mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
John Boozman (Republican, AR) \u2014 2020-7-27

I rise today to recognize Dr. Nate Smith, whose expert medical guidance and strong leadership will be deeply missed following his departure from the Arkansas Department of Health. prgtoken Dr. Smith launched his career with the Arkansas Department of Health in 2009. His extensive medical background and dedication to the department's mission allowed him quick advancement through the agency ranks. He initially served as State epidemiologist and subsequently served as branch chief for infectious diseases and deputy director for Public Health Programs. However, Dr. Smith's more recent and notable appointments to director and State health officer in 2013 and secretary of health in 2019 presented him with even greater responsibility in maintaining and protecting public health in the State of Arkansas. As a member of Governor Asa Hutchinson's cabinet, Dr. Smith crafted and implemented the State's response to the COVID-19 emergency. He has worked diligently alongside the Governor's team to provide medical and scientific reasoning for pandemic-related decisions. Dr. Smith's commitment to the health and well-being of Arkansans has always been evident. We are especially grateful for that commitment as he navigated unprecedented times on behalf of our State. prgtoken Dr. Smith's distinguished career with the Arkansas Department of Health comes after years of education and preparation, including over a decade of comprehensive medical schooling, four degrees, and two board certifications. After graduating from Rice University in 1986, Dr. Smith claimed home to Texas and its classrooms for the next 10 years. By 1991, Dr. Smith had earned two more degrees: a doctor of medicine from Baylor College of Medicine and a master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. In 1996, Dr. Smith earned a master of public health from the University of Texas School of Public Health, focusing on disease control. He completed two infectious disease fellowships at Baylor College of Medicine before pursuing a degree in tropical medicine and hygiene from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in England. prgtoken What emerged as an area of interest for Dr. Smith in medical school led to an expansive, acclaimed career in infectious disease medicine. After years of education and training, Dr. Smith took his knowledge to Africa at the height of the AIDS epidemic. While simultaneously serving as a medical missionary with his wife, Dr. Smith worked at Kijabe Hospital in Kenya in the roles as chief of internal medicine, medical intern program director, and infectious disease consultant. He found himself back in Kenya in 2006 under the direction of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, this time working with the Kenya Institute of Human Virology as a senior medical technical adviser and country medical director. prgtoken His expertise in infectious disease is well-respected and has led to his participation and l
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Susan M. Collins (Republican, ME) \u2014 2020-7-27

the Paycheck Protection Program of forgivable loans has been a lifeline to millions of our small businesses and their employees. According to a recent census survey, more than 76 percent of Maine's small businesses reported receiving a PPP loan. An estimated 240,000 Maine jobs have been supported by this critically important program, which has brought more than $2.2 billion to our State. Nationwide, more than 5 million small employers have received PPP loans. prgtoken When Senators Rubio, Cardin, Shaheen, and I developed this program back in March, we had no idea how long economic closures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 would last. Many small businesses have made considerable investments in personal protective equipment and facility modifications to operate safely during the pandemic and yet are still only able to operate at a fraction of their previous capacity. prgtoken In fact, I talked to an innkeeper in Maine just this morning who told me that in normal times, at this point in the summer, his inn would be nearly full every single night, but this July his business is down by 93 percent. prgtoken The bill that Senator Rubio and I are introducing would allow the hardest hit small employers--those whose revenue has declined by 50 percent or even more--to receive a second PPP forgivable loan. And to ensure that we are targeting assistance to the employers that need help the most, we limit those second loans to small businesses with 300 or fewer employees. prgtoken Our bill would also expand forgivable PPP expenses to include investments needed to protect both employees and customers, such as masks, plexiglass shields, and improved HVAC systems. This could include, for example, the expense of expanding outdoor seating, which is especially important to restaurants that are still under dining restrictions. prgtoken We include a number of other important provisions, such as allowing seasonal businesses more flexibility in calculating their loan amounts and simplifying the loan forgiveness process for smaller borrowers. prgtoken I hope that our proposal will help advance bipartisan negotiations to extend this vital program before August 8, when applications will no longer be accepted. There are so many small employers and their employees who have been kept afloat by the first PPP loan they received but need a second one to survive this persistent pandemic
TRIBUTE TO BRAD BONER
John Barrasso (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-7-27

at the 108th Wyoming State Fair, Senator Enzi and I will have the pleasure of introducing Brad Boner as one of the 2020 inductees of the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. He is a man of honesty, hard work, and strong leadership. I am proud to say Mr. Boner exemplifies the ideals of the Wyoming way of life through his immense contributions to Wyoming agriculture. prgtoken Mr. Boner has demonstrated his deep-rooted commitment to the Wyoming community and, above all, his family. He is supported by his wife Laurie and three children, Braden, Meghan, and Ryan. After graduating from the University of Wyoming with an ag business degree, Brad returned to Glenrock, WY, where he still ranches at the M Diamond Angus Ranch alongside his two brothers, Rob and Jeff, and their father, Bob. prgtoken Mr. Boner's involvement in agriculture goes far beyond production. In fact, his dedication and passion for the industry are evident through his active involvement in both cattle and sheep industries on local, State, and national levels. Brad is the current American Sheep Industry Association secretary and treasurer, as well as president of both the Wyoming Wool Growers and Wyoming Angus Association. Brad has served in various capacities whenever he has been called upon, often sacrificing valuable time on his home ranch. Brad serves as the supervisor of the Converse County Conservation District, Wyoming Animal Damage Control Board, and American Sheep Industry ``Let it Grow'' committee. Brad's dedication to the State and the industry has not gone unnoticed. In 2014, he was recognized as a University of Wyoming College of Agriculture ``Outstanding Alumni.'' prgtoken In addition to serving in many capacities to the benefit of Wyoming's sheep ranching community, Brad steps up and serves as an articulate spokesman on moving the sheep industry forward. One of the most noteworthy accomplishments is Brad's active role in forming the Mountain States Lamb Cooperative, including serving as MSLC's first chairman and current chairman. prgtoken Mr. Boner is not only a leader in Wyoming's strong agriculture community, but a wonderful mentor to the youth across our State. He believes sharing his love for agriculture with students is the best way to ensure the continuation of this great industry for generations to come. I would agree. I think that the greatest accomplishment is the mentorship that we can provide to the young folks of this country, and this is exactly what Mr. Boner continues to do. Through the Future Cattle Producers of Wyoming program, he donates a heifer to a student applicant that wants to learn about the industry. This program assists students in becoming involved in cattle production and helps them establish their own herds. prgtoken In addition to assisting many students on the agriculture front, for more than 30 years, Brad has dedicated his time to his community by refereeing basketball games from middle sc
TRIBUTE TO JACK AND DIANA BERGER
Michael B. Enzi (Republican, WY) \u2014 2020-7-27

today I am pleased to recognize Jack and Diana Berger, who are being inducted into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. Every year since 1992, Wyoming has recognized individuals who have made substantial contributions to agriculture in our great State. I am proud to say that Jack and Diana Berger more than meet these qualifications and are well deserving of this honor. prgtoken Natives of Saratoga, WY, Jack and Diana Berger remain committed to Wyoming's agriculture industry and the Saratoga community. Jack is currently serving as president of the Wyoming Natural Resource Foundation, which is dedicated to conserving Wyoming's natural resources, heritage, and culture. He has been instrumental in providing the necessary support to fund a variety of water quality initiatives and rangeland and wildlife habitat improvement projects. Jack is also the past president of the Carbon County Stock Growers. Diana was elected to serve on Carbon County School District No. 2 for two terms. In 2018, she was appointed by then-Wyoming Governor Matt Mead to serve on the Wyoming State Fair Advisory Board and elected to serve as chair in 2019. As a member of the Wyoming Stock Growers Environmental Stewardship Committee, Diana played an intricate role in selecting members of the Wyoming agricultural community who exhibit outstanding stewardship ethics. These are just a few of the organizations Jack and Diana have dedicated their time to. prgtoken Perhaps more inspirational than their achievements, however, is the Bergers' commitment to the Saratoga community. Jack and Diana have a passion for the agriculture industry and their fellow producers, and want to see these people succeed right alongside them. They genuinely enjoy ranching and making a living off of the land. The Bergers also firmly believe, like myself, that the most effective policy decisions are made at the State and local level, especially when concerning critical industries like agriculture. Like most folks in the great State of Wyoming, the Bergers know that hard work, proper stewardship of the land, and a commitment to your neighbor go a long way in ensuring a strong agriculture industry and happy and healthy communities. prgtoken Fortunately for Wyoming, the Bergers also truly understand the importance of passing their knowledge on to the next generation of Wyomingites. They continue to share their passion for agriculture with their children Jace, Aubrey, Kyle, and Kirby. Jack and Diana remain active in the Carbon County Fair with 4-H and FFA. It is truly inspiring to see Wyomingites who understand the importance of passing their knowledge on to those who come next, so they too can have a positive impact on Wyoming's agriculture industry like Jack and Diana have. prgtoken The Bergers' values, dedication, and work ethic exemplify the Wyoming way of life. I want to extend my congratulations to them and thank them for their service and years of har
COMMISSION ON THE SOCIAL STATUS OF BLACK MEN AND BOYS ACT
Kelly Armstrong (Republican, ND) \u2014 2020-7-27

such time as I may consume. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I am not an expert on all of these issues, but I do know quite a bit about criminal justice. It is important to recognize that a lot of things we are talking about in these bills are delivered at the local level, whether it is criminal justice, whether it is education, whether it is any of those types of things. prgtoken This isn't about percentages and data points. This is about communities, and this is about people. But at no time in history have we been better able to collect information in a more usable way. When I served in the State senate in North Dakota, I was the chair of what we call our Justice Reinvestment Committee. And what we found out very shortly was that our data was all over the place. In order to make smart, effectuating change and provide localities and States and communities with the proper information so they can target where they can really do the most good--oftentimes on strained budgets and just different areas--it is important that studies like this come out because there are things we can do in Congress. prgtoken To be quite frank, we are behind the game. Conservative and liberal States all across the country have started on this, and they started before us--States like North Dakota, States like Colorado, States like Mississippi. It is our job to get in the game. It is our job to provide them with the information we can. And, yes, we will make reforms here, but we will also give them the tools and the data so they can really take a deep dive into their own communities and figure out where they can best serve their constituents and where they can start getting rid of these institutional racial disparities that exist, whether it be in the criminal justice system, whether it be in education, whether it be in healthcare. prgtoken , I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and .
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN LATINO ACT
Will Hurd (Republican, TX) \u2014 2020-7-27

. Madam , I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken Latinos became the largest ethnic group in the United States in 2008 and, well before 2060, will make up 25 percent of the American population. In spite of their essential relevance to our country's intellectual and cultural life, the task force that the gentleman from California spoke about that was commissioned in 1994 by the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution found that, ``U.S. Latinos and Latinas are the only major contributor to American civilization still uncelebrated by any specific, systemic, permanent effort in this country's major cultural institution.'' We are rectifying this situation today. prgtoken The National Mall is America's front yard, and it draws millions of visitors every year to some of the best museums and monuments that honor our most revered citizens. Half of all Americans will visit the National Mall in their lifetime, but there is nothing to the American Latino. To fully understand American history, we need a museum for the American Latino and Latina. prgtoken Historian Dr. Peter Stearns has said: ``History helps us understand people and societies, helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be. History contributes to moral understanding, provides identity, and studying it is essential for good citizenship.'' At a time of intense public debate about whitewashing history, we should jump at the chance to collect, present, and protect in one place artifacts, stories, and collections that reflect our entire history. prgtoken The National Museum of African American History and Culture had one million visitors in its first 4 months. If this is any indication of the potential success for a museum of the American Latino, this investment will be well worth it. prgtoken Many incredible people have fought to bring to life the idea of a national museum for the American Latino. prgtoken Robert McCormick Adams, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, commissioned the 1994 task force. prgtoken Raul Yzaguirre chaired the task force, with his vice chair Mari Carmen, and they have been fighting for this museum for 25 years. prgtoken In 2004, my friend and former colleague, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, along with another former colleague, Xavier Becerra, first introduced legislation to establish the museum. prgtoken Henry Munoz, a fellow San Antonian, served faithfully as chairman for the National Museum of the American Latino Commission with his vice chair, Susan Gonzales from California. They authored a report on how to achieve this vision. prgtoken And another organization critical to the success of this initiative, Friends of the American Latino, whose chair, Danny Vargas, vice chair, Ivette Fernandez, and CEO, Estuardo Rodriguez, have toiled to make this a reality. prgtoken Today, Congress gets to fulfill the work of these folks and many more. If we want to understand this experiment we call America, then we must understand our
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Marco Rubio (Republican, FL) \u2014 2020-7-27

to follow up on Senator Collins' outline of the second round of PPP, I think it is important, first, to remind everybody how we got to this place. prgtoken The goal, when we did it the first time, was to not only allow small businesses to survive what was then uncertain as to how long it would take but also to keep their workers attached to employment. We know how devastating it is to a family and to an individual when they get disconnected from employment, and, by and large, we believe the program has been incredibly successful. But it has room for improvement, and we have learned from those things along the way with some of the different changes that were made in providing more flexibility and the like. prgtoken This new program comes at a timely moment because we are now beginning to see that as the PPP funds are being exhausted, some companies are having to face, once again, the potential of having to lay off some of their workers. That is why it is time for a second round of PPP assistance. prgtoken A lot of the provisions will be very familiar. You have heard them already--the 2\1/2\ percent payroll and so forth--but some are new because we really wanted this to be more targeted. That is why there is the 300-employee-or-less standard, and you have to have 50 percent or more of revenue reduction. prgtoken We also understand that some communities have been harder hit, for a variety of different reasons, and especially the sort of microbusinesses--the smaller ones. Some of these funds will be set aside for employers that have 10 employees or less, to make sure that the money doesn't run out without that group of small businesses getting the assistance they need. prgtoken In addition, we know that minority and underserved small businesses have been disproportionately impacted by the lockdowns that we have seen. Many of them, obviously, often lack significant cash reserves. They historically face challenges being able to get traditional means of capital. So, as part of this proposal, separate from PPP and in addition to it, we are proposing an additional type of loan that would be longer term, more targeted, and at low interest, designated for small businesses that are either seasonal employers or located in low- income communities and have 500 or fewer employees. It provides them flexible long-term working capital to help ensure that these most vulnerable and underserved small businesses don't go out of business because of the pandemic but allows them to borrow up to two times their annual revenues on a 20-year loan term at 1 percent interest. prgtoken Again, don't confuse that with PPP. This is a separate target product to try to help those who are in low-income neighborhoods, as defined by their census track. So, consider, for example, a small business with $400,000. A 5-year loan at 7\1/2\ percent interest rate, that today would be equal to $8,000 monthly payments. But if they are able to r
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Richard C. Shelby (Republican, AL) \u2014 2020-7-27

today I introduced legislation that provides $306 billion in additional resources to prgtoken fight the coronavirus and to mitigate its impact on American families, schools, and businesses. I want to briefly highlight some of the main provisions. They have probably been talked about already this afternoon. prgtoken First, $6 billion goes for States to ramp up testing, with a particular emphasis on schools, employers, childcare facilities, and nursing homes. prgtoken Second, $26 billion goes for the development and distribution of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. We have made meaningful progress on each of these fronts, but we haven't gotten there yet, as we all know. prgtoken Third, there is $105 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund to help schools adapt to the circumstances they face, which are extraordinary. The CDC has emphasized the importance of getting kids back into school and has issued guidelines on how to do so safely. That is why this legislation provides additional funding for K-12 schools to get kids back into the classroom at least 50 percent of the time, which would be a big start. We recognize they will incur additional expense if they reopen safely, and we have to try to provide for that. prgtoken The fourth point I want to highlight briefly here is $20 billion in additional assistance for our Nation's farmers and our ranchers. prgtoken The fifth and final point: nearly $30 billion to bolster the U.S. defense industrial base, which is important to all of us. We must never take our eyes off the ball there. These resources will prevent furloughs of thousands of employees from across the country who help Americans stay safe. prgtoken I can go on and on, but time is moving on here this afternoon. We realize this is just the first step. We have to work together. We have to work in a bipartisan fashion here and put America first. prgtoken We know the House has some high numbers. We have good numbers, I believe. I look forward to some bipartisan help on this and moving these bills along. prgtoken .