mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
JULY CONSTITUENT OF THE MONTH
Mike Levin (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-7-27

. Madam , it is my honor to recognize Dr. Pratima Gupta as prgtoken my July Constituent of the Month. The overturning of Roe v. Wade upended nearly 50 years of women's reproductive rights. As we enter a future without Roe, California is continuing to lead the way to protect the right to seek an abortion and Dr. Gupta is at the forefront of these efforts in Southern California. prgtoken Dr. Pratima Gupta is a board-certified OB/GYN and professor working at UC San Diego Health. She also provides abortion care at the Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties and the Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest. She is a long-time advocate for access to reproductive care and has worked to amplify the voices of physicians to advance reproductive rights and care in the United States. prgtoken Earlier this month, I invited Dr. Gupta onto my podcast, Listening with Levin, to discuss the ruling and our path forward. I am incredibly grateful for constituents like Dr. Gupta who continue to provide essential reproductive healthcare services in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Our community is healthier and safer because of Dr. Gupta's dedication to her patients and to protecting women's reproductive rights. I thank her from the bottom of my heart for her courage, compassion, and commitment to supporting our community, and I'm honored to recognize her as my July Constituent of the Month.
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2022--Resumed
Debbie Stabenow (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-7-27

every day, I receive messages from Michigan families who are struggling to cope with rising costs for the things they depend on. We know that it has been challenging in a global pandemic with supply chains broken down and consolidation, but we also know that from food prices to household necessities to gas, corporate price gouging is also taking a big chunk out of Michigan wallets. And perhaps no industry has been price-gouging longer--actually for decades--more deeply than the pharmaceutical industry. prgtoken Americans pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs--highest prices in the world--even though we are the ones who have invested so much partnering with the industry on new types of medications and innovations. We allow research and development tax credits to help pay for that cost. We support other efforts. The National Institutes of Health helps to pay for the basic research, hundreds of billions of dollars working with the industry. And yet we have the highest prices in the world--the highest prices in the world. And one in four Americans can't afford the medications they depend on. This is just not acceptable. It is just not acceptable. prgtoken A senior with complex medical needs pays an average of more than $6,000 a year on prescription drugs. And the median price for a new prescription drug is $188,000 a year. That is 90 times the median price for a new drug just prgtoken back in 2008. And that is more than most Americans earn in 3 years, not just 1 year, but in 3 years. prgtoken Christina of Center Line, MI, knows this. She was prescribed Humira for an autoimmune condition that affects her eyes. Unfortunately, even though she needs it, she can't afford it. The medication costs more than $6,000 a month--a month. She wrote this: Autoimmune patients . . . struggle with the cost of prescriptions being so high and some just give up and don't even bother. That should never be an option in my opinion. prgtoken James, who lives in Manistee, suffers from narcolepsy. It is a neurological condition in which patients can suddenly fall asleep during other activities, including eating or driving. I am sure we have all known someone or seen someone who has this disease. prgtoken James first started taking medication called Xyrem in 2015. Back then, it cost about $9,000 a month. Today, that same medication costs more than $18,000 a month--$18,000 a month, or $226,221.84 a year. prgtoken Who can do that? Who can do that? prgtoken Last year, James' doctor switched him to a slightly different drug with less sodium, produced by the same company, Jazz Pharmaceuticals. The new drug, XYWAV, costs even more--$239,000--$239,320, to be specific, per year. prgtoken James writes: Who is profiting from these huge price hikes? Will these huge price hikes continue every year? Does Jazz Pharmaceuticals have enough oversight? Are they putting profits over peopl
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF ROMAY CATHERINE JOHNSON DAVIS
Terri A. Sewell (Democrat, AL) \u2014 2022-7-27

I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Mrs. Romay Catherine Johnson Davis, who was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for her extraordinary service to our Nation as one of the women of the ``Six Triple Eight'' postal battalion during World War II. prgtoken At the age of 102, Mrs. Davis is the oldest living member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion of the United States Army. Throughout World War II, this dedicated group of African-American women sorted mail and care packages to maintain the morale of American soldiers stationed abroad. prgtoken Helping to sort 65,000 pieces of mail every shift, Mrs. Davis and her colleagues worked tirelessly to uphold the battalion's motto: ``No mail, low morale.'' prgtoken Mrs. Davis is a trailblazer for African-American women everywhere, and it is befitting that her award comes on the 74th anniversary of the integration of the armed services. prgtoken I was proud to vote in favor of the bill to award the Six Triple Eight postal battalion to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow. prgtoken I ask my colleagues to join me and the Montgomery community in celebrating the extraordinary life and legacy of Mrs. Romay Catherine Johnson Davis.
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2022--Resumed
Mazie K. Hirono (Democrat, HI) \u2014 2022-7-27

as we focus on contraception rights this prgtoken afternoon, listen to some of the comments made by my male colleagues: They are not going to change the law on contraception. There is zero threat of contraception being taken away. Pure hysteria. I have no reason to believe these precedents are going to fall. prgtoken These are some of the statements made by my colleagues-- all of them male, by the way--have made regarding contraception. ``Pure hysteria,'' they say. This is not pure hysteria to the millions of women across the country who woke up one morning in June and no longer had a constitutional right. prgtoken When it comes to this far-right, agenda-driven Supreme Court, nothing is off the table and nothing is ``pure hysteria.'' prgtoken Last month, the far-right majority of the Supreme Court overturned nearly 50 years of precedent and took away the constitutional right to get an abortion. This decision was the result of a decades-long effort by far-right s and rightwing groups to pack the courts with politicians in Roe. prgtoken And they are just getting started. For this MAGA majority, controlling women's bodies doesn't stop at forcing women to give birth. They actually want to ban contraception. We know this because, in this concurring opinion to overturn Roe, Justice Thomas wrote that the Supreme Court should reconsider--reconsider--the rulings that protect same-sex relationships, marriage equality, and, yes, contraception. prgtoken This kind of signaling by a Justice of a Supreme Court should be taken seriously. prgtoken So my colleagues saying they have no reason to believe precedent will be overturned is resorting to magical thinking that no one should believe. After all, the Supreme Court just overturned a nearly 50-year precedent that women in this country relied on for nearly half a century--half a century. That is two generations. In fact, radical MAGA s in State legislatures across the country are gearing up in Ohio. prgtoken House s introduced a bill that would effectively ban all abortions from the moment of conception and, potentially, other forms of birth control, like IUDs. prgtoken Other s have refused to rule out banning certain forms of contraception. We are living in a post-Roe world where our rights are on the chopping block. So, no, this is not ``pure hysteria.'' The American public knows this. know this. prgtoken So I say to my colleagues, if any of you object to this bill, come down to the Senate floor and tell the American people the truth. Just be honest that you do not support guaranteeing the right to contraception because, in this post-Roe world, any suggestion that this Court won't overturn precedent is no longer something to hide behind. But if my colleagues do support the right to contraception, then they should have no problem
NOMINATION OF DAVID P. PEKOSKE
Gary C. Peters (Democrat, MI) \u2014 2022-7-27

the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs has reviewed the nomination of David P. Pekoske to be the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security. Seeing that this is Mr. Pekoske's nomination for a second consecutive term to be the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, the chairman and ranking member have reached a unanimous consent agreement to forgo a mark up for this nominee. prgtoken In the 115th Congress, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs sought referral in June of 2017 for Mr. Pekoske's first nomination to be the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. The committee held a hearing for this nominee on June 11, 2017, and reported the nominee out of committee favorably on June 19, 2017. In the future, this committee is likely to seek referral on this nomination. This should be considered the standard procedure for future nominations to this role.
SERGEANT FIRST CLASS HEATH ROBINSON HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2022--Resumed
Edward J. Markey (Democrat, MA) \u2014 2022-7-27

an illegitimate, stolen, and radicalized U.S. Supreme Court is putting the fundamental rights of Americans in jeopardy. Last month, the extremist Court took away the right to abortion, a right on which millions of Americans have relied for almost 50 years, undermining their health, their safety, their freedom. prgtoken The rightwing majority that overturned Roe v. Wade owns its control of the High Court to then-Leader McConnell's and 's and Senate s' theft of two seats on the Supreme Court. The Justices used their ill-gotten power to cast aside decades of precedent--precedent, which during their confirmation hearings they promised to honor, respect, and follow. prgtoken If anyone thinks this newly empowered Court's decision to strip Americans of a longstanding constitutional right won't be shamelessly repeated, they are wrong. What the Supreme Court just did with Roe is a preview of coming atrocities from this Supreme Court. prgtoken Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the decision overturning Roe v. Wade. And that concurrence is like a movie trailer for an upcoming horror film that Americans are forced to watch written, produced, and directed by a captured illegitimate Supreme Court. In his opinion, Justice Thomas made clear that he believes Americans have too many privacy rights under the U.S. Constitution, that the Supreme Court had erred in recognizing those rights, and that the Court should take them away as well--just as it did with the right to abortion. prgtoken This bears repeating. prgtoken A sitting Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States is arguing that Americans have too many rights. prgtoken What mistakes was Justice Thomas talking about? prgtoken Well, Justice Thomas urged the Court to correct the error the Court committed when it recognized this right to same-sex marriage in its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. prgtoken He told the Court to fix the mistake it made when it recognized the right of Americans to engage in private, consensual sexual activity in its 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas. prgtoken Then he said the Court got it wrong when it recognized the right of Americans to use contraception in its 1965 decision in Griswold v. Connecticut. prgtoken But it is Justice Thomas who is in error, who is wrong, who has made a mistake. These are all fundamental, privacy-based rights which the Supreme Court correctly recognized. They should all remain the law of the land. prgtoken Today, I want to talk about the right to contraception that this extremist and out-of-touch Supreme Court and legislators in red States are taking aim at. prgtoken The Supreme Court has recognized the constitutional right to contraception for more than half a century, since its decision in the Griswold case in 1965. Over time, the Court has affirmed and expanded that right: in its 1972 decision, a Massachusett
SUSAN MUFFLEY ACT OF 2022
Brian Higgins (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2022-7-27

. I rise today in support of H.R. 6929, the Susan Muffley Act. prgtoken Madam , this House has been one of the strongest advocates for workers and worker families in recent history. prgtoken We passed legislation to increase the minimum wage; to support the right to organize; to decrease the cost of drugs and health insurance. And we protected and restored pensions. But as this bill shows, our work is not complete. prgtoken My community in Buffalo and Western New York has a long history of auto-making. When the recession hit in 2009, families across my district saw their pensions evaporate. prgtoken And while we stabilized the auto sector, and the loans have been repaid, thousands of former auto company employees have been left behind, including hundreds of Delphi workers in Lockport who, due to no fault of their own, had their pensions arbitrarily cut. prgtoken This legislation will fix that longstanding error and will provide certainty so that these families can retire with the benefits they earned. prgtoken I thank Mr. Kildee from Michigan, Mr. Ryan and Mr. Turner from Ohio, for being champions of this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage.
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 263, BIG CAT PUBLIC SAFETY ACT; PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 4040, ADVANCING TELEHEALTH BEYOND COVID-19 ACT OF 2021, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Norma J. Torres (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2022-7-27

today are talking about expanding access to healthcare and helping our constituents live healthy lives. That is what are bringing to the floor today in a bipartisan way. prgtoken But yet here we are with some colleagues across the aisle continuing to insert divisive politics into a debate about healthcare, about being able to see your doctor, and about being able to live a healthy life. Perhaps it is because there are billions to be made in gun sales or oil sales. But will continue to try to find s on the other side to save American lives. prgtoken , I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).
SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON VA REGIONAL OFFICE ACT OF 2022
Jon Ossoff (Democrat, GA) \u2014 2022-7-27

I rise today to recognize a giant of the great State of Georgia--which the Presiding Officer and I both have the distinct honor of serving--to recognize a true legend of the U.S. Senate, an extraordinary father, husband, and representative of our State, the late Senator Johnny Isakson. prgtoken Senator Isakson served Georgia all his life. Born in Atlanta, Senator Isakson attended the University of Georgia, then enlisted in the Georgia Air National Guard. He was a successful private businessman, growing his real estate enterprise to one of the largest in the State. prgtoken He served in both the Georgia House of Representatives and the State senate, and Governor Zell Miller, a , appointed him, a , to chair the State Board of Education. prgtoken In 1999, Senator Isakson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he worked to improve American K-12 education. prgtoken And in 2004, he was elected to this body, where he would serve for almost 15 years with courtesy, dignity, and kindness, supporting and championing bipartisan efforts to better serve our Nation's veterans. And his service culminated in his chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and of the Senate Ethics Committee. prgtoken As we will hear from our distinguished colleagues who served alongside Senator Isakson--like Senator Blunt--Senator Isakson, through his uncommon decency, his generosity of spirit, his commitment to integrity and service of others over service of self, won universal respect in this body; won respect in the State of Georgia that crossed party lines and earned the reputation not just nationally but around the world for statesmanship, effectiveness, and hard work. prgtoken Even more than his work as a statesman, Senator Isakson was a father and a husband. And I want to recognize Senator Isakson's extraordinary family, including his wife of more than 50 years, Dianne; his sons, John and Kevin; his daughter Julie--all of whom I have had the pleasure of speaking or corresponding with in recent months and all of whom, in their lives, carry on the Senator's legacy. prgtoken Senator Isakson had a saying that there are just two kinds of people in this world: friends and future friends. I hope we can all be inspired by that aspiration and that outlook, by his resilient desire to see the good in everyone; to see the opportunity to work with anyone; to try to find where our interests align, where we can meet eye to eye, where we can get things done together. prgtoken Senator Isakson's courtesy, collegiality, and integrity will forever serve as an example to all of us who serve in this body today and in the future. And that is why, in recognition of Senator Isakson's tremendous contributions to American veterans, to the State of Georgia, and to the United States, it has been my privilege to introduce-- alongside my distinguished colleague from Missouri, Senator Blunt, and the
Inflation Reduction Act (Executive Session)
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2022-7-28

a few weeks ago, the fate of the CHIPS Act, our collective effort to shore up the vulnerable semiconductor supply chain, was in limbo. s said we would not move forward with what was then known as USICA, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, while were crafting a partisan reckless massive tax and spending bill behind closed doors. prgtoken Then Senator Manchin, the Senator from West Virginia, made a decision that angered most of his ic colleagues--he slammed the door on the climate and tax provisions and reconciliation. He said: Until we see the July inflation figures-- prgtoken Which we haven't seen yet-- until we see the July Federal reserve interest rates, then let's wait. prgtoken He noted that families were struggling to buy such essentials as gasoline and groceries and added: I can't make that decision basically on taxes of any type. prgtoken That was what I will call the old Joe. prgtoken After we received assurances privately from some Senate , including the staff of the Senate majority leader, that the tax and climate provisions were off the table, we were able to move forward with USICA and the funding of this vulnerable semiconductor supply chain that is an important part of the bill that the House is voting on today. prgtoken So s and went to work, negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement because we recognized that the vulnerability of our semiconductor supply chain was an economic and national security existential threat because 90 percent of the advanced semiconductors in the world that power everything from your cell phone to the F-35, to the Stinger or the Javelin missiles that are being used in Ukraine today--90 percent of those come from overseas, and the United States makes zero percent of them. That was the vulnerability and the risk we were exposed to, so that is why we worked so hard on a bipartisan basis to pass what used to be called Endless Frontier. I guess it has had about four or five different names so far, but it started, in my mind, with the CHIPS for America Act that Mr. Warner, the Senator from Virginia, and I introduced in June of 2020. prgtoken So we all celebrated with a bipartisan press conference just in the LBJ Room over here, but then shortly after that bipartisan announcement, we learned some astonishing news: The climate and tax provisions apparently prgtoken were never off the table despite what we had been told. prgtoken Apparently, --specifically, the majority leader and Senator Manchin--just moved those discussions out of the public eye, into a secret back room. And I pretty much believe that other ic colleagues were not clued in on those negotiations. That is my impression. It was a secret deal between the majority leader and Senator Manchin. prgtoken Well, as I said, the CHIPS Act was part of this larger China competitiveness bill passed arou
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022
Mike Kelly (Republican, PA) \u2014 2022-7-28

I thank my friend from Oklahoma for yielding. prgtoken , the distinguished leader was exactly right in his comments, but I would just like people to think about something. prgtoken Every single problem we face today globally emanated right here, from this same floor. Tax policy, regulation policy, drove most of these businesses offshore. They didn't leave because they didn't like America. They left because it looked like America didn't like them. prgtoken We have seen the erosion of so much of what it is that we are, all because of policy that emanated right from this same floor. Now, we are trying to do something to correct bad policy in the past. prgtoken I am in the automobile business. We can't finish building cars because we don't have the product necessary to finish them. Most of the people we talk to said we didn't leave America by choice. We were forced offshore by policy. The and I know this because we are big fans of the steel business. prgtoken The only thing I would ask my friends on this side and my colleagues on the other side, there are consequences for past performance. This bill in no way is perfect, and Mr. Hoyer is exactly correct about that. But the question is: What is it that we are trying to fix, and whose problem is it? The answer is: It is our problem because it is happening in real time on our watch. We have to do something. Doing nothing is not the answer to how we fix this bad situation. prgtoken But we can't do everything from the House. We have to rely on the Senate to participate. Then, we look at what we had initially started and say: What did they do to the piece that we were trying to get done? prgtoken Listen, I know the debate can get heated. We can talk about how patriotic we are, and we can talk about what the future is not only for ourselves but for our children and our grandchildren and our great- grandchildren.