mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Yadira Caraveo (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, I thank Mr. McHenry for yielding. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 4763, the Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act, because the time has come for us to establish a comprehensive regulatory system for digital assets. prgtoken About 70 percent of digital assets are currently unregulated. That leaves a large number of retail investors unprotected in a volatile market where many people have already lost their life savings. prgtoken There is clearly a gap in oversight over our digital asset cash markets, and I believe the status quo is unacceptable. Despite previous volatility, a significant number of Americans continue to own and invest in digital assets in an unprotected manner. prgtoken As Congress falls behind other nations in the race to establish a clear regulatory framework, we run the risk of industry players taking their services and customers abroad, including to foreign jurisdictions with insufficient regulations. prgtoken Since we began this process over a year ago, I made it a point to work across the aisle with Chairs Thompson and Johnson to improve this bill as much as possible. I am happy to report that the bill retains many of the provisions that I fought for, with one of the most important pieces being a funding mechanism for the CFTC. Increased funding will be vital for the CFTC as they take on further oversight activities and engage in a rulemaking process. prgtoken s, both and s, who have helped strengthen the consumer protections in this bill, including strengthening disclosure requirements, market integrity, and transparency. Further protections include stricter regulatory requirements for emerging financial technologies, prohibiting commingling of customer funds with firm funds, and establishing a process of temporary oversight before rulemaking is complete. prgtoken I am excited about the innovation these technologies have to offer, which is why I believe they deserve a comprehensive regulatory environment, but making sure customers and retail investors are protected as they navigate this space remains a top priority. I believe we have made significant improvements in that direction. prgtoken I am looking forward to continuing to move this bill forward and taking a first real step toward regulation of a market that more of our constituents are engaging in every day.
Border Act of 2024 (Executive Calendar)
Tammy Baldwin (Democrat, WI) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today in support of securing our border and taking action to fix our broken immigration system. prgtoken Let's back up for a minute. Fixing our broken immigration system and securing our border has evaded Congress for decades. We have poured many hours and much ink into trying to solve the very real issues that we have, and we have come close. I was proud to advance the bipartisan Gang of 8 immigration reform that would have tightened border security, provided pathways to citizenship for those already here, and expanded work visas. I, along with many in this Chamber, also voted for a bipartisan bill that would have given a path to citizenship for the 1.8 million Dreamers who came to our country as children. prgtoken We nearly passed the Common Sense Plan, a bill that would have invested $25 billion in border security and also provided a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers. All of these efforts--every single one of them--died at the hands of congressional s. prgtoken Recently, and s came to the table, yet again, to find a path forward on border security and fixes to our immigration system. Together, my colleagues from both parties worked hard to find a bipartisan compromise, and they did. The result was a strong measure, even endorsed by the largest Border Patrol union, that curbs the flow of fentanyl from coming across our border, expedites our asylum process, and boosts border security. Then, many s walked away again, apparently deciding that it was better politics not to secure our border. prgtoken And what hits closest to home for me and every family who has watched a loved one pass away from fentanyl poisoning or an overdose is that we have a real chance to disrupt the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities. prgtoken In the 2-year period from 2021 to 2022, over 2,800 Wisconsinites died of an opioid-related overdose. In just 2 years, thousands of Wisconsin families lost a loved one and gained an empty seat at the dinner table. prgtoken I have heard from countless parents devastated by losing their child. One mother, Michelle, got a call one November morning in 2021 notifying her that her son Cade, a freshman at UW-Milwaukee, had passed away. The night prgtoken before, Cade had gone out with friends in his dorm. He took one pill that he thought was Percocet. It turned out to be 100 percent fentanyl. prgtoken Michelle told me earlier this year that Cade ``had his entire life ahead of him. He was home from college the weekend before he died talking about changing his major to psychology and how he wanted to travel the world. He deserved to learn from his mistake, not die from it. He didn't overdose from taking one pill. He was poisoned.'' prgtoken That is the stark reality of fentanyl: One pill can kill. In 2020, over 85 percent of opioid deaths in Wisconsin were connected to a synthetic or manufactured opioid like fentanyl. We can and w
RECOGNIZING CAPTAIN ANTHONY WILLIAMS, JR.
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today to recognize Captain Anthony W. Williams, Jr. as he concludes his tour as Army Legislative Liaison in the Office of Congressional Legislative Liaisons. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Captain Williams attended Fort Valley State University where he graduated as a 2013 Distinguished Military Graduate. Today, Captain Williams resides in Albany, Georgia, and I am proud to call him one of my constituents. prgtoken Throughout his life, Captain Williams has attained an impressive list of educational degrees, to include a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice from Fort Valley State University, a Master of Science Degree in Logistics Management from the Florida Institute of Technology, and a Master's in Policy Management from Georgetown University. prgtoken During his career in the United States Army, Captain Williams has served in several duty stations across the country where he was selected to fill mission-critical roles. His first duty station was Fort Campbell, Kentucky, followed by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the Pentagon where he served as a General Bradley Fellow, leading prgtoken the Department of Defense in the Global Posture Executive Council's Military Construction Prioritization Process before moving on to the Office of Congressional Liaisons in the U.S. House of Representatives. prgtoken As a Congressional Liaison, Captain Williams was responsible for liaising with 72 Members of Congress and their staff, covering eight states and two U.S. territories. He was a key player for developing engagement opportunities between Army Senior Leaders and Members of Congress, and he promoted legislative objectives and programs with a unique style of his own. Captain Williams did an exceptional job at executing communications and logistics support for Members and congressional staff as they attended CODELS and STAFFDELS. In fact, he received exceptional acclaim from my colleagues for his strategic excellence and logistical attentiveness during their CODEL to the INDOPACOM theater. prgtoken Beyond his adept coordination and organizational skills, Captain Williams proved to be innovative in his approach to the role of liaison. He took the initiative to incorporate his own strategies and programming that left a mark on Army Senior leaders and Members of Congress with whom he worked. Following his roots as a graduate of Fort Valley State University--the State of Georgia's 1890 land-grant university--Captain Williams promoted and facilitated lines of communication with the Congressional Black Caucus and the Bipartisan Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) Caucus. Through his ability to clearly define the Army message, Captain Williams was able to assist the caucus members with questions about national and international issues pertaining to the Army and discuss Army issues impacting the African American community. prgtoken Truly, Captain Williams' personal
CELEBRATING THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF NAPERVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Bill Foster (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-5-22

I rise today to commend the Naperville Fire Department as they mark 150 years of dedicated service across the Naperville community. With more than 200 employees, ten active fire stations, and six consecutive years of international accreditation, the department is an outstanding model of excellence in its field. prgtoken Established in 1874 after Naperville's first purchase of firefighting equipment, the department has pursued its mission of responding to calls and promoting public education programs. Over the years, the Naperville Fire Department has evolved to meet the changing needs of the community, adopting new technologies and techniques to ensure the highest level of safety and protection for its residents. prgtoken The Naperville Fire Department has played a crucial role in educating the public about fire safety and prevention. Through its various outreach programs and initiatives, the department has empowered residents with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves and their families in the event of a fire. This commitment to public education is vital and has undoubtedly saved countless lives over the years. prgtoken As we celebrate the Naperville Fire Department's 150th anniversary, let us take a moment to recognize and appreciate the tireless efforts of its employees. Their dedication to the community is truly inspiring, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment to keeping us safe. prgtoken I am proud to represent such a distinguished department, and I ask my colleagues to join me in commending the Naperville Fire Department for its outstanding service and dedication to the community in their remarkable 150 years of service.
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Sean Casten (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, we have got all of these mixers that are used. Why were they not included in there? I don't know. prgtoken I know why the crypto industry doesn't want them included in there, because they are profiting from people who are using these illicit services. prgtoken The largest cryptocurrency exchange that stands to benefit from this regime helped to finance a legal challenge to the Treasury Department's case against Tornado Cash, which was the largest asset mixer in the world. prgtoken This is a bad bill. It fails to address known problems. What it does do, however, is make the United States safer for drug traffickers, for terrorist funders, for child and drug traffickers, and for those who buy and sell child pornography. I did not know those groups had such advocates in Congress, but I am proud to oppose them and encourage all my colleagues to do the same.
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Brad Sherman (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, last week we had police week. This week, the s show us that they support crime in the suites. The effect of this bill in the short term will be to disempower the most effective investor protection crime investigation organization in the world, the SEC. prgtoken The long-term objective of the crypto billionaire bros is to create a new currency, and they have named it well. Cryptocurrency literally means hidden money. If it ever becomes a currency, it means we will not be able to enforce our tax laws, except on wage earners, and we will not be able to enforce our laws against child traffickers, drug dealers, and those who violate our sanctions. prgtoken The crypto bros have a lot of money. They make money by literally making money. They spread it around all of Washington. They had Sam Bankman-Fried do it. Now he is in jail, and others have stepped forward. prgtoken They have a PR campaign. The Lakers don't play at ``enforce tax laws arena.'' They don't play at an arena dedicated to law enforcement. They play at Crypto.com Arena. prgtoken In spite of all that money and power, three-quarters of voted ``no'' on this bill when it was before our committee. There are those who say they want clarity. We have clarity. The SEC has jurisdiction. What they really want is a patina of regulation, as little regulation as possible to claim to be regulated. prgtoken Now, this bill would be bad enough if we were dealing with the original statute. I know a lot of my colleagues have had meetings in their offices, and they were told about this bill weeks ago or months ago. Some are leaning toward voting for it because they don't know that they dropped a new title in the bill just a few weeks ago. prgtoken What does that new title do? Does it prohibit secret wallets, self- custody wallets? No. Does it outlaw the mixers whose sole purpose is to mix up law enforcement? No. What does this new title do? It defines an investment contract in a new way, designed to make this bill not just applicable to crypto, but it says our regular stocks and bonds can be put on blockchain and have no regulation from the SEC. It is a dagger at the hundred-trillion-dollar capital markets we have that finance our whole economy. It doesn't just say you are moving from the SEC's tough regulation to the CFTC's weak regulation. It allows crypto to get no regulation by defining themselves as an investment contract. prgtoken This is a bill that will gut regulation of crypto and may gut regulation of all our capital markets, but it goes beyond that. Its ultimate purpose is to move forward with this cryptocurrency project. prgtoken Right now, crypto is not a currency. There are very few purchases of goods with crypto. You can't buy a sandwich, but the very few times, as Mr. Casten pointed out, that crypto is used as a means of exchange, it is used by the worst criminals in the world. If crypto does become a currency, then we will not be
Border Act of 2024 (Executive Calendar)
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2024-5-22

for years, many of our colleagues have said on this Senate floor, they have said in committee hearing rooms, they have said on cable news shows that there is a crisis at our southern border. And they have been right. prgtoken Well, today, we actually have the opportunity to do something about it. Once again, we have bipartisan legislation before us that works to address prgtoken the challenges of a broken and decades-old immigration system. prgtoken Along with our other colleagues here this afternoon, I rise to urge all Members of the Senate to put aside politics, to do what I think we all believe to be the right thing, and to vote in favor of the bipartisan Border Act. prgtoken As a former chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I know that we have tried to come together in Congress to fix our immigration system for about as long as I can remember, under Presidents and congressional leadership of both parties. prgtoken Our colleagues have oftentimes heard me say that bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions, and that is true. And in the case of fixing our Nation's immigration laws, that has never been more true. prgtoken Thanks to the tireless work of a from Connecticut, a from Oklahoma, and an Independent from Arizona, along with members of their staffs, we have reached a bipartisan compromise on one of the toughest issues our country faces today. prgtoken I am proud to say that after 4 long months of negotiations between our three colleagues and members of the administration, including the Secretary of Homeland Security, we have crafted the strongest border security bill in decades. prgtoken The legislation produced during these negotiations proved that bipartisanship is not just aspirational; it is ours for the grasp; it is ours for the taking. The legislation produced during these negotiations proves that bipartisanship is not just aspirational, but it is actually possible. prgtoken Yet despite all of this hard work and the countless hours our colleagues invested in hammering out this critical piece of legislation, many of our colleagues rejected this same bill earlier this year, largely at the behest of . prgtoken I would like to quote again, as Senator Stabenow has, what said on his social media account earlier this year. This is a quote: s should stop wasting their time on immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November. Dems are just playing games, have no intention of doing anything to solve this decades-old problem. We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave. prgtoken While , s, and Independents negotiated in good faith, it was who decided he would rather attempt to sow chaos--chaos at the border, rather than to deal with it and to fix it. prgtoken It was also incredibly disappointing
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, the balance of my time. prgtoken Mr. Chair, as we have heard today, the entities that stand to benefit from this bill are not ordinary investors trying to build wealth but rather the crypto firms that have chosen not to register with the SEC or otherwise comply with the securities laws. prgtoken They have already made billions of dollars unlawfully issuing or facilitating the buying and selling of crypto securities, and s are now proposing to reward these illegal activities by making these activities legal. This is truly preposterous. prgtoken Mr. Lynch, when he spoke, said this was one of the worst pieces of legislation he has experienced during his entire career. I understood why when I examined this bill and I saw that the s created this new definition. This new definition is known as the investment contract assets. prgtoken We have talked about this, but even in the Rules Committee, while they were talking about how this bill was going to protect consumers, they did not debate us about this investment contract asset because they know that it created a void. It created a no-man's-land. This was created basically so that the crypto companies could be in a space without regulation, but it goes further than that. prgtoken It also covers traditional securities so they can be in a space without regulations. prgtoken It is not enough to say this is a bad bill. This is not only a bad bill, this is a bill where the crypto companies decided they didn't like the SEC, they do not want to be regulated, and they were going to come to the Congress of the United States. They were going to use their power, they were going to use their influence to change the rules of the game, and they were going to now go to where the commodities are regulated, and they are going to take the securities over there. prgtoken I explained to you that the CFTC is a small agency. I explained to you that they don't have a lot of money. I explained to you how much smaller they are than the SEC. prgtoken The SEC are the experts. They have been developing regulations for this country for 90 years. The SEC is 90 years old, and it is respected all over the world. We are the envy of the world because we have an SEC. prgtoken When I talk about this void that has been created, there is no way that the Members of this Congress can allow that to happen, to allow this no-man's-land to exist where the same crypto companies are now refusing to register, who are unlawful, that you are going to exonerate and then you are going to further give them the opportunity to operate without regulation. prgtoken This is unbelievable. How can this happen in the Congress of the United States in the House of Representatives where we are supposed to represent the people? prgtoken We have an SEC that is a cop on the block. We have an SEC that is expert prgtoken in securities. The SEC goes into the courts, and they fight tough battles.
Unanimous Consent Request--S. 696 (Executive Calendar)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2024-5-22

in reserving the right to object, the background that leads up to this moment is worth a minute or 2 to be explained. prgtoken It was October. We faced some ominous challenges around the world. Our allies and friends were in conflict, and the United States wanted to stand by them. prgtoken President made a request for a defense supplemental and said: We need to move on this quickly. For example, our friends in Ukraine, who are fighting off the barbaric tactics of Vladimir Putin, need our continued help. We shouldn't waste any time. prgtoken At the time, several Members of the Senate on the other side of the aisle said: No, you cannot even consider helping Ukraine fight this war against Putin unless you do something about our border. There has got to be a change in our border policy. prgtoken So there eventually emerged a group that took on the task of writing a bipartisan bill. prgtoken Make no mistake, legislation on a subject as serious as this will never pass as a partisan piece of legislation. It has to be bipartisan. Both sides of the aisle decided to enlist our colleagues to sit down in a deliberative effort to write a bipartisan border bill to address the crisis we face at the border. prgtoken The s chose as their spokesperson, as their negotiator, James Lankford of Oklahoma. James Lankford is a certifiable conservative who is respected on both sides of the aisle. I join in that chorus of respect for him. prgtoken The s said to us: None of these freewheeling efforts. James Lankford is our man. He will negotiate this, and we will stand by him. prgtoken At that point, Chris Murphy, a from Connecticut, was enlisted to be part of that negotiating effort, along with the Senator from Arizona. They sat down and started a three-way effort to find a bipartisan bill. They worked on it not just for weeks but for months. prgtoken During that period of time, I met with them from time to time, not to interject my efforts or any ideas I had, but just to measure their progress. They were not happy about the course of business and how quickly they could reach a conclusion, but the fact of the matter is they did. They reached a bipartisan agreement, one which I don't agree with in many aspects, but it is a good one--a heartfelt, serious effort; a bipartisan ic and effort. prgtoken We were prepared and did call on the floor of the U.S. Senate this bipartisan bill that Senator Lankford had led the s into establishing. I believe it ended up with four votes--four votes. prgtoken The s were told: Keep your hands off, , when it comes to Lankford's efforts. Let him do the work. prgtoken When he finally produced an effort, a good-faith effort, they rejected it, walked away from it. prgtoken The Senator from Alabama just explained that they didn't have time to read it. If I recall, several days had passed where that bill was availa
FINANCIAL INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY ACT
Brittany Pettersen (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2024-5-22

. Mr. Chair, the balance of my time. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I, again, thank the chairman from North Carolina for working with me and others to bring a bipartisan bill with broad support to the House. This has been years in the making, and I congratulate him for getting it to this point. I appreciate his willingness to work with me. I also thank my team for helping me address an issue that I had concerns about. prgtoken Mr. Chair, I ask for the support of my colleagues, and .