mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
BUILD BACK BETTER AGENDA
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-11-4

are closer than we have ever been to finalizing and passing legislation to achieve President 's Build Back Better agenda. We have made great progress since the President announced his framework last week, including by coming to an agreement that will, for the first time ever, empower Medicare to directly negotiate prices in Part B and Part D and lower prices for millions of seniors and American families. prgtoken We will also cap out-of-pocket expenses at $2,000 a year, and our agreement will make it so Americans with diabetes don't pay more than $35 per month on insulin. One of the great confounding mysteries over the last several years is, how did insulin--a drug that has been on the market for years and years and years; there is no patent--end up costing $600 a dose for people who can barely afford it? Diabetes affects so many people, and yet they have to pay all of this money. prgtoken So, as the House prepares to move forward, the Senate continues to achieve progress in our goal of passing Build Back Better before Thanksgiving. That is our goal. We are moving forward because the challenges American families and workers are facing are enormous, and President 's agenda has many things that will lower costs and help families pay the bills--lower costs and help families pay the bills. prgtoken Take childcare, for instance. Families sometimes pay more than $10,000 a year for a child just to take care of him--a truly backbreaking expense. Secretary Yellen warned that the slack prgtoken in the labor force is connected to childcare. Well, the President's framework provides the largest investments ever to help families afford childcare services. prgtoken I believe, of the 37 OECD nations, developed and semideveloped countries, we are the 36th in childcare. Once Build Back Better passes, that awful statistic will be gone. prgtoken Take pre-K. The President's framework will, for the first time ever, provide universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds. Millions of kids will be able to get on the right track early in life because of this investment--long overdue. prgtoken We will also extend the child tax credit. This will help millions of parents better afford things like groceries and diapers and utilities and other daily essentials. prgtoken Of course, there are bold steps we are taking to fight climate change. Our country has had too many homes destroyed by hurricanes and flooding. Entire cities in the West are breathing toxic air caused by extreme wildfires. Heat waves and droughts endanger millions of Americans who make their living working outdoors or who don't have air- conditioning. prgtoken These disasters cost us tens of billions each year, so Build Back Better's investments will help us reach our climate goals and represent bold steps in the right direction. All the while, the President's plan will be fully paid for and help our country reduce inflationary pressures, as no less
IN RECOGNITION OF CYNTHIA LEHR'S 26 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE CITY OF GIBRALTAR
Debbie Dingell (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-11-4

. Madam , I rise today to recognize City Clerk Cynthia A. Lehr on the occasion of her retirement after 26 years of service to the City of Gibraltar, Michigan. Her significant contributions to the Gibraltar community are worthy of commendation. prgtoken Clerk Lehr began serving the people of Gibraltar in 1995. She earned her Municipal Clerk Certification from Michigan State University's Municipal Clerk Institute on January 31, 2004. A skilled and accomplished clerk, she was elected Treasurer of the Association of prgtoken Wayne County Clerks from 2001 to 2003 and was nominated for Clerk of the Year in 2021. prgtoken As City Clerk, Mrs. Lehr was responsible for some of the most important duties of local government. Tasked with keeping the journal of city meetings and commissions, she diligently attended city gatherings and kept the public up to speed on the issues of the day. The face of elections in the City of Gibraltar, Clerk Lehr and her team work tirelessly to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the city's elections, spending tens of hours counting votes and submitting tallies. prgtoken A friendly face to city visitors and residents alike, Clerk Lehr-- known as Cindy to friends--has been helping Gibraltar residents vote and maintain important records for nearly three decades. An active volunteer, Mrs. Lehr is a 23-year member of the International Rotary Club. A loving mother and grandmother, Mrs. Lehr and her husband Paul have 7 children and 18 grandchildren. prgtoken Madam , I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Clerk Cynthia Lehr for her exemplary 26 years of service to the City of Gibraltar, Michigan. She will be missed at Gibraltar City Hall, but I join with Cindy's family, friends, and colleagues in extending my best wishes to her in retirement.
Local Journalism Sustainability Act (Executive Session)
Patty Murray (Democrat, WA) \u2014 2021-11-4

I come to the floor today because it is time to make daylight saving time permanent. prgtoken This Sunday, millions of Americans are going to once again roll their clocks back, and in no time, next spring, they will have to roll their clocks forward. For what reason? I don't know a single person who loves to go through the trouble of figuring out whether their microwave or their oven has the hour right or anyone who looks forward to the Sun setting earlier and earlier every winter. prgtoken But beyond convenience, this really is a matter of health and safety. Studies have shown that our switch to standard time can increase rates of seasonal depression, as well as heart problems and the risk of stroke. Researchers also believe that if we made daylight saving time permanent, there would be fewer car accidents and evening robberies thanks to a more regular schedule and an extra hour of Sun. prgtoken There are studies that indicate permanent daylight saving time could offset reduced economic activity that we see during standard time and even would lead to greater energy savings. prgtoken The people in my home State of Washington know this. That is why we have already passed legislation to switch to permanent daylight saving time. And it is not just Washington; States across the country--Florida and California and Maine and many more--have now passed legislation in their States or resolutions to make daylight saving time year-round. But they are powerless to enact the overwhelming will of the people until they get Federal approval. prgtoken To put it simply, Americans want more sunshine and less depression. prgtoken That is actually why I am very proud to cosponsor the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act of 2021, which would extend Daylight Saving Time permanently so Americans can enjoy having sunlight during their most productive hour of the day and never have to worry about changing their clocks again. prgtoken Congress has to be part of the solution. Here is a bipartisan issue that we can and we should all get behind. prgtoken Now, I am working very hard to support the passage of this bill however possible. But this is something my constituents are truly fed up with, so I am also pressing the Department of Transportation to explore every avenue available to them to at least let States--like mine, whose voters overwhelmingly want permanent Daylight Saving Time-- have it. (Ms. CORTEZ MASTO assumed the Chair.) prgtoken , in this country, when people have demanded changes to daylight saving rules or if it benefits the country, like saving daylight during World War I or the oil embargo in the 1970s, we have simply just changed the rules. prgtoken No one wants dark afternoons during the winter or to lose an extra hour of sleep every spring. And I can assure you that every parent that has to deal with a child every time we change the clock and it upsets their routines will be behind this. prgtoken
TRENDING TOWARD AUTHORITARIANISM
Mike Quigley (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-11-4

author and historian Timothy Snyder said in his book, ``On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,'' that ``history does not repeat, but it does instruct.'' prgtoken Indeed, we must constantly work to preserve our democratic institutions from those who wish to threaten them because one of the most powerful instructions or lessons from the last century is that democracy is deeply fragile, and more importantly, it can trend and fall into authoritarianism. prgtoken There are those in this country who are ignoring the lessons of the past, or worse. Some of the most popular news programs, Facebook groups, and social media networks are those that spread deliberate or negligent misinformation for partisan gain, sure, but for financial gain especially. prgtoken In 2018, the American Institutional Confidence Poll found that only 69 percent of Americans believed democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government. The remaining 31 percent either reported that they were open to authoritarianism under some circumstances or they were so disillusioned with politics that the type of government didn't matter. prgtoken While 69 percent may not seem alarming, it is nearly the same number of Hungarians who reported that democratic values, such as multiparty elections, were ``very important'' the same year that autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban began his ascent to power. prgtoken Alarmingly, American conservative pundits have been praising Orban for his brand of strongman authoritar ianism for months, while Orban's rule has been marked by state control of the media; restrictions on LGBTQ and immigrant communities; and suppression of free speech, a free media, and political opposition. prgtoken Despite Orban's assault on global democratic values, conservative commentators here at home have endorsed his policies and have held him up as an example of what Americans should look for in a leader. These pundits have praised him for rejecting immigrants and refugees and have embraced his brand of ethnoreligious nationalism. prgtoken This praise for autocratic leaders and authoritarianism is dangerous. prgtoken Perhaps many believe that what happened in Hungary, the swift consolidation of political power and manipulation of political institutions, could not happen here. But one of the important lessons of the Presidency is that we cannot afford to be complacent. prgtoken Over the past 4 years, we watched media and leaders on the right excuse or even support former President as he leaned into authoritar ianism and incited violence. During his time in office, the former President's actions often echoed those of strongmen like Orban. prgtoken The former President used his office to target political rivals, including the efforts in Ukraine that ultimately led to his impeachment, treated the Department of Justice as his own personal police force, violently put down protests against him, used the Pr
HOUSING IS A BASIC RIGHT
Adriano Espaillat (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-11-4

I rise today in support of millions of individuals across our country who rely on public housing to keep a roof over their heads and for millions who need access to safe, stable, and affordable housing across our country. prgtoken Housing is a basic right and the foundation on which we build our lives and our families, and though it is clear that this is essential, far too many Americans struggle to keep a safe roof over their heads. In fact, homelessness is now at epidemic levels across our country. Particularly in our urban cities, families are homeless. Children, women, seniors, and veterans are homeless. prgtoken When we speak of the Build Back Better program and our agenda, we speak of introducing the importance of prioritizing the most at-risk communities. This is whom we are focusing on in the Build Back Better agenda, the most at-risk communities in our country. We speak of equitable access to the basic needs of the American people. That is what we speak about when we speak about Build Back Better. prgtoken We have included provisions that ensure children in need have access to free school lunches. We have worked to expand Medicare benefits for seniors. We have fought to include and boost the child tax credit, which will provide families with much-needed financial health, lifting children, , out of poverty. We have included historic provisions that will be better for our Nation for years to come. prgtoken But today, , I want to focus on the significant investments the Build Back Better Act secures for public and affordable housing needs. prgtoken The Build Back Better Act will make the single largest, most comprehensive investment in affordable housing in our entire history. Over $150 billion for housing is an enormous investment toward solving our pressing housing challenges and needs across the country. prgtoken Importantly, this bill includes billions to expand rental assistance, $24 billion for new housing vouchers, and as we know, , many people are backed up on their rent. But in addition to that, Mr $65 billion to address public housing repair backlog for 2.5 million residents, a significant resource for the National Housing Trust Fund to build and preserve thousands of homes for low-income families who are disproportionately people of color. prgtoken This is a major investment, an unprecedented investment in housing in my district, which has the largest stock in the New York City Housing Authority of public housing, and it has the highest number of rent- stabilized apartments, and the city of New York will benefit greatly. prgtoken Due to the COVID-19 global crisis, we are on the brink of a housing crisis, , an eviction tsunami, and up to 40 million people in America are at risk of being displaced. This crisis is here, and we want to act on it right now. It will take generations for our Nation to recover. prgtoken Plus, we are now experiencing a shortage of 7 million affordable homes for
DOD JOINT TASK FORCES TO SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
John Garamendi (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-11-4

. Madam , today I introduce legislation to make permanent and expand the U.S. Department of Defense's authority to use funds from the counterterrorism and drug interdiction budgetary account for federal interagency Joint Task Forces. prgtoken These DOD Joint Task Forces coordinate the military and federal agencies on counternarcotics, counterterrorism, or counter- transnational organized crime activities. United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service use this Joint Task Forces funding authority to conduct anti-trafficking and poaching activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. As the former Deputy Secretary of the Interior during the Clinton Administration, I strongly support USFWS's International Affairs Program and wildlife conservation work globally, particularly by that agency's law enforcement officers. prgtoken Since first authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108-136), Congress has renewed the authority for these Joint Task Forces several times on a temporary basis. Without Congressional action in the NOAA, this authority will sunset at the end of fiscal year 2022. As chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, I plan to make permanently reauthorizing this critical authority a priority during the FY2022 NOAA conference negotiations. prgtoken In the House-passed FY2020 NOAA (Public Law 116-92), I secured directive report language on the military's support for combating illicit trafficking, including wildlife and wildlife products. Making the authority for these Joint Task Forces permanent builds upon that work. prgtoken Madam , I look forward to continue working with my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to support AFRICOM's efforts with other federal agencies to combat wildlife trafficking and poaching.
RECOGNIZING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ENVIVA FACILITY IN AHOSKIE, NORTH CAROLINA
G. K. Butterfield (Democrat, NC) \u2014 2021-11-4

. Madam , I rise today to recognize the 10th anniversary of the Enviva's flagship facility in Ahoskie, North Carolina, in my congressional district. prgtoken Enviva produces renewable wood bioenergy from low-value and residual wood. For the past decade, Enviva has grown to become a valued and trusted member of the community. The Ahoskie facility has created over 300 jobs and has an economic footprint of $160 million per year in the area. In total, Enviva has generated 1,800 jobs and nearly $1 billion in economic output through their four production facilities and port terminal in North Carolina. prgtoken Enviva's sustainable forestry practices help fight climate change, strengthen rural communities, create well-paid jobs, and contribute to the health and vitality of North Carolina's beloved forests. It supports North Carolina's forestry industry, purchasing low-grade wood and forestry residuals that would otherwise go to waste or rot in the fields. Their work connects the citizens of my district in the global effort to reduce energy derived from coal and mitigate climate change. prgtoken Madam , Enviva's contributions to the First District and the entire state of North Carolina have been profound. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 10th anniversary of Enviva's flagship facility in Ahoskie, North Carolina.
ORDERS FOR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021, THROUGH MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021
Jon Ossoff (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2021-11-4

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted, on the following dates and times, and that following each pro forma session, the Senate adjourn until the next pro forma session: Friday, November 5, at 8:30 a.m.; Tuesday, November 9, at 12 noon; and Friday, November 12, at 8:30 a.m. prgtoken I further ask that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, November 12, it next convene at 3 p.m Monday, November 15; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Steele nomination; finally, that notwithstanding the provisions of rule XXII, the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, November 15.
CLOTURE MOTION
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2021-11-4

I reserve the right to object. prgtoken This bill would be a step backwards in our country's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. prgtoken Across this country, we have seen over 45 million cases of COVID-19 and almost 750,000 deaths. Communities--and particularly communities of color--have been hit hard by this virus. prgtoken But, luckily, we have a safe and effective way to help prevent the spread of the virus: vaccines. prgtoken So far, almost 60 percent of U.S. population has been fully vaccinated. However, the virus continues to spread. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified over 70 percent of our counties are having high transmission rates. Conversely, less than 2 percent are classified as low transmission. In order for us to beat this virus, we need to reach higher levels of vaccine rates and put a stop to community spread. prgtoken This bill would bar executive agencies from being able to mandate that individuals receive the COVID-19 vaccine or even mandate that an individual agree to undergo periodic testing for COVID-19 in lieu of a vaccine. prgtoken The science is clear: Vaccines are safe, they are effective, and they save lives. prgtoken Rather than wasting time on partisan bills that make our country less safe, we should be finding ways to ensure an equitable recovery for all of our communities and preparing for the next public health emergency. prgtoken I object.
IN MEMORY OF THE HONORABLE LYNMORE JAMES
Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2021-11-4

. Madam , it is with a heavy heart and solemn remembrance that I rise today to pay tribute to a devoted Man of God, a distinguished public servant, dedicated husband, loving father, inspiring mentor, and dear friend of longstanding, The Honorable Lynmore James. Sadly, Lynmore transitioned from labor to reward on Friday, October 29, 2021. His funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 6, 2021, at the Macon County High School Gym in Montezuma, Georgia. prgtoken Lynmore James was born on August 28, 1937, in Byromville, Georgia to the union of the late Mr. Will James and Mrs. Hannah James Johnson. A product of the Macon County School System, he graduated from Flint River Farms School, before going on to receive his Bachelor of Science degree in Building Construction from Tuskegee University in Alabama. Lynmore was a very successful farmer in Macon County and a valued team leader in the Quality Control Division at Ford Motor Company. prgtoken He served in the General Assembly of Georgia for nine terms from 1992 through 2010. While proudly serving as the State Representative for House District 135, he served on several House Committees including Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Appropriations, Regulated Industries, and Retirement. Lynmore was actively involved in improving the quality of life and local economies for his constituents in Dooly, Peach, Talbot, and Taylor Counties. prgtoken But Madam , his commitment to public service did not end there. Lynmore was more than a legislator, he was a servant to all humankind. He gave of himself to countless causes and organizations including the Flag Bank Board of Directors, the Flint River Community Hospital Governing Board, the Georgia Center for Youth Advisory, the Georgia Agri-Leaders Forum, the Fort Valley State University Foundation Board, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Dr. Maya Angelou once said that ``I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.'' Lynmore threw a prodigious amount of love and service back to the communities and state he loved so dearly. prgtoken Lynmore accomplished much in his life, but none of this would have been possible without his enduring faith in God, and the love and support of his wife of 49 years, Faye Hardrick James; his sons Lynorris, Mack Carlton, and Jefferey; and a host of other family, friends, and associates, all of whom will miss him deeply. prgtoken On a personal note, Lynmore James was a dear friend to me. He was elected to the Georgia General Assembly the same year that I was called to serve in the U.S. Congress, and we represented the same constituencies during his service. We bonded over helping our constituents, especially during the flood of 1994 when many of them were displaced and disadvantaged because of the natural disaster. The advice, counsel, friendship, and support that I received from Lynmore