mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT
Debra A. Haaland (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , today we act so that women will no longer experience the fear of not knowing if they can maintain their family's financial security while they are pregnant. prgtoken As the number of women who work as the primary breadwinners in their households continues to rise, this financial insecurity rises as well. prgtoken While growing up, my mother was forced out of the Navy because she was pregnant. Although times have changed, mothers are still being forced out of their employment due to the absence of reasonable accommodations. I know first-hand the pressures of being that single source of income for my household, and I have seen how Black and Latina workers are overrepresented in low-wage, physically demanding jobs that need pregnancy accommodations for them to stay safe. prgtoken More than a decade ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was amended to better implement the principle that physical or mental disabilities should be met with reasonable accommodations. prgtoken Pregnancy is not considered a disability under the ADA, however, enabling employers to deny reasonable accommodations like allowing pregnant employees to sit on a stool rather than stand during a long shift. prgtoken This bill would correct that, and I would like to include in the Record a letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities addressed to Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Foxx in support of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. prgtoken New Mexico is one of thirty states that have enacted laws to protect access to reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers so they have safe working conditions and, if they are denied that, the right to receive lost pay and compensatory damages. prgtoken Millions of pregnant workers in these states have benefited from these protections, but a pregnant employee's ability to work safely should not depend on where in this country she lives. prgtoken The Pregnant Workers' Fairness Act, which is endorsed by nearly 200 worker advocates, civil rights groups and the business community, will hold every employer in our country, across state lines, to these same standards. prgtoken As we hear horrific stories of immigrant women forced to have hysterectomies and lose their ability to have children, we are reminded that the health, safety and wellbeing of all women is not something we can turn a blind eye to, whether those women work in boardrooms, on a factory floor, or in a hospital. prgtoken I support this legislation because no expectant mother should have to risk her health or that of her unborn child to stay financially stable. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this historic bill. September 11, 2020. Re Support for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, H.R. 2694. Hon. Bobby Scott, Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Virginia Foxx, Ranking Member, Committee on
HONORING DANIEL L. ``DAN'' GROSS
Susan A. Davis (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , I and the other members of the San Diego Congressional delegation, rise with admiration and respect to honor and recognize the tremendous legacy of Daniel L. ``Dan'' Gross, who retired from Sharp HealthCare as Executive Vice President of Hospital Operations on April 3, 2020. prgtoken Born in Independence, Kansas, Dan's early childhood experiences created the blueprint for his education, career and philanthropic contributions. He experienced hospitals as a place for healing when serious medical issues meant repeated hospitalization for his mother. He was also very interested in science. His comparison of the hearts of five animals ``off the farm'' led to first place in the science fair when he was in 4th grade. prgtoken Like many San Diegans, in 1979 Dan came to visit but decided to stay. Planning further education, he was attracted by California's outstanding higher education system--which at that time was also affordable. He interviewed at all the San Diego hospitals but chose Sharp Memorial Hospital because of its commitment to professionalism. prgtoken While working his way up the clinical ladder at Sharp, Dan realized his graduate education goals earned a Masters in Nursing Administration from San Diego State University and his Doctorate in Nursing Sciences from the University of San Diego. prgtoken The first in his family to attend college; Dan knows the importance of nurturing the next generation of health care providers. He has advised on curriculum at San Diego's charter Health Sciences High and Middle College (HSHMC), and created internships at all Sharp hospitals for HSHMC students. prgtoken Dan's childhood experience on a farm also had a role in leading him to Sharp, where he was able to contribute to cutting edge research in cardiac services, including Jarvik Hearts, transplants, and left ventricular assist devices. Dan's graduate education ensured that nurses played critical roles during exciting times in clinical innovation. Patients throughout the country have also benefited, as he has raised over $3 million for the American Heart/Stroke Association, consistently turning out the largest team for the annual fundraising walk for research and education. prgtoken Dan has worked at Sharp for over four decades, moving from clinical care to overseeing operations for four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals including Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns, the largest freestanding women's hospital west of the prgtoken Mississippi, and Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital, the largest private inpatient psychiatric hospital in California. prgtoken Not content with just ensuring a range of health care services that span cradle to hospice, Dan has led efforts to improve health care policy, quality, and affordability through leadership roles with both the California Hospital and the American Hospital associations. He has advised federal, state and local elected officials, federal and state ag
HONORING COMMISSIONER BILLIE DEAN
Val Butler Demings (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , I rise today to celebrate the life of Commissioner Billie Dean from the city of Apopka. prgtoken Mr. Dean was a guiding light for Apopka. prgtoken From bravery in Korea, to the classrooms and commission, to the forefront of racial integration in the South, Commissioner Dean was a champion for his community. prgtoken He was a local hero for his work to revitalize South Apopka and to fight for justice. As a teacher and a commissioner, he made the future of Apopka his ultimate cause. prgtoken There is no higher praise for a public servant than the love of his community. Apopka loved him, and he loved Apopka. prgtoken Madam , we are grateful for a life well lived.
PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-9-17

. People of faith and across the ideological spectrum recognize that prioritizing the health and safety of pregnant workers should not be a partisan issue. prgtoken It is past time for workplaces to accommodate our families and protect pregnant workers. They are the ones prgtoken who keep our economy and communities running. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this long overdue legislation.
Wildfires (Executive Calendar)
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-9-17

I would like to take this opportunity to call attention to key legislation that addresses violence, and this piece of legislation should come to the floor. That is the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. prgtoken VAWA reauthorization expired over a year and a half ago, on February 15, 2019. Funding continues, but key improvements are being delayed by the lack of reauthorization. prgtoken The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 is supported by all 47 ic Senators. The House passed the bill 236 to 158. Thirty-three House s voted yes on that bill. prgtoken The bill would extend VAWA for 5 years, through 2024, while making key improvements. prgtoken As the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, I know how critical VAWA reauthorization is to Indian Country. prgtoken Data from the U.S. Department of Justice indicates that Native women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average murder rate. There are more than 5,000 cases of missing American Indian and Alaska Native women, and 55 percent of Native women have experienced domestic violence. More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women experience violence in their lifetime. prgtoken Without the enactment of a VAWA reauthorization, these Tribes will lack the jurisdictional tools they need to keep their communities safe. prgtoken The House-passed bill strengthens Tribal sovereignty, provides important protections for LGBT people, and bars dating partners convicted of domestic violence from having handguns. prgtoken The bill would make a real difference in preventing violent crimes against women and making Native communities safer, and I ask that the Senate take up its consideration immediately. prgtoken As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 2843, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT
Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , section 702 is not repealed by this law, and according to the Congressional Research Service, which studied this issue, all in all, State statutes providing for pregnancy accommodation generally incorporate generalized longstanding religious exemptions. In most cases, exemptions allow religious institutions to favor coreligionists. States typically do not enact separate or specialized religious exemptions for pregnancy accommodation laws. prgtoken Madam , I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms. Bonamici), the chair of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services.
PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT
Sylvia R. Garcia (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , for far too long, pregnant workers in our country have lacked reasonable accommodations at their workplaces. They need to keep their jobs to ensure economic security for themselves and their families. Yet, without reasonable accommodations they could risk their health and safety. I am proud to cosponsor the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which would right this wrong. This bill would require employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers who need them. Without this legislation, some may continue to work in unsafe conditions. Currently, pregnant workers might be let go or forced into unpaid leave, just for asking for reasonable accommodations. Some may quit their job to avoid risking the health of their pregnancy. This is unacceptable. Pregnant workers deserve better. They deserve these commonsense protections. That is why I am proud to cosponsor and vote for this bill today.
HONORING DR. HELEN LEVINE
Charlie Crist (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , I rise today to honor Dr. Helen Levine, the Regional Vice Chancellor for External Affairs at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP), for her 14 years of service to the USF system and for being a remarkable and powerful force for good in the Pinellas community. prgtoken During a tenure that spanned multiple campus administrations, Dr. Levine used her position to fight for the advancement of higher education. From her work championing the construction of the historic Kate Tiedemann College of Business to her advocacy on behalf of the internationally recognized La Florida Project, which tells the story of Spanish Florida, Dr. Levine has changed many lives for the better. She is someone who has long lived up to the ideals of bipartisanship and civility, working across the aisle with city councils, the state legislature, and Congress to secure funds for research, scholarship, and a more equitable University of South Florida St. Petersburg. prgtoken Madam , to speak for just one minute on the full legacy of Dr. Levine is impossible. She is a groundbreaking leader, a champion for education, and a role model for all who seek to improve the lives of others in their community. As she retires from her senior position at USFSP, it is my privilege to wish her the best in all her future endeavors both personally and as a valued member of our community.
Medicare (Executive Session)
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-9-17

the election is only weeks away. Voting has already begun in some places. I know that folks at home in Oregon, where some of our communities are literally reduced to ashes, are already thinking about how they are going to vote. They will have a lot on their minds when they fill out their ballots, obviously, and I hope all Americans will fill out their ballots early as a raging pandemic and catastrophic fires in Oregon and across the West have taken a huge toll on our communities. prgtoken What I want to do this morning--and I am going to use public records to sound an alarm--is talk about another issue that isn't getting nearly the attention it deserves--not even close. A Medicare crisis is headed our way and fast. Whoever wins the next Presidential election will be in charge during the biggest crisis Medicare has ever faced. prgtoken Based on these public records, I want to warn the public-- particularly seniors--about something I believe they already know: You cannot trust to protect Medicare, so you have to protect Medicare from . prgtoken has proposed extreme budget cuts to Medicare for 3 straight years. In 2018, he proposed cutting $500 billion, and in 2019, more than $800 billion. In 2020, proposed cutting $450 billion from Medicare. The blocked him from making those cuts, but in another Presidential term, he could undermine Medicare on his own. Here is how the situation comes to be. prgtoken Our economy melted down earlier this year because the President downplayed the coronavirus. Millions were out of work, and businesses shuttered--whole sectors of our economy mothballed. The economy collapsed. Again, I base this on public records. It has been devastating to Medicare's finances. According to the nonpartisan experts in charge of Medicare's books, the Medicare trust fund is going to be insolvent within 4 years. prgtoken These funds are essential to Medicare as we know it. They pay for basic services that millions of seniors need each day--treatment for heart attacks and strokes, care for a broken bone or a bout with the flu that lands an older person in the emergency room, and access to skilled nursing care. Once you reach insolvency, you are sending this country's seniors out into no man's land. prgtoken Whether Medicare is going to continue to function the way it does today is a big unknown. If is in a position to be in charge, these budgets are going to be the end of the Medicare guarantee. Ever since I was the director of the Oregon Gray Panthers, we had always looked at that Medicare guarantee as sacred. It meant that there would be defined, secure, high-quality health benefits for America's seniors and that they would be available under any type of Medicare that older people received. prgtoken Based on some of these budget proposals, older Americans are going to have to figure out some other way to p
PREGNANT WORKERS FAIRNESS ACT
Carolyn B. Maloney (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership. prgtoken Madam , I rise in support of this bill. As a member of the New York City Council, I became the first woman in history to give birth while in office as a council member. There had been many men who had become fathers, but I was the first woman. So I know firsthand how physically draining and stressful it is to work while pregnant. prgtoken Some of the only good news coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown is that there has been a dramatic drop in the number of premature births. prgtoken In Denmark, the rate of babies born preterm dropped by 90 percent during the lockdown. So the accommodations in this bill can keep mothers and babies safe. It is strongly pro-family. prgtoken This bill is an incredible step in the right direction. Once we ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, we will have an anchor in the Constitution to pass even more robust protections for women and families. prgtoken I urge a strong ``yes.'' It is long overdue.
JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-9-17

I rise to speak about the package of four Illinois district court nominees who are scheduled to receive votes on the floor this week. prgtoken In my State, and s have long worked together in a respectful, bipartisan way to select Federal judges. prgtoken For example, when two Illinois vacancies opened up on the 7th Circuit in 2017, back before Senate s decided to abandon the circuit court blue slip, we were able to negotiate a package of two well- qualified nominees, Amy St. Eve and Michael Scudder, who both were confirmed by the Senate unanimously. prgtoken For district court vacancies, Illinois has a longstanding ``three to one'' system. prgtoken Under this system, the President's party gets to select the candidates for three out of four district court vacancies, and the other party gets to select the candidate for the fourth. Then the parties negotiate until they reach agreement on packages of nominees that can move forward to confirmation. prgtoken Under this system, and s have to work together and compromise. Neither side gets everything they want, but for several decades, this bipartisan process has kept both parties at the table and has served Illinois well. prgtoken During President 's tenure, there have been two packages of Illinois district court nominees that we have negotiated with the senior Member of the congressional delegation-- Representative John Shimkus--and the White House. prgtoken The first was a package of four Chicago nominees--now judges--that included ic pick Mary Rowland, a former Federal public defender and the first openly LGBT judge on the Chicago bench. prgtoken The second package of Illinois nominees, which we negotiated throughout 2019 and agreed upon last December, includes Federal Magistrate Judge Iain Johnston of Rockford; Illinois 3rd Judicial Circuit Judge David Dugan of Madison County; Illinois 20th Judicial Circuit Judge Stephen McGlynn of St. Clair County; and the ic pick, Judge Franklin Valderrama of the Cook County Circuit Court. prgtoken All of the nominees in the current Illinois package have significant judicial experience and were rated well-qualified by the American Bar Association. prgtoken Each nominee also was reviewed by judicial screening committees that we established, including a Southern District judicial screening committee, chaired by former Federal judge Patrick Murphy, and a Northern District committee, chaired by former Federal judge David Coar. Each nominee received screening committee approval based on their qualifications and their record as judges. prgtoken I want to say that I recognize and respect the opposition that has been expressed to two of the picks in this package, Judges Dugan and McGlynn. prgtoken These nominees have made statements and expressed views with which I disagree, particularly on matters involving reproductive rights. prgtoken The
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF THE NFL
Tim Ryan (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-9-17

. Madam , I rise today with my fellow representative, Mr. Bob Gibbs, to wish the National Football League a happy 100th birthday. One hundred years ago today, 15 people met in an automobile showroom in Canton, Ohio to form what would become the National Football League. From these humble beginnings, the NFL has grown into a preeminent American sports league, comprised of 32 teams from 22 states across the country. prgtoken Over its first 100 years, the NFL has become a fixture in American life. The league is an American institution that brings together individuals of all ages, races, and backgrounds through a common enthusiasm for and appreciation for the game of football. Through good times and bad, the NFL has consistently reflected the spirit of the American people, displaying resilience, optimism, and resolve through periods of war, economic distress, natural disasters, and the current pandemic. Last season, the NFL concluded the celebration of its 100th season with a thrilling Super Bowl championship that was viewed by over 100 million Americans. prgtoken Although the league celebrated its 100th season in 2019, the League's 100th birthday prgtoken is a historic day as well. Today, in an effort to commemorate this momentous occasion. my Cleveland Browns will host the Cincinnati Bengals in a classic rivalry game, known as the ``Battle of Ohio''. The game will highlight the formation of the league and its humble roots in Canton, honor the more than 25,000 players who have played in the league, and showcase the work the NFL is doing to ensure its second century is just as successful as the first. prgtoken We, therefore, recognize the National Football League on its 100th birthday, and wish the league all the best as it embarks into its second century as the foremost steward of ``America's Game.'' Go Browns!