mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Ron Wyden (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-3-25

several Senators on the other side have been arguing against the provision in this bill to supercharge unemployment insurance right now, which is something on which Senate have negotiated with the administration, Secretary Mnuchin, and Chairman Grassley. Based on what I am hearing from the Senators on the other side, you would think that this provision was pretty much going to end Western civilization. prgtoken Now, supercharging unemployment benefits has long been a priority for Senate , and we have been fighting for those improvements in unemployment since the process began. In our view, it is the key to getting help to where it is needed the most. prgtoken Believe me, colleagues, when you see the unemployment claim numbers tomorrow, if the numbers are accurate, this Chamber is going to see that the unemployment crisis will be exploding in America prgtoken I don't believe anybody in our great country should fall into destitution as a result of this pandemic, so I, obviously, disagree with my colleagues who oppose so strongly our amendment to improve unemployment benefits. I just want to make a few key points in response to their argument. prgtoken First, I start with an argument that just about knocked the wind out of me when I heard it earlier. It is the idea that nurses are going to quit their jobs as a result of this legislation. prgtoken Nurses are not going to be quitting their jobs to get unemployment benefits because that is not how nurses think when they get up in the morning. By now, everyone has seen the Herculean efforts of our nurses who have been fighting the pandemic. Nurses in America are brave, and they care. They are true professionals. From Portland, OR, to Portland, ME, they are on the frontlines of this fight and are putting themselves in harm's way to save the lives of our neighbors whether they be in South Carolina, Oregon, or anywhere else. They don't cut and run. Also, contrary to the suggestion of my colleague from Nebraska, retired prgtoken nurses have been coming out of retirement in droves to help treat patients who are suffering because of the coronavirus. prgtoken Second, it is a head-scratcher to me that my colleague from Nebraska is raising this objection now. I am the ranking on the Committee on Finance. I learned about his objection when I watched his press conference, and then I called him about it. The proposal has been out there for days, and Senators have known about it the whole time. It is not a drafting error, and it is not a last-minute surprise. What the Senator from Nebraska wants to drop now, in effect, was part of the bill. prgtoken The Presiding Officer is a member of our committee, and I enjoy working with him. What the Senator from Nebraska wants to drop now was, in fact, part of the bill that Leader McConnell introduced on Saturday. He introduced it on Saturday because the Senate insisted on i
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Patrick J. Leahy (Democrat, VT) \u2014 2020-3-25

America is at an inflection point. We are facing a public health crisis unlike any we have seen in generations. Governments at every level are racing to respond, react, and mitigate the crisis. prgtoken Communities and counties are fearful their hospital systems will be overrun, and needed supplies are unavailable. States are struggling to support local and state-wide economies that are increasingly hit with store closures and business suspensions. Unfortunately, the Federal Government--starting with the President--has failed to offer clear leadership to navigate this crisis. prgtoken But today marks a turning point, thanks to the leadership the Senate will show by acting on this bipartisan emergency relief package--today, without delay, and without hesitation. prgtoken The package before us includes three important pillars. First, it directs economic assistance for businesses and workers. Second, it provides emergency funding to support our over taxed medical system, which is bracing for a surge in patients as the coronavirus continues to spread. And finally, it provides critical oversight to ensure that the funding Congress provides goes to the people who need it--not to line the pockets of corporations and executives who continue to benefit from the most generous tax cut in history. prgtoken We will provide a massive investment in the unemployment insurance program, ensuring that unemployed workers can receive a maximum benefit in this time of economic crisis. These reforms will also extend unemployment insurance eligibility for an additional 13 weeks and will allow part-time, self-employed, and gig economy workers--who are being hit hard in this crisis--to access benefits. Importantly, for Americans living paycheck to paycheck, this bill will deliver these benefits to workers sooner. To help the small businesses struggling to keep their doors open, to find a path to reopen on the other end of this pandemic, this bill supports loan forgiveness to small businesses and some nonprofits, and provides critical funding to support payments of existing loans to small businesses through the Small Business Administration. prgtoken The bill provides $340 billion in emergency appropriations to give new resources to help strained State, local, and tribal governments as they combat this pandemic. These resources support hospitals and health care workers on the front lines of this public health crisis. They fund the purchase of personal protective equipment and much needed medical equipment. The bill supports our law enforcement and first responders; funding for scientists researching treatments and vaccines; support for small businesses; support for local schools and universities; and funding for affordable housing and homelessness assistance programs. The bill will provide immediate relief to farmers in Vermont and across the country who continue to feed our communities during this emergency, with an e
MIDDLE CLASS HEALTH BENEFITS TAX REPEAL ACT OF 2019
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-3-25

I will speak for a little bit, briefly. prgtoken The legislation now before us is historic because it is meant to match a historic crisis. Our healthcare system is not prepared to care for the sick. Our workers are without work. Our businesses cannot do business. Our factories lie idle. The gears of the American economy have ground to a halt. Our country has faced immense challenges before but rarely so many at the same time. prgtoken Over the past few days, the Senate has stepped into the breach. We packed weeks or perhaps months of legislative process into 5 days. Representatives from both sides of the aisle and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue have forged the bipartisan agreement in highly partisan times with very little time to spare. It has been a long, hard road with a remarkable number of twists and turns, but for the sake of millions of Americans, it will be worth it. prgtoken It will be worth it to save millions of small businesses and tens of millions of jobs. prgtoken It will be worth it to see that Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own will be able to pay their rent and mortgages and put food on the table because we passed the greatest expansion of insurance to the unemployed in decades. prgtoken It will be worth it to send gloves and masks to our nurses and to our doctors. prgtoken It will be worth it to send ventilators and beds to our hospitals and begin rebuilding the public health infrastructure in America--a Marshall Plan in this new century for our medical system. prgtoken It will be worth it to save industries from the brink of collapse in order to save the jobs of hundreds of thousands of Americans in those industries. prgtoken It will be worth it to put workers first. prgtoken It was a long, hard road. Neither side can be completely happy with the final product, but it will be worth it. prgtoken I am damn proud of the work we did over the past few days because we put in the work. Because we tested the limits of exhaustion, because we didn't immediately accept the bill drafted by only one party, the legislation before us tonight is better--better for our healthcare system and 65,000 Americans now afflicted with COVID-19, better for our workers, better for our small businesses, better for our Indian Tribes, better for our economy, and better for the American people. prgtoken So I must thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle--especially the chairs and ranking members and their staffs. The past few days have been filled with drama. The past few hours were no exception. I know a few of my friends still harbor reservations about voting for this legislation, but when there is a crisis of this magnitude, the private sector cannot solve it. Individuals, even with bravery and valor, are not powerful enough to beat it back. Government is the only force large enough to staunch the bleeding and begin the healing. prgtoken This is a time when the Amer
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Catherine Cortez Masto (Democrat, NV) \u2014 2020-3-25

I rise today to let all Nevadans know the important steps Congress is taking to respond to the pandemic we are facing right now. prgtoken The novel coronavirus represents a global challenge to the health and economic security of Nevada and the United States. prgtoken My thoughts today are with those in Nevada who are ill or suffering with the virus, and with the families of the six Nevadans who have died because of this disease. prgtoken I also want to thank the brave men and women on the frontlines of this crisis--the first responders and healthcare workers who are battling to save lives, putting their own health and the health of their families at risk. prgtoken I know there is a lot of fear and confusion in our communities right now. Please know this, though: I am working closely with Governor Sisolak and the Nevada delegation to ensure that our State gets the resources it needs to stem the spread of the coronavirus, to treat those who need medical attention, and address the needs of struggling families and businesses. prgtoken I also know that we are Nevada strong. I have seen over and over again that when things get difficult, Nevadans come together. When a gunman attacked the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, I saw how Nevadans from all over the State worked heroically to help victims and support families. prgtoken Nevadans are uniting now too. I am proud to say that across the Silver State, people are doing their part to reduce the impact of COVID-19. prgtoken Our Governor, Steve Sisolak, has shown tremendous leadership in working to slow the spread of the coronavirus. As Governor Sisolak has pointed out, if ``Home Means Nevada,'' we need everyone who can to ``stay home for Nevada.'' prgtoken Our nurses, doctors, and other health officials are working tirelessly to care for the sick and to increase our capacity to deal with the cases in the future. First responders, local health authorities, sanitation workers, and retail workers are on the job around the clock to make sure essential services are available to Nevadans. Our gaming, entertainment, and hospitality industry leaders took unprecedented steps to stop the spread of infection, including by closing their doors. prgtoken So many Nevadans are contributing by working from home when they can, caring for school-aged children, volunteering to help make masks or buy groceries for elderly neighbors, and avoiding social interactions that could spread the virus. prgtoken Everyone--every single Nevadan and each and every American--has a role to play in this crisis. We need everyone to do their part by following the advice of the experts and taking practical, commonsense steps such as washing hands and practicing social distancing. prgtoken My colleagues and I in Congress have done our part as well. The Senate has come together in a remarkable and bipartisan fashion to act on three bills to address key healthcare priorities and to protect w
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Benjamin L. Cardin (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-3-25

the people in this Nation are hurting. We know that. They are very concerned about their own health. They are worried that they may be carrying the virus and may take it home to their elderly parent, who could come down with the virus. They are worried about how long this social distancing and commuting from home and staying at home are going to be required in order to control the spread of the virus. They are worried about their economic circumstances, whether they are going to get a paycheck. prgtoken I am pleased that, today, we have an agreement with our leaders to move forward on the third stimulus package to deal with this crisis of COVID-19. prgtoken I, first, want to express my appreciation to our leadership. I have been in daily, almost hourly communication with Senator Schumer, and I know how hard he has worked to make sure that this package really deals with the medical emergency we have and deals with the workers, to make sure they are protected and they are protected in whatever we do; that it provides the help for State and local governments; that it provides the much needed attention to these particular issues; and that we have accountability for any of the monies that are going particularly to our largest companies in this country. prgtoken So I want to express my appreciation. I am very pleased that our first priority--our very first priority--is to deal with the public health challenge. This is including what is happening in my State of Maryland and what is happening in every State in our Nation. prgtoken I am pleased that in our State it is ``Team Maryland.'' Our congressional delegation is working very closely with Governor Hogan and his cabinet, and we are working closely with our county executives and our mayors and our private sector to do everything we can to protect the public health of the people of our State. prgtoken We have done what we can locally to make sure that testing is available so we understand the dimensions of this problem, and the Governor has taken extraordinary steps in order to increase our medical capacity in the likelihood that we are going to see a significantly increased number of those people who have the coronavirus. prgtoken Yes, we need to stay at home unless there is an urgent reason for us to be outside. I am frequently asked by my friends why don't we do as much as we can in the U.S. Senate remotely. I think we should, including voting. So we need to distance ourselves and minimize social contact in order to prevent the spike of this disease, which would test our medical capacity to handle it. prgtoken So I was pleased that the third supplemental--the agreement that has been reached that we will vote on, hopefully, today--does have a surge in our medical capacity, a Marshall Plan, to deal with our healthcare needs. prgtoken I could go through a lot of the specifics. I think some have already been gone through, but I particularly appreciate th
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Thomas R. Carper (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2020-3-25

. very much. I will go back and will reengage with our secretary and make sure we have the math right. prgtoken The other point that he made--I asked him: How hard would it be to administer? Is it something we could stand up in a couple of weeks or are we talking about months or what? He said this would not be an easy thing, administratively, to do. And at a time where we are anxious to get the benefit out the door in a hurry, this would not be easy. I would just ask us to keep that in mind. prgtoken One of the people I talked to last week when I was trying to figure out, really, what kind of big package legislative package No. 3 should be--Leon Panetta is one of the people I talked to. He told me about the three t's: timely, targeted, and temporary. Those are the three that he talked about. prgtoken Timely means making sure we figure or calculate the right benefit but that we are able to turn around and pay it in a timely way. prgtoken What I gathered from my secretary of labor is we are not going to be able to incorporate what they are doing at the State level, feed into that the State and the Federal benefit, and do it in a timely way. I think, if we could do that, you would have, probably, a fair amount of bipartisan support. But it is that delay, and we just don't know how long that delay would be prgtoken Ted Kennedy used to sit behind me when I first came to the Senate. And I noticed that I knew some Senators. Dick Durbin and I served in the House together, and other people, we had been Governors together. I didn't know Ted Kennedy. One day I said to him: I am new here in the Senate, and I don't really know you very well. prgtoken What I was doing was going to have a cup of coffee with the Senators I didn't know well, and I asked if I could maybe have a cup of coffee with him. He said: We will do better than that. Come to my hideaway, and we will have lunch together. I said: That is great. prgtoken I didn't think we ever would, but it was a nice offer, a nice idea. Two weeks later, we had lunch together in his hideaway. It was like a Kennedy museum. Some of you have been there before. It is an amazing place. prgtoken I remember I asked him: How is it that so many s here want you, Ted Kennedy--the most liberal , maybe, we had at the time--to be their lead cosponsor on their bills? Why is that? prgtoken And he said: I am always willing to compromise on policy, never willing to compromise on principle. prgtoken I think that the policy here is that, when people are unemployed and they need help, we want to help them, and we help them in a timely way.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-3-25

for over 200 years, the American people have shown resilience in the face of great challenges. From civil wars, international conflicts, and--yes--pandemics, we have faced these challenges united and with resolve. prgtoken Like the challenges of the past, the novel coronavirus pandemic is a crisis that, together, we can and we will overcome. prgtoken As the cases of COVID-19 increase each day, my top priority is protecting the health and the safety of Michiganders and people all across this Nation. There is no doubt we are facing an unprecedented public health emergency and an economic crisis at the same time. prgtoken Families in my State of Michigan--and Americans all across this country--are worried about their health and their safety and whether they are going to be able to make ends meet during this emergency. We must act quickly to provide relief for struggling families and small businesses and healthcare providers. And even as we move with the urgency that this difficult time demands, we must ensure that this bill is done right and that we are getting the right help to the people who need it the most. We must act aggressively, and now we must do everything to provide relief to workers and families in Michigan and across the country. prgtoken Americans are facing an unprecedented personal, health, and financial challenge. Workers in my home State of Michigan who are forced to stay home from work due to the coronavirus shouldn't need to worry about whether they can pay their bills or put food on their table. prgtoken That is why I authored legislation that is included in this package before the Senate to expand unemployment assistance. We have never had unemployment benefits in response to a public health crisis, but we have never seen an emergency on the scale of what we are seeing right now. We must support workers who are not receiving a paycheck or have been laid off due to coronavirus. prgtoken That is why I fought to create an unemployment compensation program to provide federally funded benefits to people who are unable to work during this pandemic. It would expand unemployment benefits to workers who have exhausted their State unemployment benefits, and it would make unemployment benefits available to people who don't usually qualify-- including small business owners, freelance writers and workers, independent contractors, seasonal workers, and people who have recently started or were about to start a new job. prgtoken And it provides workers with extended unemployment insurance so that hard-working families can have some certainty that they can stay afloat financially during this crisis that is likely to last awhile. prgtoken Our small businesses have been hit especially hard, and some are at risk of having to close their doors or lay off their employees. Our small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and they need support now more than ever. That is why I worked with my colleagu
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Tom Udall (Democrat, NM) \u2014 2020-3-25

today New Mexico and the Nation face a pandemic, the likes of which we have not seen in over 100 years, and today the Senate must act to pass the largest relief package for the American people in our history. prgtoken First, I would like to extend my thoughts and prayers to everyone who is personally affected by this coronavirus pandemic. I thank the healthcare workers for working long hours and risking their own health to save lives. They are performing a national service. prgtoken The numbers of infected individuals and the rapidly rising death toll are staggering. If we do not follow public health experts' advice, the tolls could be truly horrifying. prgtoken In New Mexico, we have over 100 diagnosed cases, and today the first death in our State was reported. A senior citizen from Eddy County in the southeastern part of our State passed away on Sunday. prgtoken All New Mexicans are facing new challenges--a threat to our health, a threat to our economy. My top priority is easing this hardship and making sure New Mexicans have what they need to stay healthy and to stay economically afloat. prgtoken With that in mind, I rise today to tell New Mexicans: Relief is on the way: relief to American workers who have been put out of work and to small businesses that are making impossible decisions because of the coronavirus pandemic; relief to our hospitals and frontline healthcare workers facing an overwhelmed healthcare system in the coming weeks and months; and relief to State and local governments that are doing their best to take care of their residents and maintain essential services-- State and local governments are desperately in need of assistance only the Federal Government can provide; and Tribal governments to whom we owe trust and treaty obligations to provide healthcare, education, and community assistance, particularly in times of need. prgtoken After days of furious negotiations, I am pleased and relieved that and s were able to reach agreement on what will be the largest Federal relief effort in our history. The times demand a response of this magnitude. prgtoken The stay-at-home orders--which, make no mistake, are necessary to stop the virus--threaten the livelihoods of millions of working families who live paycheck to paycheck. prgtoken Millions of small businesses are in dire need of help. They power our economy but simply can't survive during the kind of economic downturn we now face. prgtoken The Federal Government has the power to make sure that people can take the public health measures that are necessary, while also staying afloat financially. prgtoken We here in the Senate need to make absolutely sure that everyone--not just those at the top--that everyone is taken care of and can weather this crisis. prgtoken I am strongly supportive of the small business relief in this bill, which includes loans of up to $10 million that can be forgiven and turned into grants if