mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
Greg Walden (Republican, OR) \u2014 2019-12-4

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I rise today in support of S. 151, the Pallone-Thune TRACED Act. As you heard, it is a great step forward this Congress will take to help curb illegal robocalls. prgtoken I want to thank Chairman Pallone, Chairman Doyle, and my colleague, Mr. Latta, for their great bipartisan work on this; and, of course, our colleagues in the Senate again. prgtoken Last year RAY BAUM'S Act passed unanimously out of this Chamber with bipartisan support, and that included provisions that targeted fraudulent robocalls and spoofing from overseas. Those provisions are in law and are being used today. prgtoken Today the TRACED Act builds on that bipartisan success by better enabling consumers, carriers, law enforcement, and the Federal Communications Commission to target these scammers. While this Chamber has not made a lot of progress this year on legislating, I am pleased to see bipartisan legislation before us today that addresses a challenge that affects nearly every American, and that is illegal robocalls. prgtoken Last month alone, , in my district in the area code of 541 we got 14.1 million robocalls, just last month; and that is just in one part of Oregon. We know last year it was something in the order of over 50 billion illegal robocalls that came into America. I got one today already, and I imagine speaking here I will get five more. I will get targeted or something. It is time to put consumers back in charge of their phones, and that is exactly what this legislation does. prgtoken It allows carriers and consumers to use new, innovative call-blocking and call-authentication tools. We can strike the right balance between allowing important calls to get through while making sure illegal robocalls are blocked, all at no additional cost to the consumer. prgtoken This means when you receive a call from an unfamiliar number with a familiar area code, you should be confident that there is a legitimate reason for that call. That means your pharmacist can still automatically call you to say prescriptions are ready for pickup if you signed up for those notifications. That means vulnerable populations can be better protected from scams trying to steal their hard-earned savings. We have all read those stories. prgtoken When these illegal robocallers get caught, we need to ensure they are prosecuted. This legislation takes steps to improve our traceback efforts and provides the Department of Justice additional tools they need to go after bad actors. prgtoken We all get these calls. I got one about a year or so ago, Mr and it was out of Greece. I don't know anybody in Greece. It was a 02 something or other area code. I let it go to voicemail, and by golly, they left a message. A day later, I listened to it. It was the Vice President of the United States aboard Air Force Two trying to reach me. Sometimes you should answer those calls. prgtoken With this legislation, hopefully,
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
Adam Kinzinger (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-12-4

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken , as a cosponsor of this legislation, I rise in strong support and encourage its swift passage. prgtoken By some estimates, nearly 48 billion robocalls were made in the U.S. in 2018, which is a 57 percent increase over 2017. prgtoken This antirobocall bill provides the FCC new authorities to impose substantial fines on violators--up to $20,000 per violation, and possibly higher in some cases. It requires phone companies to verify callers and help block robocalls at no extra charge. prgtoken , make no mistake: This legislation is a big step forward. But given the rapidly changing technology, combined with the fact that many of these calls come from overseas, we can't let up, and more will need to be done. prgtoken Thankfully, this bill requires a number of reports to Congress over the coming months that will allow us to start to crack down on these perpetrators even harder. prgtoken , I am proud of the work we have done, bicameral and bipartisan. I thank those involved.
HONORING NATHAN FLETCHER
Sam Graves (Republican, MO) \u2014 2019-12-4

. Madam , I proudly pause to recognize Nathan Fletcher. Nathan is a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 412, and earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout. Nathan has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Nathan has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community. Most notably, Nathan has contributed to his community through his Eagle Scout project. Madam , I proudly ask you to join me in commending Nathan Fletcher for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
Bill Johnson (Republican, OH) \u2014 2019-12-4

I rise in strong support of this legislation that will benefit all Americans by addressing the nuisance of robocalls. prgtoken Unwanted and annoying robocalls are increasing at an alarming rate. Some estimate that U.S. consumers received nearly 4 billion robocalls per month in 2018. This needs to end. prgtoken This legislation would require service providers to adopt call authentication technologies and would establish additional protections for consumers receiving unwarranted and sometimes fraudulent robocalls. It would also require the FCC to work with other Federal agencies on improving deterrence and criminal prosecution of robocall scams. prgtoken I am also pleased that the legislation includes legislation that I sponsored with my colleague, Representative Butterfield, which requires the FCC to publish an annual report on the private-led efforts to trace the origin of unlawful robocalls, an important step in stopping these bad actors from reaching consumers. prgtoken It is time for Congress to act and prevent these illegal and unwanted robocalls, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
Pete Olson (Republican, TX) \u2014 2019-12-4

I thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), my friend. prgtoken , I want to paint a picture of why I support this bill. Last Sunday night, many retired NFL football fans were watching my Houston Texans throttle the Patriots from New England. prgtoken Let's say the phone rings at halftime. A fan walks up to answer his phone. The caller ID says it is from the Social Security agency, the Social Security office, the Social Security Administration. prgtoken He picks up the phone, and there is a slight pause. A voice comes on and tells him that his benefits have been canceled. To restore them, he has to give these people he doesn't know his number. And, ``Oh, by the way, we can fix this right now with your credit card.'' prgtoken For years, people in Texas and all across the country have dealt with criminal phone calls. I am pleased to say that today is the day we pass a bill to help these Texans and Americans fight back. prgtoken It is great to see a bipartisan piece of legislation that I worked on with Representative McEachin, the Locking Up prgtoken Illegal Robocallers Act, included in this package. It empowers the Justice Department to go after criminals who prey upon senior citizens, veterans, and all Americans. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Let's ring in a new era in the Congress, dial back robocalls, hang up on criminals, and give them one call a week from jail.
HONORING VERA JUENGER
Mike Bost (Republican, IL) \u2014 2019-12-4

. Madam , I rise today to honor Vera Juenger of Millstadt, Illinois on her upcoming 102nd birthday. Known for her outgoing and active lifestyle, Vera is also recognized for her popular pecans, which she sells to loyal customers who come back year after year. prgtoken Born on December 31, 1917, Vera still lives in the home that she and her husband, Albert, built on a large farm in 1962. You can find Vera tending to her pecan trees or driving herself to Ott's fish stand, where she enjoys dinner and a beer with her family every Friday. Her impact on the community was exemplified by the turnout of over 200 people who attended her 100th birthday celebration. This year on her birthday, she plans to go to her favorite sports bar to celebrate with her friends and family. prgtoken Madam , please join me in recognizing Vera Juenger on a life that continues to be well-lived. On behalf of Southern Illinois, happy birthday.
BUDGET SCOREKEEPING REPORT
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2019-12-4

I rise to submit to the Senate the budget scorekeeping report for December 2019. This is my second scorekeeping report since I filed the deemed budget resolution for fiscal year 2020 on September 9, 2019, as required by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, BBA19. The report compares current-law levels of spending and revenues with the amounts agreed to in BBA19. In the Senate, this information is used to determine whether budgetary points of order lie against pending legislation. The staff of the Budget Committee and the Congressional Budget Office, CBO, prepared this report pursuant to section 308(b) of the Congressional Budget Act, CBA. The information included in this report is current through November 25, 2019. prgtoken Since I filed the last scorekeeping report on October 16, 2019, two measures with significant enforceable budgetary effects have been enacted. The first, the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Further Health Extenders Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-69), provided continuing appropriations and extended several authorizing provisions. Specifically, division A of that law extended discretionary appropriations through December 20, 2019, and division B extended a number of health programs, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and certain Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act provisions. Division B also extended and increased benefits under the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund and repealed a rescission of highway funding that had been included in the 2015 highway bill. CBO estimated that division B would increase outlays by $1.1 billion over 10 years. prgtoken The second measure with significant budgetary effects to be enacted was the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commemorative Coin Act (P.L. 116- 71). This law directed the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue silver coins to commemorate the women who played a vital role in rallying support for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. CBO estimated that P.L. 116-71 would save $2 million in 2020 and be budget neutral over the 5- and 10-year windows. prgtoken Budget Committee staff prepared tables A-D. prgtoken Table A gives the amount by which each Senate authorizing committee exceeds or is below its allocation for budget authority and outlays under the fiscal year 2020 deemed budget resolution. This information is used for enforcing committee allocations pursuant to section 302 of the CBA. prgtoken The two enacted pieces of legislation that I mentioned earlier led to the Environment and Public Works Committee, EPW, exceeding its allocation (P.L. 116-69) and the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee generating $2 million in savings in 2020 (P.L 116-71). The House of Representatives' construction of division B of the P.L. 116- 69, which combined numerous authorizing matters into one division, contributed to EPW's breach of its allocation. As EPW's highway resciss
Appropriations (Executive Session)
John Thune (Republican, SD) \u2014 2019-12-4

4G technology is pretty amazing. When I talk about 4G technology, that stands for fourth generation. On your smartphone, it might say LTE, but it is the fourth generation of technology that we have available to us on our wireless devices. We can FaceTime with family members across the country, order dinner or groceries without leaving our couches, watch a football game on the go with our phones, adjust the heat in our houses before we actually get home, carry around an entire library on a tablet the size of one small book, deposit a check without actually visiting the bank, and the list goes on. prgtoken As amazing as 4G technology is, it can't hold a candle to 5G, or fifth generation technology. 5G mobile broadband technology will deliver speeds that will be up to 100 times faster than what today's technology can deliver. Think about that--downloads that will be 100 times faster than what we have today. It will be vastly more responsive than 4G technology. It will be able to connect 100 times the number of devices that can be connected with 4G. That is pretty hard to imagine, really. Our phones and computers today seem pretty fast and responsive, but 5G will be much, much faster. prgtoken While that will make it even easier to do the things we do today, like check our email or stream our favorite shows, the biggest benefits of 5G will lie in the other technologies it will enable. For example, 5G will have the potential to pave the way for the widespread adoption of precision agriculture, which uses tools like robotics and remote monitoring to help farmers manage their fields and boost their crop yields. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that precision agriculture will reduce farmers' operational costs by up to $25 per acre and increase farmers' yields by up to 70 percent by the year 2050. prgtoken 5G will pave the way for automated vehicles, which will have the potential to dramatically reduce traffic injuries and fatalities. There are 37,000 people lost every year on America's highways due to traffic accidents. Over 90 percent of those are as a result of human error-- driving while under the influence, driving while distracted. 5G technology and the enablement of automated vehicles will go a long way toward saving lives on America's highways. prgtoken It will facilitate surgical innovations and new ways to treat chronic illnesses or heal injuries and so much more. prgtoken The technology for 5G is already here. Several cities around the United States, including my hometown of Sioux Falls, have already unveiled limited 5G networks, but there is more work to do before we all can start to see the benefits of 5G on our phones. prgtoken The widespread deployment of 5G will require two things: adequate spectrum and adequate infrastructure. While 4G relies on traditional cell phone towers, 5G technology will also require small antennas called small prgtoken cells that can often be attached t
SUPPORT FOR VETERANS IN EFFECTIVE APPRENTICESHIPS ACT OF 2019
Ben Sasse (Republican, NE) \u2014 2019-12-4

farmers and ranchers are in a tough spot. There are a lot of families who are on the edge of bankruptcy in my State and in ag country more broadly. As we get closer to Christmas and to the new year without having a trade deal with Canada and Mexico, the situation is getting bleaker. prgtoken Let's be blunt about this. By needlessly stonewalling the USMCA trade agreement, Nancy Pelosi and the House are taking Nebraska's agriculture hostage. This is petty, stupid politics at its worst. prgtoken The USMCA trade deal is a free-trade win for our farmers and ranchers, and they desperately need this win right now. With hard work and grit, Nebraskans have cultivated one of the most powerful agricultural economies in the history of the world. We literally feed the world, and we do it with free trade because we grow so much more food than we could ever consume. We need export markets, and lots of people around the world want to be consuming our ag products. prgtoken It is pretty simple: Trade with Canada and Mexico is a win-win-win. In 2018, Mexico and Canada bought more than $40 billion worth of American agricultural products. The U.S. International Trade Commission expects the USMCA to increase that trade by more than $33 billion. The USMCA trade deal is designed to reinforce those partnerships in ways that make sense for an economy that has changed a lot since NAFTA was passed in the 1990s. prgtoken In the 1990s, ``Seinfeld'' was still on TV; we still watched movies on VHS tape; and we took our pictures with these things of which the pages probably don't know--cameras that had film. I will be honest. At my house, we still watch ``Seinfeld,'' but we have happily moved on from VHS tapes. My teenage daughters set us up on Hulu streaming, but I can't make the remote work. prgtoken Over the last 20 years, we have seen a massive digital revolutionary change in nearly every sector of our economy. Farmers are using new tech to increase our productivity and to get more out of the most fertile land on God's green Earth than people have ever assumed possible. The USMCA trade deal makes that kind of basic improvement in our trading relationships with our neighbors, and we need that in this rapidly changing, evolving, and developing economy. For example, it scraps the old rules about importing cars that still have cassette tape players. Chuck Grassley, apparently, still has a car that has a cassette tape player, but he is proud of it, so we won't make fun of him here. prgtoken Passing the USMCA would secure long-term stability in our trade agreements with our partners across North America, and it would also send a signal to other potential partners around the world that the United States is open for business. We need to bring Japan, the European Union, and others to the negotiating table, and passing the USMCA would strengthen our position significantly in setting up those trade agreements. Time is ru
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
Frank Pallone, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2019-12-4

such time as I may consume to close. prgtoken , Americans are receiving more unwanted and illegal robocalls than ever before. The rising tide of illegal robocalls has quickly turned from a nuisance to a real threat on the way we all view and use our telephones. prgtoken Consumers need more control and transparency over who is calling them. The laws that prohibit unwanted calls and the Do Not Call Registry no longer effectively protect consumers from unwanted or illegal calls because it is easier than ever to become a robocaller. These calls all undermine the public's trust in our phone system. prgtoken If we don't fix this problem, it will only get worse. The TRACED Act is the best way Congress can address the deluge of spam and spam robocalls. prgtoken Consumer groups and industry widely support the legislation, including Consumer Reports, AARP, the National Consumer Law Center, US Telecom, and more. prgtoken Basically, what we have in this bill are commonsense, meaningful solutions that will put consumers back in control of their phones and will help restore trust in our phone system. prgtoken Now, in closing, I just want to thank all of the Members and staff who were able to work together to produce this great legislation, and there are a lot: obviously, our ranking member, Mr. Walden, the subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Latta, as well as Mr. Doyle. prgtoken But I also want to thank our staff and other Members who contributed their legislation to the TRACED Act. So, Members such as Mr. McEachin, Mr. Olson, Mr. Kim, Mrs. Brooks, Mr. Brindisi, and Mr. Kustoff introduced the Locking Up Robocallers Act, which was added to this legislation in section 11. prgtoken Ms. Clarke, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Van Drew, Mr. Rouda, Ms. Foxx, and Mr. Walberg introduced the Ending One-Ring Scams Act, which was added to this legislation in section 12. prgtoken Mr. Crist introduced his Spam Calls Task Force Act, which was added to the bill in section 5. prgtoken Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Soto, and Mr. Gianforte introduced the Tracing Back and Catching Unlawful Robocallers Act, which was added to this bill in section 13. prgtoken And Mrs. Dingell and Mr. Burgess introduced their Protecting Patients and Doctors from Unlawful Robocalls Act, which was added to the bill in section 14. prgtoken Mr. Flores and Mr. McNerney offered their amendment to increase the financial penalties for illegal robocallers, which was added to section 3. prgtoken And, of course, Mr. Doyle and Mr. Latta introduced their STOP Robocalls Act in section 10. prgtoken Finally, I would like to thank all the staff on both sides of the aisle who worked on this bill, in particular, Jerry Leverich over here, Alex Hoehn-Saric behind me, Dan Miller behind me, AJ Brown, and Parul Desai on the majority staff; Tim Kurth, Kate O'Connor, Evan Viau, Robin Colwell on the minority staff; as well as Phil Murphy on Subcommittee Chairman Doyle's staff and Rachel Rat
PALLONE-THUNE TELEPHONE ROBOCALL ABUSE CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE ACT
Anna G. Eshoo (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-12-4

I rise in support of S. 151, the Pallone- Thune TRACED Act. prgtoken Robocalls are an epidemic and anyone with a phone knows this. I hear from my constituents daily about robocalls, and I know all of prgtoken my colleagues do as well. Just last month Americans received a near record of 5.5 billion robocalls. I'm subjected to this harassment and so are my colleagues. prgtoken These calls are highly annoying, but they are also used to scam and swindle people. Last year, an estimated 43 million Americans were scammed out of $10.5 billion. prgtoken The American people are demanding that Congress take action to combat this national nuisance and today the House will deliver a victory for them. I'm proud that this bipartisan, bicameral agreement will put a real dent in our robocall problem. prgtoken We know that no one bill can completely solve such a complex problem, and it's why the FCC and Congress must remain vigilant to ensure statutory and regulatory protections are sufficient to protect consumers. prgtoken This legislation will bring relief to millions of Americans, so let's pass it and get it signed into law pronto.