mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Bill Pascrell, Jr. (Democrat, NJ) \u2014 2020-6-30

I congratulate the chairman. I know he has worked hard on this for many moons, and he deserves it. He earned it. prgtoken , 64 years ago this week, Dwight Eisenhower signed into law the Interstate Highway System. The roads, the bridges, the highways of that system connected Americans and communities together like never before. It is no stretch that the landmark legislation remade the United States for a new postwar era, a great measure for the homeland's security. That is how he put it. prgtoken Today, we are implementing the aspirations in the Green New Deal by passing our own blueprint for the next century. It includes bridges, roads, new trains, buses, new water pipelines in housing. This plan invests in electric, solar, water, geothermal, and wind power. prgtoken It includes my own Offshore Wind Power bill that will create clean energy jobs and invest in renewable sources of energy, because the future can't just be bold and big; it must be clean, too. prgtoken H.R. 2 is a down payment on an America for our children and our grandchildren because a living, breathing great Nation invests in its future. Today, we are doing exactly that. prgtoken , I have been here for 25 years. We have always had 5-year plans for infrastructure, and we are back maybe to normality now, thanks in great part to our chairman.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, MS) \u2014 2020-6-30

I rise in strong support of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. As amended by the manager's amendment, this bill includes language identical to my bill, H.R. 1140, the Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2020. prgtoken For over a decade, Representative Nita Lowey and I have worked to provide TSA frontline security workers the basic rights and civil service protections they deserve. prgtoken On March 5 of this year, this body passed H.R. 1140 with 230 ``yes'' votes, including all ic Members present and 14 Members. prgtoken Transportation Security Officers remain among the lowest paid Federal workers, and they do not receive regular salaries or basic civil service protections afforded to most other Federal employees. prgtoken In recent years, TSOs have faced government shutdowns, staff shortages, increased passenger volumes, and increasingly difficult job responsibilities. prgtoken , this is a good deal. I thank Chairman DeFazio for including this critical language in the manager's amendment. I urge support of the bill.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Jesús G. "Chuy" García (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-30

I thank Chairman Lipinski for yielding me the time. prgtoken , I rise in support of amendment No. 274, which protects transportation workers during the COVID pandemic, including the many who worked in Chicago. I thank my cosponsors: Carbajal, Lynch, Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez, and Jayapal. prgtoken , voluntary adoption of CDC guidelines just won't cut it. Reports we have and continue to receive from workers in the transportation sector make this clear: Frontline workers, many Black and Brown, are getting sick at alarming rates. prgtoken My amendment expands protections to more frontline employees, including maritime, freight rail, motorcoach, and longshore workers. It also requires passengers on all modes to wear a mask to protect themselves, employees, and the traveling public. Finally, it would hold employers accountable for failing to provide proper protective gear for transport workers. prgtoken This amendment is supported by our friends in labor, including AFL- CIO's Transportation Trades Department, the Teamsters, our pilots, Electrical Workers, Transportation Workers Union, train workers, Sheet Metal Workers, and many others. prgtoken , I urge adoption of this bill.
CELEBRATING SARAH AND GEORGE ROBERTS
Haley M. Stevens (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2020-6-30

. Madam , I rise today to recognize Sarah and George Roberts of Detroit, Michigan on the very special occasion of their first wedding anniversary. prgtoken Sarah and George were married on July 20, 2019 in Hague, New York. Surrounded by friends and family from around the globe, they committed to a lifetime of love and support for one another. prgtoken Their nuptials marked the beginning of a journey that I know they will navigate with the same ease that Sarah has guided me with throughout my first term in Congress. The positive impact that Sarah and George make in their professional lives and in their communities cannot be overstated; I cannot wait to see all the good that will continue to result from the partnership of these two dynamic leaders. prgtoken As they reflect on their first anniversary, may their commitment grow even stronger to cherish and honor one another for many years to come. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Sarah and George on this momentous occasion.
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021--Continued
Richard Blumenthal (Democrat, CT) \u2014 2020-6-30

I am honored to follow my colleagues Senators Shaheen and Hassan from New Hampshire and Senator Whitehouse of my neighboring State of Rhode Island--great advocates and steadfast champions of our elderly, our nursing home and assisted living facilities, and, most important, my wonderful friend and colleague, Senator Casey of Pennsylvania, who has been such a tremendous champion as the ranking member on the Aging Committee, where I am also privileged to serve. prgtoken I have been reading about the 1918, 1919 pandemic which killed Americans and people all around the world with such terror and such relentless cruelty, and it hit particularly hard young people in the prime of their life, in their twenties and early thirties, most especially members of the military who were bunked together and confined on bases or on troop ships on their way to the war. Almost as many American troops died of disease during World War I as they did of wounds they suffered in combat. prgtoken Today's pandemic is different. It has hit particularly hard our elderly, and they too have been struck with vicious cruelty because, in many instances, they are confined to facilities or living spaces where they are together, and the disease is transmitted so efficiently. prgtoken Today, we have less excuse than the public officials a century ago. They had no idea what this organism looked like, how it lived, what it did, or how it was transmitted. We know. We have pictures of it. They are on the news every night, and we know that transmission is accelerated and exacerbated when people live together in close confinement without the kind of staff and protective gear and treatment and therapeutics and preventive measures that, hopefully, we will develop through research that is ongoing right now. prgtoken They had no cure, and they had no prevention back then. We are working to develop it now, but we know, in the meantime, steps can be taken to protect our elderly, especially our elderly who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. prgtoken We have no excuse, none, for the death rates we have seen in those facilities. In fact, at the height of this pandemic in Connecticut, 70 percent--literally, 7 in 10--deaths were among people in nursing homes and other senior care facilities. That percentage was among the highest in the country. It wasn't the 80 percent of New Hampshire, but 70-plus percent was among the highest. prgtoken This death rate nationally is a national scandal and disgrace because we knew enough, and we certainly now know enough to prevent these kinds of deaths. prgtoken Now, the numbers of COVID cases and deaths have slowed down in Connecticut as a result of social distancing and mandatory mask wearing, but the pain is still felt in nursing homes. Just last week, another 20 nursing home residents died, and in that same week, 64 nursing home staff contracted COVID-19. prgtoken In fact, although we talk about t
TRIBUTE TO OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DR. ED RAY
Kurt Schrader (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-6-30

. Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to the Oregon State University president, Dr. Ed Ray, who officially retires today after 17 years of dedicated service to the school, the faculty, and, most importantly, the students. prgtoken During his tenure at Oregon State University, President Ray set a course for the school that made huge impacts in teaching, research, outreach, and engagement. prgtoken Under Ray's leadership, Oregon State University has undergone an incredible transformation, which has seen: student enrollment increase from 19,000 in 2004 to over 32,000 this year; completion of 96 major facility renovations and new buildings at OSU campuses, in excess of $1.1 billion; and a capital fundraising campaign that successfully raised nearly $1.15 billion. prgtoken President Ray leaves Oregon State with a legacy and vision for the future that will continue in service to student success, faculty and research excellence, outreach, and a 21st century mission. prgtoken Madam , on behalf of a grateful Beaver Nation, we say thank you to Ed. prgtoken Madam , I rise today to pay tribute to Oregon State University President Dr. Ed Ray, who is officially stepping down today after 17 years of dedicated service to the school, faculty, and most importantly the students. prgtoken President Ray is a passionate advocate for higher education--it is his life's work in which he has dedicated the last 50 years as a teacher and administrator. prgtoken Prior to his arrival at Oregon State University in 2003, Ray spent over 30 years at Ohio State University where he was a member of the economics faculty from 1970 to 2003, served as economics department chair from 1976 to 1992, served as associate provost then senior vice provost and chief information officer from 1992 to 1998, and finally executive vice president and provost from 1998 to 2003. prgtoken Upon his arrival at OSU, President Ray set a course for the school to make substantial impacts in teaching, research, and outreach and engagement. Focusing on inclusive excellence through student access, learning, and success, as well as leading a campus community that is safe, inclusive, and diverse. prgtoken Under President Ray's leadership, OSU has become an internationally recognized public research university, undergoing an incredible transformation which has seen: prgtoken Student enrollment increase from 19,000 in 2004 to 32,744 students this year--making OSU the state's largest university for the sixth straight year. Of that number, 5,978 were first-generation students, 8,327 were students of color and 3,492 were international students. prgtoken The percentage of historically under-represented students at OSU has nearly doubled from 13.5 percent to 26.3 percent. prgtoken The school has completed over 96 major facility renovations and new buildings at OSU campuses in excess of$1.1 billion prgtoken A capital fundraising campaign that successfully raised nearly $1.15 billion for OSU'
CLEAN ENERGY
Mike Levin (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-6-30

as a freshman Member of Congress, it has been an honor and a privilege to get to serve on the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and I am so grateful for that opportunity. I commend Pelosi and Chair Castor for their outstanding leadership. prgtoken Long before I pursued public office, I was a proud clean energy advocate, and I knew then, as I know now, that solutions to the climate crisis could also be solutions to many economic challenges we face. prgtoken We have seen that come true in my home State of California where we have embraced ambitious measures to combat climate change and have seen strong economic growth, particularly in the clean energy sector. prgtoken Last year, California supported more than half a million clean energy jobs in areas such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean vehicles. Through 2019 job growth was nearly 10 percent annually. prgtoken Clean energy technology, clean domestic manufacturing, and environmental restoration is already putting Americans to work. prgtoken Our report highlights a number of ways that we can combat the climate crisis and create more jobs at the same time. For example, the report includes bipartisan legislation I introduced to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by promoting environmentally responsible development of renewable energy on public lands. prgtoken We can expand those technologies and grow our economy by extending important tax credits like the solar investment tax credit which drives job creation, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and helps level the playing field for clean energy. We will also create jobs with strong Federal funding for infrastructure, investments in new and retooled domestic manufacturing facilities, new buy clean procurement rules, expanded loan opportunities for decarbonization technologies, and the creation of a civilian conservation corps and a climate resilience service corps. prgtoken Alternatively, if we fail to act, we will allow other countries to take the lead on developing clean technologies. China, India, and nations in Europe will reap the economic rewards, and we will find ourselves purchasing foreign products that should have been made right here in America. prgtoken Some might take issue with the perceived cost of climate action, but it is also important to note the cost of inaction. My friend, Marshall Burke, a researcher at Stanford University, has studied this extensively and found that if we don't take substantial action to mitigate the climate crisis, it will cost the U.S. economy $25 to $35 trillion over the coming decades. prgtoken That is why we must act. I have a 6-year-old and an 8-year-old at home, and, like any parent, there is a lot that I worry about for their future; but I am most concerned about the planet that we are going to leave behind for them and for their children. The path we are on right now leads to a grim future for our planet. Our report charts a new hopeful course
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Raul Ruiz (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-6-30

I rise in support of this en bloc amendment and encourage support for my amendment to require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study and issue a report on the safety effects of ensuring school buses are equipped with air-conditioning. prgtoken I represent rural desert cities like Palm Springs and Coachella in California's 36th Congressional District, where, for much of the year, the temperatures are really hot and well into the triple digits, sometimes reaching 125, 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet many school busses do not have air-conditioning, causing children to arrive at school in sweat-soaked T-shirts, dehydrated, and with heat exhaustion. prgtoken Last fall, I wrote the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to take action. This amendment would provide them needed data to help protect students' health and safety while riding on school buses without AC in extreme heat. prgtoken The Moving Forward Act contains robust improvements for school bus safety in rural and urban areas, and my amendment would strengthen that. I urge support for this en bloc amendment and for H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act. prgtoken I thank the chair.
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Steny H. Hoyer (Democrat, MD) \u2014 2020-6-30

I thank the gentleman for yielding. prgtoken I have been listening to this debate in my office on television. Virtually, in other words, I have been watching. I thought everybody would be interested to know I didn't have a T-shirt on, and I wasn't in a golf cart. I was in my office. But it was virtual, . prgtoken First of all, there is an aspersion on this bill for dealing with climate change. We are here in the midst of a pandemic. It is a terrible scourge on our country and on our people and on our economy. And our President called it a hoax. Our President has also called climate change a hoax if we are put to sleep by the assertion of the challenge being a hoax, we will not act. prgtoken We acted very late on this pandemic. This bill seeks not to act too late for the pandemic that we call climate change that all the scientists, the overwhelming majority of scientists, say will have a catastrophic effect on our global environment and the support of life itself. prgtoken And so, yes, this bill deals a lot with climate change because we have a vision of trying to solve the problem before it becomes the pandemic that kills 125,000 people in America, and, of course, according to science, that will be in the millions not the 125,000s. prgtoken And there has been a lot of discussion, , about this is not bipartisan. In the 2016 election we had a lot of bipartisanship in terms of infrastructure. We said we needed infrastructure. The President said we needed infrastructure. s said we needed infrastructure. said we needed infrastructure. prgtoken , in 2019 Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Neal, myself and others went down to the White House, including the , and we sat with the President of the United States who said he wanted to put $1 trillion into infrastructure. I heard Mr. DeFazio say it earlier; we said $1 trillion. prgtoken He said, Oh, no, that is not enough. We need $2 trillion. prgtoken Now that is from the President of the United States that then sent an infrastructure bill down here for $200 billion, one-tenth of what he said was needed. The engineers say, of course, $4\1/2\ trillion is needed to fix our infrastructure. prgtoken And we said to the President, , we will try to support you. We will work together in a bipartisan fashion. Now, tell us how we ought to pay for this. prgtoken Frankly, I was sitting not too far from the director of the National Economic Council, Mr. Kudlow. Mr. Kudlow sort of looked down and shook his head, not wanting the President to come up with how he was going pay for $2 trillion. prgtoken Mr. DeFazio, you saw that. prgtoken , Mr. Neal looked across the table and said to the President, , you tell us how you think we ought to pay for this, and we will work with you. That was bipartisanship. prgtoken We went down there some weeks later--frankly, later than we had planned, but it was later--and we were there to hear the President tell us
EXTENDING THE AUTHORITY FOR COMMITMENTS FOR THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
Christopher A. Coons (Democrat, DE) \u2014 2020-6-30

I rise to join my colleagues and to express our enthusiasm for the work that lies ahead. I am so grateful to the Senator from Maryland for his leadership in bringing this important effort to the floor tonight. prgtoken Senator Cardin and Senator Shaheen have been stalwarts in the Small Business Committee. The ranking member and his talented colleague from New Hampshire have worked tirelessly to shape the PPP, or the Paycheck Protection Program, that was part of the CARES Act enacted more than 2 months ago. prgtoken It has delivered, as you heard tonight, remarkable assistance to nearly 4 million businesses, more than $500 billion--I think $526 billion in assistance--and has helped millions of businesses all over our Nation not have to close. prgtoken Today--tonight--was supposed to be last minute, the last chapter in the PPP program, but because of the unanimous consent request that was successfully negotiated by Senator Cardin, there is now 5 more weeks of running room for businesses, large and small, across our States--excuse me, businesses small and smaller, across our States--to have an opportunity to get to the SBA to apply for a loan through their lender of choice and to have another opportunity. prgtoken Why do we need this? Because the pandemic is so far from over. Despite the wishes and the rhetoric of the President and others, we all know that in our States and in other States around the country, a record number of new cases were reported several times this week--the highest number of cases so far in this pandemic. Cases are rising in dozens of States, and small businesses in our country face an uncertain future. prgtoken In my home State, Governor John Carney, who has made good but hard decisions, has stopped the opening of our economy, like several other States--Maryland, which shares the wonderful Eastern Shore beaches, and New Hampshire, which has wonderful summer and winter hospitality businesses up and down its State. This is a critical time of year for our seasonal businesses. To not have them fully opened is putting a burden and is putting a damper on exactly those hospitality businesses that took the hardest hits right at the beginning of this pandemic. prgtoken I want to take a few minutes and talk about just a couple of the small businesses I know in Delaware that have benefited from the resources made possible by this program negotiated by these great colleagues. And $1.4 billion has been delivered to Delaware businesses and nonprofits quickly, helping them to stay open or reopen, helping them to hire or retain workers. Yet, even tonight, $134 billion in this program remains unspent. Rather than shutting it down, we are going to make sure that there are windows of opportunity for small businesses in our States. prgtoken This helps a company like Zoup! in Newark, DE. Eric Ames is the owner. I was there at the opening of his first Zoup! franchise years ago. This PPP loan--a l
INVESTING IN A NEW VISION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SURFACE TRANSPORTATION IN AMERICA ACT
Raja Krishnamoorthi (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-6-30

I rise as a proud cosponsor of the Moving Forward Act and to urge support for two public safety amendments I authored. prgtoken The first amendment is based on a bipartisan piece of legislation, the SAFE TO DRIVE Act, which is co-led by my colleague Congressman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. This legislation creates a new grant program for States that ban non-navigational viewing, ensuring States have robust resources to promote campaigns against distracted driving. Every day, nine people are killed in the United States from distracted driving. prgtoken , my second amendment, which I authored as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform's consumer protection subcommittee with Congresswoman Katie Porter, requires clearer height and weight requirement labels on children's booster seats to better protect children and their health and safety. Most parents believe the booster seats that they buy are safe, but research shows that 7 out of 10 children are improperly restrained. prgtoken , I strongly urge adoption of this measure.