mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Childcare (Executive Calendar)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2023-11-29

as you well know, because we have talked about it, our childcare system is simply broken. It is not working for families across our country, and we face a crisis now that continues to grow worse. prgtoken I have said that many times--many times--and I will say it again and again and again until we fix this broken system for good. And I am not the only one here in Congress who feels that way. Earlier this month, 48 of my Senate colleagues sent a letter to me and Vice Chair Collins, Leader Schumer, and Leader McConnell urging us to include childcare funding in any emergency supplemental. prgtoken Today, many of them are joining me here on the Senate floor to lift up the prgtoken concerns that we are hearing from parents and making the case for providing robust childcare funding without delay. prgtoken We cannot pretend that childcare is any less urgent than the other challenges that we face. For every parent, childcare is a do-it-now problem, not a do-it-later problem. We need to treat it the same way here: urgent and essential. prgtoken Parents can't wait. They have to go to work tomorrow. They need accessible options now. Childcare workers cannot wait. They have to pay rent this month. They have to put food on their table tonight. They need a salary that lets them take care of their own families and that lets them keep doing what they love, instead of taking higher pay in retail or food services to keep their families afloat. prgtoken Providers can't wait. Their margins are already razor thin. If they don't get the support they need to cover operating costs until after they have raised prices and cut off families, after workers have already left, or after they are forced to close their doors, well, it is too late. prgtoken The writing on the wall is right now in big, bold letters. The childcare crisis is only going to get worse unless we take action and soon. prgtoken Childcare providers across the country are hanging on by a thread, especially now that our stabilization funding has expired, cutting off the lifeline that helped 220,000 providers stay open and helped provide childcare to nearly 10 million kids, while raising wages for childcare workers and lowering prices for working families. prgtoken If childcare centers don't get the support they need to make ends meet, the options for children and families is not pretty. We are talking about a very real possibility that childcare centers have to reduce the pay for their staff, lay off staff, serve fewer kids and families, raise their prices, or, in many cases, just simply shut their door. prgtoken This is a huge problem for working parents who can scarcely find childcare as it is. And even if they can find openings, that doesn't mean they can afford them. In fact, the already high cost of childcare is only getting worse. The latest data shows that in September, childcare prices jumped by the largest percent in a year. That means parents--especi
HONORING THE CAREER OF ALASKA'S JUSTINE GUNDERSEN
Mary Sattler Peltola (Democrat, AK) \u2014 2023-11-29

I rise today to address the House to honor the career of a great Alaskan, Justine Gundersen, upon her retirement from the Board of Directors for the Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association, known generally as ``APICDA.'' APICDA is one of six Community Development Quota Groups formed pursuant to the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Management and Conservation Act, as amended which created in statute the Community Development Quota Program. This revolutionary and game-changing program ensured that remote underserved Alaska Villages, would have a real and economically viable stake in the vast and valuable federal fisheries harvested in close proximity to their communities. Justine Gunderson played her own invaluable role in making it happen. prgtoken In 1976, Justine Gundersen made Nelson Lagoon her home with her late husband, Paul Gundersen. ``The Lagoon,'' is nestled on the north side of the Alaska Peninsula, on a narrow sand spit, 580 miles southwest of Anchorage and 70 miles north of Cold Bay. Nelson Lagoon, which the Unangax people originally used as a seasonal fish camp, has developed into a close-knit, year-round community with commercial fishing as its economic backbone. prgtoken Since the inception of the CDQ program, Justine has been a cornerstone, holding a position on the APICDA board since its earliest days. Her guidance helped lay the foundation for the APICDA board and played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of the entire program. prgtoken Justine's list of accomplishments is extensive, serving on influential bodies such as the Advisory Panel for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the Alaska Seafood prgtoken Marketing Institute Board, the Aleutians East Borough Assembly, and the Nelson Lagoon Advisory Board. prgtoken What truly distinguishes Justine is not merely the duration of her service, but the unwavering commitment that propels it--a resolute determination to ensure that the state's villages, regardless of their size and remoteness, receive the attention they deserve. With the accumulating of nearly 50 years of service, Justine has become a beacon of knowledge, dedicating herself to educating others about village life. prgtoken Beyond her board service, Justine assumed the role of Administrator for the Tribe and Corporation in Nelson Lagoon. In these capacities she worked tirelessly to shepherd projects aimed at enhancing the quality of life for the village residents. These projects include a community dock, erosion mitigation initiatives, a boatyard and storage facility, a community greenhouse, and two seasonal tourism adventure sport fishing camps that provide employment opportunities for Nelson Lagoon residents. prgtoken Justine's wealth of knowledge in the region and the fishing industry, coupled with her extensive experience and unyielding passion, positioned her as a formidable advocate. Her dedicated service to APICDA leaves an indelible and positive
NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MONTH
Susan Wild (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2023-11-29

I thank the co-chairs of this caucus for forming the Rural Health Caucus, something that is long overdue and very much needed. prgtoken , this Rural Health Month, I am thrilled to join my colleagues in the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus to advocate for quality, affordable healthcare in every community. Our neighbors living in rural areas face unique health challenges, a substantial one of those being medical personnel shortages. prgtoken In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 26 percent of residents live in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, meaning that nearly one-third of Pennsylvanians live in an area without sufficient medical personnel. prgtoken I don't know the last time you went to Pennsylvania, but it is a big State. If you are in a part of the State that doesn't have a lot of healthcare professionals, you are looking at long drives before you can get to a doctor or hospital. prgtoken Preventive care is critical to overall health and well-being, and access to preventive care relies upon having an adequate number of medical professionals. Having an adequate number of medical professionals relies upon not being penalized for serving as a teaching hospital. prgtoken It is unbelievable to me that this is a problem that Pennsylvania rural hospitals are facing. That is why I prgtoken partnered with Representative Meuser to introduce the bipartisan Fairness for Rural Teaching Hospitals Act. prgtoken This bill would allow rural hospitals, including St. Luke's Hospital Easton Campus in my district, and St. Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital, a stone's throw away, to receive fair reimbursements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. prgtoken This legislation is critical for allowing our rural hospitals to attract, train, and retain talented healthcare professionals to our communities. prgtoken I firmly believe that access to high-quality, affordable healthcare should not depend on your ZIP Code, and this bill is a step toward making that a reality. prgtoken I am so proud to join my colleagues in the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus to find ways to ensure that Americans in every corner of our Nation have access to the care and resources they deserve. I will keep up the work until that mission is fulfilled.
NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH MONTH
Donald G. Davis (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2023-11-29

I thank the gentlewoman and our co-chairs for leading this Special Order. prgtoken , I rise on behalf of eastern North Carolina to address my highest legislative priority: improving access to healthcare in rural America. prgtoken In honor of National Rural Health month, I join my colleagues here to speak about how we can fund commonsense bipartisan solutions to the most pressing challenges facing our healthcare system. prgtoken Since taking office in January, healthcare has been my number one legislative priority, having led, co-led, or cosponsored more than 60 bills in this space. prgtoken As we are here today, the people of eastern North Carolina are hurting, and at the root of this pain is the lack of access to healthcare. prgtoken To tackle these health disparities, I joined two colleagues in restarting the State Medicaid Expansion Caucus to demonstrate the overwhelming public support for basic access to healthcare. prgtoken After more than a decade of waiting, or in some cases dying, over 95,000 eastern North Carolinians will gain access to lifesaving healthcare starting this Friday, December 1. prgtoken As co-chair of the State Medicare Expansion Caucus, I will continue leading the charge in Congress to expand Medicaid across the country. prgtoken Beyond Medicaid expansion, I have championed the cause of rural hospitals. In the past decade, four rural hospitals in eastern North Carolina stopped operations, creating significant barriers to lifesaving medical care. prgtoken Martin General is the most recent example of suspending operations in the East. prgtoken While we have limited tools at our disposal, especially in communities where the payer mix skews toward Medicare and Medicaid, the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Authority is a critical part of the solution. prgtoken As eastern North Carolinians grapple with limited access to care, the opioid epidemic continues to plague the region. prgtoken To combat this crisis, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Congressman John Rutherford to stem the flow of counterfeit substances, including fentanyl, that have flooded the drug market. prgtoken H.R. 4988, the Modern Authentication of Pharmaceuticals Act, will come down hard on counterfeit controlled substances by requiring on- dose identifiers to guarantee the legitimacy of pharmaceuticals. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and put a dent in the fentanyl crisis. prgtoken While eastern North Carolinians and Americans across the country suffer from opioid addiction, patients recovering from injuries face their own barriers to treatment. prgtoken To ensure our most vulnerable patients get the care they require and deserve, I will soon introduce legislation to cut red tape for physical and occupational therapists, streamlining the delivery of care for patients recovering from debilitating injuries. prgtoken If passed, the legislation would ease the burdensome plan of care requirements that curren
Childcare (Executive Calendar)
Tina Smith (Democrat, MN) \u2014 2023-11-29

I rise with my colleagues today to say that childcare is a necessity for working families, and it is in all of our interests to make sure that families have a safe, affordable, high- quality place for their little ones. And that is why we need to step up and make sure that we provide support for childcare as we contemplate next steps for an emergency supplemental budget. prgtoken So for decades, Minnesotans have struggled to find childcare they can afford. Even before the pandemic, families told me that it cost them as much to pay for a year of daycare as to send their child to the University of Minnesota for a year. prgtoken I mean, of course, these young families haven't had years to save to pay for that childcare. So they can't afford over $12,000 a year, and that is even if they can find a good, safe place for their infants and toddlers. prgtoken Then, of course, when the pandemic hit, family care providers came into my office to tell me that their businesses were about to collapse. And then what happened? Congress took crucial action. We came together to pass emergency relief so that providers could pay their bills and keep their doors open, and families had a place for their children. These relief programs were absolutely necessary to help childcare providers keep their doors open and to operate during those unprecedented times. prgtoken So here is the good news. Our efforts were a huge success. Minnesota providers, from the smallest of small businesses operating out of their homes to larger childcare centers, all tell me that they would not have survived without this help, and that is true not just in Minnesota but all over the country. prgtoken Just in Minnesota, the emergency childcare stabilization grants kept over 8,000 childcare providers going. It kept them going. They reached over 200,000 kids just in Minnesota, but also in every State. From Alaska to Alabama, every State saw really tremendous benefits. In fact--this is interesting--96 percent of childcare providers that got prgtoken help from these stabilization grants say that it helped them to stay open and operating. prgtoken So, colleagues, here is our challenge. On September 30, these programs expired, but the deep challenges that families and childcare providers face are still there. So we are back in the soup because, without help to these providers, they are back at risk themselves, and they face really terrible choices, as Senator Murray just described. Do they try to cut the pay for these workers, who are some of the lowest paid, underpaid workers--primarily women, primarily women of color-- anyplace in the country. So that is one option--pay cuts for those workers who are struggling already themselves. Or do they try to increase prices, which we know will drive some families away because they literally cannot afford what it costs? Or, as Senator Murray says, do they just fold up? Do they just go out of business? Do they
Childcare (Executive Calendar)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2023-11-29

I am here to join my colleagues because, across the country, working families are facing an impossible choice that is created by the lack of access to childcare. prgtoken Even before the COVID pandemic, families in my home State of New Hampshire and elsewhere have struggled to access affordable childcare, and they were often faced with shortages of available childcare slots. The pandemic exacerbated these challenges and caused childcare centers across the Granite State to close. That forced countless families to scramble for alternatives. prgtoken The closure of a childcare provider can result in higher costs for families, and in New England, we already pay some of the highest costs for childcare in the country. They can also require parents to leave the workforce altogether. prgtoken Since 2019, New Hampshire has lost nearly 1,500 childcare slots, as dozens of childcare centers have closed their doors. I have visited some of those centers from across my State--from Littleton, in the northern part of New Hampshire, to Rochester, down on the Maine border, to Manchester, our largest city, and over in the west to Keene. I have seen those closed classrooms and strained facilities in every corner of the Granite State. prgtoken In October of 2020, New Hampshire had only half of the licensed capacity necessary to serve children under the age of 6 who needed care--only half of the required slots for care. And in just one of our counties, Coos County, which is the northernmost county of the State and borders Canada, three childcare centers have closed since January of this year. prgtoken Like all of my colleagues on the floor, we worked to deliver more than $50 billion in Federal funding for childcare during the pandemic. This is funding that was critical for allowing providers to keep their doors open, to improve childcare affordability and expand access, to increase wages for childcare workers, and to build a supply of childcare in States like New Hampshire. Now, with that relief funding running out, childcare providers are again facing an existential crisis. prgtoken Congress intentionally designed childcare relief during the pandemic to accomplish two goals: first, to provide direct relief to providers to stabilize the sector; and, second, to provide States with the resources to make long-term investments to try and address childcare availability. prgtoken Now, I am disappointed to say that in my State of New Hampshire, they delayed the distribution of that long-term funding stream, which made the last 2 years unnecessarily burdensome for families and childcare providers across New Hampshire. In fact, I am hearing from providers who are in desperate need of additional support to avoid closing classrooms. prgtoken So I am really pleased that the President included $16 billion for support for childcare in his domestic supplemental appropriations request to Congress, and we need to act as soon as poss
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5283, PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES FROM FAILURE TO SECURE THE BORDER ACT OF 2023; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5961, NO FUNDS FOR IRANIAN TERRORISM ACT; AND...
Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2023-11-29

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Reschenthaler), my colleague on the Committee on Rules, for yielding, and such time as I may consume. prgtoken , once again, House s are spending a week on legislation that fails to solve many of the very real issues facing our constituents. prgtoken Last week, when I was in my district, my constituents shared with me their aspirations, their worries, and their vision for how to make our communities thrive for generations. Veterans from Hobbs described how hard it is to travel for access to healthcare and other services-- services that they have earned. prgtoken Seniors from Hobbs described the concern about paying their bills on a fixed income and the need to reduce costs. The Lovington mayor led us on a tour of the wastewater plant as he described the need to invest in water infrastructure in rural communities and thanked us for doing that and promoting such investment. prgtoken In Taos, New Mexico, ranchers and farmers working with the New Mexico Acequia Association, which for those of you who don't know, is a centuries-old system of providing irrigation to farmers and ranchers in New Mexico. prgtoken They talked to me about their concerns about growing their business amid the climate crisis that we are seeing and the drought conditions. These are real challenges that our constituents want us to fix, challenges that Congress has the ability and responsibility to address. prgtoken Does this rule make in order any bills to help address veterans' need to access healthcare? prgtoken Does it make in order any bills to help seniors pay their bills? prgtoken Does it help our rural communities access rural clean water systems? prgtoken Does it help our farmers keep their heritage and grow our foods? prgtoken Nope. It doesn't. prgtoken What are we doing this week? prgtoken We have a bill that prevents the use of Federal lands to provide temporary shelters for certain noncitizens, including migrants who are legally applying for asylum. It is a bill that fails to address the humanitarian crisis or security needs at our border. prgtoken Our colleagues across the aisle have consistently repeated harmful theories, like the invasion theory, where they seek to demonize the communities I represent and from which I come. Their talking points simply inflame the issue rather than looking to solve it. prgtoken This is just more of the same from a majority that is unable to govern effectively. Instead, we should pass legislation that actually improves our immigration system and acknowledges and upholds the dignity of immigrant communities. prgtoken There are real solutions to deal with the border. The majority just doesn't want us to vote on them on this floor. prgtoken For example, the Dream and Promise Act has vast support from Americans, but will we see s put it on the floor? prgtoken Nope. prgtoken The Farmer Workforce Modernization Act that has bipar
TRIBUTE TO JONATHAN HOUSTON
Jack Reed (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2023-11-29

today I pay tribute to a dear friend and one of Rhode Island's most thoughtful and visionary civic leaders, Jonathan ``Jon'' Houston. After 45 years of tireless advocacy, Jon will be relinquishing his role as executive chairman of Justice Assistance, the nonprofit organization he founded both to assist victims of crime and to provide meaningful support for ex-offenders. prgtoken I have been privileged to know Jon since our time together as students at La Salle Academy in Providence, RI. After high school, Jon went on to graduate from the University of Rhode Island before completing advanced management certification programs at Harvard and Salve Regina University. He also served on a number of public safety boards and commissions in Rhode Island, but his vision in founding Justice Assistance in 1978 stands as a signature achievement in the area of criminal justice reform. prgtoken It is no small task to radically change the way we treat and look at victims of crime, nor is it easy to take on the challenges facing former offenders after they have completed their sentences, but that is why Jon has become such a respected figure in the community. He has dedicated his life to a problem that few others were stepping up to solve. And Justice Assistance has been enormously successful. According to the Providence Journal, Justice Assistance's sentencing alternative program--one of the organization's major initiatives--has collected over $5 million in restitution on behalf of victims of crime, and 90 percent of its court-referred clients successfully complete its ex- offender intervention and support programs. Justice Assistance's success is a testament to Jon's tenacity and devotion. prgtoken Rhode Islanders have been fortunate to have Jon dedicate more than four decades to strengthening our communities and developing systems of support for those who may otherwise not have had any. I, too, have experienced Jon's knowledge, insights, and humility on criminal justice reform when I worked with him to increase Federal support for innovative and transformative solutions to recidivism and for victim protection. prgtoken Jon has undoubtedly made a mark on Rhode Island. His work and advocacy have directly impacted the lives of thousands who have come in contact with our criminal justice system. Through Justice Assistance, Jon's work will continue to improve lives of victims and offenders for years to come, but this won't be the only way his mission carries on after the mantle is passed. Jon was the primary author of the ``Rights of Victims of Crime'' amendment in the State constitution, the first constitutional amendment in the Nation dedicated to protecting the rights of crime victims. In a very literal sense, Jon's passion and words have been permanently added to the foundational document of the state. prgtoken I would also like to take the time to recognize Jon's wife Pamela, his daughter Shannon, and his