mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REFORM AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2017
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-20

I rise in support of investor protection and in opposition to H.R. 4015. prgtoken Proxy advisers provide recommendations to institutional investors on how to vote on board of director elections and shareholder resolutions. prgtoken Big institutional investors are shareholders at thousands of public companies, and they simply don't have time to carefully review every single hundred-page proxy statement in detail, especially because most public companies hold their shareholders meetings at about the same 3- month period. prgtoken So institutional investors rely on proxy advisers for vote recommendations, which are often tailored to the investor's particular corporate governance preferences. They also rely on proxy firms for their data management on shareholder votes and corporate governance. prgtoken This is healthy. Proxy advisers do actually have the time to carefully read all of the statements and proposals because they are professionals that are hired to do just that. prgtoken I agree that the current regulatory system for proxy advisers is not perfect. Two proxy advisory firms account for 97 percent of the market--ISS and Glass Lewis--but, for some reason, they are regulated differently. ISS is a registered investment adviser, while Glass Lewis is not. Surely, this is not an ideal setup, so I am open to the idea of a better and more consistent regulatory regime for proxy advisers. prgtoken But there are several things in this bill that concern me deeply. I don't see why companies should have a statutory right to receive and comment on a proxy adviser's draft recommendations before they are sent to investors. Proxy advisers aren't Federal agencies with a notice-and- comment for private companies. They are working for private companies that are providing a valuable service. This is not appropriate at all. prgtoken Asset managers that use proxy advisers also tell me that they would find proxy advisers a lot less useful if the proxy firm had to give the company an opportunity to comment on their vote recommendations before sending them to the asset manager. prgtoken And a new addition to the bill is very troubling. This would raise the possibility of proxy advisers being forced to send the clients the companies' own complaints about the proxy adviser's recommendations, even if the complaint is completely untrue. prgtoken This is totally inappropriate and, I would say, plain wrong. So while I am sympathetic to the idea that a better and more consistent regulatory regime could be developed, I cannot support this bill, and I have good company here. prgtoken , I include in the Record a letter from the Comptroller of the State of New York, Comptroller DiNapoli; a statement from the AFL- CIO of the United States of America; a statement from the Council of Institutional Investors; a statement from the Consumer Federation of America, and a statement by Glass Lewis. prgtoken This is a troubling bill. I urge my colleagues to vot
FUNDING THE GOVERNMENT
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-20

. Now to the end of the year, , as a result of the efforts to jam the tax bill through before the end of the year, we now have precious little time left to keep the government open and to solve a legion of problems. prgtoken We still haven't reached a budget deal to lift the spending caps equally for both defense and urgent domestic priorities such as combatting the opioid crisis, improving veterans' healthcare, and building infrastructure. prgtoken We have not reached a deal to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program, community health centers, or to extend the 702 FISA Court program. prgtoken Two major sticking points remain in the form of the disaster supplemental, which still does not treat Puerto Rico, California, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as well as Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. prgtoken Of course we have the Dreamers and a moral imperative to protect them. These are kids who were brought here very young through no fault of their own. Many of them know no other country but ours. They learn in our schools, work in our companies, serve in our military, and want to be Americans more than anything in the world. They are Americans in every single important way but one; they lack the paperwork. We have to solve that problem. prgtoken We have been negotiating with our counterparts for weeks in search of a deal to pair DACA protections with reasonable border security. have always believed in border security, as the comprehensive immigration bill in the Senate showed. I hope now that the tax bill is behind them, my colleagues are finally willing to reach an agreement, but because of the particular importance of all of these issues, especially Dreamers, we cannot do a short-term funding bill that picks and chooses what problems to solve and what not to solve. That will not be fair and will not pass. We have to do them all together instead of in a piecemeal fashion. prgtoken Whether that global deal comes before the week is out or a later date in January, it has to be a truly global deal. We can't leave any of the issues behind. Our colleagues on tax and healthcare decided not to work with us. In this case they have to work with us, and working with us means that we sit down around the table and decide there are some things you want, some things we want, and let's compromise and get it done--not just picking and choosing what you want to get done and telling us to deal with it. That will not work this time. prgtoken I can assure my friend the majority leader that my caucus will be working in good faith with his caucus as long as they choose to work with us, and we will work with our colleagues in the House as well to reach a deal as soon as possible. prgtoken . prgtoken .
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REFORM AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2017
John P. Sarbanes (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-12-20

this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. prgtoken , this amendment is about promoting greater transparency and shareholder review of political campaign activity of public corporations. prgtoken As we have heard, the underlying bill would create new restrictions on proxy advisory firms that would erode their capacity to provide reliable, independent advice to public company investors: institutional investors such as pension funds that serve firefighters, teachers, and police officers. My amendment would restore the ability of advisory firms to provide research and vote recommendations regarding a public company's spending on political campaign contributions. prgtoken Over the past half a century, public companies have increasingly entered the political arena, spending huge sums on political contributions and campaign activity. Court rulings like Citizens United and SpeechNOW.org have opened new avenues of influence for corporate America and have worked to amplify the role of public companies in our politics the public is becoming increasingly anxious about this. prgtoken Fortunately, in recent years, some shareholders and public interest organizations have successfully put pressure on public corporations to adopt shareholder review of corporate political activity, stemming the tide of unchecked political spending from public corporations. Yet the underlying bill would unwind that progress, giving corporations direct influence over proxy advisory firm recommendations to shareholders regarding political activity, knocking down yet another pillar of political accountability in our politics. prgtoken , we need more, not less political accountability from our Nation's corporations. As this week has shown, corporate America has an outsized influence in our Nation's public policy. Look no further than today's vote on the GOP tax scam or yesterday's further deregulation of some of our Nation's largest financial institutions. prgtoken There is no mystery as to why this has happened. A sophisticated corporate influence economy involving campaign contributions, aggressive lobbying, a web of trade associations, corporate-backed think tanks, and outside political organizations has sprung up in Washington to shape who runs for office, who wins office, and the policies we in Congress adopt. prgtoken , Americans hate this system. They hate the arrogance with which monied interests exert their influence on our politics and our government. They feel that their voice, the voice of the people, is ignored while Big Money insiders have their way on Capitol Hill. They want us to change the corrosive status quo. prgtoken , we can take a small step forward with this amendment to restore the American people's faith in our ability to stand up to corporate power. We should adopt this modest, but
HONDURAS
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2017-12-20

on Monday, the head of the Honduras Supreme Electoral Tribunal declared Juan Orlando Hernandez the next President of Honduras. Shortly thereafter, the Secretariat of the Organization of American States, one of the principal international observers, announced that it could not certify the election as free and fair and called for a new election. Yesterday, after his top advisers rebuked the OAS for infringing on Honduras's sovereignty, President Hernandez, stating that ``the Honduran people have spoken,'' declared himself President-elect. prgtoken On December 5, I spoke at length about the Honduran election, and I have made several statements since then. I will not repeat what I and many others have already said about the troubling process orchestrated by President Hernandez and his associates over the past several years to lay the groundwork for his reelection for an unprecedented second Presidential term, nor about the many irregularities that have caused masses of people to take to the streets in protest since the vote on November 26. As of today, at least 12 protesters, and perhaps as many as 20, have been killed and many more injured, mostly from military police firing live ammunition. I was disappointed that, in his speech yesterday, President Hernandez made no mention of those tragic deaths. prgtoken As we await the administration's decision on whether to support the OAS's call for a new election or accept President Hernandez' claim to a second term, I want to make three points. prgtoken First, if this flawed election had been held in a country not led by a President whose consolidation of power and reliance on the military and police have had the strong backing of the White House and the State Department, it is doubtful that it would be accepted as free and fair. Instead, the White House, which has been willing to excuse the Hernandez government's corruption scandals and crackdown on the press and civil society, would likely be calling for a recount or, if the integrity of the ballots could not be assured, a new election. prgtoken Second, the OAS deserves the thanks of people throughout this hemisphere for the role it has played as an impartial observer and for standing up for a free and fair election in Honduras at a time when democratic processes, freedom of expression and association, and independent judiciaries are threatened not only in Honduras but in many parts of Latin America. Next year, Presidential and Parliamentary elections are scheduled in many countries in Central and South America, and the OAS, which has been a strong defender of democracy and human rights in Venezuela, has a vital role to play in seeking to ensure that those elections meet international standards of fairness and transparency. It is therefore particularly important and reassuring that the OAS Secretariat has insisted on such standards in Honduras by calling for a new election, and it is just as imp
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2017-12-20

it is with great pleasure that, on behalf of Delaware's congressional delegation, I wish to honor the exemplary service of educator and Delaware State Education Association leader Frederika S. Jenner. She has served Delaware as a teacher and education advocate since 1972, and during that time, she worked to effectively improve our education system and shape thousands of young children's lives. Frederika has now retired after more than four decades of serving in Delaware's schools and advocating on behalf of its students and teachers. She is a selfless education advocate and adviser, as well as a devoted wife and mother. Delaware's education system and countless Delawareans will benefit from her life's work for decades to come. prgtoken Frederika is a graduate of A.I. DuPont High School in Wilmington, DE. She earned her bachelor's degree in education from Goucher College in Baltimore and then returned to Delaware where she taught elementary school for 39 years. She had such a dedication to education that she furthered her own while she was teaching and ultimately received her master's in instruction from the University of Delaware. Although she started as an English and reading specialist, Frederika took a leap to become a science teacher along the way, teaching herself and earning her certification all in the first year in her new position. From then on, science remained an intense passion of hers, as well as a focus of much of her work both in and out of the classroom. Throughout her career, Frederika also encouraged a love of reading among her students and took great pride in her voluminous classroom library, with over 2,000 books on its shelves. prgtoken Throughout her many years in the classroom, Frederika became a trusted voice among her fellow educators. From day one, she was involved as a building representative for the Delaware State Education Association, and her activism grew from there. Later, she would serve as president of the 1,200-member Red Clay Education Association and then went on to serve as an executive board member of the Delaware State Education Association for 3 years. In 2011, Frederika was elected president of the Delaware State Education Association. In that role, she emerged as a strong and fair leader, working to shape education policy decisionmaking. For many years, she served as the bridge between DSEA members and public officials as the State worked to create and implement prgtoken new educational standards that we use today and to chart a course to reach them. prgtoken Frederika also took on the task of improving science education in Delaware. She worked for 5 years as a Coalition science specialist and helped school districts all over Delaware integrate new State science standards and innovative teaching practices, including the Smithsonian Kits Programs. She regularly traveled the State, training teachers and delivering necessary supplies--everything from m
TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Joseph Crowley (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2017-12-20

a revote--a revote--within less than 24 hours of original passage. This proves that this bill is rotten to its core. prgtoken But here is what the s aren't going to fix: prgtoken They didn't fix the fact that this bill won't provide economic security to hardworking families. prgtoken They didn't fix the fact that this bill will subsidize mansions for the wealthy, not renters or first-time home buyers. prgtoken They didn't fix the fact that it won't help families save for education or their retirement. prgtoken They didn't fix the fact that it will saddle our grandchildren with $2 trillion of debt. prgtoken , this bill is not an investment in hardworking men and women or Americans. In fact, it rips healthcare from 13 million Americans. It is an investment in the GOP's base--corporate special interests--the wealthiest among the wealthiest, and the entire empire. This bill is a political calculation they think will get them a win on election day. prgtoken But be warned: Americans are fed up and fired up. They know their cronies are laughing all the way to the bank. But the American people are organizing all the way to November.
ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Michael F. Bennet (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2017-12-20

in 2008, the Senate took up the question of whether to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I wasn't here at the time, but I remember the issue prompted a rigorous debate. prgtoken The Senate spent months on the topic. Experts weighed in, and the American people had a chance to share their views in a fairly open process. prgtoken It is worth pausing to recall the context for that discussion. In 2008, America produced nearly 7 million barrels of oil a day and imported another 12 million. The price of oil was roughly $150 a barrel. There was talk about the world hitting ``peak oil.'' prgtoken In that context, one side claimed that drilling in the Arctic Refuge was needed to boost domestic production, reduce foreign imports, and lower prices at the pump. The other side countered that any economic benefit from drilling was far outweighed by the need to preserve the Arctic Refuge, a jewel of our public lands, a vital habitat for wildlife, and a sacred place for the Gwich'in people--a place so sacred they are reluctant to even enter it. prgtoken In the end, after weighing the facts and considering the costs, 56 Senators, included 6 s, voted to protect the Arctic Refuge from drilling. prgtoken That was 2008. Now fast forward to 2017. The Arctic Refuge remains a jewel of our public lands. It remains a vital habitat for so many flora and fauna. It remains a sacred place for local tribes, and one of America's most spectacular wild places. The case for preservation has not changed. prgtoken By contrast, the case for drilling has never been weaker. Compared to 2008, domestic oil production has nearly doubled. Oil imports are down 22 percent. The price of oil has fallen 50 percent. Terminals we built to import oil and gas are now being used to export oil and gas. prgtoken For all these reasons, unlike 2008, oil companies are not clamoring for more opportunities to drill. Just last week, oil companies had the chance to bid on 10.3 million acres open for drilling in Alaska. In the end, less than 1 percent of the land was leased. prgtoken Think about that. We are not even using all of the land now available for drilling in Alaska. It defies reason that we would open up even more, especially in a place as treasured as the Arctic Refuge. prgtoken All of this is to say that, if it made little sense to drill in 2008, it makes no sense to drill now. prgtoken So it should surprise no one that the other side doesn't want a real debate. That is why they tucked this into their massive tax bill, hoping to sneak it in under the hood. prgtoken Their justification? We need revenue from the oil to pay down the deficit that we are creating with this tax bill. prgtoken There are two problems with that. First, the Congressional Budget Office found that, because of low demand, revenue from drilling would be far less than projected, potentially hundreds of millions less. prgtoken Second, the only reason we are having this
THANKING MATT BRAVO
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2017-12-20

I was going to say that one of the problems that I have with Mr. Bravo is that he thinks that Louisiana crabs are better than Maryland crabs, but loyalty is an important aspect of our service. prgtoken , I am pleased to rise to join my friend, Mr. Scalise, the majority whip, and thank Matt Bravo for the leadership that he has given on this floor, and particularly on behalf of my floor staff with whom he has worked very closely, both when he was with Mr. Cantor, with whom I worked very closely, and now Mr. Scalise, with whom I work closely. We thank him for his service to this House. prgtoken Every time I rise, I say, whether it is a ic or a staffer who works this floor, they work with all of us, and they work in a way that tries to facilitate the doing of the people's business. prgtoken They are not always as successful as they would like to be. It is the fault of the Members, not of the staff. They have good plans that go awry because the Members do not cooperate I would like to tell Matt that I understand that very well. prgtoken , we want to thank Matt for the very collegial, positive, constructive way in which he has worked with my staff, with the leader's staff, with other staff on this side of the aisle, as well as staff on his side of the aisle to assure that we can, to the best extent possible, work in a constructive way on behalf of the American people. prgtoken I am sure that Matt will be as successful in future endeavors as he has been here, and, if so, very, very successful indeed. prgtoken , I thank the majority whip for yielding me time, and I wish Matt Bravo the very best.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REFORM AND TRANSPARENCY ACT OF 2017
Maxine Waters (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2017-12-20

such time as I may consume. prgtoken It is not enough that my friends on the opposite side of the aisle just voted to give the biggest tax breaks to America's richest corporations. They are back here now supporting the control and the dominance of corporations over our investors who need protections. The difference between us and them, they are for deregulation of Dodd-Frank and protection for consumers to support, however they can give it, the biggest corporations in America. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), the distinguished ranking member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Securities, and Investments.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF SENATE AMENDMENT TO H.R. 1, TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT
Suzan K. DelBene (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2017-12-20

it should come as no surprise today that we are voting again on a bill that couldn't pass muster because it was cobbled together in a hurry, hidden from the public, and denied any meaningful vetting or debate. Tax reform is hard. It is even harder when you go it alone, cooking things up in back rooms out of the light of day. prgtoken But the real travesty here is that this bill won't help everyday Americans in the long term. To call it once-in-a-generation tax reform is an insult to those who came before us: s and who linked arms and, through years of partnership and compromise, crafted the 1986 bill that House passed with President Reagan. prgtoken That is the model we should have followed, because the fact is, we can all agree that our Tax Code is out of date and leaves countless families behind. prgtoken This year, the U.S. Department of Labor released data showing that there were around 6 million open jobs unfilled across the country at a time when around 6.8 million Americans are looking for work. I believe Congress has a responsibility to the American people to tackle this problem from every possible angle, including tax policy. prgtoken But the Ryan-McConnell plan doesn't just fail to acknowledge or address the problems that American workers are facing today, it cuts people's legs off from underneath them just when they are trying to get traction. Chairman Brady likes to talk about this bill leapfrogging us to the front of the pack, but the truth is this bill doesn't leapfrog us anywhere but backward. prgtoken This bill does nothing to put educational opportunities in the reach of more Americans trying to get ahead in the 21st century economy and does nothing to modernize research incentives that could support new breakthroughs that create the jobs of tomorrow. It explodes the deficit, making it that much harder to finance desperately needed investments in infrastructure that could put people back to work. prgtoken Why are s giving away the house to companies whose CEOs are already talking about stock prices, not jobs? prgtoken As a former CEO myself, I know that economic growth is created by great ideas and great talent, not indiscriminate corporate tax cuts at the expense of investments in the people who have always powered our economy. prgtoken I think tax reform should be about modernizing the Code to make us competitive in the 21st century. That means being fiscally responsible, forward-looking, and investing in families. prgtoken Unfortunately, this bill is a letdown for the American people, and we will no doubt be cleaning up this mess for years to come, not just today.