mesut/congress_speeches huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Richard J. Durbin (Democrat, IL) \u2014 2020-8-6

the news this morning about the actions taken by Facebook and Twitter in relation to statements made by President is incredible. We now have a decision by these two major sources of social media to draw down and to remove statements made by the President of the United States on the issue of the national health emergency which we currently face. prgtoken They believe--and certainly, on its face, it is clear--that these statements by President misrepresented medical fact in terms of the immunity of children to COVID-19 and the state of play in America when it comes to this pandemic. prgtoken The numbers 5 and 25 tell a real story. America has roughly 5 percent of the world's population and, sadly, 25 percent of the COVID infections in the world. How could a great and strong nation like ours have reached this point where this medical crisis has reached a point where many parts of America are facing recordbreaking infection levels? prgtoken Part of it has to do with the lack of leadership: a President who has refused to acknowledge experts like Dr. Fauci and others, who, when they say things that disappoint him, are banished from appearing on television with him or making public statements in contradiction of his bizarre point of view. We also know, as well, that the President has downplayed, from the start, the threat of this COVID-19. One of the reasons Facebook and Twitter removed his statements is that the President continues to diminish the severity of this crisis. prgtoken We know, as well, that he has failed to tell us the truth and has speculated on medical theories that are just pure quackery. Who can forget the President's famous press conference talking about ingesting disinfectants, his theories about ultraviolet lights, and this hydroxychloroquine fantasy that he continues to enjoy telling the American people? We know, as well, that he has failed to take action when it was needed prgtoken Initially, Governors, including my own in the State of Illinois, were desperate for the equipment that they prgtoken needed to protect healthcare workers and to save the lives of those who were infected with the coronavirus. At this moment in time, many people are asking me basic questions on my website. One of the questions from a lady this morning said: Why is it that the United Kingdom has a rapid test and we don't in the United States? I wish I could answer that, but I can't. prgtoken The fact is, if you are taking a test to see if you are positive for the coronavirus and the results aren't available for 5 days or even 12 days, they are almost pointless. At that point in time, it is just a data point in history, not something that you could rely on in terms of your own conduct. prgtoken How do the s in the Senate explain the nonchalance many of them have displayed when it comes to the challenges we face? This is the worst national health crisis we have faced in 100 years. We kn
Multiemployer Pension System (Executive Calendar)
Sherrod Brown (Democrat, OH) \u2014 2020-8-6

the public health crisis and the economic crisis that are happening right now are not happening in a vacuum. prgtoken All the damage caused by the coronavirus and the President's failures is layered on top of all the existing problems of our country, including the crisis we have been facing for years in the multiemployer pension system. prgtoken More than a million American workers and retirees were already in danger of losing the retirement security that they earned. These are people who did everything right. They spent years working on assembly lines, bagging groceries, driving trucks, working hard to keep this economy going and to provide for their families. Money came out of every single one of their paychecks to pay into a pension system. prgtoken People in Washington don't understand the collective bargaining process. They either don't understand it or don't care to understand it. People give up dollars today at the bargaining table for the promise of a secure retirement, with healthcare and a pension. prgtoken This crisis affects thousands of Ohioans and people in Indiana, the Presiding Officer's State. It affects the massive Central States Pension Plan, the Bricklayers Local 7, the Ironworkers Local 17, the Ohio Southwest Carpenters Pension Plan, the Bakers and Confectioners Pension Plan, and on and on and on. prgtoken It touches every single State in the country. We are talking about our entire multiemployer pension system. If it collapses, it will not just be retirees who feel the pain. Current workers will be stuck paying into pensions they will never receive. Small businesses will be left drowning in pension liability they can't afford. Small businesses that have been in the family for generations could face bankruptcy. prgtoken I have seen those companies: Spangler Candy in Williams County, OH; Smucker's Preserves in Orrville, OH. We have seen these companies that have been family companies paying into this pension plan for generations, and workers lose jobs if businesses close up shop. prgtoken The effect will ripple through the entire economy. It is not only union businesses that participate in these plans that will close their doors. It would devastate small communities across the industrial heartland. Small businesses in these communities already are hurt because of this virus. prgtoken These pension plans were already in danger prior to February or March, or even April or May, when the President decided that this was a crisis. Now the economic emergency we are in has put them in a worse position. prgtoken The House did its part repeatedly. First, they passed the Butch Lewis Act. More than 2 months ago, they passed the Heroes Act, which includes a pension solution. prgtoken But under Senator McConnell, the Senate has done nothing. It is time for us to do our part. prgtoken Leader McConnell has refused to do anything on pensions. We could have fixed this last year. He chose not to. He di
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Tim Kaine (Democrat, VA) \u2014 2020-8-6

today I am introducing a bipartisan bill to prgtoken make the process of siting natural gas pipelines fairer, more transparent, and more responsive to landowner concerns. prgtoken For some time now, I have been listening to Virginians with passionate views on the process involved in permitting the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines. For various reasons, many oppose one or both of these projects while others support these projects. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, is tasked with analyzing all the issues--purpose and need for a project, impacts on people 1iving on the route, potential risks to the environment or property-- and deciding what course best serves the public interest. prgtoken From listening to all sides, I have concluded that while reasonable people may reach different conclusions, FERC's public input process is flawed and could be better. Accordingly, this legislation proposes several steps to address several shortcomings, all of which were originally brought to my attention by Virginia constituents. For instance, this bill requires programmatic analysis of pipelines proposed around the same time and in the same geographic vicinity so that the full impacts of multiple projects can be analyzed. It requires a greater number of public comment meetings so that citizens are not required to commute long distances to meetings at which they must speed through just a few minutes of remarks on these complex topics. It ensures that affected landowners are given proper notice and compensation. It guarantees that landowner complaints will be heard before construction commences. And it clarifies the circumstances under which eminent domain should and should not be used. prgtoken I am pleased to be joined by my colleague Senator Mark Warner on this bill, which is an update to a version we introduced in the 115th Congress. The public deserves reasonable opportunity to weigh in on energy infrastructure projects, and we are heeding calls by our constituents to make this process fairer and more transparent without mandating a particular outcome. prgtoken I encourage the Senate to consider this legislation, not to pave the way for pipelines nor to throw up insurmountable roadblocks to them, but to give the public greater certainty that the federal government's infrastructure decisions are fair and transparent.
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
Dianne Feinstein (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2020-8-6

psychostimulant overdose deaths, including methamphetamine-related deaths, increased by 27 percent in 1 year. That is a higher rate of increase than any other illicit substance in our country, including fentanyl. prgtoken It is time to sound the alarm. We must take immediate action to prevent methamphetamine from becoming the next drug overdose crisis facing our country. prgtoken That is why I am introducing the Methamphetamine Response Act with my colleague, Senator Grassley. prgtoken This bill does two things. prgtoken First, it declares methamphetamine an emerging drug threat. prgtoken Second, it requires the Office of National Drug Control Policy, ONDCP, to develop and implement a national plan that is specific to methamphetamine, in accordance the ONDCP Reauthorization, which I was proud to coauthor, and which was enacted in 2018 as part of the SUPPORT Act. prgtoken This plan must include an assessment of the methamphetamine threat, including the current availability of, and demand for, the drug, and the effectiveness of evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, as well as law enforcement programs; short- and long-term goals focused on supply and demand reduction and the expansion of prevention and treatment programs; performance measures related to the plan's goals; and the level of funding needed to implement the plan, including an assessment of whether available funding can be reprogrammed or transferred or whether additional funds are needed. prgtoken There is no question that methamphetamine is emerging yet again as a major drug threat to our Nation. prgtoken Between 2008 and 2017, methamphetamine-related treatment admissions increased from 15 percent to nearly 24 percent. Heroin use among those admitted for methamphetamine treatment increased from 5.3 percent to 23.6 percent, indicating a significant and troubling increase in poly substance use. prgtoken Between 2018 and 2019, psychostimulant overdose deaths, including methamphetamine deaths, increased in 27 of the 38 states that provide drug-specific data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This amounts to a 27-percent increase nationally. prgtoken By the end of 2019, methamphetamine availability, use, purity, and potency had increased, as street level prices declined. prgtoken Data shows that methamphetamine use is no longer limited to Midwest and Western States but is increasingly prevalent in Northeastern States. prgtoken Emergency room admissions for suspected stimulant overdoses, including methamphetamine, increased by 23 percent between January 2019 and 2020. These increases occurred in 36 States and the District of Colombia. prgtoken In the first 9 months of fiscal year 2020, methamphetamine seizures increased by 52 percent. prgtoken COVID-19 is likely to exacerbate these trends. prgtoken In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse has warned clinicians to be prepared to monitor adverse effects associated with incr
CORONAVIRUS
Jeff Merkley (Democrat, OR) \u2014 2020-8-6

is this just another Thursday? Are things going along well in America, with nothing to worry about, nothing to keep us up at night, nothing to keep mothers and fathers up worried about the health of their children? Is this just another Thursday with America doing well, or are we here in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century since the Spanish flu? You wouldn't know it from this Chamber. You wouldn't know it from the majority leader's shutting this place down. prgtoken Is it possible that we are in the worst economic implosion since the Great Depression? Is this just another Thursday? prgtoken You wouldn't know that we are in a terrible economic collapse based on the fact that the majority leader is treating this period of time like just another Thursday, when everything is fine and everything is good in America. prgtoken It is almost 3 months ago that the House passed a robust bill to address the pandemic and to address the economic implosion--3 months ago. Why didn't the Senate say immediately, we will act, as well, because we are having big issues in America? They didn't act after the first week after the House acted. They just treated it like another week, no concerns. They didn't act in the second week. We are now 11 weeks since the House acted and still the majority leader says: Don't worry, be happy. It is just another Thursday. All is good in America-- no concerns, no anxiety, no worry. Just be happy. prgtoken I can tell you what I am hearing from Oregonians. They are saying it is not just another Thursday. They are saying our State government is estimated to lose $10 billion in revenue over the next two bienniums--a little less than $3 billion this biennium, a little more than $4 billion in the next biennium, and about $3 billion after that. That is $10 billion of lost revenue for core programs, like healthcare, housing, education, and transportation. That is a pretty big deal in terms of the foundations for the programs Oregonians count on. prgtoken I am hearing from a whole lot of parents--moms and dads--and they are saying: This is not just another Thursday. We are worried about our children's education. prgtoken I recognize there are a lot of rich people in America paying for tutors for their children, maybe two tutors for a child--maybe a math tutor and a reading tutor, maybe a special education tutor, who knows-- because they are rich. prgtoken You know what, most of America are ordinary Americans who count on the quality of our public schools. I can tell you, a lot of parents are worried about how are they going to be able to have an education for their children given the challenge in the school if the school can't afford to convert the way it operates, either in the school, in a very altered manner, or providing workstations and computers and broadband so every child has the ability to work online. prgtoken Now, we know that even that is going to be far insufficient because so
REMEMBERING HUMBERTO TRUJILLO, JR.
Kyrsten Sinema (Democrat, AZ) \u2014 2020-8-6

today I wish to honor the life of Postmaster Humberto Trujillo Jr ``Junior''. He was a beloved leader, coach, and Postmaster. Junior served others with dedication, and his impact will be felt for generations. prgtoken Junior grew up in West Phoenix, where he attended Edison Elementary School and East High School. He was an avid athlete and went on to attend Phoenix College, where he played football, and spent over a decade coaching sports to the children in the community. Junior first worked for the postal service as a masonry foreman who helped construct the Phoenix Main Post Office. As a 31-year veteran of the Postal Service, Junior used his skill and expertise to rise through the ranks of the service. In 2015, Junior accepted the position of Phoenix Postmaster, leading the staff of the same post office he helped build many years ago. prgtoken Junior will be deeply missed by his family and the community who shared in his love. Please join me in honoring the life and service of Postmaster Humberto Trujillo, Jr.
CORONAVIRUS
Margaret Wood Hassan (Democrat, NH) \u2014 2020-8-6

since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been clear that we would need a sustained response to mitigate the damaging health and economic impact facing the American people. prgtoken When s and came together to pass the CARES Act in March, I, along with my ic colleagues, made clear that we would need to stand ready to provide additional, robust support as the situation demanded. prgtoken This afternoon we have been hearing from our colleagues. I thank Senator Stabenow for gathering us here. I thank Senator Coons for the way he just illustrated in such personal, direct terms the way this pandemic and all of its ripple effects are impacting his constituents, as they are impacting my constituents and constituents of every single Member of the U.S. Senate. prgtoken Unfortunately, the administration and Washington s have not met the challenges facing the American people today with any sense of urgency, and the cost of that inaction has been seen all across the country. But, today, Senate majority Leader McConnell decided to act as if this were just any other Thursday--just any other Thursday for the s in the Senate. prgtoken Well, it is not just any other Thursday for our constituents. Back in May, House passed a substantial relief bill called the Heroes Act, but for months, s refused to even acknowledge the necessity of providing more relief. In the 3 months since the House acted, the pain that our citizens are experiencing has only grown. Cases have skyrocketed. The United States of America is approaching 160,000 Americans killed by this virus. Small businesses have shuttered, and millions of people have lost their jobs. prgtoken Meanwhile, President continues to downplay the significant toll that this virus has taken. Earlier this week he said this of the COVID- 19 death toll: ``It is what it is.'' prgtoken Just yesterday, he again claimed that the virus would simply go away. Not recognizing the gravity of this threat has significantly harmed Americans and America. While Congress can't undo the damage that has been done, I am urging my colleagues to come together on a response that will lead us forward. Throughout this week, I have joined with my colleagues to come to the floor and to lay out some of the priorities that we are focused on and to share what we are hearing from people all across our States. prgtoken The cost of inaction grows every single day. Millions of Americans lost enhanced unemployment benefits and with it the ability to feed their families and pay their rent. People will lose their homes now to evictions. By the way, their landlords will feel the ripple effect when they can't pay their rent. Their grocers will feel the ripple effect when they can't buy groceries. The economic pain will spread and spread and spread. prgtoken Lack of supplies and testing capacity--a national disgrace months
Coronavirus (Executive Session)
Charles E. Schumer (Democrat, NY) \u2014 2020-8-6

over the past week and a half, prgtoken Pelosi and I have been engaged in serious discussions and negotiations with the White House over another round of emergency relief for the American people. Our motivation is simple: Americans are crying out for relief. prgtoken Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to climb. The snowball of economic impacts continue to roll downhill. This morning, we learned that another 1.2 million Americans filed for unemployment--far more than at any time during the great recession that began in 2008. prgtoken Our two parties don't agree on many things. That is no secret. The administration has bungled this crisis from the very beginning and even now is careening from one self-inflicted crisis to the next. believe that Congress has a moral obligation to step into the breach to help Americans put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads, to save our economy from a deeper recession and longer recovery, and to fight this disease with all the resources and wherewithal a great nation can bring to bear. prgtoken After the Senate majority failed in spectacular fashion to put together a bill even its own Members could support, have engaged in arduous negotiations with the White House trying to impress upon them the gravity of the situation. We have made some progress this week but not enough. The biggest reason is that and his aides and his party in Congress are not truly awake to what is happening in this country. prgtoken The administration and Senate s have badly mauled the body politic, the American economy, and American healthcare. We believe the patient needs a major operation, while s want to apply a bandaid. And we will not let them just pass the bandaid, go home, and still leave America bleeding. That is the difference right now on so many issues. prgtoken Our counterparts refuse to acknowledge that Americans who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own might need some assistance with rent. The leader warns of an epidemic of lawsuits that hasn't materialized. What will materialize soon is an epidemic of evictions unless we extend the moratorium and pass rental assistance. Between 19 and 23 million households--one in five rental households--will be at risk of eviction by the end of September unless we do something, unless our colleagues wake up. prgtoken Our counterparts refuse to acknowledge that State, local, and Tribal governments, which the administration abandoned in the early days of this crisis, might need Federal support to prevent teachers, firefighters, busdrivers from being laid off and public services from being slashed at the worst possible time. Leader McConnell just states that States should go bankrupt. That is not acceptable. prgtoken Our counterparts refuse to acknowledge that running an