mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-7-29

late last night, there was a vote on the floor which was historic. I will address the subject matter in a moment. But 17 s joined the in an amazing commitment to building America's infrastructure. I will speak to the specifics of that in a moment. prgtoken But I wanted to recount another event this morning which was not as widely published but could be very important to many American families. Prescription Drug Costs prgtoken , if you ask families across the United States to list the top three things they are worried about in terms of pocketbook issues and things that Congress can address, I will bet you that they will end up putting the costs of prescription drugs on that list every time. They know what happened. These prescription drug costs have gone through the roof. For many people, it is a real hardship. prgtoken I was looking this morning at some of the information we have about insulin, and, you know, for millions of Americans that is literally a life-and-death drug. Insulin was discovered decades ago. The gentleman and those who did the research to find it basically gave away all of their patent rights--the rights to make any money off of insulin--for $1. They said you can't take a life-and-death drug and put a pricetag on it. It has to be shared by people. prgtoken Jonas Salk did exactly the same thing when it came to the polio vaccine in the 1950s. He found this breakthrough vaccine--and I was one of the early schoolkids to sign up for it--and said: I don't want to make a penny off of this. This means too much to America and the world. prgtoken Bless both of those individuals for that kind of selflessness. prgtoken Yet when it comes to drugs like insulin today, and Sanofi, one of the largest producers of insulin, in the year 2000, was charging $35 for a dose of insulin. It has now had the price rise 25 times since then. The price of an insulin vial is $350, creating a real hardship and a real strain for many families who are dependent on insulin to keep themselves or their children alive. prgtoken So, this morning, we had a meeting in the Senate Judiciary Committee. We considered four pieces of legislation on a bipartisan basis--let me underline that: bipartisan basis--and passed all four measures unanimously with voice votes. I could tell you, having served on that committee for over 20 years, it is a rare day that everything goes through with bipartisan support on an issue of consequence. Today was one of those days. prgtoken One of the bills, the Stop Significant and Time-wasting Abuse Limiting Legitimate Innovation of New Generics Act--the Stop STALLING Act--by Senators Klobuchar and Grassley, was advanced by a voice vote. prgtoken What we are finding is that the pharmaceutical industry is designing new ways on a regular basis to delay the surrender of their patents. As long as they have patents--and most of those are for 20
AUTHORITY FOR COMMITTEES TO MEET
Martin Heinrich (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2021-7-29

I have 5 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders. prgtoken Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry prgtoken The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing on nominations. Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs prgtoken The Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources prgtoken The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing. Committee on the Judiciary prgtoken The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing nominations. prgtoken Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight prgtoken The Subcommittee on Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight of the Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 29, 2021, at 10 a.m to conduct a hearing.
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Rosa L. DeLauro (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-7-29

such time as I may consume, but far too much time has been consumed already. prgtoken , 204 days ago, this building, this very Chamber, was brutally attacked. A mob of violent insurrectionists invaded our Capitol, hellbent on stopping the peaceful transfer of power. prgtoken For the first time in over two centuries, the temple of our democracy was defiled and damaged. prgtoken The brave men and women of our Capitol Police protected us. Since that fateful day, they have continued to work day in and day out, with only the barest minimum of support. They have soldiered on with physical, mental, and emotional trauma and have sacrificed their own needs and those of their families for the safety and security of our democracy. We need to respect their service. prgtoken The legislation the House passed 2 months ago was a very strong bill that met the needs of the Capitol Police, who were so brutally attacked, and the National Guard, who bravely responded. I am pleased that the Senate amendment largely leaves those provisions intact, which is why we are bringing it to the floor today. prgtoken However, the Senate bill falls short of what we need in key areas. It does not include resources to prosecute the terrorists who attacked our government, and it does not have enough funding to secure the Capitol for the long term. prgtoken These needs will not disappear. As we pass this bill today, we know that we are not finished, and we are committed to filling in the gaps the Senate amendment has left. prgtoken , this bill is not perfect, but time is running short, and the immediate needs are dire. prgtoken In those harrowing moments of January 6, the men and women of the Capitol Police protected us. They said yes. Now, we must protect them. We must say yes. Vote ``yes.'' prgtoken , .
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2021-7-29

as the distinguished Presiding Officer knows from all his involvement and the negotiations that have been going on, we do have an emergency security supplemental issue before us. So I am speaking now to urge that the Senate take up and pass H.R. 3237, which is the Emergency Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, which the House sent over, and we add a Leahy-Shelby substitute amendment. prgtoken Let me describe a little bit for my colleagues what the Leahy-Shelby substitute amendment is. It is the result of bipartisan compromise between myself and Vice Chairman Shelby. prgtoken We have been working on this for weeks and weekends. Our staff has been working late into the night. And I want to thank Senator Shelby both for his hard work and his friendship. prgtoken This $2.1 billion package is designed to address the aftermath of the violent insurrection that took place on January 6, is designed to heal the remaining scars of the COVID pandemic on the Capitol Complex, and provide the resources we need to ensure the safety of our Afghan partners as we conclude our mission in that country. prgtoken Let me tell you why there is urgency in this. If we don't act, then the Capitol Police will deplete salaries funding in literally a matter of weeks. The National Guard all over the country will be forced to cancel needed training to carry on their mission at home and abroad. We all remember when we went out speaking to members of the National Guard from most of our States who were here to help with the security of the Capitol in January. prgtoken So if we did nothing, that would be sort of a security crisis entirely of our own making in what it would do to the Capitol Police and what it would do to our National Guard. prgtoken But by acting, we prevent that crisis. We provide the Capitol Police with $70.7 million in resources for overtime pay, retention bonuses, mental health services, and new equipment and training. prgtoken Let me tell you why this is necessary. Since January 6, 73 officers have left the Capitol Police, and that is not sustainable. We have to make a strong statement of support for those officers who defended this building, and all it stands for, on that terrible day. prgtoken This week, the Nation is hearing the testimony of the officers who fought the violent insurrectionist mob on that day, and their trauma is real. Anybody watching their testimony knows it cannot be brushed aside. prgtoken We also provide $521 million to fully fund the cost of the National Guard deployment to Capitol Hill. From around the country, including my own State of Vermont, the women and men of the National Guard responded without hesitation to our call for help. We shouldn't hesitate to reimburse those costs. prgtoken I remember during daylight hours and also late at night going around thanking members of the National Guard, not just from my State but from all the other States, for what they were doing. B
LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT, INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, MILITARY CONSTRUCTION...
Greg Stanton (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , I want to commend Chair DeLauro and Chair Pingree for their work on this bill and the significant progress it makes in addressing so many issues that have impacted tribes across the nation, including Arizona. prgtoken This is by far the most funding provided to tribal nations in the history of our country, and I appreciate your commitment to consulting with tribal governments as this bill was drafted prgtoken The bill before us includes funding for staffing newly opened health facilities. Very near my district, the River People's Health Center, located on the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Reservation, is one of these new facilities. prgtoken I am grateful it would fully fund the Indian Health Service's (IHS) request for staff at the River People Health Center, and that language is included to ensure the facility will receive staffing funding should the opening date come earlier than IHS currently projects. prgtoken However, I also understand that the Community has raised concerns with the IHS that the funding request does not include 11 positions that are in the original authorized staffing plan for the Health Center. prgtoken Unfortunately, while the Community sent a letter more than two months ago requesting clarification and justification for this discrepancy, they have yet to receive a response. prgtoken While this issue is being worked out between the Community and IHS, I would ask that the Committee continue to work with me to ensure the final bill will fully fund the authorized staffing levels and 638 contracts for the newly-opened facilities, as agreed to in the final contract between the tribe and the federal government. Chairwoman Chellie Pingree: I want to thank the gentleman from Arizona for raising this concern and for his consistent support for strong funding for Tribal Nations. I am proud to say that our subcommittee has strongly supported Tribal priorities and programs, because we know that these accounts are still far underfunded and oversubscribed. I also want to thank him for his support of the Indian Health Services' River People's Health Center on the Salt River Reservation. I am very pleased that this bill provides the funding necessary to open this new facility and others across the nation. With the pandemic still raging in many parts of the Country, it is essential that we get these facilities up and running as soon as possible. Staffing for new facilities is an issue we closely monitor. We look forward to updates on negotiations between the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community and IHS and will work with our colleagues in the Senate as the situation evolves. prgtoken I thank Madam Chair for her support. I look forward to working with her and supporting the wellbeing of our Tribal communities
PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP
Teresa Leger Fernandez (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , we are here today to call on the President, to call on the House, to call on the Senate to pass immigration reform. We hope to see immigration reform in reconciliation. prgtoken We are here to tell the stories of why we must do this, of why we must do this not just for the immigrant community, and not just because it is the right thing to do, and not just because of the stories of each of those families who put their lives on the line, who study, our DACA, our Dreamers, our essential workers, not just for each of them. We are calling for immigration reform because it is good for America. prgtoken And we must move beyond the rhetoric of division. We must move beyond the rhetoric of hate. And we must move to the facts. And when we move to those facts, we know and we learn that immigration reform is good for this country. prgtoken I often talk about the fact that we need to ignore those who would divide us. Those who would seek to demonize another for political gain. Because we know in New Mexico, especially, we know that there is no other, there is only an us. No hay un otro, solamente nosotros. prgtoken And when we look at some of these numbers, we recognize that. When we notice that immigration reform will bring a $1.7 trillion benefit to our economy, that it will raise annual wages for everybody by $700, that it would create 438,000 jobs for Americans, there is an economic reason for doing this beyond the sense of who we are, our humanity, and who we are as a Nation of immigrants. prgtoken This issue affects every community in our Nation. And it is so important in my own community that the first meeting I had after I was elected was with Somos Un Pueblo Unido. We Are a United Community. Somos Un Pueblo Unido. prgtoken And it was wonderful to have that meeting, because I heard directly the voices of my sisters who were undocumented. I heard their voices tell the story of what it was like to work, tell the story of what it was like to be exposed to COVID, but they knew they had to go back to work because they did not have a choice. Because they did not have any other way of providing for their children. prgtoken They put themselves in harm's way to care for us. They put themselves in harm's way to make sure that our grocery stores were stocked. They put themselves in harm's way to make sure that our elderly were cared for. They asked me a favor, they said, Senora Congresista, we ask that you will take our stories to Washington, D.C that you will take our stories and use your voice there to repeat them. And so my voice right now is not mine, it is theirs. prgtoken Today, we stand in the people's House and use our voices to share the community stories, to highlight the benefits of immigration reform, and hopefully, hopefully, to get closer to making it a reality. prgtoken There are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, they are the Dreamers who we have talked about. They are
THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY
Mondaire Jones (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , I would like to address my remarks to President . prgtoken , as you rightly said in Philadelphia this month, we face the most dangerous threat to free and fair elections in our history. To meet this threat to our democracy, we need only do what is plainly possible: Use our majorities to pass the For the People Act. prgtoken But we cannot succeed unless you call for abolishing or reforming the filibuster. prgtoken You have urged the American people to be, ``clear-eyed about the obstruction we face.'' Well, that obstruction comes not only from s, but also from Members of our own party. prgtoken I know that you do not have a voice in the Senate. But you do have a voice, the most powerful on the planet. Unless you use it to lead, the Senators who stand in the way of democracy will continue to do so. prgtoken The truth is, , we can't just out-organize partisan gerrymanders. We can't just out-vote a party that is committed to overturning elections whose results they don't like. prgtoken And we better not ask Black and Brown voters to do twice as much to save our democracy, when we in Washington cannot be bothered to do half as much as we should. prgtoken We need new laws and we need your help to pass them.
FREE CUBA
Charlie Crist (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2021-7-29

. Madam , I rise today in strong support of the Cuban people in their fight for freedom under the Communist dictatorship. Over the past few years, the situation on the island has rapidly deteriorated with limited access to essentials like food, medicine, clean water, and electricity. prgtoken When the people rose up in record numbers to oppose the regime, they were attacked, brutalized, and, in some cases, disappeared. prgtoken We stand with the Cuban people and support their mission. That is why I am encouraging the President to provide direct aid like food, medicine, diapers, internet, and vaccines directly to the Cuban people and to stop arms shipments from Venezuela and Russia that are being used against the Cuban people. prgtoken Lead the free world in support of the demonstrators. We expect democratic nations to stands for democracy. prgtoken My prayers are with all the Cubans, including those in my home State of Florida, whose loved ones are on the island.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-7-29

first, I want to just give my great thanks to Senator Leahy and Senator Shelby for bringing this vote here right now. The bottom line is very simple: This wasn't easy to get done. A UC on these kinds of issues should be easy, but it is not. Senator Leahy persisted and persisted and persisted, and I want to thank him as well. prgtoken Senator Shelby persuaded the Members on his side that we had to move, and they have come up with a good compromise. It is not everything our side wanted, but it is very good. prgtoken I also want to thank Senator Klobuchar and Senator Blunt. Their work on the authorizing committee, the Rules Committee, helped pave the way for this, with all the information they brought out, and they deserve a lot of credit. prgtoken Now, look, to keep the Capitol Complex safe and secure, we are lucky to have the best of the best. As I said earlier today, our Capitol Police risk their lives for us. They go all out for us. They are really, really important. The National Guard went all out for us, too, on that fateful day and then for months afterwards. I remember walking through the halls early in the morning, thanking them as they were bivouacked out through the Capitol Visitor Center and everything else. prgtoken Now we are about to run out of money. Already, the Capitol Police have forgone some of the things that they usually do in terms of training, in terms of other types of activities, and soon, salaries, bonuses, and new hiring will be on the chopping block. Similarly, many of our National Guard units from around the country that sent troops here, soldiers here, men and women here, are running out of money. prgtoken We can't let that happen. So passing this amendment is living up to our responsibility to keep this grand Capitol safe, this temple of democracy, this citadel of democracy safe, and to make sure that the people who risk their lives for us and protect us get the help they need. prgtoken It shouldn't have taken this long, but here we are, and I am glad we are on the floor. Unanimous Consent Agreement--H.R. 3237 prgtoken Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at a time to be determined by the majority leader, following consultation with the leader, the Senate proceed to the consideration of Calendar No. 63, H.R. 3237; that the only amendments in order be the following: the Leahy-Shelby substitute, No. 2123, and the Cotton amendment to the Leahy substitute, No. 2124; that there be 6 minutes for debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate vote in relation to the Cotton and Leahy amendments; that if a budget point of order is raised and a motion to waive is made, the Senate vote on the motion to waive; and that if waived, the bill, as amended, if amended, be considered read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill, as amend
EMERGENCY SECURITY SUPPLEMENTAL TO RESPOND TO JANUARY 6TH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2021
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2021-7-29

in just a few weeks, our Nation will come together to remember September 11. It will be the 20th anniversary of that unspeakable act of horror, an attack on our Nation that devastated us and, most particularly, the families and loved ones who lost members of their family and friends--the fallen--who will be remembered on that day and honored. prgtoken And I have been honored to stand with those families over the years, as many of us have, as they remember their loved ones and continue to face the trauma and immeasurable grief of their loss. And in these years, many of those families have sought justice. They have tried to honor their loved ones with action to vindicate not only their individual grief and mourning but also justice for our Nation, truth, and truth-telling in the courts of law in this country. They have brought legal action against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the face of mounting, significant credible evidence that, in fact, the Saudis aided and abetted that attack on our Nation. prgtoken As a Congress, we have acted to support that effort, and I was proud to help to lead the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA, when we passed it overwhelmingly here, and then on a bipartisan basis, we overrode the President's veto. It was President who vetoed it, and many of us, including the Presiding Officer, voted to override that veto, I believe. prgtoken We opened the courthouse doors to the 9/11 families in their legal effort to hold Saudi Arabia accountable in the face of that evidence of its potential complicity. Again, I was proud to stand with these families in 2018 when I introduced, with the help of Senators prgtoken Cornyn, Schumer, Gillibrand, Murphy, and Menendez, a resolution urging that documents related to the September 11 attack be declassified to the greatest extent possible. prgtoken That resolution passed the U.S. Senate unanimously--unanimously-- because all of us recognized that the survivors and the families of the fallen and the American people deserved answers, the truth about what happened on September 11, who was behind it, who supported it, who aided and abetted, and who was complicit in enabling that handful of terrorists to do such a devastating attack and unspeakable horror on this Nation. Many of us have stood with those families to ensure that the 9/11 families not only get their day in court but are also able to go to court with all the evidence they need to have a fair chance to prove their case. prgtoken I have asked questions at oversight hearings, including of Director Wray of the FBI. I have sought commitments from nominees like Attorney General Garland. I have written letter after letter after letter, with and s alike, calling on the Department of Justice and the FBI to provide information that the 9/11 families have requested. prgtoken I am proud to continue to stand with those families as we approach this