mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-7-20

when the pandemic began last year, Americans across the country were faced with more than one public health crisis. While we all feared contracting COVID-19 outside of our homes, the most vulnerable members of our community feared a danger lurking within the home or, certainly, in the neighborhood--violent crime. prgtoken During the first several weeks of the pandemic, police departments across America reported a significant increase in arrests or calls related to domestic violence. And reports of hate incidents and crimes increased, as well, particularly those targeting Asian American and Pacific Islander, or what is known as the AAPI community. prgtoken Nearly 4,000 of these hate incidents were reported during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. AAPI women comprised the majority of the victims. prgtoken In my home State of Illinois, some of these victims of violent crimes have an indispensable resource they can turn to. It is known as KAN- WIN, a nonprofit that supports survivors of violence, particularly women and members of the immigrant community. KAN-WIN offers a 24-hour hotline, legal advocacy, transitional housing, sexual assault services, and many more resources to survivors of violent crimes. They also offer programming to support children who have grown up in a traumatic environment. prgtoken During the pandemic, organizations like KAN-WIN have been a beacon of hope for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. But these beacons of hope are at the risk of growing dark, unless we in this Senate today take immediate action by passing the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act. This legislation, which I am proud to have introduced with Senator Lindsey Graham, will replenish the Crime Victims Fund, which Congress established in 1984 with the passage of the Victims of Crime Act, known as VOCA. prgtoken The Crime Victims Fund helps abused children, survivors of domestic violence, and other victims of violent crime access the professional services they desperately need. It also assists victims with expenses like medical bills, counseling, funeral costs, loss of wages. And, importantly, the Crime Victims Fund supplies grants to thousands, literally thousands of victim service providers across the Nation, like KAN-WIN. prgtoken In KAN-WIN's case, the Crime Victims Fund pays for the salary of their Children's Advocate. That advocate reached out to my office and wrote the following: ``The entire Children's Program at KAN-WIN will have to be eliminated'' if the VOCA Fix to sustain the Crime Victims Fund does not pass the Senate. Without this legislation, ``linguistically and culturally sensitive services and counseling, education assistance, economic assistance, medical assistance, art activities that help regulate children's emotions, parent-child relationship assistance, and other case management services'' will be cut. prgtoken The kids who receive help from
HONORING DWANA BRADLEY
Cynthia Axne (Democrat, IA) \u2014 2021-7-20

. Madam , I rise today to honor Dwana Bradley as Iowan of the Week. Dwana is a mother, a business owner, an educator, and a long-time community advocate. She believes education is the key to life, which speaks to her passion and career as a teacher. prgtoken Dwana received a bachelor's degree in child and family services from Iowa State University, a master's degree in elementary education and literacy from Drake University, and a specialist's degree in administration. She went on to graduate from the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, and for almost seven years she worked as a reading interventionist with Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) to help students reach their potential. In 2019, she was elected to the Des Moines School Board and currently serves as the chair of the board. prgtoken Dwana did not let the COVID-19 pandemic slow her drive to educate young Iowans. As chairwoman, she serves in an outreach role to help underserved communities attain higher education and is working to stem the negative impact of COVID-19 on students, especially those who were already struggling in school or falling behind. prgtoken Dwana also owns Iowa Urban Media, a community-focused publishing company, and is the editor-in-chief for the Urban Experience Magazine, a monthly publication that shares news in the African American community and seeks to empower voices through positivity. Her journalism promotes education, an open dialogue, and a space to have important conversations about issues affecting Iowans. She passionately believes that these conversations are a crucial step towards achieving justice. prgtoken In addition to her commendable career in education, Dwana is an active advocate. She is the executive director of Iowa Juneteenth and chairs a committee for Iowa Juneteenth Observance, volunteers on the DMPS attendance committee, and still makes time to direct the choir at True Bible Baptist Church. prgtoken As executive director of Iowa Juneteenth and chair on a committee for Iowa Juneteenth Observance, she helps put on events, educate the public, and celebrate with Iowans across the state for the annual commemoration of Juneteenth: the date the last enslaved African Americans were granted freedom in 1865, ending slavery in the United States. Just this week, Congress finally passed a bill to formally recognize Juneteenth National Independence Day as a federal holiday after decades of activism from Americans. prgtoken As we recently gathered to observe Juneteenth and join in community celebrations and educational events, let us thank Dwana and her team for their efforts to bring Iowans together to share stories, experiences, and history with one another. She is a fantastic educator, a proud voice in the community, and a fervent advocate for uplifting Iowans. Please join me in honoring Dwana Bradley as our Iowan of the Week.
200 DAYS OF DELIVERING FOR THE PEOPLE
Joe Neguse (Democrat, CO) \u2014 2021-7-20

I thank the distinguished gentleman from California. prgtoken If the distinguished gentleman from California might be willing to engage in a brief colloquy with me, I would be interested in yielding to him. prgtoken I was fully aware that the House s didn't vote in favor of the child tax credit, but you mentioned a litany of other programs that have come to pass over the course of the last 200 days that have had a dramatic impact on the American people. prgtoken Is it your understanding that no s voted for, for example, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund as part of the American Rescue Plan?
HONORING THE SERVICE OF KATE JENNINGS
Cheri Bustos (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2021-7-20

. Madam in 2016, my deputy chief of staff, Kate Jennings, first joined our office. After working with political greats like then-Senator and Senator Dick Durbin, our team was lucky that Kate would be bringing her passion and her dedication to our work. prgtoken Over the next 5-plus years, there would not be one day when Kate didn't put the people who we serve at the very heart of everything she did. When COVID-19 hit Illinois last year, our office learned of a family sheltering in a hotel, unable to feed themselves or feed their children. So in the middle of this spreading pandemic, what did Kate do? She put herself at risk, went to the grocery, packed a box full of food, and delivered it to the door at the hotel where this family was sheltering so the children would not go hungry. prgtoken And every year, Kate would take Valentines to our veterans to make sure that they knew that they were appreciated and that they were loved. She would travel thousands of miles across our vast Congressional district, and was unwavering in her hard work for all 14 counties in our district. She never tired and always worked to lift up the voices of the people that were fortunate enough to be able to serve. prgtoken Madam , Kate recently began her next chapter, and our entire team and our office and I wish her well on her new adventure. This week, as we continue to strive to always deliver for the people, I can think of no better celebration than to thank the person who spent nearly 2,000 days in our office putting the people we serve first. prgtoken Madam , I thank Kate for her dedicated service, her hard work, and her friendship for so many years. Everyone on our team knows that she will continue to deliver for the people of Illinois.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY PREPAREDNESS ACT OF 2021
Nanette Diaz Barragán (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2021-7-20

. Madam , such time as I may consume. prgtoken Madam , I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1893, the Transportation Security Preparedness Act of 2021. prgtoken Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 8,200 TSA employees have contracted coronavirus. Tragically, 17 hardworking frontline workers have lost their lives. prgtoken While TSA has taken steps to shield its workers and adjust security operations during the pandemic, its COVID-19 response was ranked low in employee surveys. More must be done to make sure TSA is adequately prepared for future disease outbreaks. prgtoken H.R. 1893 directs TSA to apply the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to protect its workforce and the traveling public during future disease outbreaks. prgtoken To do so, TSA is required to survey its workforce in more detail regarding pandemic response to ascertain areas for improvement that can be integrated into a transportation security preparedness plan for future pandemics. Specifically, the survey will examine TSA's efforts to communicate clearly with its workforce, protect employees with personal protective equipment, adjust workplace policies, engage in contact tracing, and facilitate COVID-19 vaccinations for workers. prgtoken TSA is then directed to integrate the information it collects into a transportation security preparedness plan that sets forth how TSA will respond to future pandemics, including how it will protect its workforce, communicate and collaborate with public and private entities, and adjust checkpoint operations to maintain security without compromising health and safety. prgtoken TSA is also required to assess what barriers remain to its ability to respond to the next disease outbreak. prgtoken H.R. 1893 will ensure that TSA will be able to respond quickly and effectively to prevent the next disease outbreak. prgtoken Madam , I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and .
TRANSATLANTIC ENERGY SECURITY
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2021-7-20

. Madam , as cochair of the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus, I rise to express my deep concern on the issue of transatlantic energy security. The Kremlin and complicit European nations are seeking to complete the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. This Russian malign influence project will increase Vladimir Putin's leverage in Europe and disrupt the NATO alliance. prgtoken Current news reports indicate that a deal between the administration and Germany is imminent. According to these reports, there is little in the deal that will prevent Russia's capacity to coerce our allies. Congress understands history's key lesson: When Germany and Russia collude, the people of Central and Eastern Europe pay the price. prgtoken Congress has now voted twice on an overwhelming bipartisan basis to sanction the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline. These sanctions are mandatory, not discretionary. Given the administration's abuse of the sanctions waiver, I was pleased the Committee on Appropriations unanimously adopted my bipartisan amendment to repeal the waivers moving forward. While I look forward to reviewing the deal, the Congress--as Article I of the Constitution mandates--must reject any deal that fails to prioritize energy security in the transatlantic alliance.
CONSUMER PROTECTION AND RECOVERY ACT
Kathy Castor (Democrat, FL) \u2014 2021-7-20

our neighbors back home are tired of the scam artists ripping them off, so I rise in strong support of H.R. 2668, the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act. I thank Representative Cardenas, Chair Schakowsky, and Chair Pallone for moving this bill swiftly to the floor. prgtoken H.R. 2668 fixes a glitch in the laws governing the Federal Trade Commission. Now the FTC is one of our most important consumer watchdog agencies, and for 40 years the FTC has been able to recover ill-gotten gains and restitution for consumers, but a recent Supreme Court decision kind of threw it back to Congress for us to clarify the FTC's authority. prgtoken This is very important. This is the authority that allows the FTC to rightfully recover moneys for consumers when fraudsters cheat them out of it. And this is especially important for seniors, folks in the Active Duty military, veterans, and others because they are often targeted by scams like telemarketer credit card scams, those scam artists that claim that we are working for a charitable organization that is going to help disabled police officers or disabled military, these false, fake cures that say, pay us this money and you are going to be cured of your Type 2 diabetes or you won't be in pain anymore. It is so wrong. prgtoken The FTC is working overtime. They have particularly been working overtime during the COVID pandemic because there have been so many scams and frauds. prgtoken We have got to pass this bill so that we can empower the FTC to get people's money back. It is that simple. prgtoken In fact, in my home State of Florida, just since July 2018, the FTC helped recover over $81 million for over 540,000 Floridians. prgtoken So if Members don't support this legislation, you are just giving a green light to the fraudsters to steal from consumers without penalty. prgtoken That is wrong. We can't let that happen. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to pass H.R. 2668.
CISA CYBER EXERCISE ACT
Yvette D. Clarke (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-7-20

. Madam , the balance of my time. prgtoken Madam , the country is experiencing an unprecedented number of significant cyberattacks. prgtoken From hospitals to schools to pipelines and a meat processing plant, nothing is immune. prgtoken The key to ensuring we are resilient to cyberattacks is to ensure that we have trained and tested cyber incident response plans. prgtoken H.R. 3223, the CISA Cyber Exercise Act, is critical in that effort. prgtoken I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3223, and .
CONSUMER PROTECTION AND RECOVERY ACT
Kathleen M. Rice (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2021-7-20

I rise in strong support of H.R. 2668, the Consumer Protection and Recovery Act. prgtoken This legislation would restore a key authority of the Federal Trade Commission, which allows it to return money to consumers who have been defrauded by scammers. The FTC has used this authority to protect consumers for the past 40-plus years. It is often senior citizens, veterans, and other vulnerable members of society who tend to be victims of scams, that benefit most from the FTC's ability to return money. prgtoken But as a result of the Supreme Court's decision, defrauded consumers are no longer being protected. Instead, they are being left out in the cold at one of the worst possible times. prgtoken Around 327,000 people have filed a fraud complaint linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to FTC data. And those victims have lost a combined $488 million. Scammers are taking advantage of the public health crisis and the Court's decision is hampering the FTC's efforts to combat this fraud. prgtoken That is why it is critical that we pass H.R. 2668 to restore the FTC's authority to seek equitable relief by amending section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act to provide the FTC with express authority to obtain both injunctive and monetary equitable relief. prgtoken on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Representative Cardenas, for introducing this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
John Cornyn (Republican, TX) \u2014 2021-7-20

for everything from emergency room visits to mental health care, Medicaid funding is vital to the health of our most prgtoken vulnerable citizens. More than 4 million of my constituents, including half of all the children in the State, depend on the stability of the State's Medicaid Program. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration has put the healthcare of these individuals in jeopardy by rescinding a previous approval of Texas's 1115 waiver extension. Basically, that waiver would allow the State to manage the program in a way that maximizes the benefit and save money where possible, mainly through managed care. prgtoken Now, those are some pretty bureaucratic terms, the 1115 waiver, but here is the short of it: Texas stands to lose $11 billion to provide healthcare for underserved patients as a result of this unilateral and unjustified rescission by the administration. All of this was done for an unconstitutional purpose: to force Texas to accept the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion--something the Supreme Court of the United States has said they cannot constitutionally force. Two anonymous Federal officials, in a Washington Post story, reported as much in a recent story. prgtoken I said earlier, when this happened to Texas, that if the administration can do it to Texas, they can do it to anyone, any State in this Chamber. My friend Senator Braun's home State of Indiana and Senator Young's State of Indiana now is the latest victim, and I appreciate their commitment to ending this game of political chicken. prgtoken These actions not only unjustifiably jeopardize the health of millions of vulnerable people, they also erode the trust States have when they negotiate with the Federal Government, where apparently a deal is not a deal. States will never view their Federal partners as working in good faith if these agreements are invalidated by a successor administration. prgtoken If we don't stand up against these reckless actions now, which State will be next? It may not be a Medicaid 1115 extension. It may be some other policy by the administration. But how far in this case will this administration go to commandeer State resources in forcing a Medicaid expansion? prgtoken I am proud to stand alongside of Senator Braun and Senator Young in the fight to protect the healthcare of the most vulnerable Americans in my State and across the country. prgtoken I yield to the junior Senator from Indiana. I beg your pardon, ; maybe the senior Senator or--never mind.
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Todd Young (Republican, IN) \u2014 2021-7-20

. very much for his reflections on what is really at stake here, . prgtoken Last month, the administration's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified the State of Indiana that it was withdrawing approval of the State's Gateway to Work Program. So what does this actually mean to rank-and-file Hoosiers? Well, it means that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has decided to revoke Indiana's ability to determine appropriate work requirements and appropriate community engagement expectations for Medicaid recipients in our State. It means that this administration regards work as some form of punishment, and efforts to transition to a position of self- reliance are somehow inappropriate. prgtoken Now, we s believe in people. We believe in people. We believe in self-reliance. We believe that the vast majority of Americans, Americans of modest means, don't want to be trapped in Government programs. prgtoken Medicaid should ideally be a service which is a temporary support for people who really need it. The goal should be to prepare individuals for a life of dignity, and that includes securing a vocation, finding a measure of self-reliance in life. prgtoken Now, Indiana wasn't the only State to receive this bad news. Arizona officials also received word that their Medicaid work expectations were being revoked. Just a few months ago, this administration likewise pulled all work expectations from the States of Arkansas, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Wisconsin. prgtoken Indiana's Gateway to Work Program, again revoked by CMS, would have merely asked Medicaid recipients to report 20 hours of work or volunteer or school or other activities every month. This is really important. These community engagement activities are designed to improve quality of life, to improve the quality of the recipient's life over the long-term and to help Hoosiers transition from Medicaid to full employment. This is what people want. prgtoken When we think of the American dream, we think of the ability to go out and start a family and be part of a larger community and to be able to meaningfully participate in a nation's civic life and to secure a vocation. prgtoken Most would regard the goals of Indiana's Gateway to Work program as commendable. However, according to CMS, this program would result in significant coverage losses and harm to beneficiaries--harm to beneficiaries--a misleading statement that ignores the extensive list of individuals exempt from this requirement: students, pregnant women, the medically frail or the incapacitated, those with disabilities, and a bunch of others. prgtoken Now, luckily for Hoosiers, the State of Indiana had not yet implemented the Gateway to Work program at the time of CMS's notice because of the unique challenges presented by the pandemic; meaning that Medicaid recipients would not face immediate disruption of their benefits. prgtoken Unfortu