perry (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-5-11

. Madam , I'm honored and humbled to recognize the remarkable life of Mrs. Dorothy M. Sweeney, who left our earthly bounds on April 7, 2021. ``Mother Sweeney,'' as she affectionately was called, leaves behind an eternal and meaningful legacy not only to her family and loved ones, but to the entire York County Community. prgtoken Mother Sweeney's life began on January 16, 1934, born to Eddie and Rhoda Hawkins. She was the youngest child--and only girl--in a household of older brothers, Edward Jr Clyde, and Herman. prgtoken Mother Sweeney married Arthur Sweeney in 1951, when they planted their roots in York. Together, they raised four wonderful children-- Takanii, Tomoa Tanya, Tanoue Onishi, and Arleta Maria--with a resilient sense of love and respect for their legacy. prgtoken After a tragic work-related accident claimed the life of her beloved husband, Mother Sweeney was thrust into single parenthood. As obstacles were placed along her path, she persevered--like her mother, Rhoda Hawkins. prgtoken Mother Sweeney would go on to graduate from York College with a degree in Nursing, all while managing a household of four beautiful, albeit sometimes unruly, children. She raised her children with a strong and powerful image of womanhood. She served as the head nurse at York County Homes, and as a private duty nurse while also volunteering for the local PTA--later serving as its president for over six years. She would go on to accept a position with Lincoln Intermediate Unit No. 12 as a teacher for special needs children. prgtoken Mother Sweeney made sure that her children knew their elders and family history, making sure to surround her daughters with family and love, as well as a connection to their roots. Her family soon began to grow, as her daughters welcomed children of their own. Her oldest, Takanii, had 11 children (Damaine, Tak, TakaKhan, Asaii, Ishni, Kiya, Azijah, Adonysha, Zebulon, Masata, and Amasa), Tomoa had four children (Angela, Yahselah, Nashon, and Ashir), Tanoue had one son (Emneko), and Arleta had five children (Tazaa, Taza Todd, Tyleta, T-Hara, and Tynaketa). prgtoken When Mother Sweeney retired professionally, she certainly was kept busy with 21 grandchildren--and all the birthdays, holidays, and celebrations a large family brings. When asked about the number of great-grandchildren she has, Dorothy's response was, ``after 10, I stopped counting.'' The branches of her great family tree have continued to grow with 45 great-grandchildren--and counting. prgtoken Mother Sweeney was always an energetic and active young lady, serving her family, church, and community. As a faithful and dedicated member of Emmanuel COGIC in York-- prgtoken of which her mother was one of the founding members--she has served under founding pastor Elder Wise until his home going. Until now, Mother Sweeney was the only living founding member. Remaining steadfast under the leadership of Pastor Leighton McMillan, she held vario
RECOGNIZING OFFICER ERIC TALLEY
Ken Buck (Republican, CO) \u2014 2021-5-11

. Madam , I rise today to recognize a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for his community. On March 22, Officer Eric Talley courageously confronted a gunman in the Boulder King Soopers. By racing to the scene and not hesitating to directly confront the armed suspect, Officer Talley undoubtedly saved countless lives. His heroic actions and remarkable bravery stand as a stark reminder of the danger that law enforcement officers face every time they pin on their badge. prgtoken Good people like Officer Talley represent the best of America. He was deeply committed to his faith, his family, and his community. He saw a need in his community and felt so strongly that he could contribute to his community that he made a mid-career change to serve as a member of the Boulder Police Department. His deeply held convictions are admirable, and his sacrifice deserves commendations that our human institutions are unable to offer. Colorado will be forever grateful prgtoken for his bravery and determination. On March 22, 2021, Colorado lost a dedicated guardian of the public, a family man, and a person of faith. prgtoken The circumstances that prompt this recognition of Officer Talley fill me with sorrow at the human cost of the gunman's crimes, but it also fills me with a solemn pride and gratitude to know of his resolute character and courage in the face of imminent danger. prgtoken I want to extend my deepest condolences to Officer Talley's family, friends, fellow officers, and community. Madam , I am humbled and honored to recognize Officer Talley's service and sacrifice.
BLOCK, REPORT, AND SUSPEND SUSPICIOUS SHIPMENTS ACT OF 2021
Brett Guthrie (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-5-11

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 768, the Block, Report, And Suspend Shipments Act of 2021, which was led by my prgtoken Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, McKinley and Dingell. prgtoken This bill addresses an alarming problem that was identified in the Energy and Commerce Committee's 2018 bipartisan investigation into the distribution of prescription opioids by wholesale drug distributors. prgtoken The committee found that when millions of prescription opioids were dumped into communities large and small across the country, the distributors flagged the orders for the DEA, but shipped the orders anyway--even after notifying the authorities that the orders were suspicious. prgtoken This bill places additional obligations on drug manufacturers and distributors that discover a controlled substance suspicious order. prgtoken In addition to reporting the suspicious order to the DEA, H.R. 768 requires the manufacturer or distributor to exercise due diligence, decline to fill the order, and provide information to the DEA on the indicators that led to the belief that filling the order would violate the Controlled Substances Act. prgtoken All stakeholders have important roles to play in preventing substance use disorders, and it is critical that our pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors step up in stopping pill dumping. prgtoken I urge a ``yes'' vote, and .
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER OF CURRENCY RELATING TO ``NATIONAL BANKS AND FEDERAL...
Patrick J. Toomey (Republican, PA) \u2014 2021-5-11

I rise in opposition to S.J. Res. 15. prgtoken This is a misguided resolution. It would overturn an important banking prgtoken resolution, the OCC's true lender rule. That is a rule that helps give consumers more access to credit. prgtoken Overturning the true lender rule is a bad idea. It would reduce access to credit for consumers, especially those who have the most difficulty obtaining credit. It would stifle innovation, and it would inhibit the functioning of our markets, our Nation's banking and credit markets. prgtoken Let me explain why preserving this rule is so important. In the last decade, we have seen financial technology companies, often referred to as fintechs, use technology to revolutionize financial services. prgtoken Community and midsized banks that often lack the resources to develop banking technology in-house are partnering with these fintechs to compete more effectively and to offer their customers terrific services at ever-better prices. That is what these partnerships do. They help consumers because they increase competition in lending markets, they lower the price of financial products, they improve credit options, and they expand consumer choice. prgtoken Unfortunately, a patchwork of different legal tests in different courts had made it difficult to predict whether the bank or the fintech partner, when they have teamed up, would be considered legally responsible for a given loan they would make together. So last year, the OCC issued its true lender rule to provide the needed regulatory clarity. The rule--a simple version of this is, it simply holds that a national bank will be responsible for a loan if it is named in the loan agreement or if it funds the loan, which banks often do when they team up with fintechs in these ways. prgtoken Some of our ic colleagues have claimed that the rule, the true lender rule, allows unaccountable ``rent-a-charter'' arrangements, as they call them, but in fact, the true lender rule prevents the rent- a-charter scheme, and it does so because it ensures that the national banks are accountable for the loans they issue through these lending partnerships, and it requires the OCC to supervise those loans for compliance with consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws. prgtoken Other colleagues have expressed concerns that the rule will ``trap'' consumers in arrangements with high interest rates and a principal balance that can never be paid back, but actually that is not possible with these OCC-chartered banks, which are the only ones affected by this rule. That is because a bank is required under the OCC resolution to assess a borrower's ability to repay before making the loan. If a bank is systemically approving loans by this fintech partnership to consumers who can't repay the debt, they will face serious consequences from their regulator, and that is a lot more protection than what would otherwise exist for consumers. prgtoken
RECOGNIZING SPACE TANGO
Rand Paul (Republican, KY) \u2014 2021-5-11

as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each week I recognize an outstanding Kentucky small business that exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. This week, it is my privilege to recognize Space Tango of Lexington, KY, as the Senate Small Business of the Week. prgtoken Growing up on a family farm outside Bardstown, Twyman Clements loved building and launching model rockets with his three brothers. His passion for innovation and engineering led him to the University of Kentucky, UK, where he earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering. As a graduate student at UK, Twyman worked with Kentucky Space, a nonprofit consortium of universities and public and private groups supporting space entrepreneurship. At the time, Kentucky Space was using miniature satellites called cubesats to conduct experiments on the International Space Station. Realizing the need to simplify and reduce the cost of spacebased research and development, R&D, Twyman founded Space Tango in 2015. prgtoken Today, Space Tango is a thriving small business enabling R&D and manufacturing in zero gravity. Since 2017, thanks to a National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Space Act Agreement, Space Tango provides facilities on the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory. Their CubeLabs generate scalable and efficient research and manufacturing in microgravity. Space Tango has worked with several commercial partners, including Anheuser-Busch and LambaVision. They regularly partner with educational institutions such as the University of Florida, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University. prgtoken Over the years, local and national organizations have recognized Space Tango's groundbreaking work. Twyman was inducted into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2017, and ranked No. 25 on Fast Company's list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2018. Jim Bridenstine, former NASA Administrator, visited Space Tango in 2020, commending their biomedical research and manufacturing capabilities. In addition to working on projects for various Federal agencies, Space Tango won three NASA Utilization Awards for Low Earth Orbit of Biomedical Applications. Looking forward, Space Tango is developing ST- 42, an autonomous manufacturing facility for advanced materials and biomedical devices located in Earth's orbit. prgtoken Notably, Space Tango is committed to investing in the next generation of innovators, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Twyman and his colleagues regularly host and present at educational events at Kentucky schools, universities, and scientific institutions. Space Tango's robust internship program includes students from Kentucky's universities and colleges across the country, with several former interns joining their team. prgtoken Space Tango is a testament to Kentucky innovation, ingenuity, and industry. Small businesses like Space Tango form a
ALLIES AND PARTNERS
James M. Inhofe (Republican, OK) \u2014 2021-5-11

Winston Churchill famously said: ``There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them.'' prgtoken s and agree: Strong alliances and partnerships are key to the asymmetric advantage that the United States has over our strategic competitors. prgtoken Like every President before him, President has rightly made America's alliances and partnerships a cornerstone of his administration. It is a national security policy. prgtoken Alliances and partnerships are not a substitute for a strong American military. A strong military is the foundation of our alliances. Military power creates leverage and credibility for our diplomats, and just as importantly, it creates a deterrent. prgtoken Real deterrence cannot be achieved unless it is credible, and it cannot be credible unless we properly fund our military and have our allies and partners with us. It has to be both. You can't have one or the other. Why? Because our partnerships are two-way streets. Alliances aren't just for show. They are not just empty statements that we are blindly sending money to support vague goals. These relationships are built on mutual interests. They benefit us just as much as they benefit other countries. Look at the billions of dollars that some of our allies have contributed to U.S. bases in their countries. ``National Defense Strategy''--this book is the one that was put together in 2018. It was put together by 12 people, 6 s and 6 , all experts in their field. In fact, one of them just this morning was in a committee hearing before our committee. This document has been our blueprint for a long period of time, so this is what we have, and this is what we feel is going to be something that will stay with us for a long time. prgtoken In this book, it states that--and I am quoting from it now-- ``mutually beneficial alliances and partnerships are prgtoken crucial to our strategy, providing a durable, asymmetric strategic advantage that no competitor or rival can match.'' But maintaining that asymmetrical advantage requires much more than simply saying nice things about our allies and partners. prgtoken The bipartisan National Defense Strategy Commission report, written by six and six s, makes this very clear. They talk about how ``these alliances and partnerships . . . have ultimately rested on a foundation of military strength.'' So when President says that ``America's alliances are our greatest asset'' and then goes to underfund the military, it defies common sense. Underfunding the military threatens that very foundation that underwrites the effectiveness of our alliances and partnerships. prgtoken Let me explain a little bit of how it works. We will start with nuclear modernization. prgtoken The United States maintains a safe and effective nuclear arsenal to protect American families but also to protect our partners and a