mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTION
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Mr. president. There are significant racial and ethnic inequities in maternal and infant mortality rates in the U.S. American Indian/Alaska Native women are more than twice as likely as nonHispanic white women to die as a result of pregnancy or its complications, and the infant mortality rate among babies born to American Indian/Alaska Native women is 2.1 times higher than that of non-Hispanic white women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women in 2018 is more than 2.5 times higher than the maternal mortality rate of non-Hispanic white women, and the infant mortality rate of non-Hispanic Black women is more than 2.3 times higher than the infant mortality rate of non- Hispanic white women. Any pregnant woman choosing to have a child should be able to do so safely without regard to income, race, ethnicity, employment status, or any other socio-economic factor. prgtoken This is why Senator Murkowski and I are reintroducing the Mothers and Newborns Success Act, which aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality, ensure that all infants can grow up healthy and safe, and protect women's health before, during, and after pregnancy. Our legislation supports innovation in maternal health delivery and improves data collection on maternal mortality and maternal deaths, including implementing quality assurance processes to improve the validity of pregnancy checkbox data from death certificates so that we can better understand the causes of maternal deaths. The bill will help ensure that women are matched with birthing facilities that are risk- appropriate for their particular needs to improve maternal and neonatal care and health outcomes. The legislation strengthens support for women during the critical postpartum period, the year after birth. prgtoken The bill also establishes a public and provider awareness campaign through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to promote awareness of maternal health warnings signs and the importance of vaccinations for pregnant women and children, ensuring pregnant women get the vaccinations they need. The bill promotes maternal health research, providing technical assistance to states to ensure representation of communities of color in key datasets. The bill establishes a National Maternal Health Research Network at the National Institute of Health to support innovative research to reduce maternal mortality and promote maternal health. The bill supports the Rural Maternity and Obstetric Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program at the Health Resources and Services Administration to improve access to, and continuity of, obstetrics care in rural communities, including thorough use of telehealth. prgtoken No woman should fear for her or her child's health because of socio- economic factors, such as race or geographic location. We need to ensure more women of color and their children, particularly Black
HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF DOROTHY ANN MROWKA
Joe Courtney (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , it is with great sadness that I rise today to honor the life of the late Dorothy Ann Mrowka, of Colchester, Connecticut, who passed away at her home on April 29, 2021 at the age of 78. Known by everyone as Dot, her involvement in the civic and cultural communities of eastern Connecticut made her beloved by many. prgtoken Born in New London, CT on October 13, 1942, Dot spent her entire life in eastern Connecticut. Committed to education, she earned a Masters degree in Business Administration which lead to a successful career as a computer programmer at AETNA insurance. She moved to Colchester in 1973 and then married her beloved husband Lucien Mrowka a short time later. They were married for 38 years before he sadly predeceased her in 2012. prgtoken Truly, there is not an organization in Colchester that has not been touched by Dot. She was a devout parishioner at St. Andrews Church serving on the Ladies Guild and the First Friday Rosary Guild. Dot was an active member of both the St. Joseph's Polish Society and Colchester Grange No. 78. She was very involved with the Colchester ic Town Committee, and the Federation of ic Women. She was the recipient of the Ella Grasso award by Connecticut not once, but twice and selected to serve on the ic State Central Committee. Her service to the community did not stop there. Dot was a fierce defender of a free and fair election and served Colchester residents as the Registrar of Voter for 25 years. Many happy marriages began with her proclamation of ``I now pronounce you husband and wife'' as she served as a Justice of the Peace. Her selfless service to her community is unparalleled. prgtoken I met Dot early in my career in Congress, and her friendship over the years has been invaluable. There are few in this district that knew their community as well as Dot did. She was a tireless campaign volunteer who never shied away from all the ``nuts and bolts'' of organizing a headquarters, leading phone banks, lit drops or election day logistics. The election eve ``get out the vote'' spaghetti supper at the Colchester Polish Club was a must stop for ic candidates at every level--including House Nancy Pelosi in 2006. The void her passing leaves is unmeasurable. I know her memory will continue through her family--her son Jeffrey Watson; her daughter, Tammy and her husband Ricky Keller; her brother Joseph Ploszaj; her sisters Peggy Fedus and Mary Lou Johnson, and her two beloved grandchildren Tyler Kelly and Taylor Watson. prgtoken Madam , it is an honor to represent constituents as honorable and impactful as Dot. While we all mourn her loss, we can at least find solace that her story, memory, and purpose lives on in through countless others. I find it fitting that we, the People's House, add her name and character into the Congressional Record and ask that the entire House join me in recognizing the life of Dorothy Ann Mrowka,
EXECUTIVE CALENDAR--Resumed
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-5-25

. The point I am trying to make is this: At this moment in history, filling this Division, the Civil Rights Division, on the anniversary of George Floyd's murder on the streets of Minneapolis, we are choosing the first woman of color in the history of the United States to head this Division. It is a historic choice. It shouldn't be trivialized by those who want to paint a caricature of this woman not even close to the truth. It shouldn't be trivialized by ignoring the many endorsements she rightfully received because of her good life's work, having spent her entire career defending the civil rights of all Americans. prgtoken Ms. Clarke is the right person for the job. President Joseph believes that. The Attorney General believes it, and I believe it as well. At a time when we have seen an appalling rise in hate crimes, we need someone with her experience to head this Division. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to take note of the continued need for the Civil Rights Division to do its important work 150 years after its creation. Given that need and Ms. Clarke's breadth and depth of experience, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of her nomination. prgtoken . Vote on Clarke Nomination
Nomination of Kristen M. Clarke (Executive Session)
Sheldon Whitehouse (Democrat, RI) \u2014 2021-5-25

here we go again. Just a few weeks ago, the Senate debated Vanita Gupta's nomination for Associate Attorney General, so let's review the bidding from that. prgtoken Gupta was eminently qualified for her role. She had support from the foremost law enforcement leaders and groups in the country. She had proven herself handling high-level government responsibilities. But s set their hair on fire trying to take Ms. Gupta down. They grasped for something, anything, to dent her prospects. Eventually they landed on contorting an 8-year-old op-ed, even calling her accurate responses to their questions about it lies. It wasn't pretty. prgtoken Now we are back on the floor with hair aflame again, this time over the nominee to run the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke. Like Ms. Gupta, Ms. Clarke is eminently qualified. She knows civil rights law inside and out. She has run one of the Nation's leading civil rights organizations. She is a superb, well-trained, experienced lawyer. prgtoken Conservatives have endorsed her, like President 's DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and former National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. Law enforcement organizations like the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police support her. prgtoken She ought to have flown through committee and been a quick vote here on the floor, but, no, it is hair-on-fire time again. Why all the coifs aflame? Look behind the smokescreens and remember that the No. 1 strategy of the Party for 2022 is to keep voters from voting. And guess what. Ms. Clarke will run the voting rights section of the Department, and Ms. Gupta, who used to run that same Civil Rights Division, will supervise her as Assistant Attorney General. prgtoken Behind the ruckus over Ms. Gupta and now Ms. Clarke is a dark money operation out to suppress the vote. It has the trade craft of a covert operation--cutouts, front groups, secret money--and that covert operation is now focused on preventing, as our colleague Senator Warnock says, ``some people'' from voting. And Ms. Clarke and Ms. Gupta will be the lawful, legal opposition to the dark money, voter- suppression apparatus. prgtoken Here is what we know. When was in power, this covert op ran a dark money-funded apparatus within the Federalist Society to select Federal judges. For 4 years, the Federalist Society's operation was the gatekeeper to the Federal bench. Virtually every judicial candidate who passed through this dark money-funded turnstile was approved by big, anonymous donors out to control the courts. Donors got to approve judges and Justices who would have their backs. prgtoken That dark money turnstile was step 1. Step 2 was dark money-funded political campaigns for Senate confirmation of the nominees who got through the turnstile. For 's three Supreme Court nominees, this was done b
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2021-5-25

I first want to thank my colleague and friend Senator Carper for leading this effort with S. 51, the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. It is long overdue that we acknowledge an injustice in our country and give the citizens of the District of Columbia their full representation rights by statehood. prgtoken I have been working on this issue for a long time. When I was the speaker of the Maryland General Assembly almost 40 years ago, the Maryland General Assembly took action to give full representation to the people of the District in the Congress of the United States. That was 40 years ago, and we are still working on this issue. It is long overdue that we acknowledge a shortcoming in our own system for 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia. prgtoken I had the honor of chairing the U.S. Helsinki Commission. It is the implementing arm for the Helsinki Final Act of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It has the membership of all of the countries of Europe and the former Soviet Union, Central Asia, Canada, and the United States. I mention that because in 1975, those countries entered into an agreement on basic, fundamental democratic principles, including the right to have representative government. prgtoken That document also gives us the opportunity and obligation to question whether member states are in compliance with the Helsinki Final Act. Quite frankly, we have used that opportunity to raise issues in countries. prgtoken Our Presiding Officer has been very aggressive in his comments about Russia, and we have used that to bring up the fact that Russia violated the commitments of the Helsinki Final Act when it invaded Ukraine and when it took over Crimea, and it is still interfering with the sovereignty of Ukraine. We have offered our objections when Russia's Government has stepped on the human rights of the people of its own country--like those of Aleksei Navalny's, the opposition leader, being imprisoned and tortured. That is in violation of the Helsinki Final Act. We have raised those issues. prgtoken We have raised those issues about another member state, Turkey, when they have jailed journalists or failed to allow civil society an opportunity to be heard, for they are violations of the Helsinki Final Act. prgtoken For us to have credibility in raising these issues of other countries that are violating the fundamental principles, we have to self-evaluate where we are. If we are going to be leaders, we have to acknowledge our own shortcomings and take steps to eliminate those shortcomings. prgtoken Quite frankly, we are an outlier when it comes to the representation for the people of the District of Columbia. We have violated their basic rights. We are the only country in the world wherein the citizens of its capital do not have the opportunity to vote for representatives in the national legislature. That is not a distinction that we want to have prgtoken The 700,000
NOMINATION OF KRISTEN M. CLARKE
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-5-25

a year ago today, on another front equally important, George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight by a police officer sworn to protect and serve. Our country was forever changed by the stomach-churning video of Derek Chauvin killing Mr. Floyd. prgtoken It sparked a summer of protest unlike any we have seen in American history. Around the world, the name of George Floyd was chanted in Rome, Paris, and London, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Mexico City. As recently as this weekend, professional soccer players in the British Premier League knelt before the game in support of the global movement against racism touched off by George Floyd. prgtoken This was not only a fight for justice for one man and his family, whom I have had the privilege to meet with, but a fight against the discrimination that Black men and women suffer at the hands of state power not just here in America but around the globe. It is a fight that continues today. prgtoken Here in the Senate, we will continue that fight when we vote to confirm the first woman--the first Black woman--to ever lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, which was created in 1957 as the civil rights movement began to uphold the constitutional rights of all Americans but particularly the most vulnerable. When it comes to justice in policing, the criminal justice system, and at the ballot box, the Civil Rights Division is often the tip of the spear: conducting investigations of police departments with patterns or practices of constitutional violations and defending the fundamental voting rights of every American citizen. prgtoken So, in a way, as we continue to pursue strong policing reform legislation, it is appropriate that we confirm Kristen Clarke--a proven civil rights leader--to the position of Assistant Attorney General, where she can continue the fight against bigotry in many ways. It is appropriate we do it today. prgtoken Though my colleagues have tried to twist her words to make her sound like some radical, Ms. Clarke is, in reality, a hugely accomplished civil rights attorney who has earned the respect of all sides. Much like her future colleague at the Justice Department, Vanita Gupta, Kristen Clarke has been endorsed by a wide range of law enforcement groups. The truth is, Ms. Clarke will make an exceptional leader of the Civil Rights Division. prgtoken So, again, in a very significant way, as we continue to pursue strong policing reform legislation, the fight for racial justice by confirming Kristen Clarke on the anniversary of George Floyd's murder is particularly poignant and appropriate. prgtoken Of course, Congress must also pursue strong legislation to end racial bias in prgtoken law enforcement. Senators Booker and Scott, as well as Representative Bass and others, have been working diligently behind the scenes to fashion such a bill on a bipartisan basis. That important work must continue as we strive to ensure George Fl
ENDLESS FRONTIER ACT--Resumed
Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-5-25

I continue to advocate for the ability of this body to vote up or down on this bill. This is an important moment in our Nation's history. This is a generational change whose time has come. prgtoken Previously, when such important reforms were needed, such as the don't ask, don't tell repeal, they were brought directly to the floor. It is time to bring this to the floor. prgtoken . prgtoken .
HONORING BLACK DOCTORS COVID-19 CONSORTIUM
Dwight Evans (Democrat, PA) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , I rise today to honor The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium who leveraged their medical expertise and connections to facilitate testing and provide vaccines where measures are most needed in the Philadelphia region. They stepped up to level the playing field by testing and vaccinating thousands of people in at- risk communities. prgtoken Surgeon Ala Stanford along with a dedicated team of volunteers have sought to eliminate health disparities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium was founded by Dr. Stanford in the spring of 2020, to address the lack of Covid-19 testing in low- income and communities of color in Philadelphia, who also happened to have the highest positivity rates. Their efforts undoubtedly saved countless lives. prgtoken Dr. Stanford left her role as a pediatric surgeon to dedicate her time to aggressively confront the growing health disparities in Black communities during the pandemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control--Black patients represent 22 percent of Covid cases and are 2.8 times more likely to be hospitalized and 1.9 times more likely to die due to Covid-19 as compared to White Americans. These starks figures are what drove Dr. Stanford to create the formation of BDCC. She declared, ``There was no testing in communities where people were dying the most. So, we created it.'' Her work has been invaluable to the city of Philadelphia, particularly for low-income and vulnerable residents. prgtoken The consortium has tested more than 25,000 people and vaccinated more than 50,000 Philadelphians at 50 clinics. It also offers home vaccinations for people who can't access clinics. These services have been provided free to the public. They have recently partnered with Uber to provide 10,000 free rides aimed at helping people get to and from BDCC sites. Their work has drawn praise from the 's administration top health officials. ``She is the perfect example of how a community member can stand up and lead during a time of crisis,'' Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said. prgtoken The Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium held a ``vaxathon'' a 24-hour, walk-up vaccine site, which saw a massive turnout. The group vaccinated nearly 4,000 people, 75 percent of whom were people of color. It was a wildly successful event designed to increase the prgtoken number of vaccinations given to Black Philadelphians and to reduce the vaccination disparity between White and Black Philadelphians. prgtoken Dr. Ala Stanford is the recipient of several awards including the Health Equality Advocate award, and she is a decorated and revered physician who is considered a champion for health equity and access. She is a native of North Philadelphia who pours her all into creating wellness outcomes for her communities. Her accolades are lengthy, and she's the first Black woman pediatric surgeon trained entirely in the United States. She's board certified by the American Board of S
CALLING ON THE NEED FOR COMPREHENSIVE MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-5-25

. Madam , I rise today to call my colleagues' attention to the dire need for Congress to continue building upon recent investments in mental health care. prgtoken The American Rescue Plan funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is commendable but Congress must hone its focus to address this ongoing crisis by working to create and pass comprehensive mental health legislation. prgtoken I, alongside Members of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus and the Bipartisan Mental Health and Addiction Taskforce, are working to pull together key pieces of legislation to establish a comprehensive Mental Health Crisis Response Act. prgtoken I ask my colleagues, both and s, to please work with us and send bills our way to present to leadership and the White House, as the fundamentals of our social economy depend on the good health of our citizenry and their ability to access quality and affordable behavioral health services. prgtoken Throughout my 38 years in Congress, I have heard countless stories from constituents who face barriers when accessing essential mental health services. We must work to overcome these issues. prgtoken Further, we must enhance our Nation's capacity to address the negative social and physical determinants of health that cause trauma and behavioral health problems, as well as deploy more effective upstream prevention strategies. prgtoken It's past time for Congress to take meaningful action, targeting provider shortages, reimbursement parity, housing support, treatment, and increased Federal funding to push the bounds of Federal research. prgtoken Full recovery from the pandemic will be contingent upon addressing the behavioral health conditions of our population, because mental health is public health.